A Dance of Two Worlds

The Last Conference

Chapter Fifty-Two

The Conclusion

The Last Conference

The Games of Destiny are beyond the wits of the mortals

Aden

6L 1/1/1/11

"Drive Jennifer around Aurae. Jennifer wants to see what she has done."

There was a crystal clear sky in the morning following the Catastrophe of Aurae. The elements had no more energy left and the Transitioner had almost spent herself. Jennifer looked pale and was barely able to stand on her feet but she was adamant about her plan. Though everyone was against this idea, John, Joseph, and Shaun reluctantly gave in and joined them on the tour. As they drove around the city, they saw the aftermath of this bloody war.

You betrayed the people you promised to keep safe. You turned this city into ashes. You failed in your mission.

Jennifer had turned the Grand palace into complete ruins, but the other buildings around it were heavily damaged as well. Anyone could easily guess the fate of its residents by looking at their dissipated state.

"Any news of people inside the palace?" Jennifer asked John.

"We have retrieved the bodies of some soldiers. As for Marcus's family, we found Miriam and her daughter buried under the rubble. Marcus's wife and his two sons are still missing and I don't think we are going to find them alive."

She turned towards Joseph. "How many men did we lose?"

"Not many at the gateway. We did lose a few when we stormed the courtyard. Some of our men were hit by the Star-Rock shower as well. The count is still on."

Jennifer kept a straight face. No one could read behind that mask. "What about their troops?"

"Thousands killed and many more injured. Most of the soldiers inside the city surrendered, including those at the two gateways, although not before carrying out Marcus's last order."

"Take Jennifer to the gateway."

Shaun shook his head. "I don't think that is a great idea. A huge crowd has assembled there and they might not be too friendly."

"Jennifer wants to see it. Take her there."

Her tone had an air of finality and it didn't leave them much choice. Their car had to wade through massive crowds to reach gateway number two. Jennifer's head dropped and her face lost its remaining color when she saw the scenes in front of her eyes.

If anything, this was even worse than the main gateway. The whole area was cordoned off by tall barricades. It was clear that the people here didn't even get a chance to run and save themselves when the soldiers opened fire on them. The barricades were colored in blood. The street was red. Children were squeezed under their parents who had tried to shield them from the bullets. Some others were crushed under the stampeding crowd. Some people had climbed over the dead bodies in a bid to jump the barricades but got shot and ended up hanging over them. There were distorted faces, mashed limbs, spilled organs, pools of blood, and piles of dead bodies.

Jennifer got out of her vehicle and walked towards this massive graveyard.

"This is the demoness which caused the rain of fire," someone shouted from the crowd.

"You promised us peace, but you brought us death."

"You lured these people out of their homes to get butchered."

"All these deaths are on you. You are a blood-thirsty witch."

"You brought doom to our world. Go back to your damned world."