Chapter 10: Natural Worries
The setting sun cast a crimson twilight over the city of Lowe, akin to red paint splattered across a somber canvas. In the lower district, the streets lay eerily quiet, with its residents' faces bearing blank and resigned expressions. They trudged across the streets without energy or enthusiasm, their figures silently moving towards their homes without any form of urgency.
The entirety of the lower district resembled a dull painting, lacking the color and vibrancy that was usually present in other bustling areas of the city.
Elias walked briskly through the streets, his hands clutching the brown satchel bag at his waist as he attentively scanned his surroundings for any threat of theft. He had come across such altercations in the past before, causing him to constantly be in a state of heightened vigilance whenever he walked through the streets and alleyways within the district, especially when the setting sun announced the end of the day.
In most crime infestated areas, the setting of the sun and arrival of the lunar moon usually sparked a surge crime rate, as various vices were better perpetrated under the blanket of the night sky. The Lower district of Lowe was no different, with those hesitant to engage in illicit activities during daylight seizing the night to act. Incidents like muggings and robberies were particularly common during these hours.
The absence of Damian, who had already embarked on his trip to Estica a while ago, would also cause an increase in the rate of crime happening within the district. Damian was one of the main reasons why most of the inhabitants usually abstained from crime. Elias now expected the crime rate to further increase without him.
"I hope this doesn't end up worrying Sister Marie and the kids... It was already quite dangerous before, who knows how much dangerous it will get without Damian around. I suddenly feel skeptical about leaving tomorrow..."
Elias kept thinking about the safety of his siblings and the church, and suddenly felt a bit hesitant about leaving. Perhaps he didn't need to pursue the test; he could stay and continue working here for a while, saving up to attend the regional university in the city. Eventually, he could pursue a career as a justice lawyer, following Mr. Abernathy's recommendation.
The main problem was Elias didn't ever attend a high school, meaning that he lacked the qualifications to be admitted into a university. Even if Elias had self studied a lot in the past and had more than enough in him to pass the university admission exams, he would still be unable to apply to one without the proper documentation. So this idea was basically a no-go for him.
Unless he wanted to continue working odd jobs for the rest of his life and maybe potentially securing a civilian position in some small business in the future, his best bet was to take the assessment and try to become a Disciple or an Apostle. Plus, the issue of the benign dream he had experienced recently and his goal of getting to the bottom of his guardians mysterious death further fueled his desire to become an official clergyman of the church, in order to open the doors of all these mysteries.
Elias was however still torn, as the issue of leaving his family without any form of protection in such a dangerous environment rubbed him the wrong way. Even if he knew that Sister Marie was reliable and would be able to safe guard the kids on her own, he felt he would be more reassured if he was there in person.
As Elias gripped his bag tightly and cautiously made his way through the deserted streets, a sense of worry gnawed at his heart, accompanied by a mocking scoff echoing in his mind.
"What are you worrying about again this time? My goodness, you aren't even an old man yet, please act your age! At this rate, you will develop wrinkles before you hit 30!"
Lars, who had previously been helping Elias observe the terrain, spoke out.
Even if he spoke out of annoyance and mockery, Elias knew his brother well enough to know that the main reason he said that, was because he wanted to try to encourage him, allbeit in his own 'peculiar' way.
Elias continued to walk forward with brisk steps, the look of worry still evident on his face.
"I can't help it... You know how much of a handful those kids are. They can be very explorative, curious, bold and above all, very very innocent. They don't understand the degree of danger lurking all around us, as they laugh and smile with almost everyone. Even with me around, it takes a lot for both I and Sister Marie to get them to listen to us.
"I fear that if I leave… people with bad intentions to Sister Marie would take it as an opportunity to cause trouble, and the easiest way to do so would be by messing with the kids. I don't want anything to happen to them Lars, and I'm sure you don't want that either. Don't forget we share a bond, I can also sense your worry"
Lars went silent for a while, eventually only speaking up after Elias was about to turn into an alleyway ahead of him.
"I won't sit here and pretend like I won't be worried about them. Even if I don't have much of a physical bond with the five troublemakers, they are my family as well. I watched them grow up and I plan to continue to do so, while doing everything in my power to reserve their innocence, an innocence we had to lose quite early.
"But at the same time, worrying about it like this won't change anything, rather it will just make you more anxious, which would affect the kids as they will notice it, as well as affect our ability to pass the assessment and maybe get the scholarship." Lars paused to make sure his message got to Elias, only continuing after he noticed his brother's brows slightly relax. "The best thing we can do is talk to the kids as best as we can today, explaining to them the woes of staying out late and the importance of caution. Luckily for us, they listen to you, so they should take it seriously after they notice how worried you are."
Elias thought about what his brother had said as he walked forward, eventually nodding to signify that he was right.
Lars noticed this gesture and finally heaved a sigh of relief, before taking the opportunity to crack a joke.
"Besides I can't believe you are worried about Sister Marie. Didn't you see how she expertly made quick work of the 5 gang members who tried to rob our bans after the last harvest. If anything, I'm worried about whoever decides to mess with the church and not her. Her heart and face might be soft but her fist definitely isn't!"
Elias responded to his brother's jest with a hearty laugh, his crisp and clear voice resounding like a pleasant melody within the dry and dull streets.
Passerby's spared him a quick glance, wondering why this young man was suddenly laughing to himself while walking alone. Some even shoke their heads in pity, assuming that the handsome young man had perhaps lost his mind, maybe due to life's hardships. It was apparently a very common occurrence in this part of the city.
Elias slowly contained himself from the joke, his previously gloomy face now containing a hint of calming relief. "Now that you mention it, me worrying about Sister Marie might be natural, but also feels quite silly. She is a fully fledged Disciple and has watched over the branch alone since Father Bernard's passing.
"Even with numeruous challenges over the years, she has managed to navigate each and every one with calm maturity and love, truly a strong woman that doesn't need worry from someone as young as myself."
Just as Elias had said, Sister Marie had been single handedly handling the main clergy operations of the Lowe Branch of the church after Bernard's passing. Most of the old staff had either been transferred over the years, or downright quit, as they felt like Bernard's death had placed a looming shadow of bespair over the parish.
Sister Marie was the only one that refused to dessert the branch, even after being offered the chance to do so many times before. Her reasons were that she wanted to continue spreading the Mother's love within the community, and that she also couldn't bear to see the kids who had grown up together separated, as dissolving the branch would lead to them being shipped off to branches in other parts of the kingdom, maybe even in entirely different territories.
She took up the preaching, organisation and maintenance of the branch, all the while earning the basic salary for just her official duties. She did all this while acting as the children's new guardian, her care and concern constantly acting as a ray of sunshine in their lives. If Elias had to describe one person he knew with the word 'Angel', he would instantly think of her, as no one else he knew better fit the criterias.
Lars arrogantly agreed while secretly being relieved at the results. He didn't think making his brother's mood better would have been that easy. He sighed as he felt that Elias could be quite unpredictable at times.
Elias continued to make his way back home while chatting inwardly with his brother, which usually gave him the most joy. He continued to maintain a steady hold on his bag, even if the street he was walking into was quite empty.
As he made his way through the dim and sparse alleyway, the area which was previously getting a bit of glow from the setting sun seemed to instantly get a bit more darker, the silence enveloping the area taking on an eerily still setting.
Elias continued to chat with his brother, apparently not noticing the little changes that had taken place in the environment. It got so silent in fact, that the only sounds ringing out of the alley was from Elias's steady breaths and the steps from the shoes. Even the sound of birds and scurrying animals couldn't be heard!
It had to be noted that even if the streets in the lower district were a bit more dark and dull than other place, it was seemingly impossible for it to be totally silent, as chatter of different types would still be noticeable.
A drunken husband getting into an argument with his tired wife after getting home late from work, children being attacked by their parents for not doing their household chores, the cries of a hungry baby, fights between young, broke couples and even the sound of a street cat shuffling through the bins, all these are sounds that would be noticeable at one point or the other while walking through any street in this part of town, especially when it's close to night time. The complete absence of sound points to something being very, very wrong!
Elias and Lars continued to chatter on for a while without noticing anything, with the latter being the first to notice that something was wrong with their surroundings.
"Uhmm Elias... correct me if I'm wrong but, doesn't this alley seem too quiet all of a sudden? As in way, way too quiet."
Elias stopped after hearing the confusion in his brother's voice, taking a brief moment to scan his environment. Lars was right, something was definitely wrong with the place!
"That's weird... how am I just noticing this?"
Ever since Elias had developed the ability to see spirits, his sensitivity to peculiarities had gotten significantly heightened, being way higher than the regular person. Him not noticing shouldn't have been possible!
Lars responded to his brother's rhetorical question, a hint of urgency hidden behind his voice. "I don't know, and I definitely don't want to find out. The alley's exit is just up ahead... you should hurry, this place is giving me the creeps!"
Elias nodded while sharing his brother's sentiments, the entire place also made him feel eerily uncomfortable.
As he urgently made his way to the exit of the alleyway, he kept feeling that there were multiple eyes fixated on his back while he walked, causing his entire back to be drenched in sweat. He then urgently broke into a full sprint, aiming for the exit where he could hear and see people walking about. He felt like if he escaped this silent streets he would be safe.
Immediately Elias exited the alleyway, chatter coming from different places instantly echoed in his ear, causing both him and Lars to heave a sigh of relief. Elias took a break to collect himself before continuing the sprint home, not once glimpsing back to the dim and vacant alley.
...
The soft platter of footsteps sounded out within the dark alleyway, causing gentle echoes to reverberate all through the street. The footsteps continued to sound out, the owner pausing just before the alley's exit while starring at the back of the sprinting Elias.
The individual gave out an amused chuckle, before turning back into the alleyway, disappearing into it's dark depths like they had never been there in the first place.
The concept of sound instantly returned to the surroundings, making the events which had just commenced seem like a mirage or illusion that may or may not have even happened.
Weekly Power Status
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