Chapter 2: Reality
Chapter 2: Reality
Joseph walk outside his house to and be welcome by faint smell of freshly bake bread, food vendor and others alike.
Everyone is lively they are all chatting and smiling, which created a harmonious atmosphere that can be best described as home-like.
This is why Joseph and Nala decided to build their family here after all. The neighbors is nice, the street is well build without much problems.
It couldn't be said to be the most ideal to be completely honest there a lot of part that can be more… desirable. But he isn't complaining much since he know somewhere outside the inner wall there are people who are treated less than rats.
A faint trace of sympathy pass his heart and then gone like a flash.
'After all, I can't say that I understand them…', he is old enough to know you can't sympathize with someone just because you said you understand.
That what you call a hypocrite. And Joseph is not a total hypocrite like some priest in the Transcendent Church.
He believes in the God not the people that 'represented' him. That sound a bit sacrilegious isn't it, but he doesn't care that much, he only believed in the Lord.
Looking up at the sky even though he was sure that it's only 7:00 am, somehow the sky is still dark with no sight of sunlight.
'That odd… there shouldn't be a storm today, am I wrong. Thankfully I already prepared an umbrella.'
He was quite a meticulous person so he make sure to not forget anything. That's why he has checked his documents at least three times this morning.
Fixing his slightly off hat to it's perfect position, he move to catch the public bus.
The bus stop is about a 5-minute walk, so he can took quite a leisure pace and tried to revise by himself for the upcoming meeting.
"Good morning Joseph, I just bake some new bread do you want some? I want to thank you for your help previously", an old lady said when she see Joseph pass by her bakery.
"Good morning, Miss Heather, I would love to but unfortunately I'm about to be late for the bus, so excuse me." Joseph smiled and said with politeness.
"Haha, don't worry about it, lad. I'm will give some treat to Katherine in your stead, how about it?", Old Heather offer Joseph a different way to repay his kindness.
"If that the case, then she's in your care. But please don't spoiled her too much." Joseph accept this offer knowing at best it will be some cheap candy make with artificial sugar.
"Fufufu, don't worry lad, at best she will gained some fat." Heather said jokingly.
…
After some more random talk, Joseph excuse himself and back on track to catch the bus on time.
Along the way there are plenty acquaintances he meet, Joseph all said some greeting before going on his way.
This process make the 5 minutes journey into a 15 minutes one but this is still somewhat inside Joseph calculation.
Well the world does not revolve around him sadly, he can't risk making his reputation fall just because he won't socialize with the neighbors, these are the people he will have to lives with for a long time after all.
For as long as he live, one single truth is apparent, if you not strong enough you have to be influential enough. Or else you will be nothing but commoners or worse…
This is also why he can get the position he has now.
Siting down on the chair installed in the bus stop, Joseph opened his suitcase to recounted the documents and re-read all the important information once again just to make sure he remembered everything. He also make sure that no one near him so to decrease the possibility of getting information leaked.
That said this remind Joseph back when he was a high-schooler, he always have to cramp all the knowledge in one night or else he is fucked.
'Hah… I'm getting old aren't I', it couldn't be help after all those moments of youth was truly something that you looked back with a smile.
Clank, clank, clank-
A clanking loud noise of metal clashing against the concrete floor in the dark distance not too close not too far, Joseph's heart skip a beat.
'Is this the random inspection they talked about?'
A few day ago, some of the Demon race's spy said to be found inside someone's house and acting as the husband, after getting discovered the spy decided to kill himself and the wife apparently was taken to an insane asylum due to some trauma.
After that the city goes to lockdown mode, code yellow, and random inspection will 'randomly' be issued one street as a time. And today was Dante St turn.
But Joseph isn't particularly worried since he always have his ID always accompanied him even in bed so he don't have to panic, reaching his hand inside his pocket to find his ID.
Nothing.
'Maybe in the left…"
Nothing.
'It can't be in my chest pocket, so it is my suitcase ?' It isn't his regular spot but it isn't unfeasible.
Again… nothing.
'Shit!'
Clank-
***
Katherine peaked at her mother, she was in the kitchen washing the dishes.
Making sure that her mother doesn't pay attention to her, she slowly sneaked to her parent's bedroom.
Last night while in the bed she can faintly heard moaning sound of a woman, maybe it's a ghost that's what she thought. So today she will investigate the room to keep her parents safe from the nasty ghost since she is a brave girl!
But upon looking inside the room, there was no evidence for her absurd conjecture except for a very fishy smell and some white liquid on the sheet. She didn't touch it since it could be evidence and an investigator don't mess with the evidence, she think.
When checking the desk, she see an weird silver rectangle like things, in it contain her father name, workplace, birthday,…
"This rectangle thing is weird, it is a toy?" she said not too loudly since she scared her mother will come and scolded her.
Little Katherine play with for a while before…
"Katey, where are you? Are you in my room?", Nala said with a worried voice.
Panic, Katherine don't know what to do but before she can find a place to hide, her mother come in.
"What are you do-"
"I'm sorry, I know mother forbid me to com her-, eh mother…?", she panicky apologize but something is wrong.
Katherine look up, her mother face was deadly pale, her eyes fixed on her right hand holding the rectangle card.
***
"Sir, I'm an trainee officer can you show your ID please, don't worry you don't need to be so scared sir, I will only check your ID and blood bind.", a young man look no more than 20 years with chestnut brown hair and a pair of glasses politely asked Joseph.
Feeling cold sweat running down his spine, his nervousness intensified.
"Ah, young man this old man here is quite forgetful, I forget to bring the ID with me, how about you let me go back to my house and give it to you." Joseph know at best he will have to follow them back to the police office, they can kill him in broad daylight right?
But that doesn't being them any benefit at all, so it is fine.
"Oh, it's fine sir, take your time, but I'll have to follow you back to your house though, just formality." The brown hair young man said with a smile.
Like that both of them walk back to Joseph's house. Joseph relaxed a bit knowing that the man he working with isn't very unreasonable.
On the way something unexpected happens. A group of ominous hooded figure wearing a metal mask and metal boots walking closer to Joseph and the young man.
It was quite uneasy for Joseph to keep calm, but he still managed to behave normally, mainly because an officer was with him.
*Click*, *Click*, *click*,…
*Clank*, *Clank*, *Clank*,…
A weird clicking sound can be heard when the hooded group approach Joseph. The clacking sound also follow each steps of the group.
Then,
*BEEEEEEEEEP-*
A screeching beep sound alarm the neighborhood, so loud it make people sunder in fright.
'Wh-what, the fuck is that's before he know it a man already in front of him.
"Where is your ID, sir?"
That was the last word Joseph heard in his life.
***
Katherine woke up.
She looked at the ceiling of her office, it was a plain white color without much to see.
It was the same nightmare every time.
Every.
Single.
Time.
She has grow tired of such things, was God playing on her? Or she was just that traumatized.
Today her dream was in her father perspective, last night was her mother, last week was some pedestrians, but most of the time it was in her point of view.
She wondered, if fate were real, than wasn't her fate is suffering?
*Knock*
*Knock*
*Knock*
"Investigators Katherine, I'm Damien, I have an important report"
"Come in"
Right, it isn't fate that's cruel, it was life. Life is always full of suffering and misery, it's just that her life was worse than others.
After all reality is cruel.
Chapter 2: Cruel Reality <ENDED>
____
Author's word:
*-*, Good morning guys and gals. And welcome to the official end of the 'prologue' of HE, honestly I want to write more about Katherine but giving her three chapter of prologue is a bit excessive so I'll have to cut it short and fill up some gaps along the way and expand Katherine story a bit more since she will be important in this arc or volume.
After this I will introduce the main character. If you question why I even bothered to write two chapter of prologue for a side character is simple. I want to give the story some more depth and mystery and a glimpse of what the society here work and and some religion. Since I my plan was that to not delve on these topic too hasty and slowly building up a world.
I'm very much a fan of LOTM so I tried to captured the sense of fantasy and mystery of it. Though it still lackluster because I don't really have much experience writing novel.
But faling and improving is the mother of success, so will tried my best! Your views only is a source of encouragement for me to continue, so I thank you for reading this!
Sincerely,
Rzora.
PS: If there any grammatical error please point out for me, I will fixed it. Also happy new year!
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