Phantoms, dreaded creatures and the scourge of humanity. Their bodies are devoid of life, and serves only as a vessel to the contagion that gnarled their once-human contour— the Ancient Genetic Deviation Syndrome.
The affliction have always been here ever since I was born, before my parents were conceived, or even before my grandparents existed. It's been infesting the surface of the world as far as the stretch of mankind's recorded history, and to this day, its origins are still yet to be uncovered.
Cities fell, people died. I can't help but ask, why is this happening? What does it want?— questions that has no immediate answers.
Is it cleansing Threa from mankind's ignorant nature, or punishing us because we failed to appreciate the importance of the world we reside in? A secret from the cosmos perhaps? Or just a husk of the remnant of what went wrong with humanity's bygone history?
The current state of our society may dull any hopes in one's mind but not me. I still believe that there could perhaps be an escape to this collective nightmare we face. It's just buried deep below and waiting to be unraveled. We just have to find it, we have to keep looking.
November 26, 2012…
7:40 AM. Suburbs of Aurich. Danelburg, Azurea…
A week had passed since the incident at the Baümer's Mansion, and there weren't many interesting events that followed besides doing the daunting task of the documentation of Eidessa's case.
Noralie had just finished finalizing the papers after pulling out an all-nighter last night that fried the remaining of her brain cells out, all just for the sake of today's deadline to the Archive.
She wasn't alone on this, of course; there's Ilse and Carl whom she shared the burden, and with the help of Walter's guidance, they managed to pull it through. Although she could take pride in the fact that she did most of the work.
The thought made her chuckle as she reached out to pass the crisp bills to the cashier.
The girl in the green apron and cap nodded as she took the cash before handing over the receipt before going back to prepare and brew Noralie's warm cup of coffee.
While waiting at the counter, Noralie's eyes fell upon the satchel she had been cradling around with her. Tucked inside its smooth leather coverlet was the documentation folder—the fruit of her and her comrade's hard work. Atleast Owen was safe…
Owen, it's good for him to be back at service in the Baümer's Mansion, which was now under renovation after the havoc and damages the fiasco had caused. The days of working with him had formed a friendly bond with the whole squad and he even gave the courtesy to visit once in a while, under Hans approval of couse.
The cashier-slash-barista returned on a short notice, her hands are holding a paper bag of bread rolls and a cup of freshly-brewed coffee which she passed over to Noralie, who graciously took them with a polite nod and smile before leaving.
Noralie sauntered towards the exit, her hand that clutches the paper bag reached out and pushed the glass doors open with minimal effort. Upon stepping outside, the cool morning breeze greeted her with a chilly sensation, its cold touch was enough to make Noralie curse under her breath for forgetting to bring a jacket with her.
The frigid atmosphere that blanketed over the lands reminded her of the upcoming Starlight Holidays that occurs during the whole third week of December. It is also known as the time of the year where Threa is plunged into a temporary moment of peace as families across the globe gather to celebrate love, joy, and hope with their dear loved ones.
Looking above the cloudy and grayish sky, Noralie thought about the lands of Northern Azurea which are now likely covered by vast carpets of snow during this time of the year. Perhaps she can travel there with her mother next month to experience solitude in the tranquil tundras to forget the stresses of the real world for a short but blissful moment.
Upon further mulling about it, Noralie wondered if she'll be able to go home to celebrate the holiday season with her beloved mother considering the circumstances and the responsibilities she bears as a REISS Operative. Maybe there's a chance if she's lucky and be able to get a holiday leave, however as a new recruit, she doubt that Dr. Christina will grant the request.
We'll see I guess…
Noralie took a sip of her cream coffee; the sweet, luscious taste covered the walls of her mouth. While walking, her eyes wandered around the bleak surroundings before her, Aurich— a suburban neighborhood where each houses are distinctive on their modern styles and aesthetics. There are people that can be seen taking a stroll while enjoying the chilly breeze, and some are busy on decorating the establishments, and houses with various Starlight decors.
Almost every part of Danelburg are now modernized in terms of infrastructures and only a handful of areas remained untouched that maintains their historical roots across the city like the St. Waldfrieden Dom Cathedral and the famous Azurean Erbe Museum.
There's nothing new about these urbanizations as Danelburg is situated in the region of Mittelmark, the political and administrative hub of Azurea where concentrated urban development is prioritized to centralize administrative functions, economic efficiency and its overall coordination as the country's capital region. Such prestige.
In the short time Noralie had resided here, everything seemed to become more of a routine, and the things she does in an everyday basis are now engraved in her mind, making the days seem to pass in a choreographed way.
She has been gradually familiarizing herself with her new lifestyle now, from the morning rituals, to her operative duties, and down to her evening routines. Learning new habits is painful, but she doesn't mind as long as it helps her adjust to her new life.
Everything still felt natural, which made her wonder how long it would be until everything dulls in a spiral of repetitive sensation. Hopefully, it doesn't end that way, or not too soon to say the least.
Noralie brushed off the thought and carried on with her tracks. Amidst the mix of incessant noises and activities of the surroundings around her, a set of particular footfalls caught her attention.
She has been spending time with this particular person enough to recognize them instinctively; soft steps with a fluid and almost dance-like poise, and of course, who else does she know that also resides nearby that shares this close distance?
She pretended not to hear it while attempting to stifle a smirk, and maintained her attention on the path ahead. Suddenly, a delicate arm encircled her neck that pulled her downwards followed by a firm rub on her head as the bony fingers grazed against her scalp.
"There you are!" Ilse chuckled.
"A—Ah," Noralie huffed and retaliated with a playful jab, the sudden blow almost spilled the warm contents of the cup she was holding.
Ilse snickered as she released her grip.
Noralie quickly adjusted her attire and with a secured grip around the lid of the cup of her coffee, she stepped on Ilse's foot before hurriedly darting away.
Ilse attempted to catch her but her efforts were in vain and the two engaged in a childish chase along the pavement.
The stifled chuckles that escaped their lips erupted into a contagious chorus of laughter, painting grins and smiles on the faces of those who happened to be nearby, both pedestrians and bystanders alike.
Eventually, they slowed down and let themselves to catch up on each other with their short, panting breaths.
"So—hah," Ilse planted a hand over Noralie's shoulder as she gulp for air. "How was—hah— your night?"
Noralie took a moment of deep breath and chuckled before gesturing at her watery and reddish eyes with dark circles underneath, "What do you think?"
"Dunno. If only I—whoo—was in the mood, I'd go to your place to help."
"Unfortunately, you weren't." Noralie smirked, "But it's a piece of cake, pretty basic."
A lie. She damn well know how close she was on the verge of breakdown while furiously shuffling through the pages while pacing around in panic like a total maniac. Procrastinating really never pays good. If only they didn't loafed around and focused instead, they could've finished early.
Ilse's lips stretched into a grin, "Now you sound more like Carl."
"Nope, not close 'cause I shower." Noralie nonchalantly shrugged as she gave the paper bag of bread rolls to Ilse.
The two looked at each other, their eyes met and locked in a funny gaze. Their lips strained as they try and contain their giggles that eventually burst into nasal laughter.
It took for a moment to recover their composure as they near the bus station situated at the highway that bordered the suburb Aurich.
The two settled on a bench sheltered beneath a sturdy metal shed, and while idly waiting, Noralie allowed her eyes to wander along the asphalt lane in front of her and watched the cars pass by in a blur.
Eventually, her gaze scanned the nearby establishments, considering the potential places where she could invite Ilse to spend some time together.
Across the other side of the highway, there was the good old charming Pretzel Cloud Bakehouse which is a good choice for the quality and tastiness of its baked products, and the Dining Nook known for its exquisite traditional Azurean cuisine. Maybe they could go to the cafe that Noralie had been visiting lately, a pretty simple one but its cozy atmosphere is a bet.
She couldn't help but chuckle, fully aware that they'd hatched countless of ideas for hanging out with Carl but nothing ever happened. Talk about cancelled plans.
Noralie leaned her back against the bench and tucked her fingers into her hair, letting her nails scratch the scalps underneath. She slipped her glasses off before pressing a palm across her face.
Lately, there had been this nagging presence at the back of her mind, like an elusive thought just out of reach which was sometimes followed by a throbbing headache that lasts for a few minutes. She couldn't put her finger on it—was it a lack of sleep or perhaps sheer exhaustion? The specifics eluded her as she nonchalantly turned to Ilse with a vacant gaze.
"...would be nice so maybe next time, don't you think?" Ilse looked at her expectantly.
Noralie's mouth hung open, her eyes slightly widening as it dawned on her that she completely missed Ilse's words. She nodded as her mind snapped back to reality, "Uh, yeah sure."
Ilse sighed. "Were you even listening?"
"I—I zoned out, sorry." There was no point in lying, so Noralie admitted the truth.
"Are you sure you're okay?"
"Ahh! No! I'm okay, really," Noralie blurted out. "I'm just a bit short on sleep, that's all."
Yep, maybe that's it.
Ilse eyed her from head to toe, her eyes filled with guilt, "I'm sorry."
"For what?"
"Oh, you know. For letting you do all of the work." Ilse pointed at Noralie's satchel, gesturing for the documentation folder inside it. "I admit it, I'm a lazy person…next time, I promise that I will help and stick with you on it as your partner. I swear it."
"Aww, aren't you sweet?" A smile tugged at Noralie's lips.
Ilse reached out, giving Noralie's hand a reassuring squeeze, which Noralie responded with a grateful smile as their eyes locked in a moment of silent understanding.
Noralie couldn't help but feel a rush of wist, reminiscing about her youth when she'd spent most of her younger days holed up at home, alone. This was what she had longed for back then—someone she can trust and call a friend. Being an only child, Ilse is the closest thing she will ever consider as a sibling; even for a short time of knowing each other.
Moments passed by until a passenger bus eventually pulled up next to them and upon seeing it, they cradled their bags and stepped through its sliding doors together.
Another day of duty awaits…
