Shadows at Dawn: Three hearts, One awakening

It was a rainy day, quite the norn on such days. The wind howled fiercely, merciless and unforgiving. It was as though nature itself had awoken to acknowledge the birth of a legend, the significant turn in the wheel that is reality. Everyone needs to know, she seemed to say, intent on carrying the news both far and wide. "Why is it raining all of a sudden again? The weather these days," someone lamented, shaking his head. "So unpredictable." "You're so right," his companion added, silently pulling out an umbrella. "I wonder why. The seasons have yet to change but it's already like this." This indeed was no ordinary day, it was more than just a fleeting moment in history, no, this was the accumulation of years of hard work, of schemes, of patient and unbearable endurance... Today had to go down in history, to be remembered, celebrated, but most of all, it was the day the name Malia, ominous and sinister, was first heard.... Today, was the day of his awakening. Fireworks were lit all over the upper city, the celebrations underway for the prime Minister's son. His name was whispered in hushed tones, uttered only behind closed doors and under the cover of night. It had been two days already, but no one seemed to quite understand it yet, unwilling to believe something so inconceivable. He was but a child though, barely thirteen, and yet his power had enveloped the entire upper city, a whole province enshrouded in the suffocating, domineering and oppressive glow, heavy with the sense of grief. "...are those the emotions of a child?" They whispered, clicking their tongues in bewilderment, "he has finally created a monster, hasn't he?" "I heard he had to sacrifice another's child for it..." "Shhhh, don't say it so bluntly, walls have ears, you know." "Well someone has to talk about it." "Oh? You must be new here..." ---- Prime minister Marius felt alive, the glint of having his wish finally granted shinning in his usually expressionless eyes, the only testament that betrayed the excruciating joy he felt that moment. This was the reward of his hard work, and he meant to enjoy it to it's fullest, considering all the strings he had pulled and all the favours he now owed. Many had come to congratulate him, to set eyes on this scientific breakthrough that was nothing short of a miracle. "Prime Minister, please accept this humble gift to congratulate you on this happy day. May all your endeavors end in celebrations." "Oh, thank you very much for your kind regards." He replied, ecstasy apparent in his eyes. "And about the gift, you really shouldn't have." He was a sly old fox, promiscuous and calculating. What he set his eyes on, he got, what he only dreamed about, was always delivered with precise acurracy. He was powerful, and therefore a feared man, and he wielded that fear with the ease of someone who could never be defied. Non the less, he was still the object of envy everywhere he went, praised for his evil ingenious and even quicker wit. Today though, nothing could dampen his mood; not the look of sheer unfiltered hatred in his precious son's eyes, not the chilly weather, and most definitely not the report on the plague that was currently consuming the lowlives in the outer city... No, all that could wait, nothing could possibly be more important than relishing this extremely rare sense of accomplishment. ________ Not far from the city center, in an alleyway so dark only ghosts of a forgotten and discarded past dwelled, the stench of rotting waste was so strong it was almost tangible, revolting and intolerable. Mice could be seen running about, chasing shadows and scuttering away at the waste. The wind picked up a notch, cold and indifferent, rustling the leaves and revealing even more of the rot underneath. In those same gutters, a little human shivered, the chill running through her body, freezing to the very bones. She did not call out, mind delirious from both the cold and blood loss, conscious only of the excruciating pain in her heart and the shadowy haze that should have been hope, scattered, and gone with the wind. "... You have to. No, you must." Those words, as though on a loop, repeated in her mind, just as devoid of empathy as the person who had uttered them. "For Mal, you'll do it, won't you?" Well, It's all a blur now, not like I had any say in the first place. Choices had been made, and she had been forced to follow through with every step. She wanted to laugh out loud, I truly am naive, aren't I? Naive or blind, it didn't make a difference either way. The signs had been so obvious, the clues everywhere, and yet she had consciously decided to turn a blind eye, to believe in fairy tales and familial ties- if one could even call what they had familial- to trust, and obey wholly. And now was the time to pay for her hypocrisy, and pay she had, with her life no less. Well, maybe I am to blame. Am so tired ... She closed her eyes, waiting for the darkness to claim her, having let go, feeling the life draining from her body like water slipping through tightly clasped hands. What a futile endeavour. She allowed herself one more tear, focussing on it as it slid down her cheek to mix with the blood and grime, washing away with it the last vestige of hope, a final offering on the alter of piety. "I hope you're happy now, father, you got what you wanted. Let's not meet again in the next life."