The Apocalypse Game - Chapter 7

            The summer nights of Jinan were usually humid, yet the breeze which wafted through the air tuned it to a comfortable cool. Looking out from the balcony of the five star hotel, the streets below were alive with neon lights and markets, stretching in a stream of dazzle towards the darkness in the distance. Looking carefully, the outlines of the magnificent mountains could be distinguished from the slightly navy sky, looming over the river of light like silent guardians of the jovial city. The landscape reminded him of home.

            Without a sound, a shadow dropped onto the platform behind him, immediately kneeling down and waiting for a command. Taking in a deep breath, the figure watching the convivial scene gestured for the visitor to relay his message. Bowing once more before straightening up, the male covered in black kept his head low while addressing the revered character in front of him.

            “High Counsellor;” Catching a nod from the person shadowed from his view, the man continued, “the hierarch warns of aid for the Black Cloaks. They seem to be getting increasingly restless these few weeks.”

            “Have they been active around our territory?” The male could not trace any emotion in the juvenile yet composed response.

            “No sir, they did not; however they have interfered on the dig.”

            “I’ve heard already. Is Moon on his way?”

            “Yes sir, the General left a day ago.”

            “Good. Send a message to the hierarch to continue watching the portal;” Looking up into a sky of stars dimmed from the blaring lights underneath, the young voice faltered slightly with a sigh, “it should be reacting very, very soon.”

            “Yes sir.”

            Received the wave signalling his permission to leave, the shadow disappeared on a leap, silent and mysterious just as it had appeared. Still watching the square vivid with celebration and interaction, the pair of clear and lustrous eyes flashed with a transient gold before settling back to their undisturbed shade of dark chocolate.

w    w    w

“Look at that!”

“Oh! Can we get that?”

“Heather~ I want that one!”

…

“Stop!!!” After the eighth store down the market lane, Heather finally succumbed to anger, “Alice! If you’re going to buy more, carry it yourself!” Holding up six bags, four of which contained food, crowding her entire upper arms before my face, Heather gave me an indignant pout and waited for me to alleviate the weight. However, I simply patted a section of her thin limb clear from the mess of handles and chuckled playfully, and then turned away to continue sieving through the dozen types of tantalizing snacks before my eyes.

“Oh dummy Heather,” I smiled wryly as I located my target and launched towards a cabinet of dried plums with an avaricious twinkle in my eyes, “how can I pick out more if my hands aren't free? So e a good kid and hold them, and then I might even consider sharing!” Dunking the delicious trophy from my plunder into the basket swinging from Rayna grasp, I deftly ripped another plastic bag from the roll waiting patiently to be filled before picking up my hunt from the cupboard of sour plums. Heather’s face churned with a palette of colours before settling with fiery rouge.

“Heather,” Rayna gave a compassionate look to the volcano on the verge of eruption, “we’ve never won on the subject of food nor money; it’s time we gave up.” She swung the cluster of bags dangling around her pair of soft and rosy arms, as if trying to say I’m not much better off than you are.

“I’ll get her back, just you watch.” Heather rumbled out a vow and ignited the engine powering her “super brain”. We often teased Heather for her excellent academic performance, allotting her the titles “super brain” and “brain kid”.

The two were so occupied with their collusion they failed to notice the distance I had drawn from them. I was ignorant of it too, or more important matters occupied my attention at the moment (ahem, yes, food is very important). Thus, when I dropped another edible bomb into the space to my right, I fully expected it to land in the heap of comestibles resting comfortably, waiting compliantly to be attended by me.

Hearing a satisfying “thud” pronouncing the safe landing of my prey, my eyes squinted into watery crescents as I turned happily to bestow a quick peck upon “Rayna’s” cheek. I immediately refocused on the cases of delicacies stretching into the end of the store without giving her a second glance. Humming briskly, I continued travelling from one cabinet to the next.

Wait, when did Rayna grow a head taller than me? Struck dumb in my steps, I inhaled sharply upon realizing what I could have possibly done. Turning with lightning speed to check on the imposter, I chastised myself for performing the most retarded action in my entire life as my knees buckled slightly and my mind became vacuumed entirely.

I met a pair of eyes; a pair of eyes that was violet as amethysts, clear as ice.

Shakily fumbling for a solid object to support my slowly collapsing weight, I did not even realize I was holding onto a single breath until my vision began protesting with dark spots. Was I dreaming again? I clamped my eyes shut and shook my head a few times before opening them again to a calm, bottomless pair of purple lakes. They were exactly as I remembered - limpid, lustrous, unfathomable, and immorally enticing - except void of its original warmth and indolence, and was instead replaced with a darker and colder glimmer. If not for their unique shade, I could have never connected the dots between those eyes and that silhouette. Why am I even thinking of him, sensing my sidetracking thoughts, I quickly gathered my attention and peered into the pair’s undisturbed depths, who is he anyways? The latter remained silent and regarded me with composed equanimity before holding out a hand.

“Uh… huh?” Stammering in panic, I sputtered out a string of nonsense before turning a shade of scarlet comparable with the bright lanterns swinging by the shop’s door, “Wh-what?”

Still holding forth his hand, the youth in front of me raised a long and smooth brow. My gaze quickly darted to his hand, where the culprit of this entire incident rested. Reaching forth swiftly, I casually “snatched” the “adorable” bag of milk candy from his hands while silently wishing it “well” and attributing all the awkwardness to it. As if shocked by my forceful reclaim of the bag of treats, the pair of eyes widened and seemed lost for a flitting second before returning to its unworldly calmness.

Drawing back from his gaze, my eyes unhurriedly took in the handsome face the unmatchable violet belonged to; above the pair of amethysts laid a pair of long and strong brows, curved slightly downwards so that it donned a touch of seriousness to the person’s otherwise nonchalant expression; below them stood a straight nose which perfectly bridged the gap to the pair of smooth yet firm lips beneath; a head of polished hair dark as the wings of a raven lightly covered his brows and ran down the back of his neck to end at his shoulders, adding a flawless finish to the disk of cool, attractive ivory. If I was to compare the one in my dream to a untainted yet luring lotus and Nick to the warm and bright sun, then the person standing before me would make a perfect analogy for the moon - mysterious, cold, yet immensely captivating.

Reining back my galloping pulse, I was sure of one thing - this was definitely not the person from my dream. They bear very similar features, namely the pair of eyes, yet the feeling emanating from them was completely different. Were they relatives? I fathomed possibilities, but was uncertain of their validity. Finally squeezing out a friendly chuckle, I flashed a beaming smile at the teen. Without a word or even a twitch on that calm mask of his, the person turned and walked into the shelves of goods at the side of the store.

Usually I would have exploded with anger and demanded for the person to return, if they even managed to walk away from my smile - Heather often called my smiles “intoxicating”, though they never seemed to work on her during our arguments; however, instead of erupting like I normally would have, I hurriedly waved to his back and called out.

“Wait! What’s your name?”

The person paused in his steps as if in hesitation before resuming his composed stroll.

“… Evan.”