Chapter 85: Shattering chaos II

They diverted from their original path to an unfamiliar direction, constantly bumping into panicked strangers. As the chaos broke out, Vespera never let go of Lucrezia’s hands. It was tougher for her due to the gown, which was designed to hinder such movement. It made her seem slower than her agility, yet at the same time, made the cluster inside her mind slightly dwindle.

From the look of things, the chaos didn’t seem like it was going to end soon, and Lucrezia could tell from Vespera’s grip the urgency firing her veins. She couldn’t exactly picture the source of the eruption, but could tell the directions it shot from. It was unbalanced, clustering all at once, but she could feel it deep inside her bones.

The sound came again, that same cutting rush that tore the ground open, and Lucrezia’s breath hitched.

“Down!”

Vespera pulled her sharply. They dropped just as another invisible strike tore through the air above them. A wooden beam behind them split clean in two, crashing to the ground with a heavy thud.

Lucrezia flinched, her hands instinctively covering her head. It happened so fast, so suddenly, that it took her a moment to comprehend the aftereffect.

“Get up!” Vespera urged.

Lucrezia scrambled to her feet with unsteady legs, picking up her pace. For a long while they darted through the fair, diverting bumping crowds and simultaneous attacks. But each time, it only seemed worse.

“It’s following us,” She said, her voice barely above a whisper against the boisterous noise in the air.

Vespera didn’t deny it and grunted. “I know.” That alone sent a deeper chill through her bones.

They pushed forward again, weaving through the thinning crowd. The further they moved from the center, the fewer people remained, but the danger did not lessen. If anything, it felt closer, and more focused like it had found its target.

Lucrezia’s ears rang as every sound pressed into her; footsteps, cries, distant crashes, but beneath it all, she could still hear that unnatural sound. It was that of a tracking kind. Hunting even.

She could visualize a very pain-striking image of an anonymous creature controlling the wind, but that power seemed to originate from nowhere and everywhere at the same time.

Without thinking, “I-It’s coming again,” she said suddenly, either taking the lady beside her by surprise or confusion.

Lucrezia simply wished she could stop talking, but her brain worked faster than any action or reflexes.

Vespera’s grip on her tightened. “Where?”

Lucrezia turned slightly, her senses straining as the sound continued clustering. Left, right, middle, behind… “There—behind—no… above—”

She couldn’t tell. It was everywhere at once.

“Focus,” Vespera said quickly, more absorbed by her knowledge than the absurdity of it. “Listen carefully to the tidbits. Refrain from following the noises at once and choose something to focus on.” She rushed.

Lucrezia swallowed hard and forced herself to block out everything else. From the screams, the chaos, the noise…

’Mama!’

The sharp cry of a little girl rang so loudly in her head, and she gasped out loud.

“What is it?” Vespera inquired as they paused, hiding somewhere preferable to the open stalls.

“N-Nothing, I—” She was too stunned and confused to speak. Stunned because that voice sounded so much like hers, and confused because it felt almost… real.

“I understand this is the most inappropriate time for this but if what you’re saying is true, then I need you here,” Vespera’s words dragged her out of her reverie at once. The urgency in her tone snapped her out, forcing her attention back to her. “Focus. What do you see? What do you hear?”

Lucrezia swallowed, taking in a deep breath. She shut her eyes once more, refocusing. For a moment, everything clashed at once, and Lucrezia struggled, sweat forming at the top of her brows.

It was hard. So hard.

“Pick an area of concentration and focus solely, Anastasia. Don’t rush it. Let it come naturally to you,”

Lucrezia obeyed, blocking everything else as instructed, focusing only on the sound that felt different from the others.

It took her a moment until she felt something odd amidst the chaos. And then… There it was; a shift, like a sharp distortion in the air.

Her eyes snapped open. “Left!” She shouted.

Vespera reacted instantly, pulling her in the opposite direction.

A violent strike slammed into the ground where they would have been, sending ice and debris flying outward, shattering the stall into pieces.

Lucrezia gasped, eyes widening at the scene. Shock painted her face white as chalk, as air knocked out of her lungs.

The effect was unmistakable, arousing sharper screams and crying, folks. Children who once laughed in joy and merriment had begun to cry in fear and dissatisfaction, some calling out for their guardians, and others following after the hands of those who offered help.

Lucrezia couldn’t help but watch them all. Her gaze narrowed down to the panicked crowds, before returning in the direction the strike came from, breath uneven from the scene.

She was totally immersed in finding its source, forgetting the person right beside her whose eyes narrowed slightly.

She looked at her. “You can hear it,”

Lucrezia’s breath caught, heart racing wildly against her chest. She dared herself a glance at the lady whose eyes were wide in shock yet something else that would’ve calmed her but instead made her panic even more.

For a moment, they remained motionless, staring at each other; one in shock, and the other in fear.

Lucrezia’s brain did no more than lag. She was suddenly stuck between admitting and denying the theory. If she did, what else was left of her? And if she didn’t, how bad was its consequences?

Finally, she shook her head faintly. “I…” She started, unable to think of any better word. “I don’t understand it,” She admitted, relentlessly, neither admitting nor denying anything. It was partly an admission if one looked deeper, and partly a denial as if she were the victim.

Another strike collided north, erupting into a violent upheaval of the ground. This time, it sent jagged ice-spikes outward, flying in all proportions like a heavy downpour. Painful screams burst through the air at once, left to right, and Lucrezia didn’t need to be told to know what exactly happened.

O-Oh gods! Her heart shattered into a million pieces.

“Shit!” Lucrezia heard Vespera curse out loud. She’d never seen her mask crack so badly. The irritation in her expression conveyed the information that things had only gotten worse. The calm, controlled mask she carried so effortlessly was gone, replaced by something strained, something dangerously close to anger.

No… not just anger but frustration. Urgency. Something slipping beyond control. And that realization frightened Lucrezia more than the chaos itself.

For a moment, she felt utterly useless. Back then, when nightmares came, her bed was the only comfort. An hour or two became the shortest remedy to recover from the aftereffects on her body and soul.

But this… this was real, just like when she was abducted. There was no waking from it. No retreat. The screams, the destruction, the weight of it all pressed in on her from every side.

And in that moment, she found herself seeking a kind of comfort elsewhere, not under her bed nor beneath her covers, but in the arms of one creature that was meant to destroy her.

The thought of it made her breath tremble, sending cold shivers down her spine.

“Forgive me father,” She murmured under her breath, too quiet for anyone else to hear, turning towards Lucrezia next.

Her expression sharpened. “Look, it doesn’t matter, but I need you to keep doing it.”

Lucrezia blinked, caught off guard.

“I know this isn’t the best way to say it, but this is worse than you think. I need to know where and when the next strike will land, while I figure out a way to stop this,” She held her gaze for a second before adding, more pointedly, “Team?”

Lucrezia stood dumbfounded, unsure of what she had just heard. Did she just ask for help? And if anyone, from her?

The realization frightened her more than its consequences. She knew how bad her mysterious ability had placed her under the scrutiny of a supposed threat. Offering assistance would only prove her theory that she wasn’t just any ordinary werewolf princess like her stepsister.

She was something else entirely that should either break or destroy her.

A nearby cart exploded into splinters, followed by another raw scream. She swallowed, carefully nodding in return, though fear curled tightly in her chest.

In truth, she didn’t understand what was happening to her. Didn’t understand why she could hear it. But she didn’t have a choice. “Team,” She echoed, though the word felt strange on her tongue.

There was no time to dwell on it as another sharp cry rang through the air, followed by the distant crash of splintering wood. The ground trembled faintly beneath their feet, as though something unseen was moving just beneath the surface.

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