The carnival started a little late. 

Almost fifteen minutes had past since noon, and it was then that I saw a massive wooden stage slowly start moving through the city. There seemed to be at least a hundred people pushing it, while on top of it were a multitude of people in vibrant clothing, dancing merrily as the band marching behind them played upbeat music. The crowd had gathered on the streets, laughter, shouts and singing creating a deafening din. I gulped and melted further into the alley, my heart hammering somewhere near my throat. What had Zeph planned? Should I inform someone? 

Behind the portable stage was another one, the platform much smaller but higher. This time, supported by four horses. On top of it was a makeshift gazebo, and inside, the seven heads of the House. I recognized the tall man and woman who had visited me what felt like ages ago. And behind them, my dad. 

There was no way I could tell dad now, was there? Maybe the guards? What would I even tell them? That something was about to happen. But...what?

Before I could make up my mind, the sky crashed onto the carnival. I watched in horror as the tall platform- the one with my dad- erupted into flames. 

All hell broke lose as the crowd scattered away, laughter turned into cries of terror. The horses neighed violently as terrified people ran out of the way. The band had stopped playing and abandoned their instruments, the performers running helter-skelter down the platform. Emergency staff dressed in bright orange swarmed the platform now engulfed in flames. And even before I had registered anything, a sonic boom ripped through the air. From somewhere in front of me. Another sounded almost immediately after as blood curdling screams pierced the sky. I watched, my brain incoherent as more sounds followed. A loud ringing began in my ear as I turned to see another bomb go off a few feet away from me. I was knocked off my feet at the shock, falling on the hard floor. Smoke erupting in a vicious cloud, penetrating my nostrils. 

The sound. It was so loud. 

More blasts. More screams. 

The scent of blood. 

Burning. Something was on fire. 

The ringing in my ear was unbearable now, the smoke entering my lungs  burnt my very flesh, the air too heavy as I struggled to breathe. The building around me seemed to sway dangerously as the very earth underneath me was ripped. Another loud bang, and then- silence. 

*

 I may have woken up after several sunlit days. 

I could hear muffled voices muttering. My woozy brain couldn't make out the slurred words that ran into each other, but the tone was enough to let me know that they were arguing. The voices got louder, unbearably so. I felt like I was breaking the surface of water. The muffled voices now piercing my consciousness. I heard a croaky groan as the voices immediately stopped. 

"Asteroth?" my dad's voice called, too loud. He lowered his voice and spoke again. "Asteroth, can you hear me?" 

He sounded fine. Did that mean he wasn't hurt? Or were both of us in floating in the wondrous afterlife?

I wanted to respond to him, but I wasn't sure how to. I finally managed to open my eyes slowly, the blinding light making me shut my eyes again. "Yes," I croaked.

"Aster," a vaguely familiar curt voice said. "Aster, are you coherent?"

"I...think so," I nodded. 

"He doesn't seem to be in a position for any questioning," my dad said. This time, I was almost sure it was him. He sounded unhurt. Relief washed through me, making me lean back into the soft mattress. 

"Aster, we need to ask you some questions," the curt voice said again. I managed to open my eyes and recognized an Elder from the House. The dark curly hair and high cheekbones. Her eyes narrowed as she glared at me. "Are you mentally sound enough?" 

"I...think so," I said, immediately regretting my words as a sharp pain ripped through my throat. 

"Well, we don't have much of choice," another strange man said. "What do you know about this attack?"

My heart spiraled down to my stomach. It was Zeph. Of course it was. And maybe that's why he wanted me to leave, because he knew I would be hurt- maybe even killed otherwise. 

"Was anyone hurt...?" I asked, my throat dry from anticipating the answer. 

"About two hundred and fifty people injured, yes. Two in critical condition. It's a miracle no one has died...yet," a woman said. "Did you see anything? Do you know...anything at all that might help?" she added.

"I..." I shuddered. "No. I was far from the carnival...I don't remember much. "Just...sound." 

I wasn't lying, technically speaking. Although what Zeph had done today was far worse than anything else he had done, at least there were no fatalities. I was ashamed of how grateful that made me. 

"Look, Asteroth," the woman sighed, "There is no use beating around the bush. We have intel that you know about the gangs in the underbelly. And this is their doing. We need to know where they are."

I shook my head, gulping. "I don't know anyone...I just...I just like going there."

"This is matter of our city's security. It is serious," the woman said sternly. "Withholding information makes you as much of a culprit as those that did it."

I shook my head again. "I don't know why you're convinced I know about this?" I scoffed.  "I've been there a few times, yes. But I don't know anyone. I'm an outsider to them."

"Who's them?" the woman asked. "Is it the hawks?" 

I shrugged. Whatever I say, she would twist my words. "I'm not...feeling all that well."

"We can see that," the woman sighed before she turned to address my dad. "Arden, I'm going to need you to step out."

His eyes flashed and he shook his head. "No. You can't order me around in my own house."

"More than two hundred people were injured at an event conducted under your reign," the woman said, her nostrils flaring. "Maybe it's time you let someone more competent take over. This is a matter of security, now leave us." 

My stomach turned. Why did they want him gone? So they could pressurize me to answer? 

The moment he left, I realized that 3 members of the House were surrounding me. The woman who seemed to be a ring leader of sorts- and two men. Two more men stood on either side of my bed, each in black uniforms. Security, I assumed. 

"Aster, you have to cooperate with us here," the woman said in a low voice. Was she trying to threaten me? 

"I am," I said, trying to keep my voice from trembling. "What do you want to know? I told you I-"

Maybe it was my imagination, or maybe just some sort of meds kicking in, but I felt a sharp pain in my forearm. Inside it. As if in my very bones. I glanced at my arm which was resting on my sides. There were no injuries except a bloodied bandage on my left elbow and multiple scrapes. 

"Aster, I do not want to hurt you," the woman said, crossing her arms in front of her chest and towering above me. "But you're forcing me to take such measures."

So it was her. Now that she mentioned, I could feel the resemblance between the sharp burning pain I had felt ages ago because of my dad. It was a threat. They would torture me unless they got the information they were looking for, 

"Threatening me to try to get info I don't even have?" I scoffed. "So far I'd only heard of the power hungry sycophants that you are." 

Her eyes flashed angrily. Maybe I was pushing my luck, but I couldn't bring myself to back down. If I showed any hint of fear, she would capitalize on it. Maybe if I appeared confident, she would buy my lies. 

"You're brave, I admire that," she said. "But you have to understand, I have nothing to lose here. And you have nothing to bargain here." 

"I have nothing to bargain yes, because there is no bargain," I said slowly. "I told you, I don't know anything. And no amount of threats is going to change the truth." 

"Aster," she said. " I'm telling you, I do not want to hurt you more. But if you're not honest-"

This time, I was sure that I wasn't imaging the searing pain in my arm. I didn't flinch, instead glared right at her. She must have taken the challenge, as the uncanny burning sensation increased till I grunted and doubled over, clutching my arm. It was the only thing I could focus on. 

"This is just a very small percentage of what awaits you," she explained. "I'm giving you multiple chances."

"For what?" I said, taking deep breaths in an attempt to disguise my panting. "You want me to make up lies?"

"No," she said, walking closer to me, her cold gaze piercing through. "I'm telling you to be honest."

Another searing jolt of pain, this time in my chest. I let out a gasp, my lungs seemingly collapsing within at the bewildering pain.

"You won't die, you will get very near to it. Give in now."

A different feeling burnt in my stomach. Rage. Resentment. 

"Fuck yourself," I spat at her, immediately receiving unbearable, numbing agony. This time, jolts of what felt like electricity passing through me. My limbs were no longer under my control, the tingling pain rising in a crescendo, burning my very insides. I hoped I would black out, or maybe even die. It couldn't be worse than this. If only I could stop feeling. 

The pain stopped suddenly and it took me several minutes, or decades to come to my senses. Enough to realize that I was on the hard floor, my body jerking involuntarily as shockwaves rippled violently through me. 

"It will get worse," she said. 

Maybe my brain was genuinely too fried, but I felt like her voice was trembling just a bit. She wouldn't kill me, she said. Maybe it wouldn't be the worse if she did. 

I couldn't talk, every inch of my body shrieking with pain. Like a million needles were erupting from under my skin, jolting my very core. 

If I told her about Zeph, if I told her about the Nest, she would kill them. They would kill him. Humiliate him. Torture him. 

I remained quiet, the contrasting coolness of whatever surface I was lying on acting as a masochistic analgesia. Was she still hurting me? Maybe. Maybe I had actually already died. 

Through my hazy vision, I could see a tall silhouette walking towards me. Muffled words. More sounds. And then mercifully, my consciousness finally surrendered. 

*

White.

Everything was white. 

I came to after an infinite amount of time. I was sitting on a hard floor, all around me pure white walls. Bright light basking the room. I got to my feet, my heart beating somewhere near my throat. Dizzily grabbing onto the wall which felt weirdly smooth. My legs, strangely, didn't give in under me and I managed to walk a little further ahead, taking heaving breaths. It took me a few more seconds to realize that I was in a small room- a cubical one. With nothing except white walls and a white floor. White lights shining brightly overhead. I dropped back onto the ground- or was it even the ground? 

Any sense of reality, rationality, evaded me. How long had it been? Where was I? Did they kill me? Did they find Zeph? What about dad?

I shut my eyes, taking stuttered breaths. Sanctum. I had been put into solitary confinement. For how many days now? 

"Can anyone hear me?" I called , immediately regretting it as the effort alone seemed to shred through my vocal chords. "Hello?"

My voice echoed back at me. The haunting silence rising malevolently. I called again, the exertion making me crumble to the ground again. My head spun, the room around me a vortex. And somewhere, through the disorientation, I heard a familiar voice. 

"Hold on...a bit longer," Kai whispered through somewhere above me. 

"K-Kai?" my heart leapt. "Kai!"

A few minutes later, a circular door opened a few feet above my head. Natural light poured onto me, the momentary sense of reality sending a burst of energy through me as I jumped to my feet. Kai's face floated into vision, his face emaciated and eyes dark with exhaustion. "Kai!"

"Take this," he said and a few seconds later, dropped a rope ladder down. It was roughly made, the edges severed oddly. But it seemed sturdy enough to hold my weight. My palms seared painfully the moment I touched the harsh surface of the ropes. I let out a hiss of pain, turning my palms to see blisters forming on the surface. Bile rose up my throat and I forced myself to ignore the burning. 

I managed to make my way up the rope, falling to my knees on the ground as I balled my hands into fists. 

"Aster..." Kai spoke softly. "You need medical attention. Come with me."

"No time, Kai," I managed to say, imploring him. "How long was I in there? Do you have any idea? Where are the elders? Did they go to underbelly?"

A strange shadow passed across his irises, his lips parting slightly. He nodded. "Yes. I'm not sure where they found the info...but they are on their way to the underbelly right now. Some sort of...open fire. You can't go, Aster-"

He forced me to sit back down as I struggled to get up. "Ast-"

"Kai, no, you don't...you don't...I have to inform them..." I took deep breaths, the air harsh on my lungs. "Kai...please, I need you to do something for me."

I didn't want to tell him the truth. But he would be much faster than me. "Kai...I need you to go the underbelly. Warn them. Please. Ask them to leave."

He nodded, speaking in a low voice. "Where...where are they?"

"An abandoned warehouse, near the outskirts. North of underbelly. You have to go in, find someone. Anyone. Just tell them to-"

"Put him back," a stern voice called from somewhere behind me. "His work is done."

I whipped around to see an unfamiliar face, a member of the House, I discerned from his pale white robes. He nodded at Kai who gulped, his face ghostly white. The stranger turned and left without another word. Realization struck me like a thousand bolts of lightning. 

"K-Kai? Y-you tricked me?" 

Rage I had never felt burnt in my stomach, dispelling all my pain. 

"I'm sorry," he whispered, his eyes bloodshot as tears welled in them. "They...they said they'll h-hurt you. I can't...I can't see you that way."

"You're a fucking idiot, Kai," I snarled, pushing him away so he fell on his butt. "They're fucking lying. They're going to kill him. I can't...I c-"

I gulped, my throat suddenly too dry to speak. The pain I had thought I was accustomed to, the searing jolt in my bones seemed to return. The reminiscent tingle, rising in intensity. 

"Aster...please-" he whispered, tears now streaming down his face. "I don't... don't want to hurt you."

So it was him. He was going to use his powers on me to restrain me. Force me back into the Sanctum underground. I looked at the tall unfamiliar building behind me. I was still somewhere in the city, although I had no way of knowing where. 

Dread made my blood turn cold. How far would he go to make sure I listened to him? I couldn't imagine he would genuinely hurt me...not too bad at least. Maybe I could try to convince him? 

"Alright...fine," I nodded, my stomach knotted nervously. The more time I spent here, the more dangerous it was for the hawks. "Listen to me, Kai," I began. "I promise you, I will return here. I just...really need to warn someone."

"Them...they're right...you do know them. You know who cause all that at the carnival!"

I took a shuddering breath. "I don't. I just know some people in the underbelly. Some people who I know are innocent. You know...you've seen the war. You know the suffering much better than I do..." I  sighed, "If you let me go, I can save the ones who deserve to be saved. Please, Kai."

"If they...find you...they will...hurt you," he said, shaking his head and vigorously wiping the tears off his cheeks. "I don't want to lose you too." 

"You won't. I'll return. Please...let me go. I need to. Please, Kai." 

His bottom lip trembled, his watery eyes unreadable. He was deliberating his options, and I had no way to know if he would agree to me. I didn't have much time. I had to take the risk. 

"I'm leaving. If you want to stop me...you can. But I urge you to think about what I said." 

I turned and started making my way towards where I assumed the exit was, straining for any movement behind me. Would he stop me? Attack me? 

He didn't do either however, and a few seconds later, I burst into a run, each muscle of my body crying out in pain, but I didn't care. I had to warn the hawks. My only nemesis, was time.