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The streets were dark as Jin was led through them by the two officers who had come to take him to the Tower. The sun was just beginning to rise in the east, but its light was hidden behind the dark buildings. His breath huffed gently in the cold air, and he shivered slightly.

The two officers were quiet and barely spoke to each other in his presence and the only sound was the eerie falling of their footsteps. Suddenly, there came a low growl from behind them, and they all stopped walking. The sight that met Jin’s eyes was both the most beautiful and sad thing he’d seen. Era stood there, her blue eyes glimmering through the shadows. She’d come to protect her Master.

“Call her off.” One of the officers commanded, giving Jin an intense stare that seemed to cut through the darkness.

“Era, go home girl.” Jin called quietly. Era’s sad blue eyes watched him, waiting until she knew he wasn’t going to change his mind. Then, with ears and tail drooping Era wandered away back in the direction she’d come.

They soon arrived at the large front gates of the Tower. The Tower was a tall and foreboding place where the Government of Outopia brought criminals and suspects to be imprisoned or interrogated. Everyone was told stories when they were growing up of what a terrible place it was, a cold prison for the insane, the wicked and the unfortunate.

There was a gap of twelve feet between the Tower gates and the buildings around it, and it was an astonishment that anyone would want to live near it at all. The officer on his right murmured something to the other before the second one knocked. The huge wooden gates opening to them, resembling a huge mouth about to swallow them whole. Or maybe that was just Jin’s scattered thoughts as he was lead into the darkness.

 

***

A flashback from Dither’s POV.

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Birds fluttered through the darkening sky, their caws echoing through the dimming forest. A murder of crows, that’s what they were. Black feathers fluttered down floating gently on the breeze as their voices faded into the distance of the dark forest. The wind rustles through the leaves almost singing a mix between crying softly and wailing in despair as a soft snow begins to fall. A strange smell fills the woods, like burning wood, as realization hits. It’s not snow, it’s ash. Suddenly the air is suffocating and seems to squeeze at his lungs making it difficult to breathe. Ashti stood, covering his mouth trying to avoid breathing in the smoke as darkness threatens to swallow his vision. His heart dropped into his stomach when he realized where the fire was. Ashti tears through the woods choking back tears as he stumbles onto the paved street of Heim Avenue. The apartments were burning.

Lourre’s Apartments was engulfed in flames as people screamed, running away to get to safety. The flames licked the sides of the building, the faded sign swaying violently in the wind, as the smoke filled the air. Losing all control Ashti raced closer, his heart thumping wildly as he called his best friend’s name.

Someone grabbed him by the shoulder, and wrenched him back amid the screams of the people and roaring of the fire. He screamed and kicked flailing as he fought to get free, but it did him no good. The fire suddenly flared up reacting violently and the explosion blasted ash and wind through the air, sweeping the entire street with its blistering heat. All Ashti could do was sink numbly to his knees, his chest and throat aching with his eyes transfixed on the burning world before him.

“Eaus.” He murmured, his words felt pointless, and almost foreign in his mouth. He hauled himself to his feet, shaking uncontrollably. Ashti stumbled in a daze asking everyone if they had seen his friend, but no one had, and nothing felt real. He looked at the building again, its fires had died down, leaving an empty burned wreck of a place he once knew. A tear leaked out of his eye and his ash streaked face. Night came soon after, time losing all meaning as he wandered down the darkened streets. Aimlessly. The world faded to a dull gray as a veil of sleep came over him and the world disappeared shrouded by sleep.