Page 56 of Remnants: Disruption
The academic gleam in Blair’s eyes is enough to bring an unforced smile to my face.
I move to the corner where Malachi had lurked.
“Thanks, Blair,” I say, nodding to them. “Stay safe.”
Blair only has a moment to stand and move to the edge of the shadow before I fall through it.
Chapter 26
Unhinged
Three P.M, October 25th, 1030 A.D.
Per the NCPD, under no circumstances should anyone approach the Remnant known as the Dark One. The Guild has rescinded their partnership with this individual and invoked Containment procedures. Stay safe, New Chicago, and call your local Guild member if you feel as though your life might be in danger.
NC News Today, October 25th, 1030 A.D.
Ican’t look away from the bloodied tile floor. Something about it feels wrong. Chunks of what might be my scalp look worse in the afternoon sun provided by the torn open curtains. The entire scene feels surreal.
The living room is trashed. My television lies shattered from a boot-sized hole. The couch is overturned, with the stuffing sliced out of every cushion. My kitchen’s counters are covered in my appliances, and the drawers are all pulled out.
And my knife block is still empty.
Stepping over the dried pool of blood, I make my way to my bedroom which also looks decimated.
I should feel something. I want to feel something.
I reach down and pluck Mary’s note from where it sits under the bed itself. My cloak and mask were thankfully stashed away before the police had gotten here.
The note feels heavy in my hand.
Vengeance.
That was what Mary wrote. That now was the time for vengeance, not sorrow—that could come later.
I peel off my bloodied shirt and toss it into the trashcan. My skin looks washed out contrasted with the dark red. The side of my head and hair are matted with dried blood, but the skin around the splash point is flawless.
The bathroom looks as if it was ransacked by a feral animal, but I manage to find soap and shampoo in the chaos. With the water running, I scrub off my body, gingerly palpating spots that feel tender without any physical marks.
My shoulder itself feels wrong. I hadn’t noticed in the events of this morning, but it feels disconnected. Like someone else’s phantom limb.
I glare down at my flexed hand only to notice something around my ankle.
Kneeling, I roll the thick cord between two fingers. It’s looped through a charm with a symbol I don’t recognize. Almost like a skull pattern but if it were merged with an old hourglass.
I try to pull at the connector, but it doesn’t budge. Even with the exceptional strength I have as a Remnant, the damn thing stays clasped.
“Fuck it,” I grumble, standing. Random charm bracelets alone won’t kill me.
Probably.
I don’t bother looking in the mirror as I get dressed. I slide on my black garments and tighten on the heavier armored vest around my chest. The black cloak sits snugly around my neck and my helmet’s display boots quickly.
“Membership rescinded, effective immediately,” I whisper, reading the message that had come in from the Guild only an hour ago. “What fucking membership?”
I had never been an official member of their little group.
I look up my secret identity on the dNet and can’t help the sigh of exasperation. No one has reported on my civilian identity, but the Dark One is everywhere. Every message board. Every news site.
