Nero, still entranced by the woman's beauty, took his seat in front of her. The woman's subtle smile somehow relaxed him in his seat.
I won't waste any time then young man. I'm sure you know what I'm going to ask. So please… tell me what happened.
The welcoming smile still played on the woman's face, but Nero was no longer entranced by it. Instead, his eyes sank, and his heart grew heavy. Letting out a heavy sigh, he spoke while also thinking back… to the beginning of it all.
I was working part-time as a cleaner for a blacksmith shop in hopes of getting an apprenticeship. Once I had finished for the day, I left the far edge district.
Back to the main city. When I entered the city, a defying ringing sound distorted my sight and ears. The sound didn't end, but it grew weaker, giving me my sight back.
But what my eyes saw was horrific. There was a purple circle in the sky big enough to obscure the moon. And cover more than the whole city.
Not even a moment after it appeared, beams of purple light began to strike down on people, turning them into… nothing, it was just removing them. Scared, I ran into the building next to me, to hide from the sight of the circle.
I hid behind a corner in what seemed to be a bar. People were rushing inside finding places to hide. Some by me, others in different places. But somehow the lights tore through the building itself, and continued its murder spree.
After minutes of listening to the ringing in my ears. And muted and abruptly cut off screams of those around me and coming towards me being killed in a way I couldn't understand.
Soon I accepted that the light would find and kill me too… but after so long after so many echoed screams and fearful eyes and pleading hands assaulted me.
The time… my time never came. I didn't understand why I was alive, why I hadn't been struck yet, but I had no time or mental energy to ponder because soon the ringing left my eyes. And the feeling of water hit my leg. But it didn't stay there, it rose filling my shoes. Standing and looking out of the bar windows, it was pouring water seemingly from the sky.
Another strange phenomenon. Fearful that the water might kill me. I fled through a random door in the store. Luckily, it led upstairs to the living quarters of the owner.
Once I had gotten into his living room, I saw the water had filled a much smaller building next to it entirely. Out of a large window on the wall. I panicked and grabbed all the food from his pantry.
I put it all in the black work bag on my back, after emptying it of its contents. I knew all buildings had side ladders to get to the roof in the city. I screwed every window and room till I found it.
By the time I did, the streets had been fully submerged in the water falling from the night sky.
Using the latter, I climbed to the top of the building.
A small I had grabbed and activated and linked to hover over my bag instead of the floor, floated above me, shielding me from the water. Once I reached the top of the building, I stayed there for days... weeks... I stopped continuing after a while, slowly losing all the tools I had thought would protect me till someone saved me.
But no one came, and my food ran out. The table was unpowered and broke into splinters on the rooftop. Exposing me to the harmless never-ending downpour.
Eventually, it did stop, but not before washing all my hopes of being saved, or funnily enough, saving myself.
Until eventually I fell into the water and washed up to the cathedral. And I'm sure you can guess the rest… after telling his horrific story the same deadpan emotionless stare played on Nero's face, showing the desire still fresh in his heart.