"I suppose you should know how and why the days here have gone-by so quickly," Will said, his gaze sharp as it locked onto Veyrath, who stared back unflinchingly.
"I thought you would ask how you survived with Zerakthul, my brother. But since this is what you've chosen to ask, an answer you shall receive." Veyrath
"How was I able to see her, my mother. when she's dead and all?" Will cut in, interrupting Veyrath before he could respond.
"The Aetherfang works in mysterious ways. Perhaps before your death, you held her in your heart, and it is for that reason alone you were able to see her again."
"Yes, that's right, I died. Yet all of this still feels like a dream to me."
"It is but a miracle that you survived. Such fortune does not come twice; should it happen again, you will not escape so easily," Veyrath said, his tone weighted with solemn gravity.
"Hmm, yeah, I get that," Will said. He then moved to his wardrobe, pulled out a tie, and used it to fasten the Aetherfang to his left hand, working with the aid of his right hand and his mouth.
"Done!" Will exclaimed
"With this, you'll be able to stay with me at all times, because I'm not facing Zeratool—or whatever you call him, alone again. He's your burden, and you should be the one to deal with him," Will said, facing Veyrath without a trace of fear.
Will proceeded to the living room and made his way to the main door, with Veyrath close behind. The moment he opened it and they stepped outside, the entire house began to crumble.
Will fled for his life, sprinting out the door before leaping over his small wooden gate. He turned just in time to watch as his entire house collapsed into ruin.
And just right there the cops arrived in their white sedan with bold blue stripes running along the sides. The words NYPD Police printed clearly, along with the precinct number and motto Courtesy, Professionalism, Respect. It has flashing red, white, and blue lights on top, a reinforced front bumper.
They pulled up behind Will, and two familiar officers approached, one with handcuffs in hand, the other with his pistol drawn.
"Officer friendly!" Will said outloud
"It's Freddy!" replied the officer in the same tone as Will, the one with the gun in hand.
"Am I under arrest? Oh wait, did my neighbor report me again?" Will asked, turning toward his neighbor's house. But to his utmost surprise, there was nothing left; the house was also in ruins. He realized he hadn't noticed it when he first came out.
"Neighbor? This is no time for foolish jokes. You and I both know Mrs. Agatha Crowell lost her life days ago, and standing here making light of it is nothing short of inhuman," Officer Freddy said, his expression marked by sternness and restrained anger.
At the mention of the word dead Will frozed in a spot he then took a moment to scan his neighborhood
The neighborhood was a ruin of crumbled walls and collapsed roofs, the streets littered with glass and ash. Every house was boarded shut, marked with red warning signs and wrapped in yellow restriction tape that snapped in the wind. Metal barricades lined the sidewalks, sealing the place off from the living. Silence hung heavy there, not the silence of abandonment, but of a place forbidden.
It became clear to Will that he had just trespassed.
The other officer returned to the car while Officer Freddy cuffed Will and escorted him to the back seat, where Will entered without protest.
Just before Officer Freddy could join them in the car, the sound of an electric pole crashing to the ground caught his attention. He let out a weary sigh, then proceeded into the passenger seat, and with that, they drove off.
Will stared out the car window as they drove through the familiar ruins. He soon noticed something odd—the car wasn't heading in the direction he had imagined. Instead, they were driving beyond the city, deep into the woods. That struck him as strange; he had expected the displacement camp to be in a well-developed area, not hidden away in the wilderness.
The car continued along a narrow path meant only for walking, branches whipping against its sides. The trees grew so close together that Will could hardly see where they were heading.