TA Chapter 8 Falling Star
Ril Milena(POV)
Never let it be said that someone could stand right before their idol, their crush, or their unrequited love interest and manage to maintain their full mental capabilities. Such people were the stuff of legends. Legends only written about in fiction or stories on the radio.
From the very moment I had spied him on the balcony, to the moment I had stepped out onto it, the butterflies had never once stopped churning within my stomach. Right now, I was starting to regret the many glasses of drinks I had chugged down in order to distract myself from David's overwhelming presence earlier. I wanted to go relieve myself so bad, yet this was the exact moment, was my wish was made manifest. It couldn't be abandoned, as the chances of getting another would be slim.
Luthor Dugavu, alone and in a quiet place where no one would interrupt us for a few moments... My exact dream come to life!
"Surely, you must have an inkling, a speculated guess of what that unknown mass might be, right?" the question banished every other thought, bringing me back to my sweet sweet reality. I felt my lips curl upwards subconsciously. We had finally found a topic where I couldn't make a fool out of myself.
"We believe it to be a black hole. I know that it's all theoretical, but I do believe such a stellar mass exists. According to the data, it seems to be absorbing matter and even light itself." I explained, my hands playing with the balcony railing since my heart was so excited beacuse I was high on adrenaline.
"I also believe in the existence of such a stellar body. Though, for it to be capable of pulling millions of Star systems is an incredible feat. It's gravity well must be light years in diameter." he said, his voice dripping with the breathlessness of someone colored in surprise.
"That's why I love to observe outer space. The mysteries beyond our planet surpass our imagination. Though, I do wonder sometimes whether I could step out into space... But I don't believe that could happen in our generation." my excitement ebbed at those words. I raised my head and gazed upwards, towards the stars.
'Is it just me, or could it be that that weird star is getting even brighter?'
"Mr. Luthor, one of the reasons... I wanted to meet you was to thank you for the upgrades made to the observatory. We wouldn't have managed to peek into the workings of the universe without them." I said after a moment of contemplation. In my excitement I had almost forgotten to extend my gratitude.
"It was nothing. That observatory is something all of us need. We need to gain an understanding of the space if we are to chart a path through it one day." he said.
"Really? You believe we could manage to go into space in our lifetime?" my heart pounded against my ribcage with such force that I let out a hot breath and directed my gaze to the stars of light fixtures below. Even up here, my ears picked up the shouts of celebration from below, intermittent as they were.
"Nothing is impossible when Dark technology is brought into the picture." he answered, his voice oozing with confidence. I turned my head to him and stared at the contours of his face. The darkness didn't dissuade me from trying to trace them with my eyes.
That's when my ears picked up the creaking of the doors as they opened, and I hurriedly snapped my gaze from the man and onto the entrance, upon which, I ground my teeth. For a moment, a very lengthy moment, I considered shouting out an insult, but held it in.
"Ms. Milena! I have been searching everywhere for you! Imagine my surprise at this kind of reunion. Is that your boyfriend?"
My cheeks colored, and I was certain that steam was about to come out the top of my head.
"Mr. Lutalo, your insinuation is an insult, not just to me, but also to this fine gentleman." I did my best to force my words out calmly.
"Oh! So you say. Though, since I have also been looking for this fine gentleman, I won't pursue the topic. Now, if you could scoot back inside, there are some things we need to chat about... Important things, a young lady has no need to know."
"That's all the more reason to stay. After all, you could propose your absurd ideas here and undermine the alliance! Besides, I am currently acting in the capacity of Milena's representative." I offered a fake smile which turned genuine when his expression turned into a dark stormy one.
"Ms. Ril..." he started, his previously easygoing expression having vanished, with a sigh parting his lips. "... I have been very accommodating. Patient. Friendly even. Me, David! Did you know that all those things are the farthest from the true me?" his voice had risen with each word, his eyes, even shadowed by his face, were piercing through me.
The smile vanished and I started to develop fear. My heart skipped a beat, and I squeezed the ceramic railing as if my life depended on it.
"Now that I have decided to leave you alone, you think I am someone who could be stepped upon. What gives you the right to have such thoughts I wonder? While I looked those beasts in the eye and survived whatever they threw at me... You were still a little girl at home depending on mummy to live. Even now, I have the power to snap your pretty little neck like twig..." he paused here to take a breath. "So, tell me, why do you, a weak little thing, insist on ruffling the lion's fur?" he asked, his gaze prickling into my skin like needles.
It was terrifying how tangible and weighty it felt. This was an impossible thing. Yet, it was like a blade to my neck. There was this instinctual feeling of danger within my mind that warned me to be very careful about what came out of my mouth. And I was ashamed to have listened to it, because, I was weak!
"I have an idea of what you want to do. Lobbying for me to take your side won't work with that attitude." A wide back stepped before me, sheltering me from the intensity of David. For a moment, I felt my gaze blur, with liquid pooling within my eyes, but I rapidly blinked it away before wiping across with the back of my hand.
'Ril! You shouldn't have shown weakness! You are Milena's representative!'
I stepped out from his back, my eyes once again falling into David Lutalo. I needed to show strength, so, I resisted the urge to grip the sides of my dress, instead letting my hands hang at my sides.
"The five years... Haven't they been enough of a respite? Those tree worshipers in the North need wiping out... You and I are the same. We have seen what those wretched beasts can do, and most of all, we hold the same rage towards them..." he stepped near the railings, rested his elbows and used his hands as pillows to support his chin. His gaze wasn't on us as he spoke, instead it was directed towards the dark walls in the distance. My eyes lingered on the headband upon his forehead. It was supposed to hide the scar he had gotten as a child, something many speculated had elicited the change in his personality.
"We aren't the same, Mr. David Lutalo. You are driven by rage. It has clouded your judgement. I, on the other hand am looking towards the future, a future where beasts are no longer threats to be taken seriously. That's why we need this respite to last as long as possible, to give us the time we need to advance our civilisation."
'Beasts no longer threats?' I didn't understand those words of his at all.
"We won't be able to truly be safe if we have to continuously look over our shoulders. Surely you agree with that. Those tree zealots could strike at any moment. And trust me on this, they are a greater threat to us than the beasts. Do you know that we even managed to capture one of their agents, a man with a family! That means that some of them have already been embedded into our society, waiting for a moment to act!"
My heart skipped a beat at that revelation. My eyes widened as horror threatened to take over. Were those words really true?
"We shall deal with them when-huh?"
Since I had been paying attention to the words being exchanged, I picked up on the interruption right away, my gaze falling upon Luthor only to see that his eyes were trained upwards.
I instantly followed his gaze only for my eyes to widen, and my jaw to drop before I snapped it shut as I beheld a large luminous golden sphere enlarging within our eyes every single minute.
"An asteroid crashing to the earth. Nothing new there." drawled David, his tone harboring immense dissatisfaction. But I wasn't in any mental capacity to care.
Instead my thoughts were elsewhere. Like how the sphere's origin appeared to have coincided with where I had last glimpsed the weird star.