A Dance Of Crowns & Thrones | Book I

Chapter 120 | November 5th | Today, My Concern Is For You

****** Fifteen Years Ago ******

In a sudden burst of light, Emmaine materialized in the small, cluttered apartment, her presence commanding the attention of the startled couple within. Cid, a man of humble demeanor, stood frozen, his eyes wide with disbelief, while his wife, startled from her morning routine, gripped a kitchen knife, her hand trembling.

"There's no time!" Emmaine's voice reverberated through the small apartment, her urgency palpable. She had sought out this man first, knowing he was crucial to her plan in this alternate timeline, the linchpin that would bring everything together.

"I don't know you!" He recoiled, his back pressing against the wall of his cramped living space.

Before Emmaine could explain further, a deafening alarm sounded in the far distance. The man and his wife exchanged a worried glance, the normalcy of their morning shattered by the arrival of this mysterious intruder.

Emmaine's eyes bore into Cid, her tone resolute. "You need to build the academies. The soldiers must be trained. A war is coming, and the children will find you."

Cid's wife, bewildered, interjected, "What academies? What war?"

Cid, his confusion mounting, ventured closer, his voice wavering. "I don't understand. What children? Why do we need soldiers?"

Emmaine nodded, her expression grave, and placed a handful of shimmering crystals on the kitchen bench. "I must locate the other children," she said urgently, her voice tinged with desperation. "Establish the academies. The children will find their way to you. Protect them, Cid, until the time is right."

With a swift movement, Emmaine vanished, leaving the bewildered couple staring at the radiant crystals in silence.

Speechless, the couple found themselves engulfed in a cacophony of alarms from their apartment now, intensifying their sense of urgency. An urgent evacuation alert blared through the streets next, adding to the chaos. Cid and his wife clung to the kitchen island for stability as the building shook from the violent attacks raging outside. The once-quiet streets were now filled with the sounds of destruction, the world around them crumbling as they struggled to comprehend the events unfolding before them.

****** ******

Breaking from his reverie, Cid struggled to process the overwhelming madness that had unfolded before him. "What... what is all of this?" he sputtered out, his disbelief echoing in the empty apartment.

Returning to the tiny sanctuary he called home, Cid clung to the memories of a time when he and his wife shared a peaceful existence, untouched by the chaos of war. It was a place of solace, filled with mementos and photographs of a life he now kept hidden from the world.

As the hours dragged on with painful monotony after Isis's departure, Cid found himself grappling with a decision that had been looming long before the events of the day. With his wife's ominous threat hanging over him, he felt as though he had only one option left to consider.

Before arriving at the apartment, Cid had been in his office, with a heavy heart, he used his master codes to Allegiant to erase his authority and transfer all his access. Isis's growing proximity to his students, the very children he had nurtured and protected, had become a dangerous threat. Staying close to them would only endanger their lives. Reluctantly, he chose to distance himself, sacrificing his connection to ensure their safety.

As he completed the transfer of control to Matthew, a sense of emptiness filled him. The weight of his decision settled heavily on his shoulders, knowing that this was the only way to guarantee the children's safety. It was a choice made out of love, but it left him feeling isolated and alone.