Indigo's Owl [Indigo Rewrite]

Chapter 2 - Starpoint Tower

Even at a distance, it was easy to find Starpoint tower from the air.

Or at least, what remained of it.

The ruin of the tower lay at the centre of the restricted zone — a large, dark area on Sirah's coastline that contained little more than rubble. Fourteen years had passed since the accident that destroyed the tower and several blocks around it, and the Elites had never attempted to rebuild the area. They had simply declared it dangerous and imposed severe consequences on anyone caught inside the zone.

Athira quickly levelled with the tops of the high-rise buildings that populated most of Sirah, staying well above the attention of the civilians that roamed the streets below. The wind this high was cold and biting. She stretched her bare arms out in front of her, savouring the chill on her skin. The runes etched in Blue along her arms and back still stung from the use of her Black, but these days, it was a rare moment when they didn't.

There was one positive side effect to the use of her Colour, however. As she flew towards Starpoint, Athira reached for the silver amulet engraved with a bird that hung from a chain at her throat. She pressed it to her sternum, finding the metal warm against her skin.

Talon? she thought.

Talon's voice fluttered through her mind. Present! How's my hatchling doing?

Reader's already at Starpoint, replied Athira.

Not good, said Talon. The next Surge isn't supposed to be until tomorrow. If Reader is causing them, he's moved up his schedule. He might know we're after him.

Athira grimaced. The thought did cross my mind, but there's still a chance he's just sensing them, not causing them. Wouldn't be the first time some insane Purple followed the whims of their Colour.

Talon paused. If Reader isn't causing the Surges and the next one is this soon, you can't be anywhere near it when it hits.

I know, Tal, replied Athira. But he knows something that we don't, and we don't have another two weeks to spend hunting him down. We're running out of time.

Talon's reluctant acceptance echoed through their link. I'll make sure everything is secure in here, just in case, he said. Be careful, Thira.

A few minutes later, Athira crossed the boundary into the restricted zone.

She flew low, weaving between the ruined shells of buildings that had once stood tall. The concrete chunks of rubble and rebar that littered the ground were strange to see. It'd been over a decade since the Elites had begun rebuilding the city with Redresin — a far more stable, Colour-resistant building material — which only made it weirder that they'd left the restricted zone untouched.

Maybe those conspiracy guys were onto something, said Talon, observing through Athira's eyes. This is weird. Not many people can cause this kind of destruction.

Guilt stabbed Athira in the gut. Not without hitting their breaking point, anyway.

I didn't mean— began Talon.

Doesn't matter.

Athira reached Starpoint tower, drifting across what had once been the street beside it. Though the tower's top was non-existent, the first and second floors remained mostly intact. The windows were shattered. The main door was ajar, and though Athira suspected it'd been that way for a while, the small, silver balls scattered inconspicuously by the entryway looked new. When she moved closer to inspect them, the faint glimmer of Orange — the Colour of Technology — betrayed them for what they were.