ShadowSong [Book 3]

Chapter 34 - Song of the Forgotten

The light around him stilled, and Jason opened his eyes to the City.

It took him a few seconds to notice that it wasn't his City, but the version he'd floated above in the previous vision. There were no skyshrines on the skyline of the other buildings, and of course, the vast, silver dome that spanned the entire sky, shielding the City from whatever lay beyond--perhaps the same darkness that had speared Olivia through the chest last time.

Olivia.

Her name rang like a bell through his mind. Had the darkness attacked her again? Was that why the light figure had pulled him in? Jason looked around but found nothing. No Olivia, no figure of light, no people--nothing but the buildings of rose-coloured starstone and the eerie quiet contained within the barrier.

Jason started walking in the direction he'd come in facing.

The further he walked, the more things began to appear.

At first it was groups of upright smudges, which quickly became people. Though their faces were blurred and their conversations were little more than a hum in his ears, their garments were sharp and clear. They reminded him of Speaker robes, all in similar styles with little difference between genders. Different groups wore different colours--Luminary colours, Jason realised as he walked past a group of Nereid's colours, then one of Centaur's--and the different colours did not interact with each other. They remained apart at all times, even going so far as to cross the street to maintain the distance.

It was... strange, to say the least. Jason did his best to maintain his stride, well aware of how much he stood out, assuming they could see him at all. Still, past experiences had taught him that it was often better to act as though you could be seen, and so, he continued forward with his head high and gaze focused, even as doubt about his lack of direction began to surface.

He walked for perhaps a few more minutes before the people around him started to lose focus once more, returning to the blurred figures they'd previously been. With a frown, Jason retraced his steps and soon found the people came into focus once more.

Jason stood at the edge of the sidewalk and cast his gaze around. If he wasn't misreading the signs, whatever he was supposed to find was around this area. It was at least a block, and a quick glance up at all six floors of it had Jason rather concerned. How was he supposed to--

"Thi--thirty six, okay, okay just breathe--"

Jason clamped down on his breath, bringing himself to a complete silence as he strained his ears for the voice--her voice.

"Thirty seven. Thirty seven. Thirty seven is good."

"Olivia?" he called out, whirling around, trying to figure out where her voice was coming from. His heart was racing, thumping far too loud. He couldn't hear her anymore, not over the thud thud thud threatening to beat straight out of his chest. "Liv, are you here?"

"Not him. Wasn't him last time. Not him now. Thirty seven becomes thirty eight. Thirty ei... i... ght."

The alcove to his right across the street, the one he'd walked past earlier, where the group in Centaur's colours had been. He'd missed it, too focused on looking ahead, on observing without appearing to be doing so, but now he ran over, careless of which of these apparitions might take an interest in him. "Olivia!"

Her voice was clearer now. "Can't hear you, can't see you, not real, not real, it's fine--thirty nine, forty, forty one--"

Jason's fingers caught against the corner of the wall as he pulled himself to a stop.