It's early morning, and Crito wakes up to the sound of his alarm. He rolls over and looks at the nightstand on his left. 6:30 says the clock on the nightstand. He forces himself into a sitting position and rubs his eyes. His body feels heavy, like a sack of bricks. Crito reaches for his smokes next to the clock and lights one with a glowing finger.
Crito stands up and makes his way to the window. He removes the blinds letting in the light. His eyes squint as they get used to the sunlight. He opens the window and leans against the windowsill, blowing a big puff of smoke, and releases a sigh of pure exhaustion.
"Maybe that kid of mine will allow me to relax today," Crito says in a rough-sounding voice. He flicks the cigarette and leaves the room, hearing the creak of every floorboard as he does. He slumps through his hallway, making his way to wake up Leo. But as he passes Flora's door, he sees a note taped to the door. He removes the tape and begins to read. He clenches his fist and grits his teeth in frustration after reading.
Crito stomps towards the door to Leo's room, not even bothering to knock. Leo shoots up into a sitting position, wondering what all the fuss is before he gets the note shoved in his face. "Read it," Crito orders. Leo reads the message. It's from Flora.
Leo and Mr. Crito, I am sorry, but the thought of anything happening to Leo feels me with too much dread. I can't bring myself to wait and see passively. Something about the NewGods and the Establishment seems off. I want to figure something out. I want to keep you safe. I know the risk, but I plan on finding the NewGods files in the Establishment file hall.
"The file hall!" "Is she crazy!?" Leo yells in shock, pushing himself out of bed and onto the floor, almost like he forgot that he could not walk. Despite this setback, Leo crawls towards the door, with Crito grabbing him and tossing him back on the bed.
"What are you doing!" Leo yells, frustrated.
"Whatever happens to Flora, I will take care of it," Crito says, his face showing clear signs of stress and annoyance. He gets ready to leave, but Leo, frustrated himself, lashes out.
"Flora needs help now!" "No matter what you do, Flora will be forever branded!" "Do you care this little about her!" Leo yells.
Crito snaps, grabs Leo by the throat, and slams him into the wall.
"You think I'm not frustrated!?" "I have been pissed since I heard what happened!" I wish I could kill those four myself!" "But instead, I'm here hearing how another one of my idiotic students's throwing away their lives for stupid reasons!" Crito had held his frustration back and had let it all loose upon Leo.
"Even if I did, let you go. How would you get there?" "As you currently are, you are unable to help her." Crito ends his rant and lets go of Leo. Crito storms out, leaving Leo in the room. Alone. His tears run down his face as his head slumps into his hands. He believes that he should help her. But he can't.
Flora had traveled since the night of yesterday and had made it to a decrepit-looking motel. She looks through a window on the first floor and sees a middle-aged man. The man is snoring loudly and seems to have been watching tv until he fell asleep. Flora lets out a small sigh before She makes her way to a rusty metal staircase. She puts her hand in her pocket and pulls out a key that fits perfectly in a door on the second floor of the building.
"Seems He never even bothered checking on me." "I'm late on rent anyway, so probably a good thing." Flora giggles to herself. The door opens, and the apartment fits the rest of the building.
The ceiling is leeky, with water droplets dripping onto a moldy rug. A small bean bag is placed in the middle of the room, and in front of it is a small tv. Flora, still standing in the door frame, looks to her left, which has a nightstand. The night seems more well cared for than anything else in the room. On top of the nightstand is a picture frame, and Flora picks it up and breaks it over her knee.
"Sorry, mom." "Sorry, dad," Flora says, getting the picture out of the broken frame. The picture depicts a young man and a young woman holding a baby. On the back of it is a written message.
"A little ray of light for the garden." "My Flora." Flora reads. She smiles and folds the picture before putting it into the pocket of her jeans.
"I'm alone right now." "so I like you to be with me," Flora says, patting her pocket. She runs her finger along the top of the shelf, making a smear of dust. She hasn't been back in a while, she thought. She makes a leaf out of her hand that seems moist and runs it along the top. She does this till it's dust free. Flora admires her work before dispelling the leaf. The leaf falls apart and turns into green pieces of light before disappearing. She steps further in and sits on the bean bag, which tears at the corner as she does.
"Please keep watching over me," She says before slumping down.
In the Establishment headquarters, a man of older age was talking with a man in a black suit. The older man was holding an air of superiority, and by his hips were two scabbards holding a blade each.
"Everything is taken care of, right?" He says in a rough, stern voice. The man in the suit bows, his large mouth filling the majority of his face as he smiles.
"yes, of course, master Wulgrim." "Everything is up to regulations." "But before you leave, may I ask about the NewGods?" The big-mouthed man said, looking upwards from his bow.
"Ignore them." "If they truly are part of NewDawn, then we can't afford to put ourselves at risk over some Gladiators." He says in a cold deadpan voice. With that final command, Wulgrim leaves for his trip leaving the Establishment headquarters in the hands of his men.