[A/N: Chapter soundtrack: Within Temptation - Shot In The Dark]
A sparkle in the distance suddenly caught Aybel's attention.
It required a sharp eye to notice, because its almost microscopic light was nearly invisible.
"Could that be..."
He observed the fragmented piece of the chandelier, floating in the middle of the chaos as if giving the middle finger to gravity.
I'm amazed... It's there... and it's not moving at all... Well, to be honest, it's not all that surprising. I guess it does make some sort of sense.
Despite its 'destruction' the floating mechanism would have distributed its weight evenly across the chandelier, allowing a tiny piece like this to remain afloat...
Hmm... If this piece of the chandelier did survive though, could other pieces have managed to survive as well?
However, one quick look around told him otherwise.
I see... none... unfortunately only that one small fragment. But if such a small piece can float...
A theory began to creep its way into his mind - a tiny shard floating meant that with a bigger shard it would have enough power to keep one afloat.
Sure, logically, a broken piece wouldn't have the same weight as the entire chandelier. But... choosing it is still better than falling aimlessly, just waiting for death.
I suppose I'll have to come up with a plan to break the chandelier then.
But how could he break it? He pondered the possibilities, knowing that time was running out.
Breaking the chandelier can wait. He decided, pushing the thought to the side.
There's a more pressing concern at hand... The chandelier has already fallen too far, hasn't it?
He looked down to see its shimmering crystal form taking a nosedive into the darkest depths.
Behind it were the countless figures of people falling down with it, like fish being pulled into the abyss.
From this height, they all looked like tiny specks of dust.
He was running out of precious minutes.
Alright, so I need a way to catch up with it...
Well, with no better plan in mind, the obvious choice would be to simply 'fall faster' - but then, the natural question follows - 'How?'
No... simply falling faster wouldn't even be enough.
It wasn't just about catching up, he needed a method that would not only allow him to catch up but also avoid him crashing into anyone else.
Witnessing the bodies rain down, a cruel idea suddenly crossed his mind.
They can be of some use... Like tools, in a sense. Well, more accurately speaking, they would be collateral damage.
Rather than avoiding them, I could use their falling bodies as stepping stones to get closer to the chandelier. With their 'help,' I should have enough force to reach it.
In simple terms, it's a matter of taking advantage of the laws of physics, and leveraging the forces at play.
That being said... it would prove quite the physical challenge, wouldn't it...
Of course, for regular people, even being able to perform a single pull-up represents a sign of above average fitness.
But, in my own school, students with extraordinary physical aptitude were a dime a dozen.
One of the few who never really stood out from the rest was me... the quiet kid who preferred sitting in the corner and observing the action from a distance.
And yet... there had been one skill that I had shown proficiency in.
During physical education classes, one teacher had praised me for my 'impressive' jumping abilites.
It seems that my leg power was, in fact, above the average. But that's it... that's my only real strength. Not exactly a high bar to step over.
I mean, compared to Caine, I'm still at the bottom of the food chain... Speaking of, I'm sure he'd love to see this.
Anyway, it seems that I'll have to 'channel' the power of his superior jumping ability to be able to accomplish this.
Even then, pulling this off will take everything I have...
Despite all that, it's not exactly a morally ethical plan, is it? Nor an ideal solution...
I guess the only downside would be guilt... But I suppose their lives are meaningless in this situation anyway.
Sometimes, one must sacrifice to survive. It's a cruel reality, but one I've grown accustomed to.
His complexion took a grim undertone.
If at all she is among them, I refuse to let her die here... their sacrifices pale in comparison to the outcome I'm after...
Very well, then.
A sudden gust of wind whipped past Aybel's face, whipping his hair back to reveal his blank stare.
It's time to take the offensive...
To Be Continued...