The mechanical clicks of keyboards at a set rhythm filled the operations room as a figure stood before the door frame, crossing his arms behind his back.
A faint—
Tick.
Echoed in the quiet office.
The soldiers—
Shifted.
Changing the rhythm of their typing.
Square monitors shifted as they changed the view to a desolate corridor.
Hollow spaces—
Rested.
Along the never ending walls.
Bare feet—
Sat.
Pointing the toes up as if the body was laying down.
They were—
Cold.
Accompanied by the absence of light.
A soldier draped in a hooded cover turned their chair around as their hands clasped together like they were offering a prayer.
Their dark black robes, lined with rusted gold, covered their figure as they got down on their knees.
Her voice quivered.
"Glorious Hierophant…Your marvelous revelation has come to pass."
Malachi waved his hand.
"I only punished those sinners as an offering towards our patriarch."
The woman's head bowed as her forehead rested on her fingers.
"Oh wise one…may your ticking last forever."
Malachi focused towards the flickering screens as the woman stood to her feet, returning to her work station.
The catacombs…will be their new home.
He exhaled, as his body turned towards the door behind him, opening it by placing his hand through a hand-shaped mechanism.
The door's gears—
Shifted.
Opening the path towards his pilgrimage.
Malachi continued through the fifth floor of the southern penitentiary.
The sacraments have been thoroughly given to them.
Long pipes lined the metal walls as the soles of his kept leather shoes glided across the smooth limestone floor.
Fluorescent light—
Clicked.
Turning on at the same intervals.
Malachi passed soldiers, stationed around the different containment boxes on the fifth floor.
The prisoners—
Chained.
Held down in the center of the box.
They saluted him as he passed, holding their connected gear rifles in the other.
Malachi's chin lifted towards the ceiling as if he was gazing upon a bright light as he continued down the holding area.
One box—
Empty.
The next contained another chained inmate.
This pattern repeated as he continued through the wide area.
Their necks were held by a large circular hook, pulling their torso in place as spines were stuck through their calves.
Malachi glanced at the prostrating convict, looking at the white cloth covering their eyes.
They're worthy…of this grace.
His walk continued as he moved towards the center of the floor.
The air—
Shifted.
From the far end of the containment floor.
Malachi turned towards the rusted door, looking at it from a far distance.
His eyes—
Narrowed.
Looking into the emptiness showing from the subtly crack.
That garbage…
The door—
Cracked.
Opening a few inches more.
Its rust crumbled off the face of the metal, dropping to the ground before it.
Malachi steadied his breathing as he headed towards the elevator.
…will soon join you…
The gears—
Clicked.
As the doors slid open.
Malachi entered, looking back towards the direction of the rusted door.
His finger—
Pressed.
The furthest button at the top.
…Ash.
The elevator bell chimed at the doors closed, beginning to ascend up its glass covered shaft.
Malachi observed the different floors of the restored prison, watching the old sufferings continue as they had always been.
Prisoners were—
Shackled.
Mining and transporting the minerals and ores with no rest.
The Guards—
Punished.
Beating and whipping hunched over backs.
Malachi wore a satisfied smile across his face as the elevator passed the first floor of the penitentiary.
He gazed down upon the south district surface, watching the processes function in their correct alignment.
Two large silos puffed smog into the night sky as soldiers stood atop the circular wall.
Barbed wire ran along its edges as spotlights moved across the many barracks and trucks moving different minerals.
The elevator—
Halted.
Opening its door to the overlooking tower.
Three soldiers—
Knelt.
Draped in the same black and rusted gold cloth.
"We greet the Hierophant."
Malachi walked past the three, standing at the glass window.
"Order has been restored…"
He turned, looking towards the kneeling man.
"...and you three will maintain it."
A drape—
Covered.
The center of his face.
Both of his eyes were visible as a rusted gold gear was on the surface of the drape.
"I accept this holy mission."
The woman on the right's left side was covered as her right eye was visible.
The other—
Mirrored.
As her left eye was visible.
Malachi walked towards the window behind them.
"My pilgrimage has ended…"
His hand—
Raised.
Resting on the window pane.
"...so I will return to him."
The three soldiers placed their hands together, lifting them up towards the back of Malachi.
Their voices—
Sounded.
Speaking in the same interval.
"May your return be ever glorious."
Malachi's hand moved to the side, sliding the full pain open.
His foot—
Stepped.
Out into the open air.
He dropped towards the ground in a horizontal motion as his veins surged with golden-white light.
His body—
Burst.
Flying towards the central district.
His four golden-white wings adorned his back as they carried him beneath the night sky.
Their eyeballs—
Shifted.
Looking to the desolate wasteland below.
Wind flowed over his body as the clouds dissipated around his flight path.
The central tower came into view as Malachi flew directly below the highest point.
His wings—
Spread.
Hovering him towards the courtyard below.
Malachi's veins dimmed as his wings faded from his back into particles of floating light.
He moved through the area watching soldiers march moving to their assigned posts.
A few paused at the sight of him saluting before continuing on.
Malachi's gaze—
Focused.
On the top of the clock tower.
He entered the base level, walking up the limestone steps.
Mounted clocks—
Ticked.
As he moved through the quiet hallway.
Fluorescent light flicked on at the same time, stopping at the elevator at the end.
His hand entered a hand-shaped mechanism, causing the door to churn open.
Malachi pressed the top button, listening to the mechanisms compress the doors closed.
His hand—
Folded.
Gently towards one another.
Ah…
The elevator—
Shifted.
Rising through its corridor.
Malachi's head raised towards the blue light above the closed doors.
A reverent—
Smile.
Formed across his lips.
…my lord…
His eyes—
Glistened.
With a deep blue hue.
…I've longed to return to you.
The transport halted, opening its doors to a long hallway.
His feet moved across the black and gold carpet, walking towards a set of grand doors.
A clock hand—
Shifted.
Ticking to the rhythm of time.
Malachi paused at the threshold of the observatory as his heart briefly fluttered.
He reached for the handle, pushing open the doors.
A center chair—
Distorted.
Appearing as if it did not belong there.
Malachi entered, moving closer to the static presence.
His cheeks—
Warmed.
As he grew closer.
Moonlight warped around the furniture shining from the glass above.
A hand was stretched towards the back of the tower's clock hands.
The air—
Glitched.
As a ticking filled the space.
Malachi knelt down, resting his hand on his chest.
The figure—
Stood.
Walking before Malachi.
His movement paused as his right hand reached for him.
"Speak."
Malachi's chin slowly raised.
"Your judgement…"
His eyes focused on the fingers before him.
"...has been enacted."
The hand—
Ticked.
Forming blue roots from Malachi.
Malachi's eyes widened, feeling the distortion before him.
This is truly a blessing.
The man traced each path reading the different outcomes from beginning to end.
Their endpoints—
Vibrated.
Leaving off the information.
"Remain here."
Malachi's sight became blurry listening to the fading ticking noise as the hand closed.
"As you wish."
The man—
Turned.
Resting his rams at his back.
"Leave."
Malachi lifted his clasped hands towards him briefly before standing to his feet.
He left in silence, saluting before exiting the quiet observatory.
The man sat down, facing the clock hands as he let out a deep sigh.
His ticking—
Began.
As the gears underneath turned.
Blue roots grew from the air before him as his eyes traced each one.
He followed—
Possibilities.
Looking to which he can orchestrate.
His fingers continued moving along the roots with no end in sight.
…
A dim white light flickered from the ceiling above them.
Mechanical humming vibrated throughout the silent hallway as Art and Jean were heading towards the courtyard.
Art's fingers rested on her chin.
"What do you think the briefing will contain tomorrow?"
Jean matched Art's stride, glancing down at her.
"We'll see tomorrow…for now we should get some rest."
Their voices went cold as the moonlight illuminated the empty courtyard from the sky above.
The fountain mounted in the center flowed steadily as Art and Jean paused before it.
Art motioned towards the living quarters.
"Are you going to head this way?"
Jean shook her head, turning towards the hallway leading towards Tremor's workshop.
"No…I'm going to go there instead."
Art lifted her palm up.
"Alright then…"
A brief yawn exited her lips.
"...I'm turning in for the night."
Jean started walking in the opposite direction of Art, glancing back over her shoulder.
"Goodnight."
Art covered her mouth with her hand.
"..Goodnight."
Their footsteps echoed in different directions as they split off towards their destinations.
Jean pushed open the metal door to Tremor's workshop listening to its metal frame scrape the floor.
She followed the tinkering noises at the back, weaving through shelves of parts and piles of scrap.
Jean paused as she turned the corner of the last shelf looking at Tremor sitting at his workstation.
His chair was surrounded with two small piles of the same device, enough to fill a backpack and a large duffle bag.
A light blue hue came from his veins as the pieces floated before him.
Tremor held the small box device in his hand as his head slowly rested on the table.
The pieces—
Fell.
Descending to the wooden surface.
His veins—
Dimmed.
As his eyelids fluttered before closing.
"..Finally…finished."
Jean placed her bag down as she walked to a closed door on the wall next to him.
She returned a moment later with a folded blanket as she listened to the soft breathing coming from Tremor's nose.
Jean gently placed the blanket around his shoulders, lowering her voice as she spoke.
"Goodnight."
She turned, heading back into the same room quietly closing the door behind her.
Art stood at the entrance of the hallway, looking down the dark corridor.
She flicked a small switch, turning on the illuminating lights across the ceiling as she walked towards her room.
A single light—
Flickered.
Above Kane's door.
Art's ears—
Twitched.
As she stopped past his door.
Its frame—
Detached.
Distorting from the hallway itself.
The air—
Shifted.
As Art tried to turn around.
Her body stayed still unmoving as her gaze remained forward.
She could't—
Look.
As if something was blocking her.
Art exhaled, moving towards her room as she flicked off the hall light.
Her door slid open, closing behind her as she entered.
Art's gaze—
Lowered.
As her eyelids began to flutter.
Stay focused…
She moved to her bed, shifting the curtains to cover the window before she laid on her back.
Her breathing—
Softened.
As she turned on her side.
…on the mission.