I cleared my throat. “Don’t Oracles know everything though?”
Chief Starbright shook her head. “I feel things, sense them while meditating in the moonlight while drinking tea. You’re a dream Oracle which is a hereditary gift. Rare. You really are a beginner, aren’t you?”
Whatever made her so callous was sure to have been terrible. Maybe it was The Regime. Maybe it was my family. Either way, I had to find evidence of Mai’s guilt before the scarred Chief of Safe Haven cast me out to The Regime’s mercy. I had no chance surviving alone, even if it was with Ivory and Enya. My father would find me, and who knew what would happen after that.
But what if I didn’t find any proof? Mai herself said she’d make up some kind of story to cover for herself. Worse yet, what if Ambert believed her lies over me? He already spent so much time with Enya. It was only a matter of time before he didn’t think of me as his sister at all and would believe Mai over me. Just the thought of that happening made a mental dagger stab through my heart.
Ivory interrupted, “I’ve had so much fun sewing on the train ride here. And working on a purple dress for you. I hope you’ll be able to wear it after we take down The Regime!”
“First Mai, then The Regime. Don’t get ahead of yourself,” I said.
“I’m just excited. There’ll be confetti, balloons, and a silver carpet. And balcony surrounded by white roses.” Ivory closed her eyes, imagining what it might be like.
“White roses?” I asked.
“It’s my favorite flower.” Ivory lit up with excitement. “I used to pick them all the time.”
“Really?”
“Stella got so mad. Said it wasn’t careful.”
“Why would you need to be careful?”
“White roses were with the bad guys in The Regime. When we tried to make it to Safe Haven, picking those flowers got us caught. And…” Ivory’s eyes watered again. “No… I can’t imagine that again…”
“Ivory, it’s okay. We’ll find Stella.” I placed a hand on her shoulder.
“I know,” Ivory smiled despite her tears. “But I wouldn’t have met you if we weren’t caught. I’m happy you’re my friend.”
“Shucks, I don’t know what to say…”
The train came to a screeching halt. Everyone in our car piped down. We didn’t hear a sound, except what seemed to be water. I could smell fresh waves as they hit up against land. I’d never been by the ocean before, but from what I’d heard, most of it was salty. The water reserves within The Regime were clean of any pollution or bacteria, but Wes said the past war zone areas had water filled with all kinds of pollution. At least the city had clean water available.
Enya’s hand lit with a flame from her shock and she signed a piece of the flooring below her as well as a piece of Ivory’s skirt. Ivory’s face hardened as Enya’s eyes widened.
“Hey!” Ivory said. “I just made this…”
Enya stomped at the fire, putting it out. “Shh…”
BANG!
Someone was outside the car, trying to get in. Were they The Regime’s guards? Military staff? What were we going to do?
BANG! BANG!
Everyone rushed into boxes, including the one Ivory opened before. I covered fabrics on top of me, trying to hide my body, and squeezed into a ball. Our car was forced open. Footsteps echoed throughout the car. A soldier opened my box and lifted the fabrics one layer at a time with his knife. It inched closer and closer, drawing near my hiding spot. My breath quivered, but I didn’t make a sound.
“No one here,” he said.
The footsteps got farther away. When the sounds stopped, we emerged from our hiding spots.
“Let’s sneak out while we can,” I whispered.
Everyone nodded. Enya and I approached the door, and slowly turned the wheel to open it. We opened the car door far enough for all of us to slip through without exposure. One by one, I let the others get out of the car. I could hear the footsteps of someone getting closer and closer to us on the opposite end, and I gulped in fear. They must have heard the door.
My knees rattled, and my heart pounded like it was ready to explode. I held my breath and closed my eyes. I was afraid of the ‘What Ifs’ that filled my head, but I had to remain in control. I wasn’t going to let that sickness take hold over me again. I let go of all of my emotions, and in a single second, I jumped out of the train car unspotted.
Our group ran toward civilization, hiding where two rivers intersected. Connected to the two rivers, was a bay. The water’s color was a turquoise blue that sparkled in the warm sunlight. The red buildings were angled in a way I’d never seen before. With black on the top angled in a slope, the rectangular archways and houses gave a rustic vibe. A crashing bang sounded from the square, almost like a cymbal, but bigger.
Ahead of us, the city of Jīnlóng sprang to life. Boats with nets full of fish crashed up against the waves on the shores. Shouting echoed from every corner of the cobblestone square from merchants selling items like clothing, food, and materials to even kids playing in the tall grass. Everything was so different compared to the train station we just left from.
The smell of the salty waves left a smile stretching across my face. The bustling city filled me with the same excitement as Wes’ paintings. My heart raced, maybe because of our run, but, to me, it was the thought of our blooming adventure.
Enya smiled. “This place doesn’t seem too bad.”
“Unless the security is at the train station,” I said.
“Let’s go see the man I mentioned,” Chief Starbright ordered.
“Ooh! Where is he?” Ivory asked.
“The family’s clever. They could be anywhere,” Chief Starbright said.
“He better give us the answers we need,” Enya said.
We wandered along the streets as the merchants bribed us with their wares. The chaos in the square filled my heart with excitement. How could they get away with this in The Regime?
“Fish! Fresh Fish! Come and get your fresh fish,” said a merchant from the back.
“Step right up and get some fishing rods!”
“Paint! Get your fresh gray paint! Regime approved!”
I passed an open archway. The grunts of a figure my age rang followed by the sound of metal scraping against itself. Was someone fighting The Regime’s soldiers? I rushed into the archway ready to alert Enya to throw a fire blast. Out of breath, I gazed at a sight I never thought I’d seen out in a Regime-filled city.
A girl slashed at a robot, at least that’s what I thought it was from the sizzling wires and metal skin. Her ponytail was decorated with flowers, all in red and a few yellow. She wore a short black and red dress, complete with a red ‘C’ for The Commander. Her feet, stained with blood, were barren on the rocks below her. Panting out a few breaths, the girl drew a blade, gold at the edges and laced with scribbles and ancient words. With a slash, the robot was cut in half.
“I knew that wasn’t ready.” a smile formed on the girl’s face.
My jaw dropped. “Whoah!”
Enya clapped beside me, a smug smile on her face. Enya must’ve approved of the girl’s guts. For someone my age, this girl was fierce like Enya, so sure of herself. I wanted confidence like that more than the world, but I didn’t have it. I couldn’t help but ask her a few questions. She seemed like a great person to befriend.
“Aren’t you afraid of… um... The Regime?” I asked.
The girl placed her blade into a holster on her belt and laughed. “Why let The Regime take control of us?”
“Tell me about it, sister.” Enya offered the girl her hand.
“You… have an essence to you. It’s magic!” her eyes widened.
Enya’s widened eyes looked at my own. My jaw remained awestruck. How in the world did this girl know Enya had magic? Did The Regime tell the citizens about the stunt we pulled in The Science Department? If not, who knew how easily people detected our magic!
The girl chuckled. “Don’t worry. It’s something I sense.”
Enya and I glared at each other before the girl continued. Just who was she?
“I’m Liu Kuan-yin, fourteen-year-old graffiti artist and engineer. You can call me Kuan.” Kuan-yin bowed.
She reminded me a lot of Mai, but with a few differences. Kuan-yin had a scar carved into her left arm, a cherry blossom symbol on her ankle, and oak colored eyes. Other than that, she had the same dark hair, skin tone, and height.
The surname was familiar. “I know I’ve heard that name from somewhere…”
“You’ve probably heard of the physician.” a boy came from the shadows. He looked like Kuan-yin, including the same kind eyes.
“No, before I heard about him. I was so sure…" a light went on in my head. "The science compound! Do you happen to know about a Liu Xiang?”
“You saw Xiang?!” Kuan-yin’s eyes widened.
“You know him?” Enya tilted her head.
“He’s our cousin! Dad took a liking to him, and he was even teaching Xiang some of his greatest tricks,” the tall boy said.
“This is my brother, Ju-long. Aerodynamics nerd,” Kuan-yin said.
Ju-long’s eyes caught my gaze, syrup-like in glossiness and tone. They were diamond shaped and there were a couple of small freckles near them. His shoulder-length hair was a walnut brown color. Against his diamond face shape and his nose, Ju-long’s eyes were his primary feature.
“You need Dr. Liu’s help, don’t you, Miss?” Ju-long remained behind Kuan-yin like she was a shield.
“Actually, yes. I’m Calista. I helped start a resistance in Fortress. Xiang’s in The Science Department, but I wasn’t able to save him. He’s still alive,” I reassured, offering my hand to Kuan-yin, who took it without question. Ju-long looked at my hand but didn’t shake it.
“Then you must be from Safe Haven…” Ju-long placed one hand on his chin and pointed the other at Enya. “And this is…”
“I’m Enya. Enya Greer,” Enya said.
His eyes went wide. “You’re… you’re one of the twins.”
“Why come here for help?” Kuan-yin asked.
“We need the wisdom of Dr. Liu. Only this city can provide the answers we need,” I said.
The cymbal crashed again, and immediately, people rushed off the streets.
“There’s the gong. Looks like we already lost the free hour for today. ” Kuan-yin walked toward the square and waited for us to follow.
TWELVE
Calista
Ju-long and Kuan-yin led us through the cobblestone path. Crowds of people dispersed from the square and the gong struck one with a great bang as guards emerged from several corners of the city. They weren’t there before. With so many people, I was astounded by the force in the city. Compared to the number of citizens, the guards looked like a small group facing an army! More than that, the slightly different policies left so many questions in my head. Jīnlóng was so different than my hometown!
“Uh… Kuan? What’s a free hour? I’ve heard of Free Day, but that’s normally how schools in Fortress close for snow...” I couldn’t help but be curious about it.
Ju-long extended a hand toward the people roaming in the streets. “Jīnlóng contains a booming population. We outnumber the soldiers ten to one here, so uprise is always up in the air.”
“So, the governor added a free hour with The Regime’s permission. Anything can happen in the hour because they take the cameras’ signals out. Dreamers just can’t leave behind evidence afterward for people to convict them…” Kuan-yin said.
“Lucky,” Enya mumbled.
Kuan-yin held up her finger. “… But murders and crimes take place during the free hour too. It’s a double-sided coin. People would have to find evidence for that too.”
“Golly… that’s a bit much. I can’t believe something like that happens!”
We approached a small store on the edge of town. Its windows were cracked and the door was so ancient it would squeak open even if you pushed it open ever so slightly. The gray brick building was worn too; uneven layers of brick covered the entire building. The cracked paint and wood chips showed how long it had been standing there, and by the looks of it, even longer than Wes’ warehouse. In front of it, Ivory glared at the building as Chief Starbright looked at her watch.
“You wandered off from the group. What were you...” Chief Starbright glanced at Kuan-yin and Ju-long. “You found Dr. Liu’s kids. Great.”
I nodded.
“That’s awesome! I’m Ivory.” Ivory offered her hand to Kuan-yin like she was on a sugar high.
Kuan-yin gripped Ivory’s hand. “Nice to meet you.”
I smiled.
“You’re welcome in now, ladies.” Ju-long squeaked open the shop door.
We filed in through the store’s front door.
Inside, there were creations of all sorts. Some were detailed in a bright array of colors and shapes unusual to the human eye. Books with gold stained pages stacked on the shelves. Various paintings lingered on the wall, painted in different styles.
“How does The Regime let this place stay open?" my jaw hung open in amazement.
“They wouldn’t stand for this. When they come for inspections, dad can just flip a switch to make the place seem dull.” Kuan-yin smiled.
Enya folded her arms over her chest. “My kind of plan.”
“Dad! People are here to talk to you! It’s urgent,” Ju-long said.
Noises echoed in the back of the store. Some were the clamors of pots and pans. Others hissed like smoke. I imagined some kind of wacky invention or maybe even a robot. What did Dr. Liu have back there? If he was as great of a Dreamer as Chief Starbright described, I couldn’t wait to hear what he had to say… if she didn’t convince him to mistrust my story, that was.
“Hold your horses!” Dr. Liu’s voice muffled from all the clutter in the building.
Enya cocked her eyebrow. “Do you know what he’s up to?”
“Of course! He’s creating a stun gun.” Kuan-yin undid her ponytail and shook out her hair.
I tilted my head. “I thought we already had those.”
“We do, but he’s trying to make the invention better. The Regime’s stun guns have some problems,” Kuan-yin bit her lip.
“We don’t want any more people facing terrible long-term effects from a stun gun,” Dr. Liu’s hair contained shades of dark gray. His dark, slanted eyes dulled from his smile.
Her face lit up. “Do you have the new prototype ready yet?”
“I think I’ve cracked the code this time.” Dr. Liu carried himself like an emperor with a straight posture and raised chin.
“Are we going to test it?” Ju-long slipped gloves on his hands.
“Yes. Get the body,” Dr. Liu said.
Our group glanced at each other, confused by everything going on. The body? Wait, Chief Starbright didn’t mention anything like this… I tilted my head and Enya pinched the bridge of her nose. Seeing our confusion, Kuan-yin cleared her throat.
Ju-long rolled his eyes at his sister and placed a pair of safety goggles on his face. “The Regime kills Dreamers daily, even in the free hour if they walk by. This one died two hours ago. We’re testing how the body reacts. If the signs are positive, we’re ready for live testing.”
“Do we have to watch?” I cringed thinking of a decaying corpse.
Enya nudged my shoulder. “Come on, Wallflower. Don’t you want to see if this works?”
“Can I stay back and talk with Cally?” Ivory shuddered and made her way toward me.
“Absolutely. I’ll let you both know how the experiment goes,” Kuan-yin said with a smile.
“Liu Kuan-yin. Don’t you want to do the lady-like thing and sit back? As Lady of the Katana…”
“I’m going, dad,” Kuan-yin affirmed.
The others left. Ivory reached in her pocket to reach for a needle and thre
ad. She waved her hand over the torn pattern on her skirt and quickly threaded a new design.
“Wow… so your magic helps you sew?” I asked.
“Just with small things. Why do you think I never run out of materials?”
“Have you ever met an Onlooker before?”
Ivory nodded. “Onlookers and Seamsters are pretty similar. Wes creates art pieces that find people he needs to protect, and I help people embrace who they are through clothing.”
“Wow… I never thought of fashion that way.”
“Can you keep a secret?”
“Sure?”
“Stella, she’s my real inspiration, even if she isn’t a Seamster. Dreaming’s out here is still kinda new to me.”
A soft smile formed on my face. “It’s still pretty new to me too. I’m happy to not feel alone anymore.”
Kuan-yin came back into the room, grinning ear to ear like everything went well. To me, seeing a dead body was one of the last things on my to-do list.
“Now’s a good time to talk to my father.” Kuan-yin gestured for us to follow her.
We traveled into the back of the store. Seven chairs centered around an oak table, chipped away from frequent use. The table itself carried the same markings of use, well-loved by its owners. The smell of tea filled the room with a fragrant scent like Gran’s perfume. I took a deep breath in to admire the smell. It’d been a while since I got a whiff of my family before they left.
“So, you’re the ones who came all this way to Jīnlóng to chat with me.” Dr. Liu narrowed his eyes.
“Yes sir." my lips trembled.
“I’m happy to see you, Starbright. You still fighting with those weapons of yours?” Dr. Liu chuckled.
Chief Starbright smiled as she said, “You’ll never let that down, will you, doctor?”
“What can I say? Astra was the best Oracle trained under my roof. You were never the best.” Dr. Liu adjusted his glasses.
Offering my hand to Dr. Liu, I was eager to change the subject. “... I’m Calista Knight, a member of the resistance in Fortress.”
Splintering Reality (Breaking Order Series Book 2) Page 7