Through the Crystalline Window, Part 2
Tumbling forward to soften the impact of her leap, Amirah hurriedly caught herself before her head could collide with the railing. Quickly righting herself, a clock began counting down. Even if no one had seen her escape from the party above, eventually someone was sure to notice the absence of a known aristocrat.
Peering through the doorway leading back inside the building, Amirah found the connected hallway empty. With no guards and also no time to waste, she began heading westward. It was imperative that she didn’t let herself get turned around since even though she had her route memorized, the sheer scale of the building made getting lost a very real possibility. Closing her eyes for just a moment to recall the layout of the floorplan as she rounded another corner, Amirah accidently bumped into someone rushing in the opposite direction.
Fear swelled within her. Was this it? About to be caught only moments into the core of her mission? But, how could they have even know-
Before she could even finish the thought within her head, the man without a word, quickly propelled himself past her, only eventually looking back sheepishly as he disappeared down a distant hallway. Her mind raced through the possibilities, none of which made sense. The clock rapidly ticked down while she stood stunlocked in utter confusion. She needed to move, but which way… continue toward her goal or should she instead find an exit. A moment later, another individual rounded the corner; a young woman scurried by her, avoiding eye contact with a determination that appeared seconds away from braking. The pair’s now obvious embarrassment rubbed off onto her. She shook it all off as if it were a light dusting of snow. It made sense now. Amirah resumed her route toward her target, yet couldn’t quite keep her mind focused.
It’s crazy how something can appear out of nowhere and yet affect so much within. Everything she did was done for the cause, a cause that she knew to be just and important. It was her everything and yet… was that what she wanted? She hadn’t before contemplated a future other than what had been planned for her. When you are born with a gift, it is a crime not to use it. At least, that was what she had been taught. Everything for the cause. But… was that what she truly believed or was it merely-
Amirah shook away the onslaught of doubts. Now was not the time for these kinds of thoughts. Turning down what she believed to be the final hallway, Amirah breathed a sigh of relief as she spotted a vaguely familiar door at the end of its length. Arriving at the entryway though, a worrying sight greeted her. The door leading into the watch commander’s office was ajar, the lock laid smashed at her feet. Piecing together that her clock might have already expired, she desperately rushed inside. The office had been ransacked, drawers emptied and papers splayed out across the room as if it had been hit by some unusual, targeted weather phenomenon. But within the chaos of it all, one thing stuck out like a sore thumb. A single sealed letter sat atop the commander’s overturned desk. Without thinking Amirah grabbed it and tore it open, reading its contents with a fervent haste. It was a mobilization order for a surprise attack on an underground compound, the exact one in which her own body currently resided. Even worse yet, it was to take place tonight.
Resisting the urge to panic, Amirah slowed herself down in an attempt to grapple with her situation. Who had gotten to the office before her? And why had they seemingly left her with pertinent intel? Did they have unknown allies or was this some sort of trap? Had the couple that she had passed been-
There were too many questions and no way for her to be sure of any possible conclusions. A swift exit was the only logical next step. All that she could do now was hope that it wasn’t already too late.
