Phantasia

The World’s End was deserted. Later that night the morbid youth of Torsten and its surrounding settlements would descend upon the underground shelters like a swarm of bats, but for the time being the only signs of life Phantasia could detect within the concrete shell of despair were the creatures that lived in the walls. The two faeries descended the long stairway to the large steel doors, their ethereal cloaks blending in with the rough, graffiti stained walls.

“There are innumerous thoughts contained within each and every stone,” said Faye, her mental sight scanning everything they passed, “Judging from the surface memories I have read, I can conclude that this was once the entrance to an underground network of passageways and shelters,”

They phased through the doors and into the club’s lobby. The floor was as stained as ever, flyers fused to the concrete by liquid spilt during inebriated blunderings, disposable cups kicked into dusty corners by heavy boots. The registration kiosk hid behind metal shutters, its desk a mess of leaflets advertising promotional nights and musical events. Faye plucked one from the pile and studied it with a blank expression.

“I am not sure I understand this coded message,” she said, “It is filled with non sequiturs such as ‘Twilight Eternal’, ‘Thermal Whale’ and ‘Gormenghast’.”

Phantasia grabbed one herself and mused over the meanings of the strange names. “I’ve heard Joel and the others talk about some of these. He said he plays guitar for ‘the Sons of Death Bastard’…” she said, “I think they might be groups of musicians? Or maybe audiomancer troops?”

“Indeed, and from the thoughts embedded into these names it would appear they are the subjects of both human devotion and disdain,” said Faye, referring to the scrawled names and advertisements plastered across the walls, “I find myself wondering which of these are mere musical acts, and which are also audiomancers and troops,”

“Most’re probably troops,” said Phantasia, “It’d fit with the atmosphere of this place,”

“That would be a logical deduction,” said Faye, “There is a distinct difference between the music coming from the cities and that from the outside world. There would be no need for troops inside the protective walls of the cities, yet any wandering group in the wilderness would need to protect itself from the elements. The parents of Kaori Shimomura were part of several troops during their youth,”

“You don’t suppose one of these groups could be behind all this summoning business, do you?” asked Phantasia, “Might explain why they were able to seduce so many people into sacrificing their chi to feed those leansídhe,”

“An assumption,” said Faye, “We currently lack sufficient evidence to support this conclusion. Although I will admit that it is a possibility, we must also be aware of the numerous others,”

The faeries moved from the lobby and into the main hall. Cast in darkness and as still as death, it was quite the opposite of the loud, violent frenzy of hedonistic bodies Phantasia had last witnessed here. Still, corruption seeped through the walls and the residue of the last night’s partying lingered in the atmosphere like stale smoke.

Chapter 47
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