Page 112 of Us Dark Few

When hearts no longer cope

And lungs no longer breathe

What happens to their dying hopes?

Are they whisked to the light?

Flown with shadows in the dark?

Or do they stay with those lost in sight?

Cover your eyes and hold onto that fear

These fates will be delivered in the cold

Beware the girl containing severed dreams

Her revenge is known to lacerate the soul

27

My fury extends without the presence of wind or the lash of a whip. It’s silent, corrupting, and makes you bleed all the same.

Khalani’s hands tapped restlessly against the scratchy black material chafing her thigh. Her body briefly listed to the side as the Genesis elevator lifted her and the remaining prisoners toward the cavernous ceiling of Apollo.

Tension hung in the air like a noose coiled around their necks.

Unyielding. Relentless.

She glanced around at the other prisoners, dressed in the same provocative black dress or black pants and matching button-down shirts, eyes wide with apprehension.

Her muscles coiled tight as the beautiful Genesis meadow came into view. The waterfall roared in the distance and the sun shone radiantly. Each prisoner, and even a handful of guards, held their mouths open in amazement at the glimmering city and expansive dome beyond.

She was no longer spellbound by the sheer beauty. Cruelty can be masked by pastel paint. Khalani saw through it all, straight to the rotten core.

On the grassy surface of Genesis, they waited for the rest of the surviving prisoners—about 100 in total—to be brought up. Nearly every guard from Braderhelm was assigned to keep a strict watch on the prisoners, armed to the teeth and ready to shoot anyone who dared to escape.

Takeshi’s intimidating presence loomed at the front, danger lurking beneath his vigilant gaze.

Khalani placed herself as far from him as possible. Judging by the way Takeshi’s jaw clenched and his eyes sliced her apart, it hadn’t gone unnoticed.

“Let’s go.” Takeshi’s large frame strode forward with assured dominance, as if a boulder would even move out of his path.

The citizens of Genesis whispered and avoided the prisoners, who rolled through the streets like a black tidal wave ready to engulf them.

Twinkling lights hung across the streetlamps and were fixed to windows in celebration, while the domed sky shimmered with pinks and purples as the sun set over the city.

The city hall stood in the center of Genesis, a grandiose building with hundreds of ivory steps leading to its doors. Khalani craned her neck to look up at the colossal marble statue in front of the building.

It depicted a very naked man with a chiseled body that leftnothingto the imagination. His muscles were sculpted to perfection as he looked out over the city like a valiant conqueror.

A golden sign before the jaw-dropping structure read “Statue of David.”

Khalani’s eyes widened as they entered City Hall. An exquisite ballroom lay before them, radiating wealth and power. The interior was vast, with high vaulted ceilings adorned with shimmering lights and walls draped in magnificent flowers. Even the floor seemed layered in gold.

Hundreds of ornate tables were arranged on both sides of the room, with the central area left clear for dancing. Servants rushed around the ballroom, placing giant floral centerpieces and smoothing out golden tablecloths.

The air savored of sweet fragrances and ambrosial offerings, unabashedly displaying prestige and authority like they were hors d’oeuvres to relish.

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