Tragedy of Divinity

Chapter 21: Threads of the City

The trio wandered into the heart of Jill, weaving through narrow cobblestone streets lined with gas lamps and grandiose buildings. The city's architecture seemed caught in a liminal space between eras—part medieval fortress, part Victorian grandeur. The intricate ironwork of balconies stood in stark contrast to the heavy stone arches of doorways, as though Jill itself couldn't decide what century it belonged to.

Seraphine glanced around, her gaze lingering on the peculiar details: gargoyle-like statues perched on rooftops, glowing glyphs etched into the lampposts, and faint runes carved into the stone streets. "This place is layered," she said softly, more to herself than anyone else.

Lucian, walking a few paces ahead, gave a sharp snort. "Layered is one word for it. Contradictory is another."

Quintin tilted his head. "How so?"

Lucian stopped abruptly, turning to face them. His dark eyes seemed to pierce through the ambient fog of the city. "Jill isn't what it seems on the surface. It plays at being peaceful and ordinary, but it's built on something… stranger. And darker."

Seraphine folded her arms, her expression skeptical. "You've hinted at this before. Care to elaborate?"

Lucian sighed, clearly reluctant but resigned. "Fine. Listen closely. Jill's peace is manufactured—engineered by the city's ruling body, the Concordium. They control everything: the laws, the economy, the flow of people. They even regulate how much energy the city consumes from the Nexus itself."

Quintin blinked. "Wait. Energy? From the Nexus? How does that work?"

Lucian gestured at the glowing glyphs on the lampposts and runes on the ground. "Jill draws energy directly from the Nexus. It's a siphoning system, one that powers everything here—light, heat, even the people's stability. Without it, the city would collapse under the weight of the Nexus's chaos, like everything else in this godforsaken realm."

Seraphine's eyes narrowed. "So the Concordium keeps this place running. But at what cost?"

Lucian hesitated, his jaw tightening. "The energy comes at a price. People disappear, as I said before. And sometimes… they don't come back."

Quintin frowned. "Disappear how?"

Lucian shook his head. "No one knows for sure. The Concordium claims it's voluntary—that people leave the city to explore other parts of the Nexus, or that they've found a way back to their original worlds. But that's a lie. You can feel it in the air. Jill isn't a sanctuary. It's a cage. And the Concordium are the wardens."

The weight of his words settled over them like a fog. Seraphine's gaze drifted to the faintly glowing runes beneath her boots. The stability of Jill suddenly felt more fragile, its peace more ominous.

"Why stay here, then?" Quintin asked, breaking the silence. "If it's so dangerous, why haven't you left?"

Lucian's expression darkened, and for a moment, he looked genuinely weary. "Because Jill is still better than the chaos outside. You've seen the Nexus. Out there, you're at the mercy of rifts, beasts, and worse things that I don't have names for. Here, at least, you have a roof over your head and food in your stomach."

Quintin scratched the back of his neck, his usual cheer subdued. "That's… fair. But still, it sounds like a ticking time bomb."

"It is," Lucian said simply, turning and resuming his brisk pace.

As they walked deeper into the city, they came upon a grand plaza dominated by a towering clocktower. The clock's face shimmered with a faint, otherworldly light, its hands moving in a rhythm that seemed almost too perfect. Surrounding the plaza were statues of figures clad in flowing robes, their faces obscured by masks.

"What's with the statues?" Seraphine asked, nodding toward one of the masked figures.

Lucian paused, glancing at the statues with an expression that was hard to read. "Those are the founders of Jill. Or so the Concordium claims. They're called the Silent Architects. Supposedly, they're the ones who discovered how to harness the Nexus's energy and built the city as a haven. But no one knows who they really were—or if they even existed."

Quintin peered up at the nearest statue, his brow furrowed. "Creepy. Why the masks?"

"To symbolize neutrality," Lucian said, his tone laced with sarcasm. "The Concordium says the Architects had no individual identity—that they were a collective, working selflessly for the good of the city. Personally, I think the masks are there to keep people from asking too many questions."

Seraphine tilted her head, studying the statues with a critical eye. "Convenient. Anonymous heroes who can't be questioned or held accountable."

Lucian gave her a faint, approving nod. "Exactly."

The trio continued their exploration, eventually finding themselves in a bustling market district. Stalls overflowed with goods both familiar and alien: fruits that shimmered like molten gold, fabrics that seemed to ripple like water, and trinkets that hummed faintly when touched.

Quintin's eyes lit up as he darted from stall to stall, marveling at the wares. "This is amazing! Look at this!" He held up a small, glowing orb that pulsed gently in his palm.

Lucian rolled his eyes. "That's a nexus shard. Harmless in small doses, but don't carry it for too long unless you want your insides rearranged."

Quintin dropped the orb like it was on fire, stumbling back. "Noted!"

Seraphine smirked faintly but said nothing, her attention drawn to a stall selling books and maps. She picked up a worn leather journal, flipping through its yellowed pages. The writing was indecipherable, but the diagrams and sketches hinted at something significant—an intricate network of symbols and pathways that resembled the runes she'd seen around the city.

"Find something interesting?" Lucian asked, his tone neutral but his eyes sharp.

"Maybe," Seraphine said, tucking the journal under her arm. "Something about this place doesn't add up. If Jill is as controlled as you say, then there's more to it than just survival."

"There always is," Lucian said quietly.

As they left the market, the shadows of the city seemed to lengthen, the glow of the runes casting an eerie light over the streets. Jill was a city of contradictions, a place of both safety and danger, order and mystery. And as Seraphine, Lucian, and Quintin walked through its labyrinthine streets, they couldn't shake the feeling that they were being watched.

Beneath the surface of Jill's peaceful facade, something was stirring. And whatever it was, it had taken notice of them.

End of chapter 21.