Chapter 35 : Living in the Sunlight
And in that stillness, both of them felt it...not just the weight of their journey, but the fear of what waited on the other side of its end.
Chris couldn't take the silence any longer. He glanced at Joy, then suddenly lit up with an idea.
"Hey, Joy!" he said, his voice full of energy. "I know what'll fix this mood....there's a karaoke place just down the street. What do you say we go belt out some songs and shake this off?"
Joy looked up slowly, her eyes widens. "Karaoke?" she repeated softly. "Chris, I don't think that's quite my kind of thing… especially not tonight."
Chris took a step closer to her bed, crouching a bit so they were eye level. "Come on," he said, his tone gentle but playful. "You don't have to be good. We'll just sing like idiots and forget about everything for a bit. It'll be fun. Trust me."
Joy stared at him, and for a moment, she didn't say anything.
Then, with a quiet sigh, she brushed a strand of hair behind her ear and gave a faint, almost reluctant smile.
"…Very well," she said. "If it will stop you from pestering me, I suppose I'll join you. Just don't expect me to sing anything ridiculous."
Chris broke into a grin. "No promises!"
He darted over to his suitcase, already tossing clothes over his shoulder as he searched for something clean.
Joy shook her head with a small laugh, the heaviness in her chest lifting just a little.
She didn't say it aloud....but she was glad he asked.
Within minutes, they were out the door, walking side by side into the cool embrace of the night. The breeze carried the scent of street food and the sound of distant laughter, mingling with the soft thump of music drifting from nearby bars.
Neon signs flickered above them, casting playful colors on the pavement as they made their way toward the karaoke place.
As they stepped into the dimly lit venue, the atmosphere buzzed with energy....people singing off-key, clapping, shouting, and laughing like the world outside didn't exist.
Joy glanced around, the corners of her lips lifting despite herself. The lightness in the air was contagious.
Chris led them to a private room, and they sank into the couch, scrolling through the song list that seemed to go on forever.
Chris bumped his shoulder gently into Joy's. "Alright, Joy. Be honest—what's your guilty pleasure? Ballad? Boy band?" he teased, a spark in his eyes.
Joy raised an eyebrow with amused elegance. "Please, I don't do guilty pleasures," she replied with mock pride. "But if I must sing, it'll be on my terms."
She tapped the screen and selected an upbeat pop duet. Chris leaned over to look and grinned. "Ooooh, classy choice. I'm in."
The music kicked in, loud and fun, and they grabbed the microphones.
At first, their voices were tentative...Joy reserved but composed, Chris just slightly offbeat and overly dramatic.
But before long, they were laughing, swaying, dancing in place like kids with no idea how tired they were just minutes ago.
Joy's voice lifted with more confidence as Chris spun playfully beside her, adding silly flourishes. Their laughter bounced off the walls, echoing louder than the music.
For those few minutes, there was no mission, no temple, no tomorrow.
Just two voices, off-key and happy.
And it was enough.
Hours later, Dawn broke over the abandoned building, casting an eerie glow on the scene within.
Melpomene, his face bloodied and bruised, was bound in heavy chains, his eyes fluttering open to the sight of a shadowy figure seated before him.
Stefan sat in silence, his gaze fixed on his watch as he spoke, "It's already dawn." His expression has no emotion, his eyes cold and calculating.
Elsewhere, Chris and Joy stirred in their hotel room, taking turns to bathe and freshen up, unaware of the events unfolding in the distance.
Melpomene's eyes widened in fear as he struggled against his bonds, his voice trembling."W-what do you want?" he asked, his gaze fixed on the impassive Stefan.
Chris and Joy, their belongings packed, bid farewell to Chris's uncle, Jim, their laughter and excitement filling the air as they made their way to their next destination.
Stefan rose from his chair, his movements deliberate. "Tell me, what do you know about the world you live in?" he asked, his tone laced with a hint of menace.
As Chris and Joy waited at the bus stop, the hooded figure watched them from the shadows, it's eyes narrowed with an unseen purpose.
"What secrets does this world contain?" Stefan continued, his hands sliding into his sleeves as he approached the trembling Melpomene.
Meanwhile in Robert's restaurant, police swarmed the scene, their expressions grim as they examined the bloody place. Two imposing figures observed the proceedings, their faces set in a serious mien.
"What is your purpose?" Stefan asked, his voice low and measured. "What's mine?" he added, his eyes boring into Melpomene's.
In a hospital bed, Malcolm stared intently at a silver briefcase, his brow furrowed with a sense of purpose.
"But I know one thing," Stefan said, a twisted smile spreading across his face. "They are watching, and I will give them a show that they can never ignore."
Chris and Joy, oblivious to the looming darkness, boarded the bus, their laughter and camaraderie filling the air as they embarked on their journey.
Melpomene's panic escalated, his desperate attempts to free himself proving futile. "What do you mean? Who are THEY?" he cried out, his voice full with terror.
Stefan's hand descended upon Melpomene's head, his grip tightening. "Oh, you'll find out soon enough," he said,
Melpomene's eyes widened in terror as Stefan's hand crushed his skull, the old man's screams echoing through the abandoned building.
Chris and Joy sat together on the bus, oblivious to the darkness that surrounded them.
He smiled at Joy, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "Ready to go for another journey?" he said, his voice filled with anticipation.
Joy then nodded.
As the bus drove away, the hooded figure eating an apple up in the tree watched, it's gaze fixed on the retreating vehicle.
Stefan stood atop the building, his hand stained red, blood dripping from his fingertips.
Behind him, Melpomene's lifeless body,
The sun began to rise, its light slow and strange...neither warm nor comforting.
Stefan's eyes glowed a deep, unnatural crimson as he stared out over the waking world, his expression unreadable. There was no joy in his face, no rage....only quiet satisfaction.
Something had begun. Something the world wasn't ready for.
Below, the city....unaware that those hidden are coming out for power, and that this dawn was a beginning, of a new era
And as the wind carried the scent of blood into the rising light, Stefan simply stood there.
Watching.
As if the real show was still to come.
Seeker Infinity Dawn Ends