Killer Empire

Chapter 16

THE STARS DID not grant Devora any of their radiance that night.

Though the windows of her new bedroom were large and offered a clear view to the outside world, Devora felt like a fish trapped inside a tank, only ever allowed to explore the limited confines. She could always look out to the great ocean below but never she will never be allowed to head back into nature's embrace. When trapped in a cage and disallowed any chance to breathe, she could only boil in a pot of her own dark thoughts. The lid was covered and she couldn't worm her way out even if she wanted to.

As Devora laid in bed, white sheets haphazardly tossed around in a mess, her mind raced with countless thoughts bred from the guilt embedded in her heart. It wasn't just the men that she had encountered and assisted Nathan to kill while in the forest that messed with her mind. Although she was in no way at fault, the haunting pictures found in the file Julius Cain had shown her also brought discomfort to her heart. Every ticking second that sounded from the clock in the room only helped her to remember that she was trapped in a building full of murderers that killed for a living.

That reminder alone was enough for her to squirm with unease.

Even though the stars weren't glowing in the sky, the moon still did its fair share of work. There was a stream of gleaming moonlight that shone through the large windows of her room. The glass touched both the ceiling and the ground, allowing Devora a perfect and unobstructed view of the bustling city below her. The main building she was in was a short distance away from the main hubbub but the lights could still be seen from where she was.

Getting paired with Nathan also meant that she now had to room with him as well. Julius Cain closed his eye on the norms and found no fault with shoving two people of opposite genders in the same room together. If it were any other dormitory, perhaps they would've thrown a fit. However, there was nothing ordinary about how Julius Cain operated things. He made that quite clear with his bizarre introduction.

The room they shared was spacious enough to be a small apartment in itself. There were two super-single beds, two desks, two closets, a bathroom, and a small kitchen area. Both beds were placed near the glass windows, allowing a perfect night-time view of the world outside. According to how Nathan had explained it, the windows were one-way mirrors; occupants of the building could look out but the world outside would be blind to what happened inside. Hence, there was no worry about the invasion of privacy. In fact, it would be hard for the people on the streets below to look up at the level they were at. Their room, along with most other dorms, were located at the upper half of the building while the lower half was dedicated to community areas and offices that belonged to small-time staff members.

Just across the room, Nathan was asleep in his own bed. It was well past midnight and they hadn't had proper rest for a long time. It was no surprise that he had fallen asleep almost immediately after climbing under the covers. Nathan's feather-light snores drifted across the room, the sound barely audible if it weren't for the pin-drop silence that enveloped them.

Usually, miscellaneous sounds like such would help Devora relax. She loved the small sounds the world could provide. It didn't matter if it were distant car horns, birds chirping, or the rain hitting the window panes in a rhythmic beat. Even the continuous whirring of a fan or murmurs in a distance helped to ease her heart rate and calm her down. To any other person, perhaps these white noises would be considered a nuisance. For Devora, it served as a reminder that she wasn't alone in this world like how some people had conditioned her to think.

Having noises around her meant that she lived in a world where others dwelled. Perhaps somewhere out there, there were friends and people that she could count on in the near future. It was humbling and comforting to know that the world had more than just herself.