𝕬𝖗𝖘𝖔𝖓𝖎𝖘𝖙𝖘 𝕷𝖚𝖑𝖑𝖆𝖇𝖞 - [𝗞𝗮𝘇 𝗕𝗿𝗲𝗸𝗸𝗲𝗿]

𝐱𝐥𝐯. 𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥 𝘤𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘪𝘯

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐓𝐘-𝐅𝐈𝐕𝐄 — as the world caves in

━━━━━━━

 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐘 𝐇𝐀𝐃 𝐑𝐄𝐓𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐄𝐃 to the chapel upon Tamar and Tolya's insistence; and while Aleksa couldn't quite bring herself to finally wish to seek solace in the arms of long forgotten Saints, she continued forth anyway. Tolya and Tamar had their sabres drawn, edges glinting so very wildly.

 The twins had yet to fail Alina, their precious Sun Saint, thus Aleksa had no quarrels in blindly following them into the stark-white chapel. It didn't appear to have any secrets housed within, but Aleksa knew for certain that the Heartrenders would never go back on their oath. They'd never divulge from the pledge they'd made to Alina Starkov.

 The lamps had been alight when they burst inside. Echoes of their footfall still scarcely drowned the gunfire blasting outside the creaking doors. The sound trailed over the walls, the pews and off the glazed blue dome that provided a perfect view of the moon hung above. Cas, finally in his rightful place atop Aleksa's shoulder, had his beaks buried within her hair.

 Nothing silenced the sound of the nichevo'ya, however. Their odd chittering and clicking could still be heard as though the beasts had been whispering into their ears. Aleksa could feel them approaching, each hair on her arms stood on end and a shiver crawled the length of her spine.

 Her energy wasn't entirely restored as she leaned heavily against the pew... thus in a meagre attempt to revitalise herself, Aleksa twisted the shows lurking in the corners of the room. They twisted and flickered, but none of her company noticed... otherwise she was certain they'd have fallen into panic.

 The soldiers that had flooded from the woods with sunbursts smeared over their cheeks, biceps and hands took position by the windows, their rifles in hand as Tolya slammed the chapel door to a close, bolting it shut.

 Tamar lept over the pews and tore past the glistening altar now dripping with shadows. She grasped one of the triptych's wooden corners... and tugged. Aleksa blinked as the water-damaged panel swung open, revealing an endless expanse of darkness. It was a tunnel, it was their escape... it was exactly how the soldiers had gotten onto the grounds, and how that ugly little Apparat had managed to disappear from the Grand Palace.

 It wasn't exactly the time, yet even still Aleksa managed to narrow her eyes at the twins; if they knew of this little passageway's existence... then they had to have known exactly how the Apparat had escaped. They seemed to have failed to mention that fact.

 The few remaining Grisha peered through the hole, pondering where they'd find themselves if they trickled through... but it didn't matter where it led, for the building shook as a crack of thunder tore through the air. The chapel door was blown to pieces, chips of wood and metal sprinkling over the vast pews.