fallen hero | matthew fairchild

chapter 11 | calla lilies

Despite having lived in the institute for a rather long time, Hero still managed to get lost.

Every hallway was made up of stoned walls and wooden paneled floors. The doors that lined the walls looked oddly similar.

After departing from Virginia's room, Hero opened the door she had thought led to her bedroom but was instead met with a dark view of a spiral staircase.

Hero stepped into the room curiously. Her eyes followed the height of the dark and rusted staircase. She realized that she couldn't tell the true length or where the random stairs led because the top was shrouded in dimness.

Hero wondered what could be at the end.

Maybe that's where Florence is hiding.

That assumption alone was enough to make Hero's palms sweat a little.

She barely recovered from the demon poison and fought off Sam and Shira. If Florence had hidden up there, Hero would not have survived her attack.

The likelihood of Florence being cooped up in this supposed attic was most likely very slim.

But, that didn't stop her mind from running wild.

What would stop Florence from sneaking down these stairs in the middle of the night and creeping into Hero's room?

She didn't even want to think about what would happen. It was plainly obvious that it did not matter to the trio whether she died or survived. They simply wanted her body.

She shut her eyes tightly.

Would they slit her throat? Would they torture her? Would they simply imprison her for the rest of her life?

There were so many things they could do to her.

She was so vulnerable.

Hero rarely used her stele. She could practically count the times on her fingers. She slipped it out of a pocket that was added to her dress specifically to hold steles and small weapons.

Due to the darkness of the stairwell, Hero had to squint as she messily drew a silent rune. She leaned away when it was completed and stared at her handiwork.

It wasn't as sharp as Matthew or Virginia's Marks, but it would do the trick.

Through her fear, Hero clutched her skirts and picked them up so they wouldn't tangle in her feet. She took a breath and placed the sole of her feet on the hard surface of the first step.

With the help of the rune, she soundlessly made her way up the curving stairs.

Hero reached the top and looked around. The staircase had led her to an open space, the walls were made of glass which permitted light rays to enter the room. The sunset set the room to an orange glow.

The top floor seemed to be a greenhouse. There was an array of plants, their vines twisting all across the room. It was a sea of green with pops of jewel-toned shades.

There were berries, flowers, and even plants that seemed to have jaws that snapped open every time a bug flew near.

The air was the freshest Hero has breathed since stepping into the city. It was pleasant on her lungs.

Even the path that moved along the room was covered in plants that writhed and moved away from her.

Fascinating.

She moved deeper into the greenhouse, careful of stepping on top of an unwilling plant. She was only halfway in the room when she spotted a familiar shade of gold.