Harm and Harmony

-Chapter 53-

Day: 28

Days Left: 5452

Lives Saved: 0

Duke Hartell entered the room, sat down in one of the armchairs and retrieved a drink from one of the servers. "Have they kissed yet?" he asked.

"No," replied Countess Mottershead.

The Duke sighed, stood up, placed the drink back on the server's plate and left the auditorium.

Gathered around a large screen, that expanded across the entire wall were nobles and the rich, sipping drinks and idly chatting to each other as the broadcasts of The Eternal Abyss was shown.

Whilst they all had access to these broadcasts from the comfort of their own homes, the footage was often shown in chamber rooms for social viewings. This allowed them to discuss and enjoy the experience with others of their calibre and also made the betting all the more rewarding as you saw who lost a small fortune.

"How long until the next broadcast, Best?" Countess Mottershead called from her chair, not even looking at the young man as her eyes remained focused on the screen.

"Twenty minutes, My Lady," replied Henry Best, the Head of Sector 39. He stood at the back of the room, in front of a podium. Resting on it was an electronic tablet that controlled the footage on the large screen. As Sector Head, part of his job entailed presenting the broadcasts to the rich, those who would likely squander their money on bets. 

At the moment, while everyone waited for the next broadcast, the nobles were content in watching reruns of previous ones.

"Not this one again," grumbled Viscount Collingwood as he entered the room, slamming the doors open wide in an attempt to gain attention; however, he achieved only a few quick glances back. Everyone was too preoccupied with watching a prisoner by the name of Corinna Warren explain to The Chimaera how to make bricks from scratch. "This one was on yesterday. Best, change it to something else!" The viscount ordered the young man, holding his head held high displaying his authority and self-importance

"Apologies, My Lord, but it was heavily requested," Henry Best explained. "If you wish to change it to a different recording we will enact a vote."

"Very well." Viscount nodded, scrunching up his face, confident that he would win.

The vote was conducted, and Viscount Collingwood lost by a landslide.

"You can't be serious!" The viscount waved his arms in frustration. "There must be something far more interesting than this-"

"Quiet!" Baron Sinclair hushed, so mesmerised by the screen the young baron forgot his position was lower than a viscount's. "I'm trying to listen."

Sat next to him, Countess Mottershead noticed the baron making notes on a piece of paper. "Please, Sinclair, don't tell me you are planning on making bricks yourself."

He shrugged. "You never know when you'll need such a skill."

"Ah, yes," the countess purred in a hushed whisper. "I suppose if word got out about your 'misdealings' in your factories, you might have to build defences in The Eternal Abyss yourself."

The young baron ignored her as she took a sip of her drink with pursed lips.

"If we are to watch anything about that Warren woman then surely it would be the clay golem fight?" Viscount Collingwood continued to complain to Best.

"Oh just sit down you miserable old man!" Countess Mottershead yelled.

Grumbling, the viscount swiped a drink from a server's plate and joined his old friend, Countess Mottershead. They both eyed the other's outfits, as it was a tradition for them to outclass each other with their elaborate clothing. Tonight's agreed theme was the ocean. Despite the countess' valiant attempt with her sizable hat decorated in a collection of pearls and seashells, it was no match for the viscount's suit, made out of a material resembling mermaid scales that shone green, blue, and purple when caught in the light. Countess Mottershead acknowledged her defeat with a respectful nod, causing a smirk on the old man's face that even his moustache could not hide. The two then shared a look of disapproval at Baron Sinclair's entry to the competition: a fish patterned tie.

"Am I late?" asked Duchess Vipond. She hurried to a seat next to the baron's, accepting a drink from a server. Sitting up straight, she glanced back at the viscount and the duchess, a slight smile on her lips as she realised her victory.

The viscount and the countess both sighed and handed the duchess a small bag of coins each, as did Baron Sinclair. Triumphant, the nineteen-year-old duchess sipped gingerly from her glass in her LED dress, the bottom half displaying water which occasionally a tropical fish would swim over, sending ripples across the rest of her garment.

Henry Best watched the wealthy guests natter whilst waiting for the new broadcast update. The large screen was currently displaying Corinna Warren and another prisoner called Jemma Yates. As the front door was open, they were able to record footage of the fight inside the house but unable to retrieve any audio. Despite it being their fifth time watching, everyone in the room cheered and roared when Warren hit Yates over the head with a shovel, everyone except Henry Best. The scene cut afterwards. The nobles and the wealthy currently betting did not know what happened after that. But Best did. He was told to edit it out. It would ruin their fun if they saw any prisoners showing guilt. Instead, it seamlessly cut to The Chimaera arriving and comforting the young woman.

"We are almost ready, Sir," reported a technician.

Best nodded and continued gazing at the screen blankly as he remembered watching Corinna sitting beside Yates' unconscious body for hours. 

Henry Best was almost transferred to a different sector due to being Corinna's relative, as it was feared that he would protect her. However, it was dismissed that he wouldn't as they were only second-cousins. Most people haven't even met their second-cousins, let alone live with them. The Warren-Earl-Best family, however, was different, almost a hundred of them living together in a large housing complex that they built themselves. Corinna had been more like a younger sister to Henry than any of his actual siblings. But of course, Henry did not tell his boss this.

The room fell silent as the latest broadcast finally arrived, with Duke Hartell arriving just in time. The broadcasts shown to the nobles were twenty minutes long containing the 'best bits' of the last week, which was uneventful aside from a montage of The Chimaera training Corinna how to fight. It was met with positive feedback, and a disappointed Duke Hartell, who mumbled about nothing happening when The Chimaera had pinned Corinna to the ground.

Henry Best always found it unsettling to hear these nobles enthusiastically discussing the 'romantic tension' between his second-cousin and The Chimaera, or rather 'Harmony'. A few months ago, The Chimaera was greatly feared, and everyone enjoyed watching it fail to escape numerous times. Yet now, no one was interested in that. They anticipated any changes in their relationship to the extent that any footage of the two of them was one of the highest viewed across the country. Many, of course, complained obsessively about this, believing that The Chimaera was now weak due to the 'romantic entanglement', suggesting that it should just abandon the young woman. Despite Henry's fear of this someday coming true, he was glad that Corinna had gained such interest and support. It meant that these unfeeling and pompous aristocrats would throw money to see her succeed as she provided exciting entertainment.

The only concern Henry had was that it was past due Corinna receiving her mask. It had been a week since someone won the auction to design her mask, yet it had not been finished. All of the bids were anonymous. Henry only knew whoever won had placed a ridiculous amount and was in this region of the country. It was highly likely that they were among the thirty people in this room. Henry pleaded in his thoughts that they would just hurry up. Corinna won't be able to survive in The Eternal Abyss without being able to transform into a monster for too long.

Though Henry had no power over what happened in The Eternal Abyss, he could edit the broadcasts to put her in a favourable light for the nobles. He would watch over Corinna Warren and keep her safe.