The Rise Of The Consortium

It was getting dark when she came out of the hospital. She took a seat on a bench along the sidewalk. She felt tired for the first time this week. She realized it was a waste of time to get in the way of those guards. She could've got more time to get more information about her father.

She got an idea. Why doesn't she search what exactly happened to her father? The truth must be there in the articles in the intercom. She brought her device closer and opened the search engine, with a couple of articles opened for her to read. But as she was going to type the search query, her mind paused for a moment.

'Should I even search for someone who is dead years ago?' she asked herself. When everyone said her father is dead, why is it hard for me to accept? She tried to remember who said what. Her mother and the doctor stated that he is dead.

No. The doctor didn't confirm it. ' Technically they're not dead. At least I won't say so.' that's what he said. What confusion!

Kner? What about him? He also didn't say it exactly. But he said something about her father. What was it? Nothing came to her mind. It felt as if her mind was going empty. But she felt he wanted to imply that her father is dead, only he couldn't say that just like that.

Then there was another one who said something about her father. The stranger she met in the factory on the day of the breakout. What was his name again? She closed her eyes, trying to recall the happenings of that day. Again, nothing came to her mind. It felt as if she was hitting her head against the wall whenever she was focusing hard on something.

'It's ok, I'll remember that soon.' the other part of her mind said.

Whatever. Was the stranger lying? He said he heard himself years ago. And there's no way she could ask her mother. Why can't she remember anything? How strange is that she could not recall how her father looked like. Does she even remember the name?

She closed her eyes in utter disappointment. She thought she had heard the name somewhere. What was it? She is Tarnilier, sure her father had the same last name, but what was the first? Not that she never heard Katokein names, but it was hard to remember even when she heard a few days ago.

She clenched the edge of the bench trying hard to focus. She felt as if there was an invisible wall inside her mind beyond which she couldn't go. Thoughts felt like a part of her which were scared to run fast, they didn't want to get hit into the wall. If she had heard it, why can't she remember? It's not like she can't think properly, but what is it that stops her from recalling a piece of simple information?

"I've heard it, I know it. I know it," she muttered under her breath. Her eyes were closed, but her heart kept running fast.

Suddenly she felt a part of her memory had stopped running. It was circling the wall, and slowly outstretched its arm to touch the wall. She knew she would remember it at any moment, she only has to follow where the thoughts go. The moment the memory touched the wall, she coughed vehemently. Tears started rolling out of her eyes. She covered her mouth, trying to stop her cough.

She got up from where she stood and walked away from the public view. She could not understand why she started coughing all of sudden. After a few more minutes of exhaustive coughing, she stopped. She leaned against a tree nearby, holding herself together.

She felt her heart was not going to slow down. She closed her eyes again to recall the name again. Yes, it was how the conversation started. The stranger indeed took his father's name.

'I know you. You're Ermick's daughter, Rio Tarnilier. Isn't it? 'As soon as the conversation replayed in her mind, she felt as if some invisible thorn was pulled out of her mind, leaving her skin bloodied. She slipped to the ground. She couldn't see anything in front of her. The world around her was swirling like the bright silver one she saw a few days ago. Her eyelids drooped low, shutting her swirling world in front of her.