The Great Collapse

The apartment was dark, heavy curtains drawn to prevent the sun from its insistent intrusion. Silence gripped the house like it was a sickness. Life had long been deserted, the houseplants left to decay, dirty dishes stacked in the sink and nothing in the pantries or fridge.

The bedroom was in a similar state, clothes, papers, and garbage covering the floor like a carpet. Curled beneath the covers of a rumpled bed was Levina Yamashita, the imprint of her body sunk deep into the mattress. Days worth of oil clung to her darkened hair and sallow skin. She stared blankly at the ceiling. Dark circles had settled under her eyes, her sleep schedule so irregular, she could spend anywhere from an hour to fifteen hours sleeping.

Levina’s phone continuously buzzed throughout the day though she made no move to pick it up. Work, friends, family, nobody could reach her. She didn’t doubt her position had long since been taken up by somebody else. Her family members had resorted to knocking on the door yesterday but she couldn’t be bothered to get up to tell them to go away.

A different tone chimed from the device this time. Unlike the rest, this caught her attention, dull eyes regaining a glimmer of energy. She picked herself up, reaching to that device and reading the message. Levina stood up, the dirty uniform that once fit her perfectly hanging off her body as she trudged to the bathroom. She showered quickly, wiping away the grime as best as she could and changing into the best clothes she could find.

Levina left the apartment, phone in hand, weaving through the streets of Astalya to a downtown office building. She entered the elevator, tapping the button for the 15th floor. Mechanical whirring filled the silence as she waited. She was wary, but more than that, determined. This was a chance to change something. To make Mary’s death mean something.

The elevator doors opened and Levina walked calmly into an abandoned floor of cubicles. She let her breathing slow as her eyes scanned the space. There. The quick scuff of a shoe against the floor. Levina reacted instantly, drawing a handgun while a shock of lightning incapacitated the body. She heard it slump against the floor and rounded the corner, the gun trained on the skull of Lucas Galta, the assassin she hired.

“Give me one good reason not to cuff you and take you in right now.” Her voice is far stronger than she’s felt these last few days, confidence and adrenaline causing her exhausted mind and body to spark to life.