Chapter 86: Butterflies
The capital city was cloaked in an eerie silence. A silence which was broken by raspy coughs and muffled groans of its people. Death loomed over the capital. What started as a normal illness slowly started to spread.
It spared no one, from rich to poor, from the lowliest street vendors who worked every day just to scrape by, to the noblest households who believed they were beyond the reach of common woes. No one could escape
People struggled to keep up with their daily routines. Those who could afford to remain home to recover did so, but the majority, the commoners who lived paycheck to paycheck had to go and work though they were sick.
Ignoring the fatigue that pierced deep into their bones, they kept pushing hoping to get through the day. They went to markets, workplaces, and public gatherings, unknowingly carrying the sickness with them wherever they went.
Although the number of people staying at home because of the illness has disrupted the economy a bit, it wasn’t enough to raise concerns.
Rumours of the disease reached the physicians and healers of the capital. Some believed it was nothing more than a seasonal ailment like the flu, and most assumed it would run its course as such things usually did.
The symptoms worsened with each passing day: first, a cough, then fever, and eventually, a horrifying weakness that left its victims bedridden, pale, and barely able to draw breath. This has left the doctors overwhelmed.
Still, this matter hadn’t caught the attention of the Emperor. He was preoccupied with his own set of problems. Something that could affect the nation’s security.
Reports from the army stationed at the Holy Temple had ceased entirely. There was only silence. The message he sent had no reply so he decided to send a few more, even those were left unanswered.
Each day, he anxiously awaited news from his soldiers. Had they encountered an unforeseen threat? Was the Temple itself under siege? The temple’s strategic importance was undeniable.
In his study, the Emperor paced back and forth, his mind raced, filled with possibilities... And finally, the most poisonous thought of it all- the men stationed there had decided to rebel against him.