Chapter 22
22. Steam Engine Apocalypse
─────Thud! Thud! Thud!
Summoning what courage remained within my shaken form, my grip upon the door fastening grew rigid and insistent. The indomitable torrent from the heavens drenched my protective coverings to the core. With each resurgence of the downpour, droplets sought shelter within the sanctity of my pupils.
"Art! Art!"
In desperation, my hands struck heavily against the obstinate door handle.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
After a breath-holding pause, the muted rattling of an unfastening lock permeated my consciousness, followed by the reluctant yielding of the door. Materialising from beyond the portal, the figure I beheld was Arthur's enigmatic twin, a nameless phantom. Ever since the unwrapping of Arthur's clandestine secret, my every encounter with this man instilled a disquiet that never failed to churn my insides.
"Sir. Philemon Herbert, I have been expecting your arrival."
His visage held its familiar inscrutability. Time had etched deep grooves into his skin, drawing it downwards in a relentless gravitational pull that made a true gaze exchange an arduous task. His acknowledgement of my presence was communicated through a solemn nod, his eyes resting briefly upon the decapitated head of Marie cradled in my embrace.