8:26 AM
Year 6021
Latvia, Rune City
21 years later…
Shiva stood behind the counter cleaning a wrought beer glass as she gazed out the delivery’s front door. She watched as people strolled mindlessly, almost robotically, like zombies down the streets. East Avenue was right outside the delivery station where most of the people walked on the eroding sidewalks that traced the buildings in the city like old chalk. It was hot out and there was no wind. Just as she set down the glass she had been cleaning her whole shift, the phone rang from upstairs. Some people looked up at her, but when she showed no intention of going upstairs to get it they went back to reading or making exchange with each other. As the phone continued to ring she made a move towards the stairs, but the ringing stopped and she headed back to the counter to clean another cup. She watched as another customer came in just as the phone started ringing again.
“He’s not here… he’s never here,” Shiva said to herself. The phone rang a few more times and finally went silent, only so that it could start ringing again for the third time. “Ugh.” Shiva breathed, slamming the other glass down on the counter and headed up the narrow enclosed staircase. She picked the phone up and held it to her ear.
“Hello, this is the Harperwind Goodale Delivery. Can I help you?” Shiva said, turning around to face the window.
“Is this Shiva?”
“May I ask who’s calling?”
“It’s Kyle. How have you been?”
“I’ve been great.”
“Hey listen, we’ve got something big. Is Tidus there?”
“He’s never- no.”
“Well something creepy is going on at the Latvia Mountains. Right near the Forbidden Forest, and he was called to check it out. Do you know when he’ll be back?”
“No.”
“Doesn’t he own the place?”
“No, we both run it.”
“So why do you run it all the time?”
“I guess he has other things to do.”
“Well good luck. Oh could you ship some more Goodales to the Reno and me?”
“Sure.”
“Bye-”
“Tell Reno I said hi, okay?” Shiva said dismissively.
“Al… right…Good… Shiva.” The line suddenly went dead.
“Kyle?” Shiva hesitated and pulled the phone away from her ear and stared out the window. The usual gray color the city had was even darker today as stormy clouds began to settle over Rune City. Just as the first few drops of rain fell from the sky, Shiva felt a hand on her shoulder. She didn’t jump, but turned around setting the phone onto its receiver. Tidus looked beat and worn like his usual self.
“Why aren’t you at the counter?” he asked taking his rain coat off. His face was handsome with brown hair and bangs that always hung over his eyes.
“The phone was ringing and-”
“They could have left a message… just go back to work, a customer was waiting down there for a shipment of our Goodale Beer.”
“Whatever.” Shiva said pushing past him. He sighed, and watched until she finally got back to the counter, and then flopped down in his beaten recliner chair in the corner.
4:23 PM
Year 6021
Latvia Mountains, border of Alvarna and Latvia
Kyle sat in the pilot’s seat with his hands clutched tightly on the controls of the air craft, Strife Maker. The large helicopter hovered low over the dark dust clouds that were billowing out from the gigantic crater known as the Latvia Mountains. The sky was a rich blue as you looked to the east, but if you looked west towards the mountains it was orange and menacingly dark from the occasional bomb or cannon setting off in the crater.
“Captain, are you there?” Kyle said into his headset. There was a static crackling on the other end as he tried to get Strife Maker closer to the deformed basin. Kyle looked at the empty passenger’s seat with his cell phone set on it. He was tempted to call Shiva again, but screams and shouts as inhuman bellows could be heard from beneath the dense smoke in the dark unknown of the mountains.
“I’m coming captain.” He said and lowered the helicopter into the deep cavern.
