Chapter Thirty-Two:
A/N: I've said it before, and I'll say it again, Tessa is a Grade-A Bitch and proud of it! Sorry about the short chapters, though: serious writer's block. There's some Seifer-related stuff here, which (might) come into play later in this fic. R&R!
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After making sure Adette was okay, Tessa was led down a long hallway by Liana. Tessa thought that the Residence was more like a palace than a mansion, with its elaborate colourings and lush carpeting that felt like soft moss underneath her sore feet.
All along the walls were oil paintings, portraits, of various men in old-style dress. Tessa was disgusted by the lack of women being prominently displayed and constantly mentioned it to the old woman.
"Shut up!" Liana said harshly as she stopped outside a door made of a dark wood Tessa had never seen before. "You'll be staying here."
Liana turned the doorknob and pushed the door open, revealing an ornate office. It was rather obnoxiously decorated, with a small chandelier hanging from the ceiling with candles as opposed to electric lights. In the middle of the room was a desk made of the same wood as the door, and on it sat a small kerosene lamp, which was lit.
The lamp cast long shadows on the walls and half-illuminated a painting on the wall. Tessa moved over to it and stared.
The painting was a portrait of a tall, blonde man. On his hands were black gloves and he was wearing a long, tan jacket that fell below his knees. In his right hand was a gunblade, which dripped crimson blood from its black blade.
The man was standing in front of large structure, almost like a dilapidated temple. On his face was a small grin, almost a smirk. Tessa tilted her head, trying to identify the dark mass beside him. It was hidden in shadows and she had to ignite another fire spell and raise it up to the portrait to see that it was a decapitated Thrustaevus.
The winged beast was larger than the man, and it greatly resembled a bat with its folded, leathery wings. Its skin was a combination of dark and light shades of violet, in addition to the occasional hint of yellow. The wings, much like a bat's, sported small fingers at the tips and one of the wings appeared to have been slashed by the man's gunblade.
Tessa lowered her hand and the flame flickered out. Her eyes were concentrated on a small, barely visible pink line on the man's pale face. The line ran between his eyes and resembled a scar she had seen before, but couldn't place. Somehow, she couldn't help but feel she knew the man in the portrait.
"Seifer Almasy," Liana said from beside Tessa. The younger girl had been so wrapped up in the painting that she hadn't heard the older one sidle up beside her. "He was the dictator of Galbadia after the Sorceress vanished. However, he was quickly ousted after the Sorceress War ended."
Tessa said nothing as she listened to the old woman reminisce about the past. In fact, she couldn't hear the words Liana spoke because she was trapped in another memory.
Her first day at Balamb Garden; she was excited, even if a little apprehensive. It was a fresh start, a clean break from the ghosts of her old life. She stood outside a small security shack, trying to rouse the security guard within. He was wearing a long, tan jacket and when he looked up…
"…Actually, it was the new Prime Minister, the former General Caraway, who changed the name from Deling City to Galbadia City. He said that it would bring a new era of national pride. It's just such a shame his daughter took off like she did. The poor man always deserved better than he got in life," Liana droned on.
"Get out," Tessa said, a hint of terror in her voice. "Get out now."
"Why?" Liana asked, upset over being interrupted.
"I said get out!" Tessa shouted. Liana gave a disapproving grunt and shuffled out of the office, slamming the door behind her.
Tessa sank to the soft floor and cradled her head in her hands, her brain wracked with confusion. Wasn't Seifer the Head of Security back at Garden? she asked herself. What is going on? I thought that Galbadia and Garden didn't get along.
She stood up and tried to keep her balance on her unsteady feet. There was a large bay window, which overlooked the city below, behind the desk. Tessa stumbled to it and looked into the streets, which were suddenly swarming with Rots. The streetlights were on, and Tessa guessed that they operated on solar power since the rest of the city was plunged in darkness.
Rots swarmed the building, mulling about in docile states. They didn't seem to know that there were people in the Residence, but it didn't make Tessa feel better. She wrung her hands, the frayed fabric of her fighting gloves rubbing the sides of her hands raw.
"It should be raining," she said muttered. Whenever she saw a movie, the scenes where the lead came to a major realization always involved rain. On the other side of the window, however, there wasn't a speck of moisture. Tessa then sniffed, realizing just how badly she stank. The sewer clearly did not agree with the young woman.
Her eyes scanned the darkened horizon of the city again, and pinks streaks were beginning to cross the sky, breaking apart the darkness. Dawn had finally come, a new day to try and survive the end of her world. The end of the world.
Tessa pressed her hand against the glass and hung her head. She began to wonder if what was happening was an isolated occurrence, happening only in Galbadia City, or if it slowing taking over the world. Was Balamb Garden safe? Lotia Garden? And what had become of Zell and Rinoa, Xu and Phelan? The questions running through Tessa's head began to overwhelm her, but she did what she was best at: she dealt with them head on.
As far as she knew, Rots were overrunning the rest of the world, and her comrades were long dead. She turned away from the window, the lamp on the desk bathing her face in wispy shadows. Tessa sighed, a habit that was becoming far too prevalent, and walked back to Adette's room; it had a bathroom, and she felt an overwhelming need to clean herself.
In the wake of the closing door, the flame of the lamp wavered but didn't go out. Yet it was another light, one Tessa hadn't noticed, that did go out. Across the city, there stood the mansion of the Galbadian Prime Minister, the former General Caraway. Inside, several men and a few women rushed about, believing that they were the only survivors of the holocaust that had fallen upon the Galbadian Capital…