Vigilo is Latin for, "to be awake, watch, to be vigilant".
Chapter Three: Vigilo
He has been watched his entire life. The eyes of a thriving metropolis and the world outside of it were always keeping a close look at his life and the way he lived it. He was a prince and that came with the territory. So, what was another pair to him? Yet somehow, these last couple months, though he has not seen the Dark man again, he is more vigilant in his dealings than before. More aware of what others could see. He knows that this man did not mean that he was merely observing him in a casual way, but with an intense interest with some unknown agenda in mind. While the press was looking for the next scandal or love affair, this man was watching him for something else. It was that mysterious reason that has had him on edge ever since he had read those ominous words etched into the wall of the trains.
While many things have happened since then, he could not call any of it real progress. Builders were working around the clock in order to get the walls around the Dome completed. Something of which he considered just a superficial thing and not productive, just a little proactive in showing a meager sense of protection from it's effects. It was amazing how easily people can begin to move on when there is a lull in danger. Not two weeks after the last appearance of the Dark Man, the citizens showed their incredible resilience and continued on. Not all, but the majority went about their daily lives before it all happened. While there had been many mourners in the initial week after The Appearance, many were trying to get back to their regular routines. Though, it could never leave anyone's minds when it was visible throughout the entire city. It was a constant reminder of who and what they had lost and he knew that it was only a matter of time before the denial will lead to anger and then demand. It has him waiting on bated breath.
They had not even made any progress in identifying who the Dark man was. Through diligent efforts in looking through the surveillance footage from within the train stations, they came to the quick conclusion that the man had been aware of where each camera was positioned and made sure that there was never a clear shot of him or his intended destination. Several cameras had also conveniently shorted out at the same time he was making his way though. Clearly he had planned this ahead of time. The man must also have taken off his mask when he was weaving through the seas of traveling commuters since none had seemed to think twice about him as he passed. A very clever master at keeping himself under the radar and that is what he has been since, under the radar.
"Noct, there have been more murders," says Ignis grimly. "Preliminary tests conclude that it happened last night. The maid found them this morning."
"Who is it this time?" he asks warily, though he has an inkling already.
"Two more members of the council," is the reply.
"Whoever is doing this clearly has an aim to bring down our government," he states.
A very crude way to go about it, but he has to admit, it was effective. In these times, people were not so quick to step up and try to take over. Not when their predecessors had met with such violent ends.
"People are keeping their panic barely in check as it is. This is going to floor them," states Glad.
"Definitely not gonna be pretty," adds Pro.
"We need to start thinking about possible riot control," advises Glad.
He nods his agreement. These murders had started a month before the appearance of the Tenebrae Dome. Given how shaky people were already, this was not going to help. It was definitely time to start thinking about certain contingencies.
"How did these last two die?" he asks.
"Mysterious circumstances. Just like the others," relays Ignis. "They appear to have been stabbed. No knives at the scene, but the marks left on the bodies… are just weird."
"I want to hear the weird," he says.
"They had been drinking whiskey. Stomach contacts prove that they were," explains Ignis. "There was no whiskey in their glasses but the wounds are drenched… the interior of the founds are drenched with whiskey. Now I'd normally say that the drinks were probably spilled after they fell over from their injuries but there is no way it could seep that deeply into the wounds."
"Come again?" asks Pro.
"Given the smoothness of the entry wounds…," continues Ignis hesitantly. "It looks like they had both been stabbed with whiskey skewers."
"Wicked!" cries Pro, impressed. "You mean to tell me that someone froze the whiskey in their glasses and then stabbed them with it?" His voice had steadily grown higher in pitch until he was almost a squeak at the end. "That's frakkin' awesome! That sounds like something out of a sci fi movie!"
"Of which you have been watching way too much of," drolls Glad. "It's both cool and disturbing at the same time."
"Not to mention impossible," adds Ignis.
"These days, the impossible seems possible," he comments. "Do we know motive?"
"There are plenty of people who would love to see all of the council die," comments Ignis. "So, obviously the list of suspects is... substantial."
"If what the evidence is telling us is the truth, there is someone out there with unimaginable power and they are bent on taking down each member of government," he surmises.
"Sounds like it's the same person who killed your father," reasons Pro.
"My father was not stabbed with a frozen beverage," he says flatly.
"No, but his death was the first and just as mysterious," Glad points out. "Just as inexplicable."
The three of them look hesitantly at him, wary of his reaction.
"My father's killer will pay for what he has done," he states firmly. "In any case, these latest murders have all been different, with different M.O.'s, we cannot say they are the same person."
"Perhaps the same group of people then," suggests Ignis.
He looks at his friend sharply but makes no reply.
"I wanna know more about Noct's fanboy," says Pro, effectively changing the subject. "Any idea who he is now?"
"That would be a no," says Ignis on a sigh. It has been a point of frustration of his friend that they had not been able to find him thus far.
"It's been months since we have seen him," reminds Glad. "He's obviously been lying low."
"Which makes me more nervous," states Pro. "We don't know what he's doing while we can't see him."
"Do you think he's a spy from Tenebrea?" asks Glad.
"No," he replies quickly, because he cannot believe for one second that Tenebrae would know of a man such as him. "His presence has something to do directly with the Dome."
A couple days after the last appearance of the Dark Man, another Dome appeared within Tenebrae. Though the destruction to that city was not as catastrophic as in Nihilsomno, it was vast. Their Dome displayed its own variation of powers and had a slightly different look to it. He is not sure what exactly is different, but he can tell that there is one from the many images that had popped onto the news since it happened. While the details that had been shared were vague, it was clear that each Dome was different but still a major threat to everyone. Relations between his country and Tenebrae had been getting better but he knew that his relationship with the Princess would never be the same after the circumstances of their last meeting.
"How do you know he's here for the Dome?" asks Pro.
"I cannot explain why, exactly," he says honestly. "I just know."
"If he's that sneaky, why let you know he's watching in the first place?"
"He was warning me," he replies.
"Like he's going to kill you too, kinda way?"
"If he wanted to hurt Noct, he would have done it already," reasons Ignis.
"Unless he wants to torture him," adds Glad. "Maybe he likes to play before he acts."
"Could be," he says, because in all honesty, that could be it too.
"He must want something," rationalizes Ignis. "The question is what."
Yes, what does he want?
"Do you think he's the one behind the murders?" asks Pro.
They all look at him uncomfortably again, but he ignores the looks.
"Since we have been trying to find him and finding no success, we have to simply wait for him to make the first move," he concludes. "All of us knew that it would be impossible to find him in so highly populated a city as we have, anyway. At least we know that he is close by since he has to be in order to watch me."
"Maybe he wants to keep a close eye on you to see what we find out about the Dome," observes Ignis. "You said you believe that he is here because of it, so maybe that is why he's fixated on you... well partly."
"Do you think that maybe there will be more?" asks Glad. "More domes."
"No, I think there will only be two," he replies and he is not sure how he knows that either.
"I still can't believe how girlie Tenebrae's Dome looks," comments Pro.
Somehow, the description seems deadly accurate. There were no other words he could think of to describe it either. Tenebrae's Dome had a decidedly more feminine look to it.
"Almost as if each had its own personality," agrees Ignis.
"Ours is more badass," pronounces Pro. "Theirs looks almost happy looking. At least you can see that ours is sinister."
"And that is a point of pride?" asks Ignis with a shake of his head.
Glad rolls his eyes.
"I have to agree with Noct about there not being anymore," says Ignis. "I have a feeling that these are a pair."
"Meaning...?" asks Pro.
"Meaning that they are connected," he replies, looking between the images of each Dome. "Like Light and Dark."
"Like Heaven and hell. Good and bad," adds in Pro. "Does that mean we're the bad guys?"
"Not we," he says. "Me."
"So, the guy in black, he's like what? Some grim reaper coming after you for justice?"
"More like Black Reaper with that get up he wears," comments Glad.
"That's a good name," agrees Ignis.
"Much better than Dark Man in Black," Pro states in agreement. "You know Noct...not sure what he looks like without his mask and all but, from what we have seen, he could almost be a dead ringer for you."
"Like my very own dopple ganger?"
"Since he seems to know so much, he might also know how to destroy the Dome," points out Pro.
"If he did, would he want to though," poses Ignis.
An alert goes off on the computer and Ignis immediately swirls in his chair and starts typing.
"Wait a minute," Ignis says, typing rapidly and talking fast too. "It seems like the spooked councilmen left alive have been taking added measures in their safety. Security details report a masked man flying out of the eastside mansion."
"Right on!" cries Pro. "It's going to be a fun night."
"How long ago was this?" asks Glad.
"Right now."
"Where was he headed?" he asks, already making his way towards the car with Glad and Pro right behind him.
"He's going eastbound on Main St.," answers Ignis, walking up right beside him.
"Did you say he was flying?" asks Pro as they all get into the car. "He sure knows how to travel in style."
Ignis starts the engine and starts gunning it in the appropriate direction. He watches as his friend presses his earpiece closer to his ear for a moment as he maneuvers through the streets.
"What is it?" he asks.
"Observers say there is activity from within the Dome."
"What kind of activity?" asks Glad.
"The sky."
Immediately the Black Reaper's voice sounds in his head.
The stars have fallen.
"The stars have fallen," he repeats softly.
"What was that?" asks Ignis. "Do you want me to pursue him or do you want me to take us to the Dome Observer site?"
"I think, it is time we made our proper introductions to the Black Reaper," is his reply.