BETHESDA ,
Central District,
The Inner Ring.
2420AA,

It was almost a week now since Havillah had secluded herself in the inner ring of the Central District as the town's people and those within the Hub had resulted to calling it, all thanks to Gabriel and his fabulous story telling. In all that time, Selene Barrageway's condition had not changed and as the doctors had said, all they could do was keep her comfortable as they hoped for the best while preparing for the worst.
While both his grandmother and mother went back home, Killion chose to camp right outside the house that was really a mansion, hoping that he could somehow catch Havillah while in transit.
She had to come out right? She needed supplies and he knew, sooner or later, she would need to head out.
He needed to see her, not just to enlist her help but to keep her safe from the wrath of the hurricane that was Calla Barrageway. Not that she needed it, he reminisced for she had single handedly been able to beat the terrors, if Connor's tales were to be believed, but if that barrier thing was anything to go by, Killion recognised that Havillah was totally capable of looking after herself. But still, he liked to think that even the strongest of people needed something, and this something being one thing that he himself could offer her. This in turn would also mean that meant something to her. As strange as it was, that fact alone would be the thing that would comfort him even as he waited for her, hour after hour, day after day, until he finally saw her.
It was strange, yes. For him to stay there waiting there for a person that would probably never appear. or even want to see his face especially after all that had gone down with his family.  Yet, in spite of all these, Killion could not bring himself to see Havillah as a person who would intentionally hurt or maliciously harm another.
For this reason, Calla had called him blind. Blind to all of Havillah's faults, but she had not been there. She had not experienced hope when all else was bleak and fading. She had never been to that point where one thought that things were ending, only to be brought back by someone who did not want anything in return. Who only did what they did out of the purity of their own heart, and even if she had ended up banished because of it, she still bore no grudge against him or at least that is what she always portrayed when she was with him.
"Killion?" the voice dragged him out of his haze and he lifted his gaze to stare into the warmest set of silver eyes that he had ever seen or had thought that he would never see again.
"Havillah?" he whispered not sure if his eyes were deceiving him. "You're here?" Havillah slightly smiled as she emitted a scoffing sound.
"You're here because of Selene?" her eyes grew serious.
"Yes.... No... No!" he stumbled as he attempted to answer her. "Can it be both?" This time, her smile grew wider and her eyes shone as they reflected the golden thread of her dress and the cloak that she had taken to wearing. It was not her Triban robe, as she had called it, but it was still luxurious. Not as intricately finished as the robe that could change colours, but it was lush and even bore a close resemblance to her once red and golden embroidered Triban robes.
"Then what is it? " she questioned him but his eyes remained on her. Drinking in the sight of her face and her long raven hair that was let down and braided with a golden ribbon, making her appear like one of those ladies that he had once seen in the books from the olden times.
As Killion continued to take in her appearance, he realized something. Somehow, Havillah had not only managed to get into the inner ring, but also, she had managed to settle in quite nicely at that. For she looked clean and well fed. Well rested too, something that brought guilt to his soul for having not been able to offer with those same things as he promised her.
"Fine. Let's go." she said after he remained silent. "You can lead the way." she added, pointing to the natural path that had formed between the buildings.
"Uhm... Okay." Killion mumbled awkwardly, swallowing his guilt as he dropped his gaze to stop himself from staring. He quickly shuffled to his feet, leaving his rock seat behind and moved to walk towards her and the said path, for they were still a few feet apart from each other. As he came to stand beside her, he hesitated. His mouth opening and closing before he decided to shut it until the next opportune time.
He took a step forward and she followed him. Soon, they were walking side by side, but every few seconds, Killion would turn and throw Havillah a sheepish glance as if he was still not sure what to say or was worried that she would somehow run off.
"This is not like you." Havillah finally remarked when the glances became too much.
"What is..." he started to say, but silenced himself when he perceived that the opportunity had just presented itself. "How did you do it?" he finally asked in an awed whisper.
"Harm Selene you mean?" Havillah stopped with a sad expression on her face.
I. Answers.
"No! Not that! You misunderstand me." A flabbergasted Killion heaved out. "I meant the pulsing wall of blue death like Gabriel likes to call it."
"The what of what?" Havillah replied with such an incredulous expression that Killion just had to laugh. "Has he finally lost his marbles?"
"I am afraid not." He laughed. However, he knew that had he been the one to receive the news in the way that she just had, he would have probably reacted the same way. It was quite incredible though, the things that Gabriel got to witness and the manner in which he told his stories. Had the ecidence not been there, many would have long dismissed him as nutty. "We saw it too. Calla and I." he stopped for a moment, afraid of what her reaction would be. "It was there that night and every other night after that. Not so much visible during the day, but who knows. What I know is, is that it saved us. It saved us all."
"Okay... But from what?"
For a moment, Killion frowned. Hadn't she seen it? Wasn't she aware? If she had been responsible for the barrier, then, she must have known. But what was this expression? Did she really not know?
"That!" Killion said as he pointed to the many heaps of black things that were dotted all around the entire edge of the inner ring and outside the walls of the mansions that Havillah had been too distracted to see. Curiously, Havillah dragged her feet forward. Her eyes bulging even as she took in what was unbelievably but clearly before her. The horror came first, then the shock at the final realization of what all these meant.
"Did you do this?" she whispered, not sure if the voice would respond to her now that she was here and in the presence of Killion.
"It is called a Hedge. Your Virtue and your presence here  activated it."
"I did this?" She forgot and spoke out loudly.
"So, it seems. You saved this town again. You keep on saving us and how do we really pay you?" A guilt ridden Killion went on to reply unaware that the question had not been directed to him.
"Technically no. Someone else sent them here. I assume you know what this means then?"
She nodded, looking back at Killion who was also inspecting the mess as he waited for her to digest everything.
"Don't worry about it." the voice replied. "For now, he is blind as well as deaf."
"It seemed like they were searching for something. Do you have any ideas on that?" Killion asked her. Havillah ignored the voice as she turned back to Killion.
"I do not know. I know some things but not all of it."
"But you won't tell me now..." he said, reading it in her eyes.
"I need to get to Selene first. It is something that I feel that I must first do. That is before I lose my resolve." she added as she lowered her head in shame. Why had she waited this long to help? The voice had been right. This was nothing like her. She did what was right not matter what. That is except in matters where the First Virtue was concerned.
As she thought about this, Havillah remembered her emollient, the very same thing that had been taken away from her, the moment that she had been cast out. The voice had convinced her that she could do it even without it, but she still had her doubts and the more she thought about it, the more she doubted herself. 
It was true that her second Virtue was quite strong, but she had always needed the emollient to fuse the hope crystals for healing and even now, with her expanding First Virtue, she still doubted that could be able to do something of that magnitude. Especially when she still had no idea reason why things had unfolded that way.
Robes zapping someone? Whoever heard of that? Truly that was unheard of. But then again, on Triberias, everyone had a cloak of their own and therefore, there was usually no reason to jerk at another person's robes except when the younger Great were playing at a prank.
'' Even then, it was not like Selene was trying to steal from me? And in broad daylight?'' Maybe her robes were malfunctioning. Havillah had no idea, but she now knew of an expert and this time round, she would make sure to get all the answers that she needed.