Chapter 128: Epilogue - Hope
Alessa could see Alex standing beside the heavy drape, waiting for Carlos to begin the proceedings. From the crowd gathered in the square, she watched the emotions flit across his face: anxiousness, eagerness, guilt, pride. But, most of all, grief.
It was finally starting to hit them, all of them. Yes, the war with Paragon was over. But the people they loved really weren't coming back.
Though Alessa, for one, hadn't had much time to dwell on it. She'd been more concerned about a particular loved one who was yet to come… and with every passing day, the gnawing terror in her heart grew. All she could do, paralyzed in the face of her mounting dread, was pray for some kind of miracle.
A brief screech of feedback sounded from the mic, followed by a throat clearing, and then Carlos's buttery voice flooded the plaza.
"Thank you all for joining us today for the dedication ceremony."