Thalia looked up from where she sat behind the counter as the door slammed open. The chill fall breeze rushed in, and with it several mobsters swirled in like the yet unfallen leaves. Like a floor breaking a dam, The book shop was flooded as the family guards brought in Bobby_Tweaks, Cleocatra and Dabura. The patrons are quickly rushed out the back, books carefully stacked on the returns cart by guards in shop uniforms.

In moments the quiet shop became an infirmary, tables covered in newspapers, and doctors working on the three. Thalia swallowed hard as one by one, the doctors shook their heads.

"Thalia." Archy was there by her side as suddenly as the commotion started, a quiet presence in the storm. “It started. Dabura caught two in the alley trying to break in. Cleo and Bobby..” His voice broke and he turned to watch as the doctors cover the bodies. Thalia blinks back tears as she tucked a book mark into her current book.

“This will be brutal. I’ll get things bolted down and hold the fort.”

And.. It was Brutal.

By the second day, hundreds were dead. The cops were desperately trying to reign in the violence, but the blood kept flowing. As quickly as Thalia’s doctors patched people up, they were back again.

And the bodies just kept coming.

Then.. The storm broke. One moment, it was routine, then Archy was brought in. Thalia rushed to him, taking his hand, tears streaming already. She knew. He knew. “Protect Them.” His last whisper. His dying smirk.

Thalia let herself break for a moment, quietly crying as her friend died before her.

But only for a moment.

Thalia met eyes with the folk around her. Those who’d brought Archy home and let out a slow sigh, rolled her shoulders back and lifted her chin.

“Our leader has fallen, but we need to carry on in this fight. For Archy, The Cult of the Muses will rise."