Silence

7:59:59

Urd tried his best to clean the wound on the girl's legs while trying his damnedest to stop the bleeding, all the while ignoring the screams of the soldiers and the chaos surrounding them. Blood, blood and more blood, how is this girl still alive? No matter, wipe it off and tighten the bandage until the bleeding stops. It finally stopped… And yet there is no rest.

"THE GRIMM IS COMING! WE CAN'T HOLD THIS POSITION!" A soldier's cry broke through Urd's calm, forcing his to pick up the girl in his arms and start running.

The Grimm is everywhere, to his left and his right. Wherever his eyes landed there was fire, and ashes… But the sound of sirens are no longer. The endless, monotonous voice of alarm had stopped.

If there was a God in the world, he must be looking at this hell in anticipation. For truly Mount Glenn was a den of vice, judgement had come. But, perhaps, the grace of God will find its way even to this hell.

"THREE PEOPLE DOWN!" An officer shouted, whose identity Urd could no longer tell. "THE CORDON IN THE BLUE PARK IS DOWN!"

"RETREAT!" There was only one path for salvation. Urd, who was holding a still girl in his arms, could only trudge forward. To do or die was not a choice. "RETREAT BACK TO THE SUBWAY! KEEP SHOOTING! WE HAVE TO HOLD ON FOR EIGHT HOURS! YOU HAVE NO PERMISSION TO DIE!"

And if there is salvation from this, please god, grant it to us.

***

7:54:32

Jonathan had appeared next to Cinder as unexpectedly as ever, right out of nowhere. Tears ran down Cinder's cheeks, and there was no stopping them. The room she was in was very quiet and safe. But, it was in this silence that the hell beyond the wall was heard very clearly.

Shouts and explosions, cries and howls.

And then silence.

A silence that gives way to screams.

Screams that rend the heart. Screams that subsided.

And then, once again, silence, only for the cycle to keep repeating.

Cinder rushed to Jonathan, trying to be near to her only beacon of safety and belonging in this world.

"Don't cry, Cinder." Cinder couldn't see Jonathan's face, ensconced as she was in his arms, but she could hear his voice clearly. Even when muffled, she would always hear his voice clearly. "Don't cry Cinder. I'll fix everything, actually, we will fix it. There's no need to cry, Cinder. All is fine, so won't you help me?"

Jonathan's hands then pressed on her shoulder before Jonathan pulled back, all the while looking into Cinder's red, puffy eyes.

As her eyes cleared up, Cinder could see a sense of… purpose in Jonathan's eyes. And yet behind that font of determination, Cinder could see a well of sadness and gloom. Jonathan's right, this is no time for her to cry, she has to support Jonathan. There is no way that Cinder would allow Jonathan to be sad.

"Cinder," Seeing Cinder's determined face, Jonathan smiled, before a serious look entered his face. "Now, before we start, don't listen to what's happening outside. Don't listen to anything else, just listen to me. Look only at me, and don't look out the windows. Can you do that, Cinder?" A smile returned to his face at Cinder's eager nods.

"Okay, before we begin, I have to ask you something. Do you like to draw?"

Cinder blinked at the non-sequitur question, before lowering her gaze from such an unexpected question. "I… I don't know."

"Well, no time like the present to learn, right!" And Jonathan smiled again in the silence.

Screams. Explosions.

Don't listen to anything else, listen to Jonathan.

"Cinder," Jonathan froze at the silence and exhaled slowly, looking into Cinder's eye, to assure her from the voices of nothing. "There's no need to be afraid, I'm here. Now, I need you to help me… draw something."

Jonathan pulled away and Cinder reached out for him, not wanting to let him go.

Howl. Curses. Cry. Silence.

"Everything is fine, Cinder." Jonathan smiled, trying to reassure her. Though why he needed to do so escape her, there was nothing wrong after all.

"Everything is fine. Just help me."

And Cinder nodded eagerly. Isn't this what she wanted very dearly? To help Jonathan? If she didn't have any faith in Jonathan, then she has nothing.

"We just need to move the table and start drawing on the floor." Jonathan gazed around him, looking around the office for something, before stopping abruptly. "And…"

Jonathan stopped short, looking back at Cinder before smiling. "And that's enough. That's enough for sure. Still, we have a lot of work to do."

***

7:31:23

Merlot could hear the beasts grinding against the metal door leading to his room, but he didn't care.

His company building was now empty of all sounds of life. Quiet, silent except for the roar of Grimm right outside the door. But Merlot didn't care.

Slowly, like the corpse that he felt he was gradually becoming, Merlot brought up the glass of alcohol with trembling hands to his lip. He only took a sip, enough to feel the burn of alcohol, before setting the glass down.

It will be over soon.

The fact that his mind kept working was the only thing that saved Merlot, distracting him from the grinding of claws on metal.

It was a reinforced armored door that barred the way to his office.

It will not last long. Not that Merlot cares.

I will not live in this world.

I don't want to live in this world.

I cannot live in this world.

A world where my science is not needed. The world where I was wrong. A world where my grand work is mishandled by incompetence… For my glory to be so denied.

With trembling hands, Merlot reached once again for the bottle of alcohol. He wanted to refill his glass, but a particularly large Grimm's blow to the metal made the floor in his office tremble, making him unable to do so without spilling the bottle's contents.

Merlot just grabbed the bottle of alcohol to his lips and took a sip.

It will be over soon.

***

7:02:11

Screaming people.

Mothers of the dead sons. Brothers of slain sisters.

Some of them had died from the Grimm.

Some were torn by the shrapnel from destroyed buildings.

And some were even killed by bullets. Either their own or from others

Anywhere one could look was haunted by Death's passing scythe. They were alive, and yet for how much longer?

There were screams for salvation, fervent prayers, and the sound of crying. They were alive, and yet their hearts were grasped by terror. Soldiers and civilians alike, for them, each passing second felt like torture.

There were no more incoming orders from the outside. Everyone else had been massacred, Mount Glenn is lost. The Grimm would be coming for them next.

If there are still people at the top, they would soon be dead. No one will be saved from Mount Glenn.

It's dark in the metro, and someone has cut communications to the outside world. There is only silence and screaming. The terror from the huddling thousands was unbearable.

They were still safe because the entrances are still under control. But for how long?

The West entrance? Is it still holding? Or are the Grimm soon be upon them?

The main entrance, who protects it? Are they already dead?

Where is Urd? Where are the other soldiers? Is there still hope that they would be rescued?

The siren is silent, the only sounds to be heard are the sounds of guns being fired shots and cries of despair. Periodically, the commander would pick a soldier to go to the front. None of them had ever returned. Nobody counts the dead.

In this tunnel that is as dark as the grave, only the sounds of wailing despair could be heard.

And above all else, is the consuming silence.

***

6:43:13

Where is Night?

Why isn't he with them?

As Olivia returned to consciousness, she tried to say something, but her mouth couldn't move. Perhaps the bandage covering the hole in her cheek was the reason?.

Where's Roman!?

Olivia's gaze found a lone hunter in a stained cloak a distance away, fighting. There was no hat, and the hair adhering to his forehead made it hard for her to see the color. But, she couldn't mistake the figure of her teammate, it's Roman.

Olivia wanted to get up, to help him, but she fell to the ground with a hiss, her legs failing her.

There are no pillows or sheets in what passes as an infirmary in the metro. Any rags that were at hand were already used as bandages. Rolled up clothes were made as a pillow.

The infirmary was filled with people moaning in pain. On one of the beds, Olivia noticed someone was already dead, and yet, there was no one to move the body. At best, the body would be moved when someone else needs the bedding, at worst when it starts to stink. Either way, they will be taken out a little later, when the soldiers notice.

Olivia looks at the other beds, there she sees people that just silently stare ahead. Their body will return to normal in time, but their minds have long been dead.

Olivia tried to lean on her hand, to help her stand, but she crumpled to the ground powerlessly.

She is used to having five fingers on her left hand.

Now there are three of them.

Somewhere nearby, she could hear a girl breathing superficially. Thankfully it's only a broken leg and nothing too serious, the doctors will see to her as soon as they finish dealing with the more serious cases.

But, when would that be?

There were too many wounded, too many deaths, for this to be the infirmary. Mayhaps this place is actually the morgue?

In the cacophony of moans of pain and cries of despair, Olivia pondered on that morbid thought.

And then, there was only silence.

***

6:00:17

"J-Jonathan…" Cinder flinched at the sound of cracking wood, turning towards the door, barricaded with furniture. "In the corridor…"

"No need to worry, Cinder." Jonathan's voice sounded soft, but nothing but him could be heard. Growls, scratches. Silence. "Keep painting. It will all be fine."

And then, Jonathan disappeared a moment later. Cinder clenched her hands in fear, but continued to paint.

That line goes here. The circle goes here. The strange symbol, she saw this once somewhere, goes...

Silence, there was only silence.

An explosion that caused the building to shake, causing Cinder to freeze.

There was only silence.

Cinder continued to paint without listening to the silence. As she draws, the marker creaks and squeaks as it moves. If the marker squeaks, then there is no silence. Jonathan wants her to hear nothing else, and there's nothing else. So she's not scared.

She was ensconced in Silence.

A minute later, Jonathan reappeared out of nowhere. There are traces of burns on his face, his raincoat is nowhere to be seen, and his shirt is torn.

"Never mind, Cinder. All is right. Just draw." Jonathan continued to smile as if nothing had changed, so there was nothing wrong.

Silence.

There is Jonathan in the silence, so Cinder can endure this silence. Do what Jonathan says.

And all will be well.

***

5:43:17

The dragon still circles over Mount Glenn.

It knows that people have gathered underground. A lot of them.

There are still those fighting back here and there. Grimm would make their way in that direction, but would be beaten back.

Bullets, explosions and cuts.

And then everything falls silent. And yet, there would be no salvation

The Grimm are marching ever onward in their grim purpose. Silence does not mean safety. Silence does not mean that the Grimm are defeated.

Slowly, but surely, the Grimm are digging through the earth. There was nowhere that was safe, the Grimm is coming from all sides.

Another group that fought back disappeared, followed by the civilians they were protecting. Mining tunnels collapse easily, burying anyone foolish enough to think to hide there.

Another, tried to hide in their basement, the fear and despair wafting off their body like honey to flies. Steel is not an obstacle for the Grimm.

Another infirmary falls, its defenseless residents rend bit by bit. Another safe haven, its panicking people ran like a headless chicken, hunted to the last.

One. Ten. One hundred. One thousand. Ten thousand. One hundred thousand.

The dragon did not call itself a dragon. Didn't call himself Mount Glenn's Horror. The dragon had no name. Grimm has no names.

The Grimm are faceless. The Grimm are endless. The Grimm are not silent.

The surface of Mount Glenn was now bereft of life. Empty. Silent.

And yet the Grimm are still hunting, they are digging.

More and more Grimm are pouring through the streets of Mount Glenn.

Fewer and fewer people are left alive.

Soon, there would be none

***

5:14:17

We are the tower and the power, we are the Will and the Will are we.

We create a path along which we walk - for we walk in emptiness.

We are movement, for we are Via, the Word is our name and the Word is our goal.

From the fisherman of Egypt to the scientist of CERN - only one map of our movement has never changed.

A map of the Stars.

We found our way through the greatest map - but our way was to the stars themselves.

For we are the Will and the Will are we.

There has never been a greater landmark than the stars of this sky.

There has never been a more ambitious goal of our path - than the stars of this sky.

But our path is not meaningless. Our journey is not over.

For we ourselves are movement. For we ourselves are our goal of movement.

Our life is our path - and the stars are our map. Our stars are our goal - and our mind is a map to the stars.

Through the greatness of the mind, we have reached the stars - through the greatness of the mind, we travel the path.

Our movement is not over.

For our path will never be over. For one who is born on Earth will ascend to the stars.

The existing path is the untraveled path. The past remains in the past without becoming the present.

If the world changes, the past is meaningless, because it does not serve as a map of the present. For we ourselves are the path. For we ourselves are movement.

A path not traveled is a path that must disappear.

The drawn line starts a new line, turning yet into another. Cinder next to him continues to draw the path. The map of the stars. There is only Silence.

The stars in our sky are our target. All that is needed is the path.

Draw, Jonathan.

We have a lot of work to do.

***

4:44:44

"GRIMM, ON THE RIGHT!" The shouts of her soldier forced Aisa to move. She is tired, she has grown old, but her body still has enough strength for today. It's not like she was expecting it to do so the day after.

"SIXTH SQUAD! ON ME!" Aisa grabbed one of the machine guns on the ground, rushing across the path towards the Grimm tide. The Civilians no longer screamed. Their screams attracted the Grimm. The soldiers had already gotten rid of those who were attracting Grimm.

"RIGHT CORDON UNDER ATTACK!" The screams of the soldiers resonate in the silence of the underground tunnels. In these dark tunnels, the last light of Mount Glenn is fighting. But it is so dark and quiet.

"SECOND SQUAD! TO THE RIGHT CORDON!" Aisa's order was loud and full of vigor, forcing the soldiers to march in a hurry with a roar of fury. The right cordon cannot be lost, behind the right cordon was the infirmary. If it is lost, there would be no more hope.

The cries of the soldiers are replaced by gunfire and the roar of Grimm. A civilian cried out in fear and was silenced. Silence, the all encompassing silence, must be kept.

The howl of a Beowulf trying to break out of a wheelhouse that had trapped it was heard. There was supposed to be no other way into the building, the Grimm had dug through the earth. There is no one alive inside the building. A grenade from a soldier's belt is rolled into the wheelhouse. A deafening explosion.

The door opens and the soldier fires inward.

The wall is ripped open and smashed. The breach of earth goes far, and there's no chance to close it.

"LEAVE IT! BARRICADE IT!" The soldiers immediately followed the order and began to throw rubbish, blocks, bricks, anything they could find to block the door.

A minute and the door is buried in rubble. "TO THE TUNNELS!"

The soldiers followed after their captain. The rumble of footsteps dies down, echoing off the walls of the dark tunnels.

Six soldiers remain at the station to keep watch, but the Grimm have long since disappeared.

Silence has descended once again.

***

4:00:00

Roman forgot how many times he shot.

Gretchen forgot how many times she had struck.

Night forgot how many he had pulled out of danger's way.

Grimm appears, they kill it to make the Silence return.

Grimm are not silent, while the dragon in the sky is silently watching people, the others are not so.

Another Grimm appeared, greeted by screams, and steel. The Grimm would crumble to dust, another soldier would fall. A ripped neck, a torn belly, a torn hand, slowly but surely the number of those defending the light falters.

Silence breaks into flurried action. Movement from above, and a gigantic nevermore crashes into the cordon. There were more explosions, shots and screams.

Roman kept shooting even when his eyes hurt, even when his eyes could no longer tell how people looked. Still, it is still clear enough to see Grimm, good enough to kill Grimm.

Gretchen kept moving her limbs, even when it ached, even when it felt more like lead weights than her hands. She can't sit down, nor stop, if she did, she would pass out. Gretchen is still standing, her hands no longer able to be moved, only her legs. Still, it was good enough to kill the Grimm, so she kept moving. Red is slowly filling her eyes, Blood?. She cannot see from one eye. Has she lost it? Or is it just closed shut by a bruise? No matter, it's good enough to see Grimm.

Night doesn't fight any longer, his weapon has broken down long ago. Still, Night uses his Semblance to keep the soldiers alive. One that he had saved continues to breathe, another had stopped moving altogether, dead. Some are moving even when they are already dead. Night intercepts those that can still be saved, dragging them on his back. Some that he had saved had lost an arm, some could no longer feel their legs.

Through it all, there are howls of pain and ragged breathing. Night pulled as many soldiers as he could on his back. How many of them could he bring to the infirmary? Just one hundred meters. A one hundred meters distance that he had walked hundreds of times before.

The soldiers kept shooting, they kept fighting, as each one faltered, more took their place. The soldiers believe, they kept hoping. The voice did not tell a lie.

Eight hours till their salvation. How much has passed? How much is left?

They shoot at the sound, where silence is broken, shoot where others are shooting.

Sometimes, civilians are torn apart when they cry out, the soldier could no longer tell man from Grimm. Whoever is in front of them must be Grimm, they must be. No one else that is human is coming into the tunnel.

All that is left alive is in the tunnel behind them, behind the dark tunnel and the cordon. The Civilians are behind the cordon, anything in front must be the Grimm.

How many civilians are left?

How many are still fighting? What are they waiting for?

If there is a god in the world, let him pay attention to them. Let him not be silent. Let him give them a sign.

The dark spot of the dragon disappears in the sky.

And then there was Silence.

***

3:22:41

He pulled the pistol out of the hands of the dead soldier. He hid in the corner. The soldiers are silent. Nobody speaks, there is noise upstairs. All the soldiers fired upward.

There was only Silence. Mount Glenn is lost.

All that is left is here. Everyone is silent.

The children are silent, copying the adults. The adults are silent, looking at the soldiers. The soldiers are silent, looking at the officers. The officers are silent, looking at the Grimm.

The Grimm are not silent, looking at people like hungry wolves, baying their breath.

Everything is lost. They are all dead. The voice lied.

How long have they been here? In the darkness, in the silence?

The silence is maddening as the end comes closer and closer.

He held the pistol to his temple, feeling his hands trembling.

He had a family. A house that he had worked for all his adult life. His Work, his passion.

All gone.

One night.

One night destroyed everything.

The daughter that he had put to bed, the wife he kissed before bed, all gone.

His Father, whom he had driven home, joking all the while. The mother with whom he talked over tea. Friends he joked with. All gone

It was all gone.

His life is over. He's not yet dead, but he felt that he was already in hell. And in Hell, there is no point in screaming. Everything is over.

A trembling hand moved, a finger tensed, and the silence was broken with a sharp bang.

The body hit the ground and the pistol fell out of his hands.

The soldiers rushed to the sound, but everyone knew what had happened.

They were not curious to find out what had happened, they went to pick up the pistol. The bullets are needed for the ones that are still alive.

And through it all, there was only Silence.

***

2:51:17

Decimus slowly moved his legs, leaning against the wall, squeezing his stomach with his other hand all the while.

In the silence of the tunnels, only his footsteps could be heard.

His wound was not critical, so the Doctors have no resources to waste for it. A rough bandage from a shirt does the trick.

There is silence in the tunnels.

How long were they here?

How many of his soldiers had died? Why did he live? What's happening? Who is guilty?

For what? Why did this happen?

There's only silence around him and the sound of soldiers breathing.

He could see someone smoking, others were praying with shaking hands, others looked at him with hope.

The scouts have not returned yet. The metro is vast, perhaps his group will find other survivors. Soldiers, civilians, anything.

The tunnels to Vale are right in front of them. Their salvation is in front of them, all they need to do is go there.

But the scouts have not returned yet.

Nobody distracts him with idle talk. They are holding on. More and more Grimm arrive with every second, but they hold on. There are less and less soldiers with every second, but they hold on.

The soldiers were soon replaced by civilian men holding a gun. Someone to man the machine guns. Someone to shoot into the darkness.

Slowly, his eyes failed him, and he can no longer see anything.

Decimus paused, slamming his shoulder against the wall before slowly sliding down to the ground.

There is only Silence.

***

2:15:06

Lyme moved as quietly as he had ever moved in his life.

Legs do not crunch roughly into the asphalt, but only touch it. He focused his mind to feel nothing as a Deathstalker walks by.

Lyme closed his eyes. There is no terror in the darkness. No screams are heard in the silence.

Lyme knew what he had seen.

Everything he had ever feared. Everything he has ever seen and learned. All of it was needed only for this moment.

Jonathan had disappeared. His co-workers disappeared. Everyone was dead.

Lyme was alone.

So, he moved through empty streets. He hides from the Grimm. He accepted death.

Grimm smells fear. They sense panic. They feel pain.

Fear is born of hope. Panic is born of surprise. Pain is born of joy.

Accept death. Accept defeat. Be honest with yourself and be one with yourself. The dream called life must end one day.

Only those who do know that they are dead would live. Lyme accepted death and life as it is. Lyme was not afraid of death.

Lyme only acted as the dead were supposed to act, the ones that only lingered in this world.

Keep moving. Don't seek salvation, as hope would attract Grimm. He was silent, looking at the distant soldiers.

Silence falls over Mount Glenn.

***

1:56:00

Neo opened her eyes because she was cold.

She was in pain.

She wanted to cry out in pain, to cry out that her leg hurt, wrapped in a bloody bandage as it is. She wanted to cry out, but she had no strength.

She didn't even have the strength to cry, to moan or scream.

No sound escaped from her mouth.

As always, she was silent. She was silent even when she wanted to scream.

Where is everyone?

The hospital was full of people, but no one saw her. Neo couldn't even turn her head to the side. She was in pain, cold and alone.

Anyone! Please! I'm here!

The soldiers silently took people from their beds, putting new ones in their place. The patients were silent. No one was speaking, it was like the silence of the grave

I'm here! I'm here! Do you see me!? Why are you all ignoring me?!

Everyone in the infirmary was silent. Doctors and patients both. Soldiers and civilians. The living and the dead.

Neo lay there, in pain, unable to even cry.

There was only silence in the infirmary.

***

1:13:57

Silence. The ticking of the clock.

Silence. The hum of cars.

Silence. The stomp of the feet.

Silence. Scratching of claws.

Silence. A shot.

Silence. A cry of pain.

Silence. Silence is everywhere. Mount Glenn was silent. Mount Glenn was no more.

There were no more people living on Mount Glenn. There was no more army and government. There were no shops or factories. There were no houses or schools. There was nothing left in this world.

There were no forests or roads. There were no mountains or rivers. There was no sky and no concrete. There was no Vale and no escape.

There were only the dark tunnels. There were only the small closed bunkers. There were only hospitals and cemeteries. Only cordons and soldiers. Only fire and silence.

The People were waiting.

The end was near.

There was only Silence.

***

0:41:34

Vale was asleep. The poor faunus slept under a torn blanket. The rich fell asleep in the arms of a beauty.

Through it all, Qrow Branwen yawned, staring into the darkness beyond the walls of Vale, yearning for sleep.

Summer Rose slowly rocked Yang in her arms, smiling at her sleepy face.

Ozpin walked around his office, impotently waiting for an answer from the Council.

Taiyang Xiao Long had been calculating this month's expenses by reviewing the contracts available to him.

Atlas was asleep. Jacques Schnee dreamed of how he would get to Jonathan Goodman and strangle him with his hands.

Willow Schnee dreamed of how she would leave her family and business, change her name and surname, move to Vacuo and live by the sea.

Weiss Schnee dreamed that her sister would play with her. And that her mother would take her to the cinema.

Winter Schnee dreamed that her mother and father would stop fighting, that Klein would take her to the Three Swans, that she would no longer have to do her homework.

Mantle was asleep. Robyn Hill was waiting for her father from his night shift in the mines, hoping that the food would not get cold before his arrival.

Fiona Tyme hid under a torn blanket, trying to sleep in the cold weather, hoping that her mother would leave her money for food.

Pietro Polendina, in a fit of inspiration, drew the blueprint for his greatest creation, unfortunately, the robot he had designed did not yet have a name.

Ciel Soleil had a dream about how she entered the Atlas Academy and became a great huntress.

The world was asleep.

There was silence over the world.

***

0:08:00

And the roar of silence over the world ended.

"THE INHABITANTS OF MOUNT GLENN!" The voice they've been waiting for. The voice they hadn't hoped for. Salvation. The Siren sung of their salvation.

"HIDE! HIDE IN THE SUBWAY OR A BASEMENT IMMEDIATELY! GET AWAY FROM THE WALLS AND WINDOWS! COVER YOUR EYES AND EARS! EIGHT MINUTES! YOU HAVE EIGHT MINUTES!"

And everyone froze, looking at the sky.

Somewhere far to the east, farther than Menagerie and Mistral, farther than the farthest mountains, a single ray of light broke through the gloom of Mount Glenn.

The sun was rising over Mount Glenn.

***

0:00:08

Cinder took a step towards the window, looking up at the brightening sky.

The sun, bathed in orange light, rose over the east.

And against the background of the sun, slowly tearing apart the night darkness, shadows flickered and died.

Not the shadow of the dragon survived. Not one Grimm survived.

Shadows small and large. Shadows falling to the ground, disappearing.

"Cinder!" Jonathan was instantly next to her, grabbing her in his arms. "Didn't I say, not to come close to the window!?" Cinder could barely hear Jonathan, enthralled by the sight that she had seen. Soon, Jonathan let her go, and she immediately went back to the window.

"This is…" Cinder blinked at the now clear sky before turning to Jonathan. "Did you do that?"

"No", - Jonathan immediately shook his head and exhaled. "Cinder... We did that."

And for a second there was no silence in the world. For a second, the whole world shook from the impact and the whole world woke up.

Jonathan Goodman was not the greatest magician on Earth.

But… This wasn't exactly Earth, was it?