The Enomienda: Prologue

Church Street and Balclay; Lower Manhattan, 2001
Esperanza Cahill was worried. Her husband went up the World Trade Center to retrieve something from the Madrigal database that he desperately needed.

That was three hours ago.

Anthony, her three month son, began to cry.

"Oh Tony, it's alright. Mommy's got you."

Anthony kept crying.

"Come on now, we'll go to daddy." Anthony cried even harder.

"Oh, its okay. Nothing will hurt you."

Esperanza quickly drove to the building from her apartment and called her husband.

"Tristan? Hello?"

The phone rang voicemail. Esperanza cursed and checked her watch. Eight-forty.

"Where is he?"

A woman cried, "Esperanza!"

"Layla? Is that you?"

Layla, the Oracle, kept yelling. "Get your son and daughter out of here!"

"Don't worry, only Tony's here."

"Oh just shut up and hurry!"

Esperanza started, and then her phone rang. It had Tristan's face on it. She swiped her finger.

"Tristan! What are you doing!?"

"Sorry, dear, I almost got-"

"COME RIGHT DOWN HERE TRISTAN V-"

A gigantic explosion rocked the sky.

Layla stumbled. "Oh dear gods. The Master Bolt." Esperanza gasped.

Layla screamed, fell to the ground, and grabbed her head.

"Layla! What's going-"

An otherworldly, powerful voice spoke and Layla's eyes shown black.

"I am sorry dear. I did what I had to do."

Esperanza shouted to the skies. "HERA! YOU-!"

"Your husband was getting close. Very close. The world cannot have an all-powerful-"

"WHY DIDN'T YOU JUST LEAVE HIM ALONE?! HE HAS CHILDREN-"

"And yet he put the thing he was seeking over them. Just forget-"

"Kill me then. I don't care..."

Esperanza ran into the flames as Layla snapped into consciousness.

"Esperanza? ESPERANZA! DON'T BE AN IDIOT-!"

Esperanza ran into the building as a second tendril of black energy hit the second building, raining fiery rain onto the streets.

Layla scooped up Anthony and ran into the building.

But before she got in, Anthony raised his hand, and the fire disippated.