As Above, So Below

" In the cradle, there is a blank nothingness. Nothing but the Kings and their colors. Their blinding hues that seep through every crack and memory left in my breaking mind. Their colors call on me, tell me my future lies in their hands, I just have to reach them, beyond the Wellspring.- The man who sees the Kings"

-The Black Diary of D.C Houston

There it was, James thought as he pulled up to the plaza of the institute. The towering glass structure that stood at the heart of Avalon city, Takinama Institute. Not just a higher place of learning, but of discovery and growth.

It amazed James, how one man, supposedly from humble origins created not only the largest non profit learning center in all of Avalon city, but also the leading scientific research facility as well.

And now this man was dead.

That thought cut its way through James. Doctor Yoshi Takinama was a beloved figure in Avalon city. Before him and his F.E.M's the city ran on candle light and prayer. There was no natural source of power in the Wellspring. No running water, no sunlight, no electricity or even wind, The city was a no mans land. People had to resort to the most drastic ways of survival. No one ever doubted the strength of the founding families of Avalon city.

James stood silent, taking in his surroundings for a brief moment as he entered the lobby. The building left James in awe. The ceiling of the lobby, which was in turn the floor of the 10th story, was made of a beautiful turquoise etched glass that depicted the Institutes focus " For the betterment of Avalon, For the Future of us."The ground floor entrance was lined in marbled pillars, each one seeming to climb up endlessly. directly in the center of the lobby sat a fountain. The fountain contained what looked like to James at least, a blue flowing stream of symbols, and numbers, and letters. These symbols flowed fast enough to mimic water, yet somehow they also had no substance or mass, and seemed to move through Jame's hand. Just in front of the fountain sat the concierge desk. The Desk itself was made of carefully carved white oak, a rare sight in Avalon.

James made his way to the desk, realizing that he had bypassed it on his way to the fountain. He was told by his Sargent to find someone named Brian Clifford, The Institutes Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs. Apparently Brian had been the one to find Dr. Takinama dead in his office, and his Sargent wanted James to question him.

Behind the desk sat a short, stout man with long hair and eyeglasses that seemed a little to big for his face.

" How can I help you sir?" the short man said, his voice fading into his heavy breathing.

" I am here to see Brian Clifford. Your Vice Chancellor of student affairs. Its about Dr. Takinama." James said as he pulled out his credentials and laid them on the desk in front of the stout man in glasses.

" I will let him know your here detective White." the man stated as he pressed a small red button on the desk that opened a door directly to Jame's left that led into what seemed to be a small waiting room.

" Please wait in here." Directed the short, stout man.

James never liked waiting rooms. They reminded him of hospitals, and he had enough experiences in hospitals to know that they were where memories ended, or at least began to end.

James wished he had a drink. Just one damn sip of whiskey to help him power through this waiting room.

He needed a distraction, his anxiety was getting to him, and it didn't help that his head felt like it was splitting to two. He searched the table in front of him, which was littered in old magazines and found one titled " Founding Families." James had never been too interested in the founding of Avalon city, history was in the past and that is where it should stay. Everyone knew that there were 24 founding families of Avalon city, that much was drilled into just about everyone's head in elementary school.

After about 45 minutes of waiting, which to James felt like a very painful and slow 2 weeks, the large wooden doors against the far wall from where James sat opened. In walked a slender man, roughly about 45 years old with short well kept brown hair, eyeglasses and a rather friendly smile that made him seem approachable and knowledgeable. He wore a dark brown 3 piece suit and a name badge which read "Brian," that seemed to glimmer under the bright lights of the waiting room.

" Detective White I presume?"The man in the suit said, gesturing a hand towards James, as if initiating a well deserved hand shake.

James took the man's hand and returned the gesture.

"Mr. Clifford. I would appreciate if you took me to the crime scene please. Waiting rooms creep me out." James said shakily.