《Dread Then Defy》


 Prologue- Dread Then Defy

    The door shuddered against Reina''s back, sending shockwaves through her. The long, rough knocks rang throughout their home. Hiding behind the door would do her no good now.


    "I can do it." She whispered.


    Inhaling, she rose to her feet. Even when standing, the door towered over her. After fiddling clumsily with the locks, the door unlocked with a clack. Slowly, it opened, whether she wanted it to or not.


    A tall man stood before her with a notebook clasped to his chest. He wielded only a bushy moustache and a black Association suit against the fierce cold.


    "Good day, madam."


    "And a very good day to you, Sir." Tilting her head up, she smiled and blinked.


    The man managed a slight curl of his lip. He said, "Your parents have raised you well. Speaking of, be a darling and fetch them for me, would you? If I remember right, I have good news for this household."


    She paused and brought a hand to her chest, brushing aside her dark brown curls. "I''m sorry, Sir, but it''s only me here." She looked down and cupped her hands together. "My parents have passed already. Might I have your name?"


    The man squinted hard and then flicked through the notebook in his hand. He paused on a page, his face wrinkled. "My condolences." Clicking his tongue, he looked to the house number beside her and grumbled, "I had hoped to ease into my shift with this visit. But I''ve gone and reminded you of your deceased parents. Sorry."


    Reina watched his lips curl, furrowing the hair beneath his bushy nose. "Regardless, my name is unnecessary. Just Sir will do fine."


    "Then excuse me, Sir. But you... you said good, as in good news, didn''t you? Then, you must mean?-"


    Fixed to his notebook, he interrupted, "That''s right. After carefully considering your circumstances, the Government has decreed that Reina Aeneas will remain the sovereign owner of house forty-two on Wellbrick Road. Despite her age."


    Scoffing, he looked up from the booklet and said, "How fortunate."


    Reina blurted out, "What. What about guardianship? Did, did you approve it?"


    The man raised an eyebrow, scrunching his withered face. Suddenly, his hairy features were not so amusing. "Patient, girl. I was just getting to that."


    Coughing, he gazed down at his notebook and riffled through its pages. "In addition to Reina Aeneas receiving ownership of her home. Mistress Elia of the Association has declared Reina Aeneas guardian of Rowan Aeneas."


    This time, her lips remained cold, obedient and shut. Even though the heat leaking from her home warmed her back. She said nothing.


    "Despite being only fourteen. In the eyes of the Government, Reina Aeneas is henceforth an adult. And her brother''s legal guardian. Reina will receive a year''s rations from the Government''s own resources to support her and her brother."


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    She knew the man was still talking, but no other word reached her. It took all her strength to lean on the doorway and not crumple to the floor. She had it, her brother, the house and the food. She''d won another year.


    Behind the man, she spotted movement. A familiar figure skipped along the pavement towards them.


    It was her brother Rowan, and the sight of him captured her deep black irises for only a moment. Her focus soon snapped back to the tall, rambling Association man as she stood tall again.


    One of his eyes seemed intent on following the page, but the other twitched, ogling her. The corners of her smile rose as she nodded.


    "In line with the Home Bureau Association, Reina Aeneas must disclose her full financial circumstances monthly to an Associate member. Once eighteen, like all citizens, she must deliver Contribution."


    The man paused as he heard a patter of feet and twisted to confront them. Rowan stopped and looked between her and the stiff man, his mouth wide. Before he could speak, she called to him, "Rowan. Rowan, come here for me."


    He grinned back at her, trodding towards Reina with light, confident steps. The man stared intently at the boy as he passed, but Rowan was oblivious. "Reinaaa, the swings are frozen stiff again. Can''t you come back and do something?-"


    She clasped a hand over his mouth and pulled him close. Even at seven, he was almost as tall as she was. Fortunately, like a soft plushie in her arms, he didn''t resist.


    She glanced back at the man tapping his feet on the frosty grey gravel. "Ah, I''m so sorry, Sir. He won''t interrupt you again."


    The man snorted and returned to his document. "Reina Aeneas will lose her adult privileges and guardianship if she fails to meet her disclosure deadlines. That is all."


    He ripped the sheet out with a loud tear and handed it to her. With shaky hands, she released Rowan and reached for the page. She could not keep the paper still, so she would have to read it later. Clutching it to her chest, she breathed in.


    "Sir, thank you so much. Rowan and I are very lucky to have received such care from the Government and your Association." Rowan went to interrupt, but her pale palm muffled his words. "If that is all, then-"


    "Agghh HELLLLP!"


    A shrill shriek erupted. Reina resisted the urge to cup her ears as her slim arms ensnared around Rowan, squeezing him tight. She followed the noise only to see the neighbour''s door burst open.


    Her neighbour Michael was wrestling with two black suits. He was a head taller than them both. But it seemed to do him no good as they struggled and restrained each of his arms. At the same time, a third man in dark strutted out of the house, swinging a squealing Rin from his arm.


    Grunting, Michael wrenched his hand free. Crack. Then, an Associate man on his right tumbled to the frozen ground. He turned to reach for the other man with both hands-free.


    "What? What are they doing to him?" She said.


    "I told them to wait!" Spat the moustached man. She could feel Rowan still in her grasp. Her hands had left his mouth and covered his eyes.


    The man scowled at her. "This has nothing to do with you. Go inside. We''re finished for today."


    He reached into his jacket and pulled out a deep black baton. He spent another moment watching her. "Pay your debts, girl. If you want to keep hold of those things of yours." With that, Reina watched him stride away.


    Blinking, her hesitation only lasted an instant. She tugged Rowan and ushered him inside, wrestling him into the house. With a final glance, she saw the devastating crunch to the back of the head as Michael collapsed.


    Once she shut the door, she slipped down against it, barring it with her body. Rowan looked down on her. The warmth of their home was pleasant, thanks to the metal whirring of their heater in the corner. But still, she felt cold.


    "Rowan." She watched him teeter on one foot. Reina did her best to muster a growl. "I told you to stay in the park. Don''t you dare interrupt me again when I''m talking."


    His eyes widened. "But, Reina, you said you''d come back. You lied."


    "Are you calling your sister a liar?" She was twisting her dark brown bangs with her fingers. She missed their lighter, warmer colour. "Remind me what I said? Remind me what I''ve been telling you for weeks! Rowan?"


    Fidgeting, he said, "You told me you had an important meeting soon and that I shouldn''t bother you."


    Inside, she smiled at his honesty. She wanted to reach out and grab his little frowning figure hidden in his puffy winter clothes. Then, pull him close. But the concern on his face never dwelled long. Soon, he was all smiles again.


    "I''m sorry, Reina. But the meeting is over, isn''t it? We can go back, can''t we? To the park? You promised."


    ''He wants to go to the park? After all of that?'' At some point, her hair had found its way into her mouth. She chewed her brown locks quietly while Rowan squirmed, waiting for an answer, smiling.


    ''No, it''s not his fault. It''s not. He didn''t see what happened because I covered his eyes.''


    "Rowan... if you clean your room. We can go to the park." It was all she could come up with.


    Rowan tilted his head at her, confused. But it wasn''t long before he was rushing up the stairs. Once the sight of him was gone, she pulled her knees towards her. Then, she placed the paper on the floor. Staring at it till she found the word.


    "Guardian," she said. "I''m finally..." It was all she could manage to bury her head between her legs. She couldn''t bring herself to move from blocking the door, but she wanted to. Her tears threatened to stain the paper, so she pushed it away.


    "The park. I can figure it out after we go to the park." After a few minutes, she called out to him. "Rowan, are you done yet? Come on. I''m ready. Ready to go now."

 Chapter1

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 Chapter 2

    Darkness, he was suffocating. Something... was suffocating him.


    He moved.


    Wrenching his head free, he threw heavy heaps of thick white snow off his body, releasing himself from its hold. Suffocating cold assaulted his slim grey figure as he raised his head high. Breathing heavily.


    "I, I''m alive?"


    Pink curtains smothered the sky and filled the mountainous region with bright, soft light. It was a welcoming sight, yet the warm, placid view was deceiving. There was not even an inkling of warmth in his surroundings.


    "Fuck your kidding." Rowan laughed.


    He was freezing. It paled in comparison to the mundane wind and cold of Civlia. He ignored the ebbing chill, sparing himself a moment to think.


    ''The Mist, it...it let me in. I''m in the world beyond. Then I must be a Defected?''


    Rowan''s grey uniform, still smothered with dry snow, hid any Defect from him. Powerful stone limbs, impenetrable green skin, all-seeing eyes. Even decorated with a gentle pink radiance, he could see no such Defect. Nor did he feel any different. His pale, pained skin and skinny limbs were all the same.


    "I actually survived? Then I have a chance."


    The Mist was cruel. It had ransacked the world for over twenty years, a calamity that dwarfed all the others. Yet it was worse than that. It was unfair. It was vindictive. It was almost intelligent, or so the theories say.


    Once the Deranged erupted from the Mist, it would take weeks of conflict and securing before humans could even attempt to enter themselves. But Civilia had no Defected to accomplish it. He was on his own now.


    ''I don''t care. I don''t-''


    "Aghh. The hell."


    His fingers, he couldn''t feel them. Rowan had closed his hands tight at some point, and they had grown numb. Unfolding them, he saw how brittle and raw pink they were. He climbed to his feet after one last glance at the deceitful pink sky.


    "Right now, all I can do is find somewhere warm."


    The strangeness of everything did not overwhelm Rowan. Even the intense cold had yet to damper his mood. Strangely, he found himself feeling liberated. Vindictive. Challenged.


    The two distant mountains were the lone landmark in this cold expanse. And the only hope of shelter from the cold. The Defected grew stronger after killing Devoured. He just had to fight for that warmth. Fight or die.


    ##################################


    Marching through the snow, he felt the cold sting all over him. But it only served to keep him awake and able. Rowan''s thin grey uniform did little to mitigate the environment bar single him out in a field of white.


    "Why is it not getting closer?"


    Rowan curled his lips. The enormous mountain peaks, beckoning and sharp, were still so far. Was he making any progress at all?


    He felt energy seep from him into the snow as droves of white fluff blocked more and more of his path. Kicking through it, Rowan cursed. "I can do it. It will just take time."


    It was impossible to assess how close he was based on the size. It was a very delightful clump of stone. But Rowan''s eyes keenly picked out the details of the mountain. Details his eyes could not have before.


    "I must be getting closer." The jagged cliff face was a mess, but he noticed a pattern. A strange track that ran up the side of one mountain. There were a few on both. He could see them clearly now.


    "Could they be stairs? Are there really people here?"


    The mountain was everything he needed. As he strutted, his eyes never left the peculiar steps. Until he heard a scream.


    "YEEEEUURRRRRGGGHH"


    Frozen to the ground, something loud and horrific assaulted Rowan''s ears. That brief shriek echoed throughout the mountains and sky. Then it ended. But the pain in his ears was agonizing.


    Yet before Rowan could recover, more screeches followed.


    "YURRRRRRGGGGG"


    "YEEEEUURRRRRGGGHHHH"


    "EEEEEURRRGGGGHHHH"


    With a cry, he clutched his ears as his voice was drowned out. He flicked his head towards the distant mountains, watching with dread. Seven shrieking tendrils had arisen from the ground and were furled around the distant mountains. Their wriggling bodies were adorned with tiny, pink scales that flapped at random.


    ''What. What the hell is that?''


    As their scales flickered open, the screams grew more and more horrific until Rowan found himself clutching his ears again, driven down to the snowy ground.


    "Aggghhh!"


    His raw, aching fingers clawed at his ears, hiding from the noise, yet his eyes couldn''t look away. The awful sounds dwindled, and the pink appendages gripped the mountain rock fiercely. They grew stiff, still and quiet, leaving imprints around the defenceless rock.


    Rowan was finally free to release his ears, but the silence did little to quell his fear. Without turning away from the deranged sight, he backed up. Soon, he was stumbling back. Staggering back with faster steps than his march here.


    Then, he watched as a pink tentacle was severed cleanly before his very eyes. As if cut by an invisible force, that one lone appendage fell away from its brethren and tumbled down the mountainside.


    "CRASH"


    Rowan watched the tentacle slam into the snowy ground. Tremors rippled all the way to Rowan''s frozen figure.


    Leaning back on flimsy arms, his heart pounded. Helpless, he watched the distant mountain. Then, it appeared from between the crevice of the two mountain peaks. The culprit.


    A triangular yellow thing peaked out, almost pointing at Rowan as it dawned on him. ''That''s what was responsible.'' Between the mountains, it poked out. A dreadful yellow curved beak.


    Startled, Rowan felt an impulse. A rigorous desire to look away and to hide his gaze. But he couldn''t do it.


    "That''s! It''s a Devoured. It''s as big as a mountain. No, no, there''s no way. It can''t see me from there. It can''t. I''m too small."


    A lucid murmur escaped Rowan''s mouth as he felt the urge to cry.


    As if disinterested, the beak soon turned away from him, and another pink tendril was severed from the mountain rock. It had happened so quickly that he perceived no movement. But he just knew the motionless, daunting beak was responsible.


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    Rowan mumbled. "I, I should run. While it''s distracted."


    Returning to his feet, another sound erupted.


    "YEEEEUURRRRRGGGHHHH"


    "YAAAARRRRRGGGGGGG"


    The pink tendrils fluttered to life again, waving. They flapped their scales, uncurling from the mountain as if dancing. The giant beak appeared to be excited by the noise as its head darted eagerly towards each creature.


    Finally, yellow claws were followed by a dishevelled grey body that flung itself above the mountain peak. Its colossal torso, littered with ruffled grey feathers, dwarfed the mountain and towered above it. It then leaned forward, hungry and eager, towards the noisy, curled pink limbs wrapped around the mountain.


    Enticed, it pecked at the tendrils without seeming to move. Severing two more.


    "I need to run. So why, why can''t I? If I can''t even run, what am I good for?"


    Rowan''s words had zero effect on the cold world around him. They were drowned out by the tendril''s monstrous screams. He couldn''t deal with the fear; he was too weak, too vulnerable.


    After a while, the creature''s beak pointed towards the sky. As if basking, it was accompanied by its victim''s joyous cries and screeches. But then something obscured Rowan''s vision. He watched as something white was launched from the ground.


    It was snow, and there was an unimaginable amount of it. It blocked out the sky and hid him from the entities of the mountain.


    Finally, he turned and ran.


    He kept running. Even as shadows crept all around and swallowed his surroundings. Snow fell everywhere, and there was nothing he could do but run. Soon, the world''s pink rays were hidden entirely as the sky was submerged with snow.


    Then it all fell, slamming into the ground around him. He was struck and thrown to the ground. One heap. Then another slammed into Rowan. His small figure was thrown to the ground.


    ''It''s just snow.'' Beaten, he shook himself free and crawled to his feet. He kept moving. His escape was squandered again as he was hit by an airborne avalanche.


    Eventually, the assault stopped, and no snow was left to fall. He was free to hobble alone across the snowy wasteland. He had escaped being buried alive, escaped being devoured, but what was it worth? What could he do? Where did he belong in such an awful place?


    "Why am I here?" Murmuring, he turned back.


    The mountain tops were now covered entirely in snow. Something truly massive must have emerged from the ground. There was no sign of the daunting bird or pink tendrils.


    The only thing free from the snow were two yellow claws that gripped the mountaintop. Their furry grey legs were still attached. Blood seeped from the both of them, and their grip soon relaxed as they tumbled down the mountainside.


    ############################################


    ''My fingers.''


    Checking again, he was greeted with the painful sight of his nauseous blue fingertips. On the bright side, they had stopped hurting a while ago. Reluctant, he returned their coldness to his armpits with a wince as he marched through the fog and snow. His body was a quivering mess.


    His toes might have already been lost. He didn''t really know. They were protected and concealed by his winter shoes. But he didn''t have even a moment to stop and check their state.


    ''No one said it was cold. So cold, inside the Mist.''


    As he progressed, his mind wandered to all sorts of things, yet the warmth of that escape never lasted long. There was no shelter, no house, no heating. He was plagued only by a never-ending expanse of snow.


    Should he have walked towards the mountains instead? Shivering, he shook his head to forget whatever he had seen. Besides, there was no way to navigate his way back amidst the disorienting grey.


    "I should have been dead before. So why make it so long, so painful?"A feeble whine escaped him.


    He didn''t even have the strength to cry out, to beckon for anyone that might have been concealed behind the hazy fog. He could only walk.


    Even amidst the fog, the dying light of the pink sky above aided him. And so, he noticed something. The shimmering icy veil had almost hidden it from view, yet he could only see it more clearly as he got closer.


    Camouflaged on the pure white snow, a small creature lay skewered. The drops of red blood were the only thing that marked its existence in the white expanse.


    ''A rabbit?''


    No, it was not a rabbit. As he approached, that only became clearer. Its eyes were long blue slits, three on each side of its oval, white face. Yet as he got closer, they expanded as the small thing struggled, tearing up its insides on the impaled branch.


    Those wide, gaping, dark blue eyes captured him in its grasp as the thing trembled.


    ''It''s scared of me?''


    The idea caused Rowan to smirk as he stumbled and fell. A weak, weary scowl was shared with the ground before he looked back at the fearful thing. Humour was now drained from Rowan''s pale face as he crawled towards it.


    Recognizing it had been spotted, the thing squealed and struggled. "MYARRRGGH MGRYAAAH" Its little wails did nothing to hamper Rowan''s progress as he touched the impaled, frightened thing with morbid blue fingers.


    ''Fur. Fur and flesh.'' Now that he had gotten this far, it was clear what he had to do. The inside of the creature... it was bound to be warm. As he placed both hands on the thing, preparing to yank it, its blue slits flickered wide open.


    Then everything went black.


    ########################################


    The moment he tugged the life from it, wrenching the creature free from its misery. Absolute darkness greeted him.


    ''Where the hell?...''


    Rowan opened his mouth to speak. Yet nothing was said.


    He brought his hands to his face. But the sight of cruel, bloated blue fingers never came. He had no hands here, no mouth. He had nothing. There was only deep darkness.


    But then there was something. And its ghostly radiant light was soon impossible to miss. As Rowan raised his gaze up, its strange luminance reminded him of one thing and one thing only.


    ''The Mist?''


    Standing tall before him was an enormous pale pillar. Its rigid structure was both crude, intimidating and yet familiar. It loomed over him with a mass and might that dwarfed the height of his perspective.


    Despite its vain radiance, the huge column was decrepit and smeared with lashes of yellow and black. Its purity a sham.


    However, any escape from the cold was a welcome one. That was how he felt until Rowan felt his being shudder.


    ''What! How can that be... It''s so cold. Even this place is cold. I don''t even have a body? I''m still...cold? Am, am I dead?''


    He had no mouth to voice his concerns from within the dark abyss nor a body to escape the dark with. None of it made any sense. The tall, protruding column remained still and loomed over him, silent and judging.


    Squinting his vision, he noticed the slightest glow from the very bottom of that spiral structure. A different, purer sort of glow amid the weak, luminescent light.


    Then all of it was gone.


    "I, I''m back." He said.


    He was frozen stiff once again, bathed in the icy cold fog. His hands were marked with blood as the warm, lifeless figure of the rabbit shimmered and melted into the snow. Beneath the blood coating his hand, his fingers remained blue and decrepit.


    Yet he could have sworn the cold had lost a little of its searing touch.


    "No. Maybe I''m imagining it? Maybe I''m dying and turning numb."


    With no corpse to warm himself, he begrudgingly returned to his feet. He thought he was as good as dead when the Mist had appeared before him. He had really believed he would be buried by snow or torn apart by horrors after that.


    ''But I''m alive. And most importantly. I have nothing to lose.''


    He put a shaky foot forth, and he didn''t hesitate before using the other. Soon, he was stumbling once again through the cold. A glance back was too much for now. Only onwards into the hazy snow mist was left for him.


    #############################################


    The cold remained unforgiving. The part of him that thought it had softened must have been truly mad already. Both his hands were deadly blue, the blood abandoning them, flowing to his vitals.


    Yet, as his toil grew more arduous, he noticed a few things. Now that the fog had cleared, he could see it. The vast night sky. It was empty. That thick black void above had swallowed the pink aura of the day.


    Rowan had already heard the world beyond the Mist was like this. The reason why was lost to him, but he noticed something his younger counterpart had never thought of.


    ''There''s no stars, nor is there a sun. So then... where does the light come from? How can I see right now?''


    It was strange; even in this darkness, he could see a little. Cursing his younger self for never asking, he shook his head. Though his musings helped him escape the cold. There was something more pressing.


    ''More rabbits. No, not rabbits, I get it now. They''re Devoured. Then, they must be the Docile type.''


    From time to time, their tiny white figures would appear around him. Their snow-like fur blended in so well that they were impossible to notice. That was unless you saw their eyes.


    When Rowan disturbed them, they finally appeared. Their fearful bright blue slits would tear open and reveal themselves to him.


    He wanted to catch them. Defected who killed the devoured were rewarded with power. Everyone knew that. The reverse could be true, too. The strength one could gain from killing a mere Docile and Devoured was probably not that high, but still worth it.


    The problem was that he could not see them; even if their eyes widened in surprise, they''d quickly close them again. If he got even closer, they would simply dash away. He had neither the energy nor the time to chase them.


    There was no promise he would be rewarded either. After all he could spot no Defect on his body or feel no surge in his strength after killing the last one.


    Besides, he would be dead within the hour. He was now sure of that much. ''If I''m gonna die anyway, there''s no point in taking them with me.''


    The truth was he didn''t care to even try.


    "What?"


    Limping, he stumbled towards it. He had almost missed them, yet here they were, below him. Still and silent. They were the corpses of two rabbit, Devoured. Like the others, they were skewered and bloody on the snow ground.


    ''Again... how is that possible?'' Frowning, he crumpled to his left knee.


    "Shit!"


    It was hard to say if he would return to his feet again. At this point, he was certain he''d lost his fingers and toes to the cold. When his limbs failed him, then that really would be it. He would freeze.


    Indifferent, he scanned the corpses of the creatures. That was when he noticed one twitch. ''Huh?''. It was alive, eerily impaled on a shorter branch like the others. It probably wasn''t even conscious, just the last vague twitches of a desperate being.


    ''It''s as good as dead anyway. So.''


    Rowan didn''t miss his chance. With malformed blue hands, he reached out to grab the tiny creature. He pushed, skewering it further on the branch. The creature gave one last kick of its hind legs before it grew completely still. Rowan flinched, almost falling to the ground, as he hoped and awaited for the dark place he had visited.


    "Come on. Where is it?"


    But it never came. Disappointed, Rowan cursed, closing his eyes and resisting the urge to slam his fragile blue hands into the ground. But again... "No. No, I was wrong. I can feel it. I''m really not imagining it!"


    Opening his eyes wide, he yelled amidst the silent, snowy wasteland. His meagre murmurs were gone. He couldn''t recall a time he had bellowed like this. It could have been years. The cold, as cruel and awful as it was. Its effect on him really was weakening.


    "Haha." Clutching his fists feebly, Rowan mustered his strength. But his legs failed him, and his hands barely caught him. They fell on the other rabbit he had not touched.


    This one was still very much dead. Whilst the one he had killed shimmered and melted into snow, the other remained. Its corpse showed no sign of disappearing, but that wasn''t all.


    "Huh. It, it''s warm?" A pleasant smile escaped him.


    The stubborn creature was refusing to fade like its brethren. Not only that, its corpse was still brimming with heat. Useless as it might be, he couldn''t resist plunging his cold, lifeless hands into the creature''s open stomach.


    He couldn''t feel the warmth with his hands¡ªthey were simply too numb. But maybe it was helping.


    ''It doesn''t matter anyway. Now I know if I can just kill these rabbits, no, Devoured. Then I can resist the cold.''


    Rowan perked up, though weak and still unable to stand. His eyes scanned the surroundings greedily. Then, he spotted exactly what he desired, and it was only a short distance away. Another rabbit lay skewered.


    "If I''m lucky, it will still be..."


    He froze; every part of his body suddenly shivered. Just briefly, Rowan forgot the cold as his hair stood on end.


    "..."


    A glance down at the corpse, which his hands remained safely within, helped him realize, "The inside. The inside of this rabbit... it''s empty?"


    Rowan knew very little about the Mist. Civilia''s education when it came to the Mist was vague at best. His academy had also seen better days than when he had attended.


    Come to think of it, the Assistant Head had mentioned how little they all knew. But even they knew the basics, the important stuff. The insatiable Devoured were living creatures. Paranormal in some ways and not in others.


    If their innards were truly hollow... surely he''d have heard such a thing by now? The truth was clear. A quick reminder resurfaced as he thought about the monstrous wailing tendrils and the peering beaked bird.


    "I''m being... lured by something."


    This chill he felt now was different. Rather than forcing him to the floor, this chill lifted him straight to his feet. Raising one shaky foot before the other, he stumbled away from the corpse, unable to send even a glance back and steering clear of any impaled rabbits.


    All around him, the fog appeared, wrapping around his nervous figure. Hiding him as he stumbled further into the cold night.

 Chapter 3

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 Chapter 5

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 Chapter 7

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 Chapter 8

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 Chapter 9

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 Chapter 10

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 Chapter 11

    "Grummmbbble." The knot in his stomach was still there. But a hungry growl had long replaced it.


    Sat on the steps, lost in thought, his gaze wandered. The cold, stone seat beneath had begun to ache. The steps were almost identical to those outside Hector''s home. However, they were not his. It was all he could do to hope their owner didn''t suddenly open their door, whoever they were.


    ''That''s right. I don''t have anywhere to sleep tonight.''


    For the first time, he was glad to be here. The Defected had been kind enough not to bother him. Even now, every last one had something more pressing to do. Some duty, some friends, some lover. This peace would not have lasted had he been back at school.


    Whilst he sat, the sky slowly swept over the camp, shrouding all with vain darkness. ''That''s enough of that. I guess I might as well go early'' The solid, flat stone seat had grown too uncomfortable. With all the time in the world, he stood and walked with a faint numbness in his legs and a hungry pang in his gut.


    The camp was alive. Even at night, there seemed to be no strict curfew or anything of the sort. He''d watched the inhabitants roam between buildings, visit each other, and even venture outside the camp. This chaotic freedom felt similar to how his school had been.


    However, the inhabitants themselves were not so similar. He discerned there was an undeniable maturity in most of the Defected. Even outside of the unique abnormalities on their bodies, they were completely different from how the students at his school had behaved. ''But they were students once too. This world changed them and for the better.''


    Dragged from his thoughts, he noticed the one beacon that stood proudly above the rest in the dim darkness of the camp. As he passed by, he spared it a reluctant glance. He couldn''t think of anything worse than what lay within the largest birch building. The rambunctious jeers and blaring shrills within made him stop in his tracks. ''Tonight, they''re even worse.''


    It wasn''t that long until he''d traversed the full length of the camp.


    It had been a nice change of pace. The fresh scent of flowers and earthy grass mixed nicely with the silence. And not one familiar face had appeared. Not until now, at least.


    There she was. She looked the same as the day before and remained in the exact same place. Her clothes were the same too. A thin blue blouse was all that protected her from the night''s creeping chill. A simple, royal blue skirt fell to her knees as her legs were hidden and hung over the other side of the wall.


    He approached her from behind, but she was unaware of his presence. Her gaze was lost to the night sky as it had been yesterday. Close enough now, he kept his voice low as he murmured, "Um, you told me to come back today?"


    Startled, she twisted around as a hand reached for her chest, and her breath hitched. "Hahh, you startled me." After a short cough, she smiled.


    "I sent Hector to look for you, so I didn''t expect..."


    Her smile was gentle, but her breathing wasn''t so. She turned away, quickly glancing at the forest edge again.


    "Well, you''re here now. Thank you."


    Scratching his head, Rowan said, "Well, it''s not like I had much else to do..." He paused, studying her face and those faint blue eyes of hers. "Shouldn''t you. Shouldn''t you have known I was coming?"


    "Ah." She chuckled. "Yes, the others make that mistake often. But no, I didn''t know you were coming. It was Alicia who told you about my ability, wasn''t it? I think I heard her say something like that."


    Her gentle blue eyes winced close as she crossed her legs. "Yes, I remember your conversation now. Alicia, she''s quite... honest, unlike me." Noticing the uncertainty in his figure, she smiled and gestured towards him. Understanding her meaning, he approached sceptically, climbed on the frail stone wall, and sat beside her.


    "But no, I didn''t know you were coming, Rowan. You see. My visions. They don''t include me." Rowan blinked as he listened. A reasonable distance remained between them as they sat.


    "What I do and how I''m involved. I don''t get to see those things in my visions. They''re not a part of that future." She said.


    Her deep blue eyes glimmered with darkness as she gazed down at her feet. "I never know my own fate. I''m clueless about my role in the visions. Is that person mad because of me? Did my decision get that person hurt? Did I let that person die?"


    Rowan awaited her words in silence. The frightened look in those blue pupils had convinced him to listen, the nervous kick of her legs and the pained sound of her voice. It was all familiar.


    "However, that''s what makes my ability useful. They permit me to hear what will happen to everyone else and then change that outcome."


    That vague sensation of familiarity didn''t last. As the girl finished, that knot in his stomach returned and ate away at him inside. He shuffled on his rough stone seat while she kicked her legs gently.


    She whispered. "Only I can alter and change what will occur. It isn''t much, but even I can help everyone in this small way."


    She smiled at Rowan, but he wasn''t interested in sharing that gaze. He turned away and spent a few moments dwelling on her words until a thought occurred. He turned back towards her and asked, "The day that they found me. Was that because of you? Did you help them save me?"


    She stared at Rowan for a long while before shaking her head. Even then, her response was slow and hesitant. "No. Not exactly."


    He raised an eyebrow as the girl shied away from him, crossing her legs over one another.


    He asked, "So, you didn''t tell them how to find me? You didn''t help them find me quicker? Even though you knew what would happen?" Out of habit, he peered at her, reading what he could of her features before concluding. "Did you give them any warning at all?"


    The content kicking of her legs had ceased, and her voice was glum and methodical. "I heard it all, I did. The night before, I heard the yells, the voices, the snarls-"


    He cut her off, "Then why didn''t you help? Lux was injured protecting me? I don''t understand. He was one of your Defected. You''re the Boss because everyone relies on those abilities, and you''re not even using them? What could possibly stop you from-"


    He clenched his mouth shut. Her expression was hidden, but she was upset. It was plain to see. At first, he was confused, but then he reached out a shaky hand before thinking better of it.


    However, then he did. He rested his hand gently on her shoulder. When she turned back to him, he expected tears, but there were none. She glanced at his hand and then back at the forest. He followed her gaze, watching the closest of trees that jutted out, peering down at them. ''Why would someone in charge sit in a dangerous place like this every night.''


    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    A few more moments passed before she spoke and removed his hand with her own.


    "I''m sorry. I could have done better. I should have been better, I know."


    Rowan was patient, even for him. But he didn''t intend to let the issue go. He omitted his response and waited, forcing her to fill the silence under his watchful gaze.


    "I heard someone would be injured. I even managed to guess who it might be based on the voice. But I also knew no one had died. Had someone died, I would have heard it. There would have been screams, infighting, blaming... sobbing."


    She went silent. That sombre moment lingered as her gaze went to the sky once more.


    He wanted to reach out and ask her again, and he almost did. But then, a voice erupted from behind. "There you are." Hector''s tall, bold figure appeared behind them. A faint scowl adorning his dark black face.


    "That drunkard guessed well. I thought she might have lost you in the forest and covered it up. It''s good you remembered to come here. I was looking for you, but we must have missed each other."


    Loud and indifferent, Hector strode towards them unawares. The girl flicked her legs over the wall and sat facing him with a pleased smile.


    "Sorry about the trouble, Hector. I suppose Rowan will have to give us details on his outing today, too. I heard some peculiar things about it in my vision last night."


    Hector nodded his large, thick head as his eyes flickered towards Rowan. "I only slept briefly, but you ran off with that one. I suppose it''s safe enough. Even if you were to get lost or die, Boss could warn us. But again, that redhead is unreliable. You''re safer here at camp."


    Rowan shuffled his body around to face him. A silence ensued between the trio before Hector broke it. "We have more time today. You did well to get here earlier. I''m sorry, but you must give us a full account. If possible, we need to know everything since the Mist swallowed you. No, we''ll need more."


    ''Mist...'' His mind, for just a moment, went back to Civilia.


    Not many had mentioned the Mist till now. The entity that was the Mist was what had sent them all here, yet otherwise, it was irrelevant. The Mist brought you. But it never sent you back. Hardly anything was known about it, and Rowan knew less than most.


    Sitting up straight, Rowan felt a chill across his back as he inhaled. "Okay. I''ll tell you everything. From the beginning."


    ##############################


    Hector''s face was as incoherent as ever. The subtle swirls of ink on his dark skin suggested but never showed his thoughts. However, the Boss was a different story. Her hand was caressing her chin, her fair skin wrinkled, and her Defected eyes were a dreadful deep blue.


    "I''d already heard in my visions it was Civilia you came from. Then, it is no longer the last safe nation. However, for it to have swallowed only you, Rowan? No, I''m sorry, you must be mistaken. That''s never been how the Mist works. It isn''t just some force of nature; you can''t be the only one who entered."


    Rowan clasped his hands between his legs, and Hector followed up. "She''s right. You confirmed for us that the boundaries are invisible. Like we were all taught. Now, we know there is no easy way to judge the size of the zone. So, there is no way to truly know if you were transported alone that day."


    Hector folded his arms and then shared a brief glance with the Boss. She''d grown quiet. So he spoke in her place again, "Rowan. You need to understand. We''ve been here for two years and never found a boundary."


    Rowan bit his lip. "No. No, I find that hard to believe. Two whole years? You must have found one, at least one." Rowan raised an eyebrow, but the ink on Hector''s nonchalant face remained placid and still.


    Hector replied. "Perhaps you just got lucky. All zones vary a lot in size. But this cold zone, we''ll call it, could just be very small. Perhaps that''s why you found the boundary so easily."


    Hector stopped, and his eyes darted across to the Boss. Her legs hung limp over the wall, and her gaze stuck to the ground. Hector asked her,


    "Boss, shouldn''t we at least scout it out? I can take a squad and have Rowan help find the way. If things go well, we might finally be able to confirm our suspicions."


    "No." Her wispy words almost faded into the night. She murmured. "We are safer here. A different zone is too dangerous, and you know we have a more pressing concern."


    She shared a shrewd look with Hector, but he said nothing.


    Rowan sat on the wall, observing the two of them. ''What suspicions?'' He bit his tongue and endured the silence. His stalwart approach fell apart as he noticed the stiffness and shuffling of the girl beside him. Hector noticed, too, and for the first time, a hint of unrest swirled on his dark, inky face.


    "Boss. We have to confirm it. You know that." Folding his arms, the tall Hector looked down on the two of them and said, "We have all the precautions we need. If your vision of tomorrow sounds off, we can save it for another day. I''ll even agree to take the redhead minx with us. If we take our elites, we should manage against the Vile roaming about just fine."


    Hector''s stout tone was betrayed only by the turbulent squirming of his Defect. Perhaps the Boss hadn''t noticed his concern. After all, her head remained fixed on the floor. As silence threatened to consume them, Rowan hopped off the wall.


    "Why are you leaving me out of the details? I''m glad you have use for me all of a sudden. But you owe me an explanation. What is it? What is it about the cold zone you need to know?"


    Frustrated, he glanced up at the girl on her perch and then back at the huge Defected. He''d thought that would be plenty to convince them, but Hector had folded his arms, and the Boss was still silent.


    "What is it. Don''t you trust me?"


    Hector sighed and shook his head. "I trust you, Rowan. This isn''t about trust, and we''re not sure ourselves. It''s just... a delicate issue." Rowan frowned and prepared some scolding words. Until Hector interrupted, "But you''re right. We can''t keep avoiding the issue."


    Together, they turned to the silent girl who had no choice but to raise her head and meet their gaze. Her lips tightened but then slowly opened. However, Hector was not as patient as Rowan was.


    "That Devoured Rowan saw in the cold. If we''re right about where exactly that zone is. Then you put the pieces together. You must know what this really means."


    She looked towards Rowan for a moment, her face pale. That darkness in her eyes made him wonder. ''What does that look mean? Is she trying to get my help?''Squinting, he almost went to her side, but Hector''s words beat him to it.


    "It''s been two years, Garuda, and he hasn''t rescued us. There''s something there. Something not even your brother can kill."


    She wrapped her arms around her body and squeezed. She folded in on herself, shivering as her eyes turned an awful dark black.


    Then she cried.


    ######################


    There wasn''t much else to be said after that. Rowan had more questions than ever, but even he felt bad. It took a lot to make him bite his tongue when he was worked up. But he did.


    Rowan had expected Hector to embrace her or go over and soothe her. Be he just stood, staring. The two watched the crying girl together as their awkward stalemate ensued.


    Until the time finally came.


    Her eyes turned glossy, and her consciousness drifted while she stared blankly at the ground. She almost fell, but Hector picked her off the wall with his large hands.


    Holding her in a gentle princess carry, he turned to Rowan. "Go use my bed. I''ve got a lot I need to deal with. So you can use it for now."


    Before sending him off, Hector reminded him not to run off tomorrow. He still intended to visit the boundary, assuming the Boss''s visions were fine. They would see nothing of her if it was safe, not until the next night.


    The way back was dark, and the buildings were so similar. He was struggling to find his way amidst them as his lip curled. ''Is that what she does all day? Shut herself away from everything?''


    He thought back to that stark image of the girl. Facing the empty night sky alone, lost. Watching those leering forest trees with her dim blue pupils. ''She has it easy.''


    He found the biggest building easily enough. It was flooded with the fumes of heat, meat and alcohol, drawing him right to it. Outside, he stared at it with a bitter frown.


    The enormous dining hall was alive and thriving with warm light, a useful marker for finding his way back. But he wasn''t so quick to move on. He stood there for a while until a voice called out to him.


    "Are you really considering going in all alone? I''m amazed." With a rhythm to his walk and a smoothness to his words, Rowan recognised him even in the dark.


    "Is it you, Nero? Where have you been? I haven''t seen you all day." Even through the thick veil of night, he''d noticed Rowan standing outside.


    Rowan tore himself away from the grand building as he turned to face his grinning Defectedless counterpart emerging from the dark. The dining hall''s light drew Nero''s gaze up, illuminating them both.


    Nero said. "I''m just kidding. Of course, you''re not going in. Even I''m not brave enough to go in alone." Approaching, he tapped a fist into Rowan''s shoulder, grinning. "As for where I''ve been. Well, up to no good."


    Rowan almost smiled. "If you don''t want to tell me, then fine."


    Nero nodded. There was a spring in his step, and he even started to teeter on his right foot. "Oh, come on, Rowan, it''s not like that. I''m doing you a favour. I can''t possibly burden you with such incriminating knowledge. Not out loud." Groping his chest with his right hand, the corner of his mouth pulled up, smirking. "If you prove yourself to me, I''ll let you in on what I''ve been up to."


    Rowan sneered and crossed his arms. "Never mind. Somehow, I forgot that I don''t care. Why are you out here in the dark anyway?"


    Nero blinked at him before he turned and shrugged. His attention was drawn to the dining hall as shrills of laughter suddenly erupted. "What am I supposed to be doing, Rowan? Sleeping? How would I manage that?"


    Rowan nodded. "I see. They do seem much louder tonight. Tchh," Rowan clicked his tongue. "I could really do with some sleep too."


    He felt a pair of intrusive hazel eyes on him, but he ignored them. Biting his lip, Rowan asked, "Nero, do you think I''ll fit in. I know you''re not interested at all. At being part of them. But what about me?"


    Nero snorted and squatted on the ground. Wet flowers and grass surrounded their feet, but he didn''t seem to mind. "If you wanted to, you could go in right now, duh. It''s that easy. Aside from being loud, they''re just doing what they want? So why aren''t you?"


    "I don''t know." Rowan looked down at Nero''s brown, auburn hair. "I don''t know."


    Nero smirked and plucked at the flowers around him unimpeded by the dark. "Then it sounds like that isn''t what you want. But what do I know?"


    He glanced up with a teasing grin before returning to the flowers below. Rowan watched him fidget before sighing and dropping to the grass with him. "I want to help them."


    Nero turned to him with a smile, holding out a flower for him. "But why, though?"


    "I don''t want to be a burden."


    Nero''s smile slipped for the first time, replaced by a frown. Until he grabbed his forehead and leant back in laughter. "God, you''re just so mopey. Besides, why are you asking me? The freeloader, right?"


    Sat in the wet grass, Rowan cupped his right cheek, hiding his face from Nero. "If you''re just gonna make fun of me, I''ll leave."


    Nero ignored him and went back to plucking the flowers. The grass around them was soon rid of them, at least any Rowan could spot in the dark. Nero chucked his fistful of flowers away before looking back at Rowan again.


    "It''s not hard. Rowan, it''s just not. I don''t get you. Just throw the bullshit away. Nobody''s watching you. No one''s listening... well."


    Nero laughed. "I mean, who are you trying to impress? Me? Someone you knew? I did think we were similar at first glance. But we, really, really aren''t. Sorry."


    Soon, there wasn''t anything left for him to fidget with but his shoe. Despite how ridiculous Nero looked, Rowan listened. His mouth lingered open before he said, "We''re going on a mission tomorrow. I have to help them find the boundary. Hector thinks they can finally confirm exactly where we are and-"


    "Yaawwwwwwwwwwwwn". Nero yawned.


    It was long enough and loud enough that Rowan gave up explaining. He watched Nero climb to his feet lazily.


    "God, you''re making me sleepy. Just don''t go. Do what you want. I shouldn''t have to tell you." He shared one last smirk with Rowan before waltzing into the dark night, leaving Rowan wet and annoyed on the grass.


    Clicking his tongue, Rowan rose to his feet and stared. Then he went the other way.

 Chapter 12

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 Chapter 17

    "Do you believe him, Rowan? Is it not safe here? Are we missing something?"


    He''d expected to report in the hall or something. But when he thought about it, this made more sense.


    Garuda sat on the wall, her eyes fixed on him. Those unsettling dark blue eyes were scary and familiar? But her hand on his was what had really startled him.


    Rowan winced. "I''m not sure. We didn''t get a chance to ask him. I think he''s known where the boundary is for a while. He used it to surprise the Vile during our fight."


    The warm orange light was an awful reminder, watching. The camp had stirred as the whirring activity prepared for the night''s feast. He wanted to enjoy this brief quiet while he could.


    "But what did Nero mean then?"


    Rowan sighed. "I. Don''t know Garuda. Despite what he''s like, I do trust him, in a way. I don''t think he would say something like that for no reason but to mess with us. That would be ridiculous."


    Saying it out loud after everything felt more ridiculous. However, the squeeze of her hand helped distract him.


    "You''re right. Then, we have to expect the worst. Don''t we? With all the Devoured changing their behaviour."


    Rowan nodded. She finally noticed him staring at her hand clasped over his. She tilted her head. "What?"


    "Well, it''s... why are you doing that?"


    She blinked. "What? I thought? Because of last time?"


    Rowan stared. Then it hit him. The day before they left, he''d grabbed her hand when convincing her. He''d done it to help persuade her, but... what had he done?


    Using his other hand, Rowan coughed and straightened. "Right, more importantly, we need to talk about that. I went with Hector to help him investigate the boundary."


    Garuda smiled. "Right, I remember."


    "He said. It might be the right zone. That rescue is still likely." Rowan paused. "Wait, what do you remember?"


    She smiled. "I didn''t hear anything Nero said because I altered far too much that day. But your conversation at the boundary was this morning, no? I wasn''t involved in what happened to any of you today. So I should have already heard everything word for word in yesterday''s vision."


    Rowan scowled. "Wait, then, how does it actually work? Can you just hear the future of everyone who''s part of camp?"


    "Almost. I think it''s based on proximity. I can hear the future of Defected. No. I suppose because of your case, it''s humans. Everyone within a certain radius of me. Not just Defected."


    "Everybody?"


    She nodded.


    Rowan leaned back on the wall, avoiding that orange-blaring sky. His face scrunched. ''What if they made it back? How would she even survive somewhere like Civilia or any country?''


    His eyes scanned the grass cluttered with stones that had slipped from the wall. He''d wondered it before, but with all the wooden buildings around, where had these stones come from? What had they tried to build here?


    "I wish you were with us back then. When this all began."


    Her hand, even now, she hadn''t let go of him.


    "We were so clueless. Afraid. If it wasn''t for Hector, I''d..."


    He''d found the pain only distracting at first. Despite her ability, she had two Defects. Perhaps she''d never cultivated either. But it still hurt as she squeezed his frail hand.


    "Even these stones. We tried to bring them here to build something. We didn''t even know what. It was the rubble of our school sent here with us. But there weren''t even enough stones to build with. Even the process, just putting them on each other without cement..."


    She laughed. "We were clueless. It''s a reminder for me of how far we''ve come. Now, we just have to sit and wait for help."


    Rowan frowned. "For your siblings? It''s been two years, but you''re still relying on them?"


    "I am. I haven''t seen them in a long time. But they were both Defected before I could walk. My brother especially. He has authority, power, everything. They call him the Desserted. I''m sure he''ll do everything he can to save me."


    Rowan chewed his lip. That oblivious smile was frustrating. That painful, tense grip on his hand refused to let him go.


    He cast his gaze away and turned to the forest. It was leering with deep shadows that could spring at them any moment.


    "Do they owe you that much? Can you really say you deserve it?"


    She frowned. "They''re my family. Of course, I can."


    "Right. I understand."


    He pulled away from her hand. Her eyes were big, blue orbs of confusion. He used both hands to untangle himself from her grip.


    Then he jumped down. "We need to go. They shouldn''t have to start without their leader. Besides, we need to build trust again to use the visions efficiently."


    "Yes. You''re right."


    Rowan offered his hand and helped her down. Then, he was clasped back in her grip. He frowned.


    ################################


    With each violent leap, she tore through the snowflakes. The hazy cold hid everything from view as she threw herself at the fog harder.


    "His fault. It''s all his fault."


    Panting, she wiped the blood from her icy, pale face. Her eyes were wide, luminescent, and blue as she grabbed the ground with them. Within her stare, anything could be wielded, tugged and reigned in. Unless it was greater and larger than she was, which many things were.


    This immense speed propelled her forward. She could only cut through the fog this fast, thanks to how small she was in her surroundings. Yet, it still wasn''t fast enough.


    "My fault. It''s all my fault."


    Unlike Sid, whatever she wanted was always beyond her grasp and sight. Even now, he was probably chasing her with ease and stark clarity in the mist.


    Again, the snow beneath Garnet''s feet tremoured, and she gasped. Cursing, she jumped through the fog on unsteady legs.


    Her figure ripped through the haze. Until her face slammed into the jagged mountain rock. She cried out. But then, she was already crawling up despite the pain.


    There was more rumbling below. More blood and more fog in her eyes as she scrambled up. She had to ascend faster.


    What Sid had said earlier was true. She didn''t have the clarity that he did in times like this. But she had the will that he didn''t.


    The cold killed any loose tears as she dragged herself up the mountain. Even with her powerful eyes and a sister so special to her. She couldn''t even envision that face now. There was too much blood.


    "I, I did it. A whole day. And no Devoured."


    The peak of the enormous rock was freezing, but she needed this moment, this beautiful view. Hands, fingers, Defected eyes, all of her was ebbing with cold and strain.


    She exhaled rough, haggard breaths as she scoured the cold land. She was fortunate. The fog had receded at such a high altitude.


    The risk had paid off. She was this high, yet there was no tug. No risk of being pulled back into their world. It must not have been high enough.


    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    There was a Crash.


    Garnet looked down. But it was too foggy to see anything. It was safest to keep moving, and so she took a last breath and jumped.


    She heard it scrambling first. A long shadowy arm was slithering up the mountain. It lunged from out of the fog with an outstretched black palm.


    Garnet''s blue eyes widened as she crossed her arms. It struck her mid-leap. She was falling down the other side of the slope. Hitting the rock harder and harder. Her vision shaking each time.


    But her eyes never lost sight of it as it chased her down the mountain. The dark arm was nimble and fast. Gravity couldn''t rescue her quickly enough.


    "A vile?"


    Garnet grit her teeth. Then, her descent slowed. And soon, she was propelled up. As she got closer, the black hand got bigger. Covering her in a huge shadow.


    She growled and thrust her hands forward. The collision threw her back down. And she was falling again. Had she batted it away? She checked her hands as she fell. The skin was blistering and blue.


    The rocky slope hit her harder this time, and she yelped. A little more tumbling, and she hit the snowy ground, gasping, then rolling.


    On her feet, leaping and bounding, she heard a screech behind. But there was no stopping. Already, she could feel the vibrating ground warning her. She had to reach another mountain fast. One not inhabited by something like that.


    A thick black array of fingers snaked behind her. She counted nine on one hand as they caught up and began to enclose. She turned and faced it, sliding back in the snow. Batting one finger away with her fist. The first fierce blow made the dark hand shrink back.


    But soon, fingers were around her again. She stopped one with her hand. But once they curled around her, she couldn''t see. The darkness was pressing in on her from all sides. She could feel them pressing and pushing in on her.


    "AGGHH." Garnet shrieked. Its fierce, icy grip tightened, biting into her skin. It was dark, and she could see nothing to pull on.


    But then it stopped. Fog, light and everything cold returned to Garnet''s eyes. A black fist was shrinking away from her, pausing, watching. She found herself unable to move as well.


    The hand clenched itself twice, twitching. Ivory veins littered its shadowy silhouette. Then, it lunged for her again.


    "I said it would take seven days. But I''m amazed."


    Her face slammed into the ground, and her chest thrust into the dense snow below. Garnet tilted her head up, red-faced and smeared with snow. She could see the hand, too, lying on the floor, writhing as a figure waded through the fog.


    "You did it again. YOU USED IT ON ME."


    Sid frowned. "My eyes can''t differentiate between you and that. Did you really want to be killed by it instead?" He approached, towering over her with a smile.


    "Honestly though, when I said seven days. You must have misunderstood. I meant it would take me seven days to reach her. But you really were quite fast. You exceeded my expectations, sister."


    She wrinkled her face so hard that Sid raised an eyebrow. He took a step back and turned to the Vile, his eyes flooded with lucid blue. Finally, the weight pressing Garnet down vanished.


    "Well, I say that. But for just a Vile Imp to nearly do you in. That''s not like you. You''ve used your Defect too much."


    Sid didn''t turn to her. Keeping the Devoured''s hand in his periphery, his focus seemed lost in the snowy ground.


    She grit her teeth and pulled herself to her feet. His cloaked back was right there in front of her, all pristine, blue and vulnerable. Her hand was shaking as she put a foot forward.


    "Regardless. It seems it''s too late to drag you back to the group. So we can only make the best of this."


    Garnet froze. With a tense, wrinkled gaze, she watched his hair and cloak flutter in the wind. His eyes still trained on the floor.


    "If you can keep your current pace, it will only take you a couple weeks. It''s your Defects the Devoured can sense. The only thing more enticing than two Defects would be three."


    Sid smiled. "Go. I will cause a ruckus and draw them to me. But I won''t be able to get through this place myself. Garuda only has you now."


    He raised a hand and pointed past her without looking back.


    "This will be the last direction I can give you. Don''t get lost. And goodbye for now."


    Garnet followed his finger with her mouth hung open. She raised her shaky hand and stared at the deathly blue patches on her skin.


    "Sid. I-"


    She was hurled away as something emerged from the ground. She saw no sign of Sid as she was sent flying, dozens. No, then it was hundreds of feet.


    Yet somehow, even from up there, she could not see all of it. That enormous tendrilled creature arising from the snow was just too big.


    The force finally caught up with her as her world went dark. The cold night sky swallowed her.


    ###


    When she opened her eyes, it was dark and quiet. She staggered to her feet with the wind ripped from her stomach. It was night, yet she could still see the outline of that beast twisting and turning.


    No, it wasn''t a beast, but the figure of a monolith.


    "Just two more weeks. Two. Weeks. More." Murmuring, she wrapped her arms around herself. Her body blotted with patches of awful frostbite.


    She turned and trudged away. Resting her eyes. Allowing them to recoup what little they could.


    ######################


    A gentle warmth flooded the room. The dining hall was not too crowded nor too loud. No jeering, no squabbling, just the gentle haze of words carried over tables and pews.


    Rowan could feel himself nod off. But someone would always approach their table and talk with the Boss, waking him. When they did, it was impossible not to think and to examine the room again.


    "I''m sorry for your loss."


    Rowan winced as Garuda''s words ushered another Defected couple away. Her tone and mask were mostly convincing. But hidden under the table, his hand was suffering in a deadly grip.


    ''How? How did things get like this?'' It was clingy and offputting. Being dragged around, clung to, and squeezed. Uncomfortable, yet it was helping distract him. No matter how peaceful and warm the surroundings, his mind was filled with very different imagery.


    "Rowan, you must be tired. I really shouldn''t keep you up so long. After what you went through yesterday."


    "I''m fine."


    "No, you''re not." She sighed. "Thank you for looking out for me. I think I''ll be fine as soon as Hector shows up. You can get some rest then."


    Rowan nodded. Only half listening as his eyes slowly scanned the dining hall. He was able to keep track of the names and Defects better now. But the room was shifting, with different people rotating around and leaving with food and drink in hand.


    They had houses for themselves and their cliques, after all. Only now was he getting a real sense of this settlement''s size. How much was at stake.


    "Are you sure you''re okay? Really?"


    Rowan nodded the same as before. "Just thinking."


    "About what?"


    Rowan frowned. "I just need some space. To think."


    "Right. Sorry."


    He winced as she let go of his hand.


    Just like that time, he was feeling strangely jaded. Was it tiredness? A pinch of hunger? Of course, those were just excuses. Rowan shuffled on the bench drawn to the drink on his table. The liquid was dark black and pooling, staring at him with deep dark swirls.


    He picked it up and drank a large gulp. Unconcerned with who owned it. He saw a tall figure looming over him as he put it down.


    "Hector? How''d you sneak up on me again?"


    The Defected was smiling. Faint as it was, it was still strange to see on the stern, rigid man. His face was covered with small cloth patches, hiding yesterday''s wounds.


    Garuda smiled. "Ah, Hector, it''s good to see you''re okay. What did she say? Will you recover soon?"


    Hector nodded as bobbing, blonde, curled hair followed behind him. With a beaming smile, her gaze was like a merry-go-round, spinning around the room until she found the Boss.


    "Ah, Miss Boss, you''re here too? I definitely did my best with him. He''ll definitely make it. I think."


    Garuda looked confused as her eyes darted between them. Rowan stared at her. That fidgety, small figure. Round blue eyes. How had it happened?


    With nothing to lean on and clutch, the angst was clear in her every movement. And not once did leader come to mind.


    Marie clasped her chest with her single arm. "I''m sure he''ll recover. But, I was a little worried, so I did some extra tests. I''m concerned his Defect might have harmed his sight and smell."


    Hector''s face didn''t twitch. He just seemed content to have somebody do the talking for him.


    Garuda was pale. "What do you mean? His sight? How long does he need to rest?"


    Marie''s eyes closed as she leaned on him. "Aside from the pain, he shouldn''t need much rest. He''s a hard worker, unlike me."


    Hector glanced at her and snorted. But Garuda''s eyes were wide.


    "So his sight will be fine?"


    Marie pulled Hector by his hand and sat opposite them on the table. The hall was at its loudest and warmest as more Defected trickled inside.


    It was nothing like the past nights, as if there was an unspoken limit on the noise. Even the rowdiest culprits seemed to abide by it.


    "It''s fine." Marie closed her eyes and leaned in on Hector. "After all, he made it back in one piece."


    "I-"


    Rowan interrupted. "It was a good plan. It tired the Vile out and bought us time. This wasn''t the first time he used it, was it?"


    Marie smiled. "The first time was when we met. I remember patching him up back then. Even now, all we have is alcohol for sanitisation. I wish I could do more."


    Rowan frowned. "Don''t you already make all the spears?"


    "She fixes them too. Sorts all the housing. And deals with the wounded," Hector said.


    Rowan scoffed. He eyed her metal Defected arm. It was longer and had grown past the elbow. Glancing around, she raised it and realised her limb was still missing. She scratched her head with her other hand, laughing.


    "You''re all too nice. I just wish I could fight on the field like all of you."


    Hector shrugged. "You''d probably be good at that, too. But you''re too useful to risk."


    Marie blushed. "No, not at all. I''m not like you or Alicia. Speaking of, is she here? Where is she?"


    Marie''s gaze fluttered about. Rowan shrugged, and Hector did, too. Garuda was quiet, and her arms remained by her side.


    Hector coughed. "I''m not sure. But you must be hungry, right? Marie hasn''t been here before so can you show her where to go? Boss."


    Garuda perked up. "Um, what? I suppose." She rose to her feet, and Marie clutched onto her shoulder.


    "Ah, thank you. I''m so hungry. How did he know?"


    Garuda turned back to them, concerned. But she was slowly shuffled away by the taller, aloof Defected. Once the crowd swallowed them, Hector folded his arms and glanced down.


    He didn''t say anything. For Hector, it wasn''t that strange. Still, the Defected''s demeanour was odd, even for him. The corner of Rowan''s mouth twisted.


    "Your sight. Is it that bad?"


    Hector looked up at him. The focus of his dark pupils seemed to shimmer as he winced.


    "I wanted to keep it from both of them. But Marie knows me too well."


    Rowan frowned. "Of all the things I thought you''d say. It''s the truth, isn''t it? Why are you trying to hide it?"


    Hector shuffled on his chair. The ink of his face, or what was left of it, swirled.


    Rowan said. "Didn''t we do all this because we wanted to be transparent with everyone? Right? Since when have you been the type to shy away from harsh truths?"


    Hector blinked. "I know. I just couldn''t help it. This time"


    Rowan scowled. "Why? You heard her. Clearly, Marie cares more about you than your sight."


    "It''s not Marie I''m worried about."


    Rowan sighed and allowed his gaze to wander. He managed to find Garuda''s short silhouette at the front of the hall. Marie had her arms clasped around her as Defected turned to them.


    The hushed echoes of words rose as some extra laughs escaped the crowd. Rowan and Hector''s corner was muffled and had fallen behind the rising noise of the dining hall.


    "It''s bad, Rowan. Even now, across this table. I can only just make you out."


    "You should tell them."


    "I can still do it. I can still lead. I just need Defected to act as my eyes. I don''t go out on my own anyway."


    "This isn''t like you." Rowan cursed. "Why are you only telling me?"


    Hector hunched over the table. Thick, muscular arms and shoulders covered the wood. Food and drink were scattered around, but he didn''t spare them a glance.


    Even leaning over the table. His frame still towered over Rowan as he stared.


    "It wasn''t just Kane. We lost a lot of elites. They still need me."


    Rowan bit his lip. "No. You mean the Boss needs you. Don''t you?"


    "...Yes."


    Rowan nodded. "I thought so. Kane said something like that, you know? That you''re over-attached. But it''s not her. It''s the position you''re attached to, isn''t it? Aren''t you being selfish?"


    Hector''s eyes seemed to gain their focus as they followed Rowan''s. But he said nothing.


    "You''ll have to tell them eventually. But if it''s just for a while. Then I suppose it''s not a problem."


    Hector leant back on his pew. "Thank you. I just needed to talk it over. There''s a lot we both need to consider."


    "We''re back!"


    Rowan nodded as the girls returned. Garuda sat beside him again. Marie took her seat and went to take a bite from her boned meat, smiling.


    But a hand stopped her. Marie watched the food leave her hand with wide eyes as Alicia sat beside her.


    She took a bite as everyone turned to her. "What? I''m hungrier than she is." In the dim light, her face was smeared with sweat, but there was not a drop of blood on her.


    "Ah, Alicia, you''re here. Of course, we can share."


    Alicia snorted as she took another bite. Her red hair was darker than usual, matted and wild. She made no effort to brush it behind her ears.


    Hector frowned. "Well? Did you find enough Devoured to take your anger out on?"


    Alicia glared. "I did. Actually."


    Rowan waited as a content Marie pried the bone back from Alicia. The redhead watched with disgust before turning to face them all.


    Rowan asked. "So? What is it?"


    Alicia rested her head on her hand. "What is what?"


    "You have something to say, don''t you?


    "Maybe." Alicia shrugged. "More like I have something to say to you."


    Hector kept his silence as Garuda glanced at Rowan. The brief liveliness of the hall dwindled, and the sweltering heat was beginning to brim.


    "Okay? I''m listening."


    "We tired the Vile. We injured it. We distracted it. But you saw what Nero did. He snapped it in half. I''m sure I would have landed a killing blow very soon. But not like that."


    Garuda was suddenly holding his hand again under the table. He frowned.


    Alicia grit her teeth. "I lost my only two elites from my squad of twelve. Every hunt will be more dangerous than in the past. I need the manpower. I want you to join us, Rowan."


    Rowan blinked. Marie and Hector titled their heads in surprise. The pain in his hand only got worse. Alicia''s keen red eyes caught him as her gaze followed his arm below the table.


    Hector said. "I know you''re upset. But Rowan isn''t Nero. He''s needed elsewhere. You can''t claim him as your next toy."


    "Toy?"


    Alicia glared not at Hector. But at Garuda, who flinched away from those piercing red eyes. Hector looked startled as he stood and looked down at Alicia. But he said nothing more.


    "The only one treating you like a toy is her Rowan. If you want to do something meaningful, then come help me. She might be the Boss. But it''s always better to do what you think is best."


    Rowan shuffled. "Alicia, I can''t fight? I thought you knew that? You even had to protect me during the battle. I didn''t do anything. I was in the way, and then..."


    Alicia grabbed the table and leaned forward. "Then I''ll teach you. Unlike the Defected, we don''t know your limits." Alicia scowled. "I don''t know how long it will take, but you can get stronger. Isn''t that what you wanted? We have proof and-"


    "I can''t. I can''t do it."


    Rowan was sweating a little. There were some windows open, but not enough. The heat really was too much.


    That grip on his hand finally weakened, so he turned to Garuda. When he looked at her, there was still some frustration. But there was something stronger, too.


    Every time he saw those frightened dark pupils. He was reminded of her. Reminded of darkness and disappointment. They were supposed to be different people. Yet he couldn''t disappoint her, not again.


    "I can''t do it. Sorry."

 Chapter 18

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 Chapter 19

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 Chapter 20

    Chains. They were everywhere, biting into his skin. Pushing into his muscle and his bone. Everything ached, and the struggle only made it worse.


    But it was impossible to sit still and wait in such a place. In such darkness. He could only listen to them jingle and clink. But he had to move... to try and break loose. To writhe with every inch of his body.


    "Agh. Aghhh."


    He still remembered a time it had been worse. He remembered his first days here in this nightmare. Tormented and trapped by chains.


    "Ghh. Ghhh."


    They''d been bound so tight he couldn''t breathe. He''d fought for this petty freedom. The groans proved he could exert his will, even a little. He''d earned that right.


    Those days of excruciating numbness. This time, he''d left them behind of his own will. His very own competence.


    "I broke them. And I''ll break the rest, too."


    ###


    Nero tore a chunk out with ease. Each bite distracting him further.


    The tough meat was velvety, dry and burnt crisp. Hardly edible without teeth and a body like his. So then, how come it tasted so good?


    With a hum, he ripped into another awful mouthful and threw himself back onto the grass. He was grateful to the flowers surrounding the boundary''s edge. They''d made for a nice, warm bed this last week.


    Not that he cared much for this zone. It was a reminder of the two years he''d spent dwelling. Besides, if he stuck around, he''d eventually run into them.


    "Well, that would be awkward. But it turns out making a fire with all that snow is difficult."


    Nero listened as the campfire spat its last embers and died with a fizzle. "Well. Alright then. It''s now or never."


    He climbed leisurely to his feet and stretched his legs. He shared a long last glance at the field and the trees before turning. As he stepped into the snowy world, the boundary accepted him with open arms. And the cold did, too.


    "Time to get to work."


    He strolled through the cushiony snow, crumpling with every step. The Devoured here were few. He''d found hardly any the past couple of weeks. It was nice. But it was also a problem.


    "I thought we had it too easy, but I guess I was wrong. Sure, they''re strong here, but there''s hardly any amongst all this snow? No wonder Rowan made it to camp safely."


    The snow was simple and boring. So he glanced up at the endearing mountain peaks. There was no saying whether he''d find the sustainment he needed there. Not without kindling for a fire.


    "But there will be Devoured. Maybe this body can handle raw monster meat now. It''s not like I''ve tried."


    With a chuckle, he was struck by a gust of cold fog. He rolled his shoulders back and put a hand before his eyes. Cutting through it, he let the crunch beneath his feet guide him. The wind''s whistle was a nice touch, too.


    But not enough to drag him from his thoughts.


    "Ah. This really is gonna be my last time being this clean. Isn''t it"


    He was going to miss that above all else. Taking a final bath at the waterfall had been risky but well worth it. He''d even had it to himself. Something he''d not managed once in the previous years.


    Nero smiled and watched his feet plod forward. He couldn''t see the way anymore in the fog. But that was ok. Anywhere else, but back there was fine, really.


    "Garuda."


    With a frown, Nero raised his head. "Huh? What?"


    Peering into the grey veil. He could have sworn he''d heard a murmur. It was sometime before he saw a figure stumbling through the mist. They must have seen him long before he''d seen them.


    "...Uh, hey?"


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    They tottered towards him without a reply.


    "Hey. Are you lost? Camp is like way over that way."


    Nero stopped. Sighing as they tripped and fell.


    "You look pretty messed up. I''m not happy about it. But I guess I can show you the way back."


    Nero approached. The cold was wearing on his skin. A gentle chill caressed his back as two stark blue eyes rose from the ground, piercing the grey fog. Each pooling with crashing waves. Those dual Defects found and caught him.


    "Who? Are you?" Her voice was hoarse.


    "Those eyes... Boss. That isn''t you, is it?-"


    "I''m. I''m asking. The questions." Between haggard breaths, her words reached him clearly this time. They were full of scorn and insistence.


    "...I''m Nero. You''re really not from camp, are you?"


    Nero took a hesitant step back. There were all sorts of things he needed to be concerned about since setting off. Food? How to cook it? Water? Shelter?


    The last thing he had expected or even wanted to find was someone. Some untouched corner of humanity in this alien world.


    Nero pointed. "Hey, if you keep going that way, you''ll find the boundary, so how about you just-"


    "That voice. Then. You''re really not her?"


    Nero smiled. "I don''t look like a her? Or do I?"


    As she pushed through the fog, Nero saw those illuminated eyes better. They were smeared with blood and ice, squinting. Her clothes were deep black and shredded, resembling a familiar uniform. Beneath, there was no pale, feminine skin. Just patches of dark frostbite.


    "I''m a Marshal of Montarc. This is our territory now. Surviving out here alone... what nation are you from?"


    Nero groaned. The figure didn''t seem to like that.


    "What is your allegiance?"


    Nero mused to himself. Montarc? My allegiance? So then she''s part of our military. Great. The others were right about rescue being around the corner. Good for them.


    He had a... history with military types.


    But he had lived in Montarc for most of his life, sure. So, there was no reason to lie. Might as well play friendly.


    "I''m from Montarc, too, actually. So how about-"


    "Defect."


    Those raspy words filled Nero with dread as he met her cold blue gaze. His hazel eyes widened, and he staggard back.


    "You don''t have one. Your Defectedless."


    That old reminder again. The ways you were different were always a weakness. Only the most obedient, most compliant, got their way in the end. That was what it meant to live alongside people.


    He snapped from stepping back to flying forward. Thrown to the snow. He caught himself with his hands, shocked. The slouching figure looked down on him.


    "Wait-"


    His neck was yanked next as two clasping hands received him. Those feminine pale fingers were wracked with blisters and frigid to the touch. They reached around his throat and tightened.


    "Disguised as a human. A clever one."


    He felt her clawing at his skin and wringing him. Nero paled as he grabbed the hands around his neck. With all his strength, he pulled. Wrestled.


    He fought an inch free. Gasp. But then they strangled him again.


    Tighter. The oxygen was cut from his brain. He grabbed her hands. Yanking. Pulling. She was strong. His body was going numb. Like an animal, he thrashed. And his fist found her face.


    He was dropped. Spluttering on the snow, his mouth begged for air. The girl. No, the lunatic standing before him. Looking down with wide blue eyes. A drop of blood leaked from her lip as she cupped her face.


    His fist had found its mark. So how come his hand hurt so bad?


    "Strong, too. A Brute?" She cursed.


    Nero climbed to his feet, watching her. He could still feel the cold mark of her fingers on his neck.


    Two Defects. Even if it''s the eyes, she''s strong. But he''d spent years honing himself. And his fist had never hurt like that, regardless of which Devoured he hit.


    "Look, stop. Just wait. We can still talk this through."


    Nero''s lips twisted as he examined her. Defects were an inevitable advantage. It didn''t matter how much he built up his strength when there were people who could yank him with telekinesis. Or rip apart the world with black holes. Bending it to their will.


    He had to work harder than them. To find their weaknesses. What did they exchange for their power?


    He''d figured out what those limiting factors were for most of the camp, even if he didn''t remember their names. Studying them took time. But her?


    "Devoured. When they pretend to be human. They don''t have a Defect."


    Nero blinked. "Is that so? I can promise you, though... I am human."


    "Promises. Vows. The conversations always drag on exactly like that. You must be at least a Vile to be this convincing."


    He listened closely to her whispers. Followed the movement of her cracked lips. And found himself drawn in by the endless depths of her eyes. They weren''t as dark as the Boss''s. They were murkier, more twisted like the swirls of blue whirlpools.


    "I just... want to feel warm."


    The burden of her Defect was obvious. No studying needed.


    It was madness.


    His body lurched forward. And a fist struck his face. He backed up, guard raised, but was pulled again. An elbow smashed his left eye. As his head reeled back. Then it froze. Allowing another hand to strike his nose.


    ''Unfair.''


    Every time, his head rocketed back. Reeling. It was flung into another devastating blow. Like a punching back, his head swung back and forth all at her will. Blood went flying from his mouth.


    ''Taking everything out on me.''


    His feet were stumbling to stay upright. It''s not like he could flee. The bloodied knuckles were all he could see as he was clobbered over and over. Ringing pounded in his ears.


    ''I won''t let you. Again.''


    Nero crumpled and fell back. The morning warm pink rays descended on the cold world. Everything hurt. Even with all this sudden light, the world was twisted. His vision spinning so hard he thought he would vomit.


    A face stricken with grief and misery appeared above. That curdled mad scowl. How lucky was he to see it again.


    As her face leaned in, she raised her fist.


    Nero''s hands thrust up. Gripping her head and pulling at her hair, his thumbs found them. There was a horrid squeal as Nero plunged his fingers in.


    Blood ran down his hands, but he kept pushing.


    "Haha."


    Squishy and soft. Defects were supposed to be the strongest part of their bodies. Supposed to be.


    She broke free from his grasp and stumbled back, clawing at her face. She didn''t seem to understand what had happened. He watched her sway back and forth as he rose to his feet.


    More memories flooded his head.


    His face was swollen, and his eyes blackened. But he approached her anyway, driving his powerful shoulder into her side. The force sent her flying. And he followed.


    "You could have just left me alone."


    Nero approached. She tried to scuttle to her feet, so he kicked her. The force flipped her onto her back.


    "But it''s too late for that now."


    His whole body hurt. But that didn''t stop him from leaning in and hitting her.


    "I did want to avoid it at first. I just wanted to run. But there are some people who aren''t satisfied with even that."


    She was wailing and curling into a ball. Muttering some name. Her deep black uniform was even more tattered, revealing her wounded body beneath.


    "You must have fought a lot of battles. For Garuda, was it? Whoever that is, you''re not absolved. Good intentions don''t really matter when it comes down to it."


    His knees fell on her. Pinning her arms to her sides. His fingers clasped around her neck. But then she spoke.


    "Garuda."


    Nero frowned. He stared at her face. Her long blue hair and crude, crooked smile were an unpleasant, ugly sight.


    "But, no. You''re not her. You don''t look anything alike."


    Nero''s hands were on her neck, but there was no pressure. Eventually, he surrendered and reached for her eyes. He gently pulled her eyelids up.


    "The tissue is still intact. I''m not so nice or stupid as to help you. But maybe you''ll make it."


    Nero sighed and staggered to his feet. His legs were shaking as he turned to the mountain peaks.


    "Not today. But next time."


    Nero smiled.


    He heard a cough. Spluttering, the girl was on all fours now. Crawling towards Nero. Her eyes were sealed shut.


    "Stop already. It''s over."


    She was shaking. Nero looked at his hands to see them trembling, too. His eyes drifted to the snow and widened. It was the ground that was shaking.


    As if they''d disturbed something below.


    "What?"


    He heard a laugh. There was an uncanny sentience plastered across her face now.


    "You got this far. Yet you didn''t know what kind of place this is?"

 Chapter 21

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