《DeadHeart: Paradise Saga》


 Part 0: The Outlands

    The Outlands


    Corruption and wickedness overflows in the city of Dead Heart. No other life exists far away from it or its evil. The city¡¯s walls reaches to the heavens to protect the citizens from outside creatures and divide the city into seven districts. These seven districts all have unique ways of life, and yet it matters not. For the majority born are fated to be servants of a system where the few powerful rule and good is crushed by the heel of evil.


    Even beyond its walls, no hope can be found. Outside of the city is the area known as the Outlands where the city¡¯s garbage and waste are dumped into large mountains of useless material. The ground is always darkened by the variety of liquids that pour from the heaps. Rot, decay, trash, and death overpower any possible pleasant smell in this place. These lands can only be enjoyed by the rats and bugs that feast upon the unpleasantries of trash.


    Venture too far into the Outlands, and one will reach the mysterious mountains. These dark, forested mountains encompass the entire Outlands and the city. No one dares to traverse these mountains as those who have tried were never seen again. The last barrier between humanity and an unforgiving realm.


    Some flee to the Outlands hoping to get away from the grasp of the city, but they find the same cruelties here. Deadly creatures roam the Outlands seeking their next meal. These creatures hunt each other or any desperate person wandering the land. Within this wretched land, seven individuals journey. Each of them here for their own reason and soon to be drawn together by fate.


    On the dirt, a light skinned woman lies on her stomach waiting to spring a trap on some mice. Her golden hair no longer shines with all the muck covering it. In her early forties, her age is unapparent as she managed to keep a youthful exterior. Her once splendid white dress, torn and scratched, went down to her knees, seeped in filth. The boots she wore stood out as it did not match her clothing.


    She despised her current state of looks, but understood it no longer mattered. Her stomach was roaring for some, any kind of food. A rudimentary trap was set up. She would pull a string once a mouse was underneath, and the rodent would be caught and eaten. Sitting like a lioness, she waits for prey to come into view. When a mouse started to approach, her eagerness betrayed her as she pulled the trap too early letting the mouse escape.


    A sigh of disappointment escaped her, and she staggered over to the trap to set it up again. She stared at the trap for a minute, pondering on why she was here in this moment, almost loathing herself for it. Her daze was broken by her rumbling stomach. She reset the trap and turned towards her shelter, her pitiful two sticks of metal holding up a roof hut. The emptiness in her soul began to match with emptiness of her stomach, yet she moved back and lied underneath the pitifully slim shade the hut provided. To eat again was her only motivation for living.


    Not too far away in the Outlands, an older gentleman with dark skin stepped through the dirt path ahead of him. His hair was short and of silver color. The small wrinkles all throughout his body demonstrated not just the passing of time but the toils of labor. His clothes were on the simple side, since he was dressed in a plain grey button up shirt with white pinstripes running through it. He wore dark green overalls that ran over his large brown boots. His body looked healthy for his age, but there was still a gut to him. That gut added to his aura of charisma rather than took away. Those who saw this gentleman recognized he knew not only hard work but people as well.


    A large tan backpack around half of the size of the man was strapped to his back, and he carried it with ease. Some small pans and other tools were hanging off the sides and some clothes were pushing through the overstuffed pockets of this bag, a testament to the preparations he made for this journey.


    With such preparations, a stranger would think he knew where he was going. Incorrect, he had not a clue. His destination was the Outlands, but now there, he was aimless on where to walk to. Wandering through, he glimpses the shape of a bare bones trap, a box and string. At first, he ignored it, but after squinting at it, he realized it was intentionally there. Curiosity guided him over to the intriguing trap.


    With a clear view of the trap and reaching its area, he casually scanned the surroundings and spotted a pair of eyes staring at him, the blonde woman. The intense gaze pressed upon him, and he noticed a sharp rusty metallic object in her hand. She was ready to strike the moment he proved himself a threat. Stepping back and putting his arms up, he carefully spoke, ¡°Sorry miss. I hadn¡¯t the slightest intentions of alarming you. I was just observing your trap here.¡± She did appear to be moved by his words. The man intended to back out of the sight of the woman, but the loud growling of the woman echoed between the two. The woman was embarrassed before returning to her menacing gaze.


    It would have been easy for the man to leave, yet he could never let someone go hungry, not if he could help it. Slowly, he started reaching into a pocket of his backpack. The woman jumped to her feet pointing the dagger and ready to lunge. He extended arm silently, asking her to wait. The man fumbled around the pockets of the bag as he kept his eye on the woman. In these extended seconds, the air felt thick and could snap in a moment. Both were ready to react if the other made a drastic mood. The tension was rising, but it soon lightened when he finally managed to pull out a piece of dried jerky from the bag. Still cautious with his movement, he offered the jerky to the woman who was confused by this kindness, suspecting a trap.


    She wanted to ignore it, demanding the man leave immediately, but her desperation to eat motivated her to start approaching the jerky. The man lifted his finger and pulled the jerky back. ¡°In my business,¡± he explained, ¡°Nothing is free, but I¡¯m willing to cut you a deal for this here jerky.¡± The woman, almost willing to just attack for the meat, sternly asked, ¡°What is your price?¡± A light chuckle came from the man before he answered, ¡°Your name, miss.¡±


    ¡°Baba,¡± the woman coldly answered.


    The man extended the arm with the jerky towards her, saying, ¡°All right. You paid your price. Here¡¯s your meal.¡± Baba kept the dagger pointed at the man as she nabbed the jerky from his hand. Once it was safely in her grasp, she immediately began to devour jerky.


    A squeal of delight erupted from her mouth as she exclaimed, ¡°My goodness, this is the best jerky I¡¯ve ever had, perhaps maybe even the best meal.¡± Her demeanor was relaxed as she fully focused on the meal.


    The man laughed out loud. ¡°I do take great pride in my food, but I think the seasoning of starvation has made it far greater than it actually is.¡±


    ¡°Nonsense,¡± Baba said with food still in her mouth, ¡°I¡¯ve had luxury meals before, but this is beyond them all.¡± Baba finished the jerky, embarrassing herself in the process, and told the man, ¡°Thank you, so much for that meal. May I get your name, and if you can spare it, more food?


    The man was delighted to share what he could with Baba. He cheerfully told her, ¡°The name is Billy John, but just call me Billy. I may have gone overboard when it came to food preparations, so let¡¯s share a meal together.¡±


    Baba relaxed and gestured towards her hut. ¡°Take a seat in front of my, if you can just imagine with me, humble home.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d be delighted to,¡± Billy happily responded as he moved to the hut. Placing down the pack, he opened up the pocket with breads and jerkies. Baba could not help but salivate, yet she held her composure the best she could. This composure would break the moment she had her hands on the food consuming it like a beast. Billy looked at her curiously and asked, ¡°Haven¡¯t eaten much of a good meal in a while? Tell me, why are you out here starving in the Outlands?¡±


    Getting caught with a lack of manners, Baba blushed and responded, ¡°No, I haven¡¯t had a good meal in so long. I packed plenty of food, but it ran out. When I had plenty of food, I considered hunting to be a simple task, but I found myself lacking in survival skills. As for why I¡¯m here-,¡± she turned away from Billy. The joy on her face disappeared during her rumination. In a dazed state, she spoke, ¡°I had to leave. Enemies were made. There¡¯s nothing left for me there. Better to starve here than go back to that wretched city.¡± She noticed Billy¡¯s concern on his face, and like a professional actor, she changed her tone back to a happier one. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I want to know about you. How do you make such wonderful food and what are you doing here in the Outlands?¡±


    Billy was caught off guard by the subject becoming about him. He adjusted himself, taking a bite of his jerky and started, ¡°I¡¯m a bar owner in District E. I¡¯ve ran that wonderful little place for years, and in that time, you pick up a thing or two about cooking.¡± He proudly pointed towards the jerky in his hand. ¡°Why I¡¯m here is a different story. I¡¯m looking for my son.¡± His voice turned into a serious tone. ¡°He went out and got caught up with the wrong crowd. I decided as the father, it was up to me to bring him back. There have been so - so few clues. The Outlands is the last place that might lead me to the biggest clue I need.¡±


    Baba leaned in. ¡°What¡¯s the clue?¡± she asked. Billy leaned towards her about to whisper something in her ear, but before he could, the ground had a low quake. The two stood up to their feet, Billy grabbing his bag. Before they could act further, a giant dark blue worm with spikes made up of the trash found in the Outlands erupted from the ground towering in the sky.


    The behemoth of a creature was hundreds of feet away, but with its proportions, closing the distance between it and the two humans would only be a few seconds. Both Baba and Billy were stunned. Baba shouted, ¡°Run!¡± and the two started to dash as fast as they could. The worm¡¯s speed was frighteningly fast for its size and it charged through mountains of garbage with ease. Baba knew she could outrun it but could tell Billy was struggling while carrying the bag. She was about to shout at him to drop the bag, but her thoughts were interrupted by a small truck accelerating towards them. This small dark green truck with a large open trunk briefly stopped in front of Baba and Billy. A figure, whose face was covered by a scarf and dark goggles, was driving the truck and shouted at the two, ¡°Get in!¡± Without hesitation, Baba climbed in and helped Billy up. The moment the two were safely in, the truck immediately began its zoom away from the worm. The truck was fast enough to get away from the worm, but it began to chase after the truck, much to everyone¡¯s despair.


    Not too far away in the Outlands, a man fights for his life. A hoard of arcane corpses had risen from the ground to consume him. These are corpses that have managed to get to the Outlands, and while they were there, the corpses happen to fuse with the experimental material tossed into these lands. This mix of death and arcane creates a walking husk of a body with a variety of protruding metals and objects. These undead creatures devour living things, absorbing the energy within.


    The target they chose was no mere victim. The man expertly dealt with the mindless corpses. When they were near, he drew his blood red rapier and pierced their skulls. When they were far, he lifted his left arm which had a tattoo of a skeletal hand matching his. The tattoo began to glow, and he fired a blast of violet crackling magical energy towards the corpses.


    The man in his desperate struggle looked to be in his early thirties. The top of his head was of black matching his mustache and goatee. He had a longer but noble face. His suit was violet with a white undershirt and had matching violet pants. The buttons of the suit were shaped to look like skulls. Outside the chest pocket of the suit, a silver locket¡¯s chain could be seen. He dodged the corpses in his black leathery shoes. They were decorated with golden chains, but one had its chain broken. The expensive attire was more than just for looks. It proved itself to be made for life and death situations just like the wearer.


    Inevitably, the man proved himself the victor of the struggle. He let out a large exhale and returned to his meander in the Outlands. There was an aura of misery about him. He was either looking upon the dirt of the ground or high up into the grey sky. Deep in thought, he was creating plans, but they were quickly dismissed much to his frustration. To help with pain, he occasionally opened up the locket and observed the image inside.


    He did not make it far before he heard the click of a gun. Without hesitation, he spun around pointing his tattooed arm at the assailant. The woman holding a gun was of short stature, yet she stood out against the bleakness of the area. Her hair was a bright teal and was shaped into two puffy ponytails like cotton candy. Her face consisted of some light make up, yet her eyes contrasted by resembling the eyes of a killer. This contradiction returned as she wore a baby blue, frilly dress with black and white stockings on her legs that went into her sneakers. These sneakers had been handcrafted to look like ferocious bears with a tint of cuteness.


    On her back was a large mallet, and in her hand was the loaded pistol aiming at the well suited man. Both stood without fear as they pointed death at each other. The man was exhausted, but the woman was not. Perhaps she was taking advantage of his exhausted state. Rather not wanting to get into another fight, the man called out in his smooth voice, ¡°Why do you aim your weapon at me, madam? Must we be enemies of these forsaken lands? There is no purpose in bloodshed.¡±


    The woman just snickered and replied in a higher pitched voice, ¡°I know what you are. I know who you are. Killing you would make me a legend among mercenaries.¡±


    The man rolled his eyes. Another killer looking to hunt him not for his bounty, but for some fictional status like legendary. Her coming into the Outlands meant that she was likely no slouch when it came to combat, ranged or melee. The man needed a way out so he proposed, ¡°Listen madam, no one would be around to witness your victory, and besides, I am tired. Would you rather not fight me when I have more strength? Wouldn¡¯t that be more honorable? Let me count to three, and on the number three, we drop our weapons. We go separate ways, so that I may rest. Then we can have our legendary duel! How does that sound?¡±


    Tilting her head and considering the proposal, never letting her eyes off the man, she nodded and confirmed, ¡°Agreed. I will take you upon your request. I seek only the best of combat. If you truly are at your weakest, then I will wait for you to return to your full might.¡±


    With her confirmation, the man nodded and started the countdown. When he reached the number, they remained still. Both kept themselves like statutes pointing deadly weapons at each other. The man in cautious confusion asked, ¡°You seemed to have not brought down your weapon. Do you not wish for a noble fight?¡±


    The woman scoffed, ¡°Noble? In our livelihoods? Don¡¯t think you can fool me with your pleasant words. The only thing that matters in this world is victory by any means. Besides, don¡¯t you put all the blame on me. You kept your weapon up just as much as I did.¡±


    The man was annoyed and impressed that his plan failed. His usual trick of getting his enemy to lower their weapons in the promise of a duel usually leads to an easy kill. This woman he was facing may look childish and give the aura of unprofessionalism, but she clearly knew what it took to be a killer. Since the man was impressed, he wanted to know a bit more about who he was facing. He asked her, ¡°What is your name, madam? You clearly know the tricks of the trade.¡±The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°Mimi,¡± she said cheerfully, ¡°I am soon to be the most famous mercenary in the city. Everyone will know my name.¡± Returning to a deadly tone, she asked, ¡°What about you? I know you are the Evil, but I want to know your real name. While I¡¯m asking, why are you here?¡±


    ¡°I am Voltaire,¡± the man said with grace. ¡°I have retreated to these lands to find safety from my enemies in the city. I will return someday, but for now, I plan my return.¡±


    They were both satisfied with the answers given to them, yet they were still stuck in this stalemate. Both of them held their weapons at the other, plotting on how they could get the upperhand in the situation. Voltaire was considered firing at her gun to disarm her, making an easy fight. Mimi eagerly waited for his move. Confident she could take whatever tactic he tried.


    Before either could act, a corpse jumped out of the ground to attack! Voltaire swiftly aimed his tattoo down and blasted the corpse. Worried about his opening, Voltaire looked to Mimi expecting her to attack, but he saw that she too was under threat from other arcane corpses. He considered taking the chance to kill her, but more arcane corpses quickly rose out of the ground around both individuals. This led them both to naturally backing up to gain space and accidentally come back to back with each other.


    Voltaire spoke up as he faced his new enemies, ¡°Well madam, we seem to have a common enemy at the moment. May we have a truce at this time to defeat our foes?¡±


    With excitement, Mimi smiled and pulled her mallet from her back. It had a painted red angry face on each of the blunt ends. ¡°I think we can be allies for now but just try to stay on my level, m¡¯kay?¡± She launched herself towards a hoard of arcane corpses and with one swing of her mallet, crushed the group. Voltaire briefly stared in amazement, relieved to not have fought her, before continuing his fight with the arcane corpses.


    The two demonstrated their skills by killing the corpses quickly. It was a swift, barely noticeable battle, but before either could attack the other, the ground began to tremble. Not too far, they could see a large worm burst out of the ground, heading towards them. Turning around a hill, a truck drove towards the fighters. It reached a halt, and the driver of the truck remarked, ¡°The Outlands sure is full today. I¡¯d get in the back if you two want to live.¡± Voltaire did not hesitate and hopped into the back of the truck which already held two other individuals. Mimi stared at the approaching worm, desperately wishing to it fight, but her senses came to her. She climbed into the back of the truck, and the truck resumed its run through the Outlands as the worm followed from behind.


    At the base of another mountain in the Outlands, a person dug through the mountain desperately searching for something. This individual could be described as a shadow. The shadow wore completely black clothes from the bottom of their foot, to the black gloves covering their hands, and to to their black hood covering the top of their head. The individual wore a mask with glowing white dots that served as their eyes. They had matching black bag around the side of their waist. Inside, four glass vials holding a green liquid clinked around.


    The shadow continued their search for whatever item they were looking for. As they dug, they discovered a large peculiar object. The silhouette was similar to a person yet looked metallic. Curiosity overcame the shadow, and they began to tug on the arm of this object. It took the shadow removing some debris on the top and a few minutes of pulling before the object came out.


    Once it was revealed to the light of day, the shadow simply observed it. The machine was a six foot, bronze robot that had the generic anatomy of a person except its face consisted of two unlit lights for eyes and dozens of dots for its mouth. The machine had the Outland¡¯s signature dirt, grime, and mold all throughout making the intact machine look unsalvageable.


    The shadow marveled at the complex machine before looking for a way to open it. Searching the machine¡¯s body, the shadow found a button on the back of the machine¡¯s neck which opened up the chest. Moss and mold covered the inside of the machine, growing on the intricate wires and various parts. The shadow gently searched through the machine till they came across a black box where a human¡¯s heart would be. The black box had the words ¡°The Whale¡± engraved on the front. Opening the box up, the shadow was disappointed to find an empty vile inside. They took out the empty vile and threw it away in frustration followed by them beginning to walk away. After a couple of steps, they stopped and turned back to look at the machine. They pondered to themselves before giving into one of their queries again. Going back to the machine, they took out a vial of clear green liquid, Cells. They dipped their finger into the vial taking less than a drop. Whispering some words, the traces on the finger began to glow. As fingers began to hover over the inside of the body, a dim light shed from it, and this light began to remove the dirt and grime of the machine. When the shadow was done, the inside of the machine was near perfectly clean.


    Cells are the fuel of what individuals call magic in this realm. With the right ingredients and words, Cells can produce a wide variety of effects. Though the shadow¡¯s effect took a small amount of Cells, most magical effects consume a larger portion of Cells. It is a valuable asset even though it is not incredibly hard to come by within the nearby city.


    The shadow concluded that the machine was powered by a vial of cells. Taking the same vial in their hands, they put the full in vial into the black box. Ironically, the shadow had hoped this machine had Cells to take but ended up giving it Cells in return.


    A few seconds of silence passed before the machine began to make noise. Quickly closing the chest and stepping back, the shadow watched as the machine¡¯s eyes began to glow. The creaking of the machine''s joints could be heard as it started to raise itself to its feet. It began to scan the environment until its sight landed on the shadow who was readying to run if needed. Static noise could be heard from its mouth. At first, the machine was confused by the noise. Then it opened a hatch where its mouth speaker resided. The inside of the speaker was similar to the machine¡¯s insides before the shadow cleaned it. The machine then started to produce the same magical effect from its hand as the shadow did earlier, cleaning the inside of its speaker.


    The machine let out a clear, ¡°Hello!¡± in a synthetic man¡¯s voice. The shadow was taken aback by the intelligence of the machine. It was able to produce a magic effect with Cells on its own, something most machines are not able to do. ¡°Hello!¡± the machine exclaimed again. The shadow gave it an awkward wave. The machine continued, ¡°My name is ERROR. I am from ERROR, and I am here to help with ERROR.¡± The machine paused. Each error it spoke sounded more robotic than how it normally spoke. The robot configured itself for a minute before speaking. ¡°My apologies. It seems some of my inner memory has been corrupted. Please forgive me for this inconvenience.¡± It finished with a bow.


    The nervous shadow responded with the voice of a young man, ¡°Oh no, it¡¯s not a problem. Maybe this is all my fault. I didn¡¯t realize just how bad of a state you were in. I was just curious.¡±


    The machine shook its head. ¡°You have made no mistake. Even if I am lost in identity and in purpose, I am still grateful that you have reactivated me.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m glad you feel that way,¡± the shadow answered, leading to a pause between the two. Neither had a clue on how to continue the awkward situation they are in. Breaking the silence, the shadow asked, ¡°So, what do you plan to do now?¡±


    ¡°I-,¡± the machine considered for a moment, ¡°do not know. I have no purpose.¡± It stopped speaking and looked towards the distance. ¡°I think I would like to recover my lost memories, yet I do not know where to start.¡±


    The machine was staring blankly out into the distance. The shadow observed the machine, and proposed a deal. ¡°Would you like to come with me to my goal?¡± The robot turned its gaze toward him. ¡°I am looking for somewhere, and I could use the help. I can¡¯t make any promises that it will lead to you recovering your memories, but I¡¯d help where I could.¡± The robot naturally asked, ¡°Where is it that you are going to?¡±


    ¡°Paradise,¡± he uttered to the sky. ¡°That¡¯s where I long to go. It is a place where harmony is heard, the air is fresh, and beauty shines everywhere. There the lost are found, and the separated are united. Nobody fights for there is no need to fight. Everything is in abundance, the great food, the pure water, and the glorious love. I am going there.¡±


    The machine tilted its head and asked, ¡°Where is this Paradise? I have no recall of such a place. Since I do not retrieve an error, it seems that the name has never once entered my data banks.¡± The shadow gave a soft laugh. ¡°It¡¯s probably not been entered since it¡¯s only a rumor.¡± ¡°Why search for a rumor?¡± the machine asked curiously.


    ¡°Hope,¡± the shadow expressed, ¡°It is the last thing that motivates people like me. People who have lost everything hold on and seek hope.¡±


    The shadow stared towards the sky aloft with thoughts of paradise. There was a minute of silence before the machine spoke, ¡°I too want to find this paradise.¡± The shadow brought his attention to the machine, ¡°How come?¡± The machine replied, ¡°I, like you, have lost everything. I am aimless and purposeless. It is only reasonable for me to conclude that I must go to this Paradise.¡± The machine then answered the question that the shadow almost asked. ¡°My memories are no longer a part of me. As a machine without memories, I serve no purpose, but this means the purpose is mine to choose. I choose to go to Paradise.¡±


    The shadow nodded. ¡°Very well then. We will go to Paradise together. Before we go, I need to give you a name if you can¡¯t recall your original. You wouldn¡¯t mind, right?.¡± The machine agreed to a new name and this caused the shadow to wander in a circle for a bit. ¡°How about Miracle,¡± the shadow exclaimed, ¡°I find it poetic on two points. For it took a miracle to activate you, and we will both need a miracle to find Paradise.¡± The shadow waited eagerly for a response.


    To their delight, the machine confirmed, ¡°I do like the name Miracle. From now on, I am to be referred to as Miracle.¡± The shadow clapped his hands in delight and exclaimed, ¡°Oh, I do love giving things a good name!¡± Miracle asked, ¡°What is the name that you wish to be referred to as?¡±


    ¡°Well that¡¯s easy its-¡± the shadow stopped himself before thinking for a minute, ¡°Medoe. I can be referred to as Medoe.¡± His body language gave away signs of discomfort before he realigned himself back to the conversation.


    Before the conversation could be continued further, the sound of a vehicle approaching followed by the large trembling and sight of the arcane worm. Both Medoe and Miracle both froze, but Miracle analyzed the situation quickly. ¡°Medoe, we must make it into the oncoming vehicle,¡± Miracle commanded. Medoe nodded, and they both started running towards the approaching truck. With excellent timing both figures made it into the now crowded bed of the truck. Once the driver saw everyone was in, they accelerated the truck as fast as it would go.


    The worm chased the vehicle for about a mile more before turning away seemingly as if it hit an invisible wall. It dived back into the ground leaving a large gaping hole that was soon filled by the mountains of trash. Everyone lying in the trunk was relieved.


    With the vehicle safe from the worm, the driver stopped the truck near the bottom of a trash mound. The natural first question was asked by Voltaire. ¡°Can someone please get this heap of metal off me!¡± he cried as Miracle laid atop Voltaire before promptly apologizing and getting off. Miracle was the first out and the rest followed. Mimi let out victorious, ¡°Hah, and don¡¯t you come back worm!¡± She then turned around to the group and asked, ¡°Hey, why did it stop following us?¡±


    Billy climbed out the truck as he answered, ¡°I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t know much about big ol worms like that, but I have an inkling of a feeling that our driver would know.¡± He and the rest of the group, some still getting out of the truck, turned towards the driver¡¯s seat door and flew open.


    Stepping out of the vehicle with their dark green, musty boots emerged a figure wearing green cargo pants, plain black shirt, and tattered lab coat. Taking off their scarf and goggles, they revealed themselves to be a dark skinned woman. She seemed to be around, but her expression was that of a veteran. After the goggles were off, they put on large round glasses with the glass on the right having a large crack in it. Their short, black hair was all a mess as it seemed to be cut by the woman herself. Though, a white streak of hair stood out in the mess of a head.


    The woman looked towards the group and without hesitation began to explain, ¡°We¡¯ve reached the end of the arcane worm¡¯s territory. We¡¯ll be safe here. It is quite fortunate that those things have strict territorial senses. Otherwise, I doubt we would have made it. I didn¡¯t calculate that there would be six, seven including myself, passengers in the truck. Had I known that I may have taken a different route or made some modifications.¡± After the woman finished, she looked back at the group and noticed them staring at her awkwardly. ¡°What?¡± she inquired, ¡°Did I forget a detail in my report?¡±


    Baba spoke up first and kindly said, ¡°No, what you said was very informative. It¡¯s just - I think maybe - a more proper introduction would have been preferred, before the lecture.¡±


    The woman, now awkward, said, ¡°Yes, of course. I apologize. I haven¡¯t had proper communication with people these years. My name is Ceri. You could consider me an expert survivor of these Outlands.¡±


    Billy spoke up, ¡°Expert, you say? Well, how long have ya been out here in these darn wastelands if you could consider an expert.¡± Ceri in full confidence stated she had been out there for ten years. There was a collective impressed expression on everyone¡¯s faces. Billy continued, ¡°I¡¯ll admit. You are indeed an expert, but what are we to do now? I appreciate you saving me, but I have places I need to be at.¡±


    Mimi and Voltaire uttered they needed to go back to the city. Medoe and Miracle stated that they had a journey to be taking. Baba alone was okay with just being safe from the worm, mentioning she had no plans to return to the city. Ceri, after hearing everyone¡¯s grievances, said to them all, ¡°I cannot control what you all want to do, but I should mention that the worm will be active around its miles long territory for six months.¡± With that info, most of the group groaned in disbelief. Ceri continued, ¡°It is getting dark. For those who would like shelter for the night, I will offer my place of fortitude. Though-¡± her tone changed sharply, ¡°do know many thieves have tried to take advantage of my hospitality. I made sure it did not end well for them. I advise you to not follow their example.¡± Billy, Baba, Medoe, and Miracle fearfully nodded in compliance. Voltaire and Mimi rolled their eyes but silently agreed to take a rest. With the sun setting, Ceri hopped in the truck and started driving it slowly up the hill.


    They followed the truck towards a large hill with a cliffside. Piles of junk were surrounding the cliff and atop of it. Standing near the edge was a person made metallic structure. Getting closer, the structure resembled a small metallic hut. It was boxy and made up of various metals mended together. A window, each made of a different tinted colored glass, sat to the left and right of the large oaken door which had junk metal welded into it for reinforcement.


    The truck was parked a couple of feet from the metal hut, and Ceri guided the group in. Baba cheered, ¡°Oh I am so glad to have an actual structure over my head, instead of that pathetic scrap heap I made.¡± Her expectations were met with disappointment as she saw the inner area of the hut. It consisted of a singular room, and the ground was completely dirt with a fire pit in the center of the room. To the left side of the fire pit, was a musty mat on the ground, covered by a dirty brown blanket and stained pillow. On the right side of the fire pit was a metallic table and rusted chair. The top of the table was covered with various mechanical items sharing space with chipped and cracked bowls and other utensils. It was a suitable hut for one person but crowded for seven. Baba, reeling from her unrealistic expectations, whispered to herself, ¡°A beggar can¡¯t choose their meal, I suppose. Though, choosing a meal is something I do miss.¡±


    Ceri sitting on the mattress gestured around, ¡°It¡¯s not much. But sit down and make yourselves comfortable.¡± As everyone began sitting where they could, Miracle said to the group, ¡°From retained data, I know it is best for a group of unknown beings to share their names and experiences with one another, so that tensions may be relieved.¡± Miracle was right. There was a silent tension amongst the group, an air of distrust, so they continued, ¡°Allow me to introduce myself. I am now referred to as Miracle. My previous name and programmed use has been lost to me. I am with the shadowy individual known as Medoe.¡± They gestured to Medoe beside them who gave an awkward wave to everyone. Mimi piped up next, proudly exclaiming to be an on the rise bounty hunter. Baba spoke her name and stated she was just trying to live in the Outlands. Up next, Billy announced his name happily and said he was looking for something in the Outlands. Ceri just stated that she lost her home and was forced to live in the Outlands.


    Looking downcast, Voltaire was last. He said with melancholy, ¡°Six months? I can¡¯t wait that long. I have someone waiting for me in the city. Sorry, where are my manners? I am Voltaire, and I don¡¯t know what to do. Even if I make it back, there may be no chance for me to reach who I long to see.¡±


    His depressed feeling spread to Baba who stated, ¡°I can¡¯t go back either. I made a mistake and have made a dangerous enemy.¡± Medoe spoke up to Baba, ¡°Me too. I did something that I can¡¯t take back.¡± Ceri wished to contribute to Baba and Medoe but held their tongue. Mimi, starting to feel dour, said, ¡°I didn¡¯t make a mistake, but I do have a promise to keep. I¡¯d hate to be a disappointment.¡± Billy patted her on the back and said, ¡°Me too. I can¡¯t fail my promise either.¡± With that the group fell into a state of silence. All of them reflecting upon their histories and situations wondering how they could have ended up in this wretched land.


    Miracle, who felt no gloom, stated to everyone, ¡°I am getting the feeling that most of us here are feeling lost. Perhaps, you all should be looking for Paradise?¡± Paradise, the word brought a glimmer of hope to their faces. They all started to think about what it meant to them, and why the word held such meaning to them. Recognizing this, Miracle suggested, ¡°Should we all go around and talk about this Paradise? I¡¯ve concluded that it might bring the spirit of the group up.¡± To help bring up the mood, everyone agreed upon Miracle¡¯s suggestion and decided to talk about that wonderful place.


    To Be Continued¡­

 Part 0: Shadow of Hope

    The sun began to set, and the room began to darken. A fire was started in the pit, so the seven strangers could converse around the light. Paradise was such a lovely topic, but many hesitated to reveal why they would want to reach Paradise, for doing so uncovers the souls deepest wishes. How could they share their hopes and dreams to one another so soon?


    Silence filled the room as some were thinking of Paradise, and others were waiting for someone to start the conversation. Miracle broke the silence, plainly speaking, ¡°My memories have been lost. The reason for why I was made has been forgotten. I have nothing, and when you have nothing left, you search for this Paradise. That is what Medoe told me. I concluded that Paradise was the only option for a hopeless machine like myself.¡±


    Curious, Ceri followed up, ¡°That is quite a human conclusion to reach Miracle. To observe the abyss of purposelessness and decide to make your own meaning, conveys your programming is far more advanced than that of a basic machine. Whoever made you, designed you very well.¡± She stared intently at Miracle pondering about the mysteries of their origins. Speaking from her mind, she said, ¡°Perhaps, this programming wasn¡¯t intentional. Thinking like a human is something most don¡¯t want their machines to do. Otherwise, they might-¡± Ceri trailed off, realizing that it would be best if she ended her thoughts there.


    Mimi let out a large ¡°Eh¡± to grab everyone¡¯s attention, preventing anyone from following up on Ceri¡¯s comment. ¡°Smart machine, smart person, dumb machine, or dumb person, it¡¯s all the same at the end of the day. Now miss smarty pants, why do you want to go to Paradise? What¡¯s your vision of it?¡± Mimi had her hands on her hip leaning forward as she spoke.


    Ceri was caught off guard and looked hesitant to answer. Billy noticed and decided to draw everyone¡¯s attention. He slapped his knees as he let out a large ¡°Welp!¡± gathering the eyes of everyone and continuing with gusto, ¡°I may be the only one here, who don¡¯t care about this Paradise. Heh, makes me the odd one out. Paradise just sounds like a pretty dream to get people going through life. Me though? I don¡¯t need it. I¡¯ve managed to make my own paradise here in this world. Now, don¡¯t get my statements kerfuffled. I had to toil, sweat, and cry to get where I am today. I¡¯m satisfied. Giving my life for some paradise sounds silly to me.¡± Billy looked rightfully proud as he spoke. His statements had full confidence in every word he spoke.


    Bitterly, Voltaire asked Billy, ¡°What are you doing out here with the rest of us desperate souls?¡± Billy¡¯s pleasant expression turned into a soft but serious one. He uttered, ¡°I¡¯m looking for my son. He disappeared one day leaving a note saying he was goin lookin for this Paradise. I get searchin for some hope, but he had a good life. He had a steady job at my bar, a caring family, and plenty of stability. I think he only left because he was influenced by these strange groups that he was talkin to a month or two ago before his disappearance. If I find the trail to this Paradise, I might be able to drag him back home. Paradise sounds nice, but I¡¯m lookin for him.¡±


    Voltaire sneered in resentment, ¡°Maybe the reason he left is because he had a foolish father who believed he knew everything there was to know in life.¡± Offended, Billy curled up his lips and retorted, ¡°Now listen here son, this got nothin to do with me. I did what any dad should do. I gave him a roof, food, and a future. It ain¡¯t my fault if he decided to throw it all away for a fantasy.¡± Billy pointed towards Voltaire, ¡°What¡¯s your problem anyway? You trying to fix your attitude by going to Paradise?¡±


    Voltaire rolled his eyes while groaning. He begrudgingly stated, ¡°I want to escape the violence of this city just like most people. I¡¯m from District W. The constant gang wars and backstabbing among members is far too much for a single lifetime. I always considered leaving, but leaving that district would only lead to the mercilessness of the remainder of the city. Can¡¯t go beyond the Outlands either. It¡¯s a hostile, alien world out there. Now Paradise, that is the place where me and Irene can rest and enjoy our lives.¡±


    Mentioning Irene brought a tranquil smile onto Voltaire¡¯s face. He pulled out a locket. His moans of hopelessness turned to soft whispers of joy. ¡°This locket was a gift from her for our anniversary. She promised me that our souls would never be apart with this locket.¡± He opened the locket and happily showed the picture of the woman inside. The image was in black and white and only showed the woman¡¯s head. Irene was beautiful with her long hair and scars around her face. She was smiling the kind of smile reserved for the one they love. The picture belonged to Voltaire and only him.


    Medoe shyful spoke, ¡°If I may ask, what happened to you two? Why are you in the Outlands, separated from her?¡± Voltaire¡¯s smile faded as he recalled, ¡°We were entangled with a gang called The Bones. I¡¯m sure the stories of just how vicious and evil they are have reached across the city but being in the middle of their wickedness is far worse than any story could attempt to describe. We both had enough, and we fled. Our escape was at night, but a patrol noticed us. We tried to evade their pursuit, yet she ended up getting caught while I escaped into the Outlands. Now, she is either a prisoner or is -¡± Voltaire stopped. He could not bring himself to finish the thought. After a moment, he collected himself and continued, ¡°I will go back for her. I refuse to journey to Paradise without her. For if she wasn¡¯t there, it could never truly be a paradise.¡±


    Voltaire returned to his depressed state, and while he sat, Mimi antagonized, ¡°Maybe you two should have never got tangled up with that gang to begin with. That¡¯s why you¡¯re in this mess.¡± Voltaire glanced a vicious look upon Mimi considering physical vengeance or an insult, but he decided to not give into her game and turned his head away. With a huff of disappointment, Mimi continued, ¡°I, however, also made a promise to someone. We both swore to become rich and strong mercenaries. Once accomplished, we would go find Paradise and build our futures there as a team.¡± Mimi stood tall and pointed towards the sky in a triumphant pose. ¡°I¡¯m currently on my way to becoming rich and strong. My mercenary group will soon form and be the greatest in the city!¡±


    Mimi remained in her stance standing as a model waiting for their figure to be carved from stone. Ceri¡¯s every thinking mind started to turn, and she began spilling out her train of thought. ¡°If you truly were on your way to forming a strong mercenary group, you wouldn¡¯t be here in the Outlands. It is common knowledge that strong mercenary groups are formed within the city, with no known example of a capable group forming in the Outlands. Yet, here you are. This leads me to the reasonable conclusion that you have failed all attempts at creating a mercenary group or a competent one and have no more options but to come here into the Outlands and find desperate people to join you.¡± Once Ceri finished, she looked at Mimi. The rest of the group turned their heads as well.


    With all eyes staring, her victorious expression crumbled into embarrassment. She plopped back onto the ground and murmured in shame, ¡°Yeah, I guess,¡± not bothering to look at the group, sitting in defeated silence.


    To Babba, Mimi simply had a naive yet optimistic dream just like herself once. Baba, in a bid to change the focus, quickly said, ¡°Let me speak about why I seek Paradise. For me, I¡¯ve lost all matter of connection. Any friends I once had, are now my enemies, and the one who I onced loved- well, he rightfully hates me.¡± She became more distant as she spoke, her performance becoming more real. ¡°I just want to reform any sort of meaningful connection again. In Paradise, I would be able to trust and love anyone without worry of their hidden intentions. No more hurt. No more pain. Just anyone whom I can trust again.¡±


    Speaking in a hushed tone, Medoe spoke to Baba, ¡°Me too. I¡¯ve lost everything in my life, and I¡¯m only going to Paradise because I¡¯m hoping there is someone waiting for me. I once had so much, but this city has sucked every bit of my soul dry in mere moments. If it weren''t for the hope of Paradise, I don¡¯t think I would go on.¡±


    Baba looked into the white of eyes of Medoe¡¯s mask. She could not know his expression, yet she still understood him. Tears welled up as she said, ¡°What if there is no Paradise? It is only a myth spread by stories giving the slightest bit of hope in this dark world. We¡¯re just chasing an illusion. Deep in our hearts, we know that. What will we do when we face the truth?¡±


    The room became dour. Paradise was supposed to inspire hope, but once the facade is revealed, Paradise only brings more despair. All of them came here in search of a clue, but the group was starting to realize that they were merely looking for a lie.


    Ceri was hesitant to speak. She knew of a way to lift their spirits, but it might be a lie. Would it be right to do so? Is raising their hopes with a possible lie, the only way to give hope? If she spoke her knowledge, it may raise their spirits up, but it will likely crash down. The moments of this internal dilemma felt like hours for Ceri before she came to a conclusion. She would honestly say what she knows and let them decide if it was good enough to pursue, for the shadow of hope is better than none.


    In a clear voice, she said to the group, ¡°I may know where to start looking to find Paradise.¡± Everyone gathered their attention towards her, remaining doubtful but curious. Ceri calmly continued, ¡°I had a roommate who was interested in all information related to Paradise. They spent their free time researching it and solving its mysteries. They would stay up overnight on their laptop like a madman figuring out whatever they could about the place. One day, they came up to me and told me they had a breakthrough. Telling me with excitement that they had found the path to Paradise. Of course, I didn¡¯t believe them. How could they have found the map to a fictional place? I was busy that day anyway with a breakthrough of my own. I wasn¡¯t going to let someone''s delusions get in my way. Not like they would have been able to pursue that trail. The day they had their breakthrough was Doomsday.¡±


    An auditory gasp could be heard from the group, and they erupted with questions. ¡°You were a survivor of Doomsday?¡± Baba said with dread. ¡°Where were you when it happened?¡± asked Billy. ¡°How did you survive?¡± questioned Voltaire. ¡°Did you get any cool scars?¡± Mimi eagerly asked. As everyone went on with their barrage of questions, Miracle sat calmly in the midst of everyone. Miracle to no one specific, asked, ¡°What is Doomsday? I believe I¡¯ve lost that file, or it occurred after my deactivation.¡±


    Everyone stopped their questioning of Ceri and considered how to explain the situation to Miracle. Before anyone could say anything, Ceri said, ¡°Let me explain, I was the survivor after all.¡± She sat up and readied to lecture everyone on Doomsday. ¡°I come from District S. Is that still in your memory?¡± Miracle nodded. ¡°It was once a thriving and technologically driven district. Some of the greatest minds worked there to develop Cells research and find more uses for them. Leading the way in this research was the Cerebral Corporation. They had the most funding and power of all the research companies in the district and the city.


    Ten years ago, Doomsday occurred. Cerebral Corporation had a massive explosion that destroyed the main lab and decimated a large chunk of the district. This was followed by absolute chaos. With the panic of the accident occurring, many attempted to take advantage of the confusion to rob and loot where they could. When the explosion happened, it was made up of mostly Cells that were magically radioactive resulting in most of the surviving residents of District S turning into mutants. Because the rest of the city didn¡¯t want to risk the spread of mutations, they quarantined the entire district forcing any surviving mutant to live in the poverty of their ruined district.


    Why Doomsday happened is a mystery. No one knows what happened at the lab that day. Some believe it was the incompetence of the lab, and others say it was because of a rival group trying to ruin the research. Only theories and rumors float around with the truth being lost.


    I only survived that day because I was on my way back from work. The apartment I lived in was in the opposite direction of the lab, so during the explosion, my car protected me from the following shockwave. By some miracle, I also managed to only get a minor mutation.¡± She pointed towards the streak of white in her hair. ¡°I attempted to get into another district, but since I had a minor mutation, they did not want to risk having any sort of mutant in their district. Between staying in the district or coming to the Outlands, I chose to come here. There¡¯s less people and less chance of mutating. It was the only logical choice.¡±


    Ceri explained her story with clear concise words seemingly with no emotional attachment to the tragedy, yet the group could only feel pity for Ceri. Most felt ashamed about brashfully asking many questions towards her and not considering her feelings about the situation. Ceri continued, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me. I¡¯ve managed to live quite comfortably here. I¡¯ve found a routine, and this is the right place for me. Remember, this was about the clue of Paradise. There is a chance, though it may be small, that the laptop is still in that apartment in District S. If that laptop is operable, the info on it might lead to Paradise. There is no way to say it will, but I can only offer a miniscule chance for a spark of hope.¡±


    Everyone sat in silence weighing the choice. Do they risk going into the magically dangerous ruins of District S to retrieve a phantom laptop with no guarantee that what they want will be there? Or do they resign themselves to their current situations, waiting for a better opportunity? The crushing weight of indecision lied within them all. Choosing would be bearing the responsibility of what comes after, a heavy weight to bear.


    The shy voice of Medoe broke through the silence.¡°I want to go. If I¡¯m being honest with myself, I know it¡¯s for nothing, but I desperately need anything to believe in hope again. This is my opportunity, and even if it¡¯s for nothing, I want to say I tried.¡±


    Mimi nodded saying, ¡°I¡¯ve got nothing else going on. Let¡¯s give it a try.¡±


    Billy confirmed with a grin, ¡°It could lead me to my son. Maybe it will. Maybe it won¡¯t. But I''d be damned if I didn¡¯t try.¡±


    Voltaire sighed but smirked as he said, ¡°This is going to be a waste of time, but I¡¯ll take the thread I can get. If this is the way, I¡¯ll have the courage to get Irene back.¡±


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    Baba anxiously added, ¡°It sounds risky, dangerous, and - quite frankly - pointless, but I¡¯ve lived most of my life playing safe. Pardon my language, but darn it, I¡¯ll give it a shot.¡±


    Lastly, Miracle said, ¡°Of course, I will go. My decision was made since I¡¯ve been made¡± Their head turned to Ceri asking, ¡°If you knew about this, why haven¡¯t you tried to find this laptop yourself?¡±


    Ceri calmly admitted, ¡°All this time, I never believed that I deserved to go to Paradise. As a survivor of Doomsday, I do not deserve to find the wonderful place while so many lost their lives. It wouldn¡¯t be right. I will guide you all to the laptop, but once you are on the path, I will come back here to live the rest of my days. That is the deal.¡± Some wanted to tell Ceri that everyone deserved Paradise, but her words demonstrated that convincing would be pointless.


    Agreeing to her conditions, she said, ¡°Now we must decide, do we wish to wait six months for the worm to go into hibernation or do we kill it.¡± The frustration of the worm came back into everyone¡¯s mind, but it did not take long for Mimi to stand up and say, ¡°I¡¯m not going to spend six months waiting around doing nothing. I¡¯m already taking a risk on this possible laptop. Playing safe with the worm is stupid. Besides, I could never stay in the Outlands. This place sucks. No offense,¡± she said, turning to Ceri who shrugged in agreement.


    Voltaire followed with confidence, ¡°For once we¡¯re in agreement, I can¡¯t have Irene waiting any longer. Staying here for six months isn¡¯t an option for me.¡±


    Billy added, ¡°You¡¯re darn right, Mr. Voltaire. Who knows what trouble my son would get into if I were to allow him to stay with people he¡¯s with.¡±


    Medoe, Miracle, and Baba were left. The three were far less willing to risk fighting a creature as none of them had the pressure of time. Miracle spoke to both Medoe and Baba, ¡°It would be best if we all worked together. If the other four attempt to fight the worm without our help, they will likely perish.¡± Baba added on admitting, ¡°Even if they did kill the worm, it would be rather selfish of us to then go to the district after they risked their lives. I hate it, but I will help.¡± Medoe¡¯s arm was starting to tremble as he said, ¡°That thing is a monster. There is no chance that we could defeat it, but if participating helps increase the chance of everyone¡¯s survival, I will.¡±


    With everyone in agreement, Ceri continued, ¡°In order for me to make a plan, I need to know everyone¡¯s skills and capabilities. Tell me anything and everything. It all helps.¡± Mimi blurted out, ¡°Ooh, ooh, I¡¯ve been trained in all sorts of weapons. I can fire any type of gun, and exceed well with up close combat, especially with my lovely Crusher here,¡± she pointed to the mallet on her back. ¡°Me and him go way back. We¡¯ve been able to crush anything that comes our way.¡±


    The group seemed doubtful of her abilities knowing her tendency to exaggerate, but Voltaire vouched, ¡°I can speak for Mimi here. She has incredible strength, about the strength of ten people, I¡¯d say.¡± Mimi smiled at Voltaire¡¯s comment, glad to have some validation. Voltaire continued, ¡°Since I¡¯m speaking, I have training with my rapier, and upon my arm is a tattoo that can create deadly bolts of energy.¡± Voltaire rolled down his sleeve to show everyone the purple tattoo on his arm.


    Ceri studied from afar and asked, ¡°How can it produce magical bolts of energy? You need Cells to create any sort of effect.¡± Billy interjected himself by saying, ¡°Now hold on a moment, I don¡¯t know a lick about Cells or magic tattoos, but why is it important for that tattoo to have Cells, miss Ceri?¡± Ceri explained, ¡°In order to create what everyone calls magic, you need Cells. Cells are mixed with other materials to create a variety of effects. What the effect is depends on how much Cells are consumed and what material is used. However, it is also known that certain sounds and motions can reduce the amount of Cells and materials needed to produce the same effect. That is why constant research is necessary to find all Cells possibilities.


    This is to say that Voltaire¡¯s tattoo defies the fundamentals of magic as it does not have any Cells.¡± She turned to Voltaire expecting a detailed explanation. He let out a deep breath and said, ¡°I¡¯m not completely sure how it works, but from what I remember being told, the ink of the tattoo is fused with Cells and the tattoo consumes a bit of my blood in order to create the bolt. It allows me to never need Cells to create the magical bolts, but it¡¯s a one trick tattoo. That¡¯s all it can do.¡±


    Billy put his hand on his forehead saying, ¡°Ah, all I wanted was a simple answer, but I got a lecture instead. I¡¯m afraid to ask, but my curiosity is killing me. If that tattoo is basically a gun with unlimited ammo, why don¡¯t everyone in the city have one on their arm.¡± Voltaire explained, ¡°The tattoo takes a physical toll on the user. It takes months of physical training before you can put this on. Using it is also strenuous. I can¡¯t use it in succession too many times before I get the worst cramp I¡¯ve ever felt.¡±


    Mimi leaned in with a smirk and asked Voltaire, ¡°Where did you get that tattoo, huh? It sounds like you¡¯d really need to know a guy in order to get it, and why do you have such a tattoo, hmm? Voltaire quickly rolled down sleeve and said in frustration, ¡°Don¡¯t want to discuss it.¡± He then said out loud, gesturing to the room, ¡°Would anyone else like to talk about themselves? I feel like I¡¯ve been doing a lot of talking.¡±


    Medoe sheepishly raised his hand followed by a meak, ¡°I can also use Cells. I specialize in using sounds in order to create my Cells effects.¡± Medoe pulled out a flute from his bag briefly revealing the few vials of Cells he had. ¡°I can play the flute, piano, guitar, and almost any instrument known. All I need to do is attach the Cells to the instrument and play the song. The combination of the instrument and music creates spell effects even without the proper material needed to be added to the Cells. To make up for the lack of material, the songs become more complex.¡±


    Baba cheered, ¡°Wow, that¡¯s amazing. You know so many instruments and how to use Cells. Tell me Medoe, where did you get your education?¡± Medoe bashfully said, ¡°My parents just wanted the best for me. I¡¯m humbled by it all.¡± Baba continued on, ¡°No, you should be proud. Me however, I don¡¯t have any knowledge of Cells. In all honesty, I¡¯m not sure if I can contribute to the group. Skills in killing big, mountainous, blue worms is not something I¡¯d ever think to have.¡±


    Billy added right after, ¡°I¡¯m with her. As ya¡¯ll just found out, Cells are a complex topic for me, and I prefer to talk my way out of situations. Maybe sneaking around and getting into places I¡¯m not supposed to be in, but against a big ole worm, I¡¯m a little useless.¡±


    Ceri shook her head and said, ¡°Incorrect, any extra pair of hands can still contribute greatly. With my and Medoe¡¯s wide variety of Cell use and with Mimi and Voltaire¡¯s combat prowess, the extra pair of hands can be used to cover the basic tasks that we are missing out on.¡±


    Miracle seemed hesitant to respond, but Ceri eventually asked them to explain what they could do. Miracle answered, ¡°I also know how to use Cells and create Cells effects. All I need are the resources but-,¡± Miracle stopped. They looked down as they said, ¡°Must we truly kill the creature? The truck was fast enough to outpace it. Can¡¯t we just drive to our destination? It would be less dangerous than to attempt combat with the worm.¡±


    Ceri explained, ¡°While we could attempt to outpace the worm, we will be stuck outside the wall of the district for a couple of days as I get the doors open. The worm¡¯s territory spreads to that spot. If we wait to fight it later, it will find us then. We need to find a battlefield near this place in case we need to make a retreat. If we fight at the wall, retreating won¡¯t be available.¡±


    Miracle just sat there like a statue. Were it not for their eyes signaling they were on, one would think they were deactivated. Their body began to make small jolts of movement as Miracle echoed words more machine-like than before, ¡°I understand. We must kill. Kill. Kill. Kill¡± Miracle started jolting and rattling faster each kill they repeated louder than the previous. Everyone distanced themselves as far as they could from Miracle, reading to take action. ¡°KILL. KILL. In order to survive, ERROR must be activated. The ERROR must ERROR in order to gain more ERROR, so that ERROR can KILL. Starting ERROR. Activation of ERROR was denied. Are you sure you want to force restart ERROR? ERROR must come out.¡± Miracle was making strange creaking sounds as the sound of bending metal could be heard while they curled on the ground holding back the pain. The errors continued to echo out of them. The group cautiously watched. Voltaire and Mimi readied their weapons as Baba and Billy made some distance the furthest from the machine. Medoe attached a vial of Cells to their flute and quickly played a melody from the flute. The melody was short and sporadic, but the notes chained together perfectly. At the end of the flute, a bolt of lightning shot out and into Miracle. The electricity was not enough to hurt the machine. Rather, it caused the machine to short circuit and power off.


    Medoe quickly opened up the machine¡¯s chest to observe the damages. After looking at it, he confirmed that there seemed to be no lasting damage. Tension lingered and Voltaire demanded answers from Medoe who was frantically ensuring he had none. Ceri commanded both, ¡°Enough! This may be an unexpected factor, but we cannot turn on each now. We will soon need teamwork in order to kill that worm soon. We simply need to wait for an explanation as to why this occurred. Let¡¯s wait for them to reactivate then ask what had happened.¡± Voltaire backed away from Medoe and leaned against the wall with a huff. Ceri suggested, ¡°We all should get rest. The sun is gone, and we have work to do tomorrow.¡±


    Medoe in shock said, ¡°I will take Miracle outside for the night and sleep out there. I¡¯m the one who activated them. Let me take responsibility.¡± Ceri agreed and let Medoe know that immediately outside the base should be safe. She spent a couple years killing any corpse that approached, so they learned to ignore the place by instinct.


    Medoe struggled to drag the machine out by the arms but was able to do so eventually. Before anyone could get settled, Baba looked at Voltaire and Billy, saying, ¡°I hope you two understand that for tonight, I would rather sleep in here with only ladies. I just rather not be around men at this time.¡± Billy happily complied with the request and Voltaire, a bit annoyed, also agreed to sleep outside. Baba thanked them both as they went to sleep under the stars.


    The men began to settle their sleeping area for the night. Billy started a fire with a match and laid out a sleeping bag. Medoe sat Miracle upright, leaning the machine on a pile of garbage. Medoe made their spot right next to them. Voltaire simply shifted his eyes between the two, observing any actions they took.


    Eventually, they all laid down for the night. While Billy and Medoe started to drift, Voltaire constantly changed between sleeping positions eyeing Medoe, Miracle, and Billy. He sat up in frustration, alerting Billy and Medoe. When Billy asked what was wrong, Voltaire angrily replied, ¡°He¡¯s the problem.¡± He pointed to Medoe. ¡°Just who are you under that mask? Why do you feel the need to conceal yourself?¡±


    Medoe did not have a good response. He simply said, ¡°I can¡¯t take it off. I can¡¯t risk anyone knowing who I am.¡± Voltaire snapped back, ¡°Who are you to think you can hide your identity? None of us here have a mask. Give me one reason to trust you and that machine you have.¡± Medoe remained stuck in silence.


    Billy stepped in between the two and spoke to Voltaire, ¡°Listen, Mr. Voltaire, I know you may be distrustful of our new pal here, and you have every right to do so. But I want you to just think a moment here. No one goes walkin around with a mask around for no good reason. You gotta consider what experiences they may have been through. I¡¯m sure you can relate. You have that special tattoo of yours for a good reason, I¡¯m sure. Understanding that everyone¡¯s got a reason for what they do, is why you gotta give everyone a bit of trust now and then.¡±


    ¡°Trust?¡± Voltaire snickered, ¡°Giving trust freely leads to an early arrival towards the Cells machine. You expect me to give a stranger who feels compelled to hide their identity, trust? He could be a dangerous criminal for all we know. How can someone of your age just give trust out so freely?¡±


    Billy shook his head and replied, ¡°Tsk, tsk, Voltaire. You heard what I said, but you sure ain¡¯t listening. I said to give trust, not bet your life on it.¡± He then gestured Voltaire¡¯s attention to Billy¡¯s left hand. The hand was holding a small pistol concealed by the pocket. All it took was the pull of a finger and Voltaire would not know how he died. Billy continued, ¡°You can¡¯t find out who to trust in life without giving it to them first, but don¡¯t think I¡¯m dumb enough to bet everything on strangers. I¡¯ve had many life lessons, and I¡¯ve made sure to learn them. That¡¯s why I always say, ¡®give trust with one hand but hold your gun with the other.¡¯¡±


    Voltaire stood up to meet Billy eye to eye, staring intently as the fire lightly crackled. Voltaire gave a spiteful chuckle, ¡°I can admit when I¡¯m bested. Maybe you do know a thing or two.¡± He then started walking away, ¡°Still, I¡¯m not giving trust tonight. I¡¯d rather take my chances with the corpses. You two can earn your trust tomorrow.¡± He walked away before laying down a good dozen feet away from the fire, lying in near total darkness.


    Medoe felt ashamed and told Billy, ¡°Thank you for standing up for me. I apologize for all the trouble this mask may cause, but I just- I just can¡¯t reveal my face. Until I¡¯m safe in Paradise, my face must remain hidden. For this face of mine is my greatest shame.¡±


    Billy happily responded, ¡°It¡¯s no problem, son. I think deep down you¡¯re a good person. I just hope you don¡¯t prove my trust wrong.¡± Billy pointed to the gun again in the pocket which Medoe responded by slowly nodding. ¡°Welp, I¡¯m hitting the hay. Try to get some rest for tomorrow. We¡¯ll all need it.¡± Billy went back to lying down, leaving Medoe alone and awake.


    Medoe looked towards Miracle. He saw his bronze reflection on the machine and stared intensely at his mask. His heart was filled with resentment and regret. He desperately wanted to punch, yell, scream or do anything to let this hate out, but he could not. Anytime he wished for this, his nature held him back but never removed the pain. He thought how cruel life was for putting him here. It was something he should never have suffered. He did not deserve this. Laying down, he exhausted himself in his personal frustration until he drifted into sleep.


    While the men were having their discussion, the women inside also got ready for bed. Ceri remained on her musty mattress. Mimi and Ceri took the floor. Baba stretched and exclaimed, ¡°It is so wonderful to sleep with a real roof over your head. I never appreciated something as simple as a roof until I lost it. Ceri, I can never thank you enough for your generosity and letting us stay here.¡± Ceri blankly nodded.


    Mimi interjected saying, ¡°Yeah, roofs and rooms are great, but I can handle sleeping anywhere. I¡¯ve slept in comfortable places and on the streets. There is nowhere that I cannot sleep.¡±


    ¡°Maybe you should go outside and sleep then,¡± Baba playfully replied. Mimi quickly took it back, mentioning, ¡°A roof is truly the most wonderful of views. Have I ever mentioned walls? They really make me feel safe.¡± Baba gave a small laugh.


    They began to get rest, but Baba was eager to know her future traveling companions. First she tried talking to Ceri, but Ceri shut down the conversation saying that rest was more important. With no other choice, Baba turned to Mimi and asked, ¡°Have you really gone throughout the city trying to form a mercenary group?¡± Mimi giggled and said, ¡°Oh yeah, I went all throughout the city trying to recruit people into my mercenary group.¡±


    ¡°Well how did you do it?¡± Baba asked lying on her arms, ¡°Don¡¯t you need certain paperwork in order to go into another district?¡± Mimi smugly replied, ¡°Oh yeah, you do. Did I get all the proper stuff to go? Hell no! I worked to pay some criminals to sneak me into the districts. I¡¯ve only not gone to District S, for obvious reasons, and District V because those pompous pricks have way too tight of security.¡±


    Baba followed along intently and eagerly asked, ¡°What promise did you make that gives so much motivation?¡± Mimi looked left and right as if someone were to overhear it, and cheerfully whispered, ¡°A pinky promise. My friend told me it is the most sacred, most important of promises. One that you should never break.¡±


    Amused by the childlike faith in such a promise, Baba said, ¡°Your friend and promise must mean much to you.¡± Mimi replied, ¡°Of course, we¡¯ve been the closest of friends since the beginning. She¡¯s my inspiration. Forming that group and keeping that promise, it means everything to me.¡±


    ¡°Then let me help you,¡± Baba said with a light smile, ¡°I¡¯d like to help you with your dream. Let me be the first to join your group.¡± Mimi looked upon her with wide eyes saying, ¡°You mean it? Do you really, really mean it?¡± Baba nodded and playfully said, ¡°Only if you promise to make me your co-leader. I will accept no lower position.¡± Mimi quickly agreed, ¡°As you wish, co-leader.¡±


    Mimi extended her pinky towards Baba saying, ¡°Let¡¯s promise on that.¡± Baba¡¯s smile faded into solemn expression. She gently pushed back Mimi¡¯s hand saying, ¡°I don¡¯t make vows like that anymore. I know it¡¯s important to you, but I never want to be tied to anyone again. Understand?¡± Mimi shook her head apologizing for even asking. Baba assured it was no big deal, and they both went to rest.


    Mimi was internally squealing with delight. She may not have gotten a pinky promise, but someone¡¯s word was the closest thing she''s ever had to an official member. Deep down, she wished they could possibly be friends.


    Baba lied down glad to have made someone happy, forming a connection. Mimi seemed too happy and cheerful to be someone with ulterior motives, but Baba was more than willing to cut that connection if needed. A choice she was now always ready to make.


    Ceri lied awake. She was not kept up by Baba and Mimi¡¯s chat but rather enjoyed listening to a conversation after so long of isolation. The pain on her back kept her up. Shifting from one side of the bed to the other, Ceri desperately tried to get comfortable, but any position led to more discomfort. When no one was around, she could reveal her secret freely allowing herself to be comfortable but in the presence of others, it had to remain hidden. Her sins were clinging onto her back. If they were ever seen, people would know the monster that she truly was.

 Part 0: The Worm

    The light was just as blinding the second the time as it was the first. Miracle could perceive the bright sun shining throughout the Outlands but could not feel the humid warm air. Upon being reactivated, Miracle¡¯s program checked its memories, and they were relieved to find that they still retained their memories of yesterday. With memories still intact, they observed the area and recognized it to be outside Ceri¡¯s home. They did not recall coming outside, only they were talking with Ceri about killing the worm, and they started to malfunction. Looking around, no one was seen, but voices could be heard coming from the makeshift house. Miracle slowly arose and walked towards the house.


    They peeked inside to see Ceri recapping a plan to everyone. She told them that Billy and Baba were to drive the truck with a special substance being made with Cells to lure the worm. It would be lured to open space where Medoe would cast the spell of hypnotizing on the worm. Attacking the worm immediately with magic was not an option due to the spikes on its back. The spikes on the worm could absorb physical magic produced by Cells. The hypnotizing spell would work because it affected the creature''s mind.


    The hypnotism would keep the worm in place long enough for Voltaire and Mimi to rip the spikes off of the worm. With the spikes removed, Medoe and Ceri would be able to use Cells to attack the worm and kill it.


    Ceri wrapped up her explanation, and everyone agreed to it including Miracle who confirmed they understood the mission and suggested they should be with Ceri. The group was caught off guard by Miracle¡¯s reawakening with Voltaire and Mimi ready to fight, but Medoe quickly approached Miracle and asked, ¡°Miracle how are you doing? What happened yesterday? You kinda scared everyone a bit.¡± Miracle observed the uneasiness of the room and explained, ¡°I¡¯m not sure. It must have been a glitch caused by me being deactivated for so long. I¡¯ve patched up the problem. It won¡¯t happen again.¡±


    No one was eased by their answer. Voltaire voiced it out, ¡°How do we know it¡¯s just a part of your normal programming. Are we really safe with you around?¡± Miracle had no response, but Medoe defended them saying, ¡°We¡¯ll just have to take their word for it now. If it proves to be a common problem, then it can be discussed.¡±


    Ceri added, ¡°He¡¯s right. We are about to fight a colossal beast, and we need all the help we can get. We cannot start distrusting everyone now.¡± The group considered her words and agreed that Miracle staying was the best for now.


    With Miracle joining, Ceri asked Miracle, ¡°Do you need Cells in order to produce your magical effects? I and Medoe were going to look for some.¡± Medoe mentioned, ¡°I do have two and a half vials left, but we¡¯ll need extra if anything happens.¡± Medoe pulled a full vial out his bag, handing it to Miracle who declined the offer.


    ¡°I should not need it,¡± they said, ¡°I use only the precisely needed amount to produce magic. As long as not too much is needed, I will not need to refuel.¡± Ceri turned towards Medoe and asked for a spare vial as she only had one. Medoe happily obliged.


    Ceri then explained to Miracle that they had planned to split into two groups. Baba, Billy, Mimi, and Voltatire would take the truck and attempt to find a space to trap the worm in, while she and Medoe went and searched for Exhausted Cells and maybe normal Cells if they were lucky. Miracle asked to join the Medoe and Ceri, splitting the group as evenly as possible. The two of them agreed, and Ceri commanded everyone to split and meet up before sunset.


    During the truck drive, Billy had taken the wheel, and Baba sat in the passenger seat. In the back of the truck, Voltaire and Mimi were on lookout. Though it would be more accurate to say that Voltaire was searching for the spot while Mimi observed the sky. All the while, the entire group was prepared to drive back if they received a surprise visit from the worm.


    To pass the time, Billy asked Baba, ¡°Hey, why don¡¯t you take the wheel tomorrow? It¡¯ll be tense, but I know you can do it.¡± Baba, still looking out the window, replied, ¡°I appreciate your confidence in me, but I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s unfounded. I can drive on a casual road, but under pressure, I¡¯m sure to break.¡±


    ¡°You just gotta have a bit a confidence in ya,¡± Billy said, nudging her, ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll pull your weight just like everyone here. I believe in you.¡±


    Baba had a light smile on her face. She answered, ¡°I thank you for your kind words. Yet all you say are niceties. You¡¯ve never seen me drive, so your faith is misplaced.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I know,¡± Billy said in admittance, ¡°I just feel like your holdin yourself back. Call it intuition or me a liar, but you can contribute more to this group then you¡¯re lettin on. So why hold back?¡±


    Her silence was confirmation of his intuition. She knew she could help more, but it reminded her of lover. It was a skill that only reminded her of pain, and to use it, would lean into something he had given her, a disgusting thought. Billy noticed her silent reflection and pressed no more.


    In the back of the truck, Voltaire was diligently committing to the task at hand. He was starting to get annoyed at Mimi who was counting the birds in the sky aloud. Irritated, he said, ¡°You know the process could be done a lot faster if you helped. Don¡¯t want to be a leader? Leaders are team players, not just those who give commands.¡± Mimi irked, ¡°Where did you get that wisdom, huh? What team were you a part of?¡± Voltaire did not immediately reply. He waited a few seconds before saying, ¡°It¡¯s common sense. We¡¯re all anxious about tomorrow, so it would be nice if you helped.¡± He left it while continuing his search.


    Mimi looked at Voltaire from behind and smirked. She mumbled to herself, ¡°I¡¯m not worried about tomorrow, but you should be.¡± She went back to observing the sky, making her own plans for tomorrow.


    The truck drove for a few more minutes before turning past a hill and finding a large open area. Flat land forming a circle surrounded by enormous piles of garbage with only small miscellaneous piles strewn about.


    The truck came to a stop as they walked about the area. Baba remarked, ¡°How does such an area form naturally in the Outlands? I thought all the area here would be used up?¡± She approached a person sized pile of trash. As she got closer, she noticed that an unmoving arcane corpse lay within the trash. She reeled back in disgust.


    Billy, observed his own pile as he answered, ¡°I met a few trash removers back at the bar. They sometimes mentioned that there''ll be spots where the corpses like to linger in groups. They avoid these spots cause if the truck gets damaged by them things, the trash removers are the ones who get in trouble.¡± He poked the rotting corpse with a rusted pipe found nearby. ¡°Looks like these things need to eat just like everything else.¡±


    Voltaire yelled out to the others, ¡°We should clear these piles. Don¡¯t want them getting in the way during the fight.¡± The others agreed and began to clear the area. Billy worked diligently, Baba clenched her nose whenever she could, and Mimi cleared the piles quickly, winning an imaginary competition.


    During the move of a corpse, a tiny cylinder with an orange liquid inside fell out of Voltaire¡¯s pocket. He swooped it up and looked side to side to see if the others had noticed. None did, and relief washed over. He resumed his clearing of the corpse considering the possibility of using the cylinder. It could potentially take down the worm with ease, but he wished to reserve it. If he ever were to face his old boss, he would need all three in his pocket.


    An hour passed, and the group finished clearing the area. All of them were pleased with their work, but as the sun set during the drive back, the anxiety of tomorrow loomed ever more. They did not have to face the worm today, but tomorrow, it was inevitable.


    Earlier in the day and in a different direction, Medoe, Miracle, and Ceri were opening up old machines and scraping any Exhausted Cells they could find. Exhausted Cells were the residue of effects created by normal Cells. This residue does hold some power of Cells, but it is greatly diminished. A hundred vials of Exhausted Cells are needed in order to produce the same amount of effects as a single vial of normal Cells. In the case for the three in the Outlands, Exhausted Cells is the only type of Cells they could realistically hope to find.


    They opened up a various amount of machines and old science equipment. Most were empty or only had drops of Exhausted Cells which was too much effort to scrape up. Occasionally, a half or quarter filled vial of Exhausted Cells would be found. The smallest victory they could get.


    It was around an hour after they started their search and Medoe made a passing comment about wishing to not have to walk around on foot so much. Ceri did not pay much attention to it, but Miracle replied that they had a solution. Metallic plates began to shift, and they started to transform. The sounds of smooth metal glided and shifted across the machine with the harmony of mechanical pieces going in the right place. In less than a minute, Miracle had gone from looking like a person to looking like an elk.


    A majestic elk now stood in the other¡¯s presence. For sure, it was Miracle because it retained the bronze exterior and lights for eyes as the machine. The antlers were a glorious final touch to the majestic figure.


    Ceri and Medoe stood in amazement for a moment. When Medoe asked why Miracle had not brought this up sooner, Miracle responded by saying that it had simply never thought to bring it up. The other two partially agreed with the machine, but with the new option now available, they climbed onto the back of Miracle, who began to prance through the Outlands with speed and grace.


    When they got on, Ceri was the first to climb up top. Being in the front, she held onto the antlers for stability. Medoe in the back, had to hold Ceri for stability. The close contact of another person made him uneasy during the ride, but the back of Ceri also had a strange softness to it unlike a typical back.


    They rode around, stopping and inspecting machines for more Cells. During their inspections of the lands, they happened across a wide open space, ideal for fighting the worm. Ceri considered they could use the space as a backup in case the other team failed to find one, but she approached it and found numerous arcane corpses wandering around within the area. She dashed back behind a mountain of garbage and quietly alerted Medoe and Miracle to the presence of the creatures.


    Medoe suggested they turn back, but Miracle brought up the point that there might be normal Cells around if arcane corpses are nearby. The suggestion was reasonable to Ceri, and tolerable for Medoe.


    During the search, Miracle intended to bring up the strange feeling he had earlier about Ceri¡¯s back. He would stare, begin taking steps forward, but back away once he got close. It looked more like he intended to confess his feelings towards her. Ceri caught on and gestured towards him to approach. He timidly strolled over. She asked in a hush tone, ¡°Is there something on your mind? Please, do speak it.¡±


    He shook his head, and stuttered out, ¡°Well- you see, I was just wondering about your- uhm, your back problems? That¡¯s the best way I can describe it.¡±


    Ceri instinctively tried to hide her back, but realized that would only make her more suspicious. She dismissed, ¡°I just have extra clothes and materials there. Just in case we need that sort of supply.¡±


    His expression remained hidden underneath the black mask. He responded, ¡°I understand if you don¡¯t want to bring it up yet. I¡¯d be a hypocrite,¡± he pointed to his mask, ¡°to ask anyone to reveal their secrets. I just wanted to let you know that if you ever felt like you needed an outlet for a secret, I¡¯m kind of a walking one. I might be able to keep yours.¡±


    A faint smile appeared on Ceri. She said, ¡°I appreciate the offer, Medoe, but I¡¯m not ready. I don¡¯t think I ever will be. It¡¯s a burden that I have to bear alone. Still, your offering is kind.¡±


    Medoe a nod leaving the two standing next to each other in awkward silence. To escape the moment, he gave a thumbs up and offered a fist bump which Ceri slowly gave the fist bump back. He still stared at her as he scooted away, only breaking eye contact once he was a comfortable distance away.


    Miracle had heard everything. They were not too far away and pretended to be searching while they eavesdropped. To them, the sentiment of Medoe was kind but naive. The three of them all had secrets, and if the secrets truly had to be said, they would have been mentioned. It was necessary for their own reasons to keep quiet to one another. That reasoning was enough to keep Miracle silent.


    The three of them finished their search and returned back to the camp reuniting with the other group as the sun set. Mimi proudly proclaimed, ¡°I have found a spot for our battle with the worm!¡± Billy quickly corrected, ¡°Actually, we did most of the searchin. I think the only thing she found was the sky.¡± Billy looked towards Baba and Voltaire. ¡°Am I correct on that assumption?¡± The two nodded in agreement. ¡°Well, the lady did help us with clearing the area, so I suppose she hasn¡¯t lost her use yet. With that thing tomorrow, I¡¯d take my own worst enemy to help, not that I have one. What about you? Did ya find the stuff you were lookin for?¡±


    Ceri confirmed and answered, ¡°We did find some material, but not as much as I hoped. On the bright side, we did collect a single vial of Exhausted Cells which is equivalent to one tenth of a vial of normal Cells. Not much help in fighting the worm, but it is enough to create the lure for the worm.¡±


    She made her way back to the side of the hut where opened a box next to the house. It was full of miscellaneous but organized materials. The box was multi-layered, so when Ceri removed the top plate, there was another plate below it filled with its own items.


    Eventually, she pulled out a small flat glass container which contained a clear blue liquid. She mentioned it was the saliva of the worm. Taking the vial of Exhausted Cells, she mixed into the container with the saliva. She chanted some unknowable words as she stirred the container combining the two ingredients. The green and blue liquids transformed into light pink one which released an odor and dark pink smoke. Before the odor got far, Ceri quickly sealed the lid, blocking out the sense.


    She handed it to Billy saying, ¡°This is the mixture that will lure the worm. Be careful, if that gets onto you, the worm will chase you down. Once we¡¯re in the planned position, toss it to the ground and get away. If the worm manages to escape us, it should focus on the scent.¡±


    Billy nodded in compliance and asked, ¡°What is the scent exactly? How does it attract the worm?¡± Ceri replied, ¡°It mimics the smell of Cells potency. These worms consume mainly Exhausted Cells, so the allure of regular Cells will make it think it''s about to eat a feast.¡±


    With Ceri¡¯s explanation given, the group was ready to retire for the day. Most of the group could hardly sleep because inside they knew it could be their last night asleep. The plan was competent, but they could not help but wonder how it would go wrong. Miracle did not need to sleep in the typical sense, but went to sleep to save on their power supply. However, Mimi slept with a peace of mind, more joyful than anxious for the following day.


    Morning arrived, and first, they went as a group to the location Billy mentioned. The area remained clear as it did yesterday. Ceri directed everyone into their positions. She and Miracle would stay on one large mound of trash, and Medoe would stay on another mound on the opposite side. This way, the worm could be attacked from both sides once its spikes were removed. Voltaire and Mimi would remain at the base of the mounds along the edges of the flatlands. They would wait for their opportunity when the worm would arrive. Billy and Baba got into the truck and found a route for them to take.


    Billy and Baba sat in the truck, hearing only the sounds of the motor running. The plan and positions were set. They just needed to start. Billy took one deep breath as he looked to confirm with Baba. ¡°You ready?¡±


    Baba shaking in her arm and her knee bouncing, held the container of the luring smell. She silently rolled down her window, and said under her breath, ¡°I¡¯m ready.¡±


    With the signal from Baba, Billy hit the truck into the full throttle. Baba waited a moment to open the container and made sure the smell poured through the window. About a minute later, the ground began to tremble, and the great worm pierced out of the dirt reaching towards the sky. It appeared behind the truck, and at once, the worm gave chase towards the vehicle.


    The route was planned to be as clear as possible, but it still had to make small turns and drifts to maintain speed and distance from the worm. Debris was also being pushed by the worm towards the vehicle creating sudden new obstacles. Billy expertly swerved and dodged the debris as they fell from the sky. Never letting the gaping maw of the worm get anywhere close to the truck.


    Baba was holding onto the container with the liquid. It had to remain open because the worm might lose interest otherwise, so Baba made sure to keep the liquid inside the vehicle and not splashed around. When a large chunk of debris almost smashed into the car, it forced Billy to swerve quickly to the left. Baba held onto the container and seat tightly. Both were glad to have avoided that one obstacle, but they failed to notice the splash of pink liquid on Billy¡¯s pants.


    They arrived into the open space, and when the worm soon arrived, Medoe was ready with the flute already up to his mouth. He immediately began playing a song that sounded like a song going round and round. The attached Cells boiled from the music and materializing where the worm stood, was a variety of colors swirling around the worm. The worm stopped in its tracks and started to move its head in sync with the movement of the colors. It became dazed in the multitude of colors, leaving it vulnerable.


    Ceri clutched her vial of cells with a hand in her material bag expecting Voltaire and Mimi to start scaling the beast and breaking its spikes, yet it did not happen. A precious minute passed, and Ceri checked to see where Mimi and Voltiare were. In frustrating disbelief, she could see that the two were attempting to kill each other at such a crucial moment.


    A few moments before, Voltaire stood with anticipation. The ground was faintly rumbling. He knew the worm was on its way. Mimi stood behind Voltaire, casually leaning forward on her hammer, looking everywhere except for where the worm was expected to be. Voltaire intended to just ignore Mimi¡¯s incompetence, but as he looked forwards, he heard Mimi from behind saying, ¡°You know. I think I can handle our part of the worm by myself. You¡¯ll just be dead weight really.¡±


    Voltaire assumed it was just another one of her insulting remarks, but something felt off about how she said it. His instincts kicked in, and he rolled out of the way just as Mimi smashed into the spot where he once stood.


    Drawing out his blade, he shouted back, ¡°What are you doing? You maniac!¡± Mimi continued to give an unrelenting barrage of swings toward Voltaire as she answered, ¡°Remember? I know who you are. You¡¯re The Evil! You can lie to the others saying you were just entangled with the Bones, but I know that you were the leader¡¯s dog who followed every command from his master. If I kill you, I¡¯ll be a legend.¡±


    Voltaire dodged every attack Mimi threw at him. He knew that any attempt to parry Mimi, would be akin to a parry against a rolling boulder. Her attacks gave wide openings, but Voltaire could never get close enough to take advantage of it.


    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    He dodged around as he shouted, ¡°Why now? The worm will be upon us at any moment. What gave you the idea that this was the right time?¡±


    Mimi replied, ¡°I¡¯ll just tell the others a piece of debris hit you or something. This would have been over if you didn¡¯t decide to move. Now just stand still and let me kill you.¡±


    The skirmish went on, and the worm arrived at its destination. Voltaire hoped that seeing the worm would bring Mimi back to her senses, but she continued her attack, not letting Voltaire a moment to rest.


    Ceri, seeing the two fighting, screamed, ¡°What in the hell is going on with you two! Go and kill the worm!¡± Voltaire could not reply back as he too focused on surviving Mimi, and she did not care about the worm at the moment.


    Maybe the scream was loud enough or the worm had just adjusted to the magic¡¯s effect, but it managed to come back to its senses long enough to swing its tail at the mound where Medoe stood. The large, compact trash pile disappeared in an instant causing Medoe to stumble back, vanishing into rubble. The worm sensing danger, burrowed back into the ground, leaving a crater behind.


    The air was filled with silence with only the clash of Mimi and Voltaire making a sound. Billy sat in his seat for a moment before slamming his arms on the wheel, letting out a yell at the same time. He pushed open the door and began to march towards Voltaire and Mimi. Baba noticed and quickly followed from behind. She asked, ¡°What are you doing?¡± Billy holding back his full anger, said, ¡°I¡¯m going to give those two a real talkin to. I¡¯ll make sure neither of them picks up a damn stick once I¡¯m done.¡± Baba, trying to deescalate him, pleaded, ¡°I know you''re mad, but we shouldn¡¯t get too far from the truck. The worm could be back at any moment.¡±


    As if the worm were waiting for its queue, it re-emerged from the ground directly underneath where the truck was consuming it in one big swallow. The creature showed an intellect for it not only consumed the lure, but the group''s only means of running from the creature.


    Billy and Baba stood in awe of its shadow, frightened of its next movement. By happenstance, Baba looked to see the stain on Billy¡¯s pants. She knew who it would be coming for next. ¡°Run!¡± she shouted toward Billy, and without hesitation, they both began to flee.


    Their attempt was futile. The worm was too close and large to make any sort of meaningful distance from. Billy could sense the towering creature reaching for him from behind. It¡¯s terrible breath getting more potent by the moment. Despair washed over him. He internally grieved in never being able to see his wife, daughter, or son again. A pathetic man trying to do anything meaningful in this city. Death should have been the only result expected.


    Before he could react, Baba grabbed his hand and waist in a dancing position. She commanded him to hold on tight. The wind blew around her and him, making their feet lighter, and they were brought to a speed fast enough to evade the worm. Baba led the dance like a captain steering a ship through strong winds.


    Ceri saw an opening and realized hope had not been lost. She did not want this worm to get another chance to live. It had to be today or never. As Baba began running from the worm, she was heading in a random direction, but Ceri put a drop of Cells on her tongue which magically allowed her to speak loudly. ¡°Baba!¡± she shouted while pointing in a different direction, ¡°Go in that direction! I¡¯ll get ahead and lead you to another open spot!¡± Without stopping, Baba managed to twirl around towards an open path heading in the direction Ceri pointed towards.


    With the crater now in the center of the open area, they would be at a disadvantage fighting the worm. Ceri intended on leading Baba to the similar space filled with arcane corpses. It was not a good spot, but it was the best option they had.


    Without having to be given a command, Miracle caught onto the new plan and transformed into their elk shape. ¡°Get on.¡± Miracle said, ¡°I can use Cells to get ahead of them. Though from the amount of Cells needed and the distance to the other location, I will be unable to help with creating damaging magic against the worm.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine.¡± Ceri said getting on, ¡°We¡¯ll just make do with what we can.¡± She looked once more at Voltaire and Mimi, shouting, ¡°You two better help us with the worm or I¡¯ll kill you myself! Follow the worm¡¯s trail!¡± After the order, Miracle quickly began to dash down the trash heap towards the new planned destination.


    Voltaire knew this had to end. It was time for him to stop playing safe. Mimi prepared their next swing, and instead of dodging, Voltaire went for a block. The intention was not to stop the swing, but rather to slow it down enough for Voltaire to get close. The tactic worked as Mimi did manage to land a blow on Voltaire¡¯s shoulder, but he managed to get his tattooed arm around her neck.


    Preparing to fire the tattoo, Voltaire uttered, ¡°You move, and I blast your head off.¡± Mimi conceded with bitterness in her eyes. In quiet outrage, he explained, ¡°Look. I don¡¯t care if you want to kill me. Do it after the worm if you must. Right now, we need to help them kill the giant fucking worm or neither of us will get what we want. Swear on your pride as a mercenary, that you will help.¡±


    Mimi tried considering a way to break out of Voltaire¡¯s grasp but realized any attempt would take too long. She bitterly admitted, ¡°Fine. I swear on my honor.¡± Voltaire slowly let her go, watching for any sudden movements. Once he was confident in her words, he said, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± With their uneasy alliance, they began to follow the trail carved out by the worm.


    Miracle was dashing as an Elk and during their traversal, a blue aura appeared around the machine. It allowed them to move faster than both Baba and the worm getting ahead of both of them. Ceri recognized it as a basic speed spell and admired the machine¡¯s innate ability to replicate magic.


    Getting ahead, they were able to make it to the top of a tall trash hill at the next clearing. Miracle collapsed as they reached the top of the hill, throwing Ceri to the ground. She looked to see the aura gone and the lights from Miracle¡¯s eyes going in and out. They were about to shut down. She gave a quick thank you to Miracle before looking at the clearing. The arcane corpses had already noticed her and were making their way towards her. Looking to her side, she could see that the worm was on its way. She grabbed her vial of Cells and a few thin gears. With expertise and haste, she poured the right amount of Cells onto the gears causing the gears to dissolve, turning into a light of various colors. Grasping onto the light, she began re-chanting the same words repeatedly. Once she finished the chant, she would need to let the spell go, but the time was not right yet.


    Baba during her dance noticed the direction Ceri was heading in and followed. Her dance allowed her to move about the same speed of the truck and her movements allowed for her and Billy to glide around or over large objects when necessary. The worm persisted, refusing its prey to escape.


    The moment Baba and Billy were in the clearing, Ceri immediately finished her chant as she released the colors towards the worm. The same spell from earlier surrounded the worm, and as before, it brought the worm to halt. Not wanting to repeat the same mistake, she cried out for Billy and Baba to take care of the spikes somehow.


    Baba stopped her dance to catch her breath. Hearing Ceri¡¯s command, Billy told Baba to help when she could, and he darted towards the worm. Billy did not make it far before more arcane corpses began emerging out of the ground. Billy tried to rush past them, but there were too many. He pulled out his dagger and began to stab into them to make a path, but the number of corpses were great and kept the path blocked.


    . Out in the distance, Mimi and Voltaire could see the worm becoming dazed, yet they were too far for it to matter. By the time they would reach the worm, it would become unstuck as it did before. Mimi stopped in her tracks and told Voltaire, ¡°We¡¯re never going to reach the worm in time. However, I have a genius plan. I just need you to lay on your stomach.¡± Voltaire stopped almost completely because of her ridiculous request. ¡°What?¡± he said complexed, ¡°Is this another attempt to kill me?¡±


    She shrugged it off saying, ¡°It might kill you, but I don¡¯t intend to kill you. I¡¯ll just throw you like a javelin all the way to the worm. That way, you can deal with the spikes.¡± Voltaire protested, but she insisted as they currently have no other options.


    He gave into her demands as he realized she was correct. He began lying on his stomach complaining all the down. Mimi took a moment to awkwardly pick up Voltaire to a javelin like position. Eyeing the worm like a bullseye, she threw Voltaire with smooth, pinpoint accuracy.


    Flying through the air, Voltaire pulled out his blade and when he reached the worm, he stabbed into the worm allowing him to hang on. The spell kept the worm in its daze even through the pain. Pinching onto the skin of the worm, he began climbing to the first spike closest to the worm''s head. The spikes were larger than voltaire, and although they were made of metal, it would be closer to bones. The metal has become a part of the worm, weakening their durability enough for Voltaire to begin piercing through them.


    It took many strikes, but Voltaire removed the first spike. With the first one gone, Voltaire slid down the worm to reach its second spike and after the second the third. All three had been removed from the worm allowing for magical strikes to become effective.


    Ceri observed all of this and shouted with excitement seeing the spikes removed. She failed to notice an arcane corpse grab her ankle. She attempted to pull it out but fell backwards, losing her concentration on the spell and spilling the vial of Cells. The worm once again free to act, immediately contorted its body around to swallow Voltaire, who in response shot magical blasts at the worm, but it remained undettered and with a quick scoop, swallowed Voltaire.


    Baba watched it all completely stunned while Billy and Ceri were too preoccupied with the corpses. The worm began to loop around, and it planned to charge in a straight line on the ground, consuming everything in its path including Billy and Baba.


    Baba could not use her dance to get away again. She was too exhausted. Darting her eyes around, she noticed a path nearby that she could run to but hesitated when she realized that Billy could not escape due to the corpses. Once again, it was the lives of others or preserving herself, but unlike before, the choice was already made. Baba sprinted towards Billy with fleeting hope that she could pull him away in time.


    The worm began its charge pressing against the wind, pushing towards the helpless two on the ground. Baba was content with her last attempt to save someone. Billy had little time to react. The worm ate the ground corpses upon it, but before it reached Billy, it yanked back. Clinging onto the skin of the tail and digging their feet into the ground, Mimi held the worm. Her veins popped, and she gritted her teeth as sweat poured all over. It tried to move around but did with very little success. Mimi acted as a ball and chain, letting the worm only scoot a few feet at a time.


    During all of this, Ceri was preoccupied with the arcane corpses that reached her. She had one last vial of Cells but wanted to preserve its use for the worm. This led to her grabbing the largest wieldable object nearby and bashing the corpses. Strength was never her strong suit, however, and the corpses began to overpower her with one managing to push her to the ground. On the ground, Ceri held the corpse back with all her might, but it gradually pushed closer with intention to shred into her neck.


    Miracle still in elk form charged the corpse on top of Ceri, shoving it off the mound. They were still low on energy but kept enduring with the little bit they had. They directed Ceri to attack the worm while they dealt with the corpses. Taking advantage of Miracle¡¯s help, Ceri stood up to see the worm being held back by Mimi. The worm was beginning to twist around to the tail intending to rid the nuisance. Ceri pulled out her vial of Cells, and poured a third of it onto a pile of gunpowder into her hands. Grasping onto the effect, the red glow emanated between her fingers and after shouting the unknown words, she released the spell which transformed into a fiery arrow. The arrow flew into the side of the worm exploding upon impact.


    The worm let out a bone trembling scratch. The attack left peeled some of the flesh and a shallow scar on its side, yet the worm remained standing. Without hesitation, Ceri prepared another flame arrow and launched into the same spot which deepened the wound. The worm screeched and charged towards the mound where Ceri stood, but the worm was still weighed down by Mimi.


    More corpses began to approach Mimi who was powerless to stop their advance. The corpses began to bite and scratch into her. Every strike caused her to yell in pain, but she refused to let the worm free. Before the corpses could land a fatal blow into her, Baba and Billy pulled the corpses away from her and started dealing with them. Mimi let out a strained, ¡°Thank you,¡± as she continued weighing down the worm.


    Ceri used the last of her Cells, hoping that a third arrow would kill the worm, but the wound only now began to bleed. Her heart began to race and her breathing became shallow. She failed to account for the durability of the worm and plans were falling apart. They were about to die. She dropped to her knees scavenging anything in desperate hope that maybe she could find just a few Exhausted Cells. Maybe that would be enough to kill the worm.


    The worm¡¯s movements were becoming more sporadic as it desperately attempted to survive, yet it could escape because of Mimi. It tried again to bend in on itself to rid its weight, but the sound of a flute played. Its note played a deep noted melody before another fire arrow combusted into the same wound. Medoe stood in the trail carved by the worm. Patches of his clothes had been shredded and where his white skin could be seen, he was bleeding throughout. His mask remained intact.


    He played the melody again, firing the fifth arrow into the worm, yet the worm still stood. The wound they managed to carve was spurting out blue blood of the worm, but the worm lived to spite its aggressors. With one third of Cells left, the dilemma is to use the Cells in one last attempt to kill the worm or use them to escape. It would be hopeless to fight the worm in the future, but all attacks seem to be not enough to kill the worm. Bearing the choice alone, Medoe froze. The flute was brought to the side and he could only stare directly at the invincible beast.


    It was easier to resign to fate then to fight it, he thought. He glanced at the three at the tail. Mimi was loosening their grip from exhaustion, and the other two had killed the corpses but were struggling to stay on their feet. Looking towards the top of the mound, Miracle remained barely active with their eyes flickering on and off. Ceri on her knees, trembled in defeat. Coming back to the worm, it retained every ounce of strength. What did they hope for? Who were they to think hope was available? Never trying was the correct option. This is the result of rebelling against fate. Medoe stood facing the worm and resigned themselves to defeat.


    Inside the worm, stomach acid dissolved anything they touched. The inner stomach was pitch black and tightened by contracting muscles. Flesh and bone easily dissolved, but metal could last at least for a short time. Voltaire had spots of flesh burned away by the acid. He would have died quickly, had he not felt the metalic doors of the truck. Taking the chance it might still be intact, he climbed in to find it gave enough shelter from the acid.


    The metal was creaking and getting crushed by the stomach. The truck allowed Voltaire to live only a few minutes longer. Voltaire used the glow of his tattoo to look upon his locket one last time, giving it a kiss and apologizing profusely. All he desired was to be with Irene. Their lives before were miserable, but they were together. That mattered far more to him than any good or evil act. He clutched the locket waiting for the inevitable dissolving death.


    Light shined through. In the abyss of the stomach, Voltaire was blinded by the thin light he could suddenly see. As if the light itself wanted to speak to him, a thin ray landed upon his pocket with the containers. He knew what to do at the moment. Irene meant everything to him, and if using one of his keys to victory ment reaching her, it was worth every use.


    Voltaire scrambled to grab one of the containers with orange liquid. He unscrewed the top revealing a small needle at the end. He pierced it into his veins which started to glow an orange light. Taking a deep breath, he climbed out of the truck and through the stomach of the worm. The acid stinging with every drop landing on him. He was crawling away from the light, putting as much distance as possible. Once he reached a likely safe distance, he pointed his glowing arms towards the light. With a yell, he let go a fire arrow that burned brighter and hotter than Ceri or Medoe¡¯s.


    The freed worm prepared to either escape or kill all the pests around it. It stopped in its movements, feeling strangely, moving its head back and forth when an explosion came out of its wound. The force combined with the already existing scar, tore around the worm causing its head to fall to the ground. The great colossus was slain.


    The large thud of the head falling was followed by stunned silence, only to be broken by Mimi¡¯s victory cry. One so loud it echoed through the Outlands. Billy began laughing hysterically, and Baba also did but with tears of relief. Medoe approached the worm with caution. Putting his hand on it, he truly believed it to be over now. Ceri came down the mound with a barely active Miracle, her face frozen in awe. Soon movement could be heard coming from inside the worm, the group looked over in fear but were relieved to see Voltaire emerge from the innards.


    Baba in awe and enthusiasm asked, ¡°Whoa! Was that explosion yours? How¡¯d you do it?¡± Voltaire out of breath and reeling in pain answered, ¡°It¡¯s uh- Well I- Forget it. I¡¯ll answer it another time.¡± The comment typically would have been received with suspicion, but the group were beyond exhausted and let it slide.


    Billy gathered himself and asked, ¡°What now? We did it. Should we head home before we journey back to the city?¡± Mimi added on cheerfully, ¡°Oh yeah, that sounds great right now.¡±


    Upon hearing Mimi¡¯s voice, Ceri recalled the previous scene of the two fighting each other and sternly asked Voltaire, ¡°What the hell happened between you two?¡± With what strength he had, Voltaire answered, ¡°This bitch attacked me and tried to kill me,¡± he pointed a drooping finger at Mimi.


    Ceri coldly asked Mimi, ¡°Is that true?¡± Mimi gave a little chuckle and said, ¡°Yeah, I did, but he realistically deserved it. Let me explain-¡±


    ¡°Enough!¡± Ceri shouted, cutting Mimi off, ¡°I don¡¯t care what good reason you had. You put the lives of everyone here at risk, you incompetent, stupid woman. All lost in that head of yours, that you never considered other people. Your actions could have led to everyone dying. Would that have been okay? Is that what you wanted?¡± Ceri pointed and lightly shoved the stunned Mimi with the image of Ceri¡¯s calm nature forgotten. Ceri continued the attack,¡°If everyone died, what would you do? Worse, what if you lived? Could you go every day onward knowing that the lives of everyone, was on your incompetence. Because you failed to think at the one time it really mattered!¡±


    By the time Ceri finished, she was up to Mimi¡¯s face who trembled in fear like a child being told off by their parents. No one dared interject. They felt partially bad for Mimi but also felt she ultimately deserved it.


    Ceri returned to her calm demeanor, saying, ¡°You did help with the worm, so I won¡¯t suggest you leave the group. We will need your help, but I''m not desperate. The next screw up will be on your life.¡± Ceri began walking back to the camp saying to everyone, ¡°Let¡¯s go rest tonight. Tomorrow, we will go to the city.¡± Everyone agreed and followed along. Mimi in shame trudged behind the group.


    The setting sun turned the sky into a warm orange. The group mostly walked in silence, not having the energy to speak. Billy caught up to Baba and whispered, ¡°That dance you did, it was no ordinary dance. Where in the city did you learn to do something like that?¡± Baba looked away in shame. She admitted, ¡°They¡¯re special dances that use the power of the soul to grant the dancer power. They can be taught by those who know the moves. My- he paid for the lessons. He said it¡¯d be useful to learn and make me more-¡± Baba was tearing and choked on the final words. Billy lightly put his hand on her shoulder, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Speak when you¡¯re ready. I¡¯ll be waitin.¡± Baba faintly smiled in relief. ¡°Thank you,¡± she whispered, fighting the tears of regret.


    Medoe matched the pace with Miracle who stumbled behind barely keeping up. He offered Miracle the last bit of Cells left in the vial, saying, ¡°Here, take it. I don¡¯t know how much help it will be, but you need more than I do.¡± Miracle only nodded, lacking the energy to speak. They opened up the chest area by themselves revealing the vial inside to be empty with not a spec left. They inserted the vial of one-third vial of Cells and returned to a more active state. Miracle being able to speak said, ¡°Thank you Medoe. This should last me long enough to reach the next city. Hopefully, we can find more Cells there.¡± Medoe shrugged, ¡°I hope so too. It¡¯ll be tough because I heard that District S is just as much of a wasteland as the Outlands.¡±


    The group reached the camp and immediately split into their respective sleeping parties. No one said a word or even waited for darkness to settle. They lied in their positions and slept. Unlike the night before, the rest was welcomed, feeling well earned. All of them had the best night of sleep in a long while.


    The next morning arrived. The air was cooler, and somehow, the trash did not stink as bad. The sky was cloudless allowing the radiant blue of the air to be seen. After waking up, many members of the group simply admired the peaceful sky, seeing it as a sign of hope.


    Everyone packed their things which took little time. Besides Billy, everyone only had the clothes on their backs to carry with them. Ceri remained in the hut alone for a bit. She gathered a few tools for the gate but as the morning light creeped in, she took in the picture before her. The hut has always been empty, but it seemed emptier today. It reminded her when she left her room at her parent¡¯s house for the first time, the empty, nostalgic feeling. It was strange. She would be gone for a while, but she planned to return, so why did it feel like this was the last time she would be here?


    Walking out of the hut, everyone was lightly talking amongst themselves. Mimi was back to her usual self, amusing Billy and Baba with her fantastical plans. Medoe and Miracle looked towards the distant city. Medoe giving a brief explanation of some parts of the city. Voltaire sat on the ground admiring Irene¡¯s image.


    Ceri gathered everyone¡¯s attention and said, ¡°We may have slain the worm, but in the city, there are far greater dangers. We are heading into the den of evil that only offers the promise of hope. There is no likely chance that this Paradise even exists so if you wish to just survive, remain here.¡±


    Mimi was the first to speak, loudly proclaiming, ¡°I did not just deal with that worm just to stay here and rot. I¡¯m going to become a mercenary captain and find Paradise. No one can stop me!¡±


    Tugging on his pack, Billy followed up, ¡°If we find Paradise, we¡¯ll find my son. That¡¯s all that matters to me. So let¡¯s show the city what we¡¯re made of.¡±


    Baba vigorously said, ¡°Yes, the city is full of danger and many, many regrets, but we will find peace in Paradise. All this pain will not be for nothing.¡±


    Voltaire closed the locket and said, ¡°She¡¯s right. We¡¯ve all suffered long enough. I¡¯m going to get Irene and get to Paradise, no matter what may come.¡±


    Miracle added on, ¡°There is no reason for me not to try. Death would be my only other option, so I will find Paradise. There, I will find who I''m looking for.¡±


    Last to speak, Medoe replied, ¡°I¡¯m a broken machine without purpose, but finding Paradise is now the purpose I choose.¡±


    Ceri gazed upon the group. They were all beaten but not broken. Whether deserved or not, fate had attempted to crush these individuals forcing them to find a myth. Would they have the strength to survive the city? Would the laptop actually lead to Paradise? Is Paradise real at all? There was no known answer, yet everyone was ready to struggle for it. With their hearts filled with hope, Ceri led the way, saying, ¡°Let us return back to Deadheart and find our Paradise.¡±


    End Part Zero

 Part I: The Wall

    The trudge through the Outlands took a toll on the seven. The wounds and aches from the previous battle festered among them all. Ceri used her little knowledge of biology to help with caring for the wounds. She would lament that if the group had Cells, magic healing could be used to cure the problem, yet the group expended all the Cells against the worm. Having more could only be another wish in their hearts.


    Every step taken led them closer to the grey, foreboding outer wall of the city. The structure climbed to the sky far beyond their comprehension, even the mountainous arcane worm could never hope to scale it. The wall stood as a reminder of the city they often felt trapped in. It ran beyond the horizon as it encompassed the massive city, seemingly never ending. Inside was no better for the wall ran through the city dividing it into the seven districts. No matter where one may look, the wall remained a monument to entrapment of the city.


    Reaching it remained uneventful and when reached, a noticeable gap of about fifty feet stood between the base of the wall and the piles of garbage. Billy briefly mentioned something along the lines that the trash movers often drive near the base of the wall to help with traversal.


    The section of wall the group reached had a twenty foot gate sealed shut. The area around the gate had seemingly no indication on how to open it, but Ceri began knocking around the wall near the gate. The sound of a hollow section could be heard, gaining Ceri¡¯s notice, and she pressed into the section of the wall. A metallic plate pushed inward and slid to the side. The opening revealed itself and with hasty joy Baba exclaimed, ¡°Oh good, we have a way in.¡±


    Ceri in her neutral tone quickly corrected, ¡°No, this is an emergency entrance space that still needs a security clearance in order to get in. Since we don¡¯t have a key, I¡¯m going to have to pick the lock, so to speak.¡±


    The space within the wall was metallic and bare except for a keypad at the end of the five foot long crawl space. The keypad not only required a password but also a key card. Ceri crawled in and began to use her tools to open the space behind the keypad, revealing a tangled mess of wires. She shouted to the group, ¡°This will take me a few days. I am not very knowledgeable about wires, but it¡¯s a subject I can quickly learn.  Take the time to set up camp.¡±


    With not much else to do, the group followed the command given. With their miscellaneous knowledge, Miracle directed Voltaire into building a few small tents. Baba and Mimi gathered materials for the tents and for a fire. Once the fire was set, Billy started to cook the supply of food remaining in his pack. Medoe spent the day searching through nearby machines to find Exhausted Cells. His effort would be spent in vain.


    When nightfall came, Ceri left the crawlspace, ate what food was given, and began sleeping, offering few words to the group. The rest of the group began to prepare themselves for the night. During this time, Baba picked up her tent and mentioned to the group, ¡°I appreciate the efforts you all have put into this camp, but I am a bit ashamed to admit that I am still not comfortable around most of you.¡± She eyed all the men of the group and Miracle. ¡°I will sleep a bit aways from the camp but not out of sight. I know it riskier to do so, but I just can¡¯t-.¡± Explaining no further, Baba walked away from the camp almost in shame. The group allowed her to do so in peace.


    Halfway through, Mimi came running holding the tent in both hands. She exclaimed to Baba, ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be good for a mercenary captain to allow her co-captain to sleep alone in the Outlands. I will be by your side in case of an attacker.¡± She gave a wide grin to Baba who gently smiled back and gave a thank you.


    The night passed and morning arrived. When the light hit Ceri¡¯s eyes, she awoke and with no hesitation headed back into the crawlspace to resume her work like an automated machine. The rest of the group slept in, having no motivation to get up. With the camp already set, the day would be empty. The morning was spent with idle chatter between members of the group, none of which evolved beyond small talk.


    To pass the time, Baba strolled over to the crawlspace and sat down next to it. She played with her hair, twisting and curling it before releasing it. Her head turned to the space, and she spoke loudly, ¡°Ceri, a thought had occurred to me. During our first evening together, you mentioned that you had no desire to ever come back to District S, yet when we arrived, you knew what to look for and what tools were needed. For someone who never wanted to go back, you were very prepared to re-enter.¡±


    All from the crawlspace, the twisting of screws could be heard next to the sounds of zaps from the wires. Ceri¡¯s voice echoed out, ¡°I¡¯ll admit. There were times I considered going back, and I made my way to this gate. The temptation nearly pulled me in, but I turned away every time.¡± Baba poked their head a bit into the crawlspace and asked, ¡°How come? What makes you turn away every time?¡± The sounds of work stopped. There was a brief pause before Ceri answered, ¡°I gave up on the lie that there was something for me here.¡± After the response, the sounds of work resumed.


    Baba slumped back at the wall to observe the Outlands not too far away. Looking up at the sparsely clouded sky, Baba wondered if she too was believing the same lie. She dwelled in those thoughts for the rest of the day.


    Not far away, the melodies flowed from Medoe¡¯s flute. Voltaire sat nearby, silently tapping away in time with the flute. Billy and Miracle discussed the best ways to cook animals with Miracle insisting their programming was flawless. The pleasant music and chatter halted to the sound of a large thud emanating from the wall. Standing at the base, Mimi swung her hammer against the wall. Every bludgeon given was backed by her full might.


    A perplexed Billy called out to her, ¡°What in tarnations are you doing? Trying to bring the wall down?¡± She gave one last swing before catching her breath. Readying another swing she huffed out, ¡°I¡¯m not necessarily trying to bring down the wall. I¡¯m just trying to leave a mark. I heard no one¡¯s left a mark on this thing. If I did it first, I¡¯d be legendary!¡± She screamed as she striked the wall, failing to leave a mark.


    Billy found himself interested in her statement. Looking around the wall, he could not point out a dent or scratch, yet the wall had existed for almost as long as the city.


    Mimi, exhausted from her futile efforts, leaned on her hammer and shouted to Voltaire, ¡°Hey, tattoo boy! Use the magic from that thing to see if it will leave a mark on the wall.¡±


    Voltaire curled his lip, and yelled back, ¡°I¡¯m not going to waste my time doing something you want me to do. Besides, if you can¡¯t make a dent in it, what makes you so sure that my magic will have an effect?¡±


    ¡°What was that?¡± Mimi sarcastically said putting her hand up to her ear, ¡°Your magic is super weak and useless. Did I hear that right?¡± Voltaire groaned and left, ignoring her childish taunts.


    Medoe wandered to the wall and put his hand on it, stating to no one in particular, ¡°I know the story about the wall if anyone is interested.¡± Both curious, Billy and Miracle asked that Medoe tell them while Mimi sat down nearby stating that she needed a break anyway.


    Medoe cleared his voice, warmed it up as if preparing for a show. He started, ¡°When I was in school, we were taught the history about the wall. The wall was built-¡± Billy interrupted, ¡°Hold on son. You tellin me you got a formal education?¡± Medoe¡¯s posture dropped and he timidly responded, ¡°Wait, doesn''t everyone get some form of education.¡±


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    Mimi shook her head. ¡°Nope. We just learn the basics needed to survive. Maybe the job that Ma and Pa have, but education is for the rich. Are you telling us your rich Medoe?¡± She leaned with a smug smile.


    Medoe rubbed his hand on the back of his head while he looked away. In a low voice, he responded, ¡°My parents were wealthy, but they died a few years ago. I did inherit all of their wealth, but let¡¯s just say that I have-¡± He paused to take a deep breath. ¡°Lost is all. Not a credit is left in my name. It¡¯s why I had to leave my home.¡±


    Mimi sat disgruntled on not having access to wealth. Miracle with concern asked, ¡°How did you lose it? Perhaps there is a way we can help you attain it back.¡±


    Medoe waved his hand, pushing the subject aside, ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about it. I thought we were supposed to be talking about the wall.¡± The group agreed to move on and adjusted themselves accordingly. Medoe resumed his story like there was no interruption, ¡°Before the wall, the city could never last. Every few years, a monster from beyond the mountains would come and bring most of it to ruin. The exhausted city decided to build the wall in response. To help lead the construction, they hired Willamina Claudia, the lead researcher of Cells at the time.


    For the first couple of attempts, no permanent progress could be made. A monster of some kind always managed to knock it down or obliterate it. After the third or so attempt, a frustrated Willamina decided to lock herself up in her lab until she found a solution. She remained there for months with a few of her colleagues thinking she had died.


    One day, she suddenly bursted from the lab, laughing like a maniac. She claimed to have created a mixture that would make the wall invincible. Her team ignored her smell and dirty looks to let her pour in her mixture into molten metal. When the metal became solid, it was invincible. Nothing could affect it and no Cells magic could change it. With the mixture being added, the wall could be built, and the city grew to what it is now.¡±


    Billy and Miracle listened intently while Mimi daydreamed through most of it. Billy asked, ¡°If we once made an invincible metal, why in hell isn''t it used more. Not to mention, I¡¯ve seen the inner walls be dented and beaten up. Why are they made of different materials?¡±


    Medoe scratched his head and began reciting from his memory, ¡°If I can remember, before the inner walls were constructed Willamina vanished. All of the mixtures were made by her alone, so she was the only one who knew the formula. When she went missing, so did the formula, and no one has been able to replicate it.¡±


    Billy leaned back nodding, satisfied with the answer. Miracle asked their question next, ¡°Why are the seven districts divided by the walls? Why are you physically divided amongst yourselves?¡± The question stumped both Medoe and Billy. Medoe could not recall any teachings from school and Billy had not heard as much as a conspiracy theory about it. Billy decided on his answer after a minute of thought. ¡°Not much we can do about it though. That¡¯s how it is. That¡¯s how¡¯ll it be. We don¡¯t need to think about it much more.¡± Medoe and Miracle reluctantly agreed. Mimi attached herself to the end of the conversation saying that she also agreed, not knowing what she agreed to. With the story over, she shortly went back to hitting the wall with no success.


    The evening returned signaling everyone to sleep with Baba and Mimi breaking off from the group again. While everyone drifted into slumber, Voltaire laid awake. He shifted his eyes amongst all of the slumbering bodies patiently waiting for them to reach a deep sleep.


    The moonlight illuminated the Outlands with its pale glow. Voltaire found his opportunity and slowly crept over to Mimi and Baba, observing every step landed only on the soft dirt.  He reached where the two slept and confirmed both of them to asleep.


    With a plain face, he lifted his left arm, aiming his tattoo at Mimi. With deep breaths, his arm trembled in its aim. Why did he struggle? He has killed in the past, including those in their sleep. Did it truly matter if he betrayed the changes he tried to make? If Mimi ever spoke about his past to the group, they would force him to leave. He needs their power. They have the strength to help him get Irene back.


    He sturdied his resolve and prepared to kill. It was all for Irene. If his new morals stood in the way of Irene, he would remove them. She matters far more than anything. Besides, Irene never needs to know.


    With dead eyes, he aimed at his target. ¡°You really are going to kill her. Aren¡¯t you?¡± Voltaire jerked back his arm and stopped the magic flow. He turned his attention to the awakened Baba staring condemnation upon his soul. In slight terror, he asked, ¡°Why are you awake at this hour.¡±


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t sleep,¡± Baba sharply replied, ¡°How can I, knowing men like you are around?¡±


    Guilt washed over him. He desperately tried to lie about the situation, but Baba ignored it all. ¡°Why?¡± she coldly whispered, ¡°I can tell you are not one to do something for no reason. Tell me, now.¡±


    His heart hit upon his chest. Voltaire desperately wanted to give an answer to satisfy Baba, but none would suffice. The truth was horrible, and his past must not be brought up. He could only take a small gulp as he matched his gaze with hers.


    Baba approached Voltaire, her face full of hate. She fiercely whispered her command to his face. ¡°Leave us. You have proven yourself a threat to all of us. Leave or I''ll tell all of them about tonight.¡±


    Anxiety increased. Voltaire¡¯s breaths became more shallow as his hands became colder. Killing Baba was not an option nor did he want to. He is being crushed by the weight of his own trapping.


    He muttered out, ¡°I need everyone¡¯s help. I can¡¯t get Irene back on my own, and you all are the best chance I have. I swear on my- no, Irene¡¯s life this will never happen again.¡±


    His earnesty met only deaf ears. Baba¡¯s face contorted with rage. Her hands lifted up as if to strangle Voltaire, but with all her might, held them back. Gritting through teeth, she furiously whispered, ¡°I¡¯ve heard men like you say that line too many times. You swear you will change, but you will return back to your bullish self when no one sees you. You¡¯re nothing but a common, violent man.¡±


    Every word stabbed into Voltaire. He desperately desired to argue against her claims but found no strength to do so. Baba calmed herself down enough to reach out her hand. She quietly demanded, ¡°If you want to swear on your love¡¯s name, put your words to action. Give me your locket, and it will be returned when you earn my trust.¡±


    Voltaire¡¯s fear morphed into vengeance. How dare this other person come between him and Irene. He would kill her. He would kill Mimi. He would kill anyone who dared to get in between him and his love. Gripping onto the hilt of his blade, he challenged Baba with eyes alone, letting her know her command would not be met.


    Their souls clashed in the silence of the night with every breath ready to be the last. Neither would give into the other. Voltaire readied his blade and prepared to become who he used to be.


    He froze. Baba is right. His gaze broke away from her first. The similarities between Baba and Irene in the moment, proved them both right. He had not changed and never would unless he did something drastic.


    Taking his hand off the sword, he slowly reached towards the locket and gazed upon it one last time. With one last kiss to the locket, he handed it to Baba. As if begging for mercy, he asked, ¡°Please, take care of it. That¡¯s all I beg of you.¡± Baba allowed herself a moment of pity and gave a stern yet gentle nod towards him..


    Voltaire staggered away, Baba watching him walk a bit away from the camp. Once alone, Voltaire dropped to his knees in agony. He let out soft yells of pain to not alert anyone of what happened. The guilt had not been removed as he hoped, and the one part of Irene he had, was lost. No one was to blame but himself, and  the loneliness of the blame only increased the guilt pressed upon him. Sobbing, he passed out in a pool of tears.


    Regret filled Baba¡¯s heart as she lay down with the locket. She should destroy this locket and force him away, not offer him pity. Had she not learned? He will take advantage of this kindness, and the others will suffer because of it. Kindness is weakness.  She must remain strong and never be weak again. The tears welled up within her eyes, and she removed the locket from sight. The fear of who she might become, broke her soul a little more.


    When everyone awoke, they remained blissfully ignorant to the events of the night. Voltaire anxiously waited for Baba to tell the group fully expecting what he deserves, yet nothing occurred, easing his worries.. He looked to Baba when no one else was observing them. She discreetly revealed the locket before putting it back. Voltaire received the message. Change must occur or else he loses more of Irene.


    Almost precisely in the afternoon, the gates began to open. Ceri hurriedly crawled out in order to watch the gate reach its opening. She stood proud of her work as the group gave a few cheers for her work. After their short celebration, the group readied themselves for what lay ahead in District S.