《The Point of Collapse》


 Chapter 1: Conspiracy

    "How much of the world is actually real?" A message board read.


    Theories like this floated around on the internet all the time. "Australia isn''t real", "a secret ice wall surrounds the world", "A subterranean kingdom threatens all of us".


    Some people need a fantasy world to live in. There''s plenty of reasons to want to escape reality.


    So just like usual, I clicked on it.


    "I know you''ve all heard the rumours. The stories about birds being fake, and countries not really being real. I get it. It''s easy to dismiss this as just another crazy conspiracy theory. So unlike them, I''m not going to tell you the theory. I''m going to give you the opportunity to experience the truth."


    Reading this, something primal inside me awakened; a fear I hadn''t felt since I was a child. That feeling of the shadows hiding something sinister just beyond your perception; watching, waiting, for the perfect moment to drag you away and devour you. That eery feeling that makes you tuck your toes under the blanket. That feeling that makes you wonder for more, despite fearing the more that is to come.


    "Before you skip this next part, downvote, and write a comment about how much of a dumbass I am, I want to thank you. Those of you who read no further, thank you."


    For a little while, I hesitated to read on. I thought about taking a break, having a tea, and maybe getting on with my life. I could close the tab and forget about it. However, did I read all those other theories just to give up half way? I need to know. Bullshit or not, what if one day, one of them is right?


    "Now that that''s been said, let me begin. Have any of you ever seen an alley way, a side street, a corner where most never go except the occasional bum, or drug addict to shoot themselves up on some heroine? Have you ever, even once, walked down one of those?"


    To be honest, I guess I haven''t. But I''m sure many people have. I quickly checked the comments before reading on.


    "My mate who was homeless used to live in one."


    A commenter by the name of KidneyShot said.


    "Used to?"


    A commenter named BlueBalls69 replied.


    "Yeah, he died a few years ago."


    BlueBalls69 replies, "Of what?"


    "Dunno, I attended his funeral, but only me and a couple others were there. Nobody really knows what happened."


    A commenter named Anarkiss replies, "I was homeless for a few years. Shit''s fucked. You never know when someone''s gonna beat the shit outta ya for the fun of it, or even drug you up and take you who the fuck knows where."


    Reading the comments was like entering a completely different world. An underbelly of darkness. The unfeeling abyss hidden from the face of society. This was one of the gems of forums like these. But god damn is it also so fucking tragic. I have no idea what I''d do if I were in their situation.


    "One day I was walking past a street, and I saw an alley with a glowing square on a wall. I think it was just a neon light shaped like a square. It scared the shit out of me though. I know it might seem silly, but I never once saw anyone walk down that way, ever."


    Some commenters shared of what they believed to be corroboratory evidence. Others of real life experiences. At some point, I yearned to read on the main thread.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    "If you have, you might not have noticed anything strange. However, if you haven''t, you might have at least once in your life, felt a strange, primal fear, telling you to not go near."


    At the time of reading this, I thought, "yeah, that seems pretty obvious". I mean, a predator could be waiting to eat you. Some shitbag could be waiting to kidnap you. A mugger could be there. A dangerous homeless person. A mentally ill person. Gang members. The list goes on really.


    "These back alleys, these places where no store back is. Where no house doors lead. Where no rubbish bins sleep. Have you seen them? The ones seemingly devoid of purpose? Seemingly filling the gaps of meaning?"


    That''s a really interesting way to put it. It''s almost like they''re framing them as liminal spaces that naturally arise amongst us rather than being created by something.


    "These spaces, these forgotten, untrodden places of undisturbed rest, these are where I want you to take a step into. If, and only IF, you want to know the truth."


    The thread ended there.


    17th of October, 2025, 17:58


    "Many sightings of people entering alleyways of late have been freaking people out. What seems to have started as an internet craze, is quickly becoming like the clown sightings of 2016. Some people are wondering if the police should start doing something about it. So far, 27 people have gone missing. Some people are even going so far as to hold human blockades at local alleyway-"


    "What the fuck is this shit, seriously? Are these people fucking stupid or what?"


    "It''s easy to say that. Why don''t you go to an alleyway and see if you''ll still say the same thing."


    "Alleywalkers are fucking creeps"


    "Get the fuck off our thread creep"


    Damn, the internet''s blowing up with this shit. I''m a bit worried about the missing people though. Some people take this shit too far and use it as an excuse to hurt people..


    23rd of October, 2025, 19:42


    Holy shit, the original post has 16 million upvotes???


    "Sir, I''ve seen the truth with my own eyes. Are you some kind of alien?", a commenter by the name of Jonas08625 says.


    "Nah. I''m just like you. Someone who experienced the truth, and felt the need to share it", the original poster replies.


    "What a load of shit u guys belong in a mental institution, the worst thing we ever did was shut them down, now forums like these are your new wards fk sake", a commenter named JesusChristRealist said.


    "I don''t know about you, but all the disappearances say otherwise @JesusChristRealist", replied WinnieThePing


    "Right, a bunch of psychopaths go and fuck some ppl up and its evidence for this shit, jesus christ", replies JesusChristRealist


    "bro using your own name''s a bit cringe ain''t it?", replies WinnieThePing


    "Oh man, we''re getting so much content outta this guys. Look at them go crazy over this shit. I''m so fucking glad I''m alive to see this", says streamer Harambooty


    I can''t believe how fast this shit blew up. Still, I kinda feel like a bitch for not going and checking it out myself..


    A tiny compartment inside of me, carefully locked away, as to not gather dust, nor to be opened, felt a slight tingle of pain, ...and nostalgia.


    25th of October, 2025, 09:18


    "Just in, footage shown from Slap streamer WetForGeorge, yes, that''s their real name.."


    "Are you serious?" (laughter and confusion can be heard in the news room)


    "That''s disgusting"


    "We''re on air.. Come on guys"


    "Footage showing them entering one of these so called ''Gates to the end of what''s real'', popularised by the anonymous poster of the alleywalkers story, has now been viewed over 10 million times, and was shown live on-air earlier today. What many are claiming to be live special effects, have shocked the nation. Some proponents of simulation theory have stated that this aligns with their predictions of seams, or artifacts as some like to call them, which are supposedly predicted to appear between densely populated regions. Others claim it is aliens creating abduction chambers to harvest human organs. While a new sect of religious believers attribute it to the work of the devil, trying to deceive people into believing such things are real to dissuade belief in God."


    Well, I suppose there''s no end to human creativity..


    "One theory even proposes that it''s evidence of an occultist''s application of manifestation theory"

 Chapter 2: Trust

    1st of November, 2025, 12:20


    Fuck. When was the last time I ate.


    It''s too god damn scary out there.. Even ordering scares the shit out of me.


    The fridge was getting barren. The last of the carrots were holding on for dear life. Some vegetables had started sprouting. Maybe I could wait and eat whatever comes from the sprouting..


    Okay, no. I''m an idiot. Dude, how can I even think of something that stupid.


    How the fuck did this happen.


    It wasn''t even that long ago..


    "Hello..?"


    Oh fuck. I need to stop breathing. Stop breathing. My heart feels like it''s slamming into my chest. Since when did it wanna escape? My body''s pretty cosy ain''t it? Did it hear I''m gonna be starving and wants out?


    "Hellooooo?"


    What the fuck do I do?!


    Go the fuck away. Leave.


    I''m gonna die in this fucking room. What the fuck happened outside. I''m not gonna leave this room if it''s the last thing I do.


    "Hey bud, it''s been a week since you''ve been out of your apartment.. Are you okay? If you need anything just let me know, okay?"


    Why are they trying so hard.. Just let me be.. I just wanna be alone..


    "I''ll go now, I just want you to know, I''ve had some friends who went through this kind of thing. If you ever need me, just ask for Sam, okay?"


    1st of November, 2025, 16:00Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    The door handle shakes violently. The rattling is so intense, I feel like I''m going to die. My chest is so tight I can''t breathe. I''m gonna fucking die here.


    1st of November, 2025, 18:00


    With my headphones on, I turn on a broadcast.


    "The local region has been closed off to the rest of the world. I''m reporting live from the streets of Annixoma. Looters have been running rampant, attempting to break into people''s homes in a startlingly creative variety of ways. Behind me, you can see the carnage this has brought to the local stores. The windows have been broken, cars are still being set on fire. It''s chaos here. When will the government open the borders to let us out? It''s not like this is a zombie apocalypse. I swear this is worse than the drones-"


    Holy shit. How did it get this bad so quickly..


    At least I''m not the only one breaking at my seams though. It feels quite lonely..


    <b>Do you want to see the truth?</b>


    If only that son of a bitch never made that post. What the fuck were they thinking.


    I can''t even tell if that shit is real or not or if this is some kind of mass hysteria shit right now. Maybe people just wanted an excuse to destroy the system. God fucking dammit. I have no idea.


    A buzzing pressed against my leg, breaking me from my thoughts.


    "Hey bro, I saw what was happening on the news. Are you alright???"


    <b>? ? ?</b>


    "I wish you could come and get me bro.. I''m terrified"


    <b>? ? ?</b>


    "Dude.. I''m so sorry to hear that. It seems only a couple places went bad like yours. Look, as soon as shit settles down, I''m gonna come get you, alright?? Just find a way to hang on bro, I got you. You just need to stay alive, and stay safe. You got me?"


    <b>? ? ?</b>


    "Yeah.. I got it.. I''ll try my best."


    If only he knew I haven''t eaten shit all in ages.. Ha..


    God.. Maybe I need to take a risk and see if that Sam guy can help me..


    But what the fuck happened with the intense shit these past few days.. It''s a miracle my locks stayed working and my door knob isn''t bashed in..


    Can I really trust anyone..


    1st of November, 2025, 22:56


    "Sam.. Sam are you there..?"


    "Hey bud, what''s up? Shit''s been crazy lately.. Some dude tried to get into your house earlier so I''ve been keeping a watch out."


    "How do I know it wasn''t just you.. and you''re trying to gain my trust to get in here and kill me, or take my stuff.."


    "You''re pretty direct kid, I like that. Look, how about this. Tell me what you need, and if I can get it to ya without entering your house, or causing you any risks, can you trust me?"


    "I guess so.. How the hell are you gonna do that though.."


    "Don''t worry about that. What do you need?"


    "I don''t wanna really ask for anything, but I''m desperate.. I need something to eat.. Maybe some noodles? The water still works fine.."


    "That all kid? Are you low on any other supplies?"


    "Just.. I need to eat badly.."


    "Alright bud, I''ll see what I can do. Hang tight for me will ya?"

 Chapter 3: Alone Again

    1st of November, 2025, 00:16


    I fell asleep.. God I feel so hungry.. It hurts so bad..


    "Hey kid, I got some noodles for ya. Sorry for the wait. I''ll send them over to your window, okay?"


    "What.. How are you gonna do that..?"


    "I got a drone, kid. I can fly it over to ya, and hang the noodles there."


    "Damn.. You''re pretty awesome Sam.. I''m sorry for earlier.."


    "Ah, don''t worry about it kid. Just be careful okay? Don''t open your window much. Just enough to get the noodles. And keep your light off. Be quick okay?"


    2nd of November, 2025, 21:15


    "Reports of mass shootings occurring all over the country are sparking an ongoing debate about the rampant gun violence since the alleywalkers mass hysteria took place."


    "America, always America. Why the fuck do they not just ban guns. Freedom my ass.", a commenter by the name of RealLibertyWearsProtection writes under the video.


    "yeah blame guns rather then that alleywalker shit common eu L", a commenter named eclipseslayer099 responds.


    "than*", JustAnotherNomad1886 replies.


    "shut the fuck up nomad", replies eclipseslayer099


    "I mean, they got a point @eclipseslayer099", replies alleywalkdeeznuts


    "You guys are so insensitive, people are dying here ffs", comments analwarrior


    "bro how can anyone take you seriously with that name jesus", replies doityourself0221


    Well, at least the internet hasn''t changed..


    Or maybe that''s the problem..


    5th of November, 2025, 18:22


    "Experts are saying that these alleyways are somehow interfering with normal brain function, sending people mad when they have exposure to these specific locations. However, it seems to only affect people who have read, or heard about, the information in the original post by the anonymous user."


    "Theory of Everything collapses with newfound evidence for dimensional manifolds which overlap with spacetime, and seem to violate time-symmetry."


    "A traveler from what they refer to as, ''the beyond'', live with us today on this special news broadcast."


    "They call them alleywalkers. Tonight, we uncover the truth behind the mystery. What''s really going on behind those dark corners?"


    No matter how much I watched, I couldn''t accept it.


    "Can society make it through this catastrophe?"


    "Will Jesus be finally coming?"


    "What each alleyway says about your horoscope, exclusive insight into your future"


    "Take the test today: find out what kind of alleywalker you are!"


    I felt like I was missing out on something. I still do. However, no matter how hard I try, I can''t leave this room.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    8th of November, 2025, 06:52


    "Sam? Sam! I ran out of toilet paper! I need some help, quick!!"


    "How the hell didn''t you realise sooner bud?"


    "I can''t help it Sam.. I completely forgot.."


    "Alright, gimme a minute. I''ve got some in the cupboard."


    9th of November, 2025, 12:46


    "Hey bud, I got some good news, and some bad news."


    "Bud?"


    "Ah, you musta fallen asleep."


    9th of November, 2025, 13:29


    Oh shit, I fell asleep..


    "Hey kid, you awake?"


    "Sam?"


    "Yeah kid, it''s me."


    "The border''s opened up."


    "What?!"


    "Yeah.. Seems like people can start moving in and out again."


    "That''s crazy good news Sam!"


    "Hold your horses kid. There''s some bad news too."


    "Oh no.. What is it Sam?"


    "My daughter lives over at Newstop. I couldn''t reach her ''cause of the block on the border. I gotta go get her bud."


    "I see.. Well.. It can''t be helped Sam.. I hope she''s safe.."


    My voice had gotten raspier lately. My throat gained a tendency to clamp up a bit when I begin speaking; like chalk being forced through a lead pipe.


    "Me too kid. Listen. I''m gonna come back with her. I''m gonna give you all the supplies I can, alright? You just gotta hold on ''till I get back. So don''t you go using them all up while I''m away. They''re more precious than you might realise right now bud."


    I couldn''t help but cry a bit.. Sam was like a father to me. In many ways, the father I never had.


    "Sam.. Please be safe okay?"


    "I''ll try my best bud. You too, alright?"


    The tears felt like irreplaceable diamonds. Fleeting away, slipping through my fingers. Yet precious in a way that will never leave me, even if they do.


    "Alright.."


    14th of November, 2025, 08:16


    The familiar buzzing rang against my crusty pocket. Time was harsh to fabric under the weight of the human machine.


    "Bro?? Are you alright??? I''m making my way to your place."


    "Dude, you actually came?? What''s it like out there??"


    "It''s crazy bro. You wouldn''t believe it. The coverage on the news and shit isn''t even close to showing what''s actually happening. I took some videos ''n'' shit on the way to ya. When I arrive we can watch ''em together, how about it??"


    "That''d be crazy.. Sounds awesome bro. I can''t even remember the last time I saw anyone face-to-face.."


    The moment a sapling first bursts from the tender soil.


    14th of November, 2025, 16:30


    "Hey bro, this is your house right??"


    My heart was beating out of my chest. I couldn''t believe he came all this way to see me and help out during all this chaos.


    "Yeah.. This is my house bro.. I haven''t opened my door since.. All the stuff happened.. I''m kinda a bit scares to open it now.."


    "Honestly, I hear ya bro. My parents and sis did the same thing. They thought the military movements were bad. Shit''s like a warzone everywhere out here."


    "How did everything get this bad.. Wait.. How did you even get here then??"


    "For real bro, it''s something else. Look bro, I wanna be really understanding, and if you need more time, that''s totally fair, however I''m also a bit scared out here too myself.. Could ya maybe let me in? We can talk more about it when I feel a bit safer.."


    26th of November, 2025, 00:00


    Everyone came, and went. As the tides. As the night. As the blood in my veins. Is this indifference?


    Some people helped. Some people screamed. Some people begged to let them in.


    Why couldn''t I do it?


    Is the opposite of love truly indifference?


    If so, what does that make me..


    27th of November, 2025, 18:33


    "Hey bud. I made it back alright. Are you doin'' okay?"


    "Sam.. I.. I don''t know what''s going on anymore.."


    Echoes of last moments, and moments that lasted too long rang through my ears, haunting me with their twisted wailings of anguish and desperation. And yet, no judgement. No. It was only I who judged.


    "Hey, hey bud. What''s wrong? Hey Lucy, gimme a sec to talk with your brother, okay? Can you be a strong girl and wait a little while daddy talks with your bro?"


    "Yes daddy!"


    "Sam.. You managed to get her and bring her back safe.. That''s so great.."


    A barely audible cough fought to escape my lungs.


    "Thanks bud, I appreciate it. Now what''s up? What''s going on with you?"


    How does he know?


    "I don''t know Sam.. You''re the only one.. The only one who doesn''t always try to get me to open the door.. No matter what they say, what they do.. Something tells me I can''t ever open the door.."


    "Bud, do you know where you are right now?"


    "What.. Where I.. am?"


    "Yeah. Do you know bud?"


    "In my apartment.. In Annixoma?"


    "That''s right bud. But maybe you should look outside. It''s been a long time that you''ve been locked up in there. It messes with your mind, you know?"


    He never asked me to open the door. The window didn''t feel safe to open either. Well, except for the tiny gaps I needed to make for small items.


    Looking out my window properly? Not just opening it slightly? Not like with the curtains covering it, grabbing stuff time to time?


    Somehow, it didn''t seem as bad as before to try and do. However, it felt like if I did, everything would change.


    "I''m scared Sam.."

 Chapter 4: Madness

    15th of April, 2026, 12:26


    "A reported 18 million people have gone missing. The alleywalker movement has now been labeled an international crisis, and a threat to humanity. Governments urge their citizens to not go to any of the quarantined zones under any circumstances. Armed guards have been reported to be stationed outside all known alleyways marked as high threats."


    "Hey, did you hear about how they were sending military personnel and vehicles through these places??", a commenter named CryptoCryptology states.


    "How the hell did you hear about something like that? You think a tank can fit through an alleyway? Your such an idiot", another commentor named SlayBankmanFreed replied.


    "Look dude, my bro works at [redacted] base. This shit''s real.", CryptoCryptologist replied.


    "Yeah, and my dad''s the researcher at SERN who discovered the alleyways are actually portals leading to the rapture, fuck off dude", SlayBankmanFreed replied.


    Why the fuck do I even read this shit anymore..


    20th of June, 2026, 19:55


    A small radio hums its last breath.


    "If anyone can hear me.."


    "It''s.. Finally.."


    Static.


    The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    <b>Present Day</b>


    I stared at the curtains, an impassable wall. Staring toward it, the white paint backdrop shifted ever slightly.


    I''ve seen this happen many times before. My mind''s been so deprived of.. Everything. I guess hallucinations are just par for the course.


    In my fear, I had put permanent marker measurement lines on the walls, just to be sure. They never changed. Just the paint. The stillness of black against flowing white caused my insides to wrench.


    <b>? ? ?</b>


    "Hey, stop getting distracted. The curtains, open them. Come on. You can do this", Freddy said.


    As I started taking steps toward the window, my heart beat like crazy. I had no idea why I was so scared.. Something about the outside had become.. mosterous.


    "Take calm, deep breaths."


    The internet had stopped working. Power was long gone. Sam had left for elsewhere long ago. I had taken to hunting rats, insects, and the like to survive in this hellhole I call my home. I can''t even remember what another human being sounds like.


    "You''ve still got me buddy!", Freddy said.


    It hurts. My chest hurts so much that I can''t breathe. Fuck. God dammit, fuck.


    JUST OPEN IT


    "Come on. You can do it buddy. Do it for Sam."


    Just open the window. Hell, open the fucking door. Nobody comes here anymore. Nobody asks to open it.


    What are you afraid of..


    "What''s wrong buddy?"


    The insects are afraid of me. The rats know of my exploits. What am I even hiding from anymore? I don''t know.


    I took a bite out of Freddy. He stopped talking.


    <b>? ? ?</b>


    When does a cage become a home? When does a cell cease to become a prison? Do I like it here?


    Everything told me I did. I''m comfortable. Safe. And yet, something itched me deep inside.


    The paint crawled.


    I hated it. I hated the paint with a burning passion. I tried covering it all up. If I had enough black, I would blot it out until no white remained.


    I didn''t have enough of anything.


    Left alone in the silence. Left alone in the quake of memories long distorted. What was I doing here.


    What I would give for someone to type a comment about some bullshit story.


    What I would give for a news report on literally anything.


    I want it. I want it back. Back to the way it used to be. Bring things back. BRING THEM BAAAAAAAACK


    Screaming every last drop of vapour from my lungs, I jumped out of the window.

 Chapter 5: A New Day

    Breeze.. As I felt breeze on my skin for the first time.. As my eyes got flashbanged by the scorch of the midday sun.. As I fell, and fell, and fell, something beautiful happened.


    The overload of sensory input spiked my system straight into nirvana. I began to laugh uncontrollably, before abruptly slamming into the ground.


    A moment passed, and I realised there was no pain. I felt a bit winded, but that was it.


    "I''m.. Alive?"


    My voice sounded strange to me. Was this what I had always sounded like?


    "No, not really. You haven''t spoken in a while you know?"


    What? Another voice? Who is that?


    My eyes darted around, scanning for signs of anything that moves.


    I thought I ate Freddy..


    Realising I could finally see, my eyes began to take in my surroundings at full force.


    The fact that another voice had spoken to me had faded in an instant behind the assault of what I was seeing.


    The city looked damaged, but not destroyed. My house was situated up on a hill that had a fantastic vantage point over the greater city below.


    There was silence.


    The beautiful testaments to humankind''s will, perseverance, engineering, and planning. The realisation of dreams long held laid dormant, lifeless.


    Having had the lifeblood of the city drained out of it, it had been reduced to nothing but an empty husk. A corpse laid bare upon the barren landscape of ash and mud.


    However, in this peaceful quiet, it had taken on a new spirit. That of an ancient ruin. A monument to a civilisation long gone. An age, an era, of something that had once been.


    If I had not been a part of it, what wonder might I have experienced in this very moment, upon seeing such a solemn sight?


    "You''re the only one left, you know?"


    With a renewed alacrity, I swung my head toward the direction of the voice.


    "Me?", I said instinctively.


    "Me? What about me? Did you hear what I said or is your brain too far gone??"This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    It spoke in a playful voice. Not unmatching of its physique.


    "I guess I''ve gone mad.. The paint should''ve clued me off ages ago..", I proclaimed, my heart sinking.


    Still staring at it, I sighed.


    "Why did I say that.. I don''t even know how to speak to someone anymore..", I mumbled to myself.


    "Uhhh.. Can you hear me? You obviously can, I mean you''re looking right at me! Hellooooo? Earth to whateveryournameis. You''re not crazy~ Well.. I mean maybe you''ve lost it a bit but I''m real!"


    It darted around me, flying to the left and right. Taking on varied angles, speaking faster than I could properly understand.


    "Oh look. Now my brain''s using you as a vehicle to try and rationalise its delusions to me. My god. What if someone sees me talking to myself like a mad man..", I felt a deep well of pity, shame, and embarrassment taint my body.


    I felt disgusting. What the fuck is wrong with me.. I''ve been eating rodents and insects, haven''t left the house in who the hell knows how long. I can''t remember the last time I showered. What if I caught some disgusting disease from the rats. I just jumped out the window without thinking..


    In that moment of self-realisation, something hit me.


    "Ouch, what the hell was that!", I said, indignant and mad.


    "Ah, so you are still there inside, huh? What the hell are you rambling on about. You stink. You''re a mess. Get up and find somewhere to wash, you idiot. How long have I gotta tell you. You''re all that''s left. Given enough time, you''re gonna either be dead or disappear like the rest of ''em. So come on. Get up! I know you can hear me!"


    Compared to before, its voice was clearer, easier to comprehend. It was a crispness Freddy had never had.


    "Uhh.. Which way?"


    "How am I supposed to know? You''re the human. Go find something."


    "Well what kind of use are you then, huh?"


    "You ungrateful little shit! Why the hell am I even helping a bastard like you.."


    "A bastard?! You watch your tongue you little.. Whatever the hell you are!"


    "Oh yeah? Then what~ You gonna bore me to madness too with your delirious antics?"


    Delirious antics..


    "Hey.. That kinda hurt.."


    The little thing came over to me and patted my head.


    "Aww, it''s alright. You''ll be fine. Let''s just make sure you don''t die, okay?"


    "Why do you even care.."


    The little thing put its hand to its chin in thoughtful contemplation.


    "Ah, an astute question my apprentice. Why do I, Fellabee, queen of the sovereign reign of Kalamere give two shits about the likes of you?"


    A piercing silence ensued.


    "BECAUSE WHO THE HELL ELSE IS GONNA ENTERTAIN ME OUT HERE. EVERYONE''S GONE AND I''M DYING OF BOREDOM HERE."


    Staring blankly at the little thing, my mouth agape, I felt myself smile, then giggle, then laugh. Much to this royal queen''s dismay.


    "What''s so funny about any of this?"


    "My apologies your highness. May I ask where your kingdom is?"


    The small figure drooped into a slump, life draining from its posture as paper to flame.


    "Gone."


    All that joy from moments ago evaporated, leaving nothing but the ashes. A smouldering pain slowly heating our insides.


    "Gone? What happened..?"


    "I don''t know.. I don''t even know where I am, or what this place is.. I just.. Found myself here.. Everyone I loved, everyone I knew, gone. I never even got to say goodbye.."


    Tears burst from its eyes. A well of inescapable pain and sadness shattered the tiny being''s persona. It tried to play the tough act. It tried to focus on other things.


    "Why.. Why did things.. Turn out this way.. I.. I want my mum back.. I want my brother to hug me and tell me it will be okay.. I want Stephan to sing to me once more.. I.."


    It cried so hard, it could no longer speak. Sadness had choked its voice from it.


    Not knowing what else to do, I gently guided it to my chest and hugged it lightly.


    It sobbed and sobbed, this tiny, shattered warmth. My heart cried out to comfort it. To relieve it of its crippling sadness. All I knew to do, was to listen, and to provide it a place to cry in peace.

 Chapter 6: Encounter

    "T-thank you..", it squeezed out, drying its final tear.


    "You''re most welcome.. I''m so sorry about what happened.. It must be so difficult to deal with losing everyone.."


    "It is.. But what can I do about it.. I tried to find a way back.. I went so far in this kingdom and yet I found nothing. No way back. No way home.."


    As we stared into the blazing sunset, the grand concrete coffin dotting the horizon, a strange thought came to me.


    "What if you came from the alleys?!"


    "The what??"


    "Before everything happened. Before.. Everyone disappeared, and you arrived, there was a weird conspiracy theory put up on an online message board. Uhh.. Do you know what ''online'' means?"


    "Of course I do!! Who do you think I am? Some tribal leader??"


    "Oh.. Wow, I didn''t expect you to come from a place that has it. So you know what the internet is?"


    "The what?"


    "Maybe you have another word for it.. What does ''online'' mean to you?"


    "It''s the place stuff in the air goes, we access it with our linkers"


    "Hmm, I guess a linker is like what we call a computer? Or a phone.."


    I take out my phone. I had it turned off for.. Since the power went out. I bring it over and turn it on.


    The glowing light illuminates the small figures features as it stares in awe at the brick with many faces.


    "What in the Nyne is that?? I guess it''s kind of like a linker but.. How on earth does light come from that rock slab thing??"


    It pulls out a petite wristband from one of its many cape pockets. I hadn''t noticed them before. How strange.. The inside of its cape was lined with pockets, top to bottom. Honestly, it was so novel of a sight. I wondered why we had never used such a thing. Well.. I guess we have trenchcoats for that kind of thing. How the hell do you get something easily from a pocket near your back..


    "Look", it said with the face of a proud parent.


    It placed its finger to the middle of the band, where an almost watch-like face laid, and pressed down with some force. Its face whinced slightly as blood flowed from its finger, laying to rest within carefully etched grooves, previously hidden on the watch-like face.


    "You can''t really see what happens next.. It also can''t access the aether net.. However, after you''ve done this, your mind is supposed to connect to the internet, and you can do lots of stuff."


    I stared in disbelief at its words.


    "Are you telling me you came from a civilisation that had brain interfacing technology?"


    Its head jolted back in surprise.


    "Uhh.. I guess you mean the brain''s meridians? Yeah, of course. That''s why we gotta provide blood."


    "Right, of course.. Meridians, blood, the usual.."


    It flew up a bit and glared down toward me. In that moment, as the backdrop of crimson fire emminated from its sillhouette, and its face beamed with an intense brilliance, I thought to myself:


    "This being is truly deserving of being a queen."


    "I think you just said that out loud.."


    I looked at the tiny statured queen in embarrassment.


    "Listen here kid. Don''t ever assume you can look down on others. Did you expect I''d walked in from some country bumpkin fairy tale and that I wouldn''t know shit?"


    A prolonged silence pierced my heart, as the needle of its words unraveled a stitch in my heart.


    As the final stitch was torn from its socket, something raw and repressed flowed out from me.


    I looked at its meager figure; overwhelmingly small and defenseless. And yet, it held such a powerful spirit. What had this being gone through..


    "I want to apologise, from the bottom of my heart."


    I kneeled down, prostrating myself before its eminence.


    "You''re right.. I thought you were some kind of fairy or nymph from our fairytales. In our stories, they always come from these medieval places where modern things are mindblowing to them. It creates a feeling of almost being better than them. That if we were to go there, and flex our knowledge, or technology, that we would blow their socks off, and be considered these amazing beings. It couldn''t be further from the truth Fellabee."This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    The moment I spoke its name, it looked at me in shock. Everything I had said up to then seemed like an expectation. A play seen many times.


    "You.. Remembered my name?"


    "Fellabee, wasn''t it?"


    Fellabee stared at me with a gaze that could cut iron.


    "What''s the matter..?"


    Fellabee flew right up to my face and stared me in the eyes.


    "Do you know what it means to call my name?"


    Before I could have a chance to reply, everything in my vision became stretched and blurred. As if a painter had scraped the paint of reality across the canvas of my eyes.


    My mind blanked as my body went into shock. I could feel a disturbing sensation come from my eyes. It felt as if hundreds of tiny worms had begun wriggling and writhing beneath my eyelids. Before long, my eyes felt stamped shut with the queen''s wax seal.


    Drool began to seep from my mouth. I began to feel my pants grow wetter and wetter.


    It felt like eternity compressed into a moment unraveling all at once, bombarding my mind with a visceral, primal pain. A fireless searing, a bee-less stinging, a fathomless sharpness, cutting through my consciousness like a drill through steel. The sparks igniting pain receptors so concentrated, it ushered madness into my mind.


    My senses wished to flee, my mind wished to cease feeling. It was like an endless torrent of agony delivered ceaselessly; without mercy, without reprieve, without any moment of hesitation, of relief.


    Constant, unending pain. The kind of pain you would cease to remember yet know forever.


    The kind of pain that ages your senses and matures your mind.


    The kind of pain that shows you your limits then breaks them again and again, over and over, until you are reforged as tempered steel.


    Broken, cracked, changed forever.


    As your mind begins to shatter, as your words begin to melt, as your thoughts begin to frantically dance a chaotic tone of red, white and blue, sharp yellows bursting out like searing molten spikes laced in a vicious poison of writhing agony, you wonder, when will it end?


    The very thought of it being over brings peace to my mind.


    The very thought of it ceasing, the concept of finality, the only reprieve my mind could possibly muster. Thank god for finality one must say. In this moment, one praises in thanks for mortality, for the end of this pain.


    This kind of pain brings the mind to its knees, it brings intellectual thought to the ground and stomps on it. There is no mercy.


    How can one not succumb to the torment, to the ceaseless agony it brings.


    How can I not ceaselessly dream for a time when this pain is but a distant memory, but an etching upon the skin of my soul. But a bitter fondness to look upon when a pain once thought unbearable becomes a pain incomparable to what was felt in this moment.


    And then it was gone.


    It was a sudden, uncompassionate end. The build up of pain had crescendo''d long ago. It had droned on, and on, for an eternity.


    And then, there was silence.


    <b>An Indeterminate amount of time later</b>


    Putting my shaking fingers to my eyes, I felt a dry crusty substance stuck to my eyelashes, gluing my eyelids shut.


    "Hey! Hey!! Can you hear me?"


    "F-Fellabee..?", I mumbled. My voice barely audible.


    "That''s right!"


    "Fellabee.. Where are we.. What''s going on, I can''t see anything"


    "I-"


    My whole body is shaking. I feel extremely thirsty. My lips are dry. I feel like I''m choking on so much stress. What the fuck, what the fuck.


    "I don''t know.. It uhh.. It looks like we''re in some kind of walled place. It''s really dark.."


    "Walled place.. Dark? Oh my god are we in an alleyway??"


    "Wait I can see something."


    "Something what?? Is it dangerous?"


    "Something''s approaching us.. I don''t know what it is, just.. Stay back! Don''t move!"


    "What the hell is it?! Are we gonna die Fellabee?! Fellabee!"


    A distant rumbling began to approach us. I suddenly felt Fellabee cling to my shoulder as the rumbling escalated into a crushing wave.


    "I-it''s coming right toward us.."


    "What-"


    Before I could finish my sentence, an intense gust of wind tore through every feeling I had. I could feel my skin begin to vibrate, oscillating like a glass about to shatter from a voice singing at the perfect pitch. My ears resonated with a thunderous boom. And then, everything went incredibly silent.


    The cold air that was biting my skin moments earlier had been replaced with a warm, comforting radiance. I felt myself being flooded with a sudden calmness.


    In that brief moment of serenity that seemed to stretch out into a restful abyss, I felt at peace.


    In this well of tranquility, I saw Sam, and Fellabee. Sam was by my side, helping me walk. I was limping. And Fellabee was riding on my shoulder, making me laugh with their characteristic quips. It was a bright day. The summer warmth brushed over our skin. The sound of cicadas rhythmically called to nostalgia. It felt beautiful.


    "Wh-what just happened?!"


    The fairy stared at what I could not see in astonishment.


    "G-gone.. It''s.. Gone"


    "What''s gone?!", I asked.


    "Don''t.. Don''t move, it''s dangerous"


    "Why?? What happened??"


    My senses began flooding back slowly.


    The gentle warmth began to become more vivid.


    "Hey bud. It''s really cold outside tonight. You feelin'' alright? The heater''s have been down for a while."


    My arm began to lift up toward Sam.


    "Sam..?"


    "DON''T MOVE EVEN AN INCH FURTHER"


    The crashing wave of Fellabee''s voice slammed me into a wall of lucidity.


    A small, unassuming body pressed desperately against my hand.


    What had felt warm, suddenly gushed into my skin as an intense heat. A scorching, radiating heat. The smell of boiled tar, and rubber, mixed with the smell of ash, and smoke made me feel nauseous as it assaulted my senses.


    I hurried to retract my hand, finding Fallabee heavily breathing upon my palm.


    "Wh-what the hell happened Fellabee?"


    The fairy held my hand, concern seeping through its gestures.


    "You were right. It was an alleyway. Not anymore though.."


    The tiny fairy coughed heavily.


    "What do you mean not anym-"


    Before I could finish my sentence, an intense cough swept over me too. Too much smoke had entered my lungs.


    "We have to-"


    The coughing intensified. A dizzying sensation taking over me.


    "-get out of here"


    "You idiot! Don''t pass out on me! How the hell can I get you out of here, you''re massive!!"

 Chapter 7: Implications

    To a rock, what is life


    To a rock, what is time


    To a rock, when is now


    To a rock, who am I


    To a rock, where am I


    To a rock, what is life


    To a rock, what is pain


    To a rock, what is loss


    Tell me, rock


    I must know


    TELL ME


    WHO AM IIIIIIIIIIIIII


    The rock looked at me, contemplating


    It had more time than me


    More time than anyone


    Civilizations fell before it


    People lied upon it


    It had been soaked in tears


    It had drank of their blood


    It had been washed away


    It had dreampt of hills


    It had felt of leaves


    It had blankets of moss


    Now long past


    And yet, still it remained


    All changed


    All passed


    Yet the rock persisted


    It did not fear


    It did not grieve


    It did not cry


    Every loss, a flowing of the wave


    It watched


    Eyeless


    Dreamless


    Soulless


    Or perhaps


    Full of more soul


    Than any other


    History etched into its being


    Time etched upon its form


    Even the rock changed


    Even the rock grew


    Even the rock lost


    Its size had risen


    Its size had fell


    It had felt the intimacy of time


    Its form a testament to its craftsmanship


    Thank you rock.


    I cried.


    It was my last goodbye.


    For I was not that rock.


    I was simply a human.


    <b>? ? ?</b>


    Madness is like a melody. And I, the instrument. It plucks at my strings; a gentle resonance. A forming whole, from a fragmented soul.


    There are subtleties to mundane.


    There is magic in the small.


    <b>? ? ?</b>


    "F-Fellabee-"


    My eyes believing they could blink, twitched and writhed. Something horrible had soaked my tastebuds. My nose felt singed in a bitter coating of tar.


    I reached for my lips, gasping with thirst. The cracks upon them had become entrenched. Dried rivers, once full of blood, laid dormant upon my flesh.


    A small, tender mass rested upon my face.


    "Fellabee.."


    No sound returned the call of my voice. The once intense heat had settled. The gnawing cold had taken much of my sensations.


    I was alone.


    <b>? ? ?</b>


    I fought. I fought against every rusty cog in my bones. Every muscle long fossilised. My body creaked, and snapped, as I slowly raised myself up from this dormant despair.


    Carefully, I clasped Fellabee to my chest. She had cared for me.


    "Why..?"The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    My throat wrenched a dry, forced whimper.


    Why had you stayed. Why had you protected me.


    I slapped myself faster than I could think, and began to walk.


    I couldn''t see. I could barely hear. My sense of smell was heavily impaired. My skin had long gone numb.


    I had no idea where I was going. All I knew, was that staying there would mean certain death.


    Occasionally thoughts raced through the caverns of my mind.


    How had I gotten here? The moment I spoke Fellabee''s name, something horrifying had occurred. And yet, not another time since. Had it been chance?


    What had happened to my body? Am I going to die? Am I already dying? Will I ever see again?


    In my absentmindedness, I slammed into what I could only imagine was a wall. Stumbling, I held fast to its foundation.


    Perhaps I would die of thirst before anything else. Swallowing had become a painful, laborious task.


    Sometimes the world, or what I could perceive of it, would spin violently, and I would find myself picking myself up off the ground, again and again.


    Each time, I did my best to protect the one I was carrying. I let my sides take the brunt of the damage. Sometimes hearing a disturbing crack, or feeling a sharp pain as I twisted my body to protect this one''s.


    Why, as my final act, was I going so far to protect another?


    "Do you need a reason?", spoke Sam.


    "You know, I remember a time I met a young kid who was too afraid to leave his room. Granted, it was mighty dangerous outside."


    Sam looked at me, putting his hand firmly upon my shoulder, and spoke one last word before he vanished from my mind.


    "Persevere."


    <b>? ? ?</b>


    I had began to lose track of how much time had passed. How could I after all. I had tried counting. I had tried using the temperature to gauge the days. I scraped little grooves into my skin using my tattered nails.


    I felt 16 notches. That many days couldn''t have passed. I would have starved to death. Died of thirst even sooner. I then began to wonder why I had carved anything upon my arm to begin with.


    Madness was a perditious bastard, I thought to myself. How can a mad person think they''re mad? That isn''t how it works is it?


    Before I could finish my thought, my foot collided with a sharp, spherical object. A shockwave of pain spiked into my nervous system, and I gasped, before falling forward into an ice cold depth.


    Before mind could put to reason, I threw my hand out toward the sky. Before my next breath, I felt a tiny twitch upon my palm.


    Submerging from the abyss of ice, I breathed a heavy, desperate breath. And then I immediately began coughing. A thick mucous shot from my lungs, staining my other hand. Immediately, I gagged, threw my hand into the water below, and shook it violently. Then, without a moment''s hesitation, I drank.


    Greedily, I drank. Whether it was water or not, I drank. Whether it mattered or not, I drank. Whether it was clean or not, I drank.


    A meager coughing could be heard from above.


    "Y-you.. How did you.."


    The mighty queen, Fellabee, had awoken.


    <b>? ? ?</b>


    I had rubbed my eyes, again, and again. Peeling layer after layer of blood, grime, and sweat from my face.


    The meager statured queen had bathed in the moonlight, upon a small clearing of rocks and waves.


    Fellabee had asked me not to look, as it was improper to look at a female while bathing.


    I had had my assumptions, however, after my other assumptions, I thought perhaps anything was possible. Especially if they were like flower fairies.


    Tiny droplets like clouds of mist emerged from her wings as she finished up and flew over to me.


    "How''s your sight? Still having trouble making things out?"


    "It''s better now Fellabee.. Thank you."


    She smiled warmly, then slapped my shoulder.


    "Don''t go getting any funny ideas now, alright?"


    Fellabee smirked cheekily, flicking her hair to one side.


    "Sorry Fel, I''m not much for entrees"


    Fellabee''s jaw dropped. Then she huffed and sat herself down to my ear.


    "Ever heard of fine dining?"


    Swinging my head rapidly to the side, it was now my time to be shocked.


    Expecting the maneuver, Fellabee had already ducked and hid near my chest.


    I looked down to her, feeling rather shy, and said, "Fellabee! Is that any way for royalty to speak?!"


    Fellabee, looking a little indignant said, "It''s just you and me now. And even Queens have needs."

 Chapter 8: Revelation

    The city lay silent. The broad strokes of glass and steel pepper the horizon. A small corner shop lay in solitude, a sign hanging still upon aged wood. Shelves lay bare. A single item here and there leave a striking contrast to the spaces now ladened in dust and rodent remains.


    Down the road, a much larger store lay silent. Beyond it, an entrance to a mall. The store reads, "All-Night Pharmacy". It was commonplace in this city. Inside the mall, decorations lay sleeping. The once hustle and bustle, the energy of life, long passed these halls.


    And yet, amongst this silence, a tiny spark of life remained.


    "ECHO, ECHO!!"


    A young man laughed, walking alongside a small statured girl.


    "So, what''d you like for dinner tonight Fel?"


    "Oh please, call me Bee. Cause tonight, I''m gonna be collecting honey."


    Laughter filled the cave of man-made ingenuity. It was a strangely liberating experience. Being alone amongst an empty expanse. The only ones left to rule this kingdom of abandoned glory.


    "You know Fel, I lived most of my life in hiding. Too afraid to go to places like this. But I gotta say, without all the people, it''s pretty awesome!"


    "Ehhem. You mean, with ME, it''s pretty awesome?!"


    "You know it Fel!"


    "Your ribs still hurting Vince?"This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    "Not as much thankfully.. That cream and painkillers really did the trick."


    <b>? ? ?</b>


    Riding down the streets in a trolley. Eating way too much chocolate. Forgetting there''s no running water when running to the toilet at a McDarvy''s. I began to feel like I was finally living a life. Fellabee and I had found a place for ourselves. A place we can call home, together.


    "You know, whatever happened out here. Maybe it was just what we needed."


    Fellabee looked me in the eyes, and with a long, hard stare, kissed me. Her tiny lips pressing against mine like a soft grape.


    "Honestly, being made a Queen wasn''t something I-"


    Before she could finish her sentence, a familiar spark shot into her mind.


    Within a matter of moments, a sprawling tree of networks opened up inside her being, and she grasped her head. A familiar feeling overwhelmed her. It had been so long since-


    "Systems online. Aether net operational."


    Her eyes widened several fold, and before I could speak, she grabbed my hand and looked around.


    "What is it Fellabee?! Did something happen?"


    "Th-the aether net.. How.. It''s online.. My linker just notified me?!"


    Taking my focus off of Fellabee, I raised my head steadily and looked around.


    "Wait.. Weren''t we just.. In the city.."


    Somehow, the air felt denser. The concrete walls that once surrounded our views, had been replaced with an eery, dark sea.


    Droplets of water, black as night, dripped upwards toward an eternal abyss. The lightless expanse above us stretched out in all directions. Gigantic fangs lined the horizon. What were once skyscrapers, were now the teeth of an abyssal, towering maw.


    "Something''s wrong Vince..", Fellabee said with a shaken voice.


    Her vision now augmented with horrific sights.


    "Th-they''re all dead..", she whimpered. Collapsing onto my palm.


    My feet began to feel soaked in a thick, wet substance. As if the saliva of a colossal beast had began digesting its prey before crushing it into a fine paste.


    I felt frozen. Waves of shock periodically spiraling through my veins, when suddenly, Fellabee began convulsing. Her veins had began glowing a crimson red.


    Not knowing exactly what to do, I panicked and ripped off the linker.


    A few moments of silence passed. Her body had gone completely still. I held her tiny face upon my fingers and gently cradled her. My heart was pounding with fear. My ears had began ringing, and amongst the silent sea of black, I had a vision.

 Chapter 9: Bitter Cold

    It was a winter so cold, even the woolen beasts had fallen prey to the vicious frost.


    "Hey!! You''re gonna die if you stay out there!!"


    I wasn''t sure if he would even hear me. He was a burly man. He wore a scruffy beard, and an even scruffier hat. It looked like he''d ripped his clothes right off of a bear''s back. His nose was bright red. His ears too. However, his skin was like porcelain glass. He was a strange fellow.


    "HEY!! CAN YOU HEAR ME?!"


    Nobody passed by these mountains this time of year. My parents had warned me of the dangers of random passerbyers. But it had been so many years since I had seen anyone..


    Stranger or not, my mind and body craved for the warmth of another human being. Well.. Could I call him a human.. Whatever he was, I craved for another thing that can talk to me.


    Why would I go as far as to not say he''s a human outright? Because I''ve experienced many strange things since I''ve been alone..


    Listen to me when I say, this winter was not like any I had ever witnessed. You might be wondering how I survived out here when even the wolliest beasts of the wilds had fallen prey to the frost. Well, below this house, we had a soul engine.


    Back when my parents built this house, they had grand plans for these mountains. Their lives, and their dreams however, had been robbed of them too early. Left here alone, I grew to know the ways of the wilds. And the ways of the soul.


    Every time a beast died around these parts, its soul would wander into this engine, where it would share its light and warmth with me. I knew that one day, my soul too would join this engine, and I would give back the warmth that I received to another. Perhaps lighting the way toward my parent''s stolen dream..


    A powerful, booming knock slammed me from my daydreams. It''d been a while since I''d shouted to that man. I thought perhaps he''d passed long ago..


    I opened the door with a spot of hesitation.


    "Hello..?", I spoke, trying to hide my excitement.


    "Kind stranger, was it you who beckoned me to this abode?", the stranger spoke. His accent, like crystal velvet.


    "Y-yes. You''re welcome to come in if you''d like. Everything''s been dying in that cold out there.."


    I hadn''t spoken to another in a few winters. My voice must have sounded awfully strange. I was full of nerves. My heart was being jolted by bolts of lightning.


    "If it would be to your liking", the stranger said.


    "To, to my liking? It would very much so be to my liking stranger! I.. I mean, whats your name.. Err, stranger?"


    I fumbled it so hard. I''m gonna die. Please soul engine take me now.


    "I am afraid you cannot know my name, fragile one. However, I can offer you a pseudonym. You may call me Fenrir."


    The stranger, no, Fenrir, spoke with such a demanding grace. If it wasn''t for the gentle, subtle tones, I would''ve been too scared to even speak.


    "F-Fenrir.. Wow, what a name.. My name''s just Evelynn. It''s not as exciting or cool as yours.. Oh.. Well, your pseudoname.. Wait, no.. Pseudanim.. Okay whatever.. Your other name. It''s very cool.."


    Fenrir let out a mild giggle. Revealing a smile that could melt all the ice upon these lands.


    "Your heart is pure, little one. Let us plead that it remains so", Fenrir said.


    <b>? ? ?</b>


    A day had passed. And Fenrir had delighted in the warmth of this quaint abode. The girl he found himself with had reminded him of the playful river sprites. Despite her harsh environment, and the cruel tundra engulfing her sights, she somehow shone brightly. Even brighter than the abomination that laid beneath his feet.


    Fenrir''s eyes grew colder, the warmer his body grew.


    "This home, who built it?", Fenrir asked.


    "Ooooh, my parents! They were wonderful people! Taken far too soon.. They wanted to turn this whole mountain into a lively village.. They died way before it could ever be realised.. Ever since, I''ve lived here, alone.. A village would''ve been nice.."Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    Fenrir could sense the shaken heart of this young soul. Deprived of the warmth of socialising. Having had become an adult too soon.


    "May I inquire about what happened to them?", Fenrir asked, a very polite tone coating his words.


    "Yeah.. One day, a woman dressed in red came.. She argued with my parents for several hours. I was too young to remember any details.. At the end of it, she drained them of their blood, chopped them up, and strung their corpses through the forest. She told me I was never to leave this place, and that if I ever did, she would know, and she would kill me."


    Tears began to fill my eyes, as I choked the last words from my mouth.


    Fenrir stared, unmoved. As if a calm breeze had graced an old oaken tree.


    "So the scarlet witch knew about this place? Hmm.."


    Fenrir began to sink deep into thought. He had the last pieces of the puzzle he needed.


    <b>? ? ?</b>


    Another day had passed, and the cold had not ceased.


    "Evelynn, are you aware of the sprites of spring?", Fenrir asked.


    "Sprites? Never heard of ''em before! What are they?"


    Evelynn was deeply intrigued. Her parents had many books they had left on the shelves of this home. None had ever mentioned sprites before.


    "I see. They are gentle souls. Less playful than river sprites. More on the warm and tender side. They aid in the blooming of spring. They help issue in the warmer seasons."


    Evelynn''s eyes widened and she shot up out of her chair.


    "Are they all in the soul engine?! Is that why the winter''s been so damn cold?! Are they trapped or something?!"


    Fenrir''s eyebrows twitched in surprise.


    "An astute observation, Evelynn. You have quite the sharp intellect."


    His words, as smooth as satin silk, brushed against her heart. Blushing, and flustered, she waved her arms around, insisting "No, no, no! Not at all!".


    "I am afraid this engine as you call it, is far more nefarious than you might think", Fenrir said, in a serious tone. His eyes darkening.


    "It has become my belief that your parents chose here not to start a village, but to hide from one. No, to say just one.. It would be a grand understatement. This device Evelynn, it is a forbidden existence in every part of the world."


    Her playful demeanour was shot dead.


    "It harvests souls, and transforms them into tainted mana. This engine was placed here to create an abomination. This method of creating mana veins is considered the most barbaric method ever invented. It''s considered tainted mana because the souls that are crystallised and transformed go through extreme suffering and are robbed of their eternal life. Never to be transformed again. They become a form of pure energy that is considered the most foul, tainted blight upon the surface of this world."


    Evelynn went limp, her body collapsing as her entire reality warped into a sickening nightmare. She threw up all over the beautiful floor her parents had built.


    Evelynn heaved, trying to breathe. All of the energy, all of the youth she had been exuding, had all been crushed under the weight of revelation.


    "I apologise Evelynn. I did not want to rob you of this beautiful mirage. However, it has been determined that you must know the truth. This land is to be eradicated, and I have come to take you with me, if you so choose. I have judged your character, and I deem you innocent of any crimes your parents had committed."


    Fenrir helped her up to her feet, gestured her to sit, and then cleaned the floor before sitting down across from her.


    "That witch.. Why.. Why did she keep me here..?", Evelynn asked.


    "That, most curiously, I do not know. The scarlet witch is a mystery to all. She has lived a great many years, and is what I would call a sculptor of fate. Perhaps she wanted you to stay here so that we might meet. And so that the one watching this some day may gain the key they need to solve this", Fenrir said.


    A mighty gasp escaped my lungs as I opened my eyes, revealing a familiar lightless expanse.


    "What the fuck..."


    I moved my free hand to my face, and pushed my hair back. As a cool bead of sweat dripped from my finger, my eyes caught a glimpse of something strange. Just like Fellabee, my veins had turned a vibrant red. Fellabee was still unconscious on my right palm. What the hell was going on..


    As I looked around, there was nothing but black. It was as if the very concept of light, of colour, and of life had ceased to be.


    Alone in this abyss, a thought dawned on me. What if there''s no way back? Will we starve to death here?


    Panic began to set in and grip my soul. As soon as I finally embraced the outside world again, I find myself suffocatingly trapped inside of another box. Except this time, there''s nothing.


    The black sea beneath my feet pulsed a-periodically. Like tiny ripples in a pond echoing out, eventually reaching me. This realisation grounded me from my fears, as hope furiously sparked within me.


    With Fellabee upon my palm, I strode toward what I felt like was the direction the ripples were coming from.


    If all were still, and nothing had moved, perhaps I would''ve fallen deeper into despair, and gone mad.


    Gone mad.. Madder than I already am. Pfft.


    <b>? ? ?</b>


    Every step toward the rippling filled me with hope, however it also filled me with a newfound trepidation. What if the thing making this motion is sinister..


    What if it''s something that wants to kill or eat me..


    I looked to Fellabee, unconscious, defenseless, and I realised: even if this is the case, we have no other option. We''re stranded in the middle of nowhere, experiencing cryptic hallucinations, and judging from our veins, we might even be poisoned.


    The resolve that had been steadily building in my heart strengthened and refined one more. Deeper and deeper, I fell.


    <b>? ? ?</b>


    I couldn''t tell how much I''d walked. Once again, the familiar sting of dry, cracked lips poked at me like a needle. My limbs creaked, and my eyes grew dim.


    Again, and again I have walked. Again, and again I had persevered. The endless expanse would not win. I would not succumb.


    Each step was its own challenge. Every challenge overcame was enough. Why did not matter. All that mattered was continuation. It did not matter if I would die. It did not matter if we would collapse. It did not matter if we would be eaten. To move forward is to live.


    As I ruminated on my plight, a strange, twitching mass appeared upon the horizon.

 Chapter 10: Slumber

    As the colossal mass came further and further into sight, something dawned on me. All my life I had hidden myself away, immersing myself in esoteric tales of conspiracy and urban legend. And now, in this very moment, and in every moment leading up to this, I have been experiencing it directly.


    Somehow in my exhausted, broken mind, I had only just stumbled upon this very thought. Everything was over, and only I remained. Where was humanity?


    <b>? ? ?</b>


    Upon a blackened abyss, where light sought refuge upon the souls of the few, a solemn ritual took place.


    Hundreds of figures dressed in black slammed rods of unknown metal ceaselessly against the indescribable mass. Day and night had ceased to be. The sky above had ceased its birthing of stars long ago. Upon these lands, only one purpose remained.


    Rhythmic drumming continued to send ripples through the ground. The constant undulations slowed the rising of the black toward the upper abyss. When I was further away, the black rain rose steadily. Now, there was a stillness to the rhythm. Although the ground moved, the rain did not. It was like a peaceful quiet falling upon a sudden summer rain.


    The torrential downfall stopping in a heartbeat. The stillness born only from a sudden lack of great motion. What was I witnessing..


    "Ya know kid. Before the world went to shit like this, I used to love visiting the big festivals they''d throw downtown."


    Memories flashed before my eyes. Again I was reminded that no matter how dark and scary it was trapped in that room, Sam always shone a bright, warm light, warming my soul.


    As the echoes of pounding thuds reverberated through my body, I felt myself losing my grip on reality. The world began to sway, and before I could realise it, everything went black.


    <b>? ? ?</b>


    Two robed figures carried a body gently through a corridor. The corridor walls writhed to the beat of every step, occasionally twitching eagerly to the clinking of gold and swaying of thick cloth.


    As the figures made their way deeper, they arrived upon the main chamber. The walls in every direction were a mix of deep, muted purple, and an indescribable abyssal black.  Candles nestled themselves in the darkest corners, forbidding the shadows their respite; only the natural black of this room was allowed. The room was giant, almost giving off the vibe of an ancient cathedral. There were no windows, no stained glass, and no bricks. And yet, in this solemn, dark pit, there was an unspoken reverence.


    Every member present was silent. The landscape reverberated only that which the sentients allowed.This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    The two figures paused. Three other figures nearby began a deep, guttural chant. Alone, amongst a raised central feature, a bed of wriggling organic tendrils excitedly emerged. Their red, a crimson brilliance.


    The two robed figures waited for an exact amount of time, before they carefully climbed the raised ground. Clinks and echoed steps added percussive depth to the guttural tones. As if every step was planned, as if every movement was calculated, the resonating echoes from their intricate ornaments produced a harmonic, unified fullness of sound.


    The two figures approached the bed of tendrils, and began to lower the body carefully down toward it. As the body grew nearer, shades of oxide and teal in the form of extremely thin filaments, like a web woven by a spider began to extend and embrace the body.


    The two figures released the body upon this gesture, and made their way back to the lowered ground.


    The mysterious tendrils reacted vividly to the red veins of the body. And then again, to the much smaller body presented with it. The bodies were dry and malnourished. Every groove and crevice was carefully examined.


    In time, their entire bodies became wrapped in a cocoon. Upon this critical moment, every member present dropped to their knees. Rhythmic thumping could be heard, as the figures'' heads met with the ground.


    The guttural sounds had ceased, and soon, the thumping had too. Complete silence enveloped the chamber. Outside, thumping continued. The thick outer walls undulated the dark abyssal sea, quelling the inverted rain. Within this chamber however, there was a silence among the silence. The tendrils worked, carefully and meticulously, within the cocoon. Not a single sound escaped from within.


    <b>An unknown amount of time later</b>


    A shattering crack, painting the stillness of the chamber, resonated out through the corridors. A lone figure stood up. And then another.


    The empty chamber filled once more with reverence, as figures emerged from pools of black in every direction.


    <b>KNEEL. </b>A guttural, primordial voice muttered.


    Every figure, without hesitance, fell to their knees with absolute adherence. The synchronised chorus of their robes as they knelt sounding like a military drill.


    Upon witnessing this, the larger body raised out their hand directly forward. As the hand reached out, clothing began to enclose the nakedness of the two.


    Teal cloth hugged their pristine figures as threads wove themselves into existence. Dark solid gold grew upon the teal landscape with undeciphered symbols and patterns. Brilliant crimson belts wrapped themselves around the waists and forearms. Two distinct crimson talons of cloth sharply pointed themselves toward the ground from behind, tipped with golden arrows.


    The emerged beings took their first step. Not a single robed figure budged. Then a second. And then a third. The colossal chamber remained silent. It was a ghostly silence. The writhing had ceased. The tendril bed lay dormant. Signs of fossilisation had began to creep into every detail of the chamber.


    The newly awoken beings made their way toward the corridor.


    <b>FOLLOW.</b>


    Every sentient present in the chamber immediately got up and began following.


    <b>? ? ?</b>


    Outside, the ground was dry. There was complete silence. The inverted rain had long dried up. The abyssal black sea, now revealing a dry, stone-like flatland. The once writhing mass, rivaling that of a mountain, was now still. Unfeeling, unmoving, all had been reduced to rock.


    Something inside of the two figures stirred. They felt an indescribable welling up of deep satisfaction. The joy was so immeasurable, tears began to emerge from their eyes.


    With a wide smile, bearing teeth of polished plaster, the larger being raised their arms to the sky.


    "And no stars shall shine", Vincent said.


    "Upon the waking of my new dawn", Fellabee said.

 Chapter 11: A Mystery

    Upon this desolate void, nothing remained. The light had long died out. The stars had dusted the heavens. The universe had gone cold. Yet, this floating rock persisted, as if a final act of defiance against the cosmos.


    Like an egg that''d already bore its chicken, only the shell had remained. Yet, the chicken had yet to fully emerge. Confined to a solemn rock, the final vestiges of life struggled on.


    <hr>


    "There have been a lot of reported theft cases lately", an officer says, grimly plonking a stack of papers on an old, oaken desk.


    "Are we just gonna sit back and let this happen?"


    A dark eyed, grizzly looking man slowly raises his eyes to meet the officer''s.


    "Remember the case of the soul engine?", the older man says.


    "I.. Do."


    "The cultists have become significantly more active since then. It''s been reported that they''ve stolen around three thousand pounds of gold in the last week. I assume these papers list the thefts?"


    "Exactly sir! We can''t just sit around doing nothing! We have to stop them or at the very least, catch them!"


    "Don''t rush to your words so quickly. Why do you think they''re stealing the gold?"


    "Perhaps they need money to fund other activities, sir? They''ve been active for quite some time. Perhaps their funds have run dry?"


    "Perhaps. What else is gold used for?"


    The officer''s eyes glistened with realisation. Then, their heart darkened.


    "A conductive for.."


    The scruffy older man lit a cigarette and puffed deeply.


    "We''ve been observing this cult for several years now, and not once have they been found to steal."


    With his idle hand, he flipped a coin with a hooded figure engraved on it between his fingers.


    "Not once."


    <b>? ? ?</b>


    A cork-board nailed into the wall lay heavily populated, strings connecting several pictures. The soul engine incident. The heist of Al-Kapur. The scarlet witch massacre.


    If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    The cultists. Tainted mana. Gold. Something was missing. Although the uses aligned, the objective still remained unclear.


    "We can''t arrest them yet. We need to observe, we need a clue. They won''t talk. We''ve tried that, remember? This is bigger than just theft. If we screw this up, there might be hell to pay."


    <hr>


    Vincent and Fellabee made their way back into the center of the fossilised mound.


    "Hey kid, ya ever played pictionary?", Sam said.


    A cocoon lay cracked upon a still bed of rock.


    "Once or twice.. I liked it a lot actually.. Just never had the chance to play it more.. I guess now I might never get the chance again..."


    Beyond the cocoon, and beyond the once bed of writhing mass, right within the center of it all, a very narrow hole could be seen.


    "It''s all about seein'' what the other person wants you to see. And to do that, ya gotta give over control."


    <b>? ? ?</b>


    "This is it..", I said, with a taciturn expression.


    "No seeing what''s down there though.. That hole''s tiny.. I thought it''d be much bigger", I added.


    "What makes you think this is it, Vince?"


    Fellabee poked at the tiny hole with an unimpressed gaze.


    "I mean.. Look at it.. What''s it supposed to be anyway?"


    "Well.. If my hunch is right, it might lead us out of here.."


    "Hmm.. Why do you think that??", Fellabee said, her gaze intensifying.


    "Well, if we got here through the alleyway, maybe finding something similar to that could help.. And I feel like this hole might open up to something bigger."


    "You just feel it?? Where''s this coming from Vince?", Fellabee''s tone growing slightly annoyed.


    "Wait, I forgot to tell you?? I had a vision Fel, and this place.. It feels creepily familiar.. As if it''s the same place my vision took place in.."


    Fellabee''s eyes widened in shock.


    "You had a vision too?!"


    "Yeah Fel, the moment I touched your Linker-"


    Suddenly, a thought popped into my head.


    "Hey Fellabee, can I see your veins for a moment?"


    "My veins??"


    "Yeah.. After you fell unconscious, your veins went red. So did mine just before I fell into the vision.."


    "Hmm, okay you can check"


    Fellabee stretched out her arm. As she did, her clothing peeled back like the tide receding from a rocky cliff face. Threads unraveled themselves, and the dark gold licked its way back into the unknown.


    "Woah, that''s beautiful! What the hell.. Did you do that Fellabee??"


    "Do what?? The clothes thing?"


    "Yeah"


    "No.. Not really.. Maybe it responds to us?"


    "Oh.. That''s kinda creepy.. But cool too I guess.."


    As her skin came into view, sprawling golden lines mapped out her every vein. It reminded me a lot of Kintsugi. It was actually quite beautiful..


    "Woah.. Do you see this Fellabee??"


    "Yeah.. Let me see the veins on your arms too Vince"


    I reached my arm up to her. My clothing unraveling similarly to the call of inspection.


    "Huh, golden veins as well. You know, when you mentioned the red veins, it reminded me of a rare disease we have back in my world. We couldn''t figure out the exact cause.. But we did discover that it has something to do with mana that wasn''t produced by the planet directly. This gold though.. I''ve never seen it before.."


    "Wait, are you serious!?"


    "What??"


    "In my vision, there was this thing called a soul engine that could produce what someone called "tainted mana". It worked by consuming people''s souls.."


    An illuminating light exploded throughout Fellabee''s mind.


    "Vincent, I have a crazy idea. Wanna go inside each other''s minds and see these visions first-hand?"

 Chapter 12: Journey Within

    "Holy shit, something like that exists??"


    Earth must have been living under a rock. Well.. Beats living on nothing but a rock in the middle of fuck knows where I guess..


    "Sure does Vince~ It''s been a secret for a very long time now though. Naturally, being the Queen, I was able to gain a lot of.. Forbidden knowledge. So I know a thing or two, hehe~"


    "Well well well.. It''s good to know you''ve always been cheeky your highness"


    "Oh stop~", Fellabee teased out as she sat on my head.


    <b>? ? ?</b>


    "Alright, alright. I''m in on this plan. I can''t really think of any other way we can find the answers just by talking about it. How exactly are we gonna do it though?"


    Fellabee squirmed a bit.


    "Uhhh.. It''s a bit hard to explain.."


    I took Fellabee off my head and held her in front of my chest.


    "I''m listening~ C''mon, give it a try!"


    "Alriiiight, I''ll see what I can do~", Fellabee said, wiggling her body.


    She stood up. Thin strands began to materialise above her head. Soon, they formed into a brilliant crown atop her head.


    "What the hell?? Where did that come from?!", I said, startled.


    "The same place our clothes came from??", Fellabee said with a bit of shock.


    "Huh.. How''d you figure out how to do that?"


    "The same way I access the internet.. But wait, didn''t you make our clothes appear Vince??"


    "No..?"


    Silence filled the air. My stomach began to contort as the sudden realisation dawned on me that something else was also occupying our bodies.


    <b>? ? ?</b>


    "Do you think it can, I dunno.. Take over our body at any moment?"


    "Maybe.. I mean, it clothed us without asking. Though I''m not complaining. If anything, it''s kind of well mannered whatever it is.. If it''s even sentient at all??"


    "Huh.. I guess you''re right. It could be some non-sentient thing. Not knowing is kinda creepy though.."


    "Yeah.."


    What else could we do.. We were stuck with it. It could probably see, hear, maybe even feel everything we both could. For a moment, I wanted to be back in that room. Locked inside, away from all this chaos and fear.


    And then I remembered the madness. The ever pervasive downfall that drenched and soaked my innermost securities. I won''t ever allow myself to defile who I am in that way ever again.


    It was creepy for sure. We have no idea what kind of thing is "inside" us. But, holding onto this idea tightly would send us both mad. If we fixated on it, we might lose sight of what really matters.


    "Well.. It still beats paint moving and talking rats", I said, trying to convey a nonchalant tone.


    "You idiot", Fellabee replied with a hand to her forehead.


    "I mean think about it. Okay, there''s some creepy people following us around everywhere we go, but maybe they can protect us? I''m pretty sure we were as good as dead before whatever the hell happened to us that got us here. And now we''re able to pull shit out of our ass like we''re David Blaine"


    "Speak for yourself Vince~ Last I checked, only I can do the impossible~"


    "Who the fuck is David Blaine", Fellabee added, muttering imperceptibly with pouted lips.


    "Ha! We''ll see how long that lasts Fel~"


    "Hmph. We''ll see how well you can pick it up. Then you can talk big~"


    I did a respectful martial arts bow.


    "I''m here to learn from you, wise one~"


    Fellabee burst into laughter.


    "You silly boy.."


    <b>? ? ?</b>


    Fellabee folded her arms and enlarged her upper stature.


    "Alright, let''s get down to business"


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    And so the lesson began.


    I sat my ass down on the barren ground, preparing to be enlightened as Fellabee''s class commenced.


    She began by weaving what I could best describe as a chalkboard into existence.


    "Wait, did you weave that thing in based on my world or did you have something like that there??"


    Fellabee smirked.


    "Oh we have way more sophisticated teaching tools than this. This one''s for you Vince."


    "Ouch.. Low blow Fel.."


    "Low blow?? I got wings you know! I''ll show you a low blow!", she said as she hurled the chalk toward my nether region.


    I couldn''t help but laugh at her silly antics.


    <b>? ? ?</b>


    After we settled down, Fellabee returned to her studious demeanor.


    "Okay, let''s start with how to access the internet, since it''s the fundamental required to go into each other''s minds"


    She briefly paused. Studied my expression. Then continued.


    "Let''s start with the alleyways. Spaces between places where gaps in reality lie."


    "Gaps as in?"


    "Mmm, like when you see a loosely woven blanket. There are kind of "holes" or gaps where the "stuff" isn''t. And in our case, these gaps or holes seem to lead to places. Or at least, they do now.."


    I nodded in acknowledgement.


    "Makes sense, makes sense. Nice analogy Fel~"


    "Silly, don''t make me shy. I used to be a Queen you know! I had to explain things to people all the time. And I got to learn a lot from people who could explain things super well too, you know?"


    "True true, still, don''t sell yourself short-"


    "What do you mean short? Huhhh??"


    Fel rushed up to my face and waved her chalk around.


    "Feeeel, you know what I mean!"


    <b>? ? ?</b>


    "Okay, imagine your brain. Between the neurons and synaptic terminals; let''s say the tree trunk and the branches, there are spaces between the places like alleyways. As you go from the trunk to the branch, eventually you reach leaves. If we imagine a forest with really close trees, there''s spaces where the wind blows."


    As Fellabee was speaking, she began to move her hands extremely fast. She conjured up pictures of a sprawling network of tendrils and filaments at multiple scales to help me understand.


    "Are you following along?"


    "I''m mostly following, keep going"


    Her analogies really helped. I didn''t really know much about the brain per say. Being taught things by her made my heart tingle..


    Fellabee''s wings wiggled as she began her next motion.


    "Now let''s imagine that through these places where the wind blows, there are especially narrow spots. These are contrasted as we reach the outside of the forest. There''s this wide open plane out there. Lots and lots of space for wind to blow. At this horizon in the brain, specifically here-"


    She pointed to a dark, sponge-like texture she had drawn, labeled the "outside of the forest".


    "What we want to do so we can connect to the internet is to follow the flow of the wind. Think of it like hopping on a leaf when the wind blows especially hard. If we catch the right leaf, at the right time, it''ll take us through the gaps. And eventually, we''re going to end up at the right place. Well.. It takes a bit of steering the leaf. But you get the idea, right?"


    "Yeah. Actually, I kinda thought it''d be a lot harder than this to understand it. You''ve explained it so well Fel.. I''m really impressed!"


    Fellabee looked at me, a little stunned, then puffed out her chest.


    "Of course I did! I got taught by the best of the best~"


    "I think you''re also just good at explaining things Fel. I never would''ve been able to come up with analogies like that.."


    Fellabee, frowning, threw chalk at my forehead.


    "Hey! Don''t talk shit about yourself. I''m not with you cause you''re an idiot. It usually takes people a long time to understand this stuff. Give yourself some credit, okay??"


    "Okay, okay.. Thank you Fellabee, really."


    Fellabee patted my head and rubbed where the chalk had landed.


    "Of course Vince"


    <b>? ? ?</b>


    "Alright. Since we can''t use the Linker anymore."


    We looked briefly at the pitiful pile of junk it had been reduced to.


    "We''re gonna have to rely on this theory to carry us through this next stage, Vince. If we make a mistake, uhh.. We might be screwed. So, let''s go over the details a few more times.."


    My stomach curled a bit when she said those words. I never felt good being relied on. I hated letting people down..


    <b>? ? ?</b>


    "Alright, something really important. Coming back from diving into each other''s psyches is.. Challenging work. At worst, we might be in a coma for life. There''s also actually no written way on how exactly we get back to "reality", hence it''s forbidden.. But what kind of reality are we in now anyway.."


    The sky bled with abandonment.


    "Well, look at the bright side. At least we''ll be together in that coma!"


    Fellabee grinned, a mixed expression filling her face.


    "That almost sounds like a paradise, if we could live there.."


    <b>? ? ?</b>


    "These golden veins.. I hope they don''t impede the ritual.."


    "Are they a bad thing?"


    "I''m not sure.. That depends on whether or not we can bleed honestly.."


    "Wait what?!"


    Without warning, Fellabee stabbed a very fine needle into my vein. In that moment, I saw my ancestors. They told me, "She''s gonna kill you, wake the fuck up".


    Coming back to my senses, I expected pain. I even winced. However, no pain ensued. Meanwhile, a fine stream of gold traveled up the needle.


    "Bingo! Looks like we can do this Vince!"


    "Holy hell you scared the shit out of me!!"


    Fellabee patted me gently.


    "There there. I can kiss it better later."


    "Alright..", I said, frowning slightly.


    Fellabee looked over to the robed figures that had silently witnessed everything.


    "Hey, loyal followers. If we''re unresponsive for more than 12 hours, do whatever you can to wake us up, okay?"


    The robed figures stood silently. Not a single speck of gold hummed.


    <b>OBEY</b>


    The robed figures nodded compliantly. Then lending a knee, they bowed with a sense of deep respect.


    "Huh, they listened", Fellabee said, riddled with surprise.


    "Once a Queen, always a Queen I guess~"


    "Sillyyyyy. You might be right though."


    Fellabee smirked as she looked down upon the figures above her.


    <b>? ? ?</b>


    Fellabee held the delicate needle with extreme precision. A single mistake would require restarting from the very beginning. And who knew how hard it would be to clean this golden liquid coming out from us..


    "You know Vince, it''s times like these that I''m really glad I had an interest in esoteric stuff like this.. Without it, maybe we wouldn''t be able to ever leave this place.."


    I looked to Fel with a sense of comradery in my heart.


    "Me too Fel.. There were all kinds of weird esoteric ideas in my world too. Without being so interested in them, maybe I would never have been able to meet you.."


    Fellabee''s hands glided across the surface of my skin. A careful stream of gold rested itself upon my arm. Her skill and grace in this moment was breathtaking.


    Over time, a kaleidoscopic pattern was formed between our arms. It was a dazzling sight to behold. From where the needle had entered our skin, to where our arms met, not a single part of the pattern was disconnected. We had to keep our arms incredibly still during this process. It was actually quite challenging..


    "Now, I want you to close your eyes Vince, and repeat after me"

 Chapter 13: Interrupted Bliss

    There were some who claimed the mind and the universe shared a very similar structure. That perhaps the universe itself is a living organism. Or that it has its own form of intelligence.


    A humble conspiracy. One that wouldn''t land you in the outcast circles some other beliefs would.


    To me, the most beautiful part of the theory was that it was born from a simple slime.


    I wonder if it had a name, like Freddy.


    <b>? ? ?</b>


    A wall of TVs hum in the backdrop of a store. Signs hang from the ceiling proclaiming "seventy percent off". People buzz by like ants swarming toward their next meal. Their veracious hunger swallowing their better judgement. Their eyes darting toward bright colours and exhaustingly long queues.


    Amongst the chaos, a young boy dubiously walks over to an especially fancy looking TV.


    "Dark matter makes up approximately 85% of all regular matter in the universe. It is invisible matter that we can''t see directly. However, we can measure the effects of it. It''s thought to be responsible for the way galaxies are organized on grand scales, and helps drive galaxies and clusters together. Dark energy on the other hand, is a mysterious ''something'', a force if you will; like gravity, that accelerates the expansion of the universe. It is thought to take up 68% of all matter in the entire universe; regular and non-regular."


    <b>? ? ?</b>


    "Hey bud, wanna play Guess Who with me and Lucy? I know we got this door between us and all, but we can use our imagination to try and figure out who it is. What do ya reckon?"


    <b>? ? ?</b>


    "Fellabee, oh Queen so high. Lay down your worries, your shoulders bare."


    They always sing it for themselves. They''re intoxicated by their own voices. It''s disgusting.


    I remember when I thought, "How beautiful.. I can''t believe they''d sing something like this for me.."


    It was a simpler time.


    At first, I couldn''t accept it. How could someone do something like this, I had thought. I was naive.


    However, as time passed, I realised the truth. Everyone does what they want. Whether they care or not for another is purely up to their wants.


    Do as you will, I decided. And in turn, I shall do as I will.


    "Get out of my chambers, Stephan. If you wish to sing a song, sing it for one who will appreciate it. I''ve grown tired of a voice that sings for itself. Our hearts do not speak to each other."


    As Stephan left, a tear welled up in my eye.


    <b>? ? ?</b>


    "A young boy, around the age of 14 has reportedly been kidnapped. Eye-witnesses claim they saw a boy who matches the description of the missing person''s flier making their way to a park near East Square. The date they say they saw him matches with the parents'' statements."


    "Investigators have yet to release any new evidence about what might have transpired at that park. The boy has been missing for 26 days now. Many people are beginning to worry that the victim may already be dead."


    <b>? ? ?</b>


    A young woman sat at a cafe. It was a cafe of humble design. The food was simple, brandishing the tell of home cooking. The flavours however, were sophisticated.


    Many admired the food at this cafe. Dishes everyone knew. Simple staples of society. And yet, it had been made to such perfection.


    It transcended all simplicity.


    "I dream of the days when I can go and eat there without a worry in the world.."


    A child ran by the fountain side, splashing their parents in the face. The parents laughed, and scolded the child gently afterwards.


    "I wish I could run free.. Have a child of my own.. A lover who I can share my life with.."


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    "Your highness!! What a pleasure to see you here!"


    A passerby-er broke me from my lamentations.


    "Good morning Leahfee, how are you?", I responded in a measured tone.


    "Business as usual, your highness. What about yourself?"


    "Dreaming, Leafhee, dreaming a fond dream"


    <b>? ? ?</b>


    My eyes suddenly flew open. With my breathing erratic, and my teeth firmly pressed against each other, I looked around.


    A vast landscape sprawled out before me. Birds flew past, gradually dotting the sky above. The expansiveness of the land was breathtaking.


    A river nestled between a decline in the land flowed gracefully toward the horizon. Fish occasionally jumped out of the stream, painting the scenery with colourful, glistening motions.


    "Where am I.."


    "Vincent.. Is that really you?"


    A voice spoke out from beneath me.


    Startled, I jumped back a bit.


    "Oh my god! Fellabee, is it really you??"


    "I.. Think we made it Vincent.. None of the others spoke back to me.."


    "The others?"


    "The memories.. I tried talking to them.. But they never responded.. You never told me about what happened when you were young Vince.."


    "Fel I-"


    Before I could finish my sentence, she hugged me with tears in her eyes. With eyes welling up to the brim, I hugged her back in the only way I could. We held each other tightly, countless memories unraveling our souls.


    <b>? ? ?</b>


    "It was a long time ago Fel.. I.. I try not to remember it"


    Tenderness. Her embrace was like a flower pedal. A gentle cushion to rest upon.


    "Fel.. You never told me you wanted to go to a cafe.. We could''ve gone.. Before all this happened.. Before we left Earth.."


    "Some desires Vince.. I too tried to not remember. However, you made me live every one of them with our time together.."


    Wiping away her tears as soft as dew, I held her.


    "With you, I feel strong enough to be outside. In this world, far more dangerous than when I was a kid. With you Fel. No matter what, I want to survive, with you. I want to persevere, with you.."


    As the words left my mouth, Fellabee embraced me in a deep kiss.


    Our eyes gradually closed. Our breathing began synchronising into a calm rhythm.


    Together, in this moment, our bodies became one. The boundary between us melted away.


    <b>? ? ?</b>


    As our skin pressed against each others, the scenery around us changed. The fish ceased to jump as the rivers were met with icy stillness. Countless trees grew around us, enshrouding us in a dense forest. The birds held refuge up in the trees; seeking comfort within their nests. Day and night flew by as our eyes remained closed.


    Our sensations collided in a vivid fusion. Our minds unifying with every breath.


    I grasped at her soft, luscious skin as she pressed herself against me. We had fallen into an ebb and flow. Sweat danced across our skin like sea spray. Every wave brought an overflow of sensation.


    Our breathing had turned to panting as the sunset of our time was drawing near.


    Animals scurried by. Deers and elk alike sent calls to one another amongst the trees. Squirrels scurried with treasures in hand. And before either of us knew it, the world had been born anew.


    <b>? ? ?</b>


    As our eyes opened, we felt a surreal kind of shock, and a blissful serenity.


    Had that really just happened?


    "It felt so good..", Fellabee moaned from her lips.


    Her reddened cheeks contrasted the pale snow beautifully. How could someone even be this gorgeous.


    "It was amazing Fel.."


    Holding her in my arms, I was filled with a strange depth of confidence.


    I could feel my warm cheeks. I could feel the shy release of my words. And yet, I also felt something inside my heart. A sense of belonging.


    The cold had yet to set in upon our skin. It felt like I was in a haze. A dream that I never wanted to wake up from. A moment I wanted to last forever.


    "Wait, my body Vincent!!", Fellabee exclaimed while whishing her arms around suddenly.


    As I looked at the person before me, I saw eyes looking back at me, the same size as my own. How had I not realised sooner??


    "FELLABEE?! HOLY-"


    Before I could finish my words, an intense scream permeated every corner of the forest.


    The guttural churning and wrenching struck a primal fear into our hearts. It felt like we went from being in the sweetest dream, to being plunged into an ice bath.


    "Wh-What the fuck?!", I muttered.


    Both Fellabee and I turned toward the direction of the scream.


    "Should we run..?", Fellabee asked in a shaken tone.


    Her voice sounded different to usual. It must be affected by her new size..


    We paused for a moment. The sudden shift from that gentle dream to this horrific nightmare shook my heart.


    I took a moment to gather my thoughts, and then spoke.


    "I know this might sound a little crazy.. But maybe we should check it out. We came here to discover the truth didn''t we? To find a way out. This forest looks the same as the place my vision took place in."


    Fellabee''s gaze narrowed. Her gentle softness shattered. Adrenaline was pumping through our veins. Tempering our senses to a razor''s edge.


    "You''re right Vince.. I guess there''s no going back now. Let''s go-"


    As she was finishing her words, she began to take a step, and immediately fell face first into the snow.


    <b>? ? ?</b>


    "That was too funny to not laugh at.. I''m sorry", I said, gently helping her up off the ground.


    "I got concerned though the moment I realised what had happened.. You didn''t hit a twig or anything did you?"


    "I''m alright. My face stings a bit. Just what in the Nyne is this body?? Give me my body back!"


    Fellabee stomped the ground in indignant rage.


    In that moment of passion, she had wished for only one thing, and it had come true.


    Putting my closed hand to my mouth, I tried to hide how funny her outburst was.


    "I guess it''s gonna take time to get used to it.. Unless there''s a way to go back to being your usual adorable self"


    "Silly! Are you saying I''m not still adorab-", as Fellabee stammered her words shyly, another loud scream permeated through the air, cutting her off.


    The shriek sent waves of dread through my body.


    Goosebumps had formed upon our skin. Our hairs stood on edge as the freezing breeze and blood curdling sounds culminated in a sensory shock.


    "Time I guess we don''t have..", I said bleakly.


    "I guess not.. What will we do Vince.."


    "Get on my back"


    "A-Are you serious?"


    "It''s the only way Fel, you can''t walk yet.."

 Chapter 14: Massacre

    After the initial awkwardness of trying to climb onto his back, Fellabee settled in for the long ride ahead of them.


    <b>? ? ?</b>


    Trees whizzed by as Vincent trudged through the snowy taiga. Every step was a step closer to the blood curdling screams that slowly waned. Like a distant echo in the mountains, the screams would play themselves back in my mind, again and again.


    Every step was a step of defiance. The snow tugged and dragged against my every step. Fear pumped through my veins. Each breath, a toxin. The wind blew against me, ushering me to give in to its embrace. It felt like everything wanted me to go back. To go anywhere but forward.


    My fingertips felt the gnawing bite of numbness. My ears stung. My nose itched with blood. It took everything in me to keep moving. So why did I?


    To me, fear is like a river. If you find yourself in it, you either fight against the current, or go wherever it takes you.


    In the past, I couldn''t leave my room. The current was simply too strong. I had been washed downstream to a cave where there was no way out. I was shattered. Beaten. Dull. I couldn''t cut through the current. I was a fish washed ashore. So used to fear consuming me. I didn''t know what to do with my own comfort.


    In that cave, I learned something of invaluable importance. Overcoming the current doesn''t require a stronger willpower. After all, it was never a battle to begin with. I never left from the side of the river. I climbed my way out of the cave. How? I learned comfort can be a far deadlier poison than fear.


    If fear wants to sharpen my senses, I let it. If fear demands I think deeper, I do. If fear demands my attention, I settle it.


    If I can''t focus, I need to deal with it.


    Fear can be a toddler.


    Calm its concerns and it goes to sleep.


    This act of moving forward is exactly that. Oh, my imagination is this scared of what''s ahead? Let''s see what reality says. If the fear is warranted, then we can run.


    <b>? ? ?</b>


    Have you ever heard the sound of chopping wood? There''s something calming about it.


    The neat snap of the log as the axe cleaves its way through the oaken grain.


    It used to be a happy thought for me. Like a crackling fireplace. And yet, here I was. My beautiful memories twisted by the blade.


    <b>? ? ?</b>


    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    Cracks and pops of air pockets rupturing amongst chips of bone pierced the gentle silence. Splintering shards burst through sinew, adding nuance to the macabre, twisted melody. Grating, churning, and rhythmic jerking of skin, muscle, and tendon painted a gruesome scene upon my eyes and ears. A semi-blunt wood cutting axe swung into the sky.


    <b>? ? ?</b>


    A petite figure stood over a bloody, putrid pulp. The very sight of it summoned bile from the depths of our guts.


    Unconcerned, the petite lady in red continued her macabre dance with blood and snow.


    A sweet, fruity stench hung upon the cold winter air. The lingering pungency of bile gradually mixed with undertones of metal. The rich presence of blood coated the snow in a brilliant hue. Nature''s art was certainly an acquired taste.


    I felt nauseated and revolted in a way that was difficult to describe. It didn''t smell as foul or gutturally churning as first expected.


    Rather, the overwhelm came from a deep, instinctual rejection.


    It felt as if every fiber of my being screamed to run.


    Screamed to forget.


    Run away.


    Get the fuck out of here.


    And yet, we stayed. Both Fellabee and I stayed. Motionlessly, silently, we stayed. We witnessed the scene unfold before us with a careful, measured reverence. When a person has a gun to your head, every thought matters. It was like time slowed down. Every breath was felt. Every motion, known. Even a twitch of my finger did not escape my purview.


    <b>? ? ?</b>


    As the carving ceremony ended, the petite statured woman looked up toward the sky and sighed a laboured breath. It had been hard work. Sweat beads froze as they made their way down her unblemished skin. Her arms laid resting, stained a vibrant scarlet. The axe hung downward from one hand. It too was thirsting for rest after a job well done.


    She wiped her brow with callous disregard, and looked at us.


    "Why hello there~", she said, brandishing a warm, welcoming smile. Her voice as sick as honey.


    Fellabee was the first to speak. Her poise tempered to an obscene perfection.


    "What are you going to do with that miss?"


    "What? This?"


    The lady in red performed a curtsey. Spreading out her arms to encompass the result of her hard work.


    "Yes miss", Fellabee answered. Her tone direct and respectful.


    "A child''s love is strong, you know? It holds incredible power. Power I alone cannot muster."


    The lady picked up an arm and gently caressed it.


    "These.. They will serve to bind her to this place. And she in turn, will permit none to enter her domain. It''s quite beautiful and tragic, isn''t it.."


    Tears began to well up in her eyes, eventually streaming down her pale cheeks. After a brief sniffle, she wiped them away, staining her face with a stroke of scarlet.


    "It is quite tragic miss.. Truly.."


    Fellabee''s and my heart sank together. This woman.. She has lost her mind. Yet, I knew she must know what happens. She was trying to do the right thing, right? Was Fenrir just as crazy as her?


    Is she insane? Has she actually lost her mind? Perhaps she was truly living.


    What kind of dangerous thoughts am I having?? Am I still suffering from madness myself..


    But then I thought about it. She''s unperturbed by the happenings of the world. She''s just cried because of the tragedy she''s caused. Yet, she''s unremorseful. Not because she feels nothing, but because she truly believes she did her best to try and delay, or stop, the inevitable. She doesn''t reject her feelings, she fully savours them. Whether it''s pain or pleasure. She understands that fear isn''t the only river. All feelings fade. Life is perseverance. Perseverance through every river, and every storm.


    Does she cry because she feels just how horrific what she has done is?


    How it will impact that child?


    Does she pity the child?


    Does she feel justified in her killings?


    I couldn''t hold it in any longer.


    "Miss", I said, conviction flooding me.


    "If doing this changes nothing, would you still do it?"