It was a truly strange feeling... As if my feet had gone numb... No longer able to bear my weight... I could still feel them... trying to grab me from all sides... An annoying sensation... I couldn't see them... As if the veil of consciousness prevented it... They were getting closer... touching me... groping me... I could feel them... getting closer... their cold breath... their sharp fingertips... Now they were feeling my cheek... No... don't try... don't try to lift this veil... Enough...!
Those screams... had become an eternal lullaby... before I left my reality... something... was trying to prevent me... from achieving my dream...
---
Zero opened the map, finding a completely strange, distorted world.
It was an extremely old map, its yellow paper almost disintegrating. Zero looked at it with great care, not missing an inch, before turning towards the window.
'Her goal was to bring me here... to find this map... I must realize this... I can swear... that this was her intent in kidnapping me... And yet, I fear this isn't her only goal... Damn it...'
It was just another bout of tension gripping Zero's heart. She raised her head. A mere inhale and exhale were enough to calm her.
Zero ignored all that, returning to the subject of the map. Just describing it filled the heart with bewilderment.
The geological features weren't clear on it, nor was there a map key. It was more like a lifeless landmass, with seas and oceans whose blue waters hid the unknown in their depths. Yet, Zero felt it was useful, but her assumption was disappointed, as reading it was somewhat difficult.
"It's as if the map's creator didn't finish it." A strange viewpoint from Zero, before she suddenly heard strange screams behind the door.
Zero felt anxious and quickly hid the map, rushing out towards the source of the sound. She found no one in the hallway. Zero ran as fast as she could, anxiety pressing on her chest, until she found a group of children looking out the windows.
Ness was one of those children. Zero approached her anxiously, asking: "Ness... what's wrong?"
Ness turned, pulling Zero towards the window, saying with intense excitement and joy: "The Traveler group has returned."
"A group of what...?" Zero said, bewildered and disappointed.
"The Traveler group... Are you deaf, Zero...?" Ness said, annoyed.
"I heard you, I heard you... but who are they?"
"Didn't the person in charge tell you?... Come on!" Ness said enthusiastically, grabbing Zero's hand and pulling her towards the large hall.
"The Traveler group is a group of elite children and teenagers... They possess high physical abilities in infiltration and combat... and they are the ones who guide children to the shelter." Ness answered Zero with great excitement.
"That's impressive... 'They're basically the ones who bring food...'..." Zero said with admiration.
"And also... they are the ones tasked with gathering food... They are like hope for this shelter."
Ness's excitement was like a volcano about to erupt, her eyes turning towards the main door with looks of joy and hope. Zero's face was devoid of expressions of joy as she looked at the blonde girl with empty glances. Ness turned to her with a beaming face, like a shining sun, etching in Zero's soul the memory of a smiling face—her silver, flowing hair waving in the wind, a gentle smile that played with Zero's heart.
Zero snapped back to reality, hearing Ness's loud laughter and cheers. Ness turned to Zero, saying: "Is something wrong...?"
"No... nothing... I'm just thinking... about how wonderful this feeling is." Zero said this in a light tone.
---
The sound of a strong bell ringing echoed through the shelter, gathering all the children from the fourth floor in the main hall.
"Your enthusiasm is unmatched," Zero said, looking at Ness in amazement. Ness turned to Zero, annoyed, saying: "How could I not rejoice... everyone is back... Last time they returned... we lost about 5 travelers... and it was confirmed that 3 of them were crushed by the Deformed."
"What about the other two?" Zero said with sorrow.
"They haven't been found yet." Ness answered with worry.
Zero gasped, turning away in despair and disappointment. Ness turned to her, surprised, saying: "Ah... I didn't mean that... I mean... I overreacted..." Ness said regretfully.
"It's alright..." Zero smiled gently and apologetically.
At that moment, three members of the Traveler group entered the main hall, greeted by the children with cheers of joy and longing, warmly welcomed by Sunny. They were three teenagers wearing tattered brown cloaks that protected their bodies from the day's heat and the night's cold. There were two boys, one taller than the other. The taller boy had gray hair and black eyes, a slight burn and severe wounds bandaged on his left hand visible on his face. He had serious, formal features, with a woolen shirt and blue pants hidden under his cloak. The second had ordinary, fair skin and black hair with brown eyes, with bright, cheerful features. He had a minor injury to his right eye. Strange, eye-catching clothes were hidden under his cloak—hard to see and notice from Zero's position—but what was visible resembled a jester's costume or something similar. The third member was a girl with long, braided brown hair, clear skin, and cute freckles, with brown eyes. A torn blue shirt and wide pants, singed at the edges by a flame, were hidden under her cloak. Bandages were slightly visible on her stomach, as if she had suffered a strong blow.
"They look tired... They faced difficulties returning from their journey... Besides those burns and injuries.... Ness... What distinguishes these travelers from the other youth?"
"I don't know... I asked Shi the same question... but she answered that it's a matter for the people in charge.... In short... they have complex and secret criteria for selecting these travelers... but they are known for their strength..."
"...'The criteria they take to select these travelers is secret... (a strong gasp, realizing with shock) Wait... if there is a criterion... that means... they select experts in infiltration, escape, hiding, and perhaps in terms of their abilities... maybe... Wait... it's just a preliminary judgment... but... I must keep that in mind... Maybe if...'... Ness... how long have you been here in the shelter?"
Ness turned to her, saying: "What?... Actually... a full year."
"A full year... It's hard to settle down with people you don't know in a short time."
"Nonsense... It's not hard to make new friends.. or adapt to everything new..." Ness answered Zero with great enthusiasm.
Zero wasn't convinced by this talk and asked her: "If that's true... then why are you here now..."
Zero's question was very strong, but Ness didn't grasp it. "Huh... what do you mean?"
"...'Wait... that was hasty of me... Ness doesn't know about this world we're in'.. What I meant is that you.... don't care... just a pointless question..." Zero said this and returned to her room.
Ness felt as if Zero wasn't herself and turned to her with a comforting face: "Is it difficult... to hold on to hope?... Strange."
---
'I shouldn't have said those words to Ness... She only tried to be nice to me... just like Alice did... and Lily...'
The images of Alice and Lily were deeply etched in Zero's memory. The feeling of regret didn't leave her at all. She couldn't hold back those emotions. Zero continued walking until she reached her room, entering and slowly closing the door.
Zero frowned,turning towards her desk drawer. Her eyes were like dark voids devoid of light. She touched her left eye with her cold fingertips, then grasped her necklace tightly, sitting by the door.
'Damn it... why... why can't I control my actions... I couldn't consider the feelings of those around me... I didn't realize the extent of the damage I caused others... I couldn't protect those beside me... why... why this, Feyerman... why did you take away those I loved...?'
A faint wailing sound, suppressed by a panting breath. Those warm tears fell drop by drop, seeping into the worn wooden floor, carrying with it suffering that pierced the echo of the darkness. Hiding, it spread towards those pains. His black fingertips picked up those tears, dazzling like an illusion, like shadows, returning to his bound companion, with shackles that illuminated what was dark, amidst a candle that burned the darkness.
It was a smile of cunning and deceit, picking up those pearls. "Easy prey... leaving her shadow exposed... like a mouse with its tail exposed to the cat."
---
Suddenly, Zero heard a strange sound. She raised her head in shock, looking left and right.
'This annoying sound... where is it coming from?' Zero quickly got up from her spot. 'I've heard this sound before... but where?'
Zero stopped in her place, listening deeply to that sound. It was a strange, sharp, and familiar sound, annoying, like strange oscillations, intermittent and somewhat noisy. It was like... the sound of a strange radio transmission being cut off.
The source of the sound was from outside. Zero quickly turned towards the window, looking out anxiously.
Zero glimpsed something flashing strongly. It wasn't far, just beyond that barrier. It gleamed under that distorted light, like... something like a wooden-framed box.
No, Zero stared at it intently, glimpsing it more clearly now. It was a television of normal size, of an old model, broken and discarded on that dry plain, flashing strangely and conspicuously. Its signal was cut off, showing those strange oscillations.
Zero couldn't comprehend it. 'A television?... Wait... was that television even there before?... Wait... how is it even working?... Hold on...?' The noise of those oscillations increased strongly, and the screen distorted with a strange flicker.
Zero felt a strange tremor in her hands, her empty pupils widening, looking in astonishment and shock.
It was a familiar feeling that invaded Zero's heart: "Impossible... those oscillations... those interruptions... They're the same... the same ones I saw... that day... when I met Lily..."
The image of that scenario Zero had seen froze. It hadn't been erased from her memory since she saw that nightmare.
Zero felt a slight numbness in her hands. The echo of a sharp ringing resonated in Zero's mind, making standing difficult. Zero barely held onto the window frame.
It made vision difficult and blurry. The more she stared at that television, she felt as if something was pulling her towards it. Resistance was extremely difficult. She couldn't bear that annoying ringing.
Suddenly, Zero heard a strong knock on the door. She turned towards the door. All Zero thought of was screaming and calling for help, but she couldn't move her lips or make any sound.
The knocking increased, more than before, then gradually faded away. Nothing remained but that annoying ringing, playing with Zero's mind.
Zero's panting was heavy, as if her breath was gradually being cut off. Her exhausted body froze, surrendering to that pain. However, Zero's hands hadn't let go yet. Standing and watching that television was Zero's only desire over falling and collapsing on the floor.
'I can't take it anymore.... this ringing... why can't I escape...? (Heavy panting)... I can't escape... I must see... I must watch it...' Zero felt as if something dragged her to see that television.
Zero couldn't bear it. At that moment, Zero's necklace shone with an extremely strong light. And yet, it was difficult to be saved from that ringing. In vain, the necklace didn't protect Zero, as if the necklace's power had weakened.
'What is happening... damn it... why is this happening now... The numbness is spreading to... my whole body.' A strange shock hit Zero in the head, making Zero freeze in place.
Everything calmed down, but things had gotten worse. Her mind became empty without thoughts. Her face became devoid of any expression, looking at the ground with her empty eyes. She had lost control of her mind, like a doll without a soul. She raised her head towards the television, smiling with difficulty. Zero extended her trembling hand towards that television, getting closer to the edge little by little. She repeated in a voice with multiple layers, among which a familiar girl's voice emerged from the void.
"A clock ticks... announcing the end of the show... Change the channel... for another show to appear... Enjoy watching... Don't forget to turn up the volume... Tick tock tok... The clock rings... announcing... the end of your show... Change the show... to enjoy your torment."
"Geist... the television." It was a strong scream, coming from the void. Zero heard the sound of violent glass shattering.
Zero stared at the arrow piercing that television with surprised and shocked looks.
"What just.... what just happened...?" Zero said this, quickly looking down, glimpsing someone who had entered the shelter quickly. She realized she was about to fall from above and grabbed the window frame at the last moment.
"What was that... Ah.. my head... Huh... that arrow... Hah!..." Zero was confused, then saw that television turn to ashes as Geist stepped forward, retrieving his arrow.
"What happened...? That television... suddenly turned to ashes... How did that happen...? ... I can almost swear that time skipped its course... I was deaf in the moment of knocking... Something happened... but.-".
Geist turned towards Zero with empty glances, making Zero quickly retreat.
"This is bad... He still suspects me... but... who was down below?... That scream was strong... as if it was part of my thoughts..."
Zero fell to her knees, catching her breath with difficulty, looking at that card with looks of despair.
"It's better to find the staff... instead of wasting time in the library... Damn it... I'm just like Alice now... but if I go to the library...' it would be suspicious about a book lover... Well... I won't refuse a free ticket... and yet... it would also be an opportunity... to discover this place...'."
Zero picked up the card and left her room, closing the door.