Every place on Earth is unique. Whether it's a village or a capital city, its inhabitants shape each location.
This microcosm is deeply connected to the people who live there, whether we like them or not. People often feel a pull to return to their place of birth, as if drawn by a mysterious force. Maybe it's nostalgia.
As for me, I don't particularly love my city, but I don't hate it either. It's simply the only place I know. My world is confined to a single point on a map, known as the "City in the Fog."
The sun rarely shines here, and even when it does, it brings little warmth. Despite the gray sky, people know how to keep themselves busy.
We have a bustling market where local merchants gather to exchange news and trade goods. It's the main source of economic activity in my city.
Strangers don't make me dream of big cities or distant lands. Many government officials and military personnel come through, sharing stories and introducing us to different cultures. That curiosity of mine has already been satisfied.
And yet, there's one place that still intrigues me—a forbidden place wrapped in terrifying yet fascinating myths. Strangely enough, it's easy to reach.
From above, you can see the city surrounded by a river on one side and by an endless fog on the other. The military is always stationed there, and my uncle says the fog has existed for as long as I've been alive.
It seems this all began during the Great War, when the Empire knew only chaos and destruction. A sect rose up, claiming we were not meant to live on this planet and seeking to replace us with so-called mystical creatures—as if they were real. Many of them were said to be alchemists, insisting that sacrifices would grant them magical powers. Just before they could complete one of their rituals, the Emperor himself led a mission to stop them. In that heroic moment, he rescued their victim, but something went wrong. A giant explosion shook the land—and then came the Fog.
The army is still investigating, suspecting a major incident, but they have found no answers. To uncover the truth, to make them pay… The only way forward is across the Limit Bridge. It's also the most beautiful bridge in the city, with a mysterious passage at its center where the fog grows thickest. For as long as I can remember, I've been fascinated by that monument.
It's one of the reasons I've stayed with my uncle. My parents are merchants who travel constantly across the country, but because of some health issues, I couldn't follow them. Instead, I work for my uncle in his small grocery store—the only one in the village. He's a skilled merchant and an influential figure here. He always finds ways to get new medicines for me, and now I depend on them to stay healthy.
The constant military presence, the aging population, the export of goods, and the wall of clouds that has loomed for twenty years—all of it makes this feel like a dying place.
The younger generation sees it only as their birthplace, knowing they will one day leave it behind.
I thought the same… until I saw the soldier boy at the bridge.