"You're Lost..?" I scoffed, scooting my chair closer to the entity.
"Yes. Everything you witnessed was a world made with my memories." Lost said.
"But, why?" I let the question hang, trying to get a read on him.
"Have you heard of Annihilation?"
I shook my head.
"The universe exists because of two things- Matter and Dark matter.
Of course no one has discovered Dark matter, because it's in the name-
Aside from that, there was an assumption a physicist made that stuck to me-
'Everything is made up of 20% of what we know, and dark matter will forever be left to beundiscovered.'
We understand the world as it is because we assume things we don't know to have a quantifiable analogy to it."
"Imaginary numbers...."
Lost smiled.
"Yes. Imaginary numbers can't be visualized. Yet once we simply stated that it exists, suddenly our scope for understanding exponentially grows.
Our world is the same.
There always existed another Dimension or another world or whatever you want to call it.
And only one entity chooses to be there.
Φ ."
"Was that who I just faced off against?" I shuddered, trying to shake off the mental toll that had slowly started to seep in.
Lost nodded.
I took a deep breath.
"Did Functions always exist? When I was 'You', it was as if everyone was undefined- no bullshit social norms, no power drunk people..."
He leaned back, balancing the chair as he adjusted his glasses.
It had just occurred to me that he physically turned into himself. It felt very awkward, looking at someone who I used to be.
"What you faced was an abridged version of what I went through.
There are rules that beings, higher than us- Gods, have to follow.
They made Existence possible using the Laws that Mathematics brings us.
There are people, December, people who have no reason to be 'bad'.
Their Existence is meant to annihilate existence.
I wanted to beat them at their own game, but it was too late..
Over half of the continent you call Jead was set to zero.
Including my family.
I challenged Φ , and bested him.
I asked him to give us power, and Functions were created.
I..
I died.
The adrenaline pumping through me was the only reason I was able to speak and stand up.
Everything you went through, I did too.
.
These memories serve as a test.
Everyone, once they turn 15, get 'Defined', and depending on how far they make it through my memories, gives them a better Function."
I put on a half smile, knowing where this was headed to.
Lost finally locked eyes with me.
"How did you come to the conclusion of that number?" He asked.
I began but suddenly stopped.
I didn't know how all of those thoughts came about. At that one moment, everything became coherent.
All of those days of studying in the library, trying to see what I had to do to impress Lost, didn't do it.
It was something else.
"It felt right." I said loosely.
"At that moment, the answer was written, plain as day, on that blackboard." I continued.
"You are the only person to understand Set Theory. The majority fail at even going to the library. Only some have attempted to learn Set Theory. And only 3 faced Φ.
For that, I will define you."
FUCKING FINALLY. I shouted in my head.
I sat, shaking my legs giddily.
The glassy world slowly began to rumble. It turned from white to a purplish-grey tint. It didn't take me long to notice the searing pain in my eyes.
I tried to keep them wide open, but it felt like constant freezing gusts hitting my eyes.
An image began to form in my head.
A line that started almost hugging the ground, and as soon as it crossed me, the line was almost instantly climbing higher and higher.
Lost sat there, with an expression he never expected.
"It keeps going...." He muttered, raising his head.
The pain ceased. I closed my eyes and winced, but I could still see the lines.
It dawned upon me, what had just happened.
How similar it looks to-
"Exponentiation."
~plop~
~crack~
"Ow..."
>>
It was maybe 10:00 PM.
I didn't how much time had passed.
All I knew is that I had a broken nose.
Of course I landed right on the rock, on the hill.
I strutted down the hill, shutting my mind from the dried up blood.
The house looked gloomy and dusty. I could only see the lamp in my room, and no where else.
The backyard was filled with weeds, sticking their useless asses out in the open.
I hesitated, and then knocked on the door.
I heard footsteps rapidly coming down the stairs and towards the door.
It was Uncle Pit.
His hair was a mess, all over the place.
His eyes, red and black all under.
He pulled me inside the house and hugged me.
I could feel the tears dripping down my back, and I could feel mine too.
"I'm so s-sorry Decey..." He wailed.
"No.. This isn't your fault at all.." I tried to console him but failed at staying calm myself.
We stood in the middle of the room, crying in each other's arms for minutes.
It didn't matter what we were to each other.
Both of us shared the grief we had kept, bottled up inside.
The moon shimmered through the dusty curtains, almost as if there was a spotlight.
Uncle Pit slept on the couch, muttering in his sleep. I tried to lift him but, my scrawny arms couldn't even manage to lift his arm.
I walked up the stairs and looked around. The bird's eye view only revealed the lonely husk of the house we used to live in.
There was clothes thrown around everywhere, the kitchen was completely cluttered. Even the paint started to peel off.
The lamp was burning dully, illuminating bottles stacked on top of each other, lying against my table.
As I plopped on the bed, a bottle rolled towards the door, gently closing it.
I didn't want any bedsheets at the time. It was weird- I used to never be able to sleep with them on me at all times.
Aunt Kela would sit by my side and make sure it's covering me whenever I rustle in the bed.
When I would wake up, I was pretty much just as tucked in as I was.
Even when I slept now, it wasn't the bedsheet that was the problem.
It was that I was able to sleep in the first place.
>
~knock~
I opened the door, and along with the scent of plums, I was hit with a tsunami of emotions.
It was Heet.
She didn't give me the time to react, and hugged me, openly sobbing.
'I thought...
I thought I lost you too..." She gasped in between her sobs.
I patted the back of her head.
"I'm here now. It's going to be alright.." I whispered.
We both sat on the couch, slightly apart. Her demeanor completely changed from her usual. She didn't carry the admirable bravado that comes so naturally.
She saw it happen in real time- I couldn't even imagine how helpless she felt.
She was sipping on the glass of water on the table, avoiding eye contact with me.
"Heet. How are you feeling?"
"I haven't been able to sleep since then.
Mom and I have been living here since it happened.
Pit needed someone by his side, and Mom was somewhat close to Kela.." She said shakingly.
Her fingers ran through her forehead, clutching her roots.
I grabbed her hand and looked directly into her eyes, with the most compassion I could muster up.
"Thank you. I couldn't imagine how fucked up Uncle Pit must feel right now.
Thank you."
I felt happy she was smiling. I really was thankful to her. All I had done was disappear for a week.
It clicked that I was holding her hand for more than a while. I could feel how soft her skin was, and how warm her hand felt in mine.
I couldn't help it, and made eye contact with her. Her face was flushed, and her pupils grew wider.
Even then, she clutched my hand harder than before.
What are you doing...?
I'm not trying to do anything. Ever heard of physical compassion?
Nice physical compassion you got going on down there.
I mentally slapped my consciousness and sighed as I sadly glanced down.
It's not like that.
I fucking swear.
Keep telling yourself that.
"Oh..." She whispered, her eyes growing wider.
Don't tell me she-
Oh for heaven's sake.
"Heet, I swear, it's not like that-"
She lifted my hand, lacing her fingers with mine, and brought it closer to her mouth.
A consistent bolt of lightning ran throughout my body, as she kissed my wrist.
I tried to pull away, but I felt her tugging my hand.
"No, it's fine." She said, breathing heavier than usual.
"You can't help it. It's not your fault."
"I-I know, but I really don't want you to get the wrong idea." I said, stumbling over my words.
She slightly smiled.
"What's wrong with your idea?" She tilted her head.
What the absolute fuc-
Man, shut up.
"I'm sorry, Heet.
I can't."
I couldn't, even when every part of me wanted to.
"You need to know what happened to me." I said, wiping the beat of sweat dripping down my forehead.
Heet scooted closer to me, looking at me, dead in the eye.
"Yeah, tell me what's up." She let go of my hand and wiped a faint tear from her cheek.
The words wouldn't come out. I didn't know what I could reveal to anyone.
Lost made it so that the memories of anyone during their Definition get erased.
"I remembered what happened in there." I whispered.
Her mouth dropped, and she had a look of genuine fear on her face. No one knew what happened during a Definition, so it was natural she wouldn't believe me.
"I-" She began.
"My Function is Exponentiation."
She stood up, and covered her mouth in shock, shaking her head in disbelief.
I waited for a solid 20 seconds for her to sit back down, but she didn't.
"Heet, are you o-"
"Shut up for a minute." She interrupted.
"You're dropping bombs on me left and right. Has it ever occurred to you that I can't take that much information at once?"
"Ah.."
She sat back down and threw her hands up.
"So it worked. You're a Defined now.
With an incredible Function, holy shit.."
I half-grinned, knowing that the real Heet is back.
"Yeah, I guess." I chuckled.
"Wait so, both you and Atlas have transcendent Functions??
Holy shit."
I giggled, watching Heet lose her shit over this.
"Why are you laughing?" She whined.
"I finally beat you in something." I playfully said.
"You didn't beat me in anything." She said, crossing her arms.
This is how it should be.
You sure?
It's fine.
I have the rest of my life. Just not right now.
"Heet. Let's get through this together.
You, me and Uncle Pit.
This is a bullshit phase of life.
So bullshit, that even thinking about it and falling under depression is a waste of time.
You with me?"
Heet nodded and held her hand up high.
"Absolutely."
~clap~
>>
The night before Decey arrived.
"Thanks for everything, Aria. You don't have to cook for me, you know?
There's a place right here I could get some food."
"Shut up, Pit. You need someone. Just look at this mess.
Bottles everywhere, and you say I don't have to cook for you."
"Hmm..."
"You took care of Heet when I wasn't there. When Uri wasn't there too. This is the least I could do for you."
"It's fine."
.
"I miss her, Aria."
"I know."
"What do I do?
What did you do?"
"First...
Stop this.
Drinking won't save your problems.
Moving on is a son-of-a-bitch sadly everyone had to go through."
"Doesn't Jead need you more? How is it still functioning without you?"
"That's not for you to worry about.
.
Fuck it, give me a bottle."
"You wanna drink with me?"
"You really haven't changed since then, Pit.
Cheers.
To all the fucked up shit people face everyday."
~clink~