6:10 PM, 20th of December, 1728.
Alexander took a step forward into the cold water, attempting to walk across it as the people before him did. But instead of his foot finding solace on the surface of the water, it sank, hitting the sand below. He quickly withdrew, the deep cold of the water feeling like it had bit at his ankles. He didn't want to know what let out that terrible screech, and his Authority was still filling his heart with pain, as if giving him a warning to run.
He had to swim if he wanted to live. He stepped back into the water, clenching his teeth and refusing the urge his body had given him to turn back. Now waist-deep in the frigid water, his entire body was shivering, and the shock was intense. Alexander knew how to swim, but he wasn't entirely confident that he could make it across the entire length of the lake, and yet, there was no other choice.
A few minutes had passed, and his limbs felt numb, with the only heat he felt centered in his chest. But he still kept swimming.
He was now halfway across the distance, feeling like he couldn't go any further. He stopped for a moment, treading in place, looking around for anything to hold onto, to rest for just a moment, but there was nothing.
He continued swimming, he saw himself give up, he saw his limbs stop moving, he saw his body sink deep under the water, and yet every vision of his future self giving up pushed him even harder to keep trying, each time he was only a moment from the end.
Trying only meant so much, though. His body was going to give out soon; he could feel it. There was only a small distance left before he would reach the parted wall. He flipped onto his back to catch his breath and attempt to rest his muscles, but he knew it wouldn't help for much. The longer he stayed in the water, the more likely he was to freeze to death. After a moment, he continued swimming.
After what felt like an eternity, his feet finally felt the soft sand below him. He walked the last few feet to the fissure in the wall, where he collapsed, his entire body numb, refusing to listen to itself. He retched, puking out what little food he had left in his stomach, before rolling onto his back and staring up at the dark night sky.
For the first time in his life, he was looking directly at it, uninterrupted, no godly dome within his sight.
He felt no accomplishment, though.
In the span of a few hours, he had lost everything important to him. He wasn't even sure why he was fighting to stay alive. But he was.
He tried to remove his soaking wet clothing, fumbling with the buttons on his overcoat as his hands didn't respond to his intentions. After struggling to remove everything except his undergarments, Alexander fished into his overcoat's pocket, pulling out his pocket watch. He flipped it open, his hand hanging above his head, backed by the night sky, and then closed it again.
It was broken, the hands not moving. His arm flopped out to his side, pocket watch still in hand, before he decided he had rested enough. It was time to get moving again. Holding his balled-up clothes in his arms, he began walking.
As his body slowly adjusted to the change in temperature, an odd sensation filled his extremities, both painful and relieving, both hot and cold. He walked through the fissure in the wall and looked down at the barren land in front of him. Almost none of it was illuminated, as the only light coming down was from the stars speckled in the sky, and yet what he could see in front of him was a complete lack of life.
Had everything been true? Would he soon die out here in this supposed hellscape? He wasn't sure, and yet he knew he would die if he went back, not that he would be able to make the swim again even if he wanted to.
He continued, stumbling down the steep decline on the rocky terrain, the sharp rocks jabbing at his bare feet with each step he made. After a long while of walking, he came upon an overhang with only a few feet to the ground below. Not wanting to jump down in fear of hurting his feet, he scaled down the side, surprise filling his eyes as he reached the bottom.
There was a cave.
Small, but more than large enough to shelter him for the night. He was exhausted, and he was hungry, and if he kept walking, he would either freeze to death or die of that very same exhaustion. He laid out his clothes at the entrance to the cave before walking to the back corner and crouching down, balling himself up in hopes of keeping as much body heat as possible.
He wanted to sleep, but he needed to eat first. He walked back over to his sopping wet overcoat and fished out of the pocket the mushy, falling apart remnants of what used to be a nutrient bar. The texture in his hand was disgusting, but the taste in his mouth was even more so. He held his breath and swallowed, trying not to regurgitate the only bit of food he had available.
Now having eaten, he waltzed back over to his corner and put himself back into his balled-up position.
He closed his eyes, but realized something for the first time the moment they shut. Even with his eyes closed, he could see. He couldn't see the present, but he still saw the next moment in the future. How could he sleep when he was always seeing? He lay there, his eyes closed, and his senses doubled.
He wished for a moment that someone was there with him. His mother, his father, Aisha, anyone. He finally drifted off, the dark night blending together in his vision, before he, for the first time in far too long, had a dreamless night of sleep.
-
The sun was rising, the warmth of the light bearing down on his skin, and the brightness stirring him awake. He sat up, his body absurdly sore, but functioning, his fists scabbed over. Every time he moved his fingers, they stung as air met the wounds.
Standing up, he let out a sigh, stretching his limbs as far as they would go. He walked up to the front of the cave, picking up his mostly dry clothes and putting them back on, the warmth of the fabric embracing his body. He wasn't entirely sure of the time, but he had slept more than enough and had to get a move on.
He walked forward to the front of the cave, squinting his eyes as they adjusted to the morning light. As he opened them, all his doubts were lifted.
Far off at the base of the large hill he stood upon was life. Countless trees sprouting out of the ground, a beautiful green, glowing under the sun. Though as he looked upon those trees, he felt nauseous, his senses unbelievably overwhelmed.
He felt the wind caress his skin, the sun beaming down on him, he heard the air passing by his ears, and, of course, he saw the myriad of colors displayed ahead of him. All of it was doubled. Pain filled his mind, and he felt the urge to squint his eyes, as if he was looking upon the sun.
He turned around, looking back into the dark cave, before deciding what to do. He needed a blindfold. He took off his overcoat and used a rock off the floor of the cave to tear off an entire sleeve. He then wrapped the sleeve around his face, tying it behind his head. A small wave of relief filled his mind as his sight was easily the most overwhelming of all his doubled senses.
His torn overcoat now back on, he continued the way down the hill. His steps were slow and steady as he tried to adjust his walking based on his vision of the future.
He neared the dense forest, but before he arrived, he noticed a metal sign just on the outskirts, facing away from him. He stepped up to it, now at the base of the hill and on flat ground, looking up at the sign as he passed.
It read: "Order's Zone, Do not enter if you value your freedom."
"What the hell?" He muttered under his breath.
Suddenly, Alexander felt a hand land on his shoulder. He quickly backed away, turning around at the same time, avoiding the hand before it actually landed.
"What are you doing over there, you idiot? Are you trying to die? That would be a better ending than if you stay over there." A middle-aged man stood before him, his hair messy and dark, and his stature short, a bewildered look on his face.
"What's that sign talking about anyway? Why wouldn't I be safe here?" Every word he spoke felt awkward, hearing himself speak each aloud before he actually said them.
"Do you live under a rock? Hurry up and get back in front of the sign before you regret it, kid."
Stubbornly obliging, Alexander walked back towards the trees, though still keeping his distance from the man.
"Alright, now tell me, why would the God of Order harbor any ill will? I've lived here my entire life, and my freedom's still intact."
An even more bewildered expression was displayed on the man's face. "The God of Order? What are you talking about? The God of Order has been dead for decades."