In Mistwood's main street under the bright light of the morning suns.
A big school stood tall, its frame dwarfing most buildings surrounding it. Its architecture and design reminded one of a high school mixed with a Victorian era mansion. A foundation of smooth stone and grand marble stairs that led to its two massive wooden doors. Plaster walls that were ornately decorated with perfectly lined up windows.
In the building's main hallway, footsteps of two men echoed off the clean wooden floor. "...Why do you have such bad luck?" Noah asked Elyas, his eyes droopy and his steps heavy from tiredness.
"I didn't even know we had schools for Dreamers or combat. Why are you blaming me? It was you who started a fight every time they refused us!" Elyas didn't hesitate to call out Noah.
"There's no use in arguing. As much as I don't like it, this is our last hope." Soon, Noah stopped by a door. He hesitated as he stared at the tag beside it.
"Manager's office"
Noah inhaled deeply as he turned the handle. "Knock you Imbecile. How many times do I have to— oh! It's Enforcer silver!" A fat man said as he rushed beside Noah. Noah's expression turned stiff as soon as he saw the man. Currently, he was contemplating on how to act. Meanwhile, Elyas examined the room
A large wooden table, several chairs against the wall. A rusty hanging clock near the corner of the door, and several iron cabinets behind the fat man. There wasn't much to look at, it was a simple office.
Noah stretched his hand, having decided his approach.
"How long has it been? Five years? You've certainly… grown much "grander" than before." Noah spoke in the friendliest tone he could manage. But to his dismay, the words couldn't sound more forced. It was as if someone had held him at gunpoint.
Upon hearing Noah's strange tone, the fat man raised an eyebrow, clearly weirded out. Despite this, he decided to shake Noah's hand anyway "Enforcer, are you alright? Are you feeling under the weather today? you're red…I know we didn't have a great relationship, but it was all in the past." He paused, seemingly remembering something.
"Oh, I nearly forgot! To think you came to visit me on your own." He rubbed his hands together as he walked to his desk and carried a stack of papers out.
He turned towards Noah and Elyas. "This is a contract for two hundred gold. I know it's not much, but please take it as my apology." Noah's expression changed immediately. His words were no longer forced, instead, they were now full of clear anger and resentment.
"You… Do you think this is enough? Do you think I'm stupid? I helped you integrate into society. Helped you when every one of my colleagues wanted you dead… and this, this is how you repay my kindness after you backstabbed me?!"
"I'm sorry Enforcer, this is all I can give you right now. I know it doesn't bring your position back… But I will do anything to repay you, please, give me a chance. " The fat man said, not daring to look at Noah out of shame.
Noah sighed "Hanan, you're lucky today. I need something from you. You see this man behind me? He is Elyas. A True Legacy like myself. I need you to sign him in."
Hanan's eyes widened. He immediately turned his head towards Elyas, reevaluating the confused and unassuming man before rushing to his desk and taking out another stack of papers. "Enforcer, know that back then I was forced to testify against you."
Noah rolled his eyes. Hanan quickly put the papers along with a few ink pens on the desk before turning to face them. "Sir…Mister Elyas, do you mind filling these forms?" Hanan asked Elyas gently, trying to please them both.
"Sure." Elyas sat down at one of the chairs and filled in the details. Soon, they were out of Hanan's office and the school. "You and that guy don't seem to be on good terms."
"It's a long story, just know that the guy was a notorious criminal before I helped him." Noah spoke before adding with an angry tone, "If that bastard doesn't sell me again, today shouldn't be a problem."
Elyas nodded his head, but a question kept bubbling up in his mind. "Your financial situation isn't good, so why didn't you get the two hundred gold?"
"Because of witness protection, the Protocol prohibits us from interacting because I might try to harm the man. I don't want to leave evidence of today, signing a contract would make that ten times harder." Noah said as a matter of fact. Soon he came to a stop in the middle of the crowded town square. "I'm off to work. What are you going to do?"
"Ehh… I think I'm going to familiarize myself with the city."
Noah shrugged. "Alright. But be careful." Without saying another word, he left, leaving Elyas alone in the alien environment.
There were dozens of shops and hundreds of people. Most had their work clothes, but some wore black or brown jackets to keep the cold at bay. The buildings of this area resembled anything but a bunch of hovels. Most were two or three story apartments with a shop occupying the first floor while the owners lived above.
Some buildings were massive, hotels twice as big as most houses even in town square. But from where he stood, Elyas observed a curious pattern. It was as if the buildings… increased in size? Even when he and Noah had walked to meet Hanan, it was like the further they moved from the walls, the buildings got bigger. The street vendors slowly transitioned into fully fledged shops before one would find themselves in town square, where there was nothing but stores.
Other than that, everything seemed like a normal town in the early twentieth century.
The busy crowd moved with incredible speed on the sidewalk, sometimes bleeding into the cobble street. Most men were going to work while their wives and mothers rushed to enter the various shops, buying daily necessities or window shopping. Some let their children play near the frozen fountain in the park beside the massive Dreamer school. Some people flew on strange objects, others on all kinds of amphibian creatures. A few simply blinked in and out of existence or drove their cars along the wide stone streets. Most walked on foot.
Elyas felt somewhat overwhelmed.
"I feel like a medieval peasant navigating the internet…" he walked onto the crosswalk and passed the sign telling him he was entering north street. He had decided to relax at the park. He had earned a good afternoon break. Elyas walked past a man wearing a fedora, sunglasses and a black windbreaker whose collar was raised so high you could barely notice he was a man. Shooting the suspiciously over-dressed man a curious glance, Elyas watched as he opened a rift in reality before sending people inside.
After that he closed the rift, opened another, and shouted, "South gate district, three copper." a woman cradling her baby stepped forward, gave the man a few coins and stepped inside the rift.
"Well, I guess someone has to keep human trafficking alive." He let out a low chuckle, making people around him create a sizable distance and look at him like a madman. Some mothers covered their children's ears as they shook their heads at his joke.
Oh right, I shouldn't talk to myself… He walked the rest of the way in silence, found a seat in the far back of the park and sat. He enjoyed the weather. Although cold, it was still better than the turbid, still air of the void. Elyas found himself lost in the birds chirping, the children's little games and laughter.
He observed as bakers put fresh bread and delicacies on display. Watched mothers and sisters window-shop beautiful, colorful dresses and accessories like fur scarfs or pearl necklaces. He watched someone get mugged by two thugs and spectated children rush outside of the Victorian high school.
It felt like only a minute had passed, but when he came to his senses, Elyas realized that it was already dusk.
"Wha—what the hell?!" He got up and hurriedly ran to town square again. Where was I supposed to go again? He tried to remember, but his mind was blank. So to catch a better view and maybe ignite a flame of recognition, he climbed up the marble stairs.
His plan somehow worked. Remembering which way he had come this morning, Elyas ran back to the street with brisk steps. But as soon as he got off the stairs, he knocked someone down.
Glancing at the man he stumbled into for a moment, he noted that it was not an elder. Oh thank god. The last thing I want is a dead old man on my hands.
He hurriedly helped the man get up before rushing back home.
…
Two months ago. In Mistwood's cemetery.
The cold wind brought with it the year's first snow, adding a white blanket on the graves, helping with the dead's forever sleep. Beside the graveyard was a pile of bodies. Most of which neither had family to mourn them, nor any money to afford a bed for their eternal slumber.
No one cared enough to check on them. Why would they? These people would be tossed outside anyways, food for the Figments and the fog. That was an average end for a backstreet rat. Among the pile was a fresh, nearly complete body of a small blond boy. He only had bruises here and there, nothing serious. From his purple blue-ish skin, it could be discerned that he had died of illness, drowning, or a hard beating.
Another common end for the poor folk. But what wasn't common or normal, was the fact that the dead boy was standing up. He cracked his neck back into its original position. The blond boy's skin slowly regained its luster as it convulsed with the rest of his body. It was as if something was wriggling under his skin, shaking the boy back to life.
Gaining the strength to blink again, he opened his eyes only for his pupils to roll back into his skull. Mere moments later, they returned, his blue eyes now deep scarlet, almost black. The boy smiled faintly. "It's good to be back home." He inhaled deeply, the rotten air of the cemetery bringing memories of good times. "Ahh… The fog, never missed it. But Mistwood…"
The boy's smile widened. "Oh I've Missed you so, so much!"