Chapter Text
One day, the pillars of time stopped. As life inched on, nobody took heed to this phenomenon. They simply carried on with their one-note lives, secretly desiring for something different. Slowly, a fog began to form, drowning out their sun. This fog would choke them, capturing them in its unforgiving, cold grasp; allowing them nothing but the sweet release of death. This fog, they feared, was something of their own creation; their desires for change were given a deadly form. Friends and family were slowly taken from them as the fog grew closer, and ever more powerful. Before long, they begged for freedom. Freedom from their home, from that choking mist; a freedom that they knew they could never have. The fog was closing in, and soon all of them will be dead.
A light shone through the fog. A savior had come at last! This unseen face built them a city, where a shield would be put out to protect them all. They praised this savior, marking them the ruler of this city. As days moved on, the city became Heaven itself. Everyone was happy, safe, and perfect all the same. Their leader was watching out for them. All those who tried to escape, from what they had no clue, were lost to the fog. But their leader tried their hardest to find them, yes they did! Unfortunately the fog was too thick and demanding, and nobody who left the city returned. So they never left. They were happy enough in this city anyway, where there was always food on the table, and guards round about to keep an eye on all the citizens.
But at once, she let her guard down. She dared venture beyond the walls. She witnessed the outside world. She faced the fog. She barely returned. She was alive, but she would never be the same again. She clung to the teachings of the past, daring not to heed any instruction given by her great leader. She would doom them all.
And the fog began to approach once more.
****
“I'm home!” Three shut the door.
Nine came out of the kitchen, holding a footlong sandwich. “You were gone for a while there, dude. I was getting worried for you.”
“Thanks for keeping the place clean while I was gone.”
“Yeah uh...the only thing I did was raid your fridge.”
“Oh.”
Three sat on the couch, tapping a finger against her arm. Nine watched her suffer in her silent anxiety, the shaking of her leg becoming faster and more obvious. Nine sat next to her and handed her a bit of their sandwich.
“You okay?”
“It's the fog. It's moving closer. It hasn't moved in years. What does this mean? Is our city really that safe?”
Nine shushed her, then nodded their head towards the window. Three looked up, seeing the shadow of a Guard. It looked around outside the window, then walked off. Three exhaled sharply. Nine sighed.
“You know how it is, Three. We can't say anything about this. If they find out you've been sneaking off, then...”
“One.”
“And Four.”
Three opened her journal. “It just doesn't make any sense. They said the fog wouldn't be able to hurt us. If it closes in any more, it'd start seeping into the city.”
Nine looked at her drawings. “Do you have to draw chibi faces on everything?”
“Yes.” Three started sketching again. “I've noticed the Guards have been sealing up gaps on the walls. They must've noticed the fog approaching too. But then why say we'll be fine? If we'll be fine, then why are they worried?”
“I haven't heard any news from Leader for a while. If the fog really is closing in, do you think...?”
“We don't know that.”
Nine pushed up their sunglasses. “Right. We have no proof. What if we take this up with the others?”
“They don't believe me. I've already tried. Two and X are busy looking for Four, Five and Six couldn't care less, Eight won't even look at me, and Seven called me crazy. They said it's a trick of the light, or I'm thinking too hard about it. B-but I know that-”
Her speech was cut short to the sounds of the doorknob shifting. The door creaked open and Three hid her journal. Nine shoved the rest of the sandwich in their mouth and quickly gulped it down. A Guard's head peeked into the house.
“[ANOMALY FOUND.]”
Three froze. “Drat. They'll know I've been sneaking out. Nine, we need to think of something.”
“Keep quiet,” Nine whispered, covering their eyes.
The Guard fell silent. “[SCANNING...ANOMALY HAS VANISHED. RETURNING TO SCHEDULE.]” The Guard shut the door and left.
Nine slowly uncovered their eyes. “Is it gone?”
“It's gone,” Three said.
“Three, you need to stop this. You're going to get caught, and then you'll...you'll vanish! People keep vanishing, Three! I don't want to lose you too!”
“But Nine, something doesn't add up here. Where did this fog come from? Why is it so deadly? And...how can we stop it?”
“You want to...stop it? Is that why you've been sneaking out? Three, I don't want to get taken down with you. I can't keep backing you up forever, broski!”
“I know, that's why we're going to end this, today.”
“It's past curfew, Three. If we get caught at this time, it's definitely over for us.”
“That's why we don't get caught. Nine, let me borrow your skateboard.”
“What? But that's the only thing I have left!”
“Please!”
“What if you die?!”
“I won't, I promise.”
Nine fought back tears. “Are you sure?”
“Yes. I'll be fine. I promise. If I can stop this, I can save everyone.”
Nine sniffled. “Okay. You can borrow it.”
“Thank you. I'll fix this. I promise.” Three grabbed Nine's skateboard, which they hid under the couch, and opened the door slightly. “Stay here, please. I'll be back.”
“Okay. But I can't keep covering for you.”
“I know. I'm sorry for dragging you into all of this.” She left, shutting the door quietly.
Nine went back into the kitchen. “I guess I better sweep. I don't want to know what happens when the house isn't tip-top tidy.”
****
Three watched the Guard walk past her hiding spot. She tiptoed from her place, heading towards the Wall. Guards lined the Wall, keeping watch on both inside and outside the city. The Guards were scary, Three knew that. They were emotionless Integers that wouldn't resist using force against anyone they deemed “unruly.” Three heard Four tried to fight one, and hadn't been seen since. That was enough to startle any Algebralien into submission. But not Three.
Three knew of another Guard as well. This one always, only, patrolled the Wall. It towered above everything else in the city. Its many heads and thick limbs made it look like anything but an Algebralien. Three had no idea what it was, but she knew it was terrifying. She's seen its many eyes examining many parts of the wall at once. She knew to stay in the darkest areas; The Guard could not see where its lights could not reach.
Three used Nine's skateboard to block herself from view. Where The Guard couldn't see, the others patrolled. But they ignored something if it didn't seem interesting, and the skateboard would look like a plain plank of wood to them. She slowly made her way to the Wall. She moved a board aside and crawled through the gap, bringing Nine's skateboard with her. It took little time to reach the outskirts of the fog. Three covered her mouth and rode into the fog on Nine's skateboard. She'd spotted a Lighthouse far into the fog a few days past. If she went fast enough, she would be able to reach it and activate it. She hoped the light would clear the fog.
She made it to the Lighthouse. It was shrouded in fog, but she could make out the faint shadow of the light at the top. She hurried inside, quickly shutting the door to keep the fog outside. She exhaled and started up the stairs.
“I'll save them. I'll fix this. I'll set us free. I promise.”
She made it to the top floor. She covered her mouth again, taking a deep breath, and opened the hatch. Fog drifted into the Lighthouse. She left and shut the hatch. She struggled to flip the switch. It clicked into place, and the light turned on.
But it did nothing.
“No-”
She covered her mouth again. The fog stung her throat. She struggled with the hatch before pulling it open. She went inside and shut the hatch again. She fell into a coughing fit. Her throat burned and her vision blurred. Blood stained her hand. She wiped blood from her mouth.
“I need to get back...”
She hurried back to the Wall and crawled through the hole. She rested the plank of wood against the Wall and started off. A red beam locked onto her.
“[YOU HAVE GONE AGAINST SAFETY PROTOCOL.]”
Three panicked and ran, dropping Nine's skateboard. She covered her mouth as she coughed more blood, ignoring the Guards that spotted her and took up chase. She lost them by taking a few wrong turns, then looping back to her house. She was exhausted at this point, and could hardly see or think straight. She opened the door and dragged herself inside.
It was extremely late at this point, and Nine had fallen asleep on the couch. Three stifled another coughing fit by biting her hand and tightening her throat. She grabbed her journal and went to her room. She crossed off the drawing of the Lighthouse hanging on her wall and ripped out the pages about it from her journal.
“That failed. I failed...I broke my promise. Drat.” She coughed, falling to her knees. “Ugh...Kh...” She climbed into her bed. “I'm...sorry...Nine...”
She curled into a ball, tucking her legs closer to her body and resting a hand on her head. Her head throbbed. Her throat burned. Her body ached. Her vision was blurry. Blood dripped from her slightly open mouth. She'd almost died, for nothing. Either way, the Guards would know now that she had been sneaking into the fog almost every night. She would surely be in trouble. She was warned to never leave the city. What would happen if they found out she did? She couldn't go to Nine for help, not now. She'd broken a promise. She told them she would come back alright. She told them she would fix this.
Fingers twitching as her eyes began to close, a single thought came into her mind.
Was this something that could ever be fixed?