Chapter Text
CRASH!
Pain exploded throughout your whole body, as the whole world suddenly went dark.
Nothing was there but deafening silence.
You were unaware of what happened. You couldn't recall what you encountered, or why your whole body hurts.
You felt extremely... lost.
You start to question yourself;
What am I doing here?
Where am I?
How did I even end up here?
But a better question was...
Who am I, exactly?
Your body feels stiff, like you're frozen in place.
You weren't able to move at all. No matter what you do.
Am I dead?
Is this heaven?
Hell?
Or... something worse?
It was just... so confusing.
And a few seconds later... you heard a voice.
"Hey kid, wake up." It told you.
You were slowly being aware of your surroundings.
But that voice isn't familiar to you. Who was that...?
.
.
.
The next second, you were finally able to open your eyes.
You saw a hooded crimson algebralien in front of you, making sure that you were fully conscious by waving their hand in front of your face.
???: "Hello? Earth to fellow algebralien, can you hear me?"
After they said that,
You've fully gained your consciousness back. A beam of sunlight hits your eyes, as a warm gentle breeze goes through you. The trees around you slowly sway side by side.
You realized, you were laying on the grass.
"Uhhnn..." You let out a little groan. "W-Wha...?"
...
You tensed, and quickly sat up, making the other algebralien move back slightly to give you more space.
You tried to get yourself to get used to the surroundings. But then... panic filled up inside of you.
"Ah.... AAAH!" You screamed. "W-Who... who are you?!?!?! W-What's happening?!?" You yelled out as you quickly backed away from them.
The hooded number laid a finger on your lips, shutting you up.
???: "Shh! Quiet down... screaming won't get you out of a situation like this." They seemed... a little suspicious, but for some reason... a little nice...? "I won't hurt you or anything. But the better question is... what brings you here, young algebralien?"
You nervously looked around the place, breathing heavily.
"I-I.. eehh... I... wh-who... are you...? I don't know where I am..."
The other number seemed to realize you were scared, so she tried to reassure you and calm you down. She then studies you for a moment.
???: "You must be... Seven Integer?"
...
The name lingered in the air.
Seven.
It felt unfamiliar... and yet, it was strangely fitting.
Seven's breathing hitched as the realization settled in. His memories gathered altogether.
And at that point, he remembered who he was.
Seven: "Y-Yeah... I'm... Seven Integer! I... I don't exactly remember how I got here though. I just... woke up and found myself laying on the grass?" He nervously chuckled.
And just like that, he knew.
His name was Seven Integer. An ordinary 17 year old adventurer. Though, there was nothing special about him, really.
???: "Hm, I've heard of that surname somewhere before..." The hooded algebralien reached her hand out. "Name's Fifteen, no other questions."
Seven grabbed her hand and slowly stood up.
Seven: "W-Wait... how do you know my..." Before he could even finish his question, he winced a bit as he started to lose his balance.
Seven: "Wh... woahhhWOAH..!!" He stumbled towards Fifteen.
Fifteen: "Easy there." She said as she steadied Seven up.
Seven: "Phew... thanks!" He then felt a sharp pain course through his leg. "Ow...! My leg stings a lot! I must've tripped or something before I passed out..." He held onto Fifteen.
Fifteen: "...You look pretty beaten up." She looked at his leg, observing the injury. "Huh... you didn't trip at all." She muttered. "That's not what a normal injury looks like."
Seven raised an eyebrow.
Seven: "Huh..?"
She crouched slightly, brushing away the grass near his ankle. A faint jagged scratch mark ran across his leg.
Fifteen: "...Yeah. Definitely not a fall. Someone must've scratched your leg." She then looked back up at Seven's slightly beaten up face. "...and gave you some sort of black eye."
Seven: "Scratched? By... who?"
Fifteen: "I'll tell you later. I don't wanna make you panic while you're in pai—"
Seven: "No... no! I want you to explain how I got this... strange wound on my leg!?"
Fifteen sighed, shrugging.
Fifteen: "Fine, you really wanna know? Alright then." She paused for a moment, humming to herself. "Before you passed out, you were fighting a huge hoard of... well... monsters while running away."
Seven froze.
Seven: "Wait, wait... WHAT!? What do you mean I was fighting something!? I-I don't remember anything like that at all! I don't know how to fight! No one taught me how!" His voice cracked with frustration and fear.
And then.
He noticed something on the ground.
A broken wooden sword, next to where he was laying.
That shows proof.
Seven: "What the... hell...?"
Fifteen: "Ah. Memory loss... confusion... injuries..." She pondered for a moment. "Do you remember where you came from? Or what that thing is?"
Seven: "I-I told you that already! I don't know where I came from or what I was facing!" He hyperventilated and trembled, not knowing what to do.
Fifteen glanced at Seven. She noticed the trembling and scared state Seven's in right now.
She patted his back, trying to calm him down.
Fifteen: "Hey now. How about I treat that wound of yours back at my cabin, and then we'd talk about this properly?" She asked.
Seven took a deep breath and nodded hesitantly. Still trying to process what was going on.
Seven: "Y-Yeah... okay... thank you..."
He tried to walk, but everything felt heavy for him. Like his body still remember the fight, but he couldn't.
Suddenly, he tripped and fell on the grass, face first.
Seven: "Oomph!" He groaned, spitting dirt out. "Pah! Ughh... my body feels numb..."
Fifteen sighed and crouched down next to him.
Fifteen: "Just as I thought... you aren't exactly in the best shape right now. C'mere, I'll help you up."
Before he could even argue, Fifteen grabbed his arm and slung it over her shoulder.
She was surprisingly strong...
Seven blinked in surprise.
Seven: "Fifteen, I'm fine really... I don't need any help—"
Fifteen: "Trust me kid, you do. Now quit being stubborn."
Seven blushed in embarrassment, probably because of how weak and absolutely pathetic he looked.
The two of them made their way through the forest. The scenery felt calming, but a little uneasy.
The trees seemed endless, like they could go on forever.
He couldn't help but feel amazed at the sight. It wasn't like anything he's ever seen before.
Seven: "Woah... this place feels... alive. A little weird... but it's just amazing!"
Fifteen didn't answer. Her hood shadowed most of her expression.
For a brief moment, he could see her crack a small smile.
Seven: "So uh... I know this is the wrong time to even question this, but what exactly were those things that attacked me?" He asked Fifteen, sounding curious.
Fifteen's pace slowed, trying to find the right words to explain.
Fifteen: "Umbrals."
Seven nervously chuckled.
Seven: "Umbrals?"
She nodded.
Fifteen: "Yup. 'The Umbrals Of Goiky'. They're dangerous monsters of this world. Their name comes from a mix of the word 'umbra', which means shadow, and 'numeral'."
Goiky.
That felt oddly familiar to him.
Seven's read storybooks before. He thought those were just made up fantasies to fool others into believing that they were real.
Is that really the place he's in right now?
Seven's eyes widened.
Seven: "That's... terrifying. Wait, I thought those were... y'know... myths or campfire stories that people tell to freak others out?"
Fifteen raised an eyebrow at me.
Fifteen: "Myths? Campfire stories? Oh poor you, actually thinking that those things were made up. They're real Seven. Not a made up fantasy."
Seven: "Right... right... can I ask another question?"
Fifteen nodded.
Fifteen: "Go ahead."
Seven: "How do you know my name?"
Fifteen: "Heard you scream your name towards the Umbrals like some sort of almighty hero."
Seven blinked.
Seven: "I... I did? Damn... did I at least look cool fighting 'em Umbrals though?"
Fifteen: "I don't know, all I heard was your screams."
He opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. His brain was a tangled mess that he couldn't even form words well anymore.
Fifteen noticed to look on his face.
Fifteen: "Don't strain yourself too much, Seven. Let's just focus on getting you safe for now."
They walked for what felt like hours.
Finally there was a small clearing that lead to a small wooden cabin. Its windows glowed warmly which lifted my heart up a little.
Safe at last. For now...
Fifteen carried him up to the door and pushed it open. The inside felt.. oddly cozy, a small fireplace crackled, strange artifacts were on the shelves, a map on the wall, and the thing that caught his eye the most... swords and guns?
Well, mostly guns than swords. She really keeps these in her cabin like it's a toy or something, huh?
Fifteen grabbed a nearby chair.
Fifteen: "Sit." She instructed, helping Seven towards the chair. She pulled out a small bag and knelt beside him as he slumped into the chair. "Let's see what we're dealing with here..."
She slowly lifted his leg up, which made Seven wince every time it throbbed. Fifteen set her bag down and began rummaging through it, grabbing a small vial of green-ish liquid and some bandages.
He swallowed hard, nervously watching her. She carefully cleaned the scratch wound on his leg and brought a piece of cloth out, pouring the green liquid onto it.
Fifteen: "Try not to scream, 'kay? This is gonna hurt quite a lot..." She quickly pressed the cloth against his leg. It sizzled faintly against the wound.
Seven flinched as he clenched his fists, trying SO bad not to scream his lungs out because of how badly it hurts.
Seven: "Ow... ow... OW!!!!" The pain burned sharply, like fireants crawling under his skin. Of course, it'll be over soon, but it still feels like straight up torture.
Fifteen hummed softly.
Fifteen: "Almost done... just a little more and it'll be better in a jiffy..." Her hands were steady, despite his flinches.
The pain in his leg slowly went away.
She pulled the cloth away and wrapped bandages around his leg, leaving behind a strange warmth.
Seven sighed in relief and looked at Fifteen.
Seven: "Thanks... Fifteen..." He gently smiled, somehow in a better mood again.
Fifteen finally leaned back, giving him a small nod.
Fifteen: "No problem. That should hold for a while, and by tomorrow you'll be as good as new."
Seven let out a shaky breath, trying to calm his racing heart down.
Seven: "I guess I can finally ask more questions. So... about the 'Umbrals', where did they come from exactly?"
Fifteen paused, she slightly tightened the bandages on his leg. He could tell from hesitation that his question wasn't a simple one.
Fifteen: "...Where they came from? That's the question everyone wants answered, Seven. Everyone has their own little conspiracies, yet they can't be proven properly. Some say that they randomly came out from the cracks of Goiky, in spirits of objects and numerals who died long ago. But if you ask me... I guess, they were summoned by someone. These things couldn't just be randomly created out of nowhere."
Seven swallowed hard.
Seven: "Summoned? That's... that's just sick! Who in the world would just do something so horrible like that!?"
Fifteen took a glance at the map on the wall. There were strange markings and circles drawn on it. He also noticed a small picture on the map.
A picture of a cornflower-blue colored number.
She looked menacing, and most likely, extremely dangerous. Her name was written on the bottom of the picture.
ONE.
Seven's eyes narrowed as he leaned closer to get a better look at the map.
That picture. That name.
Seven: "...One?" He muttered under his breath.
Fifteen's gaze snapped towards him.
Fifteen: "Seven, you shouldn't say her name so casually like that."
He tensed up by Fifteen's look.
Seven: "Sorry! But... why? She's just another number like us! Right...?"
Fifteen stood up and walked towards the map. She pulled it down so he couldn't look at it anymore.
Fifteen: "She's not just another number. She's dangerous. She was the reason why Goiky's in complete shambles. If the Umbrals were summoned, then its a huge possibility that she's the one controlling them, pulling the strings in order to attack us."
Seven's fists clenched again.
Seven: "So... she's the one behind all of this?"
Fifteen rolled the map and placed it on the side of a drawer.
Fifteen: "Mhm, that's the rumor." She sighed and looked back at him. "You told me your last name was 'Integer'. Right?"
Seven: "Umm, yeah? What about it? Do... surnames not exist here?"
Fifteen didn't answer right away.
She leaned against the wall, arms crossed, her hood dipping just enough to hide her expression. The room suddenly felt... heavier.
Fifteen: "They do." She said quietly. "Just... not that one. In Goiky, most of us don't use surnames anymore. Not after everything fell apart, people probably forgotten that they even existed." She tapped her finger lightly against her arm. "But 'Integer'... that's old. Really old."
Seven shifted in his seat.
Seven: "Huh?"
Fifteen: "You, Seven Integer, come from a bloodline of adventurers. A bloodline that doesn't belong to this world. I've actually met some of your kind before, and they were just like you. Waking up, forgetting things, and they were pretty comfortable to be with." She let out a small chuckle.
Seven: "What? Adventurers... run in my bloodline? Uhh... my parents never really told me anything about that at all... that's surprisingly new information? I just wanted to be one because they told me I'm the adventurous type!"
Fifteen: "Ah, so most of your memories weren't wiped out. But, back on topic, I haven't heard from them since. But because of them, that's where I found out about... her."
Seven gave a surprised look, wanting to know more about it.
Seven: "Right! So that's why you think that she's behind all of this..."
Fifteen: "Mhm, exactly. They warned me about her before they.. disappeared. They said she was powerful enough to twist reality itself if she wanted to, some of them told me that she can come in different forms."
"I had a sudden encounter with her, if you couldn't tell by the picture you saw earlier. One comes in different forms. Her normal self, a spirit, or maybe even a past dead number or object."
Seven: "That's... creepy." He gulped. "Tell me more...?"
Fifteen nodded.
Fifteen: "No one knows exactly if they're secretly travelling along with her. So you gotta be aware of who you're talking to. She could be anyone, hidden in plain sight."
Seven: "Oh my math..." He nervously looked around. "Are you her?"
Fifteen didn't even flinch. And for a moment, there was silence.
Fifteen: "Well, If I was, you'd be dead already."
Seven: "...Oh."
Fifteen let out a quiet sigh.
Fifteen: "Look, look. I get it. You just woke up in a world you don't understand, got attacked by things you thought were myths, and now I'm telling you there's a reality warping maniac who could basically be anyone. You're gonna be paranoid. That's normal."
Seven awkwardly laughed, scratching his cheek.
Seven: "Y-Yeah... sorry. That was kinda dumb."
Fifteen looked outside. It was already dark.
Fifteen: "I could tell you more, but you seem a little tired."
Seven's eyelids felt a little heavy.
Seven: "Ahah... whaaat? No I don't!" He yawned, leaning against the chair. "I mean... I am pretty exhausted. I feel like having a reallyyy long nap after that whole 'fight' thing that happened earlier..."
Fifteen gave a faint smile on her face.
Fifteen: "You're definitely one of them. The sleepiest of them all." She let out another chuckle. "Alright, I guess you could rest for a while. I have an extra sleeping bag just in case. She brought out a rolled up sleeping bag under her bed and laid it near the fireplace. "Here Seven. I know it's not really the best but you'll need more energy if you wanna survive through this world you're in." She patted the sleeping bag, trying to make it comfortable for him to lay in.
He nodded, slowly slouching onto the sleeping bag. He sighed in relief.
Seven: "Hey Fifteen, before you go or anything. I have one last question in mind.."
Fifteen raised an eyebrow, leaning in.
Fifteen: "Go on... I'm listening."
Seven shifted in the sleeping bag.
Seven: "Do you think that.. One wants something from me..?"
Fifteen leaned back, crossing her arms as the firelight flickered in her eyes.
Fifteen: "That's a dangerous question Seven. I can't give you the exact answer, I don't know if she wants something from you.. but she's not stopping until she gets it. Maybe it's from your bloodline, maybe it's something you have with you but you aren't actually aware of it, or maybe she wants you gone before you could find out the truth."
Seven stayed silent, slowly shifting to the side facing the fireplace.
"I... don't want that, I wanna find out the truth. About this world, about her, about the 'monsters', everything at this point.." He tucked himself in tightly. "This sleeping bag is really comfy."
Fifteen: "Then go ahead and rest for now. Tomorrow I'll help you through this, so sleep while you still can." She patted him on the shoulder.
Seven let out a small breath, staring into the fireplace as Fifteen's words circle in his mind.
Gone before hecould find out the truth, could that possibly happen..?
It's probably just the paranoia getting to him. All he needs to do is find out what brought him here and why he's involved in something that he thought was a dark fantasy...
Maybe he brought himself here because he wanted to, or maybe someone ordered him to...
His eyes grew heavier and heavier but his thoughts refuse to quiet down.
"Why me?
What does my name matter so much to her?"
He hugged the blanket tighter, after that he finally gave into the drowsiness and drifted off to sleep.
"Tomorrow, the journey begins.
No matter what, I won't leave Goiky till I get my memories back."
.
.
.
[End Of Chapter]