Chapter Text
Chapter 1: The Shattered Bond
The air around the equation planet grew cold as the sound of fracturing glass echoed across the clearing. 1 stood trembling, staring at the debris that was once 3. Desperate to undo the damage, 1 reached out, her hands glowing with unstable energy, but a firm hand shoved her aside.
"4! Don’t! I can fix her!" 1 pleaded, watching in horror as 4 stepped in.
"It’s my job," 4 replied coldly. With practiced precision, he restored 3. As she blinked, blinking slowly in confusion, 1 felt a jolt of betrayal.
"Hey! I was supposed to fix her!" 1 protested.
4 didn’t even turn around. "I didn’t let you touch her because I’m afraid you’ll shatter her value permanently. Your power is too volatile, 1. You break more than you mend."
1 stepped back, her voice shaking. "I wasn't trying to break anything... I just wanted to fix it myself! She’s my best friend!"
3, still dazed, looked between them. "What is happening, 1?"
"She’s a danger, 3," 4 cut in, his eyes hard. "You see? She tried to 'fix' your eye and ended up killing you. I won’t let her near you again."
The weight of the accusation—and the sting of being pushed aside—caused something to snap inside 1. Her eyes welled with hot, angry tears. "Maybe I’ll kill her again and fix her myself!" she screamed, blinded by frustration, and lunged toward 3.
"1, no!" 3 cried out.
Before 1 could reach her, 4 intercepted her, slamming her back. "And just what do you think you’re doing?"
1 crumpled to her knees, sobbing now. "I wasn't going to do anything! I swear! I just... I didn't want you to take her!"
In a heartbeat, 4 was joined by 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10. They formed a tight, suffocating ring around her.
"Shut up!" 4 commanded. "You’re lying. You clearly tried to finish the job."
"I wasn't going to hurt her!" 1 wailed, her voice thick with terror.
5 shook his head, his expression grim. "You’re a liar, 1. You tried to kill our friend. That’s not just a mistake—that’s a betrayal."
"I thought you were cool, 1," 6 added, looking away. "But trying to kill 3 in front of everyone? There’s no coming back from that."
"Murder is against the law, 1," 8 stated flatly. "You should be grateful she’s alive, not hunting her."
1 looked around at her former companions, finding only judgment. "No! I’m sorry! I’ll do anything!"
4’s power surged, wrapping around 1 like iron shackles. "We were going to trap you on the moon, but you're too unstable. You might break out. There is only one way to ensure 3’s safety."
1’s eyes widened as the group closed in. "3! Save me! They’re going to kill me!"
As 3 rushed forward, desperate to intervene, X stepped into her path, blocking her way. "Stay back, 3. I thought you hated her for harming you. Don't throw your life away for a murderer."
"It’s a mistake!" 3 shouted, but it was too late. 1’s body was cast aside, landing lifelessly at 3’s feet.
3 fell to her knees, clutching the cold, still form. "No!"
4 stood over them, his tone icy. "If you try to fight us, you’ll end up just like her."
3 rose, her face twisted with a fury the others had never seen. "I was wrong about all of you. You aren't protectors—you're meanies."
The group stared, stunned by her defiance. 4 sighed, attempting to soften his tone. "3, please. She’s gone. It’s for the best."
"You killed my friend!" 3 screamed, her voice cracking. "It was an accident, and you didn't even give her a chance! You don't understand anything!"
"She tried to murder you again, 3! Think!" 4 argued.
"I don't care!" 3 yelled, turning her back on them. "I don't need you. You’re all trash!" With that, she bolted into the distance, leaving the group in a heavy, suffocating silence.
4 looked down at the empty space where 1 had been. He scooped up her body, his expression unreadable. "I’m keeping her inside me," he muttered. "I won't let 3 find her and try another failed resurrection."
"We should host," X suggested quietly.
"Correct," 4 agreed, gesturing for the others to follow him off the planet.
5 lingered for a moment, a seed of regret blooming in his chest. "Is it okay... if I say I'm sorry?"
"It’s fine," 4 said, not looking back.
6 placed a hand on 5’s shoulder. "Don’t beat yourself up. But don't go after 3. She won't forgive you after what you did to her friend."
As 4, X, 5, 6, 9, and 10 walked toward the transport portal, the atmosphere of the planet grew unnaturally still. 7 and 8 remained behind, standing at the edge of the clearing. The silence was deafening, amplified by the absence of their peers.
7 looked down at the ground where 1 had been lying just moments before. "It was our fault, wasn't it?" 7 whispered, his voice trembling. "We watched it happen. We added our voices to theirs. We helped them... do that."
8 let out a long, shaky breath, her gaze fixed on the horizon where 3 had disappeared. "I thought we were doing the right thing. 4 said it was the law. But looking at 3’s face... that wasn't justice. That was just cruelty."
"I’m not ready to leave," 7 said, hugging himself as if to keep from falling apart. "This planet... it feels different now. Empty. Haunted."
"Then we don't leave," 8 replied, stepping closer to 7 and resting a hand on his shoulder. "We have the whole planet to ourselves for a while. Maybe we can find a way to make things right—or at least, find a place where we don't have to follow orders like soldiers."
7 looked at 8, seeking reassurance. "I can't wait to be comforted by you. This whole place feels like a nightmare."
"Me too," 8 said softly. Together, they turned away from the cold, fading glow of the portal and walked slowly toward the quiet safety of the equation playground, leaving the ghosts of their friends behind in the silence.