(Song: Awake by Sleeping At Last)
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There was once a legend that told of an invisible string connecting the soul of one person to the soul of another. The legend goes that those who are tied together with this string are bound by fate, and the two are destined to meet, regardless of distance or life situation and when the two do meet, the event will be significant for both parties. This string never disappears or breaks. It will stay permanently tied no matter how much time has passed or the distance between the two souls. Even if this string becomes tangled or stretched, it only postpones the meeting between the two, never stops it.
The legend of the Red String of Fate is one that was lost to the world long ago. Many lost the desire to find love, have children, or start families; thus, the population began to decrease. It was slow at first, but once those who lacked that desire began to age, the population took a large hit going from 7.8 billion people worldwide to 5.3 billion in just three and a half years. Four years had passed since the first decline when the population took another hit, dropping to 3.6 billion people within two years. This point in time was referred to as the "Decade of Death."
After the Decade had ended, some feared that it might happen again if something wasn't done. The rest of the world thought otherwise; it was a fluke, it was something they were exposed to while growing up, it was the way they were raised. Every possibility was considered besides the truth that only a few knew. Those who passed during the Decade had lost hope. They had given up on the thought of a soulmate, that one true love, their person. They had given up on the Eros love entirely. Some truly didn't have the desire, but others waited. They waited for years to find someone to love them and someone who would accept their love, someone who might never come. They had the love from family and friends, Storge and Philia, or the unconditional type of love from the Gods and beings they believed in, Agape, but the love that was Eros was very different. Eros was a primal, passionate love and according to the legend, though it was rare to find, it existed for everyone.
Some of the survivors of the Decade of Death who had found their soulmate, went on to tell their stories to future generations. They became known as "The Threads." The Threads were the lucky ones; they had found their hope. They had found a shimmer of light in the darkness. The Threads lived their lives; some started families while others did not. No one was judged on how they lived, it was simple; if you had found your soulmate, you were one of the lucky few. Eventually, The Threads moved on from this world, leaving behind a legacy and hope for future generations. Those born into Thread families believed in the legend of the Red String, seeing firsthand the real beauty and love that existed. They tried to spread the love and these stories of The Threads, but nobody listened.
After trying to share the legacy so many times and failing, the families of the Threads decided it was better to separate from the crowd. They closed themselves off, creating a society filled with hope and life. They thrived off their love, respect, and understanding of one another. They believed the same things; everyone has a soulmate, and you will meet. This thought gave determination and hope to those yet to find their other half and gave a sense of appreciation to those who had. A few years after being started, this society was one of the most advanced communities; Medicine, technology, education, everything was the best around. Then the Counters came into play.
Fifty-six years after this society was created, a baby boy was born, though his birth was very unusual. Unlike most babies who are crying as soon as they're born, this boy came out giggling and laughing. He didn't shed a single tear for the first week he was alive; he was the happiest baby you would ever see. After that week passed, he began to act like all other infants, crying, babbling, and cooing. Once the child had reached two years old, he asked his mother about the Counter on his wrist. At first, she was confused about what he was talking about and brushed it off, but she noticed that he was infatuated with something on his wrist, and she began to worry.
By the time the boy was 3, a baby girl was born. The girl was born similar to the boy, and for the first week of her life, she acted just how the boy had, laughing and giggling, not shedding a tear, then acting like any other baby after the week had passed. Again, when the girl was 2, she had asked her family about the Counter on her wrist, but no one knew what she was talking about. They were both enamored with it, neither child knowing of the other. The Counters were only visible to themselves. They were the same in every way, both having a slightly illuminated red color to the numbers, located on the left wrist, an inch below the end of the hand. It looked like a digital projection; the skin underneath was as smooth as the rest. It counted down, always ticking, never wavering. The numbers seemed to be in days, hours, and minutes, and the closer the number got to zero, seconds.
They were both in their 20s when the Counters got close to zero, and both were extremely nervous about what could happen. The Counter was something they had known their entire lives, watching every minute pass by. Finally, the two met five weeks after the girl's 25th birthday. That's when the Counters hit zero, and a wave of what felt like electricity worked its way through them. They were in shock. The Counters had reached zero and disappeared like they never existed. They were even more shocked by the fact that they could see each other's Counter. No one else had been able to see them or knew anything about them, then out of nowhere, they had found someone exactly like them. They had found their soulmate.
A few more instances of this appeared within this society; the only thing that changed in each case was when the two souls would meet. Some met when they were children, others not until their old age, but they always met. Now, everybody in this society is born with a Counter, still invisible to all except you and your soulmate, still sending that electricity when the Counter hits zero. These Counters were and still are believed to be a gift from The Threads, a thank you for believing in them and for continuing to share their legacy. Another version of the Red String of Fate. Another chance to prove that the legend was real and that we all have a soulmate. Those who chose to live outside this society are dying quicker than normal; they have yet to admit that soulmates are real, though they know the stories and have heard rumors of the Counters. We were given another chance to save the rest of this dying world, and we will do just that. Welcome to the city of the future. Welcome to Valmont.
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