8:00 AM, the morning dew glimmers on the vast stretch of wild weeds, grazing my knees as we approach the anticipating captain.

Cookies made sure to grasp the weeds within reach, pulling them and then letting go so he could pull on some more. 

The Capitan stood outside the grass and on an elevated stone platform holding a stone base— usually supporting a statue or monument on top— without anything on it.  

The morning rays were tolerable, mostly eclipsed by the monumental concrete walls between two parallel mountains. A valley? This city was built in a valley, but the closest valley city I remember— if this is the real world — is a province away. Then where the hell were we? 

That teleporter was our undeniable one-way ticket out of that mess, but the consequence of unknowingly entering it has finally started to bite me back. 

“Early bird, aren’t you too? C’mere.” He utters pulling us from the grass and onto the stone pavement. 

He didn’t seem to mind we arrived right on time. He even praised us for maintaining “punctuality” which didn’t sound right, still, even if that makes things a little more uncomplicated, mostly because I couldn’t explain the memory phenomena that held us back. 

As we stood on his level, I noticed a couple of things placed on top of the stone base, a pair of armbands laid across and two metal antenna approximately at arm’s length. 

He swipes the armbands with his metallic arm and walks over to us.  

“Because you two have been punctual trackers, consider these as “presents” for early goers like yourselves.” He explains while wiping something in his hand, it ‘til it gleamed, and handing it to us.

It’s an armband, two yellow ones with a white ring circling a star of the same color. The district’s Insignia? I couldn’t be sure. It was way heavier than expected for a band of cloth and had a grainy texture but I wore it on my left shoulder for formalities.   

Cookies delighted, treasuring the band and wrapping it on his right by impulse “You’ve seen the mission file, correct?” Capitan asks, while eagerly watching us fix our armbands. 

“Yes, are you sure we’re free to go as we please as long as we return, this is a mission right?” 

“Don’t stress about it, your mission is to discover.” “Things, places, people, info. We’ll learn it from you.” 

“Ah, I see.” I answer before pulling an arm’s long signal antenna from the base “Well, I’ll leave those to you, attach ‘em under your armbands, and keep them close.” I nod, sliding the antenna under my armband, coiling around it short after locking still after having a magnetic reaction.  

“They’re proximity tethers linked to me, as long as it’s within 15 meters of your auth you’ll be able to contact me, got it?” Capitan remarks before leading us towards the district gate right ahead.

Through the patches of grass, dirt, and gravel. There was no “road” to speak of, only the scattered hastily made dirt path, trampled continuously that even the weeds receded off to the side.

I walked while Cookies skipped but our pace stayed the mechanoid Capitan ahead.   

A mission without pre-established rules and regulations… what difference does that make it from loitering around, he expects us to fulfill our orders despite this… I can’t be against it but, nothing stops his “underlings” from not doing any work.

Capitan slaps us firmly on our backs before “Well, the world is waiting for you out there, come back safe, alright?” He reaffirms his request before pushing us out of the gaping hole within the concrete wall, it’d qualify as a door but it looked more like a part of it that’s been blown off.   

“We’ll be back with good news before you even know it! Thanks, sir!” Cookies cheered with both hands waving back at him while we departed toward the blanketed sunrise. 

“Haha, I know you will, now I won’t bother you two any longer.” He whispers before turning his back on us and walking towards the way he came. 

With the mission file projected by my Auth, I could only stare without thought, one being a poignant reminder of my current problem, and the other the asphyxiating sensation of “freedom” choking me to death.

; MISSIONS ; 

Main > ; GOAL; LIBERATION — Locate the way back… if possible ;   

Side ! > ; Wander 10 Kilometers away from //Nueva Esperanza// ; [ SET ]

Although I’d wish to ignore the blaring urge to find my way out of her quicker, until now I had nothing to disprove that there was even another world, let alone a way out. 

Everything they’ve said up to this point all points to one likely scenario. A scenario— that if true— could forsake my future and success altogether. How could I go against the tide, to persist in believing something directly against everyone’s thoughts and testimonies… am I deluded? 

Going against the masses usually meant being wrong or inevitable failure, success comes from a collective belief, a widely accepted concept that only the most capable members of a collective could achieve. What was I doing by holding onto these contradicting beliefs?    

“Strange…” I sighed before shaking my head to an already anticipating cookies, and stopped before a tree, looking confused, but largely unconcerned. 

“How many hours of sleep did you get?” 

I declined to answer, but five hours was good enough, my circadian rhythm still woke me at 4 AM sharp, much to my annoyance, old habits die hard, and If only I’m just as hard to kill…

8:45 AM, the weather returned to the familiar gloomy storm-clouded skies, peppering the ground with a drizzle of rain. Each living second the heavens threatens the complete downpour of stockpiled 

The sun, a pitiful display of what it would’ve been on a sunny day, struggles to break through the clouded horizon. 

Not far from Nueva Esperanza was a road leading down the steep hillside, following the road and onto the streets, the absence of cars, bikes, or any vehicle on the roadside never failed to irk me, Like thieves on a rampage out for copper linings, nothing remained, if it was a metallic conductor it’d been stripped bare— nowhere to be found— and it’d only heightened the sense of loneliness that befell our route. 

5 Kilometers, there were desolated settlements, few houses remained and those that did were overrun with vines and greens. 

Remnants of retail stalls and thrift stores were abundant, the “rapture” had done, and there was no one else but us. And now add also the absence of electrical wires usually strewn about from towering pillars of power poles. 

As the mission was our priority, I kept my gaze fixed on my auth to gauge the distance traveled, being the more responsible between us. 

But a set of heavy footsteps would send my gaze up, Something sent Cookies running towards one of the houses— the ashen remains of it— the only burned building among the few that remained standing.    

“Mal! Mal!” Cookies called, beckoning for me with terror in his voice. Unbothered by his initial childishness, this couldn’t be a problem, would it? 

“What is it? My name’s not Mal, say it properly.” I answered behind him, not soon after, the only way in the house was a bakery storefront, the battered and shattered glass displays made it clear it’s been ransacked. 

Yet, that wasn’t all, the charred smell made me grimace, it stenched sure, but something amiss— meat— the aroma of burned flesh came from within.  

“I know! I know— look at this.” He lifts an antiquated song recorder— the only electronic device present 5 kilometers away— It was relatively intact and purposely left there. 

CLICK,

He accidentally grazes a button with his finger and the device starts to sing a kindergartener’s tune.  

“London bridge… is falling down… LondON BrIDGE—” It abruptly cuts there, followed by the wiring sizzling, causing the device to spark. 

We exchange glances, as far as our mission objectives go, this is just a minor inconvenience. 

“Did it break? Keep it in your pocket, we’ll ask Capitan about it.” I request Capitan should have answers for it, we’re not the first ones to scout around here. A distraction from our objective, we’re not even halfway towards the intended scouting grounds.

“Do you wanna check there?” He point inside, towards the blackened stairwell which survived the fire. A basement— an extension of the bakery most likely.    

Regulations would’ve ensured I didn’t deviate from any objective, but because there weren’t any I’m free to choose… and I’ll explore the place down there. 

“If they missed that, they must’ve missed down there too,” I answer, pulling the chaotic glass displays to form a divide for us to slip through and enter the bakery front. 

The smell only worsened from here, that burned — rotting — scent of someone being burnt to a crisp, I tried my best to remain calm, yet with each step a creeping chill pricked my shoulders. As expected, the source must be down there, 

Stepping on the antiquated square tiles, my heels formed a trail on the ashen floor, the stairwell ahead was a straight narrow corridor, but that did no favors in letting me see the basement from above.     

“I--It’s dark…” He mutters, visibly shaken and terrified— a far outcry to his former enthusiasm— our distance growing with each step. I yank his hand closer to mine, his eyes ever quivering.

“Anything wrong with that?” I demand he’s not backing out now, right? “C-can we go back?” he asks with sideward eyes. I shake my head “No, you asked for this.”

“F-forget it, we can just skip this.” He argues, causing me to snap at him “Don’t be pathetic, we’re here on a mission.” He  “Please!” he pleaded with both hands pulling one of mine,   

I sighed, kids, stubborn in every part of the word, no words nor action will get through that thick skull of theirs…ha, I can’t be too harsh on them, because I get it, used to be one myself… 

If I’d listened better back then, maybe I wouldn’t be in this mess.    

We paused for a moment and exchanged looks, but I capitulated first, lowering my head and sighed again we’re not out of options yet, not when Eden-gifted “Protocols” were freely given to us… even if mine was beyond subpar.   

I look at him again, this time with a more approachable tone “If I can light the way, will you follow?” I ask, while pre-emptively extending my fingers to activate my protocol. 

“Y-yeah.” He reaffirms with a shaky nod. 

“MALWARE PROTOCOL: (TIER 1) CAST STRINGS” 

One of the main three “info” my strings had, was how bright it was, despite the uselessness of it during that time, I never expected to find a use, but count me wrong on it. Especially not to help combat a kid’s fear of the dark.  

Using my index, I stretch a string down the staircase, defying the laws of gravity, the thing seems to “hover” on my command.

I approached the stairs, glancing down the depths, and realized that the basement wasn’t too far down, though there was no verifying from merely gazing from it at the comforts of the ground floor. 

I looked back to him, signaling that my strings had reached the basement. 

“We’re fine, the basement isn’t too deep, just stick to me if you’re still scared—”    

YANK

A force of ten simultaneously grabbing on my lone string almost evicted my soul out of my body, making me tilt and slip down the stairs. If not for my other hand slamming against the wall to counter it.  

“Shit! There’s… there’s something down there!” I jumped back, sweat running down my face, my hand shaky and uncertain. 

Before I knew it, I was panicking, you’re better off killing me now than convincing me to go down there. I’d knowingly stepped myself into danger once, and I was a fool for it, now if I did it again there wouldn’t be any shame to put on me if I’m dead.

On the other hand, the boy flipped his demeanor with enthusiasm learning something was down there.     

“Ah?! O-okay! I’ll take the lead.” He reassured me before racing down the stairs soon after he told me.   

“What? Are you hearing yourself?” I shouted back and just as I thought he was the lesser willed between us…  

“I’ll be safe! Just keep that on.” He shouts back with the unbothered tone of a friend making last-minute fixes right as we leave our house. 

As there’s no logical way I’m letting the kid act like the older one between us, I followed him downstairs right after.

“We’ll find your family, promise—”   

THUD

Cookies slammed his shield down, frightening the thing down there to run off,  followed by knocked bricks and debris. 

“Hey get back here!” He called it before I reached downstairs, but I only caught the blurred shadow of a beast leaving through the other side.   

Soot filled the ashen basement, even the stainless industrial ovens were blackened completely, and lanes of lengthy tables were upside down or completely tossed aside like spent paper.  

A dug hole straight ahead led to the surface, letting lukewarm sunlight in, though my string remained the dominant light inside this decrepit pit. 

I coughed and waved dust before me while retracting my lonesome string back my finger. Cookies had his back turned to me, kneeling— grasping the sunken shield on the ground.  

“Did it hurt you?” I cautioned while he turned to look at me, waving his hands “I’m fine, look. It’s not as unsafe as I thought.” He panted while dusting his darkened exposed knees. 

I offered a hand and asked “What was it?” he dragged himself up and pulled his shield off the ground “It was huge, it looked like a dog with metal parts.” he panted while stretching his hand to size the beast.

Although It proved fruitless in visualizing what it was, I clutched his shoulder “Be glad it didn’t eat you whole.” I grumbled, before tightening my clasp. 

“Ow- owwww! I won’t let it! That’s why it ran away.” He hurriedly excused before pulling himself away from me.  

Then as if he’d been switched off, all actions; staring at the destroyed wall leading outside.  

“But… that thing, it was eating someone.” He mutters while the ramifications of his actions manifest in his horrified expression.  “Did they leave anything of use?” I ask with my eyes back on my Auth projection, our distance remaining at 5 kilometers since we got here.  

“Well… his…” The boy hesitates, before unveiling something the poor victim left behind… 

An arm, all synthetic; fake Holding a cindered photograph, He didn’t help no “person”, but an imitation, despite how real it felt.   

“I see, let me handle it then,” I muttered grimacing while plucking the photo off their cold fingers, unmistakable unease boiling over my stomach. It wasn’t real I believed, but being slimy to the touch and oozing crimson flowing, it might as well be.

“I- made a promise.” He’d shake his head off and ascend the rubble, unbeknownst to him, making his presence known to things awaiting outside. 

“They can’t be too far, let’s get going!” He’d yell out with his face turned to me, oblivious to the rushing footsteps against him.   

Before I’d yell, he’d be tossed back below by an animal, growling. 

Three lupine heads stuck out above the hole, peeking below and straight at us. Bearing serrated metal fangs from their steel heads and red visors eyes stared at us, basking us in light like captives in the middle of an escape.