Enter Dawn

There was a saying amongst those who'd dared a glance into the abyss, that the horrors of it weren't alien or unknown, that its entrance or dark depths weren't anything at all. They explained it as something sinister, a man sized material as black as night but as reflectant as a mirror and to witness its harrowing surface wasn't to take a peek at the unknown but at the vileness of one's self. The underlying message that mimicked so many before it was that at the precipitous of all things evil and wretched, the one true maker of it all..was ourselves.

He wondered how much of that saying still held, a world now swarmed by the horrors against a waning civilization grasping at every thread it had left, if either a horror or a human glanced at the abyss..would they see themselves or the latter of each other? The pen in hand scribbled a question mark, messy and jagged, nowhere near how he'd wanted to write it but the ride was bumpy and his hands were cold, conquered by the dampness of torrential weather conditions that weren't helped by how uncomfortable the place felt. Attention to armored vehicle suspensions was of little importance, the growing demand for fast paced retreats through treacherous battle ridden environments needed no distinction to quality, if it could move, it was doing its job; preferably far faster than a horror ever could. 

Then again, they weren't exactly built for standalone trips across vast distances, a sort of short burst of speed back to base..if base was still even there. The cabin was mostly silent, most of the noise being the ambience of the vehicle's wheels sloshing across wet tarmac, little confidence in the safety of an operation having left most roads stretching past a few of the remaining cities to be handled by the elements. Weeds and dirt overtook them along with the eventual potholes, they probably hadn't hit one for the fact that some were kept well enough for safe passage between nearby suburbs, one's like this. He slowly slammed the notebook shut, pocketing it in a front zipper on a small bag he'd brought with him. Basic necessities were stuffed in there with as much tidiness as a rats nest, not exactly seeing a need for it either. A foster home, he'd been told.

It'd been six years since the fall of the Empire, six years since he'd become a refugee in the only neighbouring country left to take him in, the rest having fallen just as swiftly. The memories were still fresh and the wounds had barely healed, million's pronounced dead with not a gravestone in sight, everything was gone. The Republic was all that was left, wantonly accepting those still surviving on the far reaches, an unlikely bunch as a cool breeze from the open window shifted him in his seat, glancing to the barren fields stretching across from the road's edge. It felt more than unsettling when the thought passed him, that beyond here was nothing.

"Excited?" He turned, shrugging at the man. He'd spent the past six years in an orphanage home too unfamiliar to remember its name, the most he could muster was his caretaker; Lady Anna. Surprisingly a veritable few existed with him, other children of a variety of ages below seventeen, the rest having long found themselves in the army. Parents had been the least of his problems, what were they like anyway? He'd heard a few stories, most of the children there were desperate for them, he even remembered the many that yearned for them in Blackheart. Then again, perhaps it was having already found himself close to an adult. For all intents and purposes, Cattleya had been a parent, a mentor, a…he frowned, the necklace's cold touch on his skin making itself known as he turned back to the window whilst the man sighed, "In any case, enjoy it. One year of love can really mean a lot.."

One year…

He was closing in on sixteen in just a few weeks, it'd be a year before he was eligible for conscription. Many like himself were on course for that, the recent war efforts gave no room to spare, not even to children. A glance from the man told of a need for a response, after all, the situation with most survivors from the outside was the same; grim tales of miraculous luck at the sight of impossible adversity, not anymore exemplified by the silent moniker as the Empire's last citizen that used to swell amongst the inhabitants of his last orphanage. A routine check up seemed due, like every person around him needed assurance that he was still…fine. 

"I haven't really met them.." he answered, earning the man's mirth, "You'll know them soon enough, good people"

He raised a brow, "Are all adoptions like this? N-Not knowing the parents yet I mean"

"I wouldn't really know, had my parents till conscription; after that, well…" he trailed off, the answer evident as the vehicle drove on. Closer to their nearest suburb, the fading remnants of forgotten battles could be seen littering the fields across them, like steel carcasses rotting along the roads. Tanks, vehicles and misshapen artillery sat idly with their hulls torn to shreds, gorged out where the metal had become a sickly deep red. The horrors must've passed through here too, he thought; perhaps it'd been during the invasion, that's what everyone was calling it now, six years ago when they'd nearly lost another continent to the horrors although they seemed to have caught the least of it. 

Truthfully speaking there were no defences against the horrors, none that held indefinitely to be exact. The most indomitable fortresses they'd ever known held that title not out of irrefutable evidence but blind faith, a hope; in reality, the fall of humanity's greatest defences against them was a matter of when, not if. To that, it gave little awe when the towering walls of Horken City gazed upon them from the distance, forty meters of dull steel standing against the downpour like a blotch of empty darkness with flashing red lights running up its walls in seamless bright strips. Anti-aircraft artillery and cannons along with the occasional turrets crowned the wall's edges, deftly imposing if not, a little encouraging at the very least.

Two gates sealed the inside world from upcoming enemies, ground units if anything else. Flying horrors were rare but a fair few of them appeared from time to time, whether out of strategic planning or miraculous coincidence, the most successful campaigns from the human army were prone to occasional ruin whenever they appeared; they had no proof the horrors planned or could even think, the general consensus was bloodthirsty monsters with an insatiable hunger for violence; thought and reason didn't exist within the them, although such thoughts had been drawn from an unspoken dread at the entire prospect of such a thought, outnumbered and outskilled, if the horrors could think then what did they have left in this war? The answer was nothing. Two guards were stationed beside either part of the gate, the turrets primed and pointed at them along with a few of the cannons, the shuffling of movement and loading ammunition was masked by the incessant smattering of rain droplets; not like they would've noticed when the things were so high up.

Noting their eventual approach, the man slowly came to a halt a few dozen meters from the entrance, his hands moving at the knob as the windows were rolled down in anticipation. Stardust watched as he leaned across for the glovebox in front of him where an identity card was held, slipping it out into the open well before the guards had come anywhere near them. A procedure, he wondered. There were horrors more than capable of taking on the forms of people, the most insidious kind of monsters. What they couldn't mimic, however, were step by step processes required in acknowledging the other party as human. One of the men approached them as the other stood at the gate, rifle in hand.

The dark uniforms of the Republic were hard to discern, especially through torrential weather conditions. The deep grey's and darker blacks seemed to blend in with the environment, thick trench coats with black helmets and dark swaths of cloth covering their mouths and noses as a single ornament being a silver crossed circle pinned across their chest where their heart would be sat there like a badge. Not a word was spoken as they stopped just a few feet from the door, a devouring void as he watched the man lift his ID into view, a glint of crimson resonating for a moment as his gaze swept between the ID and themselves. 

He'd never seen eyes like those before, a sense of trepidation passing through him. Perhaps it was more apt to call it a feeling but they didn't seem human at all, he locked gazes with them once before a slight nod elicited the sounds of groaning metal and jetting steam from up ahead. Fortresses were what the public decided to call them, suburbs turned standalone citadels since the invasion with all the military defences the country could provide. The 'gates' were 12 inch thick doors of steel about 10 meters in height, how they moved them was a mystery to him only that they did. The vehicle slowly crawled back into movement as he tossed the ID card back towards him, "I'll never get used to that"

"The process..?" 

"Whatever those people are, I don't like how they make me feel. Like they know everything about me" He raised a brow but didn't question as they made their way through, the sounds of whaling metal beginning once more behind them whilst picking up onto smoother road. Most places generally kept themselves the same, as dire as the situations outside were, large changes to pre-existing complexes for improved protection or the capability to do so was impossible. Added patrols were a thing though far less than what would be expected, most having joined the real fight with the allies. Homes littered the sides of the road with warm light piercing through the fogs of rain with nimble activity. There were people, children to be exact, their mothers along with them, umbrellas taut against the rain with no one seeming none the wiser about the outside.

"Livelier than Grandhall, I take it?" Stardust nodded, keeping his gaze to the window. Buildings once either retail areas or built for some other purposes were flush with light and families, though not every part of it seemed detached from reality, areas cornered off with barb wire and wooden crates reminded one of what was still out there. They turned left onto further empty streets lit up with lamplight where the remnants of an old church stood beside them, half the structure caved in and charred without mercy, what was left being bits and pieces of its blackened walls and a tilted cross, memories of the invasion threatening to surface again; that reality couldn't be any more evident now.

The vehicle slowly came to a sputtering halt about a few minutes later, his stomach churned when that settled in for a bit, rooted to his seat as the engine went silent and the man swung his door open, turning to him with a smirk; "They don't bite"

"H-How would you know?" he grumbled, shifting uncomfortably in his seat before stepping outside as well. The cold instantly stung against his face and neck, drenching him not a moment after splashing onto the cold pavement. The dilapidation of the city continued further inward, the area wasn't perfect, nowhere on the continent was, the invasion or at least remnants of it had reached even this far inland. Crumpled homes and torn out street sections surrounded the area around them, not enough that the place was daunting but definitely unsettling. He hugged himself tightly in a desperate attempt at warmth whilst climbing up a short flight of stairs leading to the entrance of an apartment complex, his heart thumping in his chest as they made it to the door.

It hit him that he hadn't even practiced upon formalities, let alone having the awareness of how to act towards what would be his parents from now on. Fear took a hold of him at the thought of that but then again, they weren't his real parents, they were most likely dead so did he really have to treat them any differently? He shook his head at the thought, feeling a hand tap him on the shoulder.

"Can't very well do all the heavy lifting, there's no need to panic" He stared at him for a moment and then at the door, the worn oaken structure filling him with dread. Silence filled by the rain continued for a minute longer, strength slowly finding him as his hand lifted for the door, a few seconds of pause before knocking on its surface. His hand quickly retreated from it like searing metal, the thumping in his chest if not anything then deafening. Deep breaths, he eventually told himself, doing everything but helping.

There was a click from the door that caused his breath to hitch in his throat, instinctively straightening as the structure creaked open for the light inside to flush over them in dark. The place felt warm, even from here, that or anywhere with even a speck of heat would feel a lot better than out here. The first face he saw from inside was a woman, raven black hair flowing past slender shoulders and a dark tunic. She was tall, a head or two more than himself but perhaps not that much older? If he had to guess, just barely into her early twenties, there was a youthful air to her that was unmistakable. 

A second passed before he realised he was probably supposed to say something, fidgeting when nothing came to mind, feeling the spotlight had been shone upon him and the only thing he could do was stand there. A minute passed till a flick of the water off of his cap incited the man tob to speak for him, the nervousness having taken its toll long ago, "Miss Brentley, pardon the late intrusion, Anne told me dear Stardust here was set for a home, is Mister Brentley around as well by any chance?"

The woman's eyes, a dull hue of amethyst swept past him and landed on himself, a smile pulling her lips; "It must be freezing out there, come in, come in"

He was practically ushered inside as the man took a step back, smiling at the matter as the woman turned, "You too, Markus, you're shivering and I've just made supper"

"Miss Brentley, I have—"

"Nonsense" She urged him, practically pulling him inside as the door closed behind them, the stinging cold now gone; "The guard corpse can miss you, Markus, you won't believe how many simply laze around like the whole world hasn't met its end. Are you alright, dear? There's a coat rack just a step ahead, you'll catch a cold in this weather"

She glanced at him, he must've still been shivering as he made his way forward, spotting the coat rack by a corner leading to what seemed like a living room as Markus sighed, "That doesn't mean I have to join them, someone has to set an example"

"That someone won't be you, now where's Tom?" She left them not a moment later as he stood, rooted to the entrance between the hallway and the living room, his cotton jacket beneath revealed as Markus made his way inside. He wasn't sure what he'd been expecting, what was a home like, a family home? The warmth from the place told him that they were inviting, the little portraits and toys laden across a few desks and the floor; there were other children here. A minute later, Ms Brentley returned with a few others in tow. 

"This is Stardust, Stardust, Tom and Lana" She stepped aside for the two to greet him, a boy about his height with rugged blonde hair and brown eyes staring at him beside a girl just slightly shorter with dark hair tied in a messy bun and bronze skin. The both of them looked at him and he suddenly became increasingly aware of the fact that he hadn't spoken a word since stepping in, not to mention, by extension these were his siblings. The revelation not helping his anxieties as something—someone moved, before he knew it, his world sprang forward with a jolt as an arm wrapped over his neck, "There can only be one Captain of this house, me, Captain Tom. The Captain part is very important"

"No one calls you that"

"Sure they do, right Ma?" She'd already moved to the kitchen, the sounds of cutlery and pans drowning off any response she might've given as the girl, Lana, groaned before glancing at him with a grin, "Don't mind him, he's only trying to hide the fact that his name is—"

The arm over his neck moved, so fast that he was pushed back a bit as the girl's mouth was deftly covered by his hand, "That's not fair!" 

She rolled her eyes but there was unmistakable amusement within her gaze of gold as Tom eventually let her off, clicking his tongue whilst scratching at his neck, "Tsk, just call me Tom"

He held out a hand as Stardust glanced at it and took it, rough to the touch in calluses, this close to him now it hit him that though they were the same height there was far more muscle to him than he could ever hope to accomplish. His grip was firm, shaking his hands like jelly as Lana took his soon after, compared to Tom's they were delicate, much warmer, "S-Stardust!" he murmured.

"We heard" Tom snorted through a laugh, "Is that like a condition?"

 a brow raising as Lana's head shook at the question, "It's a stutter, do you want to see our rooms?"

"Lana, Tom! Show Stardust the bedrooms, will you?" 

"Guess that's our que"

The war had brought with it change, the constant fear and panic that resonated through their hearts in silent assault at their minds was relentless. With it, though the layouts of cities and suburbs hadn't changed, their innards had. Traversing the stairs to the second floor, the walls and staircase turned darker colours. From the outside it'd been evident the place was at some point an apartment complex, a whole slew of people capable of living inside and yet, there were only three; into the first floor, he understood why. A brightly lit corridor lined the world ahead of them on either side, flickering but illuminating the empty space with great detail where the holes and caved doors were made visible in all their..horror.

Tom was the first to step forward, not a care to him that could be discerned whilst wading past the misshapen structures, the torn walls and splintered wood accentuated by the lacerations carved across parts where the concrete began. A horror has been here, his heart quickened as Lana soon followed, her expression just as detached from the scene like they would a normal apartment complex. A tense few seconds passed before they turned, noticing he wasn't following; "There's nothing here, trust us"

He glanced, a part of him shivering before taking a step forward. They waited for him just a few steps ahead, an uncertain creak of the floorboards nearly scaring him stiff again as they continued. The floor was clean, much more the hallway actually. Dust and debris didn't litter the place like a lasting mementos of the past but the parts of that couldn't really be replaced or changed, the lacerated walls, torn doors and burrowed walls were all there but the dust, grime and fragmented wood shavings that would've caked the place otherwise were nonexistent. Tom noted the glance, scowling at the place, "Ma won't let up about cleaning this place raw, splinters everywhere my hands and feet could touch"

"There's gloves in the drawers"

"Those things? I'd go mad with a horror before wearing—"

"Hey!" Tom glanced, a frown and then his eyes widened before landing on him, "Erm, sorry about that, is that how you got here too?"

"Crisis, Tom…" She sighed as he huffed, "What? It's a good question"

"It's an insensitive question!"

"Insensitive?" He frowned, pausing as she walked past him and turned left at the corridor, only continuing once Stardust had passed by as well whilst his voice resounded behind him, "What's insensitive?"

The rest of the apartment complex was no different from the last, areas where the lights had been torn from the walls or ceilings and shattered beyond repair glowed with the buzzing warmth of waning torchlight. The hallways illuminated for further scars and dilapidated entrances like the tags of death splayed across the doors and walls in dark reverie for witness. It was even harder to get through a few of them, several pieces of wall structures and door frames piling on one another in narrowing the empty hallways enough that they were forced through one at a time as Lana led them forward. A splash of water startled him at his feet as they jumped down go a small pool covering the floor around them, an inch in depth, "one of the higher floors has the ceiling completely blown to bits, doesn't get any worse than this though so no worries"

"Where..where's it from?" Walking past him, Tom gestured above them, looking up to see where a gaping hole blew through the ceiling and a cold droplet landed on his face. He frowned and moved on, the memories threatening to resurface again.

An eternity between the staircase and the trip was it had felt like, the obstacles far from impossible to traverse but definitely impractical to do so daily. If they slept here then was this common occurrence? They'd ducked and climbed through so many parts of the place that he was unsure how they'd come here in the first place, was it a left or right on the first hallway past the stairs? The thought of having to ask again filled him with dread as finally, one door with the odd decorative markings of carved hieroglyphs and weird pictures with initials crudely drawn at the top of the frame met them; T&L, the word 'Captain' before the 'T' having been scratched out rigorously.

"It's T, L and S now," Tom commented, "Huh, there's something missing though…"

Lana opened the door with a creak, Stardust's heart thumping rapidly before stepping in after them. He wasn't sure what he'd been expecting, he'd set no expectations before coming here let alone where he'd be sleeping. The thought having felt inconsequentially insignificant, it was a temporary home anyway, though grateful; it felt six years too late. And yet, basic expectations were not lost on him, he didn't wish to spend his last year as a child—as a citizen in discomfort as it was most certain he'd be conscripted days into his 17th year, still unsure of what to make of that.

What he hadn't expected, however, was the crampedness. Boxes, books and toys shelved along the floor and against the walls where posters were strung. The illustrated image of a guardian standing before a piled heap of beastly corps with bold letters strewn across the top; 'Hope is never lost'. Other posters scattered the place but they were more unfamiliar, childish in a way, he guessed they were theirs. 

"Welcome aboard our Sanctuary" Lana turned with enthusiasm and tossed herself onto the bed, the lower frame of a bunk bed no more obvious that it was hers if the few stuffed toys and faded purple sheet's hadn't made that clear already as Tom sifted somewhere in the junk piling their room and pulled on a dark service cap with a grin, "Neat, right?"

"Will you ever grow up from that?" He groaned, pointing to a part of the room, "We pulled a good one from one of the other rooms"

Stardust followed his gaze, noting that at the corner of the room stood a bed, sectioned off between a pile of things like rolled posters, a hollow globe and old books; a few other things like wooden dolls littered the place, his eyes gleaned over it, pausing in thought, "This is…"

Lana sat up, shooting Tom a fierce look, "I told you not to put anything there!"

"You're the one collecting junk from all over the place, at least stash it somewhere else!"

They bickered, the words and contents lost to him as he stood before wading through the place with an absentminded blankness free from any thoughts. Before he knew it, the dolls had clattered to the floor and his leg's had grown numb. An exhaustion he wasn't even aware existed overcoming before he eventually his legs gave out, falling head first into the soft covers, the warmth that lingered beneath and how inviting it felt was intoxicating as the room devolved into deathly silence. Tom held back a laugh, leaning against the wall with glee, "Someone isn't bothered though"

Lana rolled her eyes, plopping back onto the sheets again herself, "Tom, Lana, Stardust; dinner's ready!" The both of them sighed.

The floor had permeated with the smells of sweet meats, warmth and rosey laughter most of which was the incessant coos and questions Tom had begun to pile upon Markus's stiff situation. He hadn't noticed it or perhaps really didn't pay much attention but he had a serious intrigue in military affairs, not like the persistent desire to be called 'Captain' hadn't given a clue to that ages ago. Both of them sat on either side of him, Lana to his right and Tom to his left whilst Markus and Ms Brentley sat largely across from one another. He eyed the plate of food and picked up a fork, the contents of the meal being a gravy covered mutton and rice, spearing the meat and digging in; a single bite was melting. 

"How was the room?" He was eventually asked, lifting to see her amethyst gaze trained upon him warmly. 

"It's warm…I..really like it" he managed, earning a snicker from beside him, "You should've seen him on his bed, nearly out of it"

"Really now~?" She joked as embarrassment seeped through, her back leaning into the chair as Tom turned, "Sorry about the mess though, Lana won't put down a single thing so long as it's 'intriguing' enough"

"Hey!" Ms Brentley chuckled, sighing at Stardust, "They're incessant about it, 'relic recovery' as they call it"

"Relic recovery?" He raised a brow as Lana smiled with a hint of pride, "so many things go missing during the war, things that might be important, that we might forget. I'll make sure that never happens"

"And so she digs around a few places and steals stuff from rubble"

"I don't steal!" She protested as Markus turned to them, a hint of a frown on his face, "That's a little dangerous, you know?"

She turned to him, "we don't go very far, not any further than the adults"

"Still—"

"It's alright, Markus, I'm well aware of wherever Lana decides to venture off to well before her escapades. Let's not take away what little freedoms we have left" his eyes widened, understanding glistening before softening in resignation with a nod as Lana turned to Stardust, "You should join us for tomorrow's hunt, there's a small store I've been eyeing"

The surprise registered across his face, "Join you guys?"

The prospect wasn't alien to him, more so unfamiliar under the context of their new relationship. He'd participated in games with other children back at blackheart, the fun had waned in recent years after what had happened but not entirely, nodding slightly as she beamed followed by a slew of further unrelated topics. The hours clicked by and soon enough the food as well, not realising when he'd become invested in their conversations, not enough to include himself but enough that earlier feelings of anxiety had weakened. He noted that if anything, the table was vibrant without lulls in conversation. Lana was the talkative type with an interest for a lot of things, a lot of which he couldn't quite grasp on except for a slight interest in magic, having picked something from her pockets and brandishing it, flicking it open to a small flame; interest quickly quelled when she was promptly told it was a lighter, promptly followed by Tom's laughter and a little of his own. Was this what..family felt like?

"Off you go now, bedtime" Tom groaned, "It's so early, Dust hasn't even seen the other floor!"

"Great, then we'll clean down here and you can venture upstairs afterwards"

"Which we can do tomorrow, I'm tired" She smiled as the two stood and gestured for him to follow, a sudden reluctance within him as he was hesitant to leave a mess without helping just as Lana pushed him forward, "You won't let her budge, ma insists in doing most of the house chores anyway"

"Not upstairs though" 

"We sleep upstairs"

They climbed the staircase once again, revisiting the empty corridors although this time they headed in the opposite direction from when they'd first come up, slightly confusing him as Lana chuckled; "There's two ways around, first one's more fun, not everyday though"

"And especially not at night" Tom interjected as she rolled her eyes, "There's lights all over the place"

"Not everywhere!" She sighed, nudging his shoulder with a whisper, "He's terrified of the dark"

They made it back far faster than they had prior to dinner, the vandalised door now in front of them as they stepped in with a flick of the lights, staring at the crowded room whilst Stardust kicked off the boots he'd been wearing for the first time in hours, crashing onto the bed with a soft thud. It wasn't any clearer now how exhausted he was, Tom similarly climbed onto his top bunk, grabbing at something from under his pillow, a glass ball of sorts that glistened with crystalline brilliance. He shook it, expecting something to happen as Lana turned to turn off the lights.

"It's not working" He gestured, earning a glance from her as she sighed, "You use it too often, toss it here"

The ball landed in her hands, flicking the lights off with a yelp from up ahead. It was pitch darkness, the exhaustion killing him. There was a shift of concern though at how Tom slept if he was afraid of the dark, slowly lulled into slumber as a spark of yellow light crossed the room. He raised a brow, a flicker and then a flush of light flourishing into a subtle glow in Lana's hands as she tossed it back to Tom. There was confusion written all over him when they settled into silence with the dull light by Tom's bedside, slumber eventually swallowing him whole.

 Ø 

It was scarlet, blinding scarlet engulfing him in a sea of crimson. The feeling was suffocating, drowning enough that it was terrifying although there was warmth in it, uncomfortable warmth. Heat permeated from the scarlet waters that began to bubble with silent whispers, voices cramming through like he'd never heard before. His limbs moved desperately, swimming if he could, anxious for breath but was useless. He only sank deeper, the heat and bubbles rising with every inch further into the abyss as the whispers became incessant, a sense of dread filling him.

Sta…

Star…

Stardu..

Stardust!

He awoke with a start, panting as he clutched at his neck, breathing..he was breathing. A moment of pause followed as his eyes glanced around him, the scarlet was gone, replaced with the familiar pitch darkness and Tom's glowing crystal ball. A nightmare, he thought, familiar with the feeling. Lana shifted from another part of the room causing him to flinch, he didn't want to bring such problems here, he'd thought they would've waned by now..left him entirely. The cold touch of the necklace at his chest caused him to grip it tightly, gradually calming him as his heart slowed to a steady rhythm. The silence swallowed him for a moment more, the nightmare still vivid but fogging as his best ally was to forget. 

A sigh escaped his lips, rest he needed rest. Dwelling on the event only made it harder to deal with, he'd come to realise that over the years. Ignore the dreams, ignore the fear of closing his eyes. Calming thoughts was how he'd coped, his grip on the necklace loosening as his hands clenched to fists against the bed sheets..but on some nights, the desire not to sleep prevailed. 

His voice shook beneath his breath, he wasn't terrified of sleep, he had to tell himself, not the nightmares or anything else. Deep breaths and affirming thoughts, forget, forget, forget! He sighed a shaky breath, the necklace still cold, a reminder it was still there as he pulled it out to the room where it glinted beneath the soft light. Sleep, he needed sleep and yet his hands trembled at the prospect, affirming to himself he wasn't afraid of the nightmares although it was obvious he couldn't do so, so simply. His legs bent over the bed, tucking them against his chest. The exhaustion not even registering as he rested his head against his knees, it was like this again, it was always like this. He shivered, wanting to end it so badly; what must I do? 

Walk…

He'd get lost, he thought as it crossed him, walking aimlessly usually bored him enough to sleep. He'd done it a few times to quell the running thoughts, slipping off the edge with a soft thud as he heard Tom groan from across the room, hesitant although more than compelled to take the chance, more so to silence the brimming fear. His boots weren't far from him but he decided against it, shuffling to the door in silence, slipping into the ensuing darkness with a click of the door when a new problem arose; where was the staircase again? He frowned, 

On your left…

Turning down the hall with slow steps, he was grateful most of the structure hadn't been bothered enough that creaking floorboards was much of an issue. Pitch darkness was all there was, sifting through the hallways as he made his way downstairs, would Ms Brentley scold him? His thoughts suddenly stiffened but he still moved, surprising himself at how easily he navigated the place till the familiar sight of the stairs greeted him again and took a step forward. A soft mellow glow emanated from somewhere in the room as he paused, footsteps soon reaching him.

"He's gone isn't he…?" He heard, Markus's voice piercing through the darkness as an ensuing silence followed soon after as a sigh came after, a shaken sigh, "It's been..months now"

A small breath escaped the room as Markus answered, "I'm…sorry to hear that"

"A little late on that" She smiled, thin and forlorn whilst resting her head in her hand, "For mankind, right?"

"Don't do that—"

"Do what? Mourn, is that it?"

"His death won't be in vain, every life and—"

"Every soul lost on those godforsaken isles saves one more here, how…many times..do you think I've heard that?" His expression froze, souring to a frown as she scoffed through trembling lips, "One after the other we send them out there like animals, like some…some slaughterhouse—"

"There's progress being made"

"Where?!" She slammed a fist against the table, rattling as she cursed beneath her breath, "Where…? There's no one…there's no one here anymore"

Soldiers died in droves against the horrors, hundreds to be replaced by piling masses of others. The eventual conclusion was a lacking ability to keep up, cities and suburbs left empty and abandoned for that very reason; they'd run their citizens dry. It wasn't unsurprising to note the fact that Horken City was well on its way there, although not quiet, nowhere was a fortress and things fell eventually.

"That's why you did this?" Markus asked, "The kids—"

"What else do they have left, Mark? We send these children to their deaths, father's, mother's and whatever family they have left are gone. What more can we give them? …That's all that keeps me going.."

"It's not their intention to have them killed"

"And yet they are!" Her words creased with tears came through with a whisper rather than a shout, burying her head in her hands, "I…"

He could hear her voice turning into sobs, clenching his hands as she took in a shaky breath, shameless in her silent wails, "I'm tired, I'm tired of it all…."

 Ø

A sudden sting on his head pulled him from slumber, cursing as his eyes adjusted to the growing light in the room, Lana's eyes gazing at him from over head with a grin; "And he awakes"

He groaned, rubbing at his eyes as she moved from the bed, Tom's figure already sifting the room. Were they always punctual? The thought of that sent shivers, late hours and harder nights to awake from were common for him, what'd he do if he had to fight that every morning? It already felt like hell…

"Could've sworn they were here" Tom remarked, lifting a box of metal scraps to the side, "What?"

"Ma said you probably don't have a lot of clothes, there they are!!" He beamed, lifting a white shirt and dark overalls and brandishing them in front of him, "What'd ya think?"

Lana turned, staring between them with a snicker, "I think he's mortified"

"Huh? They look good on anyone! There's a shower right next to here, just get these on"

"These?"

"Yeah!" He beamed as Stardust glanced at Lana, the latter shrugging between a laugh of amusement and genuine helplessness; he didn't like where this was going…

Unfortunately enough, the pair fit him naturally, a snug fit..for a lack of better words. Tom had gone looking for another pair of shoes but couldn't find anything, something that he felt elated over, somehow the boots managed to save himself most of the embarrassment or perhaps it was having the only familiar piece of clothing on him; end of the matter was that Lana's incessant teasing didn't help in easing his nerves. 

"Is this..the only pair of clothes you wear?" He asked Tom, the latter of which had barely changed into anything new. The overalls he'd worn from the night prior were now a deep navy blue to his own pitch black, fashioned with the service cap he wore, "It's all that's really left, I do have a jacket though"

He raised a brow as Lana answered, a red floral dress fashioned over her with her hair let loose and a bag slung over her shoulder seated by her waist, "Practical clothes over anything charming, military hands them to soldiers anyway so why not get comfortable with them before you're forced into them your whole life is their reasoning"

He nodded, staring at the clothes with a newfound sense of…nothing really. Tom seemed to enjoy them, scanning over him, "Still doesn't take away from making it yours, I have the cap, you can…Oh!"

He moved, sifting elsewhere through a pile of haphazardly stashed boxes, ornaments and trinkets glistening with the glints of a quartzite glare. Waiting, it took a minute till he pulled something from inside and tossed it towards him, fumbling before clasping it in his hands. 

"I've seen it on posters," he grinned as he glanced at the item, "A..tie?"

It'd already been made, saving himself the embarrassment of having to let them know he couldn't tie one. He stared at it for a moment more, hooking it around his neck before tightening the knife a bit. He heard Lana groan from beside him, "It's like there's two of you"

A sudden jerk found him caught beneath Tom's arm, "My vice captain!" He announced. 

"That's for a ship.." He shrugged, turning his attention elsewhere as Brentley's voice echoed from downstairs.

Crisp aromas and sweet scents filled his nostrils as usual, the dinner table ladden in a hot egg breakfast and fruity beverages; bread and small pastries seated atop small plates. His stomach growled at the sight as the two took a seat far before him, bewitched by the filling breakfast. A blissful experience led by ignorance as his head turned to where Ms Brentley appeared from the kitchen entrance, an apron draped over far brighter clothes than last night, deep scarlets and a soft smile one in which he'd be hard pressed to denote the fact she'd been crying simply hours prior. Her violet gaze landed on him with a chuckle, "The food's not for decoration, I can assure you you'll need the energy with these two, I can never convince them to get home early"

"We're not cruel!" She snickered as he pulled out a chair, his brows knotted in a frown as she took a seat just beside them, "Is this from lady Nanna? We've been all out of eggs" Lana asked as Brentley pulled a knife from the table and started slicing at the bread, "Last of its batch, it's food stuffed in metal cans and nasty liquids from here~!"

Tom shivered as the slices landed on either one of their plates, "L-Last?" Stardust asked as Brentley placed down his slices, "Farms need too much space, people, machinery. The horrors spread like the plague, there's nowhere left for farms, let alone the staff and machinery.."

Most farmers would've already found themselves on the battlefield, due to necessities, some members of society held delayed conscription notices in favour of continuing their services behind the lines, farmers were one of them though they didn't last. He imagined how many had found themselves overrun, hordes or stray horrors from beyond. If these were the last of that then…

He frowned and stuffed down the thought, savouring the taste of the food as Brentley smiled. This was how they lived, this was how the world lived. One loss after the other whilst grappling at whatever thin string's kept them dangling, waiting, expecting it to snap whilst hoping to the heavens or nothing that there was another, something else to hold on to. The frailty of that was daunting, crushing to say the least. It wasn't with certainty when the Republic would fall next although the rest of the continent long had, only the expectation that it would. Fragmenting themselves into fortresses was one in a long step of plans meant to delay the inevitable, sooner or later would be a mad dash for the shores to the West, seeking refuge with their neighbours overseas. 

And then from there?

The Republic would be gone, the soldiers having meant nothing, the fortresses, the boundless hope. That was the horrors, that's what awaited them. His hands clenched into fists as Lana stood, her plate empty and her smile brimming with excitement, "We'll be back before nightfall"

"You're lying to her now?" Tom scoffed whilst standing up as well, already making their way towards the door whilst Stardust took a look at the plates and the room, her amethyst gaze landing on him with a smile, "Go on, the city's wonderful after the rains" 

"The..dishes.."He started, earning a chuckle from her as she ruffled his hair, "A gentleman" she stood and took his plate and cleared out the others before turning for the kitchen, "You coming, Dust?"

He glanced, her back towards him, "I wouldn't keep those two waiting, they're a riley bunch when the situation calls for it"

He slowly stood, moving for the door with languid steps as he paused. In a year, the horrors would've swallowed him too, Tom would follow and then the children after him. He'd never known his parents, let alone what family truly meant and although he hadn't learnt it now, there was opportunity. The events of last night played at the back of his mind, the words nearly catching in his throat in the clattering of kitchen utensils as he spoke, "Thank you…" 

There was silence, her body stiffening with a muffled snort, "Do make sure they get back before dark"

He nodded, stepping past the door where the two were waiting at the end of the stairs, the air crisp with the indication of rain long passed, puddles speckled along the streets and empty road whilst rays of light crept up from the crevices between the buildings when Tom turned, "Took you long enough"

He smiled wryly whilst glancing around the place, a sense of excitement welling up as they started walking, "So..so is it straight to the store?" He asked as Lana turned with her brows raised, "All the way there? We'll stop by at Robby's"

"Robby..?" 

"Yeah, his place has a ride but they can't really use it" His confusion only heightened as they made their way down the road, passing a few of the buildings he realised now were deserted. Preserved relics of days long passed, the structures standing empty, a small part of him fighting to keep itself quiet from wondering the obvious or perhaps from the correct conclusion, everyone who'd lived there was gone; dead by now. Vehicles passed by on odd intervals with guards mounted at the rears, there was an expected form of vigilance that was lacking in them, rife in conversation and the thick plumes of cigarettes whilst they cut through alleys and barricaded streets, the wonder of what value that had nearly taking him by storm but then again perhaps there wasn't much of a reason behind it anyway, distractions meant to keep them busy, there was nothing more dangerous than idle thought anyway.

"Here it is" Lana pointed, drawing their attention to a single stead brick face with clear remnants of once tall neon banners, the the silhouette of a woman lined above it as they made their way towards the door, the road having widened and curved in on itself in a city square, empty save for a few children playing make-belief battle games behind tattered wooden barricades scattered across the ground, splashing in the deep puddles. A faded grey door met them with the sounds of muffled activity behind the door indicating to them that the house was indeed occupied as Lana knocked on the door, Tom'a gaze focused elsewhere before the door swung open, a little boy with dark hair and grey eyes meeting them at at the front door with a frown, shorter than them, younger looking as well before glancing behind them and shouting; "Rob, your girlfriend's here!!"

There was a clattering of items and a shifting furniture followed by a bang, the sound of shuffling feet rapidly making their way towards the door before another arm swung frame even wider than it already had been, the face of a young boy stepping into view with a smile, "Lana!" he started, "what are you…"

His voice trailed off as an emerald gaze swept between them and landed upon Stardust, widening with a raise of bushy brows, "Do I…know you?" He questioned, innocent in nature though he couldn't help but notice a subtle sharpness to it that was frightening as Lana interjected, "pull your horses, Robby, he's my brother"

"Brother?!" The sharpness quickly dissipated, replaced by an uncanny level of kindness as the boy smiled at him, "Sorry about that, didn't know's Lana had another brother; the name's, Robert but you can call me Rob"

"Stardust!" Dust nodded as Robert—Rob, held out a hand, blackened by something—in fact, now that he took a moment to properly look at him, he was a rife little mess. His face was covered in blotches of thick grease and oil, fuzzed hair of stained black that was probably of a bright and brilliant auburn colour as his clothes didn't help in dissuading his scruffy appearance. He took his hand, finding himself clasped in a firm grip that shook him as Tom took a step inside, "I'd separate real fast from them, Dust, lovebirds are a bummer to be around"

"Lovebirds?" He questioned as he was let inside, Lana following through soon after although not before stopping and turning towards Rob, planting a kiss against his cheek; "Can I ever find you the least bit presentable?"

His expression faltered, all confidence drained from him like air from a balloon suddenly riddled with holes, "W-Well, I'm never really aware when you'll be stopping by and err…"

Tom groaned, "see what I mean? Don't let them rub off on you"

"You'll find someone soon enough, Tom, I have absolute faith there's still a chance" he scoffed at her as they shuffled into the decrepit home, cramped and rife in the smell of oil and gasoline. Discard any thoughts of desks, chairs and a normal living room, it was a room with doohickey's and odd trinkets, metal contraptions with crude designs lining the place like a museum. Where the couch and table would've been in the living room was a crude doll, metal in nature and unsettlingly human-like with further items like wheels, cables and gloves scattered all over the place whilst they walked, the little kid from earlier hopping around in that mess for the cupboards where cups were dished out across the counter.

"We're going relic hunting, I've got an idea of where we'll find something buut, it's an eternity on foot" Rob smiled exasperatedly, "And you want my bike?"

"You can't use it, can you?" She shrugged as he laughed, Dust's gaze turning to Tom who looked as bored of this as a tired old father who'd long come to terms with the fact that this couldn't be stopped as they made their way past the living room and leaving the clattering of cups behind them, "Where's Nilo and the others, they're a bright little bunch"

"With the others at the gate, can't really stop them like you can, you know?"

"I'm sure if they knew you more than their busy brother hauled up in a garage then they'd surely grow an ear or two," Rob groaned, "Hauled?" He questioned, a smile from her practically melting the guy as Dust finally understood what Tom meant. A little passageway from the living room to the end of the building opened to a room that somehow managed being more of a cramped up coupe than the living room and their bedroom combined with sheets of metal and half dismantled pieces of machinery riddling the floor. The place stung with a combination of musty odours, only helped by the fact that the place seemed open ended, the outside alleyways staring at them ahead with the buffeting winds as Tom made a beeline for the middle of the room.

"If only we could keep this!" Dust watched as he hopped onto the seat of a dark motorcycle with a squeak of the suspension, mimicking a rev of the throttle bars as Lana made her way towards it, "And have it rot away outside your house?"

"The military use them, don't they? It'll hold out" Rob rolled his eyes as Dust noticed a small side car attached to the bike's left whilst Lana ran her hands along the fuel tank, "We'll be back before—"

There was a rumble and a sputter from the engine before roaring to life with a kick of dark fumes and rattling chassis work, Lana's eyes widening as Tom raised his hands in innocence, "I was only joking around, isn't this thing..well, broken?" he voiced as Rob laughed, "Finally got to that" he said as Tom grinned whilst Lana raised a brow, "What was the problem?"

"Simple stuff, don't sweat it" A wry smile lined his grimy features as she shrugged, his eyes trailing her, "At the very least, you won't have to use your—" he paused as Dust studied the side car, glancing at him and back at her, "Just, if it stops working bring it to me and I'll probably have it fixed within the hour"

"That's a tall order, there's no need to impress~" she cooed, Tom now revving the engine as Dust made his way from the car to a desk where a set of helmets were seated, "Do toss them those, the two are allergic to safety!" Dust heard Rob shout at him from the engines crackling roars and took them, designating a rather brightly coloured yellow helmet for himself and the other two for them. He made his way back to the bike and stared between the two as Rob wasn't leaving, "So…erm.."

He glanced at the side car and then the small area of extra space on the seat that someone would have to hold onto to Tom from if he was driving as Lana took a helmet, "You can take the car, we'll bet on it next time" he nodded, stepping into the compartment and handing Tom his helmet just as Lana made her way behind him on the seat as Tom rolled the ride back. "Keep yourselves safe!!" Rob shouted and before he knew it, they were on the road, this time much faster as the winds whistled past his ears whilst Lana gestured forward in Toms reverie of the vehicle, the surprise not lost on Dust that he could ride it in general as a twist of the throttle pressed him further into his seat, buildings and alleyways blurring past them as they sped through the forgotten streets, and dwindled homes; perhaps what would be the remnants of a dead city.

A few minutes later the engine sputtered and growled to a slow halt in the middle of the road, a splash resonating through the slowly ensuing silence as the engine was turned off and Lana was the first to slip off the edge followed by Dust and soon Tom. Slowly he slid his helmet off and placed in the seat of the car, watching as the two followed his lead, "Whatcha think?" Lana turned, grinning from ear to ear as they stood at the edge of the road, staring at the foot of a building stretching three blocks across and a large sign at its crest, far too faded to read anymore though clearly for a retail store. Maintenance for places this far in the city must've been entirely ignored, for obvious reasons as the population dwindled and public activity crowded in the cities forefronts as the building itself was far from inviting, visible cracks and undergrowth seeping into the structure yet not in a way that one would find appealing or tolerable to the eyes, a sort of erosion more akin to the horrors of a rotting corpse rather than an endearing display of Mother Nature taking back what was rightfully hers; the scenery was..in fact, he had no words for it.

A pat on the shoulder jolted him back to reality as Tom smiled before turning towards Lana's progressing figure, her steps slow and her eyes fixated over the eroding building; "So what's it we're looking for here?"

"Anything interesting, any further than here and it's all a pile of rubble. Not a bother in keeping the buildings standing if they could" There was a crunch and crackle beneath their feet as Dust followed them towards the main entrance, shattered glass spread across the floor whilst he raised a brow, "How do you know that?"

She glanced at him, shrugging as they made it to the door..or..what had once been a door. The gold framing that lined the once revolving door was dulled and flaked, fragments missing where it once brought with it an air of luxury and interest for what was inside only succeeded in fanning his fears as Lana took a cautious step through the empty frames, warning him of the glass before he followed through, "They were going to clear the place out for more people to sleep in," she voiced to him, "Expecting more refugees from the surrounding countries to make to the Republic but when the numbers of survivors from outside never rose and more children came under conscription, well, they sort of..moved up the city instead"

He glanced around, an empty expanse of partially consumed tiles rife with the undergrowth; "There's nothing here though..?"

She chuckled, "Who's actually going to run through a place like this without stealing a few things for themselves?"

This time it was Tom who spoke with a twinge of confusion as they made their way through the empty entrance, their footsteps echoing wherever the tiles hadn't been completely consumed by the elements, "Then why are we here?"

She pointed somewhere, their gaze following her to a mannequin in an empty stall and a few other things, useless to the dozens who'd ransacked the place to the bone, "The 'useless' stuff's been left behind"

"And we're looking for the best useless thing here?" He frowned, a hint of sarcasm etched in his tone as Lana shrugged, "I have a feeling for it, besides, we don't really have stores anymore so wouldn't you love to explore this one?" 

They couldn't deny that as Tom grinned, "Let's Hound Hunt it then"

Dust's brows rose as Lana scoffed between a grin of her own, "You've lost each one"

"It's only a matter of time" He proclaimed as Dust stood there between the unspoken contents of their challenge before Lana turned to him, realisation evident as she spoke, "Right! Dust doesn't know about this"

Tom glanced, a hint of embarrassment evident as he coughed, straightening himself before explaining, "It's a competition me and Lana do, relic hunting is really just finding some weird trinket around for ourselves because..well..they're interesting"

"It's so much more than that" Lana groaned but to no one but deaf ears as Tom continued, "Hound hunt is who finds the most interesting trinket the place can provide and we take it home"

Dust raised a brow as the information was relayed to him, "I thought you took up anything old and discarded to remember the past?" 

A wry smile crept up her lips, "Well..not everything's that interesting, our room's nearly full anyway and we'd be caught dead before Ma lets us hoard the stuff anywhere else" 

"Besides, there's a lot of stuff that's just junk anyways so are you in?" Dust felt their gazes fall on him, a nerve racking litany of emotions, bordering on uncertainty and a nostalgia from games from back at blackheart, one's he hadn't really won much less something like this that required finding something of interest but then again was a childish desire welling up from inside, perhaps an unwinding knot he never knew he had or had ignored till his arrival to this city. A small grin pulled at the corner of his lips, wry in nature but excited in everything else, "Yeah!"

Lana smiled, "One rule! You can't search for anything outside this building, that's a no go, I'll know if you did" 

He raised a brow but didn't question as she shrugged, "everything in here is on, since Dust's here for the first time we'll give him a head start. On the count of three, ready?"

He nodded as Lana smiled, holding three fingers in the air as she began her count downward; on one, he didn't really know why he felt it but he ran, dashing down the open isle as their laughter echoed from behind him a set of motivational cheers as he glanced back to see their figures receding into obscurity before he turned left into a different part of the store where their figures disappeared entirely.

He panted after a few minutes, a sudden wave of exhaustion slowing him as he dragged to a jog and then a walk, stopping a few feet further to catch his breath, keeling over with a hiss of sharp breaths and his heart thumping against his chest. He'd pushed a bit too much, he thought, the excitement still thumping in his chest. "Haa" another breath left him whilst he stood, his chest heaving with a slowly descending rhythm; Fun.

How many times did one experience that these days? 

A minute passed before a sense of calm overcame him and his breathing came back to its usual steady rhythm, sighing whilst taking a moment to recognise where he was. The empty isles still greeted him from up ahead whilst the undergrowth had fully taken over some empty stores where the glass hadn't been shattered by previous occupants who'd raided the place to oblivion, frowning as he took a step forward; was there actually anything here?

He wondered, glancing back where Lana and Tom hadn't followed, perhaps it was a part of the rules that they couldn't follow where someone else was already looking. A small grin threatened a pull at the corners of his lips, a mixture of relief and a settling excitement broiling within him. Invasions, war's and all, the anxieties and certainties of some grim death at the hands of a horror somewhere along the line had made any illusions of happiness a passing pleasure that was more of a memory if anything else. Lost to many in the throes of an uncertain future, in one fell swoop the horrors had nearly engulfed a continent whole, what would happen the next time they did it, finished the job or went out for the rest past the pacific? That fragility was frightening, the lack of a feeling of security had drained the life out of many, to an extent..maybe even himself.

Some tiles had been consumed by the undergrowth entirely, dark greenery flushing forward where Mother Nature had taken the place to its bones, the only indication that he was still in the building being the ceiling up above, vines hanging from the broken steel frames where panes of glass must've been, some still present in belittled fragments barely holding on, he avoided them in light of a possibility they might drop at any moment. There were smaller stores present within the building, their signs and banners taken by the green or stripped by some other forces, the doors were flung open and the glass, like everything else, lay sprinkled across the vegetated floors. Crunching footsteps resonated as he stepped inside where the swarms of overgrowth had begun shrouding the room in deep shadows, whatever the store had been all those years ago was now lost to the elements. 

A rustling in the growth drew his attention to a corner of the room, a spring of panic nearly taking him as something flew at him, yelping in surprise before the sounds of flapping wings as a bird flew past from the undergrowth. It squawked and screeched as he stumbled back, dark wings fluttered into view as a crow shot forward from the foliage, his eyes widening whilst watching it blurr through the shattered windows as his heart rate slowed with the realisation, seconds passing before a low laugh resonated through the air, the thought of having been terrified by a bird filling him with a sense of amusement. A small smile stayed there for a moment, sighing as he lifted himself from the ground where his gaze met with the wrapping weeds and thick foliage enshrouding the area where the creature had come out from, stepping a bit closer in inspection as something caught his attention. A twinge of a dark orange colour met him in the contrast of the dark and deep greens of the thick foliage as a tentative hand crept through the grass and took hold of something. 

A tug threatened a release but years worth of wrapping weeds made the task difficult, frowning, he ripped at the surrounding weeds and grass whilst slowly pulling the item free. "Hyup!" He pulled, falling back a bit with the sounds of tearing earth as the time broke free; he'd found something! Grasping the object tightly with dirt caked hands whilst dusting at its tattered surface, the faded orange colour now making itself further known to him in the light. It was rectangular almost, a papery texture to it like an envelope of sorts but not quite. He stared at it for a while where the whitened titles of some sort of name had once sat, feeling around where something sat in its middle. Intrigue settled as he fiddled with the object, staring back at the ground where he'd found it, the thought of whether Lana and Tom had even managed to find anything, filling him with a sense of excitement as he felt around at the earthen floor. 

The earth hardened after a minute, an excitement filling him as he swept around the ground, stop, dark soil caked his hands as he pulled for the object; Stardust…

There was resistance, a short, minuscule moment of resistance before a pull Sebring him tumbling back just as the sound of footsteps from outside resonated as he glanced at the item in his hands, "I found..I found—"

He paused, just as the footsteps stepped through the entrance with a crunch of the shattered glass across the ground where Lana's gaze swept over the place and soon landed on him, "Du—Dust!"

A thud followed as the item clattered onto the floor, his hands too weak to clasp at it anymore, a quickening pace in his breath as he trembled; "Dust! Dust!"

I won't rot with it 

Don't look back

RUN STARDUST!!

The azure flames rose again with the bellowing screams, the whipping mass of bone blades tentacles as intelligible mumble's resonated past his lips. Why, the thought rattled him, his gaze centred over the bone white remains staring at him from the ground, noticing now what he hadn't before. The undergrowth had spread and grown over the white remains of a creature, its body sprawled along the ground entombed with the dirt. The shapes became clearer as he stared into that dark shroud, a slick skull with corrupting greenery and its jaw slung open to a terrifying maw gaping at him in rows of eroding blades, a neck craning to an arching spine, bladed and wrapped between plants and moss. The nature of it was clear to him, undeniably so that he didn't want to accept, his breathing shallow as a hand averted his gaze.

"Dust! Dust!" Lana's eyes were staring at him, his gaze locked on hers as he was shaken violently whilst a figure slid into view from the door, "Lana, why did you—!" Tom's face stiffened as his eyes widened, staring between the horrors' remains and Dust, Lana's hands clasped around his face as if restraining him from looking any further, "They're not here, can you hear me? They're not here, Dust"

His chest heaved as her gaze bore into him with the rising warmth of stinging tears, "I..—" he began but nothing made its way through, stuck between words and silent sobs as she embraced him, a moment of hesitation causing him to push her back, her grip firm as the strength slowly left him; melting there as the sobs continued. There was the constant affirmations one subjected themselves to in that something had long run its course in one's heart, the self assurance of an emotional wound with a depth unknown to even its bearer, the ill understanding at how truly damaging it was. He'd told himself time and time again, perhap it should be, deluded himself into believing that the event had waned on him. Stupid, he thought, the mention and the thought of the horrors terrified him to no end, the nightmares still assailed him and..

Lana sat there, the sounds of Dust's sobs receding as they stood there as a gradual silence filled the room. A minute or two passed before a sense of realisation hit him, peeling himself from her whilst wiping his arm across his face, the words cracking at his throat, "Sorry, I didn't mean to…" he trailed off, not sure what else to say when Tom rested hand on his shoulder, "No need"

He smiled, the action so tender it threatened further tears but he held them back, nodding as Lana glanced at the corpse, a frown deepening across her face, "I'm sorry, I should've known there'd be some remnants of them this deep into the city, I realised that way too late.." she cursed, sighing beneath her breath as he frowned, "H-How did you..—"

"Know?" She asked, her gaze training back on him through a hint of amusement and then complication, like she was deliberating over saying something. When it felt like an eternity had passed between them, she grinned wryly, "Have you…heard of a mage?"

He frowned, perplexed by the question for a moment before his eyes widened in shock, staring at her with a sudden hint of wonder, when it seemed as though a myriad of thoughts passed by him, likely bordering towards a likely shred of doubt she slowly extended her hand towards the horror's remains, a faint, dull amber glow resonating from her open palm as the ground moved. Tendrils of grass and the stems of plants swayed and moved with sudden purpose, watching in rapt attention as they clung and swarmed upon the horror's bones, hiding them with the undergrowth and separating them as well. In a few seconds, the remains had gone, hidden beneath the weeds, grass and plants, too scattered to even make out what it once was. 

When all was said and done , he was, "Surprised?" She smiled between a laugh, hesitant and nervous in nature whilst searching his face for something, a reaction although of what kind was the question as he stared, "How..long..?" She stared at him, answering tentatively, "Mages are born from birth, remember?" She chuckled, a nervous attempt at one as he frowned, staring at her with a twinge of confusion, "Birth? Miss Cat—My..teacher had always said she'd learnt hers"

This time it was Lana's turn to show surprise, "Teacher? So you've met a mage!?" She wondered, a part of that nervousness lifted from her although the caution was still more than evident, "Well..she told me all about it when I asked how she was able to conjure flames and stuff…."

The sense of relief couldn't have writ itself any clearer upon her lips although she picked up on the use of past tense when referring to her, her voice softening, "I'm sorry…"

He shook his head, "I..I'm fine, she wouldn't want me crying anyway, sorry about that by the way"

Tom scoffed a playful remark, "For being human? We know how it feels.."

He smiled, staring at Lana with a hint of confusion, "But why hide this?" It was clear to him now that the hesitance from earlier had been over disclosing this information to him, when the question left his lips, her expression wavered between an unimaginable wave of jubilation and tired sorrows, "Your teacher must've really trusted you, nobody likes a mage" she said, not betraying a slither of doubt in her words as though speaking from personal experience or perhaps relaying a simple fact, "Not since the war…"

His expression only tightened as Tom interjected, "Simply take it, people don't...like what's different anymore, what feels weird.."

Dust's eyes widened, "What could—-"

"Anything unnatural gets them going, horror's with human flesh, that's how they see us..but we're useful, we're a part of this and they need us" She smiled, tired almost although lifted from some nonexistent weight that'd been burdening her shoulders, "Does..Ms Brentley know?"

She nodded, "That's..why I was able to stay here anyway, she took me in long before anyone could find out what I was. It was on accident but I'm glad it happened the way it did"

"What happens if you're found out?" He couldn't help but ask as Tom answered between a shrug, "It's immediate conscription regardless of age and then who knows? It's not worth the risk, not with all the hatred.."

He stared for a moment, stunned and silent. A mage, he hadn't ever met anyone like them since Cattleya, he'd heard snippets of conversations on them but nowhere that alluded to real locations or interactions with any. Ms Cattleya had always made it seem like they were so common, frowning as he thought of that and slipped to the ground with a soft thud. Lana and Tom stared at him for a minute or two, hesitant or perhaps guilt ridden; one wouldn't be able to tell. Lana was a mage, mages weren't liked for their abilities, how different they felt from most of humanity, how similar they felt to the horrors that they were despised to no end. He frowned, the horrors, one after another each problem, every person's sorrows, despairs and nightmares were linked to them in one way or another. A tentative hand nudged him on the shoulder, "Hey, it's nothing to get so worked up about, no harm no foul" she grinned, nearly replicated on his face with added wariness as he glanced at her hands, "But you can't keep it hidden forever..can you.."

Surprise registered across her face followed by laughter and a smile that didn't betray the forlorn feelings that bubbled from beneath, settling down on the grass across from him as she answered, her voice subdued, "No, I've been holding it back for years now but it's only gotten worse, harder to control. They do that on purpose you know?"

He raised a brow, her voice continuing when she noted his confusion, "It's obvious there'll be others like me who try desperately to hide their abilities, slink through conscription or whatever vile orders they'll be given as a mage but magic isn't so easily tamed. It starts off as a puddle, a single cloud in the sky that you can manipulate and tell what to do but as you grow so does it and it's not pretty. By the time you're five, the puddle is a lake, the single cloud is a rain storm, raging and churning and there's little you can do.."

"If you're unlucky, your next use of a spell will be catastrophic and if you're smart, perhaps never using a spell ever again after realising you no longer hold the reigns then the magic simply swallows you whole. Excruciating pain, injury, and the most extreme…self detonation are all products of trying to contain that magic within you" She frowned, "They know that, there's a way to avoid that, keep it in check; how else do the others that've been conscripted survive? But they won't give it to anyone, whether we like it or not, we'll slip up and it'll all be over before we know it.."

She made it sound like a certainty, an inevitability with no room for compromise. It was..disheartening but then, "My teacher, she—"

Lana's face grew complicated, staring at him wryly like she wanted to say something in response to that but she only sighed, "There's no way around it, Dust, I've already come to terms with that.."

His face fell, crowned with doubt but he didn't question, the finality behind it being impossible to ignore. Hands clenched into tight fists against the ground, a nearly unbearable silence settling between them before they spoke again, "Do you think it's really that bad out there?" He asked, Lana's expression softening to a smirk, "How would we know? We avoid the news like the plague, Tom has it a lot easier with that though"

Dust raised a brow, turning to him where he was now lying against the grass holding the orange envelope he'd pried from the ground and shrugging, "I can't read" surprise resonated across his face as Tom fiddled with the envelope, finding its sealed opening before answering, "Not like anyone's willing to teach it, schools have been turned into rubble, a base, the last teachers either sleeping with the maggots or miles from here, besides, it's boring anyway"

"You should ask him what kinds of stuff he entertains himself with instead" She grinned, Dust watched as his face faltered with embarrassment and a rosy scarlet, "T-That's, everyone has them! I see all the guards reading them!"

She scoffed, "They're adults" it finally registered what exactly Lana was alluding to, a snicker passing through his lips as Tom stammered, "H-Hey, it's not funny!" But he couldn't stop, the hilarity of the situation far from lost on him as he fell back in a fit of laughter. Lana soon followed as Tom laid there and watched, sour though not immune to the amusement, it was happiness, the mellow resonance of it shared between them in those eroding ruins, it was a sense of connection he'd thought forever allude him; a family. The speciality of all that, the love he hadn't felt or perhaps hadn't allowed himself to feel for all these years. The thought of that filled him with a sense of calm unease, a grim trepidation he didn't voice out loud for fear of whatever may hear it but what if…what if he lost this too? The horrors were relentless, though the Republic had kept themselves afloat for so long, it wouldn't be long till the situation became dire and in that moment what would he have done, watched all over again? He thought to Ms Brentley, the sorrow in her words from last night, the exhaustion that bore on her, the resignation in her voice. Lana's revelation as a mage only painted that picture in darker colours, just like Cattleya would she…

Tom finally pulled something from the envelope, pulling their attention to a glistening dark disk as Lana's eyes widened with amazement. In a flash the disk was in her hands, flipping it around, "Dust, you found this!?" she held it to the air as Tom raised a brow, "What is it?"

"It's a record, Tom, they use this for music!" She exclaimed, fascinated by the object as Tom nodded, watching her examine it with amusement, "I guess we know who won this one" Dust smiled as Lana snickered, "You should be more than interested in this one, it's got your name on the front"

Tom raised a brow, confusion writ across his face as Dust stared at the record to which Lana smiled and brandished it for him to see, "Tommy?"

Tom's eyes widened when he heard it, flaring with embarrassment, "Lanaaa!!!", he moved as she tossed the record back at Dust, laughing as she did so, "What? The secrets are all out aren't they?"

He cursed, chasing her around the room as Dust watched, smiling as he stared at the record absentmindedly. This time, this time he wouldn't stand for it. His hands clasped tightly around the record, he wouldn't let it happen again.