"Aaah... where am I? I... I don't know why this fog in my head won't clear. I just want..."
"Hey, kid. Wake up!"
The world snaps back in blurry frames. Arthur's eyes burn, his dry throat scratches like sandpaper… and his mind? A throbbing void, filled only by the sound of his own breathing.
Until the vision finally aligns.
The corpse of the thin man on the floor floods back into his mind — like a flash, a dry crack — and something inside Arthur tries to tear through the fog wrapped around him.
"Hey! Are you hearing me?!"
Alice grabs his shoulders and shakes him hard, no gentleness whatsoever.
"Jesus, give me some sign you're alive!"
His eyes shoot open. Arthur shoves Alice by reflex, tries to stand, but falls again. His ankles are tightly bound.
"What the…?! Urgh, LET ME GO!"
He struggles, desperate, trying to undo the knot — but his fingers tremble, too weak to be useful. His stomach twists at the memory of that cold corpse on the floor, making everything worse.
"I knew you'd try to attack me, so I tied you up. This way, at least you'll listen."
Arthur doesn't even look at her. He keeps trying — a pathetic, useless effort. The hopelessness in his eyes is the same as when he woke up in that filthy room. Ironically… the situation isn't that different.
"Urgh, can you calm the hell down? We're wasting time with this crap."
...
Arthur stops. His brow tightens. He stares at Alice… and the desperation melts into anger, bubbling on his tongue like magma about to spill.
"Aaahh… yeah, yeah. The oh-so-kind Alice. What now, huh? You gonna hit me with a 'Oh, sorry for trying to sell you out, Arthur, here's my apology'? Go fuck yourself. The only one who wasted time was me… trusting you."
Alice stays still for a few seconds. Her eyes… they're not guilty. It's not personal. It looks like exhaustion. Pure exhaustion.
...
"You think we have time for this? Look."
She points at the corpse. Whatever life was left dissolves like dust in the air.
"This is going to cost me. And it'll cost you too. Whether you like it or not, I saved your life. So don't be ungrateful."
Arthur tries to read her face. He wants to find a lie, a red flag, anything. But the anger crushes any reasoning.
"Urgh… just spit it out. Tell me what the leash is this time."
Alice turns her face away, like she's hiding the fracture between impatience and pure burnout. Arthur stays on the cold floor, still, vulnerable… breathing in the smell of death and betrayal mixed in the air.
"I'll tell you. After all… you're already sentenced. And that doesn't change anything for me now."
She starts pacing, grabs a large backpack, throws a few things inside without thinking.
"That man I killed was a lackey from an organization. A very… problematic one. Dangerous as hell. And if you're even remotely smart, you know exactly where you were going to be taken."
Alice stops. She holds a family picture. Her hand trembles. A touch almost reverent.
"I don't know what's gonna happen from here. Maybe they'll send someone to kill me. Maybe they won't give a damn I exist. But you… I'm sure they won't drop you so easily."
She breathes deeply. Inside, she thinks: "Forgive me, Dad… Mom. I stepped out of line. I shouldn't have done this. But I wasn't gonna let that monster stain your names."
...
"Listen, kid. You have two options now. You can come with me. I'll give you shelter again… a place to hide. But this time, I want something in return."
She puts the portrait away carefully and turns to him. Her gaze is sharp, hard. Too determined for someone that tired.
"We make a contract. Something that benefits both of us. Or… you can refuse and let Humans Upper give you the wonderful destiny they have planned."
Arthur hesitates. Almost gives in. But distrust pulls everything back down. He already gave her one chance — and it was enough to get stabbed in the back.
"You need help? You just said they don't even care about you. And what stops you from getting in their good graces by handing me over?"
Alice rolls her eyes, lets out a sigh that almost hurts. She crouches beside him.
"I didn't say they don't care. I said they might not even remember I exist. It's not guaranteed… so I'd rather secure a safe harbor in case shit goes wrong."
She grabs a pocketknife. With a single fluid motion, she cuts the ropes. Blood rushes back into Arthur's legs, relief washing through him.
"I'm not asking for trust. Neither of us has a choice right now. And even if I tried to hand you over… nothing would change."
Arthur stays still. Withdrawn. His face heavy with anger, hatred… something almost deformed by anguish. He thinks, thinks… but he has no choice.
A double-edged knife. Again.
He exhales, stands up. He doesn't wipe his dirty hands, doesn't offer her a shake… he just says:
"If you betray me again… I won't let it pass. And this isn't trust. Like you said… I don't have a choice, right?"
The air thickens. Feels thin. Arthur looks out the window. Finally understands Lowden: a rotten, filthy place where trust is born dead. The thought crawls under his skin — maybe this was the real world. His head pulses again.
"Good. More than I expected. Let's go. We can't waste time."
Alice walks past him and heads to the door.
Arthur follows. The house… would be abandoned. A quiet, melancholic tragedy.
... ...
They walk through the streets. It's been an hour since Arthur woke up. The moon lights their path. They pass quick routes, narrow alleys, rubble. The world breathed danger. Moonlight was the only comfort.
"You mentioned that organization, right? I think I deserve an explanation."
Arthur breaks the silence.
"Ugh… do I REALLY have to talk about that now? I'm already out of breath just walking…"
She sighs.
"Humans Upper."
When she says the name, her pace quickens. As if the word itself called bad things.
"You remember I called you an 'experiment'? I think you can put two and two together: they use humans in experiments. Try to evolve the species. Funny, considering they sometimes create freaks like that one."
Arthur already suspected. But hearing it… twists his stomach. He remembers the deformed man. And the fear: "What if I end up like that?"
Paranoia.
"And how do you know all this?"
The boy keeps pushing with his little "interrogation," apparently he learned from his previous mistake.
Alice stops in a less chaotic area of Lowden. Takes a breath.
She inhales deeply, her nose tightening as she debates continuing.
"They're well-known. And stupidly influential. And me? I worked for them. I mean… used to. Shit… my profit's gonna tank."
Arthur's chest tightens. "Do I have a mutation?" His mind spirals. Any sensation becomes a warning sign. He fears sleeping. Fears waking up different… waking up as something grotesque.
"And where are we going?"
Alice tells him they're leaving Lowden and heading straight to Vallum.
"Vallum. And stay sharp. The chance of running into an anomalous is high."
... ...
The duo stops before a massive gate — around 60 meters tall. It stretches sideways until it disappears.
"What do you two want?"
A deep voice drags Arthur back to reality.
Two men. Heavy jackets, reinforced pants, metallic accessories. In their hands, pure metal batons. On their hips, strange 10mm pistols with a purple flux running through the mechanism.
"We want to enter. Can you open the way?"
The man lets out a cynical laugh, inhales his cigarette, and blows the smoke in Alice's face.
"You know the rules, sweetheart. Three grand per head or get lost."
Alice stays calm, but a vein pulses at her neck. Her hand slides near the katana's grip, then moves to her pocket as she pulls out her ID.
"I live in Vallum. I don't need to pay to enter my own city… right?"
"Oooohh, sure! My apologies. Go ahead, little girl."
Alice breathes like someone who won without drawing a weapon.
The men step aside and press a switch on their belts; the gate opens smoothly… oddly fluid for something that reinforced.
Even the smallest sliver of light from Vallum pierces into Lowden… almost blinding Arthur.
"Come on, Arthur."
tap tap tap tap—
GRUP!
...
"Hey… where's your identification?"
The second guard grabs Arthur's shoulder. The grip is crushing.
Arthur freezes. Cold sweat. His stomach becomes stone. His joints lock to the point he can't even turn his neck to look at the massive man.
"HAHAHA! This one's smart, huh? He doesn't live here, Rex. C'mon kid… empty your pockets."
The other guard approaches, one hand on the baton, the other on his gun.
Arthur breathes fast, thinks he's going to die. "She's gonna leave me… she'll turn me in… she…"
Alice grinds her teeth. Her hand goes to the katana again — but inside, behind the gate, dozens of automated weapons point from the rooftops.
"Grrrr… this kid only gives me trouble…"
She pulls out a thick envelope stuffed with money.
"Here. Now let him in."
She hands it over, rough. The guard snatches it, counts, spits on the ground… and releases Arthur with disgust.
"You got lucky this time, trash…"
Arthur passes between them like someone walking through an execution corridor.
... ...
GRRROOOOON…
The gate closes.
---
Thirty minutes walking…
---
Vallum wasn't just a city. It was a living contrast, almost a cruel provocation. After Lowden, the impact was brutal. Buildings rose like sharp blades cutting through the gray sky, so tall they crushed any notion of horizon. The light — cold, artificial — slid down their metallic faces, reflected in holographic panels that never slept. The city never went quiet: waves of engines, rushed footsteps, flashing ads, drones humming overhead… everything mixing into a constant, suffocating noise.
And the people… they looked like another species, a different strain.
Their bodies didn't carry marks of hunger or disease. Their faces were well-kept, expressions more confident — or too arrogant to notice the abyss beneath them.
A world that rubbed choice, style, status… in the faces of the miserable.
"Urgh… what? I hate when you look at me with that dumb face."
Alice says, glancing over her shoulder at Arthur.
...
"I… I thought you'd leave me behind. You spent your money on me."
Arthur speaks quietly, embarrassed. Embarrassed by the distrust. Embarrassed by needing her. Embarrassed for being weak.
"Sorry—"
"Don't apologize. Don't thank me. We made a contract. This wasn't a favor. I'm just doing my part. I hope you do yours."
Arthur shuts his mouth instantly. His face reddens. But…
a spark of relief flickers in his chest.
... ...
After a while, they stop at a simple, cozy restaurant. Yellow neon glowing softly against the interior decor. A TV in the corner plays muffled news.
"Finally… rest. What do you want?"
Arthur hesitates.
"You just spent a huge amount of money on me. Won't that screw you over?"
Alice waves her hand like she's swatting a bug.
"You think too much. Maybe what you need to stop being so paranoid is to accept some things without questioning."
She flips through the menu calmly.
"I'll order shoyu spaghetti for both of us. Since the prince still can't decide on his own."
She calls the waiter. He writes it down and vanishes.
...
A weight lingers in the air.
"Alice… can you tell me more about those experiments? Why do they do this?"
Alice, staring at the stars through the window with distant eyes, answers:
"There's no fixed reason. They pretend it's to protect the population. Pathetic."
Her voice is monotone, tired of repeating this her whole life.
"But… if you want something closer to the truth: they think humans are flawed. Weak. Disposable. They want to create a new kind of human. Stronger. Adapted. Obedient. Is that what you wanted to hear?"
Arthur looks down at the table. His fingers tap compulsively. His head spins.
How the hell was this actually happening? And worse… he didn't know why. All he knew was that maybe his entire existence was tied to distorted ideals of some higher power. He felt powerless, unable to visualize anything from his past except that damn blur.
"I'm scared… scared of becoming a monster."
He says, trembling.
Alice looks at the horror in his eyes, and for the first time, she seems to sympathize. But she has to be realistic.
"It's likely your body will manifest an anomaly. You just need a trigger. Let's hope it's not the type we're imagining."
Fear. discouragement. helplessness. A weight she doesn't know how to ease.
"Just… don't lose it. If you awaken something, I'll be here. After all… we have a pact, remember?"
...
Arthur doesn't answer. He just waits. The best he can. The future is too uncertain for any promise to mean anything.
The waiter arrives with their plates. They eat in silence for a while, savoring the food. For a few minutes, their fears and uncertainties seemed to fade. But it was just an artificial sensation brought by the movement of people, the sound of cooking, silverware clinking against plates. Still… it was soothing.
Wasn't it, Arthur?