Rem woke to the sound of birds singing somewhere in the fog, though she couldn't see them through the white wall pressing in around their camp. She stretched on her bedroll, her muscles pleasantly loose from the deep restful sleep, she sat up to find morning well underway.
The fire was already crackling with fresh wood, Kaisen was tending it while Elise rummaged through the last bits of their supply packs for breakfast. Altaria was brushing out her hair, humming something soft and melodic that made the morning feel peaceful.
Sunlight filtered through the fog in pale golden streams that caught particles of moisture and made them shine like suspended stars, the air tasting faintly of damp earth and something else she couldn't quite identify, something that made her skin prickle with unease before the feeling faded into comfortable acceptance.
"Morning, sleepyhead," Elise called out with a grin when she noticed Rem stirring. "Thought you were going to sleep through breakfast entirely."
"What time is it?" Rem asked, her voice coming out rougher than expected. She cleared her throat, the rawness there probably from the cold night air.
"Late enough that we let you sleep," Kaisen said, passing her a waterskin. "You looked exhausted during your watch last night, figured you needed the rest."
Rem took a long drink, the cool water soothing her scratchy throat. She didn't remember feeling particularly exhausted last night, but then again the fog had a way of making everything blend together . She probably had pushed herself harder than she'd realized during the day's travel.
"Thanks," she said, accepting the dried meat and bread Elise handed her. "Did anything happen during the night?"
"Nothing at all," Kaisen assured her. "Completely quiet. The fog just sat there like a wall, same as always."
Rem nodded and took a bite of breakfast, chewing slowly while she watched her companions move through their morning routine. Everything felt normal, comfortable even. The unease that had been dogging her steps for days seemed to have finally lifted, leaving behind just pleasant tiredness and the satisfaction of making good progress on their journey.
They packed up camp quickly enough, everyone knowing their roles and moving through the routine without needing to coordinate. The timber beast was calm as Kaisen hitched it back to the wagon, the creature's massive head lowering to accept the harness without protest.
"The fog's definitely clearing," Altaria observed as they prepared to move out. She gestured toward where the white wall seemed slightly thinner, visibility maybe extending an extra five or ten feet. "I think we'll be through the worst of it by tonight."
"About time," Elise muttered, climbing up to the wagon's driving seat beside Kaisen. "I'm tired of not being able to see more than twenty feet in any direction. Makes me nervous that something could be right on top of us before we notice."
Rem settled into the wagon with Altaria, their backs against supply bundles as the timber beast started forward. The morning continued pleasantly, the gentle swaying of the wagon and the rhythmic sound of wheels on packed earth almost meditative.
"How are you feeling?" Altaria asked after they'd been traveling for a while, her green eyes studying Rem's face with concern. "You looked troubled yesterday, like something was weighing on you."
"I'm fine," Rem said, and realized she meant it. Whatever had been bothering her before felt distant now, probably just stress from her feeling about kaizen, Elise and Altaria. Her new body was a factor too and the oppressive atmosphere of the fog. "Actually feeling better than I have in days."
"That's good," Altaria said with a warm smile. She reached over to squeeze Rem's hand gently. "I worry about you sometimes. You carry so much tension in your shoulders, like you're always bracing for the next disaster."
Rem squeezed back, letting Altaria's touch ground her in the present moment. The Corruption Amulet was warm against her chest beneath her clothes, and she felt the subtle pulse of its passive effect working on the priestess. But that was fine, that was normal, just part of the journey they were on together.
The landscape rolled past them through the fog, grass plains and scattered rock formations that looked vaguely familiar. The fog made everything blend together, judging distance was nearly impossible, but Kaisen seemed confident in their direction as he guided the timber beast north.
"So what's everyone planning to do once we reach the capital?" Kaisen asked during their midday break, looking around at each of them with genuine interest.
Rem opened her mouth to answer but Elise beat her to it, swallowing a mouthful of dried meat before speaking. "Hot bath, real bed, food that isn't dried or salted to hell and back."
Something flickered at the edge of Rem's awareness, some thought trying to surface. Didn't she—hadn't Elise said—
The thought dissolved like morning dew, leaving no trace it had ever existed. Rem blinked and found herself smiling at Elise's enthusiasm instead.
"All very important goals," Altaria agreed with a light laugh.
"Damn right they are," Elise said, and the conversation flowed on naturally while Rem listened and occasionally contributed, completely at ease.
They traveled through the afternoon without incident, the fog maintaining its constant presence around them but feeling less oppressive somehow. Maybe they were getting used to it, or maybe it really was starting to thin as Altaria had suggested. Either way, Rem found herself actually relaxing for the first time since entering this region.
When evening approached and Kaisen called for them to make camp, they found another good spot with flat ground and some rocky outcroppings providing natural windbreak.
Rem helped Altaria lay out bedrolls while Elise and Kaisen dealt with the timber beast and fire respectively. The camp took shape quickly, supplies organized efficiently, everything in its place.
"Long day," Elise commented once they were settled around the crackling fire, passing around portions of their rations.
"The fog makes everything feel longer," Altaria agreed, accepting her share with a grateful nod.
The words hit Rem strangely, some quality to them that felt— that seemed—
She frowned, trying to hold onto the thought, but it slipped away before she could examine it. What had she been thinking about? Something about Altaria's words, but the concern faded as quickly as it had appeared and she found herself taking a bite of dried meat instead.
Kaisen poked at the fire, adding another piece of wood that sent sparks spiraling upward into the fog. "We made decent progress though. Should be through the worst of it by morning."
"Didn't you say that this morning?" Rem asked, the question forming without conscious thought.
Everyone looked at her with mild confusion.
"Say what?" Kaisen asked.
"That we'd be through it by—" Rem paused, suddenly uncertain. Had he said that? She couldn't quite remember. The timeline of the day felt fuzzy in ways she couldn't pin down. "Never mind, I'm probably mixing up days."
"The fog does that," Elise said sympathetically. " I can barely remember what day of the week it is."
"What day IS it?" Rem asked, genuine curiosity in her voice now.
There was a pause as everyone considered the question.
"Thursday?" Altaria offered uncertainly.
"I thought it was Friday," Kaisen said.
"Does it matter?" Elise laughed. "We're traveling, not keeping a calendar."
But it DID matter, Rem thought, some part of her insisting this was important even as she couldn't articulate why. They should know what day it was, should be able to track time properly, should—
The concern faded like smoke in the wind. Of course it didn't matter what specific day it was. They were making progress toward the capital, that was what counted.
The conversation flowed on around her while Rem ate quietly, listening more than participating. There was something she needed to think about, something important hovering just at the edge of her awareness, but every time she reached for it the thought scattered.
Kaisen was telling a story about his farming days, something about a stubborn goat that kept escaping its pen. Elise laughed at all the right moments, clearly entertained. Altaria smiled warmly, asking questions that kept the story going.
Rem knew she'd heard this story before. The certainty was absolute, crystal clear in her mind for one perfect moment. Kaisen had told them this exact story with these exact details and—
Gone. The knowledge vanished so completely she wasn't even sure what she'd just been thinking. She blinked and found herself smiling at Kaisen's animated gestures as he demonstrated how the goat had somehow climbed onto the barn roof.
"You're quiet tonight," Altaria observed, turning to Rem with concern. "Everything okay?"
"Just tired," Rem said automatically, though she didn't actually feel particularly tired. Relaxed, comfortable, but not sleepy.
"We should sleep soon," Kaisen announced, glancing at the sky even though the fog made it impossible to judge what time it actually was. "Long day tomorrow getting through the rest of this fog."
"Kaisen and I will take the first watch," Elise added, standing and stretching, she still looked elegant, the effect highlighted by the background around her.
Rem opened her mouth to volunteer for watch instead—she needed to think about something, something important—but the impulse died before forming into words. Why had she wanted to take watch? She couldn't remember now, and it didn't seem important anyway.
"Sleep well," Kaisen called after them as Rem and Altaria headed toward the wagon where their bedrolls were laid out.
Rem climbed into the wagon and settled onto her bedroll, the familiar routine soothing in its predictability. Altaria curled up beside her with a soft sigh of contentment, copper hair spreading across her makeshift pillow.
Through the open back of the wagon, Rem could see Kaisen and Elise silhouetted against the fire. They sat close together, talking quietly in voices too low to make out words but warm enough to carry affection even without comprehension.
Her eyelids grew heavy despite not feeling tired moments before. The exhaustion pulled at her limbs with insistent fingers, making her body sink deeper into the bedroll while her thoughts scattered into fragments that refused to cohere.
She should stay awake. There was something— something she needed to— why did she need to stay awake?
Rem couldn't remember anymore. The question itself dissolved as soon as she tried to examine it, leaving only pleasant drowsiness and the comfortable warmth of the wagon around her.
Sleep pulled her down into dreams that felt sweet and safe
—---------------------------
Rem woke to the sound of birds singing somewhere in the fog. She stretched on her bedroll, muscles pleasantly loose, and sat up to find morning well underway.
The fire was already crackling. Kaisen was tending it while Elise was rummaged through the last bits of their supplies. Altaria was brushing her hair and humming softly. Everything peaceful and normal and—
Rem frowned. Hadn't thi–
The thought tried to form but slipped away like trying to hold water in cupped hands.
"Morning, sleepyhead," Elise called out with a grin.
"Morning," Rem replied, her throat was scratchy and raw. She cleared it roughly, reaching for the waterskin Kaisen offered.
They packed up camp and resumed travel, the day unfolding with pleasant predictability. The wagon rolled north through the fog that never seemed to change, visibility maintaining its constant twenty-foot limit while the timber beast pulled steadily forward.
Rem settled into the wagon bed with Altaria, watching the landscape roll past. Everything was vaguely familiar in ways she couldn't quite place but also couldn't focus on long enough to examine.
"How are you feeling?" Altaria asked, and the question sparked something in Rem's memory. Hadn't Altaria asked her that before?
She tried to hold onto the thought but it scattered. "Fine," she heard herself say. "Actually feeling better than I have in days."
The day progressed normally. Travel, rest breaks, pleasant conversation. Everything was comfortable and easy and safe. But underneath the contentment, something in Rem kept trying to surface, some awareness that refused to fully form before dissolving again.
When they made camp that evening—the same spot? A different spot? She couldn't quite tell—Rem helped with setup while that nagging feeling of wrongness pulled at her attention.
"Long day," Elise commented as they settled around the fire.
"The fog makes everything feel longer," Altaria agreed.
The words were wrong. Those exact words in that exact order, she'd heard them before, she KNEW she'd heard them before—
Gone. The certainty vanished before she could grasp what it meant. Rem blinked and found herself eating dried meat, the concern completely forgotten.
Kaisen told the story about the goat again. Or had he told it before? The details felt familiar but when she tried to pin down whether she'd actually heard this story previously, the memory refused to solidify.
"You're quiet tonight," Altaria observed.
Hadn't she said that yesterday? Or was Rem imagining—
The thought dissolved mid-formation. "Just tired," Rem said, the words automatic.
"We should sleep soon," Kaisen announced. "Long day tomorrow."
"Kaisen and I will take the first watch," Elise added.
Something about those words, that exact phrasing, made alarm spike through Rem's awareness. This had happened before, this EXACT sequence, she needed to—needed to—
What did she need to do? The urgency faded as quickly as it had spiked, leaving only vague confusion. She climbed into the wagon with Altaria, settling onto her bedroll, and let sleep pull her under
The pattern repeated. Morning, travel, evening, sleep. Morning, travel, evening, sleep. Each cycle felt normal and comfortable, completely fine except for brief moments when something tried to surface in Rem's awareness before being suppressed.
She'd wake thinking didn't this already happen? only for the concern to evaporate.
She'd hear a phrase and KNOW she'd heard it before but couldn't hold onto the knowledge.
She'd reach for her system interface mentally—why was she checking her system?—and forget mid-thought what she'd wanted to see.
The cycles blurred together. How many days had they been traveling? How long had they been in this fog? She couldn't remember and every time she tried to think about it seriously the timeline scattered like sand through her fingers.
But everything was fine. That was the important part. Everyone was safe and making progress toward the capital. The fog would clear eventually and they'd continue their journey normally.
Except—
Something was wrong. Rem KNEW something was wrong even when she couldn't hold onto what specifically felt off. The knowledge existed in her body more than her mind, some deep instinctive awareness that refused to be fully suppressed no matter how many times her conscious thoughts dissolved.
Her throat was always raw in the mornings. Her body ached too, that felt significant but she couldn't remember why. The divine mark on her lower back pulsed with warmth that seemed too satisfied, but when she tried to think about when she'd last fed it the memory simply wasn't there.
She needed to check something. Her status, her system, SOMETHING that would tell her what was happening. Every time she tried to mentally open her interface the command scattered before completing.
Open stat —gone.
Syst —dissolved.
Check —nothing.
The fog pressed in around their camp, it was comfortable , very warm and safe. Rem sat on watch alone, the others sleeping peacefully, and tried desperately to hold onto a coherent train of thought long enough to understand what was wrong.
Her body hurt. Specifically between her legs, a deep soreness that suggested—that meant—something had happened that she couldn't remember. The divine mark warm on her back like it had fed recently but she hadn't fed it, she would remember that, she would—
Wouldn't she?
Rem's hands trembled as she stared into the fire. There was something she needed to do, something desperately important, but every time she grasped for it the thought slipped away.
Check the system. She needed to check the system . They would tell her what was happening, what she was forgetting, why her body felt sore, was she masturbating in her sleep?
She reached for the mental command. Syst—
Gone before completing.
She tried again. Sta—
Dissolved mid-thought.
Again. Op—
Nothing.
The panic was building now because she KNEW she was forgetting but couldn't hold onto what she was forgetting long enough to do anything about it. Her thoughts kept scattering, the commands kept dissolving, every attempt to check her status mentally vanishing before the interface could open.
But if she spoke it aloud...
Rem's hands shook harder as she stared into the dying fire. She didn't know why she needed to do this—the reason had already been erased. But her body knew. [Mind-Body Unity] was screaming danger through the fog's suppression, her instincts insisting this was necessary even when her conscious mind couldn't hold the justification.
Rem opened her mouth. Before the fog could make her forget this too, before the thought scattered, she forced out a single word:
"Status."
The system interface materialized in her vision , and Rem's blood turned to ice as she read what it showed her.