Chapter 1: Alone
The sounds of footsteps echoed through the streets. Children ran across the market, shouting and chasing one another, laughing as they hid beneath the remains of a broken building. Even during these times, children found ways to be happy.
Vendors shouted from there stalls, trying to attract any Tethered to waste their precious money on trinkets and toys.
"Fresh Fruits for sale! Come get some of the freshest fruit from Sector 81!"
"Action Figures, Toys, Posters! Step right up to see our new merchandise! We got everything from capybaras to Fractured!"
A handful of children, interested by the shiny new toys rushed to the stall to see, the shadows at their feet twitching and stretching ever so slightly.
A young man, no older than 23 stepped through the streets ; his footsteps making no sound whatsoever. He turned his head towards a specific stall, a small and lonely bread stall. A faint smile played on the mans face.
Ahmed began to walk towards the stall, he quite liked the bread that the Tethered sold their. Weaving through the street full of Tethered, a woman accidentally bumped into him, her groceries spilling onto the ground.
"Ahh I'm sorry I wa—"
She froze.
Her eyes widened as they met Ahmed's, a cold sense of dread clawed up her spine, her back hunching as if burdened by weight unseen.
Her eyes dimmed.
She blinked, looking around in confusion, before shrugging and gathering her spilled groceries. Without another word, the woman continued on her way, seemingly forgetting the young man in front of her.
No one noticed this exchange.
No one would remember.
No one except Ahmed.
Hahh
He sighed internally
The Tethered always react this way.
For the first time that day, Ahmed looked at the Tethered surrounding him. Nothing had changed. Smiles were plastered on their faces, the corners of their lips twitching. Smiles that never quite reached their hopeless eyes.
Ahmed began to make his way to the stall, again. No one seemed to notice him — nor the dried blood staining his clothes.
The merchant at the stall looked up, her old eyes scanning the man before her. Uncombed black hair fell to his dead eyes, an unshaven face shadowed by a thin beard. Square glasses rested on the bridge of his nose, framing light brown, dry skin that looked almost sickly.
"Child, have you been eating?"
"I don't need to eat anymore. And I'm not a child either."
"Everyone is a child to me. I'm at deaths door for God's sake."
"How I wish I could join you."
As he continued bantering in his monotone voice, he picked out two loaves of bread, and began to take out his worn wallet.
"Don't you dare pull out that wallet, child."
"I need to pay for the bread, no?"
"You already do enough for us as is, I don't want your money — I want you to eat more."
"Thanks."
He slid his wallet back into his pocket and turned away, his footsteps making no sound as he left. The old woman frowned at the sight, her wrinkled face softening as the man disappeared into the crowd.
***
███████DATA PACKET███████
Subject: The Great Veil, Anomalies, Fractured
Classification: ████
Status: PARTIALLY REDACTED
---BEGIN TRANSMISSION---
### THE GREAT VEIL
We do n░t know what the Great Veil truly w▲s, nor why it br█ke.
We only know that what was protecting us is now de█d, gone, never to be seen again.
██FRAGMENT 01██
█T H E F A L L
When the Great Veil broke, monsters en╫tered this w▒rld.
These entities are now known as **ANOMALIES**.
Some arrived violently — ripping reality █part, entering through unsta░ble portals, or manifesting within localized ex█losions.
Others hide themselv▒s, waiting, watching.
> REDACTED : 4445535452554354494f4e4f46414d4552494341 : 4745454154414e4f4d414c59
[▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒]
██FRAGMENT 02██
█T H E F R A C T U R E D
Fracturing is the transformation of a human being into a **FRACTURED** — an individual whose humanity is irreplaceably alter█d.
This process grants extraordinary abilities but permanently erodes empathy, emo▓tional stability, and conventional cognition.
Failure to complete Fracturing results in becoming a **TRUE BROKEN** (Failures): a state of irreversible inhumanity.
> REDACTED : UNKNOWABLEONE : ERROROFREALITY
[▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒]
████████████████████████████████████████████
END OF DATA PACKET
***
Ahmed continued his way down the market, idling, lost in thought. There wasn't much to do nowadays — just survive and hide.
It was tiring, keeping everything subtle, keeping himself invisible. He had learned long ago that people feared what they could not understand. Fear was a distant, polite form of loneliness nowadays.
"Breaking news! Breaking news! A new sighting of Mad Glitch nearby Sector 137, as she eradicates another swarm of Anomalies!"
Ahmed slowed his brisk stride, changing direction to walk towards the man reciting the news
A swarm of Anomalies? And Sector 137 is nearby… why would there be a swarm so far inland?
Hohh~ Maybe the world really is ending… hehehe. Maybe you could finally die then?
Shut it.
As he berated the voice in his head, Ahmed arrived in front of the man reciting the news. Of course, the man didn't notice him — no one did.
"Mad Glitch was seen near Sector 137, where she single-handedly destroyed a swarm of thirty Anomalies. Witnesses said she laughed and smiled the entire time, utterly insane as she tore them apart. Some even claimed that the battlefield itself seemed to glitch — reality breaking and warping around her."
"Mad Glitch is nearby?"
"A swarm of Anomalies?"
"Are we safe?"
"What if that crazy woman comes here, what would happen to us?"
All around Ahmed, the citizens gossiped and worried, fear etching itself into their features. He did not blame them, for such powerless people — fear was a necessity.
Ignoring the misplaced fear of the Tethered, he continued his brisk walk, glancing at his watch. It was getting late, and he was tired — so very tired
Why do you protect them? What did they ever do for you? They're the reason you're like this are they not?
You know very well why I protect them.
But who protects you? Your alone. You've always been alone. No one was there to help you when your paren—
SHUT UP
Clenching his fists, Ahmed's steps grew heavier. He continued toward his makeshift home, exhaustion echoing with each step.
Ten more minutes of walking, he finally returned to his home, a small, broken apartment within a collapsed building.
As he carefully opened what was left of the door, he took off his shoes and tossed the groceries onto the uncrushed half of the table.
Can this even be considered a home?
I think its alright. And if I consider it home, then why shouldn't it be so?
What would YOU know about having a home?
Fair enough
Swatting at floating dust, Ahmed closed his eyes, the shadows at his feet clawing at him and twitching. He checked all the shadows in his tiny home, making sure nothing unpleasant was hiding nearby.
Confirming his solitude, he stepped on the creaky floor towards his bed. Well... what he considered a bed.
Seriously, why do you sleep on a couch?
It's comfy.
So is a bed.
Not bothering to respond, he collapsed onto his 'bed'. Sleep seeped in, eyelids drooping. The shadows at his feet twitched once more—curling around him, watching. Waiting.
End of Chapter 1 : Alone