Karien Embers's Story

(Wrong place.)

Karien couldn't have been more irritated today, probably hadn't been in her entire life. Really, if they wanted her to come with them they could have just asked nicely... and then try to catch her as she ran and escaped. But no, they had to barge into her little hidey hole and tranquilize her, but not before a few of them were stuck with her knives. It'd been interesting to see their reactions, seeing as they probably expected her to use her magyk more than physical attacks. But she knew it probably wouldn't have taught them not to touch her as much as her blades had, and she'd learned that there were some that were enhanced to withstand magyk attacks so she wasn't going to test that. Either way, now she was here, departing from the train loaded with other Magyks from the outside world into the cage they called the "Center for the Gifted." A sigh escaped her lips and her eyes scanned the other, sadder ones around her. Resentment leaked through most along with other strong emotions towards those that imprisoned them simply for the hereditary abilities they had... hatred, anger, spite, sorrow, and bitterness met her curious gaze, her otherwise blank expression unaffected by what she found.

Then she met the gaze of a guard, and her eyes narrowed at him. There she found what could be a catalyst when paired with the emotions of the imprisoned and her own morals, a cause of chaos Karien would most definitely be a part of. Arrogance, mutual spite... fear of the unknown, and what she thought might be jealosy. Every one of the guards she'd encountered had so far gained her disliking, and she memorized every face as it came and went. As the guard finally backed off by breaking his gaze away she smirked and continued further into the Complex, her hands now in her pockets and her nose wrinkling at the smell.

"Well... welcome to your new home, Karien. You'll be living here..." She looked to where the tower reached up from it's place in the Complex, her smirk now joined by an analytical gaze, "Temporarily." Running a hand through her blonde locks Karien began walking again, not yet planning on going to her assigned living area... if only for the sake of irritating whatever higher ups might be watching.

Karien bit her lip as she stood with her arms folded, taking a short break from watching the guards in the complex to blow a strand of hair out of her face only for it to land betweeen her eyes again. Sighing, she blew at it again and flicked her head, smiling happily as it went and rested to the side of her face. She turned her attention back to the guards again, this time catching some looking over at her and shifting their weapons in their hands. At that, Karien rolled her eyes and made a sharp right turn to walk away. She glanced back at them to see a few still watching her beforerolling her eyes again and not looking back afterwards.

"Well, they're no fun. Kind of losing hope that any guards in this place have more intelligence or personality than a prickly cactus. They're all the same. Except, unlike cacti, they don't look like they want hugs." Her lips formed another smile at her own conversation with herself and she ran a hand through her hair out of habit, "So... anything even remotely entertaining to do here would be great." It was to herself again, a bit more quiet but loud enough for it to be obvious that she was talking to herself. This was a habit too, developed from years of being on her own and usually having no one else to talk to. Some might think her crazy if they were to listen for a bit but really, she was sane enough... from her point of view anyway.

After a few minutes of just wandering and exploring the place, not yet going to far from where she'd left the train, Karien sighed and stopped to lean against an old wall. She decided this place, this Complex, gave off an air that seemed to suck her energy from her. Thankfully, she had a never-ending reservoir of energy she'd had from birth. Of course it was just a metaphor, but she thought of it as pretty much with her magyk being Vitality. Looking up at the unpleasant sky she bit her lip again, the thought of rain passing through her mind and a smile once again crossing her lips. Rain would be a blessing right now, she loved rain and lightning, and thunder storms. Cloudy weather was just her things as long as the clouds weren't made up of pollutants and gases that would mix with the water vapor to create acid rain... from what she knew it could be rather unpleasant.

"Honestly? I am not quite sure why we need to interact with the new additions but... there is something happening and we are going to need them. I know, I know, I am vague," he answered with a small smile. "But seriously... don't get caught using your magyk. This rule... it is not like the other rules they never enforce. They are going to enforce it and ten-fold. I see a lot of shadows in the future and I don't want any of them being you," he explained and poked her shoulder lightly. It was another reason why he had come to his friend directly instead of going to the trains first. He had seen her get into a fight earlier and the guards were going to get involved. It was better to keep her close at hand so nothing would happen to her. True he couldn't protect her from everything and his sight didn't always work out the way he wanted it to, but it was something. "And they don't call it a genocide because that would be bad for business. They are disguising it."

Ayumu took a shortcut between some of the buildings to get to the train station faster."I only see one of the newbies that we need to help today. More should be on their way though." Once on the platform, Ayumu scanned the crowd of uneasy faces. They were afraid to be here and he understood their terror and sorrow. He would never want to be taken away from his home if he had lived out in the open. He wished humans weren't so stubborn. It was because they hated and feared the unknown that caused all of this sorrow. They were all just people and unfortunately, it seemed that history was going to start repeating itself. He wished these trucks of people would load all of these people back up and take them home. None of them should be here with the storm approaching.


Finally, Ayumu rested his gaze on a girl at the edge of the platform leaning against the wall. There she was. That was the girl from his vision. He felt the tug in his soul and headed right for her. She was either going to trust him or completely disregard him. Unfortunately, he couldn't tell which she'd fall into. When the woman looked over at him and Tessa, Ayumu raised his hand in greeting.

"Hello. My name is Ayumu and this is my friend Tessa. It is a pleasure to meet you."

Karien removed her eyes from the sky and her focus from her thoughts, a feeling of being watched or looked at making the flesh on the back of her neck prickle. She looked around herself, seeking out the source of the feeling before she found it, her eyes landing on a pair of people. Both seeming probably a bit older than her, both coming her way. The young woman watched them, shifting her lean against the wall into a more comfortable one as she awaited the approaching strangers. When the man raised his arm in a sort of greeting gesture, she nodded her head upwards in her own greeting and to show she was willing to talk. Again, when the strangers reached her, she shifted as she listened to the man- er, Ayumu's introduction, nodding as both names were given. After a moment of silent contemplation and studying the two people before her, she spoke, "Karien. Nice to meet you too, Ayumu, Tessa." Karien's arms unfolded and she held her right hand out to shake, she'd learned you could tell a bit about a person from their grip and handshake.

In her head she made small, simple notes about these aquaintances. The man looked to be of Asian descent and she knew enough about the Japanese language to spot a Japanese name when she heard one. She couldn't tell with the woman, who could have been identified as Irish or Caucasian. Even if she were to hear the woman speak, no irish accent could just mean she'd been born in the Complex. Karien noted how they stood and carried themselves, the airs they put off, how they looked at others, the small things. The things most would brush off and ignore, but it was a habit of hers after years of not knowing who to trust. It had served her well in the past and for all she knew it could assist her here. And so far, from what she could tell, these two didn't raise any red flags. All of this went through her head as she held her hand out, so many thoughts in one movement and a few short moments.

Tessa nodded at her, leaving the hand for Ayumu to shake. That as more of his type of thing. "Welcome to the Complex Karien. Get ready to enjoy the worst magyk-free rest-of-your-life. I don't believe there's any televisions or radios in the trains, buses or trucks, so we thought we should let you know that magyk has offically been banned. And there's a totalitarian government about to be implemented. So if you figured the Complexes sucked before, let me tell you, they just became a whole lot suckier. And probably more dangerous. We haven't figured out what the punishment is yet, but I wouldn't think it's just a load of bullshit. I mean, they've already started trucking more and more guards in."

She spoke quickly, and when she was done, she pushed her hand through her hair. "Sorry we can't throw you that welcome to the neighborhood party we normally do when not under martial law."

It would be obvious to tell how annoyed she was, if not from her tone, then from her appearance. Her eyes kept glancing around, taking in the appearance of the guards. Her fingers kept twitching, itching to light a small fire or something to calm herself down. Her red ponytail flicked from side to side as she spoke, her demeanor obviously agitated.

And there was no question of why. It was completely unfair, what had happened. Though, correct that they were trying to disguise this genocide, it was a genocide nonetheless. Why did those guards hate them so much? Just thinking about it made her blood boil, and her temper build up. She hurried to try to make herself calm down, otherwise she wouldn't be able to control herself, and would likely completely explode. Literally. Fire everywhere.

"Yes, things seemed to be a bit more dire as of late," Ayumu mused. He glanced around them then and eyed the guards that were roaming around the new arrivals. He got that uneasy feeling again. He always felt uneasy around the guards; especially new bloods as he called them. They always wanted to prove themselves and what better way to prove your mettle than by stirring up trouble and then 'handling' the situation by putting the magyk user out? They didn't need any of that unnecessary trouble and he knew that Tessa wouldn't be able to reign in her passion. Things would get out of hand quickly and he wasn't about to loose his best friend to a silly power play. He turned back to Karien then.

"We should leave the platform. Do you know where your residence is? We can take you there and help you get settled in. Or you can come over to my house if you'd like," he answered and took the woman's hand. He didn't necessarily like hand shakes and preferred the bowing his family did but he realized that handshaking was a much more universal greeting. He didn't keep the physical contact for long. He did consider physical contact a bit rude when meeting people but he also had a nasty habit of seeing pieces of a person's future when he had physical contact with them. It was a huge invasion of privacy and he didn't want to do anything like that without permission.

Karien blinked at Tessa's words, listening politely as this female aquaintance seemed to get more excitable the more she spoke. But she understood the woman's irritation as she fully processed all that was said by her. She shook her head and held up a 'one minute' finger to Ayumu, one side of her mouth pulled into a snarl, "That's complete bullshit. That's genocide wrapped and decorated." She growled but put her hands to her face, running them down her agitated features as she calmed herself, sighing in the end. "They might as well put tags in our ears that say, 'Scheduled for slaughter, any time now.'" Clearing her throat and composing herself nearly just as quickly as she'd lost her temper, she turned her attention back to Ayumu, "Sorry about that, really. I didn't want to blow up like that, but it just happens sometimes. Usually, when injustice shows its ugly-ass face in the form of the so-called law."

Karien pulled the paper she'd had shoved into her hand, waving it around a bit, "As for where to go, I do know which one it is, I could probably find it, just don't want to go there first moment I get. So... could I come over to your house? Nothing creepy, I promise." She shrugged and scratched her arm absent-mindedly, a smile on her lips as she tried to lighten the crappy situation, "Not like I have anything to put there anyway, so settling in should be easy enough any time." In moments she had her hands back in her pockets, her way of showing she was now comfortable enough in the presence of these two that she'd let her guard down a bit. Ayumu being Japanese and the physical contact being short, she guessed he must be more traditionally Japanese than she expected.

"Sounds good." She glanced at Ayumu, hoping he had some inkling of an idea as to what they were supposed to do with this new arrival. She herself had no clue. Tessa wasn't a Mynd user, so that sort of stuff really just tended to escape her comprehension. It was frustrating too, when her friend would often get sudden visions or such, and she would be left there, trying to figure out what was going on.

Though, didn't they say they'd only enforce the law in a few days? She didn't want to risk it, but she needed some way to let the tension out. A way which instinctively turned into tiny sparks dancing inside her shut fist. It wouldn't draw attention to herself, as it would likely just read as another crappy piece of tech acting up, but it relaxed her nerves immensely.

Karien's expression went blank for a moment when she heard the voice of the guard, but then her features twisted to show her annoyance as she spoke in her childhood code, "Tjoug, do teg gso umghy taujw wet." She folded her arms and huffed before looking over her shoulder in the direction of the voice. From what she could tell, the rest of the platform had gone pretty quiet, but she doidn't turn down the volume of her own voice. A moment later she turned to fully face the newer guards, her arms still folded but her expression more guarded. She didn't care that no one would understand her words, as the amount of spite and annoyance she filled her tone with would make it clear enough she wasn't trying to be friendly.

"Might just be a crappy piece of random technology laying around somewhere, acting up. You know, the way crappy tech tends to act in this part of the Complex." Karien didn't actually know this, but she assumed it could be pretty common with technology being pretty much everywhere and this being one of the worse part of the "Center for the Gifted." It would make sense... at least, she hoped it would. "I'm pretty sure those fancy helmets you hide behind would pick that up too."

She sighed and brushed a hand through her hair, resting her hand at the back of her head before waving her free hand dismissively, "Besides, I heard the 'No Magyk' law was a new lone. And a new law in such a big place, whether it's a disguised genocide or not, will call for time to help the people transition and adjust to it. So, newbie, I suggest you relax and go take a breather, maybe look through whatever 'Guide to Being a Sadistic Guard' they have you reading, kay? I was just taken from a life of freedom that the majority of people that have ever lived and died here have never seen. I'd like to have a relatively quiet first day here to adjust to my new life as a prisoner before I eventually die because of your damned laws."

Finally, she placed her hands in her pockets before looking to Ayumu and Tessa, "Can we go, please? I've said my part, and in nicer words than what's in my head. I don't know if I can keep up such a polite vocabulary with these people for much longer. And I don't want anyone to get shot because I piss off a few new guards that are eager to prove themselves." She glanced back at the crazed guard with an almost sad glance, then at the guy next to him that seemed to be his friend, giving a look that said he'd made it to her good side unlike his friend. She hadn't missed his comment of them being people... and it made him okay in her eyes, for now.

The air was thick, as the girl said her piece, "Ballsy little spitfire," Haeron thought to himself. It was a good indication of just who he was to these people in the complex. She didn't seem that much different from himself, a little rough around the edges but he couldn't blame her for that, a gun pointed at her and all. Crosby was still fuming from under his cage. New guards are prohibited from entering into combat without a superior officer. It was ingrained since day one. But at the sight of the slightest activity, Crosby flew off like a rabid dog.

"Cros.... CROS!" Haeron stepped towards his best friend, "It's okay, just breathe and put down your weapon." He was calm and firm with his request, sounding more like a therapist than soldier. He stepped closer until he could reach Crosby. "Cros..."

"They're the enemy, man! And they are throwing it in our faces." Crosby was at least communicating now, that was progress at least. "We need to report it. Or just off the mouthy one..." he gripped his barrel tighter to prepare for the recoil.

"Are you fucking serious?! Who are you? Cros, look at her. She already looks like it's the worst day of her life, you aren't helping that." Haeron was not going to submit to Crosby's point of view, he could hardly believe that in the first moment of confrontation Crosby would resort to shoot-first-ask-questions-later diplomacy.

"I'm exactly who I should be. I'm the best our class, Brimley. I'm the goddamn paterfamilias!" He turned to his friend, his rage was palpable as Haeron felt the waves of Crosby's anger wash over him. "While we are here, we have one objective, and that is to protect the city from THEM!" Crosby was boisterous as he puffed himself up, as Haeron gripped him by his chest harness and pulled him to the side.

"Cros, this city is FOR them! Don't you see?! They fear us. So calm the fuck down. And disarm. Jesus, you are acting like a 12 year old scout. Get a hold of yourself. Take a minute and think." Haeron scolded Crosby in a hushed whisper, whacked him on the helmet and pushed his friend behind himself. "Carry on everyone. Nothing to see here. Move along, move along." He shouted out to dissolve the scene his comrade had just created. The station began to function like normal slowly but surely. He focused on the girl and her friends. "Hey, smart ass, don't let that mouth of your's get you killed..."

Haeron was pissed that it had escalated that far, there were a lot of things that he didn't like about this city, but for once, the people inside of it were not one of them.

This situation was beginning to get way out of hand. He knew this new girl had a mouth on her but he hadn't expected her to be just like Tess or hell, maybe even worse. He had too hot heads on his hands. How was he going to deal with them and keep them both out of harms way? Here he had brought Tess along to keep her safe and she still had to go and spark something and get the attention of the guards. If that wasn't bad enough, Karien had to go and mouth off to the guard as well. He held his breath and stiffened up as he watched the situation unfold before his eyes. And this just went to show you that just because he could see the future, didn't mean he could see every single change in the events. The future constantly changed.

When the two guards went on their way, Ayumu gave a sigh of relief. He had been sure that the guard was going to shoot at one point. His eyes monitored the two as they walked away. He wanted to make sure he had a good visual of the guards in case he had to deal with them again or see them in the future. He liked to keep tabs on everyone just in case. You never knew what part each person would play in the end. A seemingly insignificant detail could lead to later success or downfall.

"All right, you two. Let's get going. I don't want anything else happening. Things are a bit rocky," he explained and motioned for both girls to follow him through the streets back home. It was a bit of a walk, but things had calmed down from the initial fireworks that went down. He ushered them into the safety of his home then and closed the door. His parents were both still at work so they had the place to themselves.

"Did you ladies want a drink or anything? Karien, please make yourself at home. You had a very long trip and things are very different here than what you are used to," he commented. "You will be safe here. And I would like to remind both of you that you shouldn't egg on the guards. Things are... things are getting worse and I fear for both of you. That guard could have shot you today were it not for his friend."

Karien grinned at the guard's remark, but mostly at him calling her a smart ass and even just having the heart to warn her... not that she'd really heed it much. She walked alongside the other two quietly, her hands in her pockets and thoughts running endlessly through her head with her grin toned down to a smile. Really, even if she had thought more about what she was doing, she guessed she still would have done the same thing. That guard was crazed, pointing his gun at everyone there. If anyone was shot, it would have been better for it to be her than thirty others. So she was most definitely content with how it ended.

Now standing in the home of one she was willing to call a friend, she continued to smile. Listening to him and his wise words with an amused gaze. Afterward he spoke, she hummed and tapped her fingers on her upper arms as she folded them, "Just some water would be fine... the ride was long and they didn't offer anything." She bit her lip then when the subject of the guards, the feeling of nervous adrenaline still remained in her fingertips from when she brought the man's attention to herself. "Ah, yes, the guards. That one was interesting, wasn't he? Well, not the psycho, his voice of reason. The friend you mentioned. I was thinking earlier how I thought they were all lost to humanity's darker side... I think that guy proved me wrong." She gave a small, light laugh and rubbed the back of her head.

"I am sorry about that though... kind of... not really. If speaking the truth were the death of me, I'd die happy enough. Besides, someone had to draw his attention. Better one person die for the truth from their lips than thirty others for the killer's lack of independant thought, right?" Karien shrugged, then remembered his words had been a caution to her and Tessa which turned her lips up into a smile again, "But, uh, thanks for the worry. Don't think I've gotten a heartfelt warning from anyone in years."

"That'a why I'm friends with you," Tessa remarked dryly, before shaking her head a bit, "Sorry though. Screw up on my part, I realize. Should've realized they would have used any excuse. Then again, looks like they've upgraded their tech. I would love to get my hands on one of those helmets sometime. See if there's a way to confuse it..."

She didn't voice that yes, she'd been startled by their readiness to shoot over mere sparks. She also didn't voice that she'd been worried that her action might have gone on to cause a mini massacre in the new arrival section. Rather, she agreed with the other female. "Yeah. He was interesting. Never saw a guard that didn't want to shoot us straight off."

"I don't know if it's an overall blessing to live though, at this point. Things are just getting crappier and crappier, and its going to be unavoidable soon. You'll either end up dead because of the gangs or the guards..." Tessa's point was grim, but it was still a point. "Unless we can get out, there's no way we would be able to last even this season. Half the food everyone eats comes from those Vitality people who grow vegetables and stuff. And then without Fyre, half of us will freeze to death this winter. Then, added onto that, the water's been crap for the majority of us the last decade unless you use magyk on that as well."

Ayumu opened the fridge and pulled out the pitcher of purified water. Ah, the glories of having a parent with water magyk. He turned back to the two girls in the house and poured water for both of them and then himself. He sat down in the chair and sipped at the drink for a moment and watched them. What did the threads of the future want from him and from them? He could see the threads were very vibrant around them and that other guard.... he'd never seen the threads that bright around a guard, nor had he ever seen a guard actually act as if he believed they were all human. Something was definitely going on and Ayumu wanted to get to the bottom of this. Was this just going to be a way to prolong their life in the center? Improve their existence here? Or maybe... maybe free them? He shook his head to clear it. It was getting foggy and he didn't want to raise his hopes over something that was just idle fancy.

"I hate to admit that our situation is getting worse, but it is. Early this morning, I saw a vision. It was foggier than most of the other ones when I tried to get too far ahead of myself, but I do know that the three of us are very important and that guard do. I don't know exactly what we need to do or why we need him, but we need to make sure we stay out of harms way and perhaps gain that guard as a friend. If we have someone on in the in, we'll know when things start changing. Hell, maybe he'd help us be able to use our magic without repercussions. Either way, I advise the both of you to stay low key. Especially you, Tessa," he grinned lightly. "Try not to spark anywhere public and be careful at home. I don't know how advanced the tech is. If today was any indication, they have equipment to detect magyk, so if they pinpoint your house, you won't be safe."

Ayumu paused a moment and tilted his head to the side before he chuckled. "I guess I forgot I use my magic at home to. We are going to have to find a place where we can use our magyk. I won't be any help to either of you if I can't see what's happening. Just remember that I can't see everything and that after every choice is made, the weaves change. Like today, I saved you from sparking in the plaza but you ended up doing it around the train and got caught anyway. I guess all of that was a round about way of saying be extra cautious."

Ayumu sighed and tapped his lips. "For a while I think I'll have to use my powers in a variety of places. I am going to have to ask the two of you for protection and to help me snap out of the visions in case danger comes around."

Karien took the glass of water with a nod of thanks before beginning to sip from it gratefully, savoring it's watery nothingness. She herself had her own thoughts on a certain situation. This prison. Every prison had a weak link, a crack in the foundation, a pressure point which could crumble the whole thing if it were just pressed hard enough. Every prison was escapable, breakable, every single one. And usually, the more guarded the weakness, the more obvious it was. You just had to look for the right things to find it. She'd had enough time spent in cells, chains, and other imprisonments to know that anything could be broken down and escaped. You just had to know what to look for and how hard to look for it, then how to exploit it to your greatest ability.

As Ayumu's words interrupted her thoughts she listened to him intently, her eyes moving to follow him politely as he spoke. But still, as he spoke, she thought. 'Visions, huh? Must be a Mynd, and Tessa a Fyre if she can spark. Her thoughts were no distraction though, merely side notes still being made and then stored elsewhere within her mind. As Ayumu finished speaking she nodded slowly, still somewhat in thought. "Yeah... I'm totally cool with helping out whenever the time comes. If you ever think you'll be needing my help but I'm not here, even if I'm busy come and get me. I'll be happy to assist."

Anyone that really knew Karien would know that aid in doing something, anything against authority, or just simple protection, wasn't something that needed to be asked of her if she'd been befriended by you. If anything, she'd be excited to show she can protect a friend from the trouble that aims to cause harm to them, but if she failed... it wouldn't be pretty for the opponent. It would become a world of pain and endless problems as they became the receiving end of her anger. Now imprisoned with thousands of innocent people, she knew that she herself was already at least a fourth of the way there... and she couldn't wait to see what might happen. But as these thoughts ran through her mind, she wasn't silent.

Karien continued speaking to the others in the room, "As for befriending the guard, it seems like a great idea. But we'd have to be careful, try to do it while being seen as little as possible by other guards that might be watching. It could get ugly if any one of them decided it would be a good idea to fabricate a story of how we attacked the guard and the other acted as the hero in killing us. From what I've seen so far, I wouldn't be surprised if something like that actually happens the moment we step a foot outside."

Ayumu hummed to himself as he made breakfast for himself, his parents, and Tessa who had slept over the night before. On the menu for that morning was pancakes, eggs, and bacon. He had already packed lunch for his parents who were going to be out all day at their jobs. When he heard noise coming down the stairs, he looked up and smiled brightly at his mother and father. "Ohayoo gozaimasu," he called to them.

"Ohayoo," his mother answered and kissed his forehead. His father echoed her words with a nod. "How was your day yesterday?" his mother asked as she sat down at the table and bowed her head and murmured a 'itadadkimasu'.

"It was fine. I made a new friend at the train station. She's a Life user and her name is Embers-san. She reminds me a little of Tessa."

"oooh soo desu ka. You should have her come over for dinner so we can meet her. You only interact with Tessa-chan. We were beginning to worry you wouldn't make more friends," his mother chuckled.

"Careful about using magyk in public. The new laws are pretty strict," his father warned then. "Make sure she doesn't get herself or you into trouble."

"I know. I'll watch over her. I'll see about having her over for dinner one of these days."

His parents finished their breakfast and ended their meal with another bow and murmured 'gochisosama deshita'.

Ayumu hugged his parents as he took their plates. He waved and smiled at them when they headed to the door. "Itterasshai."

"Ittekimasu!" they called back to him before they left.

Ayumu finished setting up the table for Tessa then and glanced at the watch. It was already near noon. Ah he heard her coming downstairs now. "Ohayoo, Tessa. You just missed my parents," he commented. Your breakfast is on the table. I gave you extra bacon. We should go pick up Karien later and watch the guards a bit, see if we can find a good way in with that one guard that was on our side."

Ayumu headed for the sink then and began to wash the dishes, his mind wandering about his plans for the day. He was going to have to show Karien around a bit more to make sure she didn't get lost on her own. It would not do if the gangs got to her. They were always out for the easy new blood. His eyes traced the flow of water idly as it slid over his hands and the dishes and slowly slipped into the Mist, as he called it, by accident. His eyes slowly began to fog and his eyes lightened in their color and followed sights unseen by those trapped in the present.

It was a lot of foggy thoughts and jarring images but none of them really tugged him down with them. They just flashed by him as he spiraled. Then he managed to grab onto a silver thread of thought that flickered around him, seeking his attention. He focused on the single line of thought and soon found himself in the plaza inside the district...

The center of the district was bustling with activity like it normally did but something felt off and charged. A fyre user by the name of Jake Oscar was tapping his foot in agitation as he leaned against a building waiting for his girlfriend to come out of the building. What was taking her so long? They were supposed to go down the Balrin alley to spark and get it out of their blood before they accidentally let something off and hurt someone. She was just taking so long! She said that all she had to do was drop off a present to one of her coworkers. Jake sighed and ran a hand through his hair and glanced at the guards walking by in the distance. No one was paying attention to him or any of the other magyk users in the area.

Jake knew about the new laws against using any magyk, but he thought it was all just bullshit to try and scare people. The guards were lazy assholes. They weren't going to enforce that rule. How would they enforce it anyway? Everyone here needed to use their magyk. He glanced over at the elevator and the button that didn't work and no one bothered to fix. He just needed to spark a little to get the edge off. No one else would notice. He snapped his fingers, his eyes trained on the button. Instantly the button sizzled with electricity, making it light up and ding. And with just that little spark, everything went to hell in a hand basket.

Almost instantly, the alarm went off and guards were yelling and pulling out their guns on him and everyone else in the area. Everyone stopped confused and a bit wary of what was happening now. Jake's eyes widened in surprise as the guards began shouting orders for everyone to get down. "Whoa! Hey! Hey! Calm down!" he cried and raised his hand to try and get the gun swingers to chill the hell out while everyone else in the area was shoved forward into a circle. Without even a warning shots were fired and Jake dropped to his knees and clinging to his arm. He winced and looked down to see blood quickly staining his clothes around the wound in his shoulder and his hands. That single shot set off everyone else on edge and the next thing he knew, everyone was screaming as the guards shot at the unarmed crowd of Magyk users.

Haeron tried to take it all in. Breathing in the musky, dank air of the residence district. It seemed as if everything was grey from the outside, like a noir film or some kind of Nazi Germany ghetto from World War II. "I don't get it, I live literally in the lap of the technological revolution and these people look like their houses are held together with Popsicle sticks." He thought to himself as he walked along the cobblestone sidewalk. The people were weary of him. He could tell as they kept a broad scrape from him, one person moved themselves clear to the other side of the avenue. "These people are terrified." He was tense and he could feel the thickness of their uneasiness with him in their community. He couldn't stand it.

He meandered through the corridors of houses into a square of sorts. "Brimley!" Haeron stopped cold in his tracks as he heard Crosby's growl from behind his mask.
"Cros? What are you doing here?" Haeron was beyond confused as his friend was in full uniform deep in the residence district.
"Reassigned, you know how it is."
"I'm not going to lie, this seems like a promotion."
"I'll acknowledge that, I don't know, they must like my... enthusiasm." Crosby was smug in his words. The way Crosby said it was practically disgusting to Haeron. He understood so much in that moment, what the Guardians did, why they were guarding the city. And the practically blood-thirsty recruits they had brought in. It was like a fog had just lifted and he was naked in the world. He felt exposed as an outsider without any lifeline. But he had to keep his face separate from the immediate desperation he felt.
"That's good, man. Don't do anything stupid out there." Brimley held out his hand in an offer of congratulations.
Crosby gripped his hand tight and pulled his friend in close, "I could say the same for you. Have a good night in the tunnels, H."

"Prick... what a prick..." Haeron thought to himself moving quickly as he needed to get back to the tower. He felt powerless to protect anything from Crosby anymore. "What happened to him? He was always intense but he was never dangerous." He got back to the tower and grabbed some food, before retiring to the confines of his quarters. Corville Haynes was waiting for him in the common room. Lieutenant Haynes was a 3rd year Complex Guard and was known as a hero. Serving in 5 tours of duty in North Korea he knew the ins and outs of diplomacy and war. He was unshakable and was always someone of whom Haeron could admire.
"Sit down, Brimley." Haeron was almost geeking out that Haynes knew his name. "Let's talk about yesterday."
"Yes sir." Haeron responded by sitting in the chair across from Haynes. He expected this all day and it was amazing to him that THE Corville Haynes was talking to him.
"There are rules here and you respect that. You like the book, and we like that about you. What you did by putting aside your comradeship and doing what was right, was not unnoticed. It takes bravery to take a stand, and even more to take a stand against someone you trust." Haeron was listening intently, and was finding it hard to believe what he was hearing. "But that, son, is exactly what you did. You put the job in front of yourself. That's why we brought you in. To keep order among the ranks. And if you were willing to keep your best friend in line without hesitation, you can keep anyone in line. We've been watching you for some time, son. From your time in the scouts, ROTC, school, you have what it takes to be a great leader. Don't squander this opportunity. Corporal Brimley, we want you in the trenches. We want you in this war for the nation. The war against magyk. It has no place, and those who use it must be controlled. You are the future of this war. We will win this with or without you. So make your decision and be content. Help us, make this world a better place... a safer place for all of us. Take the night off, seriously. Those "people" are against us."
"With all due respect, sir. They are terrified of us." Haeron was unapologetic in his approach to this.
"And they damn well should be..." Haynes was suddenly darker and serious. "Their lives are in our hands. Think about where you fit in this war. Come see me in the morning, we will talk about the future."
"But sir..."
"Take a night and think it over before you speak. Have a drink, clear your head." He stood up and began walking to the elevator. "You have a future here, Haeron. Don't waste that, for all of our sakes. Good night, Corporal."
"Good night, Lieutenant."

The elevator doors opened up and Corville stepped inside and was gone. Haeron sat in the silent room alone with his thoughts. He sat looking out over the city, he was taken off his post, disgraced for what? For protecting the inhabitants of this godforsaken place? He thought about those kids, the mouthy girl, and how if Crosby would ever come across her again. He would never be able to stop Crosby. "You have a future here, Haeron..."