Descendence The Catalyst Stories #9 - Edge's Story: The Grand Mage Teachings & The Bandit Break-In

Descendence

The Catalyst Stories

Edge’s Story

The Grand Mage Teachings

&

The Bandit Break-In

 

* * *

Edge's Story

The Grand Mage Teachings

‘Day 8‘

After finishing his morning workout routine, Edge wasn’t quite sure how to spend his days now. He was quite unsure of what was actually going on outside now. Apart from the Military District being on lockdown, even to its own soldiers, the rest of the city, at least Rich District seemed...fine.
There were no alarms, no monsters trying to break in, it seemed whatever security measures were in place for this District, they were holding out. Edge could only count himself lucky that he was here in one of the safest Districts as opposed to being out there, in what could quite possibly be considered as the wild.
But he had to spend his time wisely somehow. There was only so much pain you could push your body towards before you ended up doing serious harm, and Edge was taking his precautions wisely when it came to exercising.
If he couldn’t exercise his body, then maybe he could exercise his mind.
Sparda’s living room features a wide arrangement of bookcases, on either side of the large marble fireplace in the centre of the wall.
Edge had naturally already been reading every night, but he had mainly been looking for stories to fall asleep to. He hadn’t considered trying to find any that could actually teach him something. There were basic books he had already dabbled into, mainly when it came to the art of the blade, but he wanted something fresh. Maybe a new type of weapon to learn about, it didn’t hurt to expand on your arsenal, which he figured he may need at some point.
His search ended in disappointment as he returned to the sofa in the centre of the room, and with nothing else to do, Edge began to pry through the pile of books he’d taken out recently, trying to see if there was still any worth in them.
It didn’t take long until a certain batch caught his eye.
Edge had always been curious about magic. He knew the basics, not in casting, but in general knowledge. Magic used the sixth sense energy within one’s body, and that meant when that energy was harnessed, the user could cast spells of the elements. Edge had never even attempted such a form of combat.
When he was a child, he remembered just how wise Sparda was in the art of magic. Sparda was able to perform expert levels of magic. His energy was so great, he could probably light a flame and keep it awake all day and night. Edge remembered the nights where Sparda used to tell stories of daring wizards and witches who battled against fearsome monsters in these incredible places. Using the powers of magic Sparda would be able to set the scene perfectly, he used so many elements.
One time, Sparda had told the story of how a daring band of heroes charged on a lonely tower out at sea, in order to stop the plans of a dark sorcerer. Using the element of ice, Sparda had constructed the tower itself, that cold chill seeping off those walls and creating a chilling atmosphere. Creating miniature sparks of lighting, and puffs of small flame to signal the battle going on above. Edge forgot how that story ended, but the fact Sparda had such control over magic, it must have taken years to master. So much time put into learning the elements and controlling them to even the simplest of requests.
Time was something Edge had now too...

* * *

Edge sat outside in the gardens, and while the barrier still fazed his eyesight, he now sat cross-legged in a patch of grass, performing deep breathing techniques. The first book he had bought outside with him, titled ‘Magic & Mastery, A Beginner’s Guide To The Arts.’ Hopefully this would be the start of a new venture.
The thoughts of the possibilities excited Edge so much. Imagine being able to explore caves and lighting your own way, no fears of darkness. Being able to craft magnificent intimidating forms to scare away those who would do harm. Being able to enchant his weaponry with an element to make it that much more damaging.
He had to contain that excitement and ease it down as he breathed in deep. He remembered the words of Sparda.
“No one learns magic because it’s fun. They learn because they wish to become one with the world, to learn its own ways, and call upon its help in times of need.”
That was what everyone needed right now. They needed help, and while meditation was an art form that helped study magic, Edge was trying to call out to the world once again, asking for its help in his new quest.
When he opened his eyes, he felt no different. He did not feel as if a new power had been granted for his use, and he did not feel like he could now control the waves of the rivers and lakes. He felt the same. There was no frustration however, he had not exactly expected much.
His body was growing, but perhaps Edge needed a more personal approach to the training of his mind.
He stepped forward, looking down at his hands.
“Imagine the form you wish to call upon and let the world heed your call...” Edge muttered to himself. Memorising the book’s words, Edge stood with a strong stance and raised his left arm. With an outstretched palm, he closed his fingers only ever slightly. In his mind, he thought of flames, the element of fire. He tried to push this thought down his spine, through his arm, and into his palm. When he believed he had done so, he opened his eyes and flexed his palm open to call upon fire.

Nothing happened...

Edge blinked for a moment, and then looked at his palm. Had he done something wrong, was he not concentrating enough?
He tried again. Closing his eyes, clearing his mind, reaching out to the world around him, with an open palm. His eyes shot open, and Edge grunted as he pushed his palm forward, as if trying to summon the burst of flames.
Yet again, nothing escaped his palm.
“I don’t get it.” Edge gasped in frustration as he quickly bent down to pick up the book that had been by his side. Ruffling through the pages, Edge tried to find the answer. There must be some sort of step he was missing. But no page offered a clear answer. He was already doing what the pages were instructing him to do.
Maybe it was just a matter of time, maybe that was the issue. He just wasn’t ready to wield the power of magic. Perhaps it was a skill Edge would never learn to develop. While still frustrated, Edge could only sigh as he picked up the book, and went back indoors. He took one last look at the barrier before heading inside.
He’d try to learn magic again, and when he did, next time, he’d summon forth flames. Edge was going to need everything he could get his hands on in order to survive the Catalyst Challenge...
“Wish you were still here, Sparda...” Edge whispered as he closed the garden door behind him.

* * *

Edge’s Story

The Bandit Break-In

‘Day 9’

The sound of shattered glass caused Edge to sit upright in a split second. He groaned as he quickly, but quietly climbed out of his bed and moved over to the bedroom door. He could already hear noises, the sound of footsteps. They were downstairs, and they were moving rapidly, no care for how much noise they were making.
Edge pressed himself up against the doorway and opened it only slightly, just trying to see if he could listen. His ear peeked from the gap, and he heard a voice.
“Just take what we can see how much food is stashed here. It’s Rich District for crying out loud...” The voice trailed off. So they were downstairs.
Edge rushed back to his bedside, and his hand gripped the hilt of the Unavenged Sheath blade. Edge didn’t think to get dressed, with the blade in his hand, he exited his room, and began to make his way downstairs.
His eyes were remarkably attuned to the dark, Edge had always considered himself to have a gifted sight, he believed his eyes were his strongest feature. As he slowly stepped downstairs, he made sure not to make even a mummer.
Approaching the hallway, Edge turned down towards the living room. He darted in there just in time as he was sure he could make out a figure coming into the hallway.
He backed up against the wall, clutching the blade even tighter. He didn’t want to hurt anyone, but if it came to it...
Edge kept himself along the beige wall as he slid around towards the dining room and kitchen. He peeked around again, there was a source of light. Whoever had broken into the house, they seemed to be raiding whatever food supplies were stored here. Sparda’s large white fridge was wide open, with the sound of rattling shelves and food being stored into a large sack.
“What a mother-load, we’ll be eating for weeks on this.” A male’s voice, quite gruff on the occasional word but no older than Edge. He only caught the second half of that sentence, and with the sword gripped tightly still, Edge emerged from the doorway, sneaking over the kitchen counter quickly, and drawing it forward upon the thief.
“You’re not supposed to be here, especially back here in my kitchen.” said Edge.
He saw the male freeze, in the light of the refrigerator, Edge could make out the male was wearing a classic thief getup. The majority of his attire was black, complete with a mask to hide his identity. He heard the gruff voice call back as he raised his hands, the tip of Edge’s blade poking his back.
“Now, now, no need for that. You’re right...I shouldn’t be here.” he turned around to face Edge, who noticed now the size of this thief. He was slightly taller than Edge, but his posture was much bulkier. The thief clearly had a neat workout routine showing, which compared to Edge, right now, meant he might be the tougher opponent. But Edge was armed, and in the limited light, he couldn’t see a knife or any sort of concealed weapon on them.
“I’m a reasonable guy, I won’t tell anyone, if you won’t.” he replied quickly.
“Yeah that’s...that’s going to be a problem...” sighed the thief.
As Edge took his stand further, beginning to poke the blade further towards the torso, he suddenly yelped in pain. Someone else had sneaked up behind him and twist his arm behind his back, pulling up on the forearm. The quick sting of pain allowed the male thief to make his move. Edge felt the bottom of an open palm strike his lower face, knocking him back. Whoever was holding onto him had let go as Edge stumbled back and hit the kitchen floor.
“Gotta admit, we didn’t think anyone would still be living here. Not like we planned this heist out, but everyone needs food...and Rich District has got a lot of it.” said the thief.
Edge began to get up, the pain obviously hurt, but it was nothing he couldn’t handle. He could hear the thief approaching him in the darkness as the light from the fridge was still the only source of sight.
“Now look, just let us walk out of here with what we need. We won’t starve you, we’re not killers. We just need our take of survival, that’s all.” warned the thief.
Edge began to stand up, spitting the pain away as he did. “You’re lucky I said I was reasonable, cause that was my only warning too-”
Edge felt a firm boot connect with his side as he was sent across the room again. He bounced off the wall, falling back down to his knees as he wheezed through the new surge of pain. The thief now stood over him, looking down.
“Don’t bother. Just stay down.”
That wasn’t going to fly in Edge’s mind. He got back up, slouched across the wall, but standing nonetheless.
“I didn’t want a fight, just wanted you to leave. But you’ve pushed that out the window now.” Edge growled.
In the brief light, he could see the thief nodding, no doubt smiling given his tone. “Okay then, let’s see what you’ve got.” Edge saw raised fists, and it was only now he realised his blade was gone. It must be somewhere on the floor, but unarmed, all Edge had to use as weapons, were his own two fists.
Edge took a quick step forward, swinging his arm around towards the thief, who naturally pulled himself back, avoiding Edge’s attack.
Right now Edge assumed that pressure would be the best bet in causing a thief to think twice about breaking in. He quickly aimed another strike, this time with his other arm, swinging again with as much force. The thief, at least feeling some pressure, was forced to duck under the arm as it passed him. Their shadows flickered along the kitchen wall as they now swapped places, the thief near the wall, and Edge in the open kitchen space.
His back turned to the thief, Edge turned around, only to see a faint black speck of an item head towards him. There was a large grunt as Edge felt the thief’s boot hit him again, this time in the upper torso. The force sent Edge back into the kitchen counter, his body almost toppling over it as he collided with the contents. As he regained himself, he felt the thief press up against him, feeling another hard shot, this time from the thief’s fist, into his jaw again. Like he had before, Edge’s body almost leapt up to the counter as he tried to recover from the punch.
The thief pulled him back down and attempted to lock him into some form of submission. Edge struggled as best he could as he felt his left arm being tangled, and with a lucky punch, his fist collided with the thief’s abdomen. There was a gruff grunt from the thief as Edge felt himself being freed, the workouts were paying off in some regard.
As he pushed himself off the counter, Edge felt a swift elbow hit his lower back, which caused him to grunt out in pain again as he stumbled forward. What he expected to be a wall, turned out to be a person. Edge collided with someone else, the other thief, and whoever they were, they let out a high pitched yelp of surprise as they pushed him away.
“Two on one is hardly fai-” Edge began to speak but he felt the punch of the thief who he had caught hit his side, his left jaw. In some form of retaliation, Edge threw a punch into the dark, and he missed again. He felt a quick jab in his ribs, another punch from the thief. How could this guy see so well in the dark, with such little light to aid him?
He heard a loud yell now, which if anything, finally put the odds in Edge’s favour. The thief charged towards him, and Edge used whatever hearing he could still use out of the ringing in his ears, to figure out his position. Grabbing the thief as he charged, Edge let him pass by, and keeping the memory of where the footsteps made their echo in the hard kitchen floor, Edge charged towards the thief. He managed to catch him, pushing him further until they connected with the wall. There was an angered grunt from the thief as Edge quickly managed to locate the thief’s arm, and locked it behind his back.
“Another messing around! I’ll forget all this if you just leave now!” barked Edge as he pinned the thief up.
“Guh! Can’t...I won’t!” growled the thief. He continued to struggle, but Edge had him in a knot that couldn’t be untied so easily.
“Then...you’re leaving me with no choi-” Edge felt something hard hit the back of his head. Instantly his grip loosened, and his body naturally fell to the floor. Shortly after he hit the floor, a burst of light entered his eyes. He closed his eyes tight, it was brighter than usual, the room light. In a crumpled mess, Edge’s vision had become so blurred he was seeing three of everything as he opened his eyes. He could see six figures all dressed in black, no wonder he’d been caught off guard if there were that many.
“Did I kill him!?” squeaked a higher-pitched person...another thief?
Edge saw someone bend over towards him. “No, he just looks dazed. Might be out of it. Come on, grab what you can, and let’s go.”
For the new few minutes, Edge only heard the ruffling of food being disposed into sacks again.
“Why did we do this, you said no one would be here!” said the second thief in a scared tone.
“What’s done is done. Leave the sword, we don’t need that. Give the guy something to defend himself with.” said the first thief.
Despite the kindness of not taking the sheath, Edge still had to get up and stop them from taking his food. They had no right to take it, no right.
He heard the footsteps beginning to leave, and as he summed up all the strength he could, Edge grabbed onto the kitchen counter and pulled himself back up.
“Come...back...” he wheezed as he tried to stand.
He heard the front door slam as the two thieves bickered on their way out of the house. Edge stumbled into the hallway, reaching for the front door.
“Come...back...” The weight of the situation was too much, and Edge fell to the floor.
For the rest of that night, Edge was out cold in the hallway.

Next Time:

Aries’ Story

The Next Step

Descendence The Catalyst Stories #8 - Crystal's Story: The Personality Reform Part II

Descendence

The Catalyst Story

Crystal’s Story

The Personality Reform Part II

‘Day 7’

The air didn’t feel fresh. That was all Crystal had wanted when she stepped outside today. She had plucked up all that courage to finally go outside back into the world, and the air felt different.
Maybe it was because she was so used to the stale air that had built up in her room.
Either way, Crystal now stood in the garden behind the blacksmith workshop. She stood on the stone path, which stretched up ahead and reached around a variety of stone statues, crafted by Hermes throughout his time working here. A large tree stood to her left, keeping her in the shade of whatever sunlight breached through the barrier.
Crystal’s eyes were closed, she was trying to keep her breathing calm and collected. In her hand, she held a long iron broadsword. Despite how she tried her best to keep her composure, the hands were shaking. She had never held a blade with this intent in her mind before.
Days ago, Crystal had not cared for what happened to her. This train of thought had not changed, but a flicker of a new aim had begun to take shape. Crystal did not care what happened to her now, whether her end was outside, inside, of someone’s hand or her own.
That was why she was holding this sword right now. Trying desperately the pluck up some courage to raise it upwards and point it towards an enemy in her mind. She’d lost track of how long she had stood here trying to form that mindset and take the first swing. Alas, she could not do it.
Not today.
Crystal headed back inside, leaving the iron broadsword in the blacksmith workshop. Heading back upstairs, she did her best to avoid her friend, Alex. She felt like she had failed again today, in not being able to swing that damn sword.
Returning to her room, Crystal collapsed on her bed, making no sign of emotion, no sign of sadness nor disappointment. But in her mind, she had never been so ashamed. It was only a simple matter too, not being ready to fight back. Who was she kidding, it wasn’t simple, it was the most complicated choice she could make. The Catalyst Challenge had been going forward for a week now, and there were no signs of their situation changing any time soon. While Rich District seemed to be adjusting to the new way of life, there was no telling how hard it was back out there across the city.
Crystal entered her room, leaving her door slightly ajar. Sitting on her bed, she looked out at the open curtains on her bedroom window.
“What is the point?” she asked herself in her head. What was the point in fighting against something that couldn’t be fought against?
Those thoughts entered her mind again, ones she feared so much in having.

Thoughts of just...ending it all.

What did she have to lose? Only her life, and even then that felt like at times it was already over. Who was going to miss her? Alex? While that was certainly a reason to draw back from even acting on such thoughts...it was one person.
Crystal didn’t exactly have a large social group that would mourn her loss if it were to happen. She didn’t have any family here, that she knew of.
Her family life, her childhood had been one of control, plans, routes crafted for her so she could end up where her parents wanted. It had never been about what Crystal wanted to do, only what she could do to benefit the future of her parent’s business.
Had she still been there, no doubt she would now be in some form of arranged marriage, sad.
Yet even now, she questioned if perhaps that would be a better life than the one she was having right now. A life with no escape, no way out, and any attempt resulting in a quick and painless death, at least seemingly.
She’d even thought about how she’d do it.
Did she find something here at home to do it? Or did she go out to the boundary of this city and just...lay a simple touch upon that matter?
Crystal took a deep breath, there were those moments where those thoughts were cast as a shadow over her. Only when it became too dark would she lose her way and act upon them, but there was always a little light that bought her back to her senses.
Opening her eyes wide, she felt tears begin to form. She couldn’t possibly think of taking her life. Her mind was so confused, what should she do?
She laid back on her bed, looking up at the ceiling. It was more welcoming than looking up outside and witnessing the barrier above.
Why couldn’t she be like a warrior? Why couldn’t she just sum up this courage and become someone she wanted to be. Why was it so hard?

...Because Crystal was not a warrior...

Crystal did not know who she was. For a long time, she felt like she bore this mysterious identity that no one knew. No one knew who Crystal Inos was, no one would bat an eye.

Wait, maybe that was the key to all of this.
No one knew who she was, which meant she was...free to choose?
Was that possible? Could she pick up the sword and become someone who deep down she may not be, but become?
She’d be living a lie, a lie she’d have to keep up. Even then, she may not become strong at all, it may become too much for her. Crystal had experience with a sword, in her teenage years she had taken basic and advanced classes in fencing, so she knew her way slightly around a blade.
But she had failed to practise earlier in the garden of the workshop. What if she failed again?
No, the warrior wouldn’t fail, and they wouldn’t take that possibility into account when they trained to become stronger. It had been a week now, and Crystal was on the verge of losing herself back to the world she was born into. If there was ever a time to become someone else...it was now.

* * *

It was nightfall when Crystal creeped out into the dead of night in the garden. That iron broadsword laying beside the door was in her hand again, and she gripped it tighter than her previous attempt.
Above her, the faint blue glow of the Catalyst Barrier shone down. She had her eyes closed, taking in deep intakes of breath, trying to will the courage out.
Ten minutes passed, and the darkness of the mind was still corrupting Crystal. In her mind’s eye, she was surrounded by pure black nothingness. She had to fight her way out of this, right now she could see herself on the ground, huddled and scared of her surroundings.
Crystal needed to take that step, she had to push through this darkness and find a way to assure herself that this was the right choice.
In her mind, she stepped forward, while scared of where her foot may land, scared she may fall, she took it nonetheless. She walked over to herself and bent down to her level. Extending her hand to the mess that was her mind, she offered her hand.
“I can do this.” she said calmly.

Crystal opened her eyes, and the scared expression was gone. Instead, now, her brow was lowered, her eyes were sharp, and her posture had become one of a stance she had held long ago.
The blade was no longer held by her side, instead, now it was pointed forward.
Her first step had been taken.
Crystal would not let this Challenge take her life, not by her own hands anyway. If she were to die out there in the world, it would be as a warrior, and not a scared lost little girl.
Moving forward, Crystal made her first strike. This strike penetrated everything she aimed to achieve in future. To defeat the Catalysts, to dispel the scared girl that lay deep inside...

To start living the lie of Crystal Inos, the warrior...

Next Time:

Edge’s Story

The Grand Mage Teachings

&

The Bandit Break-In

 

Descendence The Catalyst Stories #7 - Edge & Red's Story: The Friendly Reunion

Descendence

The Catalyst Stories

Edge & Red’s Story

The Friendly Reunion

‘Day 7’

The Military District was in the most difficult spot of the Catalyst Challenge. When the world became that much small, when all hope had been dissolved from people’s minds, the Military, the Human Legion were expected to step up to the plate and do their job in protecting the people.
But the opposite had happened.
The entire chain of command was in disservice and disarray. Soldiers arguing on whether to fight or protect their families. Battles already brewing between those in the higher up positions on who would take command.
The Human Legion was not prepared for the Catalyst Challenge. Of course, no one had been prepared for the betrayal, but the Legion had made matters worse.
Citizens were clambering for protection at the border control point, the entrance into the Legion. But those gates had been locked tight, barricaded and blocked until such time the Legion was ready to reveal its intentions. They didn’t need the battles from the outside coming into the one that was slowly brewing in the pot on the inside.
The whole District was in lockdown, and while by now some others had opened up their gates in welcoming arms to those in need, this place had not.

On this day, Edge Marvik had made his way to Military District. He was armed with the Unavenged Sheath, and he had managed to slip through Northern District un-noticed.
The journey hadn’t been tough, but it hadn’t been pretty to experience nonetheless. All across the route from Rich, to Northern, to here, Edge had seen too many people affected by the Challenge. Rich District was as peaceful as it could be, people were still trying to go about their day, but it was very clear the mindset of taking what you wanted whenever was starting to seep in. He’d already heard people hoarding supplies, stocking on large amounts of food. It wasn’t going to be easy for him to get what he needed, but today he felt his reasoning was just.
As for Northern District, while it didn’t feel like a ghost District yet, it still felt bleaker than that last morning Edge had spent there. Houses had clearly been broken into, and a lot of families no longer seemed to live in what they once thought were secure, and safe hostilities.
Part of Edge had wanted to go back to his home, to see if maybe, by just some sliver of a chance, that Lunar was still in the city. He had already come to the conclusion that this wasn’t the case. It had been a week now, and Edge knew that if Lunar was still here, she would have found him by now. The route between Northern District and Rich District was open now, so there was no excuse for her not to be able to find him. Yet there was no sign, and that filled Edge with ease, and dread. Ease that she may be safe, a dread that she might not be coping well considering how well her life was going before all this.
Every day he’d spend a little moment thinking about her, before moving on with his own business. He was number one right now, in his mind, so he had to make sure it stayed that way, especially after Karlos.
Edge also felt no regret over that ordeal on the second day either. He had almost been killed, and he had done what he had to do in order to survive. At least he didn’t regret it right now...

Upon arriving at Military District, Edge was met with a familiar sight. Gate locked security on patrol, but not on the outside. Each District’s gate posed a different design. Some were more simplistic, some were more advanced. Military District was built with a message, no one gets in, and no one can get out if we say so.
The gate rose high in the air, with barbed fences and stone wall-work stretching across the border. Above Edge could see two Human Legion soldiers, neither of them armed, but safe atop their watchtowers.
The numbers had dwindled since the start of the Challenge, but there were still few here who demanded to be let in, who demanded protection by spared across the city. There were many insults being thrown up at the guards too. Edge simply stood there, knowing full well he wasn’t going to get in through the gate.
There had to be a way inside somehow, Edge needed to get in here...
Looking around at the gate, Edge noticed two key exploits.
The first was that the first protection of the District was a chain-link fence. Not comfortable to climb, but climbable nonetheless. The issue, of course, was the barbed wire crossing. It was scattered along the top and it was clear the slightest miscalculation would result in a nasty injury or two. But there was a way around that too.
Edge’s coat could easily prevent any cuts from being inflicted on his body.
The biggest issue in this plan however was...where was it quiet enough along the walls to attempt this? While the gate seemed to station a few guards, Edge knew the whole perimeter was bound to be crawling with soldiers. If only there was a way to change that...

* * *

As the citizens continued to spew insults at the guards, they tried their best to take no notice.
“How many more hours of this?” asked the first. 
“Shift doesn’t end for another few. Just put up with it, not like they’ll do too much else other than complain.” grunted the second.
They both looked down at the people, all shapes and sizes, but all here for the same cause. The truth was, both of these two soldiers knew more could be done, but they couldn’t exactly abandon their posts. Times were tough enough as it was, adding more fuel into a petrol fire wasn’t going to help the city.
Just a few more hours until they could finally-
“Why do you all stand here waiting for them to reply!? If you want action to be taken, you’ll all need to put your best foot forward first!” cried a voice.
Now they hadn’t heard that phrase before...
“What the heck is going on down there now?” groaned the second. As he peeked over his post, his eye caught that of a blonde man shouting out to the crowd, which remarkably, how quietened down. He studied the blonde man intensely.
“They lock these gates to you because they think more for themselves than they do for you! Your voices don’t reach that deep inside, but that can change!” the voice cried out again. The blonde man was pacing, back and forth, trying to rally the citizens however he could.
“Anything we should worry about?” asked the first guard.
The second scoffed as he continued to watch. “Nah, it’ll fall on deaf ears.”
“They think some barbed wire and a wall will stop us? We’ve already become prisoners once, and now the Legion think they can lock us out like the Catalysts did from the rest of the world!?”
As the voice grew louder, the chants of the people grew equally. The amusement on the guard’s face slowly faltered as he noticed one by one, civilians trying to climb up the chain-link fence.
“Okay...now it’s something to worry about...” the second gulped. He turned to his partner. “Call out for backup, we’re going to need a few more stations here now!”

* * *

As the people one by one attempted to climb the border of Military District, Edge sneaked back through the crowd to where he had been originally been stood. Step one of his plan had been a success, and while he may have caused a little riot, it was all for his gain. He smirked as he took his leave from the gate, and now he began to subtle follow the wall...

As he continued on, Edge noticed soldiers running across the top of the wall, no doubt on their way to try and stop people from getting in. Edge hoped he hadn’t caused too much trouble, but he didn’t think the Legion would start committed acts of crime against people. But hopefully, it would make those inside take a second think about what to do now that things were starting to get out of control.
Edge kept moving along the wall, waiting for the perfect opportunity to make his move. When he saw another group of soldiers run across the wall, this was the spot. He removed his jacket, wrapping the sleeves around his waist like a schoolchild would their own on a hot summer’s day. He swung around and jogged towards the chain fence, and as he reached it, he lept up to grab as much as he could. Already he had raised quite a height, but there was still some to go.
As metal dug into his fingertips, Edge growled his way to the top towards the barbed wire. As he reached the top, he had to hold on tight with one hand while he pried his jacket loose from around his waist. He alternated quickly between holding onto the fence and trying to pull as the jacket so he could swing it over the barbed wire.
Finally, it was loose, and Edge aimed to get as much of it over the wire as he could. He seemed to have caught a good majority of barbs, and now he climbed up higher, his fingers closing over his jacket, where barbs would be. He could still feel a hard sharp material, but his jacket covered any chance of those sharp lines of metal penetrating his fingers.
Using the strength he had been trying to build for the past week, Edge lifted himself up onto the wall. As he swung over, he gasped. One of the barbs, just that one small escapist piece, had caught his jeans. He took his jacket off the wire and heard a sudden tear. Lifting it up, he could see the inside portion of the jacket had multiple cuts. He groaned a bit. For a jacket Sparda had given him, one that had once belonged to him, he wasn’t taking very good care of it. Swinging it back over onto his shoulders, Edge looked down at his jeans. The wire hadn’t cut him, but it had left a small tear in the left kneecap area.
Now atop the wall, Edge needed to get down on the other side. Over the stone, he noticed laying at the bottom was bushes. Bushes that spread around the area much like the wall itself. He didn’t have time to go to a watchtower and risk getting caught. The only way he was getting down from here, was an equally painful risk in his mind...

* * *

Edge was still picking out pieces of the bush from his hair by the time he arrived at his destination.
The Military District was filled with camps and militarily organised equipment. Vehicles, weapons development, healthcare, campsites for battalions, and training centres. But Edge wasn’t going to any of these places. Instead, he was going to an area that reminded him a lot of Northern District, the Enrolment Housing Sector.
Lines of houses that were no doubt built by the same teams that had built the housing in Northern District. The street was very quiet, no one really around. Most were probably locked away in their homes, under strict orders. It made Edge feel slightly uneasy that he might get caught out. He was lucky he had chosen the best place to climb the outer wall too because the Housing Sector hadn’t been too far from where he dropped in.
But any minute now he knew he’d be safe from the Legion.
Walking up the road, Edge spotted the house. There were no fences separating gardens, just simple paths that led up the houses. Checking his left and right as he did, Edge walked up the stone path right up the brown front door. Clearing his throat, he knocked on the door hard.
It took a few moments before he heard footsteps. He contemplated knocking again but held back.
The front door sprang open quickly, and Edge’s green eyes met a pair of brown.
Red Harrison, a man Edge had known since they were kids. They were childhood friends in fact.
Red stood before Edge in a grey hooded jacket, with grey tracksuit bottoms to match. His hair was starting to grow a bit longer than usual and he had a light stubble. He held his hands to his black hair as he looked on in shock.
“E-Edge?”
Edge rolled his eyes and gave a weak smile. “Hey, buddy.”
Before he knew it, Red had launched himself towards him. Edge felt himself being pulled into a tight hug, and while he was grateful that Red was happy to see him, he immediately tried to pry him off.
“Alright, alright, don’t make a scene! I’m not exactly supposed to be here!” Edge said quickly.
Red let go and put his hands back to his head while sighing in disbelief. “I can’t believe it! I-I checked Northern District, you and Lunar weren’t home. Where did you guys go? Did you go to Rich District!? Of course, you did, Sparda’s house I bet right? Good idea, it’s times like these where we need to stick toge-”
“They’re not here, Red.” Edge cut in.
Red blinked at him. “What? You don’t mean-”
“No, no, not dead. I think they both got out before...well, this.” Edge sighed looking up at the barrier. He hadn’t taken much notice of it on the way here, but the memory always returned. Red looked up too and sighed again. He then gave Edge a smile.
“Well, all that matters is you’re all safe. Even if you’re not together, I’m sure Lunar and Sparda are fine.” he assured.
Edge, however, was already trying to get into the house. “Trying not to think about it. Can I come in?”
Red laughed as he put his arm around Edge’s shoulder. “Like you even need to ask, get in here you!”

Red’s home was cosy if a little tight. The hallway led to the front room on the left, and behind that, the dining room, and next to the dining room was the kitchen.
“Helena!” Red called as he closed the door.
“Helena!” He called again as he moved past Edge. “She’s probably out in the garden. I tell you man, ever since this started, she’s been going on about planting her own garden. Every day it’s prep this and prep that...”
Edge couldn’t help but give off a smile as Red guided him through the house towards the back room.
“To think we were thinking of getting a conservatory installed here too.”
“Good luck with that.” Edge chipped in.
“I know right?”
It was so easy to talk to someone like Red, but then again, when you’d known someone for around fifteen years, it was hard not to.
“Helena! Look who paid us a visit!” Red bellowed as he exited the dining room into the garden.
At the very back of the wood fence, Edge could see another old friend. Helena Kazuki was Red’s partner and another childhood friend that Edge had spent many a day during their education. She was wearing a brown apron with a floral shirt underneath, wearing cyan gloves as she sorted out her own personal garden. When she caught Edge in her eyesight however, she sprang to her feet and squealed with happiness. Her jet black hair flocked around as she bounced up with glee.
Before Edge knew it, he was enveloped in another hug, except this time gloves covered in soil were all over him.
“I’m so glad you’re okay! We were worried sick!” she cried. Edge would have hugged back, had it not been for the gloves in his air.
“Red was worried sick? Seems I missed the meltdown.” Edge replied.
“She’s exaggerating, I knew you were fine.” scoffed Red.
Helena let go of Edge and held her hips as she looked over to Red.
“You said a couple of days ago that if there wasn’t a lockdown in place you’d be out there right now in Rich District seeing if he was at Sparda’s place.” she huffed.
“That’s not being worried sick. That’s just being concerned.” replied Red with a raised brow.
Watching the two of them bicker, in a friendly way, of course, it filled Edge’s heart with happiness again. It had been too much doom and gloom this past week, and although Edge was taking the steps to try and get stronger, to have friends around now, it felt liberating.
“Edge, have you been working out?” Helena burst out suddenly. Once again dirty gloves were on Edge, but this time on his arms.
“Red, feel his arms!” she said.
“I’m not feeling his arms!” snapped Red.
“When did you start? A few weeks ago?” asked Helena eagerly. Red also seemed quite interested, and Edge shook his head.
“Honestly not even a week. Does it really show that much already?” he asked as he looked down at himself. Edge certainly felt a little stronger but he didn’t feel like he actually was looking stronger.
“Ohhhhhhhh, the world must have something special planned for you then!” squeaked Helena. Edge caught Red rolling his eyes.
“Here we go. Time for a Sixth Sense Session.”
“Ignore him, you get it right, Edge? If you’ve been reading the books in Sparda’s place, you’ll know what I mean.” said Helena.
Edge had indeed read up on Sixth Sense and maybe Helena was right. Maybe his call to the world was being answered already. He knew a week ago he wouldn’t have been able to handle that fence all the way. So now, Edge looked over at Red.
“You hear that? I’m special.”
“Screw you.” Red laughed.
Edge found himself laughing for the first time in quite a while, along with Red and Helena, the Catalyst Challenge didn’t feel as dark as the days prior anymore.

* * * 

For the majority of his time there, Edge spent it in the living room with Red. There wasn’t much to do, the signs of the Challenge were becoming clearer every day. For one, electricity was out, citywide. Televisions, lights, everything had shut down. The only way to achieve light now was through the art of candlelight. So that was what was now placed between Edge and Red as they sat on the beige carpet floor. Apart from conversations on how good it was to see each other again, the big discussion between Edge and Red was the current situation and the future of the city itself.
“I’ll be blunt, Legion doesn’t know what to do. Ask anyone and they’ll stutter before they speak. We have no idea what to do.” confessed Red.
“I mean, a bit simple isn’t it? The High Lord told us what to do.” Twenty-five machines needed to be located and destroyed, that was the only path to freedom.
“Okay, yeah, sure, but how do we find them? Where do we look? I don’t see twenty-five machines roaming around the city at this time, do you?” asked Red.
Edge shrugged.
”Well you wouldn’t see them, considering you’re locked in here.” he replied.
“Very funny.” Red mocked. “Seriously though, we know what to do...”
“But not how to do it.” sighed Edge.
Red sighed. “It’s a bad situation, man. We’ve had been deserting, people refusing duties, it’s a miracle we have security on that gate...not enough of it if you managed to get in.” Red added with a grin.
“Put your little stealth tips to good use though, didn’t I?”
“I’d hardly say starting a mini-riot is a good idea of stealth. I’ll give you an A for a distraction though. You got any idea how you’re going to get out?” asked Red.
Edge’s smiled faltered. “Ah...”
“Red will escort you home after dinner.” said Helena’s voice. She had appeared in the doorway, a more clean apron around her waist now.
“Dinner’s ready by the way. I did what I could with the mood lighting.” she smiled. Red hopped up first walking over and planting a kiss on Helena’s cheek. “Well, I’m sure it’s a lovely romantic dinner for two...and the third wheel.” Red looked back with a cheeky grin. Helena whacked his arm as he laughed his way into the kitchen. “Leave him alone will you?” She rolled her eyes towards Edge as he got up. As Edge went to walk past, she stopped him.
“Are you handling it all okay?” she asked lightly. There was a silent exchange for a moment but then Edge nodded. “I’m fine. Don’t worry.”
“No, but seriously, Edge-”
“Helena, really, I’m good. You two are still here, that’s all I need.”
As Edge moved past, Helena gave off a concerned look...

* * *

The three of them ate dinner together, which despite the circumstances, Helena still managed to cook up a well-groomed steak and kidney pie.
“I’d say there’s plenty more where it came from but...”
“You’re eating what would have been our leftovers.” joked Red.
“I’ll try not to waste it then.” said Edge.
As they cleared their plates, Red patted his stomach.
“Helena that was perfect! What’s for dinner?”
Helena gave a groan as she took their plates. “Every night he says the same joke. I’m this close, Edge, I’m telling you.”
“If anything, Edge would hold you back. He’s known me longer.” piped up Red.
“Bros before...well, you know.” sighed Helena as she began to leave the room.
As they watched, Edge noticed the smile on Red’s face. Despite everything that had happened, he seemed just as cheerful as ever.
“Lucky guy, huh?” asked Edge.
Red took notice and rubbed his neck. “I mean, I guess? Dunno what I’d do without her.”
Edge nodded crossing his arms. “It’s quite touching to see.”
While Red appreciated his friend’s words, he could see there was a look of longing on his face.
“It’s not all great though, you know? There are arguments every now and then, there’s work, or rather there was. Don’t get me wrong, relationships are great but, they’re not all perfect.” Edge could tell Red was just saying this, but he’d clearly caught on to how alone Edge felt.
“Red, you don’t need to say all that. Now is not the time for me to be looking for anything like that.” he replied.
Red rested his arms on the table. “You make it sound like you want to take this Challenge up on its offer.” he said with a furrowed brow.
“You saw the sword. I was sitting around doing nothing, could change that.” he replied.
Red leaned back now and put his hands around his head. “Well I’d ask if they could let you into the Legion, but I don’t think they’d take to you.” he smirked.
“Really? Why? Cause they’re not hiring due to this whole thing?”
“Nah, 'cause you’re a jerk.” laughed Red.
Edge scoffed back as Helena’s voice called out.
“Red! Could you come give me a hand with this for a minute?”
“Duty calls.” Red shrugged as he got up.
“Go get’em, soldier.” Edge replied.

* * *

As Red entered the kitchen, Helena was propped up on their kitchen counter-top and ushered Red over.
“Oh what is it, woman?” he joked as she pulled him close.
“Do you think we should let him stay here, with us?”
Red backed up slightly and raised his hands. “Whoa, what?”
Helena rubbed her arm as she looked towards the dining room, concerned. “He’s all alone out there. No Lunar, no Sparda, no one to keep him grounded.”
Red hushed her down as he pulled her further into the kitchen.
“Helena, he’s living in the wealthiest part of the city rent-free with no-”
“You know that’s not what I mean.” she snapped quietly.
“So you’d rather him kip on our sofa? Need I remind you, he just illegally infiltrated the District on lockdown?” Red laughed.
Helena huffed at him as she put her hands on her hips.
“He’s lonely.”
“He’s fine. Trust me, I know my best friend.” sighed Red.
“I really am, you know.” Edge’s voice had joined the conversation. Both of them turned around to see him leaning in the doorway.
“Edge, I-”
“Don’t apologise, it’s fine. I appreciate the concern.” he said quickly.
Red gave Helena a raised brow as she brushed it off. “Either way!” She nudged Red in the side causing him to buckle with a laugh. “We don’t mind having you stay with us if you need it.” she persisted.
Edge raised his hands in denial. “Like Red said, I’m living in the safest place in the city. It’s only a matter of time before things start getting back to some normality too. Soon the Districts will be open and the Legion will be doing their jobs, I’m sure of it. You two are here, and that’s good enough for me right now.” Edge assured her.
Red gave him a tap on the shoulder. “What do you mean good enough right now? You planning on making new friends?”
The three of them continued to joke and laugh.

* * *

Time was getting on and eventually, Edge had to leave. He didn’t want to impose, he didn’t want to stay and end up living under their roof, all he had wanted to do was check-up and see if they were okay. They were, so it was time to head back home to Rich District.
“How do you plan on doing that then?” asked Helena sternly as they stood by the front door.
“I figured out a way in right? I’m sure I can figure a way out. What are they going to do? Arrest me?” joked Edge.
“It’s not a laughing matter, Edge. They could end up holding you here. The law is still the law.” warned Helena.
“Not really much of a law at the moment.” muttered Red.
Helena shot him a strong glare. “You can take him home.”
“But I-”
”You’re not exactly training for military work at the moment, are you? The only thing you’re training is your butt on that sofa, so, you can take Edge home.” she snapped.
“Fine. Probably for the best anyway. We won’t need to be stealthy about it that way. Don’t you worry bud, I have the perfect plan.” Red smirked with a wink.

* * *

“Okay, Harrison, but this is the only time...” sighed the Legion Guard.
Red had escorted Edge back to the Western Gate of Military District. It was a simple explanation. Edge was a humble friend who had been staying with Red for a few days. Suddenly when the Catalyst Challenge began, Edge had nowhere to go, so he remained with Red for the next week. Now that things seemed to slowly be dying down and settling, Red was taking Edge back home. It was lucky the guard fell for it. As he opened the gate to let them both through, Edge made a sarcastic whisper to Red.
“Friends in high places, huh?”
“Just keep moving.” Red said, trying hard not to smile.
The gate began to close behind them, but Edge turned quickly. “Sorry, could you hold the gate a moment?” he called out.
The guard looked at him in slight confusion. “Come on, make your minds up, before the damn rioters come back and try and get in.” he called back.
Edge quickly turned to Red, eager to make this quick.
“You don’t need to take me home. Really, I know the way and I’ll be fine.” he assured Red.
There was just a look of disbelief on Red’s face. “Dude, I can’t just leave you, Helena won’t live it down-”
“Then just hang around for a bit. I’d rather go home alone than you take me back and then have to come back here all alone.” replied Edge.
“You don’t think I can handle myself?” smirked Red.
Edge shook his head. “I don’t doubt it, but seriously, you’re safe here. Keep it that way for now.”
The smirk vanished from Red’s face. “You really think this is going to get worse, don’t you?” he said solemnly.
Edge looked up at the barrier. “Look at that thing, Red. Even if we do fight back, how many people are going to die to those machines? When we find them, how strong are they going to be? There’s twenty-five of them man...”
“Wrap it up, you two!” called the guard.
Red put his hand on Edge’s shoulder. “We’ll all find a way in time. It was good to see you safe.”
Edge put his free hand on Red’s shoulder, an old symbolic message they always gave one another when they were kids, teenagers, and now young adults.
“It was good to see you and Helena too. She was right you know, I was feeling lonely, and I took a stupid risk in coming to see you both. But I can keep on moving now. Knowing you’re both here and okay, we’ll see each other again.” Edge smiled.
Their grips tightened before they let go. With that said, Edge and Red parted ways, Edge back to Rich District, and Red back home in Military District.
They may be apart now, but today had taught Edge something deep in his mind.
If the will of a human was powerful enough, they could push through anything that prevented them from some kind of freedom.
In defying the Human Legion’s defences, and through the determination to find and see his friends, Edge had defied a restriction that had been bestowed upon him.
He would do the same to the Catalysts. He would defy this barrier they had placed over him. Defy the machines that lay in wait wherever they may be. It would be hard, but as Red said, they’d find a way in time.

Humanity would find a way in time.

Next Time:

Crystal's Story

The Personality Reform Part II

Descendence The Catalyst Stories #6 - Edge's Story: The Honing Of My Craft

Descendence

The Catalyst Stories

Edge’s Story

The Honing of My Craft Part I

‘Day 6’

“One...two...three...”
Edge pushed up for the fourth time, his breath expelling the number of push-ups he was on.
What was once a beautifully placed front room, was now some attempt at a makeshift gym...
“Four...five...six...”
His breathing quickened, and he began to feel the burn in his arms again. He had been trying to work out for a few days now. Day three had been when he started.
“Seven...eight...nine...”
This was only the last part of his workout for now too. He’d continue again tonight, working on his legs.
“Ten...eleven...t-twelve...”
The burn in the chest and the arms was starting to become too great. Not many more left, just...just...
“Thir...teen!...Four...teen!”
With that last gasp, Edge let himself fall to the floor, grunting and panting as he did. His face against the carpet as he looked around dazed. He took a minute to gather his breath, before hopping up.
Now he began to stretch. If there was ever a wise ending to a workout, it would be to stretch before and after, get the blood pumping. Maybe he should invest in a punching bag of sorts, something to test his strength on?
Like anyone was going to be selling anything right now...
With his morning routine done, Edge collapsed onto the sofa that was now perched against the side of the room. Sweat dripped down his face onto his neck as he caught his breathing back to a regular pace. When he finally felt settled, he looked over at the other side of the room.
He kept it on him at all times when moving around the house, just as a potential security measure, but he stared at the Unavenged Sheath, that lay propped against the wall leading into the kitchen.
There was still one more exercise he needed to perform for the day...

* * *

The back garden to the house felt like one of the few places that hadn’t been tainted by that which hung above. Under the glare of the barrier, Edge stood in the middle of a large patch of grass, extending his blade forward in front of him.
He held it firmly with both hands, keeping it within his centre.
The sword was light enough to be held with one hand, yet Edge felt more comfortable when he had full two-handed control over where the blade would go. Also because right now, he wasn’t strong enough to defend himself one-handed.
Human bodies didn’t work in the way one would think in this world.
The average human body would be expected to go through long hours of work and hardship in order to create aspects such as figure, strength, knowledge. 
Here, that is not the case.
The human body here is decided by the six senses.
Vision, Hearing, Smell, Touch, Taste, and the Sixth.
One could train their eyesight to see beyond the reaches of a naked eye. What could once be a blurry letter on a wall could become crystal clear if the vision was trained enough.
The range of hearing could be increased in intense situations. It required one to stay in silence and listen to the world around them. Only then could they start picking up the faintest sounds.
The same could be said for a sense of smell. Every tracker needed what was called a Stinker. Someone who could track by scent alone, and it was a vital skill to use out in the wilds.
Touch was the basis of all evolution for the body. In touching, you feel, and in feeling, you become familiar with that which you’ve chosen. Holding a blade, feeling it move through the air, the weight, the speed, the angles, the body took it all in. You could become a master of the blade, alongside the master of touch.
If anything, taste was in the category to simply keep all senses relevant. There were rumours of people who could improve their sense of taste, learn to like things that they did not before in terms of food, drink. But the evolution of taste had been a vital step forward in the world. After all, how would the world learn that things such as milk could be made edible for human consumption? It had to be done.
But the last and most interesting factor was the Sixth Sense. A sense hidden deep within every brain of every living thing in this world. The world itself was made by the Sixth. It breathed through the land, and if you wanted a more basic word for it, you could call it magic.
Every human had Sixth Sense Energy flowing through their blood, the veins, their body. It lived through past generations and would in the future too. Every human was special, whether it was their Birth Element, their Energy Value, or their Mastery.
Every human was born with a Birth Element, an element of magic that radiated deep inside them, at the heart. This meant that should a human choose to follow the path at magic, they would find themselves with an element they could cast easier than any others. Their strong point, their nexus, their element. Humans born with the Fire Element could breathe bright flames that scattered a thousand embers into the night sky. Those born with the Ice Element could learn to freeze lakes and rivers. Those born with the element of Thunder could cause the storm of the ages. Everyone had one, yet no everyone would discover their element. There was no way to check either. Not even Catalyst technology could trace Sixth Sense Energy if they could, they likely would have harnessed its power by now. Alas, the world seemed to protect itself perfectly.
Energy Value varied between every human too, though you could tell if someone had a better understanding than the other. How much Sixth Sense energy does a human have flowing through them? It’s a fascinating question because there’s never a set answer. It fluctuates, it buries itself deep down, and it expels itself back into the world. But a person’s strength can be measured by how much energy they have deep down. While the answer is never clear, one can train their energy to grow, to expand, to become a power that no other could hope to wield. Like a Birth Element, magic can be grown into new forms, more powerful casts, more devastating depending on the person. Once again, this is like training all other senses. But the Sixth Sense only grows with the aims of a person. Their drive for what they want for the future is what rises the energy, and creates new forms of possibilities.
Then there is Mastery. Only a few obtain that level of energy, where they manage to master the elements, master the art of energy, and become one with Sixth Sense itself. Those of old were said to be most in tune with the world, and ones who lived in harmony with Sixth Sense. As time went on however, new ways of life arrived, and slowly the world became cut off from itself, the inhabitants grew distant from what breathed life into their world. This was no terrible thing however, for the world was still safe, it did not need to be constantly connected to the human race in order to keep the world alive. There were also still those that kept the world company in achieving this level of skill.
Sixth Sense enhanced everything about a person. It increased so many attributes of a person. Enhancing strength to take on great feats against nature itself. Raising the agility allowed one to perform incredible feats some could only dream of attempting. Balancing the vitality of one’s health, keeping one strong and active through even the toughest of times. Giving the gift of intelligence giving the mind new ways to solve problems and find solutions accordingly. Creating a new dexterity in one's coordination and daily lives. All of these could be trained, and even though exercise to a human was a vital way of the path to mastery, it was the person who ultimately determined how strong they could become.
If they willed themselves on a drive, and if the world responded to the call of the energy deep inside a human body, then strength, power, control, it would come in no time at all. But it had to be a drive the world saw as value, that was needed.

This was the path Edge had chosen. He was going to fight against the Catalysts, and compete in this Catalyst Challenge. He knew about the laws of sixth sense energy, his foster father, Sparda, had been able to achieve Mastery in his time. While Edge never expected that level of power, he still wanted to become strong enough to fight for his freedom, to return to his family.
It had only been three days, but deep down Edge felt like the world had heard his call. It would still take a while, weeks, months maybe, but Edge could feel strength. The past week had taught him a lot already.
When this started, he had been someone who lacked the motivation to do anything, to get up and find his place in the world. Now the world had forced him to find it, and he knew it was fighting alongside those who would no doubt soon rise up against the Catalysts. He was just waiting for a sign, a sign that finally, the fight had begun. When he saw or heard that sign, he’d take the sword in his hands now, and use it to fight for freedom.
Raising the sword above his head, Edge swung down, repeatedly, in a pattern. He needed to learn the way of the blade, learn the warrior’s way. This would be the routine until the time came to fight. There were still many days ahead to train and grow, and Edge would use every one of them as best as he could. Train his sixth sense energy to grow, train his body to grow in muscle and mass, and train his skills with the sword so he could take on these powerful machines.

* * *

Every night Edge took a new book out from the bookshelves in the living room. These were books Sparda had collected through the years, and each held so much knowledge.
Books on the blade, that taught new skills, new stances, ways to block and to counter. Ways to effectively cut down the toughest of materials and how the blade was just as much a part of you, as well as an extension of yourself.
Books on the elements of magic, their history, and how they had progressed throughout time. Scrolls that explained how to harness the power of magic and how to carry basic through to advanced level spells. Edge had hoped to find ones on expert level casting, but it seemed Sparda kept those under some form of lock and key. Where that key was...well it had to be around the house somewhere. That could be a fun distraction at some point in the future.

With night approaching, Edge decided now was the best time for a second workout. That way he’d be tired from the burn again, and he’d hopefully be able to get sound asleep. He hadn’t paid much attention to how the outside world was taking things right now, the priority was himself.
Muttering to himself to motivate, Edge made sure he had enough room to complete his next workout. Then after stretching out his body again, he began the second workout for the day.
Floor triceps, twelve of them.
Pike push-ups, twelve of them also which was easier on his nagging back from all the sword training.
After every few, Edge would stretch out on the floor, thirty seconds at a time. Stronger, he needed to get stronger.
He repeated the exercises he had just done, now lowering them down to ten each, making sure not to push himself too hard.
His workouts turned to more ground-based. Supine push-ups and hyperextension. Once those were done, he closed out his workout with the same push-up routine from earlier.
“One...two...three...”
Had to get stronger.
“Four...five...six...”
Had to move faster.
“Seven...eight...nine...”
Had to stay focused.
“Ten...eleven...twelve...”
Had to survive the Catalyst Challenge.
“Thirteen...four...teen...fifth...teen! Six...teen!”
With that last gasp, Edge held himself up, not waiting to lay down like he had been defeated. The second workout for the day was complete, and now it was time to retire and get a good night’s rest. He’d continue tomorrow.

But as Edge began to climb the stairs to bed, the Unavenged Sheath in his hand, he looked back towards the front door. It hadn’t been opened since he arrived, and no one had come to check either. At some point, he needed to go out there and see what the world had become. He had only ever heard noises from the garden, hearing people scared and worried about what was to come.
He had been thinking about people recently too. Lunar and Sparda were clearly not in the city, they would have come here by now, surely they would have if they were still in the city. Edge didn’t want to think about the less fortunate case.
But there were still some people out there that Edge wondered if he should check on. While he wasn’t the most social person in the world, there were two friends out there who may be just as scared as he was.

He wondered if it was worth the journey...

Next Time:

Edge & Red's Story

The Friendly Reunion

Descendence The Catalyst Stories #5 - Crystal & Alex's Story: The Personality Reform Part I & The Broken Blacksmith

The Catalyst Stories

Crystal’s Story

The Personality Reform Part I

‘Day 4’

How long had she been cooped up in her room since they had returned to Rich District? This Challenge was already proving too great for Crystal.
After waking up in the University, where she and Alex had spent the first night, they had been allowed to return to Rich District. They returned to the workshop, but Crystal hadn’t waited to get a welcome from the workshop owner. Instead, she had rushed upstairs to her room, and thrown the covers over her head, and tried to sleep away what she thought was still an aching nightmare.
Of course, when she opened her eyes, the barrier was still there. It would always be there in her mind now. That constant reminder that her thoughts of freedom were all lies, and she was now a prisoner of a sick game.
She felt sick herself. Crystal hadn’t eaten since she had gotten home. It was a chore for her to even get out of bed. She hadn’t changed her clothes, she hadn’t washed, she was just stagnant in life right now. She’d even forgotten what she looked like. How could the perfect day off become something like this? Her mind blamed herself, that she never should have gotten out of bed that morning either, that she had made matters worse. Her mind had a funny thing of tricking her to think that.
Yet there was nothing she could do. A trap within a trap, these walls enclosed by the dome outside, shining through the closed curtains. Every time she tried to will herself out of this bed, a sharp thought stuck through her mind like a knife, forcing her to stop the act of courage that was bottling up inside her. Crystal was starting to believe she could never overcome that feeling now.
Every now and then, there would be a knock at the door. Alex’s voice would always call through, asking if Crystal was okay. On the occasion, at least once a day, Alex would come in, and try to talk to her friend. But Crystal couldn’t bring the words forth to tell Alex what was going through her mind. It was better that way, no one needed her problems shifted onto their own person right now. Everyone out there was coping with it in a different way.
Why did she have to be one of those who could barely stand, to look out that window and face what was hanging over her head-on?
She wished...
She wished she could be that kind of person...

* * *

Alex’s Story

The Broken Blacksmith

‘Day 4’

“You’re not serious! Come on! You’re just-”
“I’ve made up my mind, Alex.” sighed Hermes. Alex was stood there, tears almost swelling down her face, as her mentor, and owner of the blacksmith workshop, Hermes, strapped a bag to his back.
“It’s times like these where I need to think where the priorities lay. It’s not here in this District.”
Alex watched as Hermes made his way over to the door, scratching his long brown beard, his shoulder-length hair brushing over his shoulders as he did. Hermes was a large man, but one who radiated the power of the hammer. He had taught Alex everything he knew, at least that was what he knew deep down, Alex, on the other hand, had other ideas.
He touched one of the walls of the main workshop. Countless works of his, hanging on the wall, placed perfectly in glass cases, all on display for customers.
There had not been one in four days now.
“I will admit, I will miss this place.” he said.
“Then don’t go!” begged Alex. She ran over, grasping his arm.
“I have to go and make sure my family is safe. My daughter, her fiancé, their children, they need me now more than ever. No one is coming here, Alex.” he said, patting the hand that gripped his arm.
“But...aren’t we family too?” she snapped. Hermes gave her a stern glare for a moment, and then a fondness crossed his brow.
“My dear apprentice. You and Crystal mean so much to me with everything you’ve done in helping me get the shop back to what it once was. That...that is why I have no fears in leaving both of you here, to continue that work.”
Alex looked up at him, confused as to why he was saying this. Hermes held Alex’s hand now and looked around the shop.
“I may have many works on these walls, swords, shields, and weapons that could very well aid some poor soul who does battle against the Catalysts in the future. But alas, as your time here grew, your very own works began to replace what was once mine. Don’t you see, my dear? My future lays with my family, and yours lays here, perfecting the future of the fight.” Hermes smiled.
Alex looked around the room, looking at the history of weaponry that stood around her.
“You can make this the best blacksmith in the city. This is your opportunity!”
Alex shook her head as she looked down.
“B-but what if things get worse? What if someone comes here and tries to take it all. I can’t possibly-”
“Now, now.” Hermes patted her hand lightly. “That doesn’t sound like the loud Alexandria Talos I know.”
Tears almost fell, but Alex managed to hold them back. This was already a test of strength, the first of many she’d fight in this Challenge.
After those words, Alex and Hermes gave their goodbyes. It was sad to leave without saying goodbye to Crystal, but Hermes knew that now was not the time to wish more bad news on the girls. He knew Alex would do whatever she could, not only for the shop but for her friend.
“Take care of her, Alex. She may not be ready yet, but with you here, and with the right motivation, I know Crystal will be back to her old self in no time.” he assured.
Alex held her arm, the nerves of taking that on when everything so far hadn’t worked.
“I...I don’t know if I can, Hermes. There’s only so much I can do for her. She won’t let me in.” she sighed.
Hermes scratched his beard and then gave a small chuckle, to which Alex responded with an odd expression.
“I always say, there’s always someone out there who can bring the best out of us. I stand by those words, even with what’s going on. If you’re not the one to do that, then I can’t say who can, but there’s always someone.” he tapped his nose.
Alex nodded with a courageous smile now. “Just like you bought the best out in me.” Wiping away the tears, Alex gave him a thumbs up.
“I won’t let you down, Master! Just you watch, by the time this is over, this’ll be the go-to place for all kinds of weaponry! I’ll make it all myself if I have to!” Alex grinned.
Hermes nodded at her enthusiasm, returning her thumbs up. “Now that sounds like the girl who I took on two years ago. I know you can do it, Alex. I leave the workshop in your capable hands. One day, people will come, and they’ll need you to step up. I don’t need to tell you to do that though, you’ve just proven to me you will.”
With those last words, Hermes departed from Rich District, his destination, Northern District, to find his family, and keep them as safe as he could.
That just left Alex and Crystal in the workshop. Now they owned this place, which meant there were going to be some changes. Alex knew it would take a while, but she had to keep strong. She had to prepare for what the future held for the shop itself.
She needed to make sure they were all stocked up on materials, she needed to make sure all the equipment was up to date and was working in order. She also needed to make sure her best friend got back up on her feet. It was a tall order, but there would be many more in the future. Alex considered this her first order of business.
“Okay. Let’s get to work!”

* * * 

‘Day 5’

Alex wiped the sweat off her brow as she looked around the workshop. The shop had the main shopping floor, and behind that was the workshop itself. This was where every material was melted and moulded into weapons of choice.
Stacks of different metallic ores, copper, iron, steel, silver, even a few leftover bars of gold, mainly used for hilts and other accessories.
The whole place had been cleaned, and it had sure needed a spring clean. During Hermes’ time, the number of cobwebs that had gathered. Alex was never a fussy clean person, but if she wanted this place to become the best of the best, it needed to look the best of the best.
She continued by polishing the cases, the weapons too, making sure there wasn’t a speck of dull dust on them. By the time she was done, the light was bouncing from one blade to another, the glass glistened, and the floor would welcome anyone in with a greeting shine.
There was still a lot that needed to be done, but for now, that would do. There was another matter that needed attending to.
Alex ascended the staircase that took her up to her living quarters. As she moved down the hallway, she looked over at the door furthest to the right, Crystal’s room.
As always, Alex gave a small knock. She had been drawing back with Crystal recently, trying not to cause any discomfort or negativity. But now that Alex had a goal in mind, she needed to stop pretending like Crystal was a fragile vase. Deep down she knew she was strong, strong enough to come back from this, and Alex was going to help her however she could, and that first step, was being herself.
“Hope you’re decent in there.” Alex called. She opened the door quicker than she had the past few days and bounced into the room.
“Just in case you get a little shock when you go downstairs, nope, we haven’t moved. I’ll have you know I’ve been cleaning up the shop and getting it ready for the grand re-opening!”
No response.
Alex moved around the room, hands behind her back, attempting to balance on each leg as she travelled around.
“I tell ya, few months' time, this place will be begging us to help out with everything. Just you watch, we’ll be the most popular blacksmiths in town!” she cheered while flexing, not that there was much to flex...
No response still.
Alex rolled her eyes as she looked towards the closed curtains. This was a risk to perform here and now.
“Obviously you’re not the sharpest blade in the sheath, but I bet I could rustle up a bit of the old smith dust and turn you into a natural! Not as good as me though, cause you know, I’m pretty awesome. Boy, is it dark in here.”
Yet again, no response.
Alex opened the curtains, letting light into the room for the first time in days. As she did, she saw the sight that sent so many mad now. The bright blue barrier hung over the sunset sky. Her weapons would do no good against such a thing, but she remembered the words of the High Lord.
Twenty five Catalyst MECHs. Each of them waiting to be destroyed. Weapons would be needed, and she was on the front line to assist those who need a blade to cut into the wires of the mighty.
She looked down now, there wasn’t much more she could say to try and convince Crystal.
“You know, I know you’ll be fine. Deep down I just got this feeling. I wonder if other childhood friends get something like that? You know you’re like a sister to me. As confident as I am that we can make this place a beacon of hope for the future...” She turned back to the lump in the duvet cover. “I’d be more confident if you were there standing next to me.”
With that said, Alex left the room, leaving the curtains open. That was all she could do now, by herself, no matter how funny or emotional she was being, it had to be the truth.
She did not close the door this time, instead, she left it open slightly ajar, just in case that gave Crystal a small boost.
Now it was time to focus on the shop again, but Alex knew she’d keep trying until her best friend felt better.

* * *

Crystal was still sat underneath the covers of her bed. But she wasn’t alone now, she had at least summoned the strength to get some form of food. Even if it was only a few slices of bread with some butter spread, her stomach had pushed her out of bed.
When she was certain Alex had left, Crystal slowly drew the duvet covers off of her head. She looked at the window, the bags under her eyes causing her to flinch as the light hit her face. She slowly climbed out of bed while finishing off her second slice.
Walking over, Crystal rested her head against the window as she swallowed her food. She looked dead-eyed at the barrier, taking in every inch of its colour, shaper, pattern, being. Her brow furrowed, as her head made a small screeching sound against the window.
The fear right now was gone, and all that now was...just nothing.
Crystal felt nothing right now. She wasn’t scared of the barrier anymore, she had grown in the past day to accept the reality. This was the end of the line, and she wanted off of this ride. She didn’t have the guts to actively do it, but there was no doubt in her mind now.
Crystal just didn’t care anymore, about anything.

Little did she know, that her new mindset would lead her to the thing she’d care about most in the world.

Next Time:

Edge’s Story

The Honing of My Craft Part I

Descendence The Catalyst Stories #4 - Crystal & Alex's Story: The First Day

Descendence

The Catalyst Stories

Crystal & Alex’s Story

The First Day

Her eyes flickered open at the sound of rapid knocking at the door.
“Crystal! Hey, Crystal! Are you up!?”
Crystal Inos raised her head slightly. She could barely see, her hair was a mess. Everything that was supposed to be at the back, was hanging and ragged at the front. She huffed as she turned over, sweeping her long brown hair back. On her bedside table, lay a small alarm clock. Seven o’clock in the morning.
With a loud groan, she turned back to her bed and slumped back down, closing her eyes tight.
“I heard that!” called the voice again, knocking away on the door once again.
“It’s only seven! Go back to bed!” Crystal moaned into her pillow.
Her eyes grew even tighter shut as she heard her bedroom door burst open. A woman the same age charged into the room, her best friend, Alex Talos.
“Rise and shine! It’s a brand new day!” Alex began to sing off-key in a loud pitching voice.
Even though Crystal was annoyed at the disruption, a small smile stretched across her face. She couldn’t help but be amused.
“I said it’s a brand new day!” Alex snapped as she rushed around the bed and pulled back the closed burgundy curtains. Light warped into the room, hitting Crystal’s eyelids. Now frustrated again, Crystal threw herself around so the light was no longer hitting her, even though she could still feel its warmth on the back of her head.
“Will you get out!” she replied. She then felt her bed bounce as Alex perched herself on the edge, bouncing up and down as she sat there.
“Can’t get out until you get up.” shrugged Alex.
“Give me like...five more minutes.” A yawn erupted from Crystal as she tried to get at least some form of extra sleep. Alex however, was having none of it.
“Want my advice-”
“I didn’t ask for it.”
“-You should have more early nights. Instead of spending all night writing in those journals of yours. If you want to be a writer, write a damn book already you nerd.”
Crystal’s eye flicked open as she now sat up, holding her duvet cover up to her chest as she faced Alex.
“I wasn’t writing. I just went into a bit of a daydream by the window and-”
“Probably dreaming about all the lovely burning hot metal that creates that steamy atmosphere in the workshop. I know you love it.” Alex winked as she hopped off the bed.
“You make it sound so heart-warming.” Crystal replied in a mocking tone. Alex now turned to her, hands on her hips with an evil grin.
“Come on now, we’ve got a big day ahead of us. Don’t make me pull that duvet off.” Alex said, raising her hands and moving her fingers as a pace Crystal had never seen so quick. She gripped the duvet hard and pulled it to her chest.
“Don’t you dare. I’m getting up, now get out.” she laughed.
As Alex began to skip out of the room she pointed at Crystal with a wink. “I see how it is, going commando, I like it. I’ll see you in the dining room!”
As she left Crystal couldn’t help but give an annoyed yet grateful sigh. She had been living with Alex for six months now, and while there were testing times, Crystal was happy she had moved in with her childhood best friend.

* * *

Crystal got ready like most mornings, but unlike today, she didn’t need to fetch her rough shirt, apron, and gloves that she’d be wearing for work. Today was the one day of the week she and Alex had off from their job at the blacksmith workshop in Rich District. It wasn’t where Crystal wanted to be, but she had to help pay the rent for the room somehow.
Both herself and Alex lived right above the workshop in fact, and the rent was pretty cheap for such a nice establishment. It was always incredibly warm though due to the furnaces and equipment downstairs in the back. They usually had to have the windows open wide. It created one heck of a battle in the Winter when they tried to find a balance between hot and cold.
Dressed and ready for the day, Crystal was wearing a nice sporting white shit, with a brown cropped overcoat. She had bought a pair of new denim jeans a week ago and now seemed like a fine time to start wearing them. As she entered the dining room, Alex offered a light wolf-whistle which made Crystal stop and pull a dramatic fake pose as she waved Alex away.
“Oh stop, you’ll make me blush.” she laughed as she began to get her breakfast.
“You want anything out of this? I don’t usually do fry ups, but I thought I’d try. It’s not burnt I promise.”
Crystal shook her head as she popped back up with a box of simple oats cereal.
“Seriously!? You eat that every day. Try something different.” said Alex.
Crystal moved over to their fridge, taking out the jug of milk on the bottom shelf, before putting them both on the counter while she fetched a bowl.
“Two things. One, it’s the only thing we have at the moment, we need to go and do a shop by the way. Second, the day I try your cooking is the day after the world turns upside down because I’m eating this and you can’t stop me.” replied Crystal.
“Wow. Some friend you are. Maybe I won’t cook for you.”
“Maybe you won’t have a choice. We’re all out. Enjoy that meal.” Crystal laughed as she made her way to the table with her breakfast. She could feel Alex’s cold glare on her neck as she did.
Alex continued to cook her meal, which came out at least semi-successfully. She sat opposite Crystal, take a chunk out of her two sausages before scooping up as many beans as she could.
“So, plan for today-”
“Do you have to talk with your mouth full?”
A pause.
“Yeah!”
Crystal sighed.
“So, plan for today. Eat up, head out into Catalyst District, see the sights, go to some shops, then head into Catalyst Circle.” Alex rambled as Crystal raised her brow.
“You know I’m not interested in that whole Catalyst technology mumbo jumbo stuff. Why can’t I just keep shopping while you watch the show?” she sighed.
Alex huffed and pouted. “Well excuse me for wanting to spend quality time with my best friend! Need I remind you I went with you, all the times you’ve wanted to get a make-over, all the haircuts, and manicures, pedicures, I’m-not-into-that- kind-of-stuff-icures-”
“Okay, okay, okay! You’ve made your point!” Crystal laughed as she finished her food.
With breakfast finished, both of them got ready to leave. As they did, Crystal shot a snide glare at Alex.
“I do wish you’d let someone cut your hair though, you’d look really good!”
“I ain’t letting no demon with blades near my hair. You saying you don’t like my style?”

* * *

The day out moved along like any other. Crystal and Alex managed to catch an early transit through Northern District into Catalyst District. Once there they slowly moved through the outer edges of the city, going further in as the day went on. The announcement was at 12:00 PM, so they had plenty of time to spare. Crystal found a lovely pair of new boots she thought would suit her great on a night out, and Alex secured a new set of gloves she was more than happy to use as a replacement for her...previous ones. The less said about those the better.
But as lunchtime approached, Crystal and Alex grabbed what they could from a nearby supermarket complex, and made their way to the centre of the city, to Catalyst Central.

The next half hour of their lives turned from two joyful friends laughing together, to two women staring up at the sky in fear...

High Lord Catalyst Hinoros announced The Catalyst Challenge, an event that would trap all humans living in Convexity. Their job, to locate and destroy twenty-five Catalyst-Made machines. The knowledge gifted upon them, that the Catalyst Barrier, which now sealed them within the city, granted an instant death upon touch. There was no way in or out anymore, this was the betrayal of the Catalysts.
When that being vanished from the eyes of the humans who had hoped to hear of a new defensive line of machines, the world turned into fear that split second.
Screams of panic filled the air, and the crowd that had been celebrating the view a Catalyst was now frantic to escape.

Crystal and Alex were among them on that first day...

* * *

‘Day 1’

“Crystal, come on, we need to leave now!” screamed Alex. She was pulling away at Crystal, who could barely move.
She was completely frozen in her mind, it was as if everything had ended and nothing had begun in her life. There was this moment of thought, deep thought, one where Crystal thought back to her whole life, experience every memory she had in a second.
It was a feeling in her chest that bought her back to her senses. Her chest felt tight, it felt like there was a pain she could not feel. Was she struggling to breathe? No, but it felt as if the life was being sucked out of her very body. She clutched at it as Alex appeared into view among the running crowd around them.
“Crystal! Hey, look at me! It’s okay, we’re going to get home, it’s okay!” It was clear Alex was only saying all of this to help her.
As Alex stood there, desperately pulling at her friend to move, she could already tell what was happening. There were times in the past Crystal had felt like this, when an attack had pounced upon her and she was unable to continue with her daily duties, and it was usually Alex that took it upon herself to help Crystal in those times.
But right now, even she was panicking. Not enough to have an anxiety attack like Crystal was having right now, but she had no idea where to go. Home was the obvious answer, but how did they get there? This whole city was falling apart, not literally, but the people around them, this was city-wide. How bad was it going to be outside of Catalyst Circle, in the city itself?
Between the pulling and the begging, Crystal could only blink as she looked around in fright. She was at the epicentre, and she already believed this day was her last. Through her panted breath she grabbed Alex tight.
“A-Alex...I don’t think...I don’t I can...I can’t-can’t.”
Crystal felt Alex’s cold hands hold her face and turn it towards her. “Listen to me, I know, okay? I know, it’s scary, it’s horrible. But we need to get home. We can get out of here, but we have to stick together. As long as we’re with each other, we’ll get through this. I promise!”
It didn’t instil confidence, but these were words Crystal needed to hear.
Although she wasn’t calming down anytime soon, she gripped Alex’s arm tight, and let her guide her away from Catalyst Circle. As they began to leave the centre of what seemed to be the apocalypse itself, Crystal looked back up. A bright blue beam, shooting high into the sky, creating that layer of thin matter. The Catalyst Barrier, that hung over the city sky high, and with a single touch, would end life in an instant...

* * *

As soon as they entered the main street, all they could see were people sprinting around, covering their heads, people falling on the ground in a huddled mess. The city was in a straight panic, everyone dashing around. Alex called out, saying they needed to find a way through to Rich District.
“We’ll have better security there, trust me on this!” she insisted as she pulled at Crystal’s arm. All the shopping they had bought, everything they had enjoyed finding throughout the day, had been left back in the centre of Catalyst Circle. This was no time to grow attached to new clothes, or the food they had stocked upon. What mattered right now was their lives. Everyone around them seemed to be going crazy, and that meant they needed to escape the Catalyst District.
Crystal and Alex ran down countless streets, navigating the sidewalks and roads, trying to find the safest routes through the onslaught of fear. But through every turn, there was a new obstacle that struck their hearts and minds deep.
Vehicles that did not care what stood in their path, tossing lives into the air. On another street, the select few who had already been pushed to the brink mentally, and had fallen from the high tops of buildings above.
Raiders, looters, criminals exposing themselves in the open, some old, some new, as they took what they could. As many supplies as they needed, and even things no one would need in the near future. Trinkets, expensive items no one could hope to buy in a city where the state of affairs as normal.
Convexity had become chaotic.
Crystal and Alex found their way to the main walls, which surrounded the Catalyst District. They just needed to find an entrance to the Western District, and from there they could make their way through towards Rich District.
The canyons that passed through for what could be a quicker route were too dangerous. No transport could move through that maze of rock, so they already knew that option was out of bounds for survival.
As they continued to move along, the chaos continued. They tried their best to stick to the walls of Central District, but the crowds pushed them deep into the road.
Crystal felt herself stumble time and time again as she tried to cover herself from the pieces of trash and hard objects people were throwing all around them.
“Clear the roads, you idiots! Clear the road! Oh, my-everyone clear the damn road!” Alex turned to see a civilian yelling at the top of his lungs as he motioned towards an oncoming transport that was speeding down the street. In a split second panic ruptured through her body as Alex watched people being thrown through the air at the might of a car bonnet. When she turned back to help Crystal further, she realised she was suddenly separated from her friend.
“Crystal!? Crystal!” she cried out, tears already swelling.
Crystal heard the cry and looked around. Her breathing quickened as she tried to call out. Her issues were besting her again as she wheezed a response. “A-Alex!”
Crystal was so focused on finding her friend...she did not notice the car rapidly approaching her.
“Look out!” cried a voice.
Crystal felt herself hit the ground hard as arms wrapped around her. For a moment she panicked that she had been attacked, but the arms left her as quickly as they had wrapped themselves around her. Whoever had tackled her had taken the hit of the ground, keeping her safe. As her wrap snapped up, she saw the transport ahead crash into a nearby building. Had it almost hit her? She had almost been killed by that, and if that person hadn’t saved her...
“Hey! Watch where you’re going you stupid creep!”
Crystal felt Alex lift her.
“You’re okay! I’m so sorry, I turned my head for a second and-”
“I-it’s okay, really! Let’s get out of here, come on!” Crystal didn’t know where her sudden determination came from, but being that close to death had suddenly pushed out her original fears. She didn’t understand if anything she should be more scared.
Whoever had saved her from the car had taken off into the city. It seemed there were still some decent people out there even during times like these...

* * *

Crystal and Alex had escaped Central District. Both of them now stood in the In-Between point between Central, Rich, and Western District. Hunched over, trying to catch their breath, Alex was the first to rise. She looked up and felt her eyes widen.
“Would you look at that thing...” she gasped.
Crystal looked up now too, still catching her breath. Above them lay the thick bright blue Catalyst Barrier. A piece of technology no human had had any knowledge of and had now trapped a portion of the human race inside the city.
“I don’t get it. What do they gain from something like that hanging over us?” Alex questioned out loud.
The fear was setting into Crystal again, and she quickly looked away. “Do you think we could...maybe not think too much on it right now? I don’t want to look at it.”
Alex gave her friend a concerned look. She had to step up here and make sure they got home safe. But she had no idea, neither of them did, on what the situations were like in other Districts now.
“It’ll take us a while, but we should start making the walk to Western District now. We don’t need to worry about anyone else but ourselves right now. We’ll take it slow...” She looked back up at the barrier, shivering. “We’ll try and stick under the trees...”

They followed the path slowly. Many around them did the same. Civilians who lived in the other Districts, some who were escaping from Central. You could tell who was who. Most sprinted past desperate to escape what they had seen, while others kept a pace wondering what they had just seen. It was still an uncomfortable situation, but things felt a bit more peaceful on the walk.
Neither Crystal nor Alex spoke a word the entire way to Western District. Neither of them had the words to say about what had happened. Occasionally though, Alex would put her hand on Crystal’s shoulder, just to see if she was okay. She was always met with the same weak smile, one that showed Crystal was putting on a brave face, but also one that was bottling up too much fear.
Hopefully, things would be better when they got back home, Alex was sure they were through the worst of this now.
Along that path, they heard countless questions from others.

“What the hell did we do to deserve this?”

“I can’t believe this...I just...I just can’t...”

“We can’t go back to Central, come on, the outer Districts will be safer.”

“Mum? Can’t we wait for Daddy?”
“He...he’s probably already home waiting for us.”

“We should have taken the Northern District route out.”
“Yeah right, that place is probably just as much a riot as Central. We’re better off going East.”

Alex kept her head down, but she kept her ears prone to every conversation going on around her. Hearing families that were separated, people who were lost with what to do now. No one could help each other right now, not when there was so much confusion. But she hoped one thing, that Western District wasn’t going to be as drastic in attitude as what they had just seen.

* * * 

There was no security at the gates to Western District, instead, people were just waltzing right in. As soon as Crystal and Alex entered, they took a deep sigh and moved forward.
Western District was the educational grounds of the city. In a way, it was one big school. Every group of education was housed here. Nurseries, primary, secondary, college, and university, all under the name of Convexity.
It also meant a lot of bigger families lived in this District. The housing was supplied to families who had children who were going to study here. A whole District where some spent their whole childhood. It had everything a family would need to survive. High processed stores with high-quality goods, sturdy quality living conditions, no wonder so many people were coming here. They would no doubt begin to process of stocking up on whatever they could given the quality. This was already the worst step to take. Some people here struggled enough as it was, despite being quality products, it wasn’t exactly cheap. With the chaos, it was only a matter of time before it reached this place, putting families, and many children in danger.
Crystal and Alex nonetheless, never thought about that was they trudged through the sobs and sighs of those who were resting now they were here. Those who had fled from Central were sitting around the main entranceway, right in the park centres. There was something peaceful about these people laying on the grassy patches, if their emotions weren’t so negative, it would have been just that. Ahead they could see the Catalyst Barrier slowly forming down, where over the District skyline, no doubt just beyond the University of Convexity, it connected to the ground, sealing them in.
Admittedly, Alex wanted to see just what it looked like when it was connected to the ground but now wasn’t the time. Things would need to die down before she started doing what she wanted to do again.
A thought crossed her mind, what about her work? How was that all going to be now? Would people need weapons more than ever now given the circumstances? The High Lord himself had said there were twenty-five machines that needed to be destroyed. What if this was an opportunity?
But what if it was also a cause for concern? Who could say people would need weapons and armours for this? What if they were criminals, looters, bandits? The thoughts made Alex shudder again. She had no idea what she was going to do.

It was when they reached the gate that connected to Rich District that everything went from bad to worse.
“What do you mean no one can enter!? We’re residents! We live there for crying out loud!” barked Alex. Behind her, Crystal stood frozen, her arms crossed, trying to hold whatever she had left together. The Human Legion security in front of her raised his hands.
“I’m sorry, miss. But we have to contain any potential threats to the District-”
Alex was already walking away while giving off a not-so-friendly gesture in her wake. As she reached Crystal, she tugged on her arm.
“Come on, we’ll find somewhere to stay for the night.”
“Alex, I just want to go home.” sighed Crystal.
“I know, but due to certain people!” She stressed this while shooting a glare back at the guard. “It...it looks like that ain’t happening tonight.”
Their first bet was to stay in one of the inns, which were mainly reserved for students, but also housed the occasional traveller.
That did not fare well. Most inns were packed with citizens begging for a bed for the night, and everywhere was practically full. Everything was too crowded from the onslaught of people, and Alex and Crystal were forced onto the streets.

* * *

“It’s just one night...” said Alex.
Both women had made their way to the University itself. It had only been a couple of years since they had both graduated from the place, so they were lucky their names still held some value. But there was no room inside for them to stay. Instead, they like many others who had been let in were relegated to the halls and classrooms of their form school.
They had been lucky enough to find a secure classroom, all secluded, and to themselves. The whole University had turned into a makeshift refugee camp. But by nightfall, the fears and cries of those who had no home anymore died down into a peaceful silence.
That didn’t stop Crystal shaking. Try as she might to sleep, her fear made her feel cold, defenceless, pointless. She looked over at Alex, who seemed fast asleep, turned away from her.
Even when Crystal closed her eyes to try and let sleep take her, she could see the faint pale blue light through her eyelids. The barrier shone through the windows at night, almost like a bright moon. It bounced off of the surfaces like water, casting a wavy reflection.
A small whimper escaped Crystal’s mouth as her eyes sprang open, a single tear falling down her face. She felt something touch her hand, and when she looked, Alex was still just as awake as she was, and was now holding her hand tightly.
“Hey, we’ll be okay. Just one night, remember? At least we’re not out on the streets, completely homeless.” she tried to assure her.
Crystal shook her head as she returned the grip. “What are we going to do, Alex?” she cried.
Alex herself was trying hard to fight back tears. It was hard enough being in this situation, but to see her friend seem so lost, she’d seen this sight many times before.
“We’re going to work it out, both of us. I don’t know where this whole thing will take us, but what I do know, is we’re going to smash it, each in our way.”
You turned on her back, putting her free arm around the back of her head, and smirking. “Just you wait and see, Crystal. We’re going to show those Catalysts how strong we really are. They ain’t tearing us apart!”
Crystal wished she could smile and share Alex’s optimism, but she couldn’t dig down enough to even try. She was scared, she was defeated, she wasn’t strong enough to cope with what was happening. In her mind, things were only going to get worse, and nothing good could come into her life right now...

Next Time

Crystal’s Story

The Personality Reform Part I

&

Alex’s Story

The Broken Blacksmith