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A World Without Him
Chapter 20
They stared. Stared and stared and stared and stared. They seemed frozen in shock, almost as if they had finally succumbed to the surrounding area's influence.
Tang didn't know what to do. Should he run? Shout? Try to blink this place away like it came to him in the first place? He didn't know. He couldn't figure out what to do. He should know what to do. But he didn't know anything.
What are they gonna do to me!? Oh my god oh my god oh mY GOD OH MY GOD- Can they touch me, take over me, KILL me?! AUUUUGH, I DON'T KNOW!
Cold sweat dripped down his neck, seemingly unaffected by the area as Tang took in short, raspy breaths. His throat felt as if it were on fire, and his eyelids begged him to shut, but he couldn't risk moving. He didn't want to trigger a response from whatever these things were. He didn't know what they could do.
This silent stand-off only continued. No one moved for what seemed like an eternity, the surroundings actually showing change from how long this had gone on for. The curtains parting behind the figures as a small syringe fell through a gap, slowly falling towards the hard, unforgiving floor.
Yet Tang stayed still, meeting the harsh gazes as if he was worried they would disappear out of view with the slightest coverage. His body started to shake as his hands gripped together so tight he would have been worried for blocked blood flow if not for this staring contest. The pain kept him focussed.
The syringe continued its descent as Tang started to waver. His jaw clenched as he tried to stay focussed, keeping him from changing the scene once again. His eyelids still started to fall, though, slowly encompassing more and more of his vision until he could no longer hold out. He was only human, after all.
As soon as he closed his eyes he shot them open once again, scared out of his mind now that the figures were out of his sight. The figures were gone, leaving empty air in their wake. His eyes immediately locked onto the syringe that kept its descent, still falling ever so slowly.
He wasn't out of the clear yet.
His breathing became more exasperated and frustrated as his eyes scoured the room, trying to find where those bastards hid now. He started standing up when his eyes failed him, his eyebrows pinching together in stressed concentration.
This finally brought them back out. Orange suddenly filled his vision as he tried to stand up, causing him to yelp and fall back into his chair. His limbs felt heavier than before, but he was too focussed on the blaring face of fear in front of him as the syringe continued to fall indoors the commotion.
“Oh fuck, he can definitely see us. Do you know what this means!? HE, CAN, SEE, US. That means our predictions all came to shit, and we wasted our time out here for all those years we could've been- UGHHHHH, we are so FUCKED when the Master hears of this!”
The face turned back and forth from focussing on Tang to focussing on the other figure, getting more hysterical as its mouth kept pouring out nonsense.
What are they going on about!? Masters, predictions, what even are these guys!?
However, through the sporadic jumble coming from the first one to the concerned expression on the other, they didn't seem hostile. They brought an odd sense of warmth now that they're closer to him. Tang was still weary, though, so he continued to stay put on his chair and tried to make out what this thing was saying. The syringe spun and flipped through the air, now only a foot above the ground as it seemed to fall faster.
“... and we thought the first time he was taken over that he had no aptitude! Master had to guide this doormat himself to even defeat that ice queen bitch, and even then it was just a combination circle! Is this why that bastard in the Between wanted this guy so badly!? What should we even do-”
“SHUT YOUR MOUTH. He isn't deaf, you know!” The older one shouted suddenly as he gestured to Tang, causing them both to look back at him while the poor scholar froze on the spot. “Now stop that running river of a mouth, and let's fix our mistakes. It clearly doesn't have a strong hold over him yet since he can see us now. You.” He suddenly addressed, looking at Tang with conviction as he pointed a finger straight to his face.
The scholar’s brows pinched together in worry. “Me???” He answered hysterically. The older figure moved quickly to crouch face to face with Tang. “We don't have much time here. I can't explain everything going on inside your head,” He started, quickly pointing at Tang’s forehead with a bony finger.
In the scholar’s peripheral vision, the blacks and whites started to fade, leaving small amounts of color. That can't be good. “But you must know that Thing that you're bound with cannot be trusted. It takes, it harms, it consumes everything it can get ahold of. We've had many like you before, trying to harness its power for mortal gain, but it never ends well.”
The tattered clothing of the older figure suddenly rammed into Tang's mind again, how this figure seemed to have almost been torn completely apart, similar to the cracks throughout the skin of the other figure.
“You must stay awake for all of our sakes. Don't let that menace back into your body, no matter what hellscape you might find yourself in.” It had a look of pure rage as it spat the warnings out, this emotion being the most prominent that Tang’s seen of it this entire time. The syringe is only a few inches off the ground, the blue liquid contained within it gaining back its hue.
“Don't let that thing manipulate you, control you, TALK TO YOU.” The other interjected, pushing the older one aside as the surroundings started to gain color rapidly.
“You need to make sure that it doesn't sink its teeth into you further.”
Indignation filled Tang as these warnings only gave more questions, more of the unknown that he couldn't predict. “THEN WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO NOW?! YOU SAID I'M STUCK WITH IT BUT WHAT DOES THAT MEAN!? HOW DO I GET IT TO GO AWAY!? IS IT THIS STUPID SCRAP OF METAL?!” He stands up harshly, waving the wrist with the bell in front of the figure's faces. The syringe falls and falls and falls as Tang’s legs refuse to cooperate, buckling underneath him.
“No, no, NO. We need more time-”
“Stay in the village and avoid the monastery at all costs! WE NEED YOU ALIVE-”
*CRASH*
The syringe connects with the floor as Tang hits the ground, pieces of glass quickly covering the ground. He looks up wildly, seeing all the eyes look towards his hunched figure. Red Hair is back in her seat, her clipboard nowhere in sight as Manex hovers over his form from behind.
His eyes water so much that streaks flow down his face in waves, his knees aching from the collapse as his ears ring from the sudden influx of sounds. Through blurry vision, Tang sees Zach asleep in the bed. A voice knocks him back into this reality.
“Why is the staff rushing outside?” The old man asks, slowly standing up and pushing the glass shards away with his cane without a care as he looks outside. Manex quickly walks up to join him, having to dodge another staff member when he barreled out of the tent with numbers of supplies in his arms.
Now that Tang is focussing again, he hears shouting all across the tent from medical staff, heavy footsteps drowning out most of the current patients groans or cries. Aggressive Guy shoots his head up with a concerned look, a hand hovering over his M17 pistol cautiously while Red Hair does the same.
One staff member slowed down in front of the tent after a few more ran out in a panic, focussing only on the old man. Fear was clearly painted on her face. “A second surprise attack was issued after the initial attack on the Waning District which took out most of the cleaners and remaining soldiers on site. We need all hands on deck as there may be even more casualties under the rubble that the cleaners hadn't gotten to yet.”
She gave a slight bow of her head before she rushed off with the others. Manex bit her lip as the old man sighed. “Why can't they just let us have this? What more can they take from me?” He leans on his cane and rubs his nose bridge in frustration.
Red Hair and Aggressive Guy both stand up quickly, their stature secure and ready for orders. “Harrison and Smith, you both go and survey the damage while protecting the medical staff and remaining cleaners from anymore attacks. Manex, you come with me to the HHC.”
The old man then looks down at Tang’s pitiful form, a cold and curious look crossing over his face as he narrows his eyes. “And you, lucky prisoner, will join the cleanup mission. They may need someone to look out for triggers, be an extra pair of hands, or scream when the next attack might come. Now go along with Harrison. I promise he doesn't bite. Much.”
The old man then exited the tent with Manex following close behind and Smith along with them. Now it was only Tang and Harrison still in the room, and this guy's face is the complete opposite of happy. A single tear ran down the scholar’s face. I’m so screwed.
Previous | Next | Start
A World Without Him
Chapter 16
Tang couldn't feel his legs. Or his arms. Or even his torso, for that matter. He couldn't feel anything. It felt wrong, like he wasn't connected to the world anymore. Like he couldn't even try to scream or yell or shout at his troubles when there isn't anything to hold onto in the first place… where did my throat go…?
He continued to float(? he couldn't really describe what he was feeling). Nothing changed; nothing burned his eyes out of his skull, nothing overloaded his hearing with whispers, nothing grabbed or scratched with such desperation. For some reason, this didn't feel like his void. It couldn't be. It just felt wrong…
But before he could ponder anymore, he felt a slight pull. It was yanking at what he assumed was his wrist, dragging his arm (which he could now feel, even if it was mainly just static) towards somewhere unknown.
He didn't react, though. Well, it was more like he couldn't. Everything just felt numb. Nothing he could try would affect anything here, even his differing emotions. And so he just silently swayed with little apprehension; the pull grew stronger and stronger, enveloping his body with heavy pressure that seemed to swallow him whole.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
He could feel his body again. Scratchy blood, thin sheets, a hard mattress, and a pounding headache all came in a rush, forcing Tang to stir at the sudden feeling. He sat up slowly, rubbing his temples as his ratty hair hung on his neck. He felt like he hadn't slept at all.
Blinking spots out of his eyes, he noticed he didn't seem to be the only one up at this time. He could hear someone mumbling to themself rapidly, someone chatting with another about boring topics such as supply routes and drills, and one that seemed to be meditating as they breathed loudly while sitting perfectly still on their bed.
He couldn't really see any of these people, though, as his glasses were still under his bed. Well, hopefully, that is. He had just started to lean over and under his bed when loud feedback drowned out any other noise and caused him to flinch, alerting everyone at the camp of an announcement.
“Attention all soldiers and workers! This is your daily wake up call! Soldiers, go to your respective training facilities and check in with your superiors. Workers, you should head out to your assigned buildings immediately! You have 30 minutes for hygiene before your time is up, and any late participants will be punished accordingly! That is all.”
The speakers clicked off and everyone around Tang started to rise, quickly gathering what seemed to be uniforms by the matching colors. They all left the beds messy and carelessly pushed the tent flaps aside as they walked out. Tang scrambled to grab his glasses, and when he had them on there were only 2 people still in the tent.
He quickly looked for his own uniform, finding it under his rickety bedside table. It was just a dark blue outfit of a t-shirt and long pants. He grabbed them and his boots harshly before sprinting to the front of the tent, which wasn't that fast considering his exhaustion.
Oddly, there was someone still in the tent when he got to the flaps. Through his harbored breath Tang saw that he was probably a punished soldier by the slight tanning and the ramrod posture the guy had. He was kind of skinny, with short brown hair that was greased back and piercing brown eyes as he stared him down.
Tang didn't know what the guy’s problem was, and he didn't want to find out as he threw the flaps out of the way and hurried to what he assumed was his group. They were standing together in front of the fountain, surrounded by other soldiers in their own green and brown uniforms.
He walked over nervously, shuffling to the back of the group as one of the soldiers around them spoke up. “Welcome back malingerers. Today you're doing something fairly simple: manual labor in building 6. You can thank the fresh meat for that one. He could barely stand syraight for more than half a second on arrival.” The soldier seemed smug as all the group turned to stare at him, causing Tang to start fidgeting nervously.
It was like they were seeing an interesting bug on the ground. Noticing how he moved, looked like, and seeing if he could be a threat or should just leave him be for natural selection to take its course. They seemed to deem him uninteresting, thankfully, with most of them turning their heads back to the front except one.
That one had greasy black hair going in all directions. His eyes seemed crazed as they were wide and bloodshot while he stared into the back of Tang’s head. Tang tried to ignore the clear wacko, turning his head back with the others. Of course I'm already being targeted by the insane character.
“You’ll start working with supervision from 8 AM until the soldier in charge, ME, signs you off and walks you back to your tent. The bathrooms are near the entrance, and is where I'll be leaving you all to change and shower if need be. Now follow along.” The soldier smirked as he started to walk back and towards a one-story brick building.
They all followed without much hassle, except for two of the guys near the front which everyone had to pass by. One was laying on the ground and refusing to move, even with threats of violence by the chaperones, and the other started to wander off and had to be dragged back multiple times. Both were being heavily chastised, but everything said to them seemed to go in one ear and then out the other.
Walking past those two while holding his clothes tightly to his chest, Tang hurried through the double glass doors. He was struck with the violent glow of fluorescent lights as he stumbled in, accidently knocking into the guy in front of him. The guy had no reaction other than staring ahead with a blank expression.
Mumbling out a short apology, Tang stepped back and looked up at his surroundings. It wasn't as big as he’d expected, but that's probably because of the washing machines lining the left and right walls. Foldable tables were scattered on the empty floor, with people in that same blue uniform milling about and scrubbing those brown and green uniforms.
This is depressing. He thought, seeing how everyone seemed dead inside or completely up in the clouds. After these short observations, he saw everyone headed towards the bathrooms, and he decided to do the same. This was mainly to clean himself up after that attack: the dried blood with the assorted dirt and leaves on him was starting to become unbearable.
Walking through the door with everyone else, Tang booked it towards the nearest sink. He set down his clothes between his feet and rolled up his dirty sleeves, taking off the guaz above his elbow and starting to scrub the hell out of his arms with the cheap hand soap provided. Ignoring the odd absence of the cut from the interrogation, he focussed on how the flakes of red and black slowly swirled down the drain. After that water finally became clear of either color, he grabbed an old wash cloth to dry off.
He heard some start to take showers, with the sounds of running water filling the bathroom. He thought of doing the same, but he wouldn't know where anything would be, probably leaving him naked in the middle of these people. Quickly discarding that idea, he turned to the mirror above his sink.
He saw the small scrapes and smudges that dotted across his face first, most likely from when he was “passed out” and Cian did whatever it did. The second Thing he noticed was his hair. It easily passed his shoulders now, and has some streaks that were lighter than the rest. It was matted from sleep and filled with grime from when he got here. He could only groan. This'll take at least most of the next paragraph to take care of.
He started picking out the big stuff, like dead grass, and brushing out what he could with his fingers. It hurt, obviously, but now it was only slightly bad to look at. He looked around and saw a small cupboard between a few sinks down, hopefully holding a hair brush. But then, when shuffling his feet, he caused his pile of clothes to fall over and the roll of gauze he got last night to roll a good couple of feet before bumping into a wall and falling pathetically.
Tang looked at it confused. He didn't remember picking it up. However, he doesn't remember much of anything to begin with, and he probably just packed it between the uniform by mistake. He picked his stuff up and walked over to the roll, picking it up too and heading to the cupboard. When he looked in it, all he could find was air freshener and some toilet paper packed into a corner.
Closing the cupboard, he turned around and almost immediately bumped into another person, causing Tang to stumble back and the guy to fall onto his butt. “Dang it… hey, are you okay?” Tang spoke slowly, holding onto his clothes a bit tighter.
The guy just nodded, pushing himself up and dusting off his clothes. He had medium length gray hair with messy bangs that covered his eyes. He looked pale, but Tang guessed that was how he normally looked based on how the guy wasn't thin in any way you put it. He looked like he could probably snap Tang’s neck in 5 seconds if he truly wanted to, which made it weird how easily he fell.
Awkward silence engulfed them, with Tang averting eye contact and the guy fidgeting his his hands. Suddenly, the guy went to pull something out of the cupboard behind Tang, making the scholar flinch away as the guy retrieved… a brush?
To be fair, it wasn't anything high quality, but a brush was a brush. Tang only had some shreds of dignity left, and he really didn't want to waste them begging some trouble maker for a pink plastic hair brush. But, thankfully, before he could give it up, the guy silently shoved the brush into Tang's chest.
After some slight shock at it being easily handed over, he noticed he notion felt oddly familiar. “Hey wait, weren't you the guy who gave me gauze last night?”
The guy nodded. “Oh. Thanks for that, I guess. There isn't even any scarring… Uhm, anyways, what's your name?”
The guy pointed to a name tag on his shirt. Well, the term name tag is being generous. It was really just a piece of duct tape on his chest. It read “Carlson F”.
“Well, n-nice to meet you. Thanks for the brush, by the way. How did you even find that? I didn't see anything other than-”
“It's ‘cause he stole it from the women's bathroom and hid it behind the toilet paper.” A cocky voice interrupted. Tang swerved his head towards the source; the guy was leaning against the wall with a small grin. He had short black hair, with small purple highlights throughout.
He took some steps forward towards the two. “You can call me Rick.” Rick held a hand out for Tang, and he shook it nervously. Rick raised an eyebrow at that.
“C'mon~ there's no reason to be so tense here! Is it because Carry here showed you you're stuck with a bunch of “lunatics”?” Rick’s grin grew sharp at the final word, staring Carlson down. Carlson responded with a glare back.
“Well, no. I, uh-” Tang tried fumbling for a coherent answer, but was saved the effort by a shout near the entrance of the bathroom.
“5 minutes, people! Every minute of work skipped is a lap around the camp!” The soldier in charge yelled out. Rick just rolled his eyes and let Tang's hand go, and Carlson left them both to head out of the bathroom.
Rick threw an arm around Tang's shoulders. “A word of advice. Carry only acts in his own self interest. He's in here because he tried to desert his post near where you popped up. He'll probably use you as a scape-goat if he tries to escape again, since you're the talk of the town right now. Don't trust him, or anyone here, for that matter; other than me of course.” Rick whispered with a wink before walking out of the bathroom himself.
Tang just grimaced, looking down at the hair brush he was given. He was obviously suspicious, and didn't know who he could rely on here. Pushing that problem off for another time, Tang quickly changed into his uniform with the combat boots.
He had wrangled his hair best he could, but there's only so much he could do in 3 minutes. His hair stuck out awkwardly in the braid he made, but he was happy with it and tied the end with some of the gauze he got from Carlson. He rushed to the door after he was finished, getting out only seconds before the head soldier blew his whistle.
“Alright. Y’all already know the drill down here. One of you, go help pipsqueak operate the machines correctly.” The soldier said absent-mindedly waving a hand at the group.
Tang got offended at the blatant insult. “I know how to work a washing machine-”
“No one here cares, noodle arms. Now, is anyone gonna volunteer, or do I have to- oh, Carlson. Didn't expect the lazy grunt to be up for more work. Well, that works for me I guess. Go to your stations and start doing something useful.” The soldier shoos away the group, leaving Carl and Tang standing next to each other.
And then, before the scholar could ask anything, Carl took Tang's arm and started to drag him between the tables, leading him to what he assumed would be his work station with all the other poor souls working for less than minimum wage.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It had been a bit difficult learning which button does what and how to get rid of stains of all kinds with someone who doesn't talk, but it worked out in the end. Everyone here basically had to wash and dry uniforms, sheets, tents, etc, for a good chunk of the camp.
It's good that Tang is the best at zoning out during tedious work, or else he probably would've become brain dead at the repeating tasks. No one caused any trouble surprisingly, which Tang was thankful for, but he also wished that he wasn't even here. That he had free reign to read and discuss things with his old friends like he wanted to do in the first place.
His stomach cramped at the thought of having tea with his colleagues. They had breakfast bars handed out to them near the start of his work, but they were as bland and unfilling as soaked cardboard. He sighs, thinking back to Pigsy’s noodles and how he would probably kill just to taste them again, even if he was still stuck here.
He had just finished cleaning mud off some pants when he was knocked out of his thoughts by a slight tug on his wrist. Looking up, he saw Cian sitting on his table and looking at him with its head tilted in question.
‘What exactly are you doing?’
After throwing the pants into the machine to his left, he picked up a shirt with blood on the sleeves and started working on that. Manual labor. Stuff they make prisoners do while they're stuck.
Cian observed Tang’s expression, seeing the stress in the creases of the scholar's forehead. ‘I scoped the area out last night. The place we came in is now heavily guarded with at least 4 people actively patrolling around it.’
Tang finished scrubbing the blood on one sleeve, moving to the other. So we really can't leave?
‘I never said that. I just need time to recharge after getting you away from the earlier attack.’
He finished the other sleeves, chucking the shirt into the machine and picking up another shirt, but now covered in what seemed to be ketchup. And this is why I need to learn my own abilities. I have bubble shields I've used before! Can you show me how to enhance that, or at least use it on command?
‘That power is one I'm… unfamiliar with. I never seemed to have needed a shield in my life, so I never needed to activate it. I can't help you with that one.’
The ketchup on the shirt refused to go away, no matter how much scrubbing or chemicals Tang threw at it. He grumbled angrily and shoved it harshly into the machine, adding detergent before closing the door and starting it up. ...How long do you need?
‘At least a week. I'm sorry, but you'll have to be stuck in this place for a good long while.’
Tang just yelled into the air, smashing his head against his station table. Many people looked in his direction before going back to their own jobs, pitying the new soul trapped in the same cycle as them all.
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My theory is that Mimzy was once Alastor’s best friend, he maybe even thought he might have been in love with her at one point, in that manner aroace people who don’t know they’re aroace often do, that she was then sacrificed by this cult, and that Alastor had them infiltrated and taken down every member of that cult over decades, losing more and more of himself each time as those he killed grew less and less directly connected to the crime, “sorry you just got in my way, maybe I enjoy it just a little bit does that make me insane”, but that in the act of doing so, that contradiction of righteous intent and pure depravity, along with whatever ritual for power the cult had initially started upon, let’s say in honour of Roo (the root of all evil in the Hellaverse, a character yet to be introduced), and that on Alastor’s eventual death, he then found himself in Hell all-powerful, and set about bringing down those Overlords beneath his power continuing this moral code, until he hit a wall, finding himself having ended all Overlords less powerful than him / otherwise came to his senses on meeting Mimzy again and finding her to have gone to hell, recognising that “weren’t you an old pal of mine” and really nothing more and deciding mere power, entertainment is all he now desires. But that still, out of obligation, that he must kill Lucifer, the Devil, for a sense of completion, while still being allowed to exist himself afterward. Which leads to whatever deal he ended up trapped in seven years before the events of the series, and him getting Charlie to make a deal with him to “harm no one” at a certain point in the future: to ensure that when the time comes that he will be able to kill Lucifer, and the one person able to stop him won’t be able to. To really make Alastor a true Exterminator, more measured, the embodiment of how the road to Hell is paved with good intentions.
Huh, interesting take! I didn't think the Insane song was canon, but maybe I was just misinformed. I've never really thought of Alastor having his path of vengence and righteousness leading him towards hell, but I can see a lot of potential with it!
How Alastor had been barely keeping it together in his life already, and the one person he really cares about gets killed by a freaky cult? Yeah, I'd understand his murder spree now.
Maybe the cult ate Mimzy's body for the ritual, and Alastor returned the favor, starting his cannibalistic tendencies. But I'm not sure because Mimzy didn't have any indication of that on her sinner form from what we've seen.
I also saw a similar theory with the exterminator Alastor part, where he might've originally been in heaven, but when forced through the exterminator program, let his violent tendencies take over.
I do like the cult part. Maybe this caused what Alastor was referring to when he had his interlude in the finale song, with red eyes (that I just noticed after a rewatch) following him from his crash sight to the radio tower.
Those eyes look very similar to Roo's concept art. Maybe Roo found him because he killed a lot of her followers and made a contract with him to keep him under her thumb in the long run, making sure he doesn't interrupt her plans again.
A World Without Him
Chapter 18
Tang barely had any time to process what the soldier said before she started moving away, managing to get further and further out of reach before he could even respond. He scrambled to catch up, tripping more times than he could count from the bumps and potholes in the road.
She said Zach woke up. If it was that fast, his injury must not have been that serious. I'm glad he's ok. Hopefully he'll be well enough to speak. Thoughts like this filled his head as he caught up to her. He was being taken down the main road, and the soldier, thankfully giving Tang's ankles and psyche some semblance of rest, eventually slowed her pace for him and didn't say anything else.
He took a minute to catch his breath next to her, holding a hand over his chest as they went past many people working for the day. He saw patrolling guards chatting with each other, workers transporting goods in wooden crates, and many other people cleaning buildings or reinforcing the barricade set up between the trees.
Wait, there's a barricade? Tang did a double take, staring at the giant wooden configuration behind all the greenhouses and work buildings. He… never noticed it before. It's no wonder why those officials were so uptight at my arrival. How did I get past that thing unnoticed?...
Squinting his eyes and looking closer beyond the camp, he could see the outline of a huge, wooden wall situated in the surrounding forest. It had almost twice the amount of soldiers patrolling it compared to the main area, and all of them wore strange masks on their faces unlike everyone inside. Each one had the exact same pattern: bright neon coloring with a complex symbol repeated over the dark fabric.
As soon as he saw them, Tang noticed his gut start to sink subconsciously. A feeling of something being just out of place burrowed into his head as he continued to stare at the masks. He just couldn't take his eyes off of them, and yet, looking at those things for too long was starting to make his skin crawl uncontrollably.
This feeling got so intense that he didn't even realize he had stopped walking. His eyes were hollow as his surroundings blurred, the initial fatigue and mission forgotten in the huge surge of unease. He probably would've stayed that way, too, if not for a hand landing violently onto his shoulder, bringing him back to reality.
He spun away sharply from the wooden border and toward the hand's source, blinking dumbly when he and the guide were face to face again. Her eyes narrowed at him, the strong grip on his shoulder grounding him in place.
“What are you doing?” She asked suspiciously, glancing to where he was staring so intently at.
Tang waved his hands in surrender, quickly trying to come up with an excuse. “Oh! Well, erm, I was just looking at all the new places and people here. Never a dull moment when everyone is constantly moving and doing something around this place. This is really the first time I've seen more of the area after all that lifeless busy work, so I guess I got a bit overwhelmed at the-”
“Ok, ok. Let's just get going. He doesn't like when people are late.” She interrupted, letting his shoulder go and turning back to the road. Tang decided to ignore that very ominous comment at the end for his own (fickle) sanity, now focussing on anything other than the barricade or whatever would be close to it. This apprehension eventually led him back to his guide.
Small details filled his brain as he observed, hands itching for his sketchbook to let his hands do something. From a quick once-over, the woman seemed to be no older than 30, with her silky black hair tied into a tight bun and her gray eyes filled with trained apathy, any of her thoughts or emotions hidden away from onlookers.
He also noticed she seemed highly ranked. She had a hat like the Head Soldier, and it was one that had more badges and stripes on it as well.
Looking away from the soldier in front of him, Tang let his legs rest while taking slow, careful steps. The soldier then stayed with his rhythm, never letting him get too far behind in his fluctuating pace. After a while of walking, he startled to fiddle with the bell on his wrist as his mind drifted from the guide, getting distracted by the surrounding area again. He didn't look past the buildings now.
Anyways, he saw in real time how the developed buildings thinned out as tents or dirt training grounds overtook the leftover space. The other soldiers on these grounds seem to have just started their afternoon drills, running laps, shooting guns at targets, and holding planks as the duo walked past.
They never did stop for any of these new settlements, though, just calmly walking further and further past them, with all of those places also eventually thinning out leaving only the forest and wooden barrier. Only after even the hum of shouted drills and stomping feet faded into the background, did the guide finally stop her pace and turn to face Tang.
“We're going to an undisclosed location for the meeting with your companion. Since it is located outside of this base, I'll need you to wear a blindfold for the rest of our trek. This is just a safety precaution, so please try not to struggle.” She said curtly while leading him aside and right onto the edge of the surrounding forest.
She then pulled a long piece of navy cloth out of one of her many pockets while Tang nervously took off his glasses and hung them on his uniform collar. He couldn't see anything clearly without them, and it wasn't like he could memorize the entire layout of the woods from one trip, but he was betting that the soldier wouldn't trust his words as far as she could throw him. (Well, he might have to rephrase that as from her arms alone, as she looks like she could definitely throw him at least a few feet if needed)
She quickly wrapped the cloth around his head, tying a knot in the back so tight that Tang couldn't see even the tiniest slivers of light coming through it. “Thank you for your cooperation. I'm sorry for the inconvenience, but we don't have any leniency for leaks. I'll try my best to keep you from tripping or hitting anything on our way there.”
Her voice had the barest hint of emotion as she apologized. It was noticeable compared to her cold demeanor from when she first walked up to him: a small pang of sympathy in her tone. Tang just nodded his head, hopefully in her direction as he guessed from her previous apology.
She then, slowly and gently, grabbed his wrist and started to walk into the forest brush. It was a strong hold, but one that wasn't bruising or harsh against his raw skin. Tang was grateful for the small mercy as they continued.
They had a small stop at what Tang assumed was the barrier, his guide whispering with what was probably a guard before said guard opened up what sounded like a heavy door, based on how it dragged on the dirt floor, and let them through.
The sounds of the rustling leaves and the small chirps of birds were the only things Tang could make out clearly. The breeze that made the sound ruffled his clothes, blew dead leaves through the air, (with some smacking Tang straight in the face due to his loss of sight. One leaf even made it down his throat and he had to cough for a solid minute, hunched against a tree with the soldier patting his back hard to get it out) and left his loose wisps of hair to wave in the wind as he walked.
The guide didn't say or do much other than lead him through the forest, but she did mutter small warnings for roots to step over or branches to duck under (which he would be grateful for if not for her lack of warning for the flying leaves of all things. Maybe that was on him for almost dying to something as stupid as that, though). He didn't want another face full of dirt or whatever else there was in here.
But it's not like he's in a place where he can complain.
After being made to take too many nonsensical detours and sometimes even backtracking more times than he could count, the scenery around them finally started to change. The ground of dead leaves and dirt smoothed out into plain grass as he was apparently led out of the forest.
The guide then put a hand on his chest, signaling him to stop, and let go of his wrist, leaving Tang for a second before speaking up, now behind him. “We've arrived.” Was the only thing she said as she undid the blindfold.
His eyes were immediately overwhelmed at the harsh sunlight, leaving Tang squinting hard and blinking out the spots. Once his eyes adjusted, he reached for the glasses on his collar and put them on, readying himself for what he was about to see.
Tang's reaction was immediate. His eyes, initially slightly curious and tired, were now high sprung and alert, flicking from place to place as he looked over what was before him.
The area seemed as if it was flattened out, most of the ground being only flat grass with the trees circling around the cutout. That was except for two hills, one straight ahead and the other to Tang's left, and a lake, or what was left of it with the water being less than a foot deep, to the right.
On the left hill stood a dead willow tree, a bizarre sight as the surrounding wood was mostly pine. However, the center hill is what really caught his eye. It was big, at least 5 feet tall, and was more of a slope down as it took up half the cutout.
On top of it was a giant stone monastery with cracks, vines, and other signs of wear scattered around showing its age. It had a wide arch as an entrance, with dirt steps carved out of the hill it was atop leading up to it.
Oh no. Was Tang’s only thought. It repeated over and over in his head as he was grabbed by his wrist yet again and was led toward the huge building. There were other smaller setups next to the building, but he didn't pay attention to them. The huge stone menace burned into his brain, invoking emotions deep down in his gut he thought he had long forgotten.
They had reached the dirt stairs in no time. Each step put a load onto Tang’s shoulders as he couldn't stop his emotions and thoughts from overflowing and filling his head with jumbled garbage he couldn't make any sense of. They just kept getting closer and closer, and he didn't want to know what would happen to him when he went past that entrance if this was his reaction to merely looking at it.
His stomach dropped as they reached the top. He craned his neck up to look at the intricate detailing lining the archway, moving his head away from what was past this point. He braced himself for what was to come, his hands clammy as he clenched his fists in anticipation.
They walked forward…
And then turned to the right.
Tang’s whiplash from deep dread to straight up confusion caused him to blink hard a few times to regain his bearings. Looking back up, they were still walking along the side of the monastery, not going inside as he had thought. He turned his head back behind him, seeing the archway getting farther and farther away.
A huge feeling of what seemed to be relief filled his senses, letting him focus back onto where they were actually going. Twisting his head back to the front, he saw that up ahead was one of the biggest tents he had ever seen in this camp.
It was almost triple the normal size compared to where he was being monitored, and had more workers surrounding as they ran in and out rapidly, delivering or taking many things at once. One even ran past them, almost bumping into him, and towards the entrance of the monastery with what seemed like a pile of used needles.
Tang already had a good idea of what this place was supposed to be even before being ushered into the tent. The inside was even crazier than the outside. Rows of beds lined the interior as people dressed in white ran around either preparing equipment or checking up on a current patient.
Countless grounds and cries echoed through the tent, though this noise was something Tang was used to by now. This didn't seem like the case for his guide, though, as she scrunched her brow and held onto his wrist a bit tight as she pulled him through the chaos.
Many different patients and injuries flew by him as they ran through. Burns, amputation, concussions, and major lacerations were the main things he could catch glimpses of through all the medical personnel. This made him wonder why these people were in such bad shape in the first place.
But he wasn't able to ask before he was suddenly pulled away and into a section near the back closed off by multiple white curtains. Soldiers were also situated right outside of the closed off area, giving away who was probably in the bed in front of him.
Zach looked worse for wear. His eyes were tired as he was surrounded by many more personnel, checking his vitals and IV as they asked him questions. Tang could barely hear his answers from how quiet they were, almost being drowned out from the other commotion surrounding them.
But almost as soon as he sat down next to the bed, all the personnel seemed to quicken up their pace, hushing each other as each one sprinted out of there in record time. The only people left by then were him, his guide standing next to him, and Zach, not including the soldiers stationed outside.
And awkward silence was cast among them. Tang really didn't know what to do here, as he's only known Zach for a day at most and didn't know how to comfort the kid. Luckily, he was saved the trouble as loud footsteps came close to the area, causing the guide to perk up and walk over to the entrance.
Hushed words were exchanged with whoever was on the other side, their body being obscured by the white curtains. The conversation seemed to go sour almost immediately, though, with his guide getting cut off at just one harsh command, leaving her quiet.
She came back in with her face schooled again, regaining her place next to Tang and putting her hands behind her back. Then the curtains parted yet again, revealing whoever she had been talking with.
To Tang's surprise, it was an elderly man, one who was wearing tan robes and held a wooden cane. He had a full head of white and gray hair, eyes a dark brown as he glanced at the guide. Looking away, he slowly walked over to an empty chair and plopped himself down across from Tang with Zach between them on the bed.
The old man kept his head down as he only glanced up, staring Tang down with a harsh look the scholar couldn't quite make sense of. He didn't really need to, as two other soldiers came in, one with a clipboard in hand.
Tang recognized the two as the ones from his own interrogation, Red Hair and Aggressive Guy whispering some nonsense to each other as he stared them down. Aggressive Guy then huffed and sat down as Red Hair walked up to Zach, exchanged a few words with the taxi driver, and then stood up next to the bed, readying her clipboard.
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Hahahhahahbahbaannahha /vpos /gen /lh
OH MY GOSH!!!! AHHHHHH/pos
Omg thank you!!! I love your drawings of Allan and Tang! Allan jumpscare is just the best. These boys are so traumatized fr. Also, don't worry! Allan isn't dead yet :D
Help my family to get out and sea for what is left of life. The war is devastating. Death is approachin every person and destruction is everywhere. We hope that there is hope before it is too late.
Hello 🕊🙏,
I’m Hani from Gaza 💔, 26 years old. My family and I are living through a humanitarian disaster due to the war 💔😭. We lost our home and all our belongings, and my elderly father 🇵🇸 can no longer support us. My mother is chronically ill and requires constant care 🍉🙏.
Can you reblog my 📌 pinned post on my account?
Every share 🕊❤ helps spread our story and brings us much-needed support 🙏💖. Thank you so much to everyone who helps us by spreading the word.
Tang doodle!
This is his regular outfit in Soul Searching. For him, it has faster movement and is better for agility. The weapon design isn't concrete as I just wanted him holding a fancy looking spear.
Hi .. i hope you are doing well and your beloved ones ..
I am motaz a nurse from doomed gaza .. struggling to live with my little 3 sons .. and my wife fedaa who works as a pediatrican .. we lost every thing in this war trying just to stay alive .. and facing death every sinle minute .. living in a tent and relocating every few days .. searching for a safe place .. !
me and my wife are working for more than 10 months without any payement .. but we keep helping injured and sick persons ..
If you want to give us some hope you can donate and support us ..
Every donation you give means life to us ..
Thanx for every thing .. every honest feeling with our suffering ..
donate and shares widely 🆘🆘 1100 SEK = 100 dollars each (55 sek =5$) will make a difference🙏🍉
be the one who saves us
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