- I have posted the start of this story on the forums before, however now I have seasoned writer, I will post the whole story in a structured manner, with a chapter hopefully every day or two to allow me to write more.
This post is to serve as a teaser for the rest of the tale.
Slight disclaimer, the first 3/4 chapters are quite weak in my opinion and were written almost a year ago at this point.
Synopsis:
Akos Frost and Riku Takatoki have always been forced to live their life in fear.
The looming towers of Silence always watching.
The country has been in chaos for hundreds of years, the government fighting for humanity, others fighting for freedom. The dangerous Interests Control Executive at the forefront of this conflict, inflicting fear in thousands - thousands of Anomalies.
When Akos and Riku are brought to the edge of combat, will the ending be freedom? Or will the distrust continue to reign.
Part 0, Chapter 0 - Prologue
Many tales of heroes have passed by through the ages, their battle to win a perfect world.
The little-known fact is that the world is not like that. Perfection isn’t something earnt by hard work. Perfection is merely a false lie, one instigated by those seeking freedom from guilt and doubt.
In this tale, if peace is ever settled, so be it.
The peace won’t last for long.
Part 0, Chapter 1 - Glitch
In the cold continent of Imeron, the rich country of Aspua and the city of Silence, glowing with its towers so tall, each window a small beacon in the dark night, stood a person.
This person was Akos Frost. Akos Frost was one thing, an Anomaly. You could mean that in both a figurative and a literal way, as Akos Frost was cursed. Akos Frost was cursed to be non-human, someone different. As Akos Frost was an Anomaly.
His eyes were silver, with a slight hint of the sort of blue seen through the clouds on an early morning. His hair was long and white, cold as ice. He was tall and pale, and his clothes were ragged; a black colour all over, which stood out in the bright light of the Fifth District of Silence.
Over the buildings, he could see the Wall in its state of disrepair, the medieval architecture stood out like an orchard in the Fields of Death, the spires juxtaposing the rectangular boxes of the city.
The small alleyway between shops indeed was dark, but at least it was a quicker way home, the high rooftops glancing down at him, their tiles judgement.
Akos smiled. He knew what their plan was, and a glow appeared in his eyes.
“This is the Interests Control Executive! Stand down now and surrender” a voice shouted, around a dozen armed people leapt from the rooftops, rifles pointed into Akos’s heart.
Part 0, Chapter 2 - Page
The pen gently scratched the paper, leaving dark lines of ink trailing over the page.
Riku sighed and took another scrap of paper from the ever-smaller pile that they had collected over the last few weeks. The room was dark, the only light either filtered in through the half-blocked decrepit windows or from the dying candle on the desk. Chairs were scattered around, and a bookcase with a couple of dusty books was lying at an angle, leaning on the wall for support. On the only upright chair, with thin creaking legs sat Riku. Similar to others Riku was an Anomaly, different from normal, stronger than normal. The dark energy within them was what they are. They were the dark energy.
It was overwhelming.
A knock on the door later and Riku stood up, ducking so as to not hit their head on the low ceiling. A glance through a gap in the wall signalled Riku’s fear, below there were 12 armed soldiers in heavy metal armour.
Panic.
Riku scrambled over a pile of broken furniture and through the back window, onto the rooftops with their cracked slate, slipping under the rushed feet of the Anomaly. A shout from the soldiers signalled their realisation, and soon bullets were flying, all of them missing or suddenly glancing off Riku’s back when they should have pierced skin and spelt death. The soldiers were on the rooftops, they somehow had leapt up from the ground below and were now chasing Riku.
One soldier was engulfed in dark energy, falling down to the ground unconscious.
A second soldier fell. A third collapsed.
Anger filled up Riku’s heart as their arm faded into shadows, a wave of energy ripped through the soldier’s ranks and sliced tiles clean off the roofs of the dilapidated houses.
They jumped down into the busy street below, hoping to hide amongst the crowds stirred by the fight.
Riku felt every heartbeat, every breath. The slow wind whistled through the abandoned building they were in. It looked like a small warehouse, but the door was splintered and some of the ceiling had collapsed. The government had no care for the Seventh District of Silence and Riku doubted that I.C.E had any care for this specific abandoned building, yet still, they felt uneasy as if someone was watching them hide, laughing in Riku’s own naivety.
Nowhere in the Seventh District is safe, so why am I putting my trust into an abandoned warehouse which might collapse on top of me at any second? They thought to themselves.
A shout rang out, nothing unusual for this place. Then a gunshot. Then a scream.
A sudden burst of adrenaline pushed Riku towards the doorway, out onto the street. From a nearby house leapt a hulking figure of metal, armour gleaming in the shine of the moonlight, Riku turned, glanced at the figure of the Silent Wall and the skyscrapers above, and then all went black.