3 days 14 hours until the next extraction.
Time he doesn't have.
William stumbled around the Limb Market, unaware of the glaring eyes. Flashes of his family's faces appeared before his eyes— Maria's trembling hands, Crowe's shallow breaths and Archie's trembling sleep.
And then—
A high metallic shriek accompanied by a loud burst of flames. Igniting stolen oxygen tanks and makeshift respirators. Some cover their mouth, some ran, some froze. William froze. Then, the light changed— massive surges of flaming light grew in the very alley William stood across; and stood in the middle, was a man. His veins shone brightly like molten streaks, his eyes flickered between colours and his fingers jerked uncontrollably as if possessed.
Someone whispered "VigilNet guard here, I need reinforcement. Rare Type-12, Jando. Dumbass fucked with Azo"
It was Azo corruption and a user of Jando, the flaming kind.
William had heard of it.
Never seen it.
William stood frozen, his chest tightening. The already thin air now burning — further constricting his chest. And then, three enforcers stepped through— black and yellow suits with masks. Rifles rattling like storms.
They didn't hesistate.
The man tore off a neon sign hurling it towards them and barely knicked William's cheeks. Two enforcers with surgical calm split their air with assaults of gunfire— stunning the crazed monster. Another enforcer, thick matte-black metal book in hand— the edges of the books glowing with shimmering runes, like an ancient language. The runes pulsed with the same rhythm as the corrupted man's veins. Almost as if they were living.
William had never seen a wielder before. He had seen both the corrupted kind and the real deal infront of him. All in one day.
The corrupted man leapt towards one of the rifleman. Too fast and too wrong. His hands twisted around one of their necks, without pressure. The flames around him melted the man's neck— his body slowly detached from his spine.
Then the Book Enforcer moved.
He didn't rush, just opened his book. The pages turned themselves, faster than wind could possibly move them, almost as if he knew where to look.
The very ground and walls began to hum.
William's ears popped.
Pipes trembled, screws flew off. And the metal sheets ripped under the corrupted man's feet— The enforcer waved his hands towards the man, shimmering glyphs threw themselves onto the corrupted man, a little of the page burnt itself off. And he slammed the book.
Every piece of metal, warped itself onto the corrupted man, curling in impossible ways and crushing him, His eyes split open, his fingers scratched and clawed at the air. The metal tightened itself around him. His bright glowing lungs filling with metal, slowly turning black. William heard the man's lungs explode following a sick, wet crunch. The man opened his book again, casting another glyph, slammed his book back.
And the alley, restored itself, almost as if what William saw was merely a mirage.
The book enforcer opened his Comm-Line. "Target silenced, probably inhaled impure Azo, typical dwellers."
He was silenced, not saved.
William, afraid the enforcers would question him— bolted out of the scene, hurling his already broken body onto whatever nook and cranny he could fit. And after a nauseating run, a hooded man appeared before him.
He looked young, confident— metal boot tapping on the floor.
"Boy, I say you look rough old man. And don't I have just the solution for a tired soul like yours." his lips grinned slowly. William replying "And what's that got to do with you?"
The hooded man laughed. "You're live stock ain't ya, the strain responsive kind struggling to make ends meet."
William thought to himself "Fuck this guy."
He knew he was livestock, but the very word kills his ego.
The dealer— pulled out a small cracked vial, the liquid inside swirled and glowed like white-red sunlight.
It was impure Azo. Cheap. Unstable. Illegal
The kind that kills you more than it saves you.
"It'll grow your limbs back, boy. Faster than any goddamn pill you shove down the chimney."
WIlliam's hands twitched. His vision blurred.
But this was the only way to make it through to this week, it would feed his family for weeks. But he knew of it's side effects. The corrupted man still haunts his mind.
William swallowed hard.
"It happens if you take too much." The hooded man whispered. "Or if you're weak, but you'll be fine. Livestock like you been through much worse. Right?"
William thought to himself.
"Have I really been through worse"
Yes. Yes he has. He sold himself for years.
Crushed bones for food. Lied to keep his family full. Swallowed madness pretending that it was hope.
He took the vial.
"W-What do I do with it?" William said.
"The same way all livestock take it, no surgical operations, just huff it in. And make sure it fills your lungs."
He put it close to his lips.
He shouldn't have, but he did.
The fumes swallowed his lungs completely, electric. His nerves lit up like they were wired to lightning. A burning warmth shot down his arms. His stump ignited with pins, needles, then something far more alive.
A pulse. A twitch. A growth.
It was working.
And then—
A second pulse. Wrong.Twisted. Not his.
His vision distorted. The alley warped. His breath rasped.
His eyes, glared with colours it shouldn't have seen. Just like the corrupted man.J ust like the one VigilNet killed.
William staggered. No, Not like this. He pressed against the wall, teeth grinding.
"Maria.. boys, this is for you"
But the corrupted Azo did not care.
The glow in his veins brightened.
He saw the first stages of corruption, and it stared right back at him.