In the Closter-phobic streets of the outskirts, life was a struggle, they were abondance by the government and left as a shield for the needed. There are detreated houses that they lived in served other purposes as well, such as secret storages for drugs and other illegal substances kept in the place no one would look, or if the giant walls surrounding there the first layer of NQC broke, there houses would make good cover for the awakened soldiers of today.
After all the government had not much purpose for them, really the only thing the outskirts gave them were undesired storage and cheap labour, sure the brutal conditions could most likely be replaced by automation, but the repeated cycling of the short lives of the citizens was by far an easier process then maintenance of machines.
Normally in a society, the outskirts population might have a chance to rebel, to have their voices and struggles heard through the world, and to fight for their rights and lives. But that world was already destroyed long ago, it came with the emergence of the spell and the terror of nightmare creatures, bust most importantly, the emergence of the awakened.
Ever since they rose the ranks of the spell, a brutal system that rose them higher only made the citizens of the outskirts sink lower, now they had no power against the enhanced abilities of those who turned the curse of the spell into their blessing, of course the members of the outskirts were afflicted by the trials too, they had a chance to make power for themselves, but it was never to be.
To survive a trial needed preparation, training and education to ensure survival. The elite of the inner city had access to these tools and from there grew stronger and more prepared with every instance, but the neglected outskirts had none, so for them it was no trail, merely an execution with the falsehood of hope that the all-powerful government funded media infected them with.
Storys of awakened rising above to fight against the world for humanity, many looked with aspiration and dreams of doing all the same, but all of them who had been afflicted mostly met the same end, corrupted beyond belief, there horrific forms being cut down by the very same awakened they held so high.
Many had expected their fate, and those who had not could do nothing about it. But watch the distance colourful expanse of light from the city with envy, a life they weren't lucky enough to get.
It was a bet against the world, and the house always won.
Society in the outskirts reflected this, with the moderately toxic air and diet of synthpaste to get them going, the people forgotten to this prison remained weak, unable to waver their fate, and instead gave into it.
But a few individuals of this subtle hellscape never did, they had foolish dreams and defiance that sparked chaos and innovation in this isolated existence. They fought back at the world, whether it cut them down, or merely bled there will out of there body.
One of these few individuals was walking the unkempt streets. with a dirty brown coat that shielded him from the winter breeze, messy dark hair that absorbed the dust of alleys, and Vigor filled eyes that were weighed down by sleeplessness.
Standing tall despite his drowsiness he paced confidently the roads, the shine of the rising sun shining down on his body, highlighting all the tears in his clothing, along with the scars that riddled his fists and scrapes that covered him.
He continued to walk further and further from the safer communities of the outskirts, and deep into sections were little people decided to make home, with only the most unwanted of society lurked. A dangerous move to do alone. Yet whenever one of these city rats gleamed at their potential target, they quickly retreated into the dens.
For the young man had a reputation that proceeded him, as he was walking away from safety into danger for a reason, he was one of such people that were the threat, a kid who fought tooth and nail to attain power and strength in a space, through conflict and strife, smart thinking and bets.
Kade had been a recent leader to a smaller gang, simply because he had beaten there third in command, then there second in command, then their leader in quick succession. known for the brass knuckles kept ready in the pockets of the old coat he always wore.
But despite the blood shed by his hands, and the skulls he cracked along the way, Kade knew what power really was. As he knew what violence was, a tool, a method to solve problems and receive answers. Power was the ability to strive forward and force a change of fate, to have the strength to decide things and destinies of your own volition.
But with the drowsiness consuming him, and the symptoms of the nightmare spell that had emerged recently, he had no power. All this fighting meant nothing now, for he had for his way to be his own king, yet the executioners' blade was positioned before he could even glance at the crown.
Sure, he knew how to fight, but Kade knew reality unlike most of the outskirts, there really would be no hope, he would not delude himself. being dead was better than delusional, being unable to see the truth was a weakness that was unacceptable.
So, what could he do then? Nothing really, maybe perhaps calm his nerves before death struck true, for that he had a solution. A toxic fragrance only moderately more harmful than the air he had breathed his entire life.
A cigarette
'Now where in the hell is my lighter?' Kade questioned, digging into his pockets he scrounged for the flame that would spark his rejuvenation, yet after a vigorous search, the list of items he recovered was lacking.
His worn-down brass knuckles, a couple of coins, a shiv, synthpaste, and a bloodied tooth.
'...'
With an unlit cigarette in his mouth, and ticked off disappointment written across his face, Kade regarded his search with acceptance, putting the necessary items back. While pelting the disregarded tooth at a kid who was following him with a dagger, smacking him across his small forehead.
Kade Watched the startled street urchin scamper away with terror Apon his discovery, Kade scoffed, shaking his head before continuing his way. He didn't have time to get mugged, what he needed now was a lighter and perhaps a resting place that the spell can reap him from. Sadly, both of these options seemed impossible under his time limit.
Sighing, Kade continued his search, a smoke while great was merely a moment in time, the spell would be eternal for him, his last moment on this forsaken earth would be great to spend anywhere else, but now, all he needed was a deserted ally that he could rest in, one where he could fall asleep without getting stripped or shanked.
Time passed, Kade continued to walk deeper and deeper into the sultry trenches of the outskirts, soon the spell now weighing down on him down, like a brick tied to a leg of a drowning victim, he was unable to swim up away from the drowsiness, he would only sink deeper.
With his once straight posture and strong step weakened, he had no choice but to divert into the ally on his right, for now it was the best place there was, maybe there would be a resting place of better choosing somewhere else, but he had no time.
The spell called to him like a siren, begging of him to fall into its all-powerful clutches, surrounded by the walls of the ally that covered him from the brisk sunlight, he stumbled further on. Only to notice that the ally was already occupied. As a smaller figure crouched against the wall was resting, with a small orange flicker beside their mouth.
The gravel crunched underneath his boots, and Kade tiredly observed the stranger.
Golden silky hair flowed from the head, and bright hazel green eyes stared back at him, the orange flicker to her mouth was a recently lit cigarette, the stick catching Kade's attention, she stared back at him cautiously, and so did he.
The slight breeze tossed her hair as she stared quietly into his irises, and in the silence both of them understood in that moment, they both shared that ethereal slumber that seemed to seep further than mundane exhaustion, Kade and the stranger were both near victims of the spell.
'Guess were both unlucky huh'. Kade sighed, shrugging of his caution, taking small steps under the watch of the girl, and sat beside her, giving a little space for the stranger, and taking back the unlit cigarrete in his fingers and gesturing to her.
She looked at him with subtle confusion but eventually took her own and graced her bud with his own, the small flickering orange spreading to his, Kade's stick finally having its own orange gleam. He looked at the small flame with amusement, taking in the addicting air for himself, filling his lungs with sweet relief
'at least i got something before I died maybe fate decided to be not so harsh' Kade remarked internally drowning in memories long gone of his struggles in the streets, for where he would not be able to see what else the world had in store for him.
Earth was a radioactive wasteland filled with abominations, so perhaps only seeing one of the more deserted areas of humanity's safe haven was a blessing, yet terms such as blessing or curse seemed to lose value the more ones reality drifted to one side.
For now, the horrible was just the way it was, nothing really extraordinary about it.
He was just unlucky
and bringing his gaze to his side, he watched the girl to his left, bringing the cigarette to her mouth, but quickly coughing as soon as the harsh haze reached her lungs, in that moment Kade's overwhelming destiny seemed to subside, his anxiety's pushed out of the way as his brain searched for a new input.
Curiosity. As the girl beside him despite being in the deepest parts of the outskirts did not once have any feature that a citizen, an inner-city resident that would normally be shoved into a safe advanced sleeping pod.
Yet she was here.
"Not a smoker isn't you" he questioned, his amusement written on his daunt face.
She regarded his word before nodding. "No, never really understood why anyone would"
Kade tilted his head in confusion.
"I mean, it's a soothing experience, like a hug to a loved one, a solemn promise, or a cool drink on a summers day"
She listened to his remark, fiddling with the cigarette in her hand. "They know it will kill them, everyone does, and there not like us. They will still live and get into adult hood, and at that point, why shorten your life any further. "
He shrugged, taking another puff.
"Well, there's not much living out here to do, and with the environment here, the options one has to calm their nerves and hardships is limited, in-fact its probably one of the healthier options we got"
his eyes softened slightly
"And to be fair, if hugging someone like your mother hurt, you would still do it anyway wouldn't you?"
She watched him enjoy the cancer stick, her face grimacing as she put it back into her mouth, just barley managing to no choke on the fumes. her hazel green eyes darkening.
"I don't know, never really had a mom"
Kade sighed, looking to the empty space between them.
" Same here...."
....
Silence played its melancholy harmony as they shared company, enjoying the last guilty pleasures before the spell took them, Kade now having finished the cig threw it to his left, the bud still lit, yet he was to tired to smother it.
The girl watched his disposal, and threw hers to the same side, watching it tumbles and join the discarded remains of his own. Kade observing her attempt with subtle amusement.
"What's your name" he asked
"Dawn...yours?"
"Kade"
"Well.... Kade... Goodluck"
He watched silently as her body shut down, the strength in her limbs fading as she fell to slumber, already taken by the spell before he could reply. her smooth face untouched by the grime and violence of the outskirt lay on the pavement, peace draped over her expression like acceptance.
Removing his trusty brown coat, folding it into a cushion, he picked her head from the hard floor and used the coat as a makeshift pillow, his actions not once disturbing her sleep.
The spell called to him again, and with fading strength he responded.
"You too Dawn"
his eyelids closing over his vision, his strength that had kept him alive for so long fading from his body. And soon he collapsed beside her. and in the darkness, a familiar voice sang.
[Aspirant Welcome to the Nightmare Spell. Preparing your First Trial....]