Night fell upon us, and yet, it wasn’t time to head back. Instead as a group, we all went to a town I’m too familiar with.

  A town that welcomed me unknowingly.

  This was the first town I came across when I was suddenly brought into this new world. Back then, I didn’t care about its name. I was only worried about my own survival. But now? I’ve come to learn it, amongst conversations that is.

  Yes, I still don’t know how to read and as of now it hasn’t really affected me much…maybe.

  New Marell. And I’m assuming that the old Marell in question was replaced with this one. A more western approach. If anything, it wouldn’t be that much different from what I thought it was.

  Here, I recognized almost everything and anything that I met here on my first day, but with much more knowledge.

  The moment I realized this was the town where I was first at, where everything started for me, I had one destination in mind.

  The Armory.

  But…I learned the hard way that it’s closed. At least when it’s real late.

  Now I sit here, elbows on the table, letting the cool breeze sweep over me. The dark orange poncho, my fur-lined hoodie. It’s all back to me.

  And yet, it still feels strange.

  New Marell, when I first came here. I was just a random person. Someone who had aspirations and dreams before everything else went to hell.

  Sometimes, I can see myself. Walking the street. Before the decision that changed my life for good.

  But, it doesn’t appease me.

  And so, I’ve been having these weird thoughts lately.

  Is any of this real…or not?

  I slowly lift my hands, just to grab a sense of realization. A sense of reality.

  None of this makes sense to me.

  And yet, with each day, I feel like I’m walking away from the answer.

  How did I get here exactly?

  Did I actually die?

  Is this a dream?

  The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  The more I entertained those thoughts, the more I felt myself slipping away from my world. I don’t know if it’s delusion, or I’m simply coping.

  I don’t know how to go back home…and maybe I’m stuck here for good. But I can’t take no for an answer. I need to exhaust every option I have. Until I have no more.

  I don’t have any leads, but if I don’t?

  It calls for the creation.

  And I think I know where to start from.

  Before I could make any progress, or take any steps, I heard the footsteps of another. Looking over, it was him. Brown hair, black eyes. Pointed ears. A weirdly positive expression on his face.

  I deadpan, “It’s you.”

  “Yeah, very funny.”

  He draws a chair, and sits. His attire is not too much different from mine, a long-sleeved tunic and black slacks.

  The silence dawns upon us. Neither of us say anything, and whenever I want to, it reminds me of our prior conversation. At the hot springs.

  I’ve been trying my hardest to forget about it. Forget everything I said, but I just can’t. Felt more impossible than anything. And I would be a fool to try to forget.

  It’s just…complicated. Massively complicated.

  I shift my view to outside, to see the town. It wasn’t that big, and outside of it laid the orange plains that stretched endlessly, with a few wooden turbines that would pop up if you had the adequate vision.

  The silence didn’t last for long, and I’m glad it didn’t.

  “You’re from here?” He asks me.

  “The way you look, almost…reminiscing on something. Is this your hometown?”

  I shake my head, “No. Anything but that.”

  “The first town I came to when I was…dispatched. That’s all.”

  Wayne gives a subtle nod. And for once, it felt nice. To talk to someone who appears to be on the same wavelength as me.

  Better than talking to Jex and Rei, that’s for sure. At least I won’t have a lingering thought in the back of my head that’s telling me what I’m doing is wrong.

  But with Wayne? It was different, and for once, I could relish in the fact that I wasn’t the only person feeling the same way about the whole ordeal, there was another one as well.

  “It feels easier to breathe here, not as suffocating,” I mention to Wayne, and he nods along.

  “Weird, isn’t it? Maybe because there’s some type of veil over the entire park. Makes everyone feel a certain way.”

  My eyes trail over to him, “Surely you aren’t putting out your theories for me to believe in, right?”

  “You call it theory, I call it truth.”

  “...everyone’s in on it…and yeah, it would be better to blame it on some…otherworldly magic or something, but I think we’ll have to realize that this is the place where humans come to delve into their desires.”

  Wayne shakes his head, “If so, what makes a human like you different?”

  I don’t say anything. And yeah, it feels like I’m a great outlier. That practically, I’m the only human who doesn’t feel this way.

  My hands press further into my pants, what do I say? That I’m goody two-shoes and that all those adults are corrupted? There has to be more to it.

  Eventually, I shrug my shoulders.

  “I don’t know…but I won’t pretend the reason doesn’t exist. As long as I have that, then I’m glad I’m different from the others.”

  Wayne softly smiles at my answer. Possibly reassuring.

  And I’m glad I could do it this time around.