Year: 2128

  Area: central fronts of former Canada. Federation affiliation

  Location: Camp Roshwell

  Population: 8402 and going strong

  Days since no incidents: 0

  Days since creation: 3495

  Darkness was cautious but safe. William crawled from there not because he wanted to. He heard those slow familiar echoes and needed to go back. To his mother. Return and be free. Instead, there was that voice again... and banging.

  “Wake the fuck up!” Dann shouted, shaking his side as he crouched behind his old friend back in 2128. William was still on the ground, lost and returned. He was confused and shaken. He scurried to his knees, aware that he wasn't’ bleeding, but something in him was screaming. The memory never left a small impression.

  “Finally!”

  “Shut uppp....” William beckoned but it was like hoping for the moon to be white again.

  “Where were you this time?” Dann inquired in whisper and that was something he shouldn't have done. Luke was present and observing, and William got the hang of him. He grabbed Dann's face and shoved him until he yelped like a little girl and rolled away. Then William approached Luke, whose hand aimed at that brilliant crimson thing.

  Unfortunately, Luke couldn't do a thing when Miss Anderson snatched his hand and spoke coldly like a reaper behind his ears.

  “I beg your pardon, sir soldier, but doing things gently is better than forcing this boy onto something he can't understand. Not yet, at least. Divulge us.”

  It was too late to speak, not after Luke made his move and Dann warned them all. He was already crouching in a corner, away from this room and cracking. He knew it would break. It did.

  A ghostly line swirled onwards, coming from crimson Emblem and whipping and sizzling in the air. William did nothing as this whip circled and hit Luke in the ribs and pushed him against Miss Anderson. Both ended up flying to a distant wall, while the walls made of wood and stone were...well, they weren't in pieces. There was just a line within them as if something moved through them and ate them. It kept sizzling but not burning, while all walls remained standing as if nothing happened.

  William stood still and moved nothing. It did it instead when Luke made it happen. Watching the flash and that memory, he remembered something, but not the entire picture. He stared blankly at his arm and foggy light whipped around his torso like a crazy snake. It was looking. Protecting.

  Dann nodded twice for himself, thinking Luke was asking for a beating. He almost felt satisfied.

  William didn't.

  Luke grunted and got Miss Anderson out of the way. “Well, this one is rather gaudy but fair. Sure. It is my bad, boy.”

  Miss Anderson got to her feet and quickly glanced around. She didn't care about the damage, so upon seeing William was fine, she nearly stormed Luke to the wall to finish what it had started.

  Luke pointed at her, eyes shimmering in azure light. “I am not doing anything wrong, Miss Anderson. Leave it at this Boy who better show me his Emblem so the madam will feel better about herself. It needs consideration. You might even destroy this whole building while we are at it,” Luke ordered William and gave Miss Anderson a quick sharp look. Such a gaze could not shake a woman who raised hundreds of children in her lifetime.

  However, Luke was a Walker and some matters were out of her hands, so she let him go. Calming down, Luke approached William, who stood frozen around slowly shaking walls.

  “Yeah. Sounds about right.” Luke affirmed his belief. “Pull your sleeve off a bit better, or.... put that whip away so I can look. Can you do that? Show it whole and your bleeding edge. We know it doesn't hurt.”

  “You think I can move... it?” William asked. He was lucid and aware of everything. After all, this wasn't about some ten-year-old event. He had so much more behind him, it wouldn't give similar youths anything but nightmares.

  The whip lashed again, colliding with the walls and smacking Luke to his temple from nearly ten feet. Luke smirked and his firm step hit the ground. He remained in place as his head turned and a smile rose on his face.

  “Yeah. I figured this wouldn't go how I wanted it to. How delightful,” Luke put his arm up, adjusting his hair and clothes. His eyes glistened, observing the returned whip and hidden Emblem behind William's left hand. “It isn't the first time this has happened, right?”

  “No,” William confirmed.

  “Is the starting emotional war your mother?”

  “Keep her out of your mouth!” William howled and the whip slapped around the ground. It didn't reach anyone, which was good.

  “Sure. I don't care. How does this go away? Usually, I mean.”

  “In time... or...”

  “Or?”

  “When he is calm,” Dann said aside, crouching behind some crate. “Or when everything is. Not by being unconscious by the way. We've tried it a lot. Wasn't pretty. It can get worse.”

  Luke glanced at Dann once. “Interesting. Alright. Let's calm down first.”

  Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

  “Talk to me,” William said, clutching his arm tightly, “first. Who are you, why are you here, and what about my parents? Did you slam me to see me like this? Why?! Was she also a Walker or what?!”

  Luke could see his agitation and the whip turned frantic, causing many sizzling cracks and lines around everything it touched.

  For now, he didn't approach William or praise such an intense vigor.

  “I would explain the situation no matter what. That much you deserve. Some people have been looking for you for a long time because you are a kid to good friends. You were five years old when it ended, so it must be weird hearing about it after so long. They... your parents, they were good people who made questionable decisions. You were part of it and... well, I think I am getting behind them a little. .” Luke said one part that William doubted was right. If they looked for a long time, they weren't looking right at all.

  But he didn't know how such matters played with Walkers, his parents, or the people who were looking for him. In fact, why were they doing that for a long time?! What did it mean, or was it only because of his parents?

  What if... grandparents? A sudden idea flashed in his mind before a disapproving voice made it gone. Walkers. Emblems. Those were just two words full of bottomless potential. William didn't know if he had any familial bond left, so what if he did?

  Miss Anderson thought about it as well and knew William wasn't keeping all the information about his past and parents for himself. No. He looked for them himself and questioned many people, including some Walkers whether they knew or had seen or heard about them. Part of it was using context and understanding of old memories and ideas about Camp Nolan. That was a sensitive time, as that camp was essentially wiped from history.

  William couldn't really do much with that, or speak of them because he was way too young to remember a thing. He didn't even know their names or his surname, so it was no wonder.

  Luck was abysmal, knowledge was harsh, and looking went on for years until he gave up.

  At least William recognized that decade-old disaster and what occurred at that camp. It was an utter devastation. A hell-on heart resembled the Dawn from more than a century ago—a time when the world and sky changed all over this planet.

  Nolan's details were largely omitted from the public because of Walkers and the extensive level of danger, hazards, and instability for peace. But the general public Outside knew what had occurred on that day and how savage it was. It wasn't forgotten, for that largest camp at that time turned into a big graveyard. If even a single percentage of people survived, it was a generous estimation.

  Luke knew some details himself, though he wasn't sure what he should tell to William. There was no good news to say while lying wasn't good.

  “Why no one found you, right?” Luke said. “It is a good question that I have wondered myself. You see, I am just a mere soldier who got a task to bring you out of here. I am quite hopeful to not retire until I am older than my knees, so my position has its limits. Almost like my patience. It can be vast, by the way. I can promise you some people can answer your questions better than I do in the Federation.”

  “I...” William hesitated, wavering his whipping crimson light that calmed him down. It dimmed and the tip swirled around his head. “Wait... The Federation?”

  “Where do you think I came from, or yourself?” Luke said, smiling.

  “Me? I lived for myself and my friend Dann for years. That disaster decade ago. In that camp and mud. My parents left me. I was there and ran not because of them. I lost more than that that day. My mother... she left me to see father for sure, and... left me alone to never return. There were people. Monsters. Darks. Walkers too. They fought and died as I ran.” William tried to recall the past and closely resurfaced agony.

  He forgot about the possible grandparents or his family. It might not be a good idea to even consider, though a matter of a family did not sound wrong, or immoral to imagine. After all, he wished for a family.

  “You did well back then, I guess,” Luke said; the report from Miss Anderson did include such content and details because William revealed them at some point and Miss Anderson could be quite persuasive.

  But one detail was greatly misinterpreted. It was his Walker status that was overlooked until later dates when William grew up and out of hiding. That followed a time when he was no longer a clueless child. He often hid his Emblem and lived and developed as he searched. It wasn't painless, or good. It was late and the investigation fell short and his life shifted.

  It was no wonder the lookout for William failed as he fled and changed.

  Luke could tell pretty much the entire thing. They—those looking for him—simply stopped looking because it was complicated or unthinkable for a child to get out of that Incursion. Now, Luke thought such matters didn't matter since he grew up Outside and survived. Whatever happened between that was weird and William was before him and healthy.

  Taking him to the rightful person was finally possible.

  Luke was happy and scratched his chin again and decided to play it safe. “I am here to take you to Federation. You are of age, I think. Fifteen or fourteen, I don't care. I can assure you we know a whole lotta more.”

  “Federation? Age?” William mumbled and the crimson light dimmed even more. He tried to suppress it by force; it never worked right, but it did today. It fought back, crawling and complaining in huffed yells.

  “Yes. Who would know it other than those who have known about you, but not really about this you? I mean, it is complicated, but your parents kept you for themselves. Almost. There is more to tell. For now, listen to have I have to say. Breathing is a good way to solidify what is happening to you. Emblems are tough things. Alive things. Yours is not yours yet, so it needs the host's calmness.”

  “Host?” William hated how it sounded. “It is mine and mine alone. It's also fine so don't judge it like some beast. I am not a beast!” The light shifted and attacked Luke again, but he swung his arm and slapped it back like a mosquito.

  William didn't notice what happened and continued talking. “Federation sent you for me. Why? Was it... my home? I don't remember that. Why now? What... is happening, or happened there... back then. In the darkness... In a white...”

  Luke shrugged. “I don't think it is right, but I promise to talk about it. Just know that you are important to some people. Good people who knew your father and cared about you.”

  “Like you?” Miss Anderson asked, obviously playing a role of a mediator.

  “Now, now, miss. I do my work so keep me working.” Luke whispered and shooed her away. She didn't listen and glared at him coldly.

  William was curious, so he started to settle down and walk from the room. “Don't follow me. I will hear everything from you, do you hear me?”

  “Sure. Sure.” Luke didn't listen and watched from the corner how William walked towards the window, where he leaned and let his upper body out. He didn't jump but rather closed his eyes, and shoved his arms out. Crimson faded ever so slowly until it drifted back where it belonged.

  Rank 0, eh? Viktor would be happy, Luke thought and noticed Williams's gaze as he leaned back and breathed.

  After a few minutes, William straightened his back, turned, and crossed his arms, showing Luke his calmer Emblem by scratching the "burn" sleeve. “Is this enough?” He asked, showing the crimson jewel that shined in great colors under the sunlight. It looked quite beautiful, and exactly like Luke expected, it held intense patterns and flow.

  Nothing was circling like a storm, nor was a whip inside like a locked mad dog.

  William called it alive a long time ago.