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“Uh, hi. I’m Alixer.” The dark-haired person with…circular glass balanced over his eyes said.

“Uhh…” Alessio gaped up at the strange man.

“We-You-“ Nithel stammered, tossing Ohel’s legs off of him as he sat up. With – probably a fairly tired sigh – he continued, awkwardly. “I am Nithel son of Father. And…what does your name mean? A substance that turns others into gold? A healing tonic? I…Something else?”

Alixer. Sounded similar to the word exiler: a substance used to heal people.

“Oh, uhh, Alessio!” Alessio gave a quick bow. “Long life to you and your kin.”

Okay, was anyone here normal? Why were they all children?

While the others bickered, he felt something at his leg. Another child. She was small, with short black hair. Oh dear, her eye… it was branded. A rose and thorns symbol, covering that entire side of her face. Almost all the skin on that side was damaged. That… was just wrong. She seemed like she was only thirteen. She looked so starved and underfed. And her clothing, torn in a couple of areas and in dire need of cleaning (no, just replacement) did not improve her appearance.

After a second of eye contact, she took a half mask, putting it on to cover the burned area. The other eye (he wasn’t even certain what color the other eye was), purple, stared up at him.

“What’s going on?” She asked in a voice that sounded to dead to be a child’s.

“I… I don’t know.” How was he supposed to answer that? “What’s your name?”

“Crorie.” She answered, “And you?”

That was a good question. Who was he?

Nu. 2. 

That was all he could get. “I go by the name Nu. 2.”

He needed answers. He didn’t care where they came from. He just needed them. Searching the room for anything familiar, Nu. 2 noticed the man from before. Should he talk to him?

No, that was a bad idea. He didn’t know anything about this man. Listen a little, then decide.

While he listened, Nu. 2 looked over what he had. Old jumpsuit, a bag (empty, aside from a small music box. Nu. 2 is uncertain about it, but it seems familiar), and a blade fragment of some kind. It looked like the upper half of a katana. An odd black blade.

“And the other punk?” The man asks. “Who we talked to by the creepy pool?”

Creepy pool. Yes, Nu. 2 remembered that. Burn and Search, those were their names, right?

“Hades? Hades? I think?”

Remember who you are. 

!!! What was that?

“Yeah. Where is he?” He rubs his scalp. “Agh. Stupid creepy disembodied voices with creepy trials and evil pools.” He holds out his arm. “And I still have the creepy hearts.”

Did you think I was finished?

Nobody else was reacting. Maybe it was all just in his head.

I split Hades Irving in half, creating you Nu. 2, as a part of this trial. The other half, Nu. 1, is somewhere out there, growing stronger. 

“Anyone else have these markings?” Someone, a stranger, held up Burn’s arm.

Looking at his arm, Nu. 2 quickly wished he hadn’t given it much attention.

Your hand is withering. For now at least. Next, it will be your arms, then legs, then the rest of your body, until you die. Unless, you reunite with your other half. You have five days to complete the Trial of Malice and Vengeance. 

This day just keep improving, doesn’t it? “Let’s go talk to Burn or Search. They seem like decent people.”

Crorie looked up at him, then nodded. With his clean hand, Nu. 2 held Crorie’s hand. She flinched, but didn’t pull away. That wasn’t a good sign.

“Do you want me to let go?”

Crorie froze, clearly uncertain of what to do.

“If you want me to, I’ll let go of your hand. In fact, I probably should have asked before taking your hand.”

Whoever did this to her needed to be put away in jail for as long as possible. It just wasn’t right to hurt a child like this.

In the end, Crorie just went with Nu. 2, not withdrawing her hand. Burn seemed preoccupied, so talking to him right now didn’t seem like a good idea.

What about Search? Nobody seemed to be bothering her.

“Excuse me, Mrs. Search,” Nu. 2 greeted, “Can I speak with you for a moment?”