Chapter 127

“Uh. Ouch. I swear. I will find something about this in the library today! Disappearing Emblem isn't normal. It's just not! I bet that card on it!” William promised himself and decided to exploit his personal curiosity and Kaufman's card if he had to. It was the only thing for now that he was willing to touch and do.

Such episodes started to happen when he lost his parents. Stranded by himself, with no one around apart from a crying boy named Dann, it was the start of two youths enduring their suffering and uncovering some very nasty matters and secrets.

When it happened, it always reminded him of that day or the following ones. The first was the most erratic. Alone. Running. Sizzling and looking broken. Facing Carnijaw and so many deaths and monsters in the way. It was also a time when his Emblem showed its true colors and saved his life. That, unfortunately, wasn't entirely under his memories. It ended up buried under the pain of what was described as Rank 0 Awakening in the library, or under the System he didn't even have.

Not yet.

At least he had Dann to rely on, but that boy wasn't entirely persuading William about his Walker status or that day. Like him, there were things better forgotten, forced, and done in clear pictures.

Their homes and parents disappeared and never returned. That was undeniable and there was no going back from that. It was a decade-old history, yet it kept lingering like that pain and voices and... dreams. Incursion and majestic Rifts spread and Darks crashed everything, letting beats and noises and red bathing the ground and the sky. That was the night, wasn't it? Or was William remembering something else?

He learned about that camp much later, even if he lived through that moment himself.

He always wondered what was wrong with his Emblem, yet no one bothered to answer or care about something silly and unknown, or coming from a little kid. He might be an upcoming Walker, but a sorry kid was still a kid. For the Outside, of course, that was fine.

William didn't look for every answer for many years. It was not like there would be scientists Outside who would be interested in these strange happenings, or his parents, or what he had done. Scientifically put, Emblems were as alien as Darks, and those interested in both were busy and the kind of people who did not care for every kid. They weren't entirely right in their heads as well.

This fact didn't bother William too much, but he feared that one day, he would lose it forever. Strangely, that fact was making him uncomfortable from time to time, even though he never felt good or too bad about it. Even though deaths and killings, he never felt right to call it comforting. Painful and anxiety-defining. Those were normal feelings that every Walkers should know.

Still, would it be a tragic and hilarious occasion if he became the first ever Walker who lost an Emblem? It almost sounds like a parody. A joke. An irony.

Standing still, he greeted the city's view from the window with his near-naked body. Unfortunately, he took too damned long, and the door to his room opened.

Luke swept the room with his gaze and noticed William standing in front of the door.

Coughing in slight embarrassment, he placed a key on an empty shelf. He said no words before leaving the apartment, wearing his military uniform to join the fray. William glanced behind him, unbothered by his nudity, and approached the key.

“Hmmm. Maybe I should wear my clothes first. Who knows if someone is watching from the other side of the street.” William laughed at himself and put on his new set of clothes.

He didn't ignore the wooden box either. With new shoes that seemed overkill for his needs, everything was up to his size, even when Wagner didn't ask him for measurements. Weren't shoes important in terms of proper sizes? William wondered about it for a whole second before he put them on and knitted sturdy laces together. He didn't question anything when he realized they fitted him like a glove.

Sizing them, he made some jumps and circled around the room to try them out. Fortunately, he had no Hound to kick, though he remembered that girl who shattered a good pair of shoes.

The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

He wondered if he would do the same, but upon closer inspection, wouldn't that mean his feet would be sturdier than these shoes? Did that mean shoes would be redundant? Or... expensive? Costly? Wasteful.

One thing was certain: that girl was not normal.

With new clothes, William became a new person once more. The insides remained, Emblem sizzled and moaned in delight, and he swore he heard some voice. William pretended to be happy with what he had and would be equally happy even with second-rate stuff, which was very popular and used in most camps by those with some decent background.

“Luke got out, but that key will be handy. Credits are also fine, but I should be sporadic about them. Twelve got out, so far. I don't think I will get more without a job. Wait... doesn't that sound awful?! Have I become a city rat? Oh boy... Dann wouldn't be happy.” William lamented his choices and figured Dann would laugh at his current problem, words, or clothes.

Suddenly, a strange sound resounded around the room.

It was his stomach, which remained empty since last morning.

“Right. Right. Food. Let's check that miraculous fridge and start this day.” William decided and dived into the fridge without hesitation. There was a last box with the same message as yesterday.

“Oh, someone is taking good care of me! Nice!” William cheered and thanked someone whom he never met. Then, he ate without delay and did not even warm the food. He finished the box in a matter of a few minutes, licked his fingers, and moaned in pleasure.

“Rice is truly blessed food. I can't understand it enough, but its fulfillment is second to great bread and good steak.” William leaned on a chair, satisfied as always.

“I can only imagine what kids in the orphanage would think about food like this. Although we have occasional rice, the meat of this quality is almost nonexistent Outside. The meat I remember is tougher and chewier, despite the taste isn't as distant. Is the freshness why? The rice is soft and not made in batches for dozens of people. The meat itself... I don't dare to think too much about this. Not including the sauce, which tastes like something sweet... Is it sugar or spices? What have I ever eaten?!” William seriously contemplated his life over an empty wooden box.

Like a poor food enthusiast, who he never was, he felt awkward. In the past two years, he always ate what he had without worrying about hunting or robbing anyone. He was glad for Miss Anderson, and that never left his mind.

This meal will fuel him for a whole day, and Willaim will spend it well on Ellie.

“The current plan is simple: get further into the library, figure some stuff about the Federation and Emblems, and let's keep it going for the next couple of weeks. Sounds like a plan, yet... that foreboding curse of this disappearance is leaking into my brain. Shit! I have time, I know, but the timing could be better. Please, don't be a curse.” William begged his right arm.

Getting up, he didn't forget about his bamboo bottle to quench his thirst. He had seen some people in the library with similar bottles, but it never piqued his interest when Ellie was vivid and talkative and like a bright sun.

William hoped for the same care as yesterday since he didn't mind her attitude or lessons. He came to this conclusion after some quick and easy consideration.

Ellie's help should be very good since she had a lot to prove and do. She talked and gave him reasons and answers to a whole lot of things that might be accessible in the library, but hearing it from her was quicker and better. Without her, things would be dozens of times slower.

With Ellie, who was like a walking encyclopedia for the Federation and this library, there was no loss in sight. One would expect nothing else from priorities followed by dreams and many years of learning and stealing and peeping and... well, the learning was adequate. Not forbidden. She was clever and wanted to be better.

William hoped that she would accompany him for more than a few days. Although he was hesitant and doubtful because of that stern-looking Burton, who seemed like a prick, it sounded wrong to hinder Ellie too much.

William didn't forget about the credits, Kaufman's card, and his bottle. He had nothing else of importance, though he forgot about that old diary that he didn't need. He planned to read it every night here and there. That should be enough.

Before leaving, he checked his hand once more just to assure himself that his Emblem wouldn't leave him out of nowhere.

It was still there.

William almost sighed in relief and pushed his sleeve down.

“Oh, right... A key!” William stopped right as he opened the door. It hit him soon enough, otherwise, he would be sorry again.

He got his key and left the room. Soon he reached the library once more.

He was a little bit late. Hopefully, Ellie wouldn't be angry, or... could she? William wondered what an angry Ellie would look like. For some reason, it didn't sound as horrifying as Miss Anderson.

**

Back in the Central District, right in front of the vast and open space that was the main square, William saw the same buildings as yesterday. They didn't shift. They didn't become any smaller or less impressive in their style, tints, or build, let alone some shape.

But they were less bright for one pair of eyes.

It was no dream either. William was in the Federation and the Federation was around him. The library was the same, bearing its majesty and flags, and it was surely less impressive than yesterday.

It wasn't wrong. He already lacked the first impression, which was the most mind-blowing thing one could imagine. It disappeared with him like many other things yesterday, leaving him kind of broken, and yawning. He was half in the library already, bound to meet Ellie again, and didn't think far too much about what he was seeing. In some sense, his past self was already dead, and that silly disappearance did not escape his mind no matter how he walked around.