As though all of the wind against Spero's skin disappeared, he sank through surface of the water below him. To his surprise, though, he wasn't dead. He was slowing down. Spero inched his eyes open, where he saw nothing but dark blue water swirling around him. But it wasn't touching him. Instead, it surrounded him as he slowly fell into the body of water. There seemed to be some sort of air bubble around him, with visible air waves keeping the water at bay. Spero fully opened his eyes and looked around. It was as if he was enclosed in a glass case under the ocean. How was none of the water touching--

Suddenly, the bubble of air Spero rested in dissipated. The force of an entire body of water crashed down on him from every direction, sending him spinning. His ears popped and he felt an intense pressure against his skin. In a panic, Spero flailed his arms in an attempt to surface. Since he hadn't anticipated to be alive or underwater, he hadn't prepared by holding his breath. With no oxygen in his lungs, Spero once again felt the fear of drowning as he did on the bridge to the sphere.

Eventually, before his breath ran out, he surfaced. Taking a deep breath and opening his eyes, he looked around. More forest surrounded him in one direction and the base of a cliff in another. Roaring water tumbled down the rocks above him, splashing into the still body of water. He seemed to be in the middle of this pond or lake. Spero, remembering his situation, looked directly above him. The cliff face expanded up as far as the eye could see. How had he not died from such a fall? Disregarding that thought, Spero decided getting to land was more important. With his tired body he made his way to the muddy shore. Once there, he sprawled on his back and tried to control his breathing.

His wet head sank into the mud as he struggled for breath. He was too tired to think, but he was pumped full of adrenaline. His heart wouldn't stop. Spero laid in the mud with his feet submerged in the water for close to five minutes. No matter how much time was passing, he couldn't calm down.

How am I alive? How am I alive? How am I alive?

Spero always learned that a high fall into water was no different than dirt or rock, so why did he not perish? Why did the water hesitate to touch him until he slowed down? Spero laid confused at everything that had happened. Why did he end up in a place like this after going into the sphere? Why was he dragged from the forest into the field? Why, after he woke up from a nap, did he end up in the middle of the forest? What were those creatures? Spero was so overwhelmed and his heart was beating so fast that he thought he would die on the spot.

Sounds of footsteps approached Spero. Hearing them, Spero unstuck himself from the mud and stood up, facing the noise. He was prepared to face the beasts again... but in front of him was something he didn't expect. A group of five or six people with long, pointy sticks faced him from a short distance away. The points of the sticks were all pointed directly at Spero's face. They wore light brown garbs, with an unfamiliar material lining the outfit, providing armor. Their skin was much darker than what he was used to. He didn't know their intentions, but the weapons aimed at him weren't a good sign. Without taking any chances, Spero broke into a sprint to the left where no person stood.

Before he could get even three steps, Spero felt an intense push in his right calf, knocking him off balance. His wet and muddy body slipped forwards. His arms weren't fast enough to respond to his falling, so he fell nose first into the dirt. Stars formed in his vision, but he couldn't yet feel any pain. The adrenaline was helping him in this situation. Still, his body suddenly felt light and wobbly. Spero attempted to stand, but as he put pressure on his right leg, it gave out and he fell back to the dirt. Rolling on his back, he wiped the mud and dirt from his eyes and looked down at his leg. A sharp object poked through his calf.

Realizing he had just been impaled, Spero started yelling out. The people stood over his squirming body. One of the people nodded to another, signaling something. With that, the person flipped their sharp stick to its dull side, and swiftly knocked Spero unconscious.

...

A young boy walked into the orphanage to ready himself for bed after a long day at school. His clothes were as clean as they could be, with not a drop of dirt or sweat on them. As he transitioned his feet from the dirt to concrete, he made sure to wipe the bottoms of his shoes with the welcome mat below him. It was already long past dark, and there were no students roaming the lobby of the orphanage, The young boy approached the desk to his side as he entered. Dim lights hung down over the large, empty room, and a smell of mildew poisoned the muffled air.

The boy walked up to the desk and set a light blue key card with his face on it down on the wood in front of him. The woman who sat on the other side of the desk heard the key card touch the desk she sat by and looked up at the boy. He made sure to keep his eyes locked on his shoes. He didn't dare look back at her. The woman sighed and spoke to the boy with a tired voice.

"You're late, Spero" The older woman was clearly sick of Spero and his antics. Spero already felt tears in his eyes as he kept his head down. "Where were you?" the woman bluntly asked.

"The benches," Spero quietly responded.

"Again?" The air held silent for a moment. "Why is that?"

"I don't know..." Spero told the full truth.

"Did you make friends?"

"No."

The woman behind the desk sighed once more and leaned back in her creaky chair. "Go to bed, already. Your class is in a few hours." Spero became confused and subtly looked up at the woman.

"What's my punishment?" Every form of disobedience was followed my some form of punishment. That was the rule of the city and the rule of the world. Spero wasn't usually one to step out of line, but something about those cold, black benches called to him.

"No punishment. Go to bed," the woman responded directly.

"Really?!" Spero's head jolted up.

"Go to bed." The woman had seemingly lost interest in talking to Spero, not that she had much to begin with. Spero excitedly stepped away from the desk and towards his shared room.

"Thank you!" Spero started a jog down past the lobby and into the hallway where his room laid silently waiting for his return. He had no idea why she let him go without punishment, but he was nonetheless grateful to her. The woman's name wasn't known to Spero, but he would make sure to learn it immediately. He only ever saw her working the desk, slaving away at her boring old job. He thought about the idea of getting her some sort of present.

"Your keycard, Spero." Spero's foot planted as he ran back to grab his keycard.

"Thank you!"

"Mhm." After quickly snatching his keycard from the desk, he made his way back to his room.

...

Spero opened his eyes to an unfamiliar dark room. The walls seemed to be made of wood and light peeked through each crack. He tried to move, but he realized his back was to a wall and his arms and legs were tied back. He was in a standing position. He struggled to free himself for a few seconds, but quickly gave up out of exhaustion. The room smelled of wood and metal, and Spero would've found it pleasant if he was more comfortable with his situation.

Minutes passed without any sounds. Spero stood on his two feet, strung to the wall behind him. He didn't bother trying to move. He was to tired, and he was too sore. Every movement he made sent a sharp pain through his whole body. Spero just stood staring down at his feet below him. His head was throbbing in pain and he felt light headed.

More time passed with nothing happening. Spero began to zone out, thinking about random topics like history facts that he had to teach in class. His mind wandered directionless as he disassociated from his situation completely. If the binds around his wrists and ankles were to release, he would have fallen flat on his face.

More than an hour passed in this dark room. Spero had fallen asleep. He wasn't dreaming; all he saw was black. A creak came from the other side of the room, and a dim light flooded in. A figure stood in the doorway. They walked in, grabbed a stick, and hit something on the ceiling. This action caused a light to shine down from above which lit the room entirely. This sudden change in light levels jolted Spero awake. He tried to open his eyes, but it hurt too much.

"Do you want me to stay?"

"No, join Isa at the south wall. She'll get you some work."

"Ok, thank you for the meal."

Spero heard a conversation between two deep=voiced individuals, one closer to him than the other. As they stopped speaking, footsteps on grass and dirt were audible. As the steps quieted to nothing, Spero heard the creaking of a door closing at the other end of a room. The light from the room pierced through his eyelids, causing an extreme headache. He couldn't worry about that right now, though. He needed to be present in this potentially dire situation he was in.

Spero slowly opened his eyes to see the figure of a man slightly taller than him staring directly into his eyes from about an arm's length away. As his eyes adjusted, he studied the face in front of him. He had long, brown hair and a narrow nose that protruded conspicuously from his face. He had a sharp jawline and light brown eyes. As soon as Spero felt that he had studied the man enough, he looked down at his feet. His headache was nearly unbearable.

"I'm not one to humor any antics, so I'll get right to it. I hope for your sake that you feel the same way. Which Section are you from?" The man spoke quickly and calmly to Spero who stood tangled in a man-made trap. What is a "Section"? Spero considered his situation. He was tied up in a damp room with a man across from him, asking questions. Was this an interrogation? If that was the case, he would have to comply.

"I don't know what that is, sir. I'm not from here." The man across from him sighed and adjusted his stance slightly.

"Ah!" Spero let out a cry as the man released a clenched fist into his right cheek. His headache immediately worsened as his vision split.

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"Seems you didn't feel the same way. I just said I don't like antics. Care to try again? What Sector are you from?"

"Uhgg-- I don't know... what that is. I'm from the city... GHA!" The man let out another fist to the same cheek. Spero's head felt like it would explode from the pressure. He was beginning to lose grip of his surroundings.

"The City, eh? And how would that work? You expect us to think that they would miss a Falling? You insult my intellect." The man's voice sounded increasingly angry as he continued his sentence. "I don't have time for lies. If you don't want to be honest with me, then rot in here until your blood runs dry of water." The man awaited a response.

"Ghh-- ahh-- I'm... telling the truth..." Spero struggled to speak as his whole body felt as if it were tilting over the edge of a cliff.

"Right after one of my friends spots a lone traveler wearing Tectone Sector clothing, you show up. I don't need to explain the unlikelihood of it being a coincidence." The man's temper was clearly being lost, but he tried to appear calm and in control of the situation. Spero understood almost nothing the man was saying. It frustrated him. If he could grasp more of what was going on, he would be able to answer more specifically. Spero, feeling like his head weighed a ton, lifted his eyes to meet the man once more. It was easy considering his vision was too blurry to actually lock eyes.

"I'll tell you everything about how I got here... with as much detail... as... ughh... you want." Struggling to keep his head up and his words flowing, Spero managed to squeak out a normal sentence. The man's vision was locked on him, almost eerily so. He couldn't see his eyes clearly, but his gaze peered through him regardless. Spero was becoming more frightened. The man stepped closer. Their faces were only about half of an arm's length away from each other.

The man in front of Spero responded to his suggestion with a quiet, direct question, "Will you tell me the truth?" Spero lightly nodded, trying to keep his head from falling off of his shaky shoulders.

"Go then." The man stepped closer once more, until their noses were almost touching. Spero could now see his eyes somewhat clearly, and he immediately moved his gaze to his feet. As soon as he moved his head, a firm hand grasped his jaw and pushed Spero's gaze back up to the man. "Look at me."

Spero's whole body shook and his head throbbed harder. What he said to this man here might decide his life. He had to choose his words carefully. He had to think... but he couldn't. Every thought inside made his head throb more and more.

"Gh-- I grew up in the city. My... I escaped to the sphere. When--" Before Spero could get through his story, the man ripped his knuckles through Spero's jaw once more.

"I'll come back tomorrow. If you want to eat and drink, you'll tell the truth." The man didn't believe Spero in the slightest. What could he do to change that? If the truth wasn't the "truth", then what? The man turned away from Spero for the first time since they started the interrogation. He walked to the other side of the room and grabbed a stick propped against the wall. Using the stick, he poked the light on the ceiling, causing the light to flicker out.

The man opened the door, stepped through to the light of the sun, and closed it behind him. Spero was once again alone in the dark. He wanted to scream, "wait!". He wanted to plea to the man to give him another chance to speak. But Spero could do no such thing in his state. He unwillingly stood against the wooden wall with his head limp over his chest. Pain seared his skull. The world was turning around him, and he was just a motionless puppet.

...

Spero woke to the sound of laughing on the other side of the wall he was against. The sounds quickly faded, leaving him alone in silence. His head continued to throb, but he couldn't feel any pain from where he was punched repeatedly. Even with the immense pain in his head, there was a comparable pain in his wrists for an unknown reason. Spero, who was completely limp, propped himself up on to his feet.

His eyes had more than enough time to adjust to the dark of this room. With that in mind, Spero looked at his wrist spread away from him on the left side of his body. The lone man tied in the room let out a terrified, "gh--" and his heart skipped a beat. He checked his other wrist, and it was the same. His hands had swelled and were noticeably darker than the rest of his body. Immediately realizing that this happened due to him cutting circulation from sleeping limp, he pushed himself on to his toes to ease the pressure.

This slight movement sent Spero's head rattling around in his skull. He let out a pained groan and a tired whimper. I'd... rather run from those monsters... one hundred times... before being like this... This experience was misery, and he'd only been awake for a total of an hour or so in this space. Being forced to stand and stay awake as to not lose his hands, the raging headache, the exhaustion, the confusion-- it was too much. I... would rather just...

Three knocks rung out from the door on the other side of the room. Spero let out a pained breath and sat in silence waiting for something to happen, The door creaked open, so Spero closed his eyes tight expecting a flood of sunlight. To his surprise though, no lights entered other than a very dim, orange glow. Spero slowly opened his eyes to see a silhouette in the doorway. Behind him was the dark glow of night, as well as dim flames spread out in the distance.

"Hope you weren't sleeping."

The silhouette with a feminine voice entered the dark room and closed the door behind them. Letting out a sigh, they sat down on the floor against the wall to their left, about half of the room away from Spero. Spero kept his eyes raised on the figure with a feminine voice. He was too tired to talk, nor did he care to anyways. He didn't want any more of this. The stranger, sat with their knees up to their face and their hands firmly placed on them, spoke once again.

"Was what you were saying to Clas earlier true?" The stranger with a feminine, soothing voice looked to Spero for a response, but he just hung his head down and looked at her. "Are you asleep? I can't really see your eyes..." The stranger spoke again to fill the silence, but it lead to more silence. "Hm... I'll just assume you were telling the truth." The stranger, who Spero had to assume was a young woman, desperately tried to fill the silence every few seconds.

"If you really are from that "City" up above... would you tell me about it sometime?" Spero didn't respond. "... We've always wanted to know more about it, but all of the Fallen are kept at Tectone-- it's out of reach to me." Small creaks from the wood exterior cried out quietly, and the sweet smell of timber stilled the air. "I'm not supposed to be in here, you know..." The young woman let out a worried chuckle.

Spero listened to every word that she spoke. She seemed nicer than the last person who came into the room... but he didn't want to trust her. For all he knew, she was working with him to get information. A different tactic from the brutish first, which didn't work the way he wanted.

"They all kept saying you were swimming in the Cliff Pool. If that's true, then why?"

I fell into it from above.

"Well first, do you have a name?"

Spero.

"I'm not actually sure if the Fallen have names now that I think about it... but how else would they know each other apart?"

Everyone has a name.

"Hey, you just let out a sigh when I said that! So you are awake!"

People sigh in their sleep, don't they?

"I guess you don't want to talk... or maybe you can't."

I... I'm not sure.

"I hope Clas wasn't being too hard on you. He doesn't believe that you're telling the truth, but your clothes say different! So weird! 'But Osel, any spy could make or steal some clothes that look weird!' Yeah whatever..."

What are you talking about?

"What spy would willingly swim in the Cliff Pool? What person would willingly lie knowing they'd be without food or water for days? I just don't see it. But sadly... I can't help you. I don't even know if I want to. It's complicated. I always hate when people get tortured here... but..."

Then help me.

"It's just how we are... how we've always been." The woman let out a sigh before whispering, "why did I come here..." The woman promptly stood up and walked towards the door. As the reached for the handle, she looked back at Spero, who quietly watched her. "Keep telling the truth-- even if it kills you." With those parting words, the woman stepped out of the room and closed the door.

Left in the cold silence of the night once more, Spero had nothing to do but think about that woman. Who was she? Clearly she didn't think she was supposed to talk to me... she knew what I'd said earlier to that guy... The woman called the man that interrogated him, "Clas". She spoke of him as if they're close-- or at least are familiar with each other and how they act. Why did she talk to him? To learn about the city? What's so appealing to know? It's a heap of metal and sorry Complacents.

"Keep telling the truth-- even if it kills you." Those final words from the woman lingered in Spero's throbbing head.

So you're just telling me to die then?

...

Maybe that's for the best.

Spero had been through some terrible things over the past few days. He was too tired to reflect, but he knew it was too much to bear for any ordinary person. For someone less than ordinary... hell takes shape as hope. The remaining hope for something new in the City lead him to this detestable situation. Hell disguised as hope.

...

"Feel like being honest today? I'm sure you're hungry." The sun had risen, evident by the rays peering through the cracks of the wood. Clas had returned to ask questions, but Spero didn't care. He just kept his gaze down at his blood and mud stained teacher shoes. Clas tilted his head down to meet Spero's gaze, but his eyes didn't budge.

"No, then?" Clas shrugged his shoulders and promptly left the room. Spero shut his eyes tight and shook his head in pure frustration. Dried blood on his lip made it itch. Being honest wasn't working. It resulted in him getting beaten, and he doubted that it would change come next time. The only option that Spero saw for himself was to quietly fade away. Would they let that happen?

Spero's legs were numb as were his wrists. Using this as an advantage to his comfort, he leaned himself forward, releasing his stance and falling until the ropes that bound him caught his arms. His body angled towards the ground while his arms and legs were completely limp. A single tear streamed down his face and dropped from his chin to the wooden ground below. He sat with his mouth hung open. At the very least, despite all of the misfortune Spero had fallen into, there was one positive to be taken away from all of this. He learned a lesson. He would never repeat the same mistake that got him into this situation, He would never try to change.