CHAPTER FIVE
Test of the Unknown
The classes took the whole morning, and afterward, I had little to do. I offered to help Jharim, but he was also out of commission after the last Chainrunner run, and the next one is not scheduled for a few more months.
So I wandered.
It still feels strange not to be overwhelmed by hunger during the day. The bread in the morning really does wonders, and I cannot wait for the soup. Also, without having to sleep during the day, I finally have the chance to explore the district fully, or at least those parts I have permission to walk in.
The residential section where Meris and her parents live sits on the outskirts of the district, and that is where I usually stay. But as I look toward the center of the district, the buildings get taller and taller. Yet none of them come close to the tallest building of all: the Obelisk, the structure responsible for the district’s ward.
It is a square column so high that everything else seems miniature by comparison. Runes cover its entire surface, flickering in the light. That light might also be likened to the radiance that pierces through the fog.
Most people do not believe it, but I have read many stories claiming that beyond the fog, there is also a sun in the sky. In those stories, it is the sun’s light that cuts through the fog and provides warmth.
Meris once teased me for believing in such a thing, a ball of fire floating in the sky. Who would believe that? But the warmth of the sun in my dreams seems so real that I cannot help wanting to believe.
As I roam through the district, I still notice people’s faces when they look at me.
District 98 is not huge, with only a few thousand inhabitants, so most people know one another. Still, it feels strange that so many recognize me, considering I have hidden myself during most daytime hours for the past four years.
Then I remember that the Chainrunners had a drawing made of me when they were searching for my family in neighboring districts, hoping someone might have seen them alive. That drawing was included in their reports, which the Chainrunners always share with the population.
People here like to be informed, and there is not much news besides what the Chainrunners discover in other districts. The District Council encourages sharing that information, even though it costs a lot of paper.
Soon, some passersby even stop in their tracks when they see me, as if afraid they will have a bad day just by looking my way.
“Maybe I should go back,” I think.
I do not believe they would beat me into another long sleep again, but those stares become uncomfortable after a while.
While heading back to the outskirts of the district, I notice the fog and recall what was discussed in class.
“The fog feels anything it touches,” they said.
I cannot help wondering why it did not kill me when it had the chance. So I decide to retrace my steps toward the fog.
The district guard mainly watches for threats coming from within the fog, not for people trying to approach it. Everyone fears even getting close to the fog, so slipping past the guard is easy if you wait for them to pass by on their rounds.
It takes a long time for patrols to circle back to the same spot, which makes sneaking around, even during the day, surprisingly simple.
The light seems to grow dimmer the closer I get to the fog. Standing right in front of it, I can barely see a few feet inside. A gust of wind blows from within, and the gray grass near my feet shifts in response as I arrive.
I sit down by the fog as I did before, thinking about what I am about to do.
Elina always says that curiosity has driven humankind to great heights but also brings risks. Yet those risks are necessary for progress. The unknown may be dangerous, but I cannot sleep without answers.
Just like last time, I touch the fog with my hand. It envelops and swirls around my fingers as though it is alive. I can feel it noticing me.
I take out the book Elina gave me, stored safely in a hand-stitched bag she made herself. With my pen in hand, I do exactly what Elina taught me and write:
Fog Experimentation Test 1
“Context of Experiment: Rumors say the fog is alive and tries to kill anything it touches.”
That is the method Elina calls the way of the ancients of Araksiun, the “scientific method,” used to analyze everything systematically to find real answers.
Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.
“Test 1
Experiment: Touched the fog with bare hands.
Result: The fog reacted to it in an unusual way, and there was a sense of connection that cannot be described. However, no immediate harm was observed.”
That should match what Elina taught me. The fog did react to me, but I cannot describe how it felt, nor do I know if it is a personal sensation. As I consider this, I recall my dreams and how the warmth of the sun on my skin resembles what I feel from the fog.
A normal fog should be composed of tiny droplets in the air, according to Elina, yet the sensation I get is closer to sunlight warming my body.
Yes, it might be personal, so I add another line to my entry:
“Consideration: The sense of connection felt when touching the fog might be related to the fog’s properties and the personal experiences of the test subject.”
My next test should be to replicate what I did that night: leaving my arm in the fog for a long stretch, just as before.
Again, I weigh the risks, but I remember Elina’s words about curiosity. I have to know, and last time nothing happened, so I decide to do it in order to complete these experiments.
I place my entire left arm into the fog as before and wait. Minutes pass, and still nothing happens. Every moment, I feel as if it could be my last.
They all say the fog knows when someone is inside, and I can sense it too. The limited visibility makes it impossible to see what might be coming from within and if a monster approached, there would be almost no time to react. The fog would know that as well.
However, that night, the fog could have easily sent a monster to grab me by the arm without warning. I would have had no chance to defend myself.
Now, at least, it is daytime, and perhaps I could react for a second or two, but the fear still gnaws at me.
I am not sure exactly how long I stand there, maybe ten minutes, when I finally pull my arm away.
“Test 2
Experiment: Leaving the entire left arm in the fog for a significant amount of time.
Results: Fog reacted just as in the previous test, but nothing else occurred. No monster or any creature appeared, and no visible harm came to the subject.”
The fog does react to human presence, but it did not try to kill me by sending monsters. Still, I cannot figure out why. I do not record any conclusions yet.
That day, I spent hours lurking around, watching the district guard patrolling near the ward. They also post guards at the designated exits, though any place without walls can technically be an exit.
All of the guards seemed terrified of touching the fog, so no one did.
Over the following days, I continued going to class in the mornings and observing the city guard in the afternoons. There was not much else for me to do, and I was curious to see what would happen if they ever did touch the fog.
Elina taught me that personal experience alone is not enough to form a conclusion. That also applies to experiments. But since I could not ask a guard to risk their life by touching the fog, I simply waited, thinking eventually someone might do it by accident.
They walk near the fog and have stations close to it. Surely, something would happen at some point to make one of them touch it.
Or so I thought, but their fear was too strong.
As the weeks passed, I saw no one reach into the fog. Even when something slipped from someone’s pocket just a few centimeters into it, they let it remain there, considering it lost.
Two months later, when I was about to give up on my observations, it finally happened.
One of the city guards, while scuffling with another guard, a friendly contest, I suppose, lost control of his sword. It slipped off his belt and landed in the fog.
“Congratulations, you just lost your sword. Now the Captain’s going to kick your ass,” the guard who was losing the fight muttered, spitting blood on the ground.
Swords are expensive, and that one looked decent, just a few meters inside the fog.
The soldier who owned it thought for a moment, staring at his sword and likely picturing the Captain’s fury. Then he glanced around, checking who might be watching.
It was already night, but this part of the district is lit with lamps, so the area around the sword in the fog is clear to everyone, as is the surroundings.
I was there, of course, hidden on an unlit rooftop that I had climbed via a back alley, watching the entire scene. He did not see me, only his fellow guards.
Then, he rushed into the fog, grabbed his sword, and ran back out, spending no more than five seconds inside.
“Whoa, you’re crazy! The Captain would have your head for this,” the other guard said, the one who had been on the losing side of the fight.
The guard who retrieved his sword looked at him and replied, “That’s why nobody here is going to talk about this, got it?”
They all nodded.
He appeared unharmed, even though he entered the fog. Just as I was about to jot down my conclusions, about half a minute later, a monster appeared.
It was a bipedal creature with claws as long as its hands, roughly half the size of an adult, standing on the edge of the fog, glaring at them as if daring them to enter again.
They eyed it with disgust, but not one of them ventured into the fog.
A pang of fear went through me as I realized the monsters do indeed respond when someone touches the fog. I quickly started writing my summary:
“Conclusion: The fog reacts to people entering it, and the monsters become aware of those inside the fog. However, subject one (Omen) was not attacked after prolonged contact, whereas subject two (District Guard) was apparently about to be attacked after only a few seconds inside.”
I still cannot fully grasp what this means. Why were no monsters sent after me when I touched the fog? Perhaps because I did not enter it completely?
Stepping entirely into the fog seems to be the next step, but the fear of running into a creature like the one I just witnessed is too strong. I gave up on that experiment the next day, although my curiosity kept nudging me.
I thought about asking Elina for her opinion, but she would probably be furious with me, I decided to pretended it had never happened.