FRAGMENTS -dead end wonderland-
001.st EP - A Gate to Wonderland
Prelude - A knight, a pawn and the queen's heart.
The city is perfectly silent, like in the aftermath of a disaster. There are no people or vehicles on the streets. The sky is a murky blue, corrupted by heavy clouds and lights of advertisement signs. The only signs of life are a vapid tune echoing from the nearby bar and the harsh sounds of a neon sign in the midst of breakdown.
"Stop right there!"
A tall shadow stops on the rooftop. Its black coat rises and falls in the wind, its blue ornament pulsing faintly with complex circuitry. Gloved fingers curl for a moment, then reach out and curl around the handle of an old handgun on its side. All of a sudden, the air reeks of danger.
"Aether." The voice is young and shaken with days of stress. Its owner, a young man dressed in a uniform of black and gray, his silver eyes filled with impatience and resolve, points a small rod decorated with a shining crystal toward the shadow. His teeth clench together as he speaks. "Stop this already. Let's go back. We'll pull that Fragment out of you and..."
"And... what?" The black shadow slowly turns around, its right hand still rested on his weapon. Large golden eyes narrow with focus, thin lips tense into a faint scowl. His hair, a clear sky-blue color except for the long black lock that falls onto his face, flutters faintly in the wind. The handgun makes a faint click as one finger grazes the hammer, and his opponent frowns.
"I cannot go back... Shin," the man speaks in an unexpectedly soft voice, not a hint of malice in it. "I do not want to go back."
"But if you don't go back, Saya..."
The crystal on his weapon begins to shine brighter and Aether reacts in an instant. His hand darts forward and points his weapon, a large handgun with a cross-like ornament covered in old scratches, at the other man.
"Saya shall understand." The tear-shaped crystal set into the handgun flares up until its silver is replaced by a blazing blue. "I'm doing this for her as much as for anyone else."
"Is that what you really think?" The boy's teeth grind against each other in anger and frustration. "Just look at yourself, Aether! That thing is eating away at you! Even your hair is..."
"My hair?" His free hand rises and brushes against the lock in front of his face. As if on command, the black disappears and gives way to a gentle sky-blue. "This is the way it's supposed to be."
"It's not! This isn't like you at all." His fingers squeeze the rod's hilt harshly. "You were never the kind to go off on your own. What were you thinking? Now that Saya can't walk, you're her only support. You can't just..."
"I can." There is no worry in his words. No hesitation. One finger shifts and presses firmly against the trigger. "I shall do whatever I have to."
"Then I shall..."
Shin never finishes his sentence. Several bolts of lightning and waves of magic light erupt from the crystal rod, only to be answered in kind. Aether's finger squeezes the trigger and a single bullet darts toward his opponent's weapon. It lodges deeply within the crystal, surges with scarlet energy and explodes in a wave of fire and lightning. Several shards of the crystal vaporize from heat, others fire in every direction at once. One of them cuts deeply through Shin's cheek and evaporates in the air moments later. Another one passes by Aether's face, cutting off a lock of hair as it flies off into the distance. It ricochets off the wall in the distance and makes its way to the street. A loud sound of breaking glass follows moments later.
As the smoke begins to pour from the handgun, Aether shifts his hold on the gun. His eyes, a dull gold moments before, are now a blue so clear, even their pupils seem like a deeper shade of the same color. A small gear deep inside one of the eyes makes a turn, only to settle down with a click moments later.
His aim does not falter.
"Aether." The boy's voice trembles. "You..."
"Tell me, Shin." Even now, his voice remains soft and comforting, little like his appearance and nothing like his way of carrying himself. "Have you heard of the Queen's Heart?"
The boy merely rests his hand on his bloodied cheek, confused and worried.
"It is said that there is another world hidden in Dead End. If you find the right crack in the right alleyway, then you can enter it. There, in the wonderland born from the remnants of the dead universe that once rained down on this city, rests a special crystal. The Queen's Heart."
"It is said that people who make it into Dead End Wonderland, come out irrepairably warped." Shin's voice is tired and frusrated, his stance is shaken and his eyes are filled with confusion. "Even if you somehow venture deep inside, she will come and drag you somewhere beyond human understanding. You can't be thinking of..."
"There is something I want to ask her." Aether's hand drops to his side and aligns his gun with his holster, leaving behind only a trail of azure light. "Alice, Beatrice, the wandering maiden, the princess of hearts. Whatever they call her this time around. I want to..."
"Are you planning on entering that place? Some jewel won't protect you, you know." He scowls, then winces once the motion makes his wounds bleed. "There is nothing out there, anyway. Not unless..."
His words falter and his eyes suddenly widen in realization. For a moment, the rooftop becomes filled with silence. There is only an echo of wet, sloppy footsteps as a black, mangy cat makes it down the raling, sneaking away from the boy and closer to Aether. It brushes against his leg, absently bats on the heavy mailman's bag hanging on his side and finally snakes around him until it makes it to his shoulder. Shin scowls as a pair of wise silver eyes joins the calm gaze of his friend.
"Are the two of you searching for the Library? Do you really believe there is truth in that place? Or are you hoping to find something else?" There is a short pause. "Are you trying to cure Saya? Or..?"
"I don't know yet," Aether answers simply as he sheathes his weapon into his holster. A faint smile crosses his lips as he looks away. "I don't know about any truth or anything. All I want is to ask a certain girl why she feels so important to me." His head tilts to the side just a little bit. "Do you understand?"
"Like hell I do." The boy's hand and cheek are already soaked in blood when he releases his wound. He makes a hesitant stop forward as he speaks. "You sound raving mad, as far as I can hear. The Fragment must have eaten half your mind by now. You want to go there and leave all of us behind, and what are we left with?"
His second step is stronger and heavier.
"Are we supposed to just believe in you?"
Aether's response is an amused sound.
"Isn't that enough?"
For a moment, Shin does not know how to answer. For a moment, Aether turns toward him and there is a faint smile on his lips, so much more fitting for his new eyes than the bleak exterior of yesterday. He seems to speak of insanity, but there is a hint of wisdom in his voice and Shin finds himself desperately trying to grab onto it and understand it.
Then he blinks.
His companion spins around, rushes toward the edge of the roof and jumps.
"Aether, wait!" He reaches forward, but doesn't make it. Large black wings sweep through the air, a single feather breaks away and rushes toward him in the breeze. The shadow of black and blue kicks away from the wall and glides away into the darkness, leaving the boy to stand on the edge of the roof.
His silver eyes narrow as he takes a deep, harsh breath, only to click his tongue when a droplet of blood touches his lips.
"Is this how this is going to be..?" His fingers clench around the feather. "Dammit..."
Two years ago, I became a law enforcer in Dead End, this city at the edge of the universe Everyone knows that after the world ended seven centuries ago, living fragments of its worlds rained down on Dead End. Some of them turned out to be people. Others turned out to be monsters. And others were memories so powerful, they could warp Dead End itself into a form reminiscent of their original homes.
Everyone knows that Fragments rain down on Dead End even now. Those who come in contact with them, are warped beyond recognition by the collision between their memories and those of the dead worlds. The only option is to tear them away from the Fragments and erase their memories of the incident. Just like that, life in Dead End goes on.
Over the last two years, I have rescued fourteen victims and liberated almost twenty Fragments. All this time, I believed I'm doing the right thing by doing so. But this time...
This time, neither the Fragment nor its host are an ordinary case. I did not realize it at first, but before I knew it, I became swept up in the story of my childhood heroes, their friends and enemies and the truth behind this dying universe, and...
Before I realized it, the world around me and the truth behind its existence have begun to change.
All of this began back then.
Back when one of my childhood heroes first found himself standing in front of the gate to Wonderland.
FRAGMENTS
-dead end wonderland
001.st EP - A Gate to Wonderland
Prelude - A knight, a pawn and the queen's heart.
The city is perfectly silent, like in the aftermath of a disaster. There are no people or vehicles on the streets. The sky is a murky blue, corrupted by heavy clouds and lights of advertisement signs. The only signs of life are a vapid tune echoing from the nearby bar and the harsh sounds of a neon sign in the midst of breakdown.
"Stop right there!"
A tall shadow stops on the rooftop. Its black coat rises and falls in the wind, its blue ornament pulsing faintly with complex circuitry. Gloved fingers curl for a moment, then reach out and curl around the handle of an old handgun on its side. All of a sudden, the air reeks of danger.
"Aether." The voice is young and shaken with days of stress. Its owner, a young man dressed in a uniform of black and gray, his silver eyes filled with impatience and resolve, points a small rod decorated with a shining crystal toward the shadow. His teeth clench together as he speaks. "Stop this already. Let's go back. We'll pull that Fragment out of you and..."
"And... what?" The black shadow slowly turns around, its right hand still rested on his weapon. Large golden eyes narrow with focus, thin lips tense into a faint scowl. His hair, a clear sky-blue color except for the long black lock that falls onto his face, flutters faintly in the wind. The handgun makes a faint click as one finger grazes the hammer, and his opponent frowns.
"I cannot go back... Shin," the man speaks in an unexpectedly soft voice, not a hint of malice in it. "I do not want to go back."
"But if you don't go back, Saya..."
The crystal on his weapon begins to shine brighter and Aether reacts in an instant. His hand darts forward and points his weapon, a large handgun with a cross-like ornament covered in old scratches, at the other man.
"Saya shall understand." The tear-shaped crystal set into the handgun flares up until its silver is replaced by a blazing blue. "I'm doing this for her as much as for anyone else."
"Is that what you really think?" The boy's teeth grind against each other in anger and frustration. "Just look at yourself, Aether! That thing is eating away at you! Even your hair is..."
"My hair?" His free hand rises and brushes against the lock in front of his face. As if on command, the black disappears and gives way to a gentle sky-blue. "This is the way it's supposed to be."
"It's not! This isn't like you at all." His fingers squeeze the rod's hilt harshly. "You were never the kind to go off on your own. What were you thinking? Now that Saya can't walk, you're her only support. You can't just..."
"I can." There is no worry in his words. No hesitation. One finger shifts and presses firmly against the trigger. "I shall do whatever I have to."
"Then I shall..."
Shin never finishes his sentence. Several bolts of lightning and waves of magic light erupt from the crystal rod, only to be answered in kind. Aether's finger squeezes the trigger and a single bullet darts toward his opponent's weapon. It lodges deeply within the crystal, surges with scarlet energy and explodes in a wave of fire and lightning. Several shards of the crystal vaporize from heat, others fire in every direction at once. One of them cuts deeply through Shin's cheek and evaporates in the air moments later. Another one passes by Aether's face, cutting off a lock of hair as it flies off into the distance. It ricochets off the wall in the distance and makes its way to the street. A loud sound of breaking glass follows moments later.
As the smoke begins to pour from the handgun, Aether shifts his hold on the gun. His eyes, a dull gold moments before, are now a blue so clear, even their pupils seem like a deeper shade of the same color. A small gear deep inside one of the eyes makes a turn, only to settle down with a click moments later.
His aim does not falter.
"Aether." The boy's voice trembles. "You..."
"Tell me, Shin." Even now, his voice remains soft and comforting, little like his appearance and nothing like his way of carrying himself. "Have you heard of the Queen's Heart?"
The boy merely rests his hand on his bloodied cheek, confused and worried.
"It is said that there is another world hidden in Dead End. If you find the right crack in the right alleyway, then you can enter it. There, in the wonderland born from the remnants of the dead universe that once rained down on this city, rests a special crystal. The Queen's Heart."
"It is said that people who make it into Dead End Wonderland, come out irrepairably warped." Shin's voice is tired and frusrated, his stance is shaken and his eyes are filled with confusion. "Even if you somehow venture deep inside, she will come and drag you somewhere beyond human understanding. You can't be thinking of..."
"There is something I want to ask her." Aether's hand drops to his side and aligns his gun with his holster, leaving behind only a trail of azure light. "Alice, Beatrice, the wandering maiden, the princess of hearts. Whatever they call her this time around. I want to..."
"Are you planning on entering that place? Some jewel won't protect you, you know." He scowls, then winces once the motion makes his wounds bleed. "There is nothing out there, anyway. Not unless..."
His words falter and his eyes suddenly widen in realization. For a moment, the rooftop becomes filled with silence. There is only an echo of wet, sloppy footsteps as a black, mangy cat makes it down the raling, sneaking away from the boy and closer to Aether. It brushes against his leg, absently bats on the heavy mailman's bag hanging on his side and finally snakes around him until it makes it to his shoulder. Shin scowls as a pair of wise silver eyes joins the calm gaze of his friend.
"Are the two of you searching for the Library? Do you really believe there is truth in that place? Or are you hoping to find something else?" There is a short pause. "Are you trying to cure Saya? Or..?"
"I don't know yet," Aether answers simply as he sheathes his weapon into his holster. A faint smile crosses his lips as he looks away. "I don't know about any truth or anything. All I want is to ask a certain girl why she feels so important to me." His head tilts to the side just a little bit. "Do you understand?"
"Like hell I do." The boy's hand and cheek are already soaked in blood when he releases his wound. He makes a hesitant stop forward as he speaks. "You sound raving mad, as far as I can hear. The Fragment must have eaten half your mind by now. You want to go there and leave all of us behind, and what are we left with?"
His second step is stronger and heavier.
"Are we supposed to just believe in you?"
Aether's response is an amused sound.
"Isn't that enough?"
For a moment, Shin does not know how to answer. For a moment, Aether turns toward him and there is a faint smile on his lips, so much more fitting for his new eyes than the bleak exterior of yesterday. He seems to speak of insanity, but there is a hint of wisdom in his voice and Shin finds himself desperately trying to grab onto it and understand it.
Then he blinks.
His companion spins around, rushes toward the edge of the roof and jumps.
"Aether, wait!" He reaches forward, but doesn't make it. Large black wings sweep through the air, a single feather breaks away and rushes toward him in the breeze. The shadow of black and blue kicks away from the wall and glides away into the darkness, leaving the boy to stand on the edge of the roof.
His silver eyes narrow as he takes a deep, harsh breath, only to click his tongue when a droplet of blood touches his lips.
"Is this how this is going to be..?" His fingers clench around the feather. "Dammit..."
Two years ago, I became a law enforcer in Dead End, this city at the edge of the universe Everyone knows that after the world ended seven centuries ago, living fragments of its worlds rained down on Dead End. Some of them turned out to be people. Others turned out to be monsters. And others were memories so powerful, they could warp Dead End itself into a form reminiscent of their original homes.
Everyone knows that Fragments rain down on Dead End even now. Those who come in contact with them, are warped beyond recognition by the collision between their memories and those of the dead worlds. The only option is to tear them away from the Fragments and erase their memories of the incident. Just like that, life in Dead End goes on.
Over the last two years, I have rescued fourteen victims and liberated almost twenty Fragments. All this time, I believed I'm doing the right thing by doing so. But this time...
This time, neither the Fragment nor its host are an ordinary case. I did not realize it at first, but before I knew it, I became swept up in the story of my childhood heroes, their friends and enemies and the truth behind this dying universe, and...
Before I realized it, the world around me and the truth behind its existence have begun to change.
All of this began back then.
Back when one of my childhood heroes first found himself standing in front of the gate to Wonderland.
FRAGMENTS
-dead end wonderland
001.st EP - A Gate to Wonderland