Nullity of Cynefin: Orphic Dawn

⚠️WARNING!⚠️

This story includes:

Cringe(?)

Gory scenes(?)

Unrealistic events

My OCs

My AU

Cussing(?)

Author’s note: I just want to say, I am only 12 years old, as of writing this, so this story may not be the best. I do hope you enjoy my story, as I’ve been working on it for a long while and would like some recognition and feedback. There is my discord, youtube channel(s), and subreddit: [ https://discord.gg/SJrppdSn | www.youtube.com/@KarmaAida | https://www.reddit.com/r/NullityOfCynefin/s/ZjEwNBe42K ], which you may check out and give out a few comments. Anyways, you may now continue reading. Love you, cupcakes! <3

This story is a fantasy type story, where it takes place in a supernatural world. The MC, Karma Aida, realizes she’s with more than one power, unlike the other 99.98% of the population. She must blend in with the rest of society and try not to get caught with her extra abilities! Her backstory has quite the amount of obstacles that get in her way and change her life. Will she be able to come out of this alive in the very end?

Prologue

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Psst…. Hey.. hey you! Yeah you, I’m trying to get on with my stupid story, hurry it up, will ya?

Now, where was I.. ah right. Ahem, hey, my name is Karma Aida, but I’m more known as Elvea or Ailuro, and I’m 16 years old. I live in Michiki, Japan, and a world where superpowers are REAL. They’re called Everetts, only 64% of the population has one. Sounds cool right? A whole world where people can have some cool powers? Yeah, no. Unfortunately, there are complete idiots in real life, and Everetts seemed to make ‘em a whole lot stupider.

Due to the unknown creation of these abilities, people have been separated to a few groups:

- Civilians / Town People (76.94%)

- Heroes (15.04%)

- Villains (12%)

- The Opposites / The Undyings (0.02%)

Let me explain each role to ya, though the first three you should have a good idea on. Civilians are simply people who are not allowed to use their Everetts, and just live their lives as any other person would. Heroes are people who had trained in a hero school and became strong enough to help out others. Villains are ones who decided to become evil, for whatever reason. The Opposites, or Undyings as I like to call them, are quite strange. They are people who end up with more than one Everett, and unfortunately, because of their extended power, people go out of their way to hunt them down and chain them up. Because, apparently, people can’t handle being weaker than others, little babies.

Regular people tend to find they have their ability one day, normally around the age 4-7, and are able to use it. With Undyings, it’s different. They feel a sensation, and a calling to them, if they go to find their callings, they may be blessed, though I feel it’s more a curse, with their Everett’s.

Oh, right, I’m an Undying b-t-dub. Yeah, luckily no one has found out yet, so that’s pretty kewl, eh?

Let me take you back to the day it all began, the fateful moment when I realized I wasn't like everyone else.

Chapter 1: Father

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[September 15, 2064]

I was 5, sitting in my small cottage with my mother and father. It was a peaceful day, the sun casting golden beams through the windows. I was as joyful as could be, jumping with glee around the kitchen as I waited for my mom to make me some delicious pancakes and bacon. Normally it’d be eggs and bacon, but we ran out of eggs so we had pancakes instead, we’d have to head off to the market soon. As I was bouncing around, I suddenly felt a strange sensation. It was like a tingling in my bones, a warmth spreading through my body, and something just calling for me outside my home.

Curiosity got the best of me, and I walked to the window, peering outside to find the source of this mysterious feeling. To my surprise, the garden glowed with a subtle, otherworldly light, and there, amid the verdant green, I saw something unusual. A light glow emanated from the earth itself, forming a shimmering path that beckoned me forward.

I couldn’t help but feel an overwhelming urge to follow it, even though I knew I shouldn't wander off without telling my parents. I looked back, only to find my mother still working on food, and my father already out to work. ’This shouldn’t be a bad idea, right..?’ my little brain thought, impassioned by excitement and curiosity. I stealthily slipped out the door, and headed off into the misty, viridian forest. I followed where I saw the light that beckoned me there, hoping to find possible treasures. Though when I got to the light it seemed a floating orb. Without knowing proper precautions, I reached my hand out and touched it. The moment my fingers brushed against its surface, the orb pulsed with life and warmth. I began to glow as well, a strange feeling for anyone the first time.

I could feel power flow within me, and the orb began to evanesce. This feeling was weird, but at the same time, it felt right. I could feel ears and a tail grow on me, making me more a cat hybrid. My eyes, which were light blue before, were now golden yellow and had slit pupils. My right eye felt a bit.. weird. It had turned completely black with a white pupil, no shine to it whatsoever, despite the glow from me and the disappearing orb.

My right pupil all the sudden felt more powerful, my body as well. I was stronger now, with my new-found power.

I finally stopped glowing, and the magical light was gone. I felt excited, I finally had my own Everett, just like my parents and friends! Little did I know….

I ran back to my cottage and sneaked back in, to my luck, my mother had just finished the food. She hadn’t even noticed I was gone.

Ishimaru: “Sweetie, food’s ready!” My mother called out to me. I ran up to her with glee, my new cat tail wagging.

Me: “Mom, mom, mom! Look, I got my Everett!!” I exclaimed with joy as I bounced beside her, a huge grin on my face.

Ishimaru: She smiled and pet my head, though shock was clear on her face. “That’s amazing sweetie, I’m so proud of you. Here, you don’t want your food to get cold” She spoke with a soft chuckle, taking my plate of food and setting it on the table. I quickly followed and sat down, the ear-to-ear smile remaining on my face.

I ate my food quite quickly as always, and put the empty plate on the counter after, because I still couldn’t reach the sink. My mother had already gone off to some other room, most likely to rest or clean, as per usual.

After that, I went to my room to play with my cat doll, it was my very favorite. It was a light brown cat with white spots on its body, like its right eye, legs, stomach, and tip of tail. I always found it so cute, and right now it reminded me of myself.

When I got to my room, I found my doll on my desk, sitting there. I grabbed the doll gently and jumped onto my bed, then played around with it.

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[September 20, 2064]

It was a normal day, as any other. Me and my father were going out to the market as my mother gardened.

We strolled by the town, walking past cherry blossom trees, houses, and trade stands. It was a beautiful day outside, especially with the bright blue sky and soft clouds that just barely covered the sun. There was light chatter from the townspeople that walked by, and small birds chirping.

It was all quite peaceful, until..

BOOM! A loud noise was heard, startling many people and animals. It was a villain, who decided to attack our town. He, or she, or whatever they were, seemed to be made of a black goop, the only thing that was even remotely visible was their sharp red eyes and fanged smirk, as well as what seemed to be black claws and horns.. They had to be at least 15 feet tall, because they seemed about as tall as one of the homes. They quickly crashed into houses and stands, making them break apart. People screamed and ran, attempting to leave immediately, but me and my father froze. I never experienced an actual villain attack, I’ve never even seen a villain aside from on the news. I finally unfroze after a few seconds and backed up, looking up at my dad. He was still frozen, so I tugged on his arm, but he didn’t move.

Villain: The villain laughed and continued to cause destruction to our town, “Awh, how cute. A father and their child, perfect to kill.” their voice was deep and terrifying, especially to someone young like me. Hearing the word ‘kill’ associated with me and my own parent definitely did not sit right with me. I turned back and began to run, unintentionally leaving my dad behind.

Villain: “Hm, the child ran away. Oh well, I still have one more sacrifice.” The villain spoke, then lunged at my father.

In that moment, I looked back, only to see what would traumatize me for life... The villain pounced on him, his large claws slicing my dad into pieces, blood spurting out. My fathers now ripped body fell to the floor as blood spilt out. The villain laughed at the scene and then fled, leaving me and my dad’s corpse. I looked down at the body, my eyes stinging with tears. I couldn’t believe the sight in front of me, I never thought that this could happen.

I stumbled backwards, tears now spilling from my eyes. I didn’t know what to do. My dad was dead, what could I do?

There wasn’t anything I could do. So instead, I ran off, running back to my cottage to tell my mother the horrible news, despite it being pretty hard to talk about, especially for a 5 year old.

Eventually I got back to the cottage, which managed to survive the villain attack. Though, my mother had stood outside the house, seemingly shocked at the scene which had happened right in front of her. I wasn’t sure whether or not she saw dad die, but I did. I ran into her arms, tears still streaming down my cheeks.

Me: “M-mom! D-dad, he-!” Though I couldn’t get my words out, as I let out a choked sob.

Ishimaru: My mother hugged me tightly, tears of her own forming in her eyes. “I-I know honey, there's nothing we can do about it, though..” She responded with a quiet and sad tone. So she did see, that made it worse, in a way.

After that, we stood there. Me in my mother’s arms, us both crying. It took a while, but we managed to get ourselves together and soon come inside. Inside, we didn’t really know what to do. I mean, my dad, her boyfriend (no, they didn’t get married yet, but dad was going to propose the next week) had just died! Of course we’d be lost on what to do. I just went to my bed, barely a minute on it I fell asleep. I’m pretty sure my mother did the same.

Chapter 2: My (not-so) Ordinary Life

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[October 4, 2064]

It’s been about two weeks since father had died. Everything was weird. My mother hasn’t been hanging out with me as much, or making much food. Lately, all I’ve been eating for my meals is cereal or some chips, since that’s all I can really get for myself. Mother hasn’t been home as much either, I guess she got herself a job. While she’s at work, I take care of the plants outside, as best as I can anyways. I’ve always watched my mother take care of them, so I think I could do it just fine.

Speaking of my mother, she’s been acting weird too. I’ve been sad lately, but she’s being pretty rude. Telling me off when I didn’t do anything, yelling at me, others, or things, grounding me for nothing. It was weird, but I didn’t speak up about it because I felt it was just her way of coping.

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[November 18, 2064]

It’s been about 2 months now, but mother is no better. She continues to act unkindly, and honestly, I think she’s worse. She’s started hitting me, ignoring me, yelling constantly. The only time I get some peace from that is when she’s at work, but with how she acts with me, I don’t think she’ll be at that job much longer. I’ve tried to tell her that, but all she does is yell at me.

I’ve been staying in my room more, which I guess isn’t the worst. I draw a lot when I’m in there, it’s fun! It helps me ignore how everything else is, so I keep doing it. I sometimes come out to get some food, but I have to make sure mother isn’t there, because I don’t want her to yell at me more.

I’ve gotten better, not as sad. Of course I’m still upset dad is dead, but I’m able to go a day without thinking about it. At school, I mostly draw. I have a few friends, but they hang out with their group more than me. That’s okay though, they’re a bit too loud for me, especially lately. Ever since I got my Everetts, everything is so much louder! I think it’s because I have cat ears now, because I’ve heard cats’ hearing is super powerful! But that’s not the point; I’m a bit happier, but a bit more lonely.

Surprisingly though, I don’t mind being lonely as much as I feel I would have! It’s nice, having more silence and time to do what I want. I get to choose what I do at home, and at recess. Normally my parents or friends would choose for me, and that’s kind of annoying. So, this is okay! (I think this is where my denial came in chat)

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[December 20, 2064]

It’s another morning.. and almost Christmas! I’m excited for this, but I don’t want to get my hopes up. Mom is still pretty abusive, so I honestly doubt we’ll even be doing Christmas. We didn’t even do Halloween! I’m just happy because today we’re having a Christmas party at school.

Anyways, I’ve finished getting ready for school, and mom already went to work. I feel bad for her, having to go to work so early. But, that’s not my business, it’s time for school!

I headed out the door, my backpack slung over my shoulder. I didn’t have much in my backpack, mostly just coloring supplies and sketchbooks, so it was light. I decided ‘why not skip to school?’ so I did, and began skipping rather than walking as usual.

I eventually got to school, and to my surprise, I found my friends waiting for me in the lunchroom for breakfast. They normally sat in the gym, which was why it surprised me.

Vixaria: “Hey Aida! We decided to sit with you at breakfast today, since it’s almost Christmas. Plus we know we haven’t been hanging out with you as much at recess, so today we wanna play with you as much as we can!” My friend told me with excitement, his face beaming with happiness. His name was Vixaria, but I called him Vix for short.

Me: I giggled, a smile on my face, “Ooh yay! I’m so happy you guys wanna play with me today!” Oh, and, it wasn’t just Vix. There were also my other friends, Sana, Onida, and Ramunine (we called him Rani.) Sana and Onida were almost always together, they had made each other at least 15 friendship bracelets. I always thought they were a little crazy, but I loved hanging out with them anyways.

Rani: “Yeah, whatever.. it’s not like a big deal or anything..” Rani said monotonously. Right, Rani always acted pretty.. indifferent about things. I’ve asked about it, but he always brushed it off. It confused me, how could another kid be so cold? Well, actually, I wouldn’t say cold, just really really unbothered about everything.

Sana: “Oh come on Rani! You need to lighten up sometimes!!” Sana spoke,

Onida: “Yeah! You’re so boringggg” Onida whined, playfully hitting Rani on the shoulder. Rani ignored them though, just standing there with his hands in his hoodie pockets.

Vixaria: “Dude, you’re so emo” Vix teased, and Rani was about to respond when suddenly, a teacher yelled at us!

Old Hag: “Hurry up and get your breakfast!” I didn’t like that teacher, she was old and mean. I pouted, along with my friends, and we sat at a table.

Me: “Why does she yell so much?” I spoke to them, my tone annoyed.

Onida: “No idea, she’s so rude!” Onida replied with her usual energetic tone, the others nodded their heads in agreement. We ended up talking about some random things, smiling and laughing and all that. Eventually we had to go to class, but we were in kindergarten and we were doing the Christmas party today, so it’s not like we’d do any work.

We had our Christmas party, basically getting some gifts from each other and the teacher, having some sweets, and playing games. It was really fun! I was sad I had to go, and that it was going to be Winter Break after this. I liked school, it let me get away from home and mom, but there wasn’t anything I could do to change the fact that break was happening.

I waved to my friends, us all saying goodbye, before I then began walking to my cottage. The walk was mostly peaceful, aside from some other people who were a bit louder and walking by where I was.

I got home pretty quickly, and luckily mom wasn’t there. I went to my room and set my stuff down, then did what I usually did, draw.

Chapter 3: The Lab

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[August 10, 2065]

It was a new year, and after so long, mom still hasn’t gotten any nicer. It was almost my birthday too, which would normally excite me, but I knew my mother wouldn’t do anything to celebrate it. Plus, school started after my birthday, so I couldn’t even celebrate it with my friends. And you might be thinking ‘why not just go out with them?’ Well, my friend, I wasn’t allowed to. I mean, even if mom was as nice as before the incident, I was 5 – turning 6! Of course I wasn’t going to be allowed to go out and hang out with my friends.

Anyways, today wasn’t anything special. Though, I overheard mom having some weird call in the kitchen. She was talking about something happening on August 16th, my birthday! Maybe she was planning something for it! I went back to my room, giddy for what could come on my birthday.

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[August 16, 2065]

It’s my birthday! I woke up especially early, and to my surprise, so did mother.

Ishimaru: She called out to me, “Hey, Karma! Come outside, I need you really quick!”

I smiled and ran out, excited for what it could be. When I came out, I was confused. There was a van, some weird white one that had some men that sort of looked like scientists. Oh, and, one of them was holding a huge stack of money.

Scientist 05: “Is this the kid?” One of the men asked,

Ishimaru: “Yes, it is.” my mom replied, her tone serious. She was handed the money by the man. Another one of the men smirked and stepped forward.

Scientist 05: “Thank you for this trade.” He said, before taking my hand and putting a cuff on it. By now, I was very confused, and scared. I tried to resist, but the man put the cuffs on me fully. I was about to scream, when he covered my mouth with his hand, and then took out some muzzle, putting it on me.

Once restrained, I was shoved into the back of the van, my screams making no noise and my body unable to move or try and get out. The doors shut, and I was trapped in the back. I heard some muffled talking outside, before I saw through the chains up front that the men had gone back inside the van. They began to drive, and I fell over from the sudden movement.

I sat against some box in the back, silent tears streaming down my face. I didn’t know what was happening, why was I being taken away by some strangers? Why did mom let this happen? Why on my birthday? I didn’t know the answers to anything I was asking in my head.

Due to me crying, I felt sleepy. So, I fell asleep..

Eventually I was woken up by being dragged by the man that had cuffed me, heading towards some large, seemingly secretive building. Once inside, the cuffs and muzzle were taken off of me and I was given clothes, which were some formal, uncomfortable, white button-up and white jeans, plus plain white sneakers. I then got shoved into a room and forced to change into the clothing.

After I got out, the restrainments were put back on me and another scientist put me into a padded cell with a large one-sided window and a cell door. Once in, the door was locked behind me.

Before I knew it, chains got hooked up to my cuffs, and my ankles. A shock collar was dropped from some type of mechanical tool and screwed onto my neck. It made no sense to me. What was happening? What was going to happen? Why was this happening?

I had no answer to any of those questions, but for some reason.. I blamed myself. For all of this, not just me being brought to this lab. I felt like it was my fault, that mom acted the way she did, that she sold me here, that my dad died. I knew it wasn’t, but I couldn’t help but feel that way.

[A few hours later..]

After a while, I ended up falling asleep, sitting on the padded floor. Though, I was awoken abruptly by being pulled by my hair. My eyes shot open, and looked to see a scientist who was grabbing onto my long blonde locks.

Scientist 04: He let go, letting out a scoff. “Finally you’re awake, brat. Look, just get up so you can go back to being useless sooner.” The scientist said, his tone demanding and gruff. I didn’t want to know what’d happen if I didn’t, so I complied. I struggled slightly with getting up, due to the chains, but managed. The scientist tightened my chains, I couldn’t even move my limbs. I didn’t know why he did that, but I would know soon.

He stepped back, revealing another man. He had some kind of tools, one like a needle and another that seemed like a block with a hole and some buttons and wires. I was unsure of where this was headed, but I knew that it wasn’t to be pleasant. The other scientist grabbed my wrist and shoved my hand into the device which he held. For a few seconds, the small machine made whirring sounds, as if just turning on.

In the hole which I had my hand in then began to project a light blue, and began to scan my hand. After a while, it finished, and he took my hand out. Apparently it had a screen on the other side with the details and such, and he seemed quite surprised by it.

Scientist 07: “Hm.. interesting, so your mother was telling the truth. ..04, go and double this please.” The scientist said, handing the needle to the other who had woken me up. Scientist 04 nodded, taking the needle, then walked out. It didn’t take him long to come back with a needle, which seemed to be a little fuller than the last. He stopped beside the other, giving it to them, the scientist took it with his eyes not leaving me.

Scientist 07: “Don’t worry, kid, the pain will only last a few seconds.” The scientist said, before sticking the needle into my chest, injecting whatever was in it into me. It began to hurt and slightly burn, but he was right, it only lasted a few seconds before the pain went away. The scientist gave the needle and device to 04, signalling for him to go and put it away. Scientist 04 left with the items, shutting the door behind him. The other scientist stayed in the room, and kneeled down to my height.

Scientist 07: “I’m 07, but you can call me Owen for short. It’s a pleasure to meet you, kid. What’s your name?” He said, his voice softer than it was earlier.

Me: “...I’m Aida.. Karma Aida..” I replied, my tone soft but having a slight shakiness.

Owen: Owen nodded, a small smile on his face. “Mm, Aida. Pretty name! I’m.. sorry, that you have to be here. It isn’t the most fun place, but as long as you behave it’ll be fine!” His tone was friendly towards me, it was nice to hear such a kind voice that wasn’t only from my friends.

He paused before speaking once more,

Owen: “Oh and, lunch break is soon, so you’ll be out of this room for a bit. Maybe you can make some friends with the other experiments!”

Though, he stood up again, patting my head lightly. “I have to go, see ya, kid.” he spoke, then turned away and left the room.

Sure enough, there was a bell that rang, and the door to my cell opened. Another scientist came in and took off the chains on me, as well as the muzzle.

Scientist 09: “Hurry and get to lunch.” He said with a stern tone, stepping aside so I could leave. I listened, and scurried out. I found myself being led to a larger room, which held many other kids and had several tables with attached seats.

I sat at a table, one without anyone else sitting there. Eventually, a tray that had mostly just meat was placed in front of me. To be honest, I didn’t really like meat, I was more of a vegetable and fruit type of person. So I just sort of sat there, staring at the food in front of me, until I heard movement beside me. I turned my head over, and saw another kid who had fluffy purple hair, dark blue eyes with pupils that seemed to be scribbles, and was wearing the same lab outfit as me and the other experiments. He looked at me, giving a small wave,

Kiaz: “..Hey. My name is Kiaz, and you?” he asked me.

Me: “I’m.. Aida. It’s nice to meet you!” I said in a friendly tone, seemingly trusting him already. He seemed nice, so I felt it was okay to become friends with him.

Kiaz: He smiled lightly, speaking in a similar friendly tone, “It’s nice to meet you too, wanna be friends?”

I nodded with slight excitement, glad to get a friend here. Maybe being here wouldn’t be too bad.. For now. We began talking, occasionally taking small bites of our food, since we didn’t really want to eat much of it, until the bell rang. Kiaz and I put up our trays, and then said our goodbyes.

Me: “Cya, Kiaz!”

Kiaz: “See you!”

Scientists then led us to our cells, going through the long and dark halls. Once put in my cell, I was put back into my restraints, which were still uncomfortable but at least my mood was okay.

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[November 9, 2065]

Over the next few days, it was pretty much the same. Each day, week, month, it was basically just a repeated cycle. I’d have a few experiments every-so-often, go to lunch and talk with Kiaz, then return to my cell. It wasn’t so bad here, as it appears. Actually, today after lunch, they let me not be restrained in my cell! It was much better, being able to move around rather than just sitting against the same wall each day.

I decided to ask one of the scientists if it’d be okay for me to have paper and a pencil, so I could draw to spend the time, and they said they’d ask.

After some time, Owen came! He had a small stack of papers, plus some pencils.

Owen: “Hey kid! I heard you wanted some drawing supplies? I didn’t know you liked to draw!” He said, placing the supplies in front of me as I sat on the pale white floor.

Me: I nodded, giving a grin, “Yeah! I love to draw, it’s so fun!” He smiled, and patted my head a few times.

Owen: “Well I’m glad you have something to keep you busy, especially something like drawing. It’s a good way to spend the extra time you have” Owen stood up straight, and walked to the door. “Oh, and if you run out just ask for more, okay?” He spoke, giving a small wave before leaving. I nodded slightly, and then looked down at the papers and pencils he gave me. I took one of each, and then began drawing. I decided to draw myself and Kiaz, because I felt like we were good friends!

Of course, my art wasn’t the best, I was only 6, but to me it was great! My art style was a bit childish, though it was a bit better than some other kids’ would be from how often I’d draw before.

The next day, I brought the drawing to lunch with me. Once Kiaz sat beside me, I placed the drawing in front of him.

Me: “Hehe, look Kiaz! I drew us!”

Kiaz: Kiaz looked at the drawing as I spoke, and looked amazed, “Woah! I didn’t know you were able to draw! How’d you get paper though?”

In response, I giggled,

Me: “Owen gave me some!” Of course, he didn’t know who ‘Owen’ was, since technically it was Scientist 07, so he asked another question.

Kiaz: “...Who’s Owen?” I then realized I hadn’t told him about Owen before, and that I’d have to tell him. I was honestly just surprised I hadn’t told Kiaz about him yet, as I could’ve sworn I had.

Me: “Oh, he’s the.. seven scientist! He’s really nice!” I replied, a cheerful tone in my voice. I liked Owen, so of course I’d be happy talking about him. Kiaz let out a small ‘ohh’ and nodded,

Kiaz: “Oh yeah, I know him! He is pretty nice.” He paused, then continued, “But I didn’t know you could ask for drawing stuff! That’s so cool, I’ll probably ask for some because I like drawing too!”

Me: “Woah, really? I didn’t know you liked drawing stuff too! What do you like to draw? I like drawing peoples.” I said excitedly, my smile turning to a grin.

Kiaz: He smiled widely too, “Ooh! I like drawing animals, they’re so fun to draw!”

We started talking about what we liked to draw, and other things related to drawing. Our conversation was fun, but it was cut short due to lunch ending. We said our goodbyes and went back to our cells.

Every day after that was basically the exact same.

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[February 16, 2066]

Today was like any other day in the lab. I was experimented on a bit, getting some type of injection, which by now was the regular, and then was sent to lunch. I sat at my regular table, Kiaz following. We started talking with each other, like usual, until he eventually spoke..

Kiaz: “Hey, I have an idea..”

Chapter 4: New Plan!

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Me: I tilted my head in curiosity, wondering what his sudden idea could be. “Hm? What is it?” My tone was full of confusion and wonder, my big eyes looking at him innocently.

Kiaz: “Have you been getting.. bored of being here? Every day is basically the same.” He said, his tone condescending, what could he be thinking?

Me: “I mean.. I guess, yeah. What about it? It isn’t like we could-” I was about to finish, when he abruptly cut me off,

Kiaz: “Escape? We can try, though, right? If we can, then we’re out of here, if we can’t, then we can still hang out, so why not try?”

I gave it some thought. In all honesty, it sounded like a pretty good idea, one thing though,

Me: “Yeah, but.. how? We can’t just walk out, they’d never let us.”

Kiaz: “..True, we’ll have to make a plan then. We’ll be like those cool spies from the movies!”

Me: “Yeah!!”

So throughout the lunch period, we started making up some plans, all of which were pretty unrealistic. But that was fine, as we wouldn’t even be executing our plan until September 28, 2067. Though I’ll get to that later. As always, the lunch period was over, and we headed back to our cells.

Over the next few days, weeks, and even months, me and Kiaz made up plans on how to escape during lunch periods, sometimes I even brought paper to draw them out. Each time, though, they were still unrealistic and probably wouldn’t work. But, we were improving to be a bit easier to achieve in real life!.. if that makes it any better.

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That day, as I got in my cell, I was about to get a paper and pencil to draw until Owen came in.

Owen: “Hey Kid, before you do anything, I need you for a second. Apparently you need another experiment done today.” I found that strange, as usually it was only one experiment, or they’d at least be before lunch, not after. Though I complied, and followed Owen out. That was also strange, why did I have to leave for the experiment? Normally it would be done in my cell.

After we entered the room, I saw this machine which had a seat and several other buttons and things I didn’t quite understand. Owen sat me down on the seat, and strapped some wired cuffs to my wrists.

Owen: “Okay kid, this may hurt a bit, but it’s necessary. Just try to relax and not think much of it.” He said before pressing a button.

I suddenly felt a large, painful shock go throughout my body, which did in fact make me scream. Yeah, I don’t think I was able to relax just then. Soon the shock went away, but I could still feel the pain in my body. Owen just looked at me with slight pity in his eyes, taking off the straps on my wrists.

Owen: “Sorry, that probably hurt a bit.” He said sympathetically, in my head I went, ‘oh, probably!’

Anyways, he helped me get off the seat, as my body still ached from the shock, and led me back to my cell. Once I had sat on the padded floor, he spoke once more,

Owen: “Oh, by the way, I’m going to come back in here to check up on you. Just tell me if you feel anything different, alright?” I nodded, then he left.

After a minute or two, something, like a screen of some sort, appeared in front of me. Anywhere I looked, it remained right in my view, where it popped up. The screen had some words, which I attempted to read.

`Welcome, player #0816. Would you like to join The System?`

[Yes] [No]

Me: I was pretty confused at what this was, but I quietly said.. “Yes..?”

The ‘yes’ option was then highlighted, and the words changed

`Great! It’s nice to meet you #0816, please insert your name for further convenience:`

[ ]

A keyboard appeared below the already existing screen. I attempted to tap at the letters, yet my hand simply went through. I was even more confused, and thought to myself, ‘Okay um.. So then how else am I supposed to do this? Just… say it?’

Me: “..A,” the letter ‘A’ on the keyboard lit up and was put onto the line. “..i, d…” I paused, watching the letters pop up before finally saying, “a.. Done.” The keyboard disappeared, and another box came up.

`Are you sure you would like to go by ‘Aida’?`

[Yes] [No]

Me: “..Yes?” I said, quietly in case any scientists came by.

`Awesome! Well then, Aida, I am glad to say you have now gained The System as a new Everett. I also see you are already an Opposite, meaning this would be your.. 3rd Everett, hm? You are quite lucky, please enjoy!`

The screen then changed, turning into several tabs. Settings, money, and 3 tabs on the left, one large tab in the middle, and 4 other tabs on the right. The tabs on the left were ‘Shop,’ ‘Upgrades,’ and ‘Levels.’ The tab in the middle was ‘Character Customization,’ which I thought was very interesting. And, the tabs on the right were ‘Inventory,’ ‘Abilities,’ ‘Quests,’ and ‘Stats.’

I was going to check it all out, but I was tired, so I decided to sleep. Right as I had that thought, though, a small pop-up appeared beside the ‘Stats’ tab.

`Are you tired? Come check out your stats to see if anything else is wrong! Don’t worry, it can be fixed :]`

I was a bit surprised, but also sort of annoyed. I just wanted to sleep, but I did it nonetheless.

Me: I sighed, “open stats..”

The stats tab was then opened, and I could see quite a bit. IQ, speed, strength, hunger, thirst, tiredness, and more. IQ, strength, and speed were a bit low, which I found insulting. Hunger and thirst was pretty high, and tiredness was a bit high too.

Beside each one was either ‘Go to upgrades’ or ‘Fix.’

Me: “Fix hunger, thirst, and tiredness.” I said, the buttons lighting up. I was then given a small baggie with crackers and berries, and a cup of chocolate milk. I was actually happy about this, because I haven’t had an actual meal since like.. before I got to the lab. Actually, no, before my dad died, my mom did not get me actual meals after that.

I quickly started drinking the chocolate milk and eating the snacks given to me, clearly enjoying it. I finished it pretty fast, and once done both containers disappeared.

I checked my stats once more, and the three bars were lower, tiredness just slightly though.

`Did that help? If you are unhappy, please fix once more!`

Another pop-up said. I was still tired, so of course I said,

Me: “Fix tiredness.” After I said that, a small bed which hung from the walls and ceiling by chains appeared in the corner of my cell. It honestly seemed to fit in, I didn’t even think the scientists would notice.

I hopped into the bed, covering myself with the blanket on it and laid my head on the soft pillow. It only took me a few minutes to fall asleep.

My nap was about an hour or two long before I woke up. I yawned and stretched my arms and legs, feeling a bit better rested. After a bit, I woke up fully and checked my stats once more. The tiredness bar was much lower now!

I jumped out of bed and went up to the papers and pencils I had. I took one of each and sat on the ground, then started drawing. I was drawing for a while before Owen came back in.

Owen: “Hey Aida! You doing good? Feeling any different?” He said, his brow barely raised. There was something different, of course, but for some reason, I did not want to admit that.

Me: “Mn.. no, I feel the same.”

Owen: “Hm..” Owen hummed, a look of slight confusion coming over his face, “I see, thanks for telling me kid. That’s all I needed to know, I’ll see you later, make sure to go to sleep at a good time, okay?” He said, his voice calm.

Me: “Alright, bye bye Owen!” I spoke with a smile on my face. Owen gave a small wave then left.

I was glad that he didn’t suspect anything, I made sure to not act too differently. Anyways, I started drawing once more.

————————————————————————————–

Each day was basically the same as before but.. There were some differences. Like, for food I could use The System to change it up, I could be a bit faster and stronger with upgrades, I could fix up things I didn’t like or want. Honestly, it was good! I was close to telling Kiaz, but felt like I shouldn’t so I kept my mouth shut. Kiaz, of course, noticed something though.

Kiaz: “Aida.. how come your food is different? Don’t we always get this dumb meat stuff?” He asked during lunch, pointing at his tray with that ‘meat,’ which at this point was just slop. I wasn’t sure what excuse to come up with, I mean, what could you say? You can’t exactly explain it without stating the little secret.. Actually, no I found a way.

Me: “Oh, I just asked Owen! I think I’m his favorite” I said with a giggle at the end, which Kiaz found believable.

Kiaz: “Man, Owen always gets you cool stuff! So unfair..” He mumbled with a fake pout, though he wasn’t actually upset, I could tell.

————————————————————————

[August 16, 2066]

Okay, today is my birthday, meaning I’ve officially been in the lab for an entire year. It was strange I had been here so long, but hey, it was fun so I guess that's fine. Since today was my birthday, they let me have a sort of ‘play-date’ with another experiment in my cell, if I liked. Which, of course I would! I gladly said Kiaz, and they did what they promised and brought him to my cell.

Me: I was glad, and I’m pretty sure he was too. “Hey Kiaz!!” I spoke to him as he got pushed into my cell, standing right in front of him with a grin.

Kiaz: Kiaz smiled too, “I didn’t know we were allowed to go in other people’s cells!”

Me: “Yeah, but it’s because it’s my birthday!!” I exclaimed, which made Kiaz’s eyes widen just slightly.

Kiaz: “Woah, really? I totally forgot about that!” He said, a grin coming up on his face too. I knew he didn’t forget, and that’s because I forgot to tell him. Oopsies on my part, I guess.

Me: I grabbed his hand and took him over to a corner, when suddenly I got what I thought was a great idea. “Hey Kiaz, wanna see something cool?”

Kiaz: “Yeah!! What is it?” I chuckled at his enthusiasm, and held out my hand,

Me: “Say literally any item, or food, or drink.. Anything I can hold in my hand really!”

He thought for a second, clearly trying to think of something he probably wanted. After a second or two, he said,

Kiaz: “Ooh, you know honey buns, right? Those things!” I let out a small ‘ooh,’ clearly recognizing the treat.

Me: “Alright! Here, here, here, watch!” I said with excitement, my words mushing together from how fast I spoke it.

I opened up The System and thought to myself ‘abilities,’ as I figured out I didn’t actually have to say it out loud to use the tabs. ‘Creation’ I thought, in which The System replied:

`What would you like to create?’

[ ]

‘A Honey Bun’ The System then took a few seconds to load before closing itself. A small object shone in my hand before revealing a honey bun in packaging right in the palm of my hand. Kiaz looked astonished, his mouth and eyes wide open.

Kiaz: “What?! How did you do that?!” he exclaimed in shock, his tone filled with surprise.

Me: I chuckled once more, “I don’t know! I figured out I could do this a little bit ago.” Saying that, I realized it was a bit strange for me to suddenly be able to just.. Well, do basically anything besides be a cat.

Kiaz: “Whaaa- why didn’t you tell me? That’s so cool!” He said, snatching the snack from my hand. He opened the package eagerly, and quickly bit down at it like he hadn’t had decent food in forever, which, technically, wasn’t too far from the truth. The food here sucked, so it made sense why he was wanting such a snack so bad.

Me: I laughed at how fast he decided to eat that, finding it funny how little time it took for him to take a bite. “Wow, you must be pretty hungry- pffft!”

Kiaz: “Oh shush! The food here sucks, that’s why!” He yelled, though laughing.

We chatted for a while, having fun and laughing, and all that. This was much better than my last birthday, and I think that’s pretty obvious to see.