Chapter Text
Death, Death is an interesting topic. It can be sad, it can be beautiful, and it can even be a mystery. It can mark the end of a legacy, or it can open someone’s eyes to the truth. But when it comes to death, there is one thing people can’t seem to agree on: is there life after death? Do ghosts exist? Is there such a thing as heaven and hell? Do drones even have souls? Nevertheless, we all know the story of Copper 9, the tale of the Absolute Solver, and the heroes—Uzi, V, N, and more—who defeated the dreaded Cyn. But what if there was another story? A story that happened after, the story that lasting through the ages. A story that will convince you there is life after death, that drones do have souls, and that the dead do talk. This is a story of cults and the eldritch, of ghosts from the past that people try to keep locked away, a story that takes place 30 feet below a colony. Yes, this is the story of how one drone, with the help of two kind ghosts and a few others, takes down an evil of a cult just as great as Cyn herself.
October 18, 3056, was the year Octavia and Paul Cyrus were found massacred in their home. How they died remains unknown, but what is known is that it wasn’t caused by a Disassembly Drone. There were no signs of a break-in, and no Disassembly Drone was spotted in the hours leading up to the tragedy. The police suspect it was a particularly violent murder-suicide, as reports from the previous week indicated both of them had been acting strangely, as if they were not mentally well. The only survivor was their youngest daughter, Sable. If you haven’t guessed, that little girl was me. I’m Sable, now 17. I was adopted by the Doorman family when I was 13, but like everyone else in my life, we might as well be strangers. I never knew my mom or dad, and my relationship with my foster father is almost nonexistent. My bond with my stepsister is… not great either. In the end, I’m just the random kid who happens to live in their home, and any attempt to form a connection with them feels as pointless as putting water on a paint stain without soap or trying to call a dead number. But back to the topic of my birth parents…Like most people in the colony, having a job is optional, but it is socially expected to have one. It doesn’t have to be something like teaching or joining the WDF; even a small hobby can be your job. For example, my friend Navi’s mother opened a restaurant in the colony. Navi is the boyfriend of my other friend, Thad. Navi and his family came from another colony along with his mom and older brother. Navi has ADHD and doesn’t talk much; he mostly communicates through sign language. But he’s really cool. His mom’s restaurant has become a popular hangout spot, even though we don’t actually need to eat, and the food there is to die for. Navi’s older brother, Taruco, juggles multiple roles. When he’s not helping out at his mom’s restaurant or studying marine biology, he’s the lead guitarist for a band. In addition to that, he’s a ‘risk model.’ That’s actually how Taruco and Braiden met—through a one-night stand. Braiden later found out that Taruco was in the same band as him. By the way, Braiden is the lead bassist, and ever since that day, he’s had the biggest crush on Taruco. But, moving on from that, what did my parents do for work? Well, my parents studied the paranormal—demonology, the occult, and religious studies. Despite their line of work being a little unique, my parents were well respected and considered quite a voice of reason. Even Khan mentioned that he had listened to them a few times, which is probably why their deaths caused such a strong reaction—both sadness and superstition. I often wonder about my parents, like the work they did and whether they ever loved me, but most people just tell me to suppress it and focus on the present. As if I have anything going for me in the present. Nothing screams ‘teenage dream’ like catching your best friend making out with your one and only crush, being one of the reasons your stepsister and her boyfriend broke up, and constantly wondering if all the answers you seek are only accessible through death. But at least I have a few good friends and a foster father who’s trying. Not really sure where my foster mom is right now, but my therapist told me I should write everything down in a journal. Hence what I’m doing now. School is really the last thing I’m worried about. All I want is to hear the scribbles of my pen as I write in this journal and the faint sound of music.
Sable, Sable, Sable,” Khan called, hearing the faint music coming from Sable’s headphones. He lightly tapped her on the shoulder. Sable looked at Khan, who made a motion to take off the headphones. Sable removed them and looked at Khan with curiosity.
“Yes?”
“Are you going to school?”
Sable looked down at the table, then back at Khan. “I don’t know.”
Khan’s digital brows furrowed, but he seemed to accept the information. “Well, if you’re not going today, at least try to go tomorrow, okay?”
“Okay…”
“So! What are you going to do today?”
“I don’t know,” Sable replied, looking back down at the journal filled with writing.
Khan got an idea. “Oh! How about you do some writing you like that rhymes?”
“You mean poetry?”
“Yeah! Poetry. You love poetry. Do some of that!”
“That doesn’t sound like a bad idea,” Sable said, flipping to a clean page in her journal.
“Yeah, don’t be afraid to show me it after. I’ll be in my room if you need me, kiddo!
Yes, sir.” Khan took one last glance at the table. That table hadn’t always been there—in fact, they had only gotten it two years ago. But it seemed to have become the place where Sable spent her days, day in and day out. The only time you didn’t see her at that table was when she was at school or asleep.
Khan looked at all the things scattered on the table. They had been there ever since Sable started sitting there all day: Littlest Pet Shops, pencils, pens, crayons, notebook paper with and without drawings and writing. Sable would even watch videos on her phone, sometimes with headphones, sometimes without. When she wasn’t writing, drawing, or playing with her LPS, she was there.
It made Khan sad to see her sitting there all day. It was as if she was waiting for someone to come back, like an eager child waiting for their sibling to come home from school—but in a sad, lonely way. Khan looked at Sable one last time, sadness in his eyes, before entering his room.
Khan sighed as he pressed his back to the wall and slid down to the ground. What happened? How did everything end up like this? Khan thought as he looked at the gift box on the bed across from him. It would be Sable’s birthday soon—in just two weeks—and if memories were like a running stream, then his would be a rushing flood as everything came back to him out of guilt.
Miss Kara scribbled notes down into a notebook. “So, Mr. Doorman, from my last session with Sable—was promising”
“Really?”
“Yeah, she opened up a little bit more. Once again, I can’t thank you enough for taking her in.”
“Well, the kid couldn’t stay an orphan forever. It feels like not a day has passed since I first saw her when she was six, and she wouldn’t talk to me.”
“Well, the only life she’d ever known was the medical ward and the WDF.”
“Yes, and when she was first brought to me, it was because of frightening drawings. I usually tend to think nothing of it, because most children just draw things that mean nothing, but nevertheless, I still wanted to continue seeing her because I didn’t want her condition to worsen.
And it seems I failed at that.”
“Khan, don’t say that. What happened wasn’t your fault, and you’re trying to do better.”
“Yes, but they both still got hurt—Sable more than anyone.”
“Speaking of Sable, her 18th birthday is coming up soon. Is she going to have a party?”
No, Sable is not a fan of big crowds.”
“Well, is she at least going to have friends over?”
“No, I think it’s just going to be me and her.”
“What about that Ace boy? Aren’t they friends?”
“Uh, Sable and Ace aren’t on speaking terms right now.”
“Aww, what a shame. Well, are Thad, Navi, and Taruco going to come over?”
“Oh! Yes, for a few hours.”
“And Uzi, N, and V?”
“Uhh, I don’t know.
They should be there for her. You know she’s not allowed to go outside.”
“I know, I know. She never comes around anymore. It’s only at night when Sable is asleep that she swings by, and with N and V, the only Drone that comes by is J are pretty close.
If anyone should be seeing Sable, it’s Uzi. The only way for her to solve her problems is to confront them.”
“You don’t think I’ve tried? Heck, even N has tried, and they aren’t even together anymore!”
“Mr. Doorman, please calm down. We should probably change the subject. To start, I know of a good way for her to learn more about her parents since she’s been talking and writing a lot about wanting to know more about their work.”
“Actually, I have noticed that she’s been talking about the paranormal lately ever since that one ghost story was taught in her class.”
“Exactly, so I was thinking of gifting her things that belonged to her parents for her birthday, but starting out slowly—maybe a few journals, some books about their work, nothing more than that. Then we can discuss giving her the rest at a later date.”
“That sounds like a plan.”
Khan looked at the gift once more. Sable, Uzi, I’m sorry things turned out like this…
Sable wrote in her journal, the words coming together like a neatly sewn quilt. The sounds of Boa, Myuu, Magnolia, and the occasional bubblegum pop fueled every word. Almost done, Sable thought to herself. She looked at the door of the home, an aura of longing present.
“Sable.”
Sable turned her head and looked for the source of the noise. Did somebody call my name? she thought, still looking around.
“Sable.”
Sable pinpointed where the noise was coming from—it was the mirror.
“Come here,” the mirror called. Sable, even when she was young, never really liked mirrors. They always gave her the uncanny valley, as if instead of seeing yourself, you might see something she never wanted to see. Despite her distaste for mirrors, she got up anyway and started to walk toward the mirror.
“Come here, Sable.”
She moved closer to the reflective piece of glass.
“Don’t you want to know?”
Know what? Sable thought as she placed a hand on the mirror, and everything faded to black.
“HAIL THE GREAT NYX, HAIL THE GREAT NYX,” a religious altar was all Sable could see. On it was a mirror, and behind it were tapestries of a Worker Drone she had never seen before.
“HAIL THE GREAT NYX, FOR IF WE FIND THE PERFECT HOST, HE WILL GIVE US THE GREAT GIFTS OF CYN, AND THEN LEAD US INTO PARADISE.”
Who is Nyx? Sable thought. She wanted to go up to the altar; she wanted to know more, but everything faded out once more. Screams of anguish and cries could be heard. The sound of the bathroom mirror shattering was brought into the mix as more pieces of the mirror flew into the air.
“WHY! WHY?! YOU’RE NOT HER REAL DAUGHTER!” Uzi brought Sable’s head into the mirror. “WHY!! WHY IS SHE BEING A MOM TO YOU?!”
“P-please stop!”
Uzi threw Sable’s head into the mirror again before grabbing her shoulders and throwing her down to the ground.
“OR MAYBE YOU’RE LYING—LYING SO YOU CAN RUIN OUR FAMILY, YOU SKANK!!!” Uzi shook Sable violently, bringing Sable’s head down on the bathroom tile. “ANSWER ME! ARE YOU LYING? DID SHE COME OVER, YES OR NO?!!” Uzi screamed, rage clear in her voice.
“I-I-,” Sable muttered, tears present in her voice.
Khan busted through the door. “UZI, STOP!!!” he shouted as he tried to pry the screaming Uzi off Sable.
Everything faded again.
“SABLE, STOP!!!”
Sable was pulled back into reality. She didn’t know what was going on. She looked at the mirror—it was in shattered bits. Soon everything started to hurt. Oily blood dripped down Sable’s face, her knees buckled from under her, and Khan lost his grip on her. She fell to the ground and looked into the biggest shard of the mirror. The last thing she saw was her blood pooling on the floor, a piece of the mirror in her face, and her eye display flickering before everything faded to black again.
Yeah, it looks like she’ll be fine.”
“Thank you, Doctor.”
Sable looked at herself, noticing she was wearing sleepwear she could’ve sworn she hadn’t put on. She then glanced around, taking in the medical ward, a place she was all too familiar with. The colony never really had what you would call an orphanage. In fact, Sable was considered the first orphan in the colony. But you couldn’t just leave a 3-year-old to fend for herself. The medical ward might as well have been a padded white room, given how many times she had been left alone there. After the death of her parents, rumors spread like wildfire, mostly about her parents’ mental state. It didn’t shock Sable that no one would take her in after hearing people talk. But it was a breath of fresh air when someone like Khan, who had heard all the gossip from the other Drones, still wanted to adopt her. Nevertheless, Sable hoped she would never have to be in a place like the medical ward ever again.
“I still don’t know what could’ve caused her to start bashing her head against the mirror.”
“Well, what I can tell you is that half of the LEDs for her eye displays were completely destroyed, and we don’t have blue anymore, so I hope she likes green?”
“I think she’ll be fine.”
“Alright, well, someone will come in a few hours to help with the mental evaluation stuff.”
Khan thanked the doctor once more, then turned to Sable. “I’m not mad at you,” he said as he walked over and sat next to her.
“I know,” Sable replied. “But hey, look on the bright side—you won’t have to go to school tomorrow.”
“Hmm,” Sable muttered as she touched the bandages on her face.
“So, your birthday… We never talked about what you wanted to do for the big 1-8.”
“I don’t know.”
“Well, it’s next Thursday. I just figured you’d want to do something different.”
“Not really. I don’t mind a few people showing up for a few hours, but if it’s just me and you, that’s fine… unless someone makes a surprise visit, I guess.”
“I at least hope,” Khan thought. He noticed that Sable was staring at the door frame.
“What is it?” Khan asked.
“Someone’s there.”
Khan looked at the door frame. It was quiet at first, but soon a small, stifled laugh could be heard from behind it.
“Ya caught me, knock knock.” J walked in, knocking on the door frame with one hand, the other holding a gift box. J was never this nice, even when she worked with Cyn. Weeks after Cyn’s defeat, N and Uzi discovered that Cyn had messed with J’s visual and auditory receptors and even tampered with her memory bank. Now that they had fixed what was broken, J had to go through a lot—grief, guilt, and plenty of mental work. During that time, she spent a lot of time with Sable, and it seemed to help her. Now, it was like she had become a secondary parental figure to Sable.
“Hey, kiddo,” J said, sitting on the medical bed with the gift box in hand. “How’s my favorite niece doing?”
“You don’t have to call me that. N and Uzi aren’t together anymore.”
“Hey, what happened wasn’t your fault.”
“But it sure feels like it a little.”
Khan tried to lighten the mood. “Uh, hey, the doctor said you could take off the bandages, Sable!” Normally, it would take a human weeks, maybe months, to heal, but for Drones, wounds healed faster. Khan helped Sable remove the bandages.
[DETECTING!]
[DETECTING!]
[DETECTING!]
[DETECTING!]
[VISUAL SENSORS RESTORED]
Sable could see now. It was blurry at first, but her vision slowly improved. J handed her a mirror. A beautiful blend of green and blue was what Sable saw.
“What do you think?” Khan asked, throwing the bandages into the trash.
“It’s… okay.” Sable didn’t know what to think of it. On one hand, it looked so mythic, so pretty. But on the other hand, it was a reminder of what she had done. It was a pretty tragedy.
“Are you sure?” J tilted her head in confusion.
“Yes, I don’t mind this.”
J had mixed feelings about Sable’s response. She knew Sable wasn’t telling the full truth, but J didn’t pry. If Sable didn’t want to talk, she didn’t have to. J looked down at the white gift box with a red ribbon, which jogged her memory.
“Hey, kiddo, since your birthday is coming up, I have an early birthday present for you.” J placed the gift box in Sable’s lap.
Birthdays were usually meant for celebration, but for Sable, birthdays felt numb, almost melancholic. Why? Sable wondered. Why does this day feel so numb to me? Maybe it was because she didn’t know much about her past, or maybe she just never cared for it. Nevertheless, she opened the gift.
“It’s from me, V, N, and…” J paused before continuing. “…Uzi.” J looked down with a tinge of sorrow.
Sable lifted the lid of the box. Inside were pens, crayons, pencils, a sketchbook, another writing journal, and… LPS? Sable picked up the LPS figures, examining them closely.
“Yeah, N figured you’d like that,” J mentioned, picking up a Pitbull LPS. “It’s Brooke and Savannah.”
Sable picked up the yellow/orange cat and the brown dachshund.
“Yeah, N knew you’d freak if you didn’t have them,” J added with a smile.
Khan, holding his own gift with anticipation, cleared his throat.
“Uh, Sable, I have a gift for you too.” Khan placed his gift in Sable’s lap. “Miss Kara thought it would be good for you to learn more about your parents.”
Without hesitation, Sable opened the box. Inside were journals and books galore. Her eyes widened at the sight: journals, writings, research from her mother and father, and books about what they had learned. Sable immediately picked up one of the journals and started to read.
Khan laughed. “I figured this would make you happy, but I didn’t expect a smile!”
Sable touched her face. There was, indeed, a slight smile.
But that didn’t matter. She had something that would solve most, if not all, of her questions. A loud slam was heard, followed by a “FRICK YOU!!!”
They all turned toward the noise to see the mental evaluator, and her appearance was… something. She looked like a bratty teenager, or like a mother who had lost what made her special, now living vicariously through her child. The mental evaluator put her hands on her knees and flashed a fake smile.
“So, you’re the one who tripped the breaker and put your head through a mirror.”
“NEVER SAY THAT TO HER AGAIN!!!” J snapped.
“Ha, yeah, whatever. You’re on thin ice,” J thought, absolutely ready to tear apart the mental evaluator.
“So, yeah, she’s good to go. Just keep her away from mirrors until further notice.” The mental evaluator didn’t even take her eyes off her phone.
“Wow, I’m so glad, Sable. It’s nothing serious,” Khan said, offering a hand to Sable.
“OH, YOU’LL PROBABLY NEED TO GET HER WHOLE PROGRAMMING CHECKED OUT, CONSIDERING WHAT HER PARENTS DID TO EACH OTHER!!”
J gave the mental evaluator a death glare.
“OKAY, YOU CAN GO NOW!!!”
“Look, N, it’s just not going to happen.” The pink-haired drone, dressed in a restaurant server uniform, placed a card in the time counter and sat down in a chair while talking on the phone. N hesitated to speak.
“I know, I know, I just—”
“Just nothing. If Uzi doesn’t want to confront her problems and can’t see that she’s not well, then that’s on her!”
“But Taruco—”
“But nothing! Uh, hold on, N.” Taruco yelled at a coworker in the background, “NOT NOW, DO IT YOURSELF!” He quickly returned to the phone. “But nothing. If this daydream keeps you from being happy, then it’s time for you to move on.”
N sighed, placing a hand on his face. “I know, it’s just… you gotta hope, you know?”
Taruco rested his head in his arms. “No, I don’t know,” he thought, realizing his advice had likely gone in one ear and out the other. “Hold on, N.” He yelled at his coworker again, “MY SHIFT ENDED A MINUTE AGO, NO!” Returning to the phone, he continued, “But you deserve to be happy, N. You can’t stay melancholy the rest of your life.”
“Yeah, you got a point there. On another note, my brother and Thad don’t mind adding a third to their relationship.”
N laughed. “Tell them I said thank you for the offer, but that’s just not my thing.”
“Okay, well, I gotta go, so I’ll talk to you later, N.”
“Okay, yeah, that’s good.” Both parties said their goodbyes and hung up. Taruco sighed as he got up and walked to his locker. “What is anyone going to do with you, N?” he thought, pulling out his home clothes.
Thad sat in the restaurant booth with his boyfriend, Navi, nuzzling his arm. Navi didn’t speak—he rarely did. He mostly communicated through sign language, which Thad was trying to learn more of. Across from them sat Braidon. Other than being a little snobby and his head catching fire from time to time, he didn’t have much reason to be there. But Thad and Navi knew why—he was waiting for a certain pink-haired server to get off work. Thad felt a tug on his jacket and looked toward Navi as he began to sign something.
“Are you okay?”
Thad signed back. “Oh, yeah, I’m fine,”
he replied, using one hand to cup the side of Navi’s face. He smiled warmly as Navi signed again, “I love you!”
Thad laughed. “Haha, I love you too.”
“Okay, what are you even saying?” Braidon interrupted, looking at them.
Thad turned to him with an annoyed expression.
“Wow, way to ruin a moment!”
“Well, I’m sorry I can’t read CHEESY FLIRT!” Braidon threw a straw wrapper ball at Thad.
“Isn’t Taruco teaching you ASL?” Thad said, catching the paper ball that bounced off his visual visor.
“Yeah, but I’m not you. I don’t have the motivation to learn it all in one night just to win the affection of a boy I just met!” Braidon shot back.
Thad realized that was a jab at how he and Navi met. “Yeah, well, you’re gonna have to if you’re gonna be my future brother-in-law!”
Navi mimicked a gasp and playfully punched Thad’s arm. Thad pretended to be hurt, which quickly led to the ASL version of flirting. Braidon sighed in boredom, placing his head in his hands. The next
few minutes were torture for him, but soon his face flushed as he felt arms drape over his shoulders.
“Heeeeya, Firecracker~ Taruco, said from behind Braidon. Braidon began to short-circuit, leaning back against the seat as he passed out. Sparks flew from his head, and the faint smell of fire filled the air.
“Why do you do that? His head is just gonna catch on fire!” Thad exclaimed.
Taruco sat in the booth next to Braidon. “I like to do that; it’s funny to see him flustered.”
Navi began to sign, “I’m not saving you from Mom if he burns or sets the seats on fire.”
“Bro, don’t worry. He’s the string on my finger,” Taruco replied, grabbing Braidon’s head and turning it to face him. “Ain’t that right, babe~?”
“Y- y- yeeeeees, Tari~,” Braidon stammered.
“Uh-oh, puppy mode activated—we’re losing him!” Navi mimicked a laugh.
“So, what’s Mom doing?” Thad asked.
Navi signed, “She’s making food.”
“For real? I mean, we had a busy day. I figured the last thing she’d want to do is cook.”
Navi signed back, “Well, you know Mom.”
“Yeah, I do.
So, how was your talk with N?” Thad looked at his phone.
“Ugh, same, same. Still not over Uzi and choosing to stay in a pool of sadness.”
Thad picked up his phone as it buzzed. “Oh, thank God,” he muttered under his breath. The three drones looked at Thad.
“Oh, it’s Sable. She’s okay!” he announced.
If anyone was closest to the Doorman family, it was Thad. After all, before everything, he was kind of Uzi’s only friend. He remembered inviting Uzi to games and a 13-year-old Sable tagging along. In between games, he would put little Sable on his shoulders and parade her around the court. It might not have looked like it, but she was having fun.
“Man, I would have totally failed creative writing without her,” Braidon said, resting his head on Taruco’s shoulder. “For being the youngest in the class and the quietest, the girl can write poetry.”
Navi looked at Thad and signed, “What happened to Sable?” Navi seemed worried. Thad kissed Navi on the forehead, held his hand, and gently rubbed it.
“She’s fine, she just needs some time to heal,” Thad said, smiling warmly as he looked into Navi’s eyes.
“Ooooooooh, are you two about to start making out?!” Taruco said with a smirk.
A flustered Navi gave Taruco a crude hand gesture, and Taruco responded with the same.
“
OH YEAH? I CAN DO THAT TOO, YA BRAT!”
Braidon grabbed Taruco’s sleeve. “Hey, how about you stop antagonizing your brother?”
Taruco pushed Braidon down into the seat. “What?, You sad you’re missing out?”
Braidon began to short-circuit and stutter.
“Taruco, sweetie, I love that you have a boyfriend, but please don’t start making out with him and freak out the other customers,”
Miss Becker set a cake on the table.
Taruco got off of Braidon. “I was just joking, Mom. You know I’d never do that—well, at least not in front of people~,” he added, which only made Braidon stutter and short-circuit even more.
“We appreciate you cooking, Miss Becker!” Thad said.
“Aww, thank you, Thad. Take it as another thank-you for doing so much for Navi.”
“OH HECK YEAH, MOM! Black Forest cake!” Taruco exclaimed, pulling a cherry off the cake and popping it into his mouth.
Navi’s eyes sparkled as he grabbed Thad’s arm. Thad laughed and patted Navi’s head.
“Well, I’m gonna close up shop. Enjoy yourselves, boys!” Miss Becker said, grabbing a set of keys from her dress.
“Home sweet home!” Khan said, opening the door.
“Wow, you didn’t really change the place,” J said as she placed her hand on a wall, trailing off, “Really, not at all.”
“Well, I just lost the point in it,” J looked over at Sable, whose eyes were glued to one of her parents’ books, barely even taking a step. J laughed as she grabbed Sable and pulled her away from the doorway.
Sable was knocked out of her stupor and looked at J. “Just didn’t want you running into everything, kiddo,” J smiled, patting Sable’s head.
Khan cleared his throat again. “Uhh, Sable, the evaluator did say you needed to stay away from mirrors for a good while. How about you stay in Uzi’s room until we get that huge mirror out of your room?”
“R-really? She’s okay with that?” Sable asked.
“Oh yes, I talked to her about it. She’s completely fine with it.”
“You sure?” Sable gave a scared look, like when you’re crossing an empty road at night, and out of nowhere, you see headlights coming towards you.
“I assure you, Sable, it’s completely fine. Go and get some rest.”
Sable looked at Khan, then at J. “I’ll be on the couch if you need me,” J said. Sable yawned, nodded slowly, and made her way to Uzi’s room. Then she stopped in her tracks.
“Khan?” Sable asked, “Do you know who Nyx is?”
Khan was taken aback. “Not to my knowledge. Why do you ask?”
“When I was unconscious, I heard someone say, ‘Hail the great Nyx, and if they find the perfect host, he will give them the great gifts of Cyn and lead them into paradise.’”
Khan looked shocked and somewhat terrified—honestly, who wouldn’t be? But he tried to keep his composure. “You might have just been dreaming, kiddo. But if you want, I’ll ask Uzi if she’s heard of this Nyx. Now, you get some rest.”
“Okay…”
The inside of Uzi’s room was an emo kid’s daydream. Sable set the journals and books she had on a nearby table, except for one—it was a journal both her parents had written in, and from the looks of it, it had the most notes. She felt the blankets on the bed—soft, probably like snow. Sable had been banned from going outside due to the risk of her hurting herself, but dear God, she wanted to know what snow was like.
Sable nestled herself into the covers—comfortable, more comfortable than her own bed. She opened the journal and started to read, but not even a journal could stop the drowsy drug known as sleep. Khan placed his head in his hands. “What am I going to do? Well, she doesn’t really need to go to school tomorrow… Yeah, but this—I’m supposed to not repeat the same mistakes. I don’t want to mess up again.”
J let out a sigh before sitting down. “I get it, but parenting isn’t perfect, and you’re trying your best, like everyone else. I mean, you’ve done one thing right.”
Khan looked up in confusion. “What do you mean?”
“Well, for how shy and quiet she is, and considering her upbringing, the kid has a heart of gold,” J said, her small smile fading. “She stayed when others didn’t. Anyway, it doesn’t look like she’ll be going to school anytime soon.”
Khan sighed. “Yeah, given what’s happened…
Honestly, I think school should be optional for Sable.”
“R-really?” Khan asked.
“Yeah. I mean, the kid’s future is already set. She’s not allowed to leave the colony for fear of hurting herself, and it looks like she’s going to follow in her parents’ footsteps, so why make her go to school at this point?”
“Maybe you’re right.”
“Anyway, try and get some sleep.”
“Yeah, you too…”
[SYSTEM BOOTING UP]
[STATUS: AWAKE]
It was sudden, but not new—Sable was used to waking up without reason. When this usually happened, she wouldn’t go back to sleep for hours. She reached for the journal, picked it up, and looked at it. She glanced at the pile of books and journals. Wouldn’t hurt, she thought as she sat on the floor and began gathering various writing and note-taking tools.
Hours passed. All the books and journals were open, filled with various stories, ghosts, and anything paranormal, written and studied on sticky notes and paper. Sable stretched her arms, ready to get back into bed and stare at the ceiling until she fell asleep.
THUD!!!
It was loud—maybe not loud enough, but enough to make Sable jump. The sound had come from the bathroom, the room across from hers. Sable had always been told not to be an idiot and not to investigate creepy, ominous noises.
If I heard it, then J heard it too. Sorry, Uzi, I’m not taking your advice right now, Sable thought, trying to reassure herself. She got up and walked out of the room, jittering a little, and looked out toward the living room. The TV was on, and J was passed out on the couch. Not wanting to wake her, Sable quietly made her way to the bathroom, trying to think rationally. She opened the door, and to her relief, nothing was there. As Sable walked in, a sense of familiarity filled the room. She looked at the spot where a mirror used to be.
Before all this happened, nice memories were made here, Sable reached out a hand to touch the discolored wall.
THUD!!!
Sable heard it again, only this time she could pinpoint where it was coming from—the bathtub. She looked at the tub, noticing it was full of water. Just like food, water wasn’t really a necessity, so there was no reason for the tub to be filled.
So why, out of all things, is the tub filled with water? Sable crawled over to the tub and looked at her reflection in the water—dark, murky, like a deep abyss.
What secrets, do they know? she thought, placing a hand on the surface of the water, watching it ripple. The water looked so inviting, so peaceful, so comforting, like she could crawl into that dark abyss and learn every—
“Hey!”
Sable jumped back at the sound of J’s voice. She realized her face had been much closer to the water than she remembered, and for some reason, her other hand was gripping the side of the tub while her knee was propped on it. She didn’t recall doing that. Sable’s eyes eventually met J’s, who didn’t look mad—just confused.
“What are you doing, kiddo?”
Sable looked down. “I don’t know…”
“Okay, well, I woke up, saw the bathroom light on, and just came to check if anyone was in here,” J said, laughing to soften the mood. She glanced over at the tub. “Uhhh, whhhhy is the tub filled with water?”
Sable shrugged. “It was like that when I got here.”
“Probably Khan doing some late-night door cleaning,” J said, walking over to the tub. She put her hand in the water and pulled the plug. Sable watched as the water drained.
“Now, let’s get you back to bed.” J ruffled Sable’s hair.
“Okay,” Sable replied as they both left the bathroom.
BANG, BANG, BANG, BANG!
Khan and J were awoken by the loud banging. J groaned and threw herself back onto the couch, while Khan groggily got up and yawned. He opened the front door to find Uzi, N, and V standing there.
“Oh wow, Uzi. I knew you’d come by, but—”
“Dad, I want to make this quick. Can I look at Mom’s stuff?”
“Oh, yeah, sure, Uzi!”
Khan stepped aside to let them in. As he did, a sentient, yellow-eyed tail popped out from Uzi’s side, smiling cheekily.
“Hello, Mr. Doorman…,” it said.
Khan looked at the tail, unamused. “Hello, Cyn.”
Cyn snickered as she and Uzi disappeared from Khan’s sight, V looked around until she saw a J-shaped shadow cast by the light of the TV. She smirked as she walked over and placed her arms on the back of the couch. Looking down at J, whose face was partially covered by her arm, V greeted, “Hiya, Rose~.”
V lifted J’s arm, and J smiled as she sat up, bringing her forehead to V’s. “Hello~.”
V glanced at the TV and tried to stifle a laugh. “What are you watching?!”
“Gosh, I don’t know! Last I remember, it was a show about a seemingly normal girl who lives with her father, the head of a shrine, and attends school during the day. At night, she protects her village from monsters!, V laughed as the two engaged in a conversation. It was long and heartfelt, but it didn’t take long to notice someone was missing—N. Still, V had a feeling where he might be.
N sat on the edge of the bed where Sable slept, looking at Sable with sorrow. “I’m sorry I can’t see you as much as I wish…” He gently brushed a strand of hair away from the sleeping Sable’s face and kissed her on the forehead.
“Figured you’d be here,” a voice said.
N jumped at the sound and turned to see V standing there V, I—”
“Save it, N. You’re not the only one. I miss her too.” V also sat on the bed. “You’d think she was asking for death, the way she’d just willingly interact with us.”
They both remembered how, back in the colony, she would tend to their wounds whenever they were injured.
“Even though I told her many times she didn’t need to do it, I don’t think she cared.”
“Yeah,” N said, smiling as he looked around. “Whoa!”
He pointed to a collage of crazed ramblings on the wall. “Ha, someone’s been taking after their big sister!, V picked up one of the sticky notes. “These are a lot different from Uzi’s… more professional, more clean, more—”
“Creepy?” N interrupted, holding up one of the sticky notes. “Huh. Cotard’s syndrome… what’s that?”
V quickly grabbed the sticky note, almost prying it from N’s hand, crumpling it up and throwing it away. “It’s nothing, N. Come on, let’s not wake her.”
N nodded,
Uzi walked out of the room that held her mother’s things. Khan lifted his head at the sight of his daughter.
“Uzi, did you find what you were looking for?”
“Uh, kinda.” Uzi grabbed her monster tail, eyeing the demented sister of N. “Couldn’t look much without this one trying to snoop! Giggle… “Yeah, anyways, Dad, I gotta go, but I promise to—”
Khan grabbed his daughter’s arm, cutting her off. Uzi knew what this was about.
Sigh. “Dad…”
“You should be there.”
“I don’t think so, Dad.”
“She’ll only turn 18 once. She would want you there.”
“Doubt it,” Uzi muttered.
J chimed in, “Uzi, humor your dad. I think he’s right.”
Khan placed a hand on Uzi’s shoulder. “Yes, Uzi, your sister would love for you to be there.”
Uzi grabbed Khan’s hand, a hateful glint in her eyes. “First of all, Dad, she is not my sister. She’s the promise Mom made to a friend. And speaking of Mom, she’s also the reason Mom left again!”
Khan looked down. “You don’t mean that… Uzi looked down. “Dad, do you honestly think she wants me there?! Do you not think she hates me?!”
She looked away. “After what I did…”
“But that’s the thing. You don’t know unless you actually try!”
Uzi froze as a stream of memories flooded back to her. She looked at the shattered bathroom mirror in front of her. Her robotic heart pounded, her stomach churned, and she shook like a leaf. She could smell the scent of oily blood, and she heard the choked, pained sobs of Sable.
Turning around, she saw her father trying to console Sable, who was covering her face, applying pressure to stop the bleeding.
“I— I didn’t— I… I never meant to— I wasn’t tryin’— I-I’m so sorry!, Uzi’s demeanor turned cold as she brought herself back to reality. “I’m sorry, Dad. I thought you were trying to better yourself…”
“U-Uzi, what does that have to do—”
“So then why are you choosing to be blind?! God, Dad, you already messed up one kid. Are you really that eager to mess up another?!”
Khan crossed his arms, feeling the sting of Uzi’s words. Uzi sighed. “Well, I’ll be back here again tomorrow to get the mirror out of her room.”
“Y-yeah, that sounds good, Uzi,” Khan replied.
Uzi took a deep breath to calm herself. Both N and V exchanged looks of uncomfortable confusion, like they weren’t sure whose side to take if two friends were arguing N, V, we should go.”
Khan watched as the trio made their way to the door, until a certain pair of yellow eyes caught his attention.
“Wait! Cyn, can I ask you a question?”
The trio stopped, and Cyn perked up. “Depends. What’s the question, Khan?”
“Do you have any idea who Nyx is?”
Cyn paused, then gave a small smile. “Hmmmm, maybe.”
“Then who is he?!”
“Nuh-uh.”
“Wh—what?!”
Uzi grabbed her tail. “Cyn, just tell him!”
“No, thank you.”
“CYN!”
“Uzi, just stop,” Khan interrupted. “You’re not going to get any further. She probably doesn’t know anyway.”
“O-okay, Dad. I’ll see you tomorrow night.”
“A-alright, Uzi.
The door shut behind the trio. Uzi looked tired, while N and V appeared gloomy.
“W-We’re not going to see Sable when she turns 18?” N muttered, his face showing a look of sorrow.
Uzi sighed. “N, why do you think we gave her her present early?”
“Well, I just thought—”
“Well, you thought wrong, N!”
“B-But maybe your dad is right. Y-You should try—”
“I’M SORRY, N, ARE WE STILL DATING?” Uzi snapped.
N’s eyes widened as a painful sensation, like poison, slowly started to engulf his heart. He looked down.
“THEN WHY ARE YOU STILL GIVING ME ADVICE?!”
The words were never said, but V knew what Uzi was implying: Shut up. V sympathetically patted N’s back as she turned to Uzi.
“HEY! Just becau—”
“Is Sable okay?” a Drone suddenly interrupted, causing everyone to look up.
Ugh, yes, Sable is fine, Lizzy, like you’d actually want to know.”
“Hey, we’re friends, Uzi! Just like all your friends, we want to know if your sister is okay.”
“HA! Funny you think we’re friends, considering how you’ve treated me!”
“Th-That’s not me anymore! You know I’m trying to do better, and I certainly don’t like what I’m hearing or seeing. What happened to you, Uzi? This isn’t you—you’ve changed.”
“I don’t really think I’ve changed, thank you very much.”
“I disagree. This isn’t you; you’re different, like a worse version of yourself.”
“Lizzy, I’d try looking in a mirror. Are you sure you’re not just confusing yourself for me? Is your brain that messed up, just like your perception of letters?
UZI, THAT IS WAY OUT OF—”
“Because if I had to list all the things you did to me and others, it would be a long list—a list your brain wouldn’t even let you read properly!”
Lizzy twitched, a mix of anger, sadness, and hurt displayed across her face, while N and V exchanged shocked glances.
“W-WELL, I’M CERTAINLY NOT LOOKING AT HER!” Lizzy shouted before running away, covering her face. Lizzy closed the door to her home with a slam. She pressed her back against the wall and slid down, beginning to sob. If only Uzi knew that Lizzy wasn’t doing well either.
“You look like trash.”
Lizzy looked up and snarled. “DROP DEAD, FAYBELLE!”
Faybelle smirked. “I would, but I’m too pretty to die.”
Faybelle stared at Lizzy, waiting for a reaction, but Lizzy gave none.
“You know, I used to look up to you as a kid. And if little me could see who you are now, I bet she’d say, ‘Wow, I can’t believe I was looking up to an illiterate LOSER!’”
“SHUT UP!
Oww, Lizzy, why do you have to be so mean? We’re sisters, remember?”
“YOU ARE MY STEP-SISTER! WE WILL NEVER BE BLOOD!”
“Wh-What is going on here?”
The two looked toward the noise to see an older Worker Drone in sleepwear, a wedding ring hanging around her neck.
“Ugh, nothing, Mom. Just chatting with the illiterate here!” Faybelle rolled her eyes and walked away.
Lizzy sank onto the couch. “Yeah, it’s nothing, Kareen, just your nor—”
“Oh, I know it’s not that.”
“Man, I’ve messed up, Kareen.”
“Yeah, you did. But what matters now is that you’re trying to do better.”
“But how? I affected Fay—”
“Faybelle is her own person at the end of the day. She chooses who she wants to be. You met her when she was 8, not 5
Y-Yah, alright. Get some sleep, sugar, you need it.”
“Yeah, goodnight, Mom.”
Kareen was taken aback, but in a happy way. “G-Goodnight to you too, Lizzy.”
RING! RING! RING!
Sable smacked the alarm on the nightstand. She yawned and stretched before getting out of bed. She walked to the table she always sat at and looked groggily at her foster parent and aunt.
“GOOD MORNING, SABLE! How’d you sleep?”
“I dreamt that I was drowning in a bathtub…