INTEGER UNLIMITED

The dark city streets echoed their footsteps, as the group made their way past the wreckage. While the tone inside the Mayor’s office was one of relief, the outside was still a canvas of suffering. They walked past the shattered buildings and blood stained floors until they reached the outskirts of town.

Philips continued without pause, as Marem and Leo started to walk with more caution. Marem held a torch in hand and kept an eye on Philips, while Leo looked around them for any danger. Philips walked past the trails around the city and walked straight into the woods.

He’d been mostly freed of his restraints, but his hands were bound. This proved difficult for him, as he struggled to move through the thick roots and trees in the forest. Despite this, he shuffled onward without any concern for balance or safety.

The forest was quiet. While it was nighttime, there would normally be a chorus of insects that would fill the air. There was nothing in the forest.

Leo and Marem would shoot glances at each other, as they progressed deeper into the forest. The trees here had become overwhelming. They crowded together which left little room to maneuver in between, and were covered in small thorns that tore into the group as they squeezed by.

While Philips didn’t react at all to the cuts he faced, the others tried their best to avoid getting torn up. The bleeding Philips managed to squeeze between two thick trunks, and seemingly vanished from their sight.

Vanished being a visual description, as Marem and Leo heard the sound of Philips tumbling down onto the ground. They rushed forward, as Leo shoved the trees to the side. While the cuts weren’t a concern, they couldn’t risk their only lead being seriously injured.

What he saw was Philips stood in the middle of a large dirt clearing, as he seemed to look into Leo’s eyes. While he had moved without acknowledgement before, this time it seemed as if he actually noticed Leo. Leo made the small jump down to the clearing and approached Philips.

“Philips, can you hear me?” asked Leo.

Philips replied, “Yes. We. Can. Hear. You. Very. Well.”

His face had broken out into a grin, one that had an inhuman touch to it. The way he spoke sent shivers down Leo’s spine, as if the words were wrong in a way he couldn’t explain.

“Are you…” Leo paused for a moment, unsure of what was wrong, “alright?”

His confusion was interrupted by a rustle in the bushes to his right. He quickly turned to see an elderly man with torn clothes stained in mud walk into the clearing.

“We ArE dOiNg FaR mOrE tHaN aLrIgHt, OtHeRwOrLdEr,” answered the old man.

Each word felt akin to nails scraping down his eardrums. Leo struggled to stop his head from pounding yet was barely able to make out what the man said to him.

“Other… Worlder? What are you talking about?”

“You know very well what we are talking about. The traces of your previous life are more than abundant,” replied a new voice from the forest.

Leo saw more people pour in from the forest. They filled into the clearing, and they all stared at him despite the darkness of night. He seemed to be surrounded on all sides.

“Who are you people?” asked Leo.

A young woman stepped forward, “yOU sEEM tO bE aSKING mANY qUESTIONS, fAR mORE tHAN yOU aSKED dAVID.”

“...You know about David?”

“We know that you are the one who killed our sibling. You’ve done a lot to get yourself noticed. You have even come so far as to meddle with us,” answered a young kid that struggled to stand with his bloodied legs.

Leo could barely concentrate when each person spoke. Their voices were raw and corrupt. He had so many questions, but he didn’t know if he could listen to all of the answers. He tried to breathe and collect his thoughts before he responded.

“Sibling? What the hell are you?” demanded Leo.

“we ARE one OF the CALAMITIES sent TO reclaim THESE lands. WE are THE sister OF david, A fellow CALAMITY,” explained an elven woman.

“You’re the one that took those people. These are the people you took,” realized Leo.

A young man mocked, “We don’t quite agree with your wording, but we are the ones who took them. They serve a far greater purpose as a part of us.”

“What would that purpose be?” questioned Leo.

“TheiR OriginaL PurposE HaS NO RelevancE TO YoU. TheiR CurrenT PurposE IS FaR MorE ImportanT,” hissed the calamity.

“...what is their current purpose?” queried Leo.

He heard a soft thud hit the ground behind him. The horde seemed to stare at him in suspense, as they made no more attempts to communicate. Leo felt certain that he knew what was behind him, but he didn’t want to turn around and confirm his suspicions.

Each word said by the calamity caused his head to pound. He didn’t know what caused him to feel this way. It made his stomach turn and his senses panic.

“Our purpose is to eliminate the threat of Leo Eule,” Marem sang in a mocking tone.

Leo turned around to face her. Marem’s face was stretched into a distorted smile. Her blank eyes felt as if they stared into his soul. Her voice wasn’t like the others. It didn’t feel like his eardrums were soon to burst, yet it still stirred his heart into action. The calamity had made a crude mockery of her voice just to taunt him.

“No, Marem, you can’t be one of them,” pleaded Leo.

“She was easy to infect, but unfortunately, you are far more resilient. We even lost a very useful host while attempting to assimilate you, but thankfully, you will more than make up for it,” taunted Marem.

Leo took a breath, “I refuse.”

“This is not something that one can refuse. Your resilience and strength are admirable, but you cannot escape such a fate while surrounded by our hosts,” retorted Marem.

“No, I refuse to believe that I’ve lost. You have me here, yet I could still just walk away. Do you have any way to stop me?” goaded Leo.

“You don’t value the life of your allies, nor the lives of these civilians? We will slash their throats without a moment's hesitation if you attempt to leave. Their blood will be on your hands,” threatened Marem.

“Alright, I surrender. Infect me.”