Fallacy: The Latent World

Mission for the Insane

Itzal woke up at his usual time, yawning as he rolled out of bed. Kagami wasn’t there with her usual bucket of water to force him to his feet. It felt kind of… Off. Sighing, Itzal flipped on the light, wincing as white filled the room. 

Allowing his eyes to adjust, Itzal caught sight of a pile of clothes on one of the desks. They were neatly folded and, oddly enough, all black. Well, he should have expected it… Itzal stripped off his shirt, scouring the pile to find the replacement.

“Itzal!” Kagami’s voice startled him, and he whipped around to face the door, relieved to see it shut. Slowly, he turned back around, annoyed when he saw he had accidentally scattered the pile. 

“What?” He called back, ducking under the desk to pick up a long-sleeved shirt. Wasn’t it a bit warm to wear something like this?

“Oh good, you’re awake.” The door suddenly burst open, and Itzal shot up, slamming his head on the desk. Groaning, he rubbed his head, slowly backing out. Kagami stood over him, dressed in shorts and a t-shirt. Wait… Itzal glanced down at the shirt in his hand, a scowl slowly distorting his features. What the hell was this?

“Illusions, remember?” Kagami chuckled, shaking her head at him. Itzal blushed slightly, rising to his full height. Right. How could he forget…

“What’s that? When you were injured, I saw it, and I’ve been meaning to ask...” Kagami was suddenly in front of him, studying the scar that rested over his heart. Shit… With unimaginable speed, Itzal managed to tug the shirt over his bare torso, concealing the loathsome reminder. A bit startled, Kagami took a step back, her eyes studying his face as though she would find the answer there. Keep looking...

Itzal grabbed the black pants that had managed to remain on the desk somehow, and, to his horror, discovered they were skinny jeans. Was she trying to kill him?! He couldn’t move in these things! 

Kagami’s initial shock over his reaction had faded, replaced by chuckling. Were his thoughts so obvious? 

“It’s the only black clothing they had that would fit you.” She smirked, twirling out the door. Just as Itzal was about to call her back, the door slammed shut, leaving him to glower at the stiff denim. Maybe it was a trial… Sighing, Itzal stripped, somehow managing to squeeze into the legs. He wished she had grabbed him something that might have been a bit too big…

But he’d have to deal with what he had. That’s how it worked; that’s how it always worked. Itzal pulled on the black shoes that remained, feeling positively ridiculous. How could she do something like this to him?

“Itzal, we’re leaving!” Kagami’s voice sang, and after one last glance around his room, Itzal pulled open the door, refusing to meet Kagami’s gaze. He was going to kill her one of these days…

Together, they slipped out of the warehouse, meeting up with a disgruntled Elle. It was quite obvious the mousy girl was not a morning person, her brown eyes glazed over with exhaustion. Kagami, on the other hand, was running circles around Elle, clearly hyped to be leaving the constrictions of the warehouse. Itzal was just as pleased to be out of the steel container, but he chose to keep his excitement to himself. Elle looked like she was about to strangle Kagami, and if he added to Kagami’s energy…

“Let’s go.” Elle grunted, starting forward. Elle was cloaked in all black as well, giving Itzal a tiny bit of reassurance. She also carried a large backpack which appeared to be filled with medical supplies. That definitely made Itzal feel better. 

Itzal trailed a little behind the pair, taking careful note of his surroundings. There were about twelve warehouses in the little area the Resistance had claimed, all sitting neatly before the sea.  It was, in a way, picturesque. Their shattered windows glinted beneath the gray of the clouds. The steel walls rusted away in the salty breezes the ocean exhaled on the land. Each one hunkered down against the elements, cowering at the feet of Sola. The city loomed in the distance, a ray of light in the gray world that surrounded it. His home…