Sloth

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-L’eau, Current Day

In the political and geographical center of the world, surrounded by water, was a country by the name of L’eau. It was named after the first ruler, who had died many many years prior. Above the clouds and stars of that country stood a castle.

Two people walked down a hallway together. With every step on the blood red carpet, they got closer to the door.

One grasped the handle and slammed it open. The room was pitch black with stars surrounding the non-existent walls. It was as if they had been placed in the center of the universe. The floor, despite being invisible, was solid. The two people walked forward towards a golden throne.

The first person sat on the throne and spoke to the person beside him.

“L’eau. It appears all has gone well. Nell has nothing built up.”

The woman next to him, L’eau, nodded as the man continued speaking.

“I have granted him my vision, and now he will use it. Get him to sit on the throne.”

L’eau nodded again.

The man stood up and walked away from the room. He walked down the hallway and into the study. He looked out the window, observing all the people underneath him.

He spoke.

“Do you value this existence, my child?”

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“Let me go, human!”

The guards stared at me like I was insane.

“Who’s this kid think he is? He popped out of the city's heart that killed two people when it collapsed, and then ran outside the hospital without paying the bill. That’s manslaughter and unpaid civil debts. 97’s gonna execute you even if we don't take you in for science. May as well get the check, am I right or am I right? Haha. Sorry, pal.”

I wasn’t sure why they wanted to examine me. I was a human, just like them. Yeah, I may have popped out of a giant heart in the middle of the city, but if they looked at me they could tell I was human.

I glared at them with all my might, only to get laughed at. Staying with them was probably the best idea, though. My best bet was simply to nod and let them take me.

The guards brought me to a place in the city seemingly secluded from everywhere else. I didn’t want to wait, but I guess I could ask them some questions.

One of the guards spoke. His words seemed natural, but at the same time, it felt as if he was trying to imitate me. I couldn’t explain it if I tried.

“I gotta piss. Keep this kid here until I come back.”

“Kay.”

The guard soon left, his metal armor clanking as he waddled away. Now was my chance. I had to ask him something.

“Will I get money from this?”

I didn’t know why that was the first thing I thought of, but I did need money. If I kept stealing, I would get arrested eventually.

He nodded.

“I guess. It’s kind of like a job-”

No. No. No. I didn’t want to. Effort led to disappointment. A job required effort, which was something that I couldn’t do.

I needed to escape. I had knowledge of magic, so I could kill them and leave.

I jumped back and held my palm at them. I would use fire magic.

I pushed my arms forward, but nothing came out. My heart froze as I fell to the floor. My body instinctively curled up as I gripped my chest.

I couldn’t use magic. I needed to put in effort for magic. I tried to put in effort. And yet again, I was disappointed. I knew this would happen. I was stupid to try. I needed to stop trying.

I needed to stop putting in effort. This was the outcome every time I tried.

The guard ran up to me and held a metal object to my face.

“PUT YOUR HANDS UP!”

Oh. Oh. Oh. This was a weapon. I think it was called a gun. This would kill me.

I put my hands up. I didn’t want to die. I didn’t want to exist, but I didn’t want to die. I was scared. I was trembling again. I needed to escape. I tried to cover my ears with my elbows, but he yelled at me.

“DON’T MOVE YOUR HANDS!”

I jumped back as water began to flow out of my eyes.

I needed to calm down. I needed to stop being overwhelmed. I wanted to leave.

“P-Pleas-”

“I SAID DON’T FUCKING MOVE!”

I put my hands up as high as I could. The water in my eyes began to cloud my vision. I was scared. I was too scared to think. I was too scared to feel anything other than fear. Every word the man spoke added another water drop of terror into the already-full bowl of my mind.

He yelled at me again.

“WHAT IS YOUR NAME?!”

I squeakily spoke.

“M-m-m-my-y n-a-am-me is N-Nell M-M-Mor-ren-”

He put his finger against the trigger.

I didn’t want to die.

My hands were beginning to get tired. I would have to put them down. I didn’t know what to do. I curled my legs up as my arms began to fall.

“HE’S REACHING!”

I yelled out as he held his finger against the trigger.

Footsteps began to rush over. I could only assume it was his partner.

Tap. Tap tap. Tap Tap Tap Tap

There was no clunking from the armor, but instead a pure sound of a drop of rain water hitting the ground. Every footstep sounded like a boot stepping in a puddle.

CRASH!

The other guard was flung into the guard standing in front of me, crashing him into the floor. I stared at the person responsible for this. In front of me stood a tall man with light blue hair flowing as calm as the sea. His eyes contrasted his hair as I could see a stormy, rough ocean crashing on itself. Not only was his appearance a contradiction, but his attitude was as well, and yet it all seemed natural. He was the embodiment of perseverance for saving me. If I was in his position, I wouldn’t have been able to do this. With a pure white outfit and a shimmering gold earring, he smiled softly at me before speaking up.

“Eyes up, Nell. You can’t afford to look away.”

I usually couldn’t stand being ordered around, but it was different this time. His smile was the only thing letting me think. I instantly stood up and stood behind him out of reflex as he stood down the guard that got knocked over. The guard confidently spoke.

“Get out of the way before I kill you too.”

The man looked surprised and yet still grinned.

“Oh really? Is that so?~”

Every word that came out of his mouth rippled in my mind.

The guard instantly got angry at him and rushed forward, but before he could do anything a box had enveloped his entire body. A flowing box of water, reflecting the light off the sky into my eyes in a shimmering volley. It seemed like a rather lazy way for a man like this to kill. He walked over to the guard as he put his hand on the box. It looked as if he could see inside the box, despite it being covered with a thick layer of water.

“Another one gone.”

A scream was heard from inside the box but was instantly drowned out with water. The man spoke to me.

“Lets uhh.. Let's move this away a little bit!”

I stood there in shock, unable to say a single word as the man happily undid the magic. The box of water turned into a puddle, and the body fell onto the floor. It looked unharmed. I wondered if he was okay with me looking at him like this.

From what I understood, humans were usually disgusted by seeing a body. So why was this one not? And if I was a human, why was I not? Humans are supposed to kill to survive, so I didn’t have a problem with the actual killing. Also, he saved me. My questions dissipated as I saw the man returning. He walked over to me and spoke.

“Do you speak?”

Despite how I normally was, his presence caused a calm sensation inside me. A warm sensation.

“Yeah.”

The man smiled at me as he looked… happy?

“Yay! ...Please follow me.”

I was going to, but I needed an answer.

“Y-You just killed that guy.”

He tilted his head.

“Correct! I did kill him. I watched it happen with my very own eyes.”

I didn’t know people could think like this. Every word he spoke came out as if he wasn’t a part of the situation he created. This was a sin.

And yet I didn’t care.

He spoke to me.

“Close your eyes!”

This was an incredibly suspicious request. But I did it anyway. I trusted this man with my life, despite me never meeting him before.

I knew I had never met him. He didn’t seem familiar. But his positioning did. Every move and step he took rippled in my brain as if I had seen it before.

As if I had seen the distance he had from me.

While I had my eyes closed, I felt him pick me up. I tried opening my eyes, but I heard him speak.

“No opening your eyes yet!”

I kept them closed for a couple of minutes.

After a bit, he told me I could open them.

…

I looked around. The air was filled with a grimey smoke that burnt my lungs. It smelled horrendous. There was human excrement on the floor and the walls were the color of aged copper. Underneath the floor was a slowly flowing stream of brown water.

There were hundreds of people as well. Some of them were talking to themselves, some of them were fighting. Two of them were dead. Six of them were taking pills from a paper towel. 8 of them had needles up to their arms.

I spoke to him.

“Not a single one of these people care about themselves.”

He grinned and spoke back.

“Not a single one of these people are connected with the world we live in. Welcome to the sewers of Jeti City, Nell!”

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-5 Years Ago

L’eau was the most heavily populated country out of the 9 on the planet. It was the current focus of the entire world, for the king had just died. His son stood in front of his dead body, with no emotion on his face. Whether unable to process the emotions he had or not having any strong feelings, not even he knew. He stared at the corpse as his mind was oscillating violently.

His universe seemingly shattered apart as his reality faded into an endless room. It was pitch black, with only the stars inside observing him and lighting it. All his senses were awake, and yet there was too little for them to be fully active. In the middle of the space sat a throne. A golden throne. It looked eerily similar to the throne of L’eau, but it seemed more ancient. He stepped toward it, the matter of the universe rippling under his step. He reached the throne, and put his hand out.

“Hello, Marē. It appears your father is dead. I wonder how that happened. Odd, is it not?”

A dark figure, one that he was unable to decipher grew out of the throne. She spoke mockingly, as if she was pitying him.

The boy couldn’t speak.

“Your father was too early. But you, you are not. You’re perfectly on time, honestly. I’ll give you power. You can feel guilt, so you’ll handle it well. I’ll string both parts of you together, and put my own power in between the strands of your being. Your internal world is rather weak as of now. You will be king. And you will aid the Original Sin.”

She stepped towards him and tapped his forehead, before looking towards the throne and speaking.

“…I can barely wait. I’m sorry for what I must do. This is the cause of your effect. My response to my love.”

The boy was standing there, almost unfazed.

“L’eau. You’re L’eau.”

The being smiled, before taking her human form. The boy closed his eyes so as to not see her.

“Yes, Marē. It’s me. Welcome to reality.”