From Moving Crates to Killing Gods-Chapter 39: Forgotten

"That’s only for stats." He reminded me. "You also need to work on your skills. It’s perhaps even more important."

"I get it, but why do you say it in plural? We only get one skill when we turn twenty one." I said confidently.

"Because when you increase your actual level, more skills unlock. It’s the main reason why leveling up matters, though I’m probably the only person with more than one skill here in Argent..."

There were many inferences to be made from those words, but the one that struck me the hardest was the fact that I wouldn’t get another skill for a long, long time.

"Alright." I said. "That’s a lot of information, and I agree on training. I don’t want more people to die because of the exile. But right now, what I need is a shower, food, and to drop my weight into a mattress until I stop dreaming about Corruptors eating me."

"You’re right. I’ll call your friends so that the leveling up secret doesn’t spread. Also, they can’t grow their stats until reaching level two, but they can start by polishing their skills to help you."

"Then I’ll go to my room." I said dismissively. I was desperate to get myself soaked in water and soap.

I left and went toward my room. Singing an improvised tune about meat and soap bubbles inside my head all the way until I had already gotten inside the shower. I was used to sweating in the workshop, but there my hands never felt sticky with the blood of a monster... although once I fell inside a crate with expired paste.

The most magical twenty minutes of my life went fast. Water punched the dirt out of my skin, and I saw a face in the mirror do another expression besides the usual agony it reflected. It was one of... happiness?

I felt sorrow for those who hadn’t survived, but I also found the benefits of being a One just outright awesome.

But still, I had to build them a grave. To Gale, Silas, Petra, Ember, Cobb, Lin, Phinyx...

Wait.

Phinyx?

I felt how a massive hammer dropped from the heavens and struck me right in the center of my brain.

I didn’t see Phinyx or Lin after our little flight adventure ended. But I also didn’t even remember them, nor did anyone else.

Why?

Before I could organize my thoughts, my body moved by itself. I had just a few conversations with Phinyx, but he was the person that used his ability the most to protect us.

And the bitter taste of forgetting him didn’t sit right with me. I had to go and look for him. Now.

I just grabbed my old grimy pants, put on my boots, and ran.

I went down the staircase by jumping a couple steps at a time. I didn’t know if this urgency could help with something, but still.

I went through the exit of the spire as fast as I could. The guard probably got scared for a moment, not being used to the Ones ever running, but instead I heard a muffled voice complain.

"That’s the second one. Weird generation."

My feet kept on moving as fast as they could. My body felt definitely stronger than before the exile. I barely had a chance to test my physical abilities on the outside, since stealth was the main resource we used.

And after a couple of weird gazes from the citizens and kids of Argent, I reached the inside border of the barrier we had entered through.

There I saw Kira. She seemed to have a sense of urgency too. Her skin was dripping sweat.

And on the floor I could see Phinyx.

"Kira... what happened?" I said while barely keeping my lungs inside.

"I... don’t know." Her breathing also followed a fast rhythm. "I just remembered him and then I ran here."

As we discussed those short lines, the sound of running could be heard from behind me. I didn’t have to turn to know they would be Rolen and Coco.

"What happened?" They both said. Rolen was holding his chest, while Coco was already on the floor, same as Phinyx.

I checked the vitals on Phinyx. Not that I was an expert, but he was breathing. We all said how we remembered him in a similar way at the same time, and we started to connect the dots while carrying him toward the hospital.

"Maybe he overused his vibe of non existence?" Coco said while we walked.

"That might be it." Kira said with an asserting tone.

"But for how long has he been there?" Rolen yelled. "We arrived at Argent a day ago."

"He must be very weak. A day just sleeping against the cold stone after the exile sounds horrifying." I said with worry in my words.

As we arrived at the hospital, we got through the entrance and Rolen talked with the attending worker at the counter.

"He needs to be treated now. We don’t currently hold money, but we’re all Ones. He just survived the exile and needs help."

"Yeah, every day there’s a couple of exile survivors that try to get free fast service. If that’s true, scan your hand against the runic plaque, mister ’One.’" The girl said daringly.

Rolen locked eyes with the attendant and placed his hand on the runic plaque. It read.

[Rolen: One]

For a moment there was silence, and then an extreme sense of urgency fell into the whole small hospital.

"We have a wounded One! We need to save him at all costs. He has fought against Corruptors and survived, move, move!"

The whole place seemed like a beehive of kids. They took Phinyx with urgency, placed him on a hospital bed, and got him behind the emergency room.

The silence between us four was thick. We had forgotten that a couple of days ago, there were only four recorded cases of people that became Ones. Every citizen of Argent would place their hopes on new Ones, because maybe...

Maybe this time we would actually fight back.