Memory Fragment, Therefore I sing.

“Terrible she says…” The administrator mumbled to herself. “Never had tried for anything before…”

The administrator, her mask feeding her more aether, more air, more spirit, more energy.

She sent her energy to the black stick, forming a sharp edge, and swung down.

“Sir, the rogue unit has appeared again and it just has wiped the Nightmare subunits and disappeared.”

“It’s been months and still no leads on where it comes from. How has Archipelago's report?”

“Archipelago has made contact with the target though is soon unable to track it, Archipelago has said it has taken an interest in its spell-song, and that it has said it’ll be back…”

The Commander put his hand to his brow as he groaned. “Report to me when Archipeligo makes contact again...I need a drink.”

In a lab, far far away, a girl with crimson eyes who has never seen sunlight humming to herself with a determined look on her face, her white, iridescent hair flowing and split on the floor.

Name woke up inside a wooden mansion, covered in dust and cobweb in the corners.

“Ow…. where are we? Fame?”

No response.

“Okay…” as the haze lifted she noticed that she was inside a cell, behind the iron bar.

“Huh…” She turned around and saw that she had a roommate, a pale lady, her clothes covered in silver blood. Name turn her head again and saw other cells parallel to hers. She approached the bars and poked her head out, seeing cells on both sides. There doesn’t seem to be a door to their cells but Name can see the crawlers in a cell, as well as various other animals, and a villager see doesn’t recognize, bleeding as its blood was collected.

Name heard the sound of a door opening and quickly closed her mouth, stifling whatever reaction she had and pretended she was unconscious.

“Niem moan seods osdfm oim djna sasdas”

Yet more gibberish she can’t understand but it was similar to villager speak.

Footsteps approached and faded a bit as they moved closer and then further away, talking to each other, then, a loud snap followed by the sound of creaking metal.

Name opened her eyes and took a peek and saw two villagers, their skin grey like ash, collecting the blood bucket and the villager’s body.

As soon as they stepped out of the cell, the grey villager with the pointy hat and floppy robe clenched their fist, followed by the creaking sound of metal as they slowly bent back into place, a crackle what appeared to be arcs of electricity appeared as the metal connected back together as if they weren’t broken and bent in the first place.

Then footsteps. Name closed her eyes and listened as the footsteps approached and faded away, followed by the sounds of a door being closed and locked.

All was quiet as Name waited.

“So this is where the Traitor’s base is.”

“Ahhhhhh!...Oh, it’s you, welcome back Fame.”

“Hrmmmm...yes, follow them”

“Uhhh...I can’t bend metal like them.”

“Not a problem.” Name felt her left arm fell out of control, alien even. She shivers at the thought, thinking that Fame can easily take control. Turning her eyes, she noticed she completely lost the left side of her field of vision. Her hair turned grey on her left, Fame snapped her fingers, the metal in front of her instantly crumbled.

“Pick that lady up.”

“Why?”

“Just do it.”

“Fine.”

Name cooperated with Fame as they walked over. Name took a breath and slung the pale lady onto her shoulder. They got out of the cell and Fame snapped her fingers and the cell bars restored itself instantly. Name just followed Fame’s footsteps as her left hand swiped to the left, unlocking the door.

Name suddenly found her unable to speak and panicked, Fame only put her finger to her mouth and “Shhhhhhhhh…” Name vision soon turned to black, then nothing.

Fame quickly took note of the shadows and other potential spots she could hide in. Her hair turning black as her crimson eye’s glow fade into nothing as she retreated into the shadows.

“Sorry, she muttered under her breath.” As she silently moved through the mansion, careful to keep herself out of sight, she spotted two traitors, both of them carrying a body and a bucket of blood. Making a decision between sating her curiosity and getting them to safety, she decided to follow the traitors. Down and down they went. Fame noticed they weren’t very concerned with spilling the red blood. Soon, seeing a trail of blood that they never bothered to clean up, then more as they all lead down a set of stairs. Fame followed hoping there was nobody behind them.

Soon, it opened up to a dark stone chamber, its floor swept clean yet still covered and stained by blood. The two traitors dumped the buckets onto an altar, where one elderly traitor with a particularly more decorated hat and robe, the skin on its face cracked in multiple places, chanting.

Two more traitors entered the chamber as Fame watched them pour their bucket, too, onto the altar. As the red blood spilled from the altar onto the floor, Fame could see silver blood as the blood covering its surface thinned.

The elder traitor, with trembling hands, dipped them into the altar filled with silver blood, two cuts on their wrist that have long dried up. As they continued to chant, Fame could see the pool of silver blood glow as the veins on their arms glowed as the silver blood moved up their veins through the cuts. The cracked skin fell off in pieces, revealing a more youthful appearance. As the glow from its veins faded, the elder motioned for the other traitors for the villager bodies. The cuts on their wrist healed.

Fame only slowly backed away as they cut open the bodies, not wanting to know what they will do next as she heard a skull crack open next. Out the chamber into the stairs, down the hall until she made her way out.