It didn’t take long for the sun to rise. The surrounding world hadn’t changed much from the last time I had seen it clearly. The same bare wastelands, the same ominously dark pillars encircling the Perimeter and the same improbable dwellings inside of it.

It was still early in the morning and not one person was visible around, except for the occasional armoured guard running around and doing their duty. The early birds had already left, while the rest of the population was still resting. I made my way through the buildings undisturbed, without being spotted by anyone.

Soon enough I reached the marmoreal building where I knew I could find the person who had made me go through a less than exciting time. I had followed his smell since crossing the border and I could now feel his presence inside.

I politely kicked down the door and entered the throne room.

“Hi, you old-timer! Happy to see me?” I yelled cheerfully.

Tobias appeared in front of me, polishing one of his weapons and sharpening its blade with his fingernails.

He turned towards me and his expression became rigid.

“You… lived?” he asked incredulously.

“I’m not so sure about that myself, but I’m certainly alive now,” I answered with a smile.

I approached Tobias, until our faces were inches apart, and resumed speaking.

“You know, I’ve been thinking about our meeting a lot. I understood you breaking my circuit, but the limb reduction surgery was quite uncalled for, don’t you think?”

Tobias' expression didn’t show any sign of change.

“I’m sorry, youth,” he uttered after some time.

“Ok ok, let’s say I believe you, for now. I’ll cut you some slack, but you owe me, understand?”

Had it been normal circumstances, knowing myself, I would have probably reacted much more aggressively, but there were two things to consider. First, although he had promised to treat her well, he still had Faye in his hands. Second, I had now the confirmation that in this world there was something irregular, besides me making it different from how it should have been.

I had not paid much attention to it for the moment and the memory of it was growing fainter and fainter, but the gaze watching me from the far beyond was still seared into my brain. I didn’t know what it was, but I was now certain that a deviancy was hiding under the hood of this world and it had weaved its revolting web all across the globe.

During my days out in the open, in my altered state of trance, I had tried to pluck its loathsome eyes from the starry skies but it had gotten away before I could reach it. I wouldn’t be able now to feel even its faintest trace as I had returned to being mostly “normal”. My body had been made in a peculiar way, but apart from that, it wasn’t much different from the previous one I had inhabited.

Knowing something unknowable was lurking in the dark, I considered it better to try and maintain a friendly relationship with Tobias. After all, he was still the strongest archuman I knew of and having him as an ally would be better than having him as an enemy. I was not totally convinced, but it was the only way to get back in touch with the only person I was actually interested in.

“Where is Faye?” I asked.

“I sent her away,” he answered placidly.

My eyes narrowed. A scornful voice left my lips.

“I thought you promised to keep her safe? Did you lie to me?”

“I see you have grown bolder”

He was warning me, but I didn’t pay attention to it and instead laughed.

“You maimed me, a ‘child’, as you liked to say, and yet I survived. I have earned the right to be bold”

As was always the case, the strong didn’t tolerate rudeness from the weak, but they could manage it from their peers. I was still much weaker than him as of now, but I had certainly proven my capabilities. Moreover, he promised to give me a “fighting chance”, whatever that meant.

There was also the possibility he was being wary of me. After all, I had survived what should have been certain death. In reality, I was positive he could kill me without much difficulty, but there was no need for me to tell him that.

After a long silence, he answered my words.

“I see. You may act and speak as you see fit. But not in public, that’s what I would ask of you”

“Deal”

I readily accepted his proposition. It was reasonable. Speaking to him as I had just done in public would cause various problems. It was likely that people hearing us would erroneously think that Tobias' authority had been reduced, inducing them to behave as boldly as I did and leading to their life being cut short by Tobias’ hand. Bringing about useless bloodshed was not in my plans.

I took a step away from him, putting some distance between us. I turned around and started looking out the broken door.

“Where is Faye?” I asked.

“Youth, I entrusted her to a reliable individual. She has been sharpening her competencies at the Delta,” Tobias answered.

I nodded. It was a satisfying answer. The Delta Perimeter was the industrial centre of the continent, the place where all the best weapons were produced. It was the richest and most developed of all the Perimeters, probably the only one where being a normal human didn’t automatically translate into living an awful life. I had never stepped inside a Perimeter underground, but if they were even remotely similar to how I had envisioned them, it was probably for the better.

“When will I be able to see her?”

“Less than two months. She will be here for the tournament”

Considering how tournaments were held annually, I had been struggling between life and death for over ten months. I could wait a little bit more.

I turned around.

“You are surprised I’m still alive. Didn’t think I would make it?” I questioned him.

“Your heart and lungs stopped after three weeks,” he responded.

The revelation hit me by surprise. I knew my condition was anomalous, but I didn’t think I had actually spent entire months clinically dead. Without anything to say, I simply left the dwellings and stepped towards the border. I didn’t want to spend even one more second in his presence. Before leaving, I spoke my last words of the day.

“I will wait outside the border. Have someone bring some food, thanks”