#O.W. .ᐟ

[chrysalis-thestateofchange]

＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙* ── | “Caught” | ── *•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙* ＊

Characters // Atlas (he/him), Wren (they/them)

It’s the following day and Wren has pushed all thoughts of the events with the trainee out of their mind. Their confidence is renewed because today they are very lucky. They snagged a key card. A high access key card. They’re practically guaranteed an easy investigation in any part of the base. And so, as they march down the wide corridor past the training quarters, there is a slight pep in their step.

Wren is feeling perfectly confident in infiltrating higher level offices with ease and zero suspicion until they round the corner and find themself face to face with him. They gasp as they nearly ram straight into him and have to swivel on their feet slightly to avoid colliding him. When their stance is steadied, they look up at him for a long moment, eyes wide. So much for no suspicion. Wren stares for a long moment and then, without a word, turns abruptly and begins to very quickly make their way down a slightly emptier corridor, searching for a door to go through, glancing over their shoulder every so often to ensure that the trainee isn’t still looking.

Their pace increases at the sound of footsteps somewhere behind them. Every corner they round, their feet get quicker, their eyes darting to each passing soldier. They’re being paranoid. A trainee has no reason to follow them. With a huff, Wren’s pace quickens again into a light jog. The file room, the file room. Where was it on the map again? Shit, was it two lefts and a right or two rights and a left? Wren chews at the inside of their cheek, reaching a fork in the hall. They glance down both ways, hesitating. Oh! Two rights and a left. As they continue down the labyrinth of passageways, the people grow scarcer, only the occasional high ranking officer passing. Soon there’s no one. A good sign. After a few more minutes of creeping down the corridor, a shining metal door comes into view with a panel on the wall beside it. Aha. Wren does one more quick glance down the hall before slipping the key card out of their uniform pocket and pressing it to the panel. The light on the scanner goes green and a ding sounds. Perfect.

Wren is relieved when the room they slip into is dim and empty, the only light being the flickering of screens playing camera footage. Wren hesitantly presses their hand against another panel on the inside of the room, the lights flickering on with an electric hum. Upon further inspection, Wren sees the rows of screens, filing cabinets. There are shelves of boxes upon boxes, filled to the brim with what look like hard drives and wires. The air has a faint must to it like the room doesn’t get a lot of airflow. They note that there's not a single vent. Probably a security measure. This is exactly what Wren needs. They’re quick to pull out the bag stuffed under their bulky vest. Wren surges forwards and begins to sweep hard drives and paper files into it — anything they can fit.

Wren’s hands are quick as they fill the duffle and zip it shut. Get in and get out. If these files have good, solid information then their job is done and they can get the hell out of here and get to work. They try not to let the excitement brewing in them bubble too high but they’re so close to exposing Eden—

"What do you think you're doing?"

The breath on their neck is hot. Wren reels around, slamming their elbow into whatever body part of the person is closest and quickly backing away. Their elbow doesn’t make contact with anything. “What the fuck?” Their eyes are frantic as they scan the room. Nothing. No one is there. But they definitely heard someone there. They felt it. “Hello?”

Wren squawks loudly when a body materializes in the dark. Before they can register the person’s advance, their arms are yanked behind them and they’re pinned. “Hey, what the hell! Let go!” They bark, tugging their arms and trying to jerk away from their captor.

A boot meets their back, forcing them down against the frigid linoleum then the foot is pressing down on their head. 

"What do you think you're doing in here?" The voice repeats, low and even.

Wren grunts and lets out a yelp of pain as the boot digs into the back of their head, mashing their face against the ground. Any attempt to wriggle free only causes more discomfort. “Nothing! It’s none of your fucking business. Let me go man!”

"I think it is my business." There's a beat as the heel of the person’s foot digs into the back of Wren’s neck before the voice says, "Who sent you?"

Wren grits their teeth. There is no way they’re getting out of this. They were so close. “No one, I’m doing my job!” They bark back, trying to lift their head to no avail.

"Stealing files? That's classified information." 

Wren huffs and jerks their arms again to no avail. “No.” 

"Lie to me again and I'll cut out your tongue.” The growl in his voice tells Wren it’s not an empty threat.

“Let me go and I’ll tell you the truth, asshole.”

"I don't think so." The attacker keeps one foot firm against Wren’s face and they have to angle their eyes in a way that makes their head hurt to watch him in their peripheral vision as he stoops over and picks up their bag. "Where were you planning to take this?"

Dread settles heavy in Wren’s chest – and at the back of their head. This cannot be happening, all of that work can’t go down the drain now. “Nowhere! Okay? I don’t work with anyone, I was taking it for myself.”

"What were you going to do with it?"

Wren snarls and writhes defiantly at the attacker’s words. “You know, I was just gonna sit back and watch some footage for fun!” They snap, baring their teeth and rolling their eyes. “No, I’m going to expose this shitty corporation.” They try to push themselves up again.

The boot lifts off their head for just a moment, giving Wren hope until it stomps down again, smashing Wren’s face into the floor.

They let out a cry of pain as their nose makes a cracking noise and an instant gush of blood pours out. They grimace at the taste of blood in their mouth and gag. “Dude, what the fuck,” they wail.

"'Eden is eternal.'" The man recites in a robotic way that makes Wren’s skin crawl.

 Wren scoffs. “Yeah, bet they’ve been carving that into your brain since you were in diapers.” They mutter under their breath. They let out a grunt and curse silently as their face throbs and they are pushed down further.

"There's no point in trying to fight us. Who sent you then? Are you one of 'The Chosen'?"

“That fucking crazy cult? I hate them just as much as you.”

"You know, you should really learn when to close that big mouth of yours." He presses down harder on their head, Wren’s nose popping. "I could always just kill you now. It's not like anyone here would object to it. Or I could take you back to be questioned. I'm sure that'll put a stop to your smartass comments." 

Wren gasps and winces, squirming in pain under the force of the attacker’s foot. “No! Dude, I'm being serious. I’m telling the truth, I don’t know what more you want from me! Just ask me your questions now and let me go.”

"So you can go spread lies about Eden? I don't think so."

“They aren’t lies, it’s the truth and I’m going to prove it. Why would I come here looking for evidence if I was just going to spread lies.” They huff and shift slightly on the ground, the hard floor pressing against their body uncomfortably. “Do you know the truth? That your leaders, your “CEOs” are lying to you. And the Elites? Just more of their lies.”

"Shut up. You don't have any clue about Eden."

Wren snorts, wincing when the action sucks blood up into their nose. “Oh yeah? I know that they’re lying to the public and apparently to you guys too. They’re raising you to be monsters and then taking advantage of your skill. You’re their puppets.”

“I’m not.”

Wren rolls their eyes at his protest. “I’m sure every other one of their toy soldiers would say the same thing. You wanna check those files don’t you?” Wren manages to move their head just barely, wincing in the process. Their eyes shoot over to the bag. “Go ahead and have a look. If what’s in there isn’t enough for you, I've got more.”

There’s a long pause and Wren begins to fear he’ll just shut them up by killing them. Then they hear a suspiciously file sounding rustle. Wren would smirk if it weren’t for the throbbing pain in their face. They listen silently to the sound of pages in a file flipping. “See anything interesting?” 

They take the answering silence as a good sign and when their attacker steps back, their suspicions are confirmed. With a grunt, they push themselves into a sitting position, wiping blood from their face with a grimace. “Some not so great stuff in there, huh? That’s why I’m doing what I’m doing. I need to know more. I’m going to expose them for their lies.”

The man takes another unsteady step back, his mind racing. “There has to be an explanation for this. They wouldn’t- they wouldn’t do this for no reason.” Unlike before, where his voice was unwavering, he now sounds very unsure of himself. “You don’t- you don’t know anything.”

Wren slowly pushes themself up onto their feet with a sigh. They don’t advance further, wanting to prevent being attacked again, now by someone who is clearly more unstable than previously. “It’s the truth. Why would they have to keep this a secret if it wasn’t exactly what it looks like — if it wasn’t evil?”

The man eyes them warily. “To… to reach our goal there has to be sacrifices. It’s for the greater good of all mankind.” He recites again, the words slightly easing his doubts.

Wren crosses their arms, eyes narrowing as they fix him with a scowl. Only now, looking at their attacker in better lighting, do they realize that it’s him. Not a man. That trainee. “So you’re going to justify their crimes? You’re being trained for the Elites too aren’t you? They’ll do the same thing to you.”

“You won’t say a word about this. About any of it. You’re lucky that I don’t take you to the lead director right now.” He takes another step back, avoiding their gaze.

Wren dares to take a half-step forward, not yet advancing into the trainee’s personal space. “So you’ll let it keep happening? Even now that you know? Even now that it’ll happen to you?”

The boy doesn’t respond, slowly inching further backwards. “Don’t let me catch you in here again. You’ll regret it.”

Wren grits their teeth and reaches forward to grab their bag. “Fine. Keep hiding from the truth. We’ll see where that gets you.”

The trainee snatches the bag before they can take it, suddenly disappearing into thin air.

Wren gasps and makes a grunt of protest. “Asshole,” they grumble, stomping towards the door and slipping away, heading for the maintenance elevator.

They’re not giving up. They can’t be done with Eden until they get those files.

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TAGLIST \\ @ohagiwrites @oros-ash3s @bloodinkandashes @corinneglass @icantthinkofablognameatm @vesanal @inky-anathemata @bioniclechronicles @seastarblue @gr3yhellh0und @aalinaaaaaa @shadow-of-tea-and-tea @robinshandhurts @ieppiq @sugaredparchment @lunaeuphternal @ifmasonbasonwasawriter @steh-lar-uh-nuhs @blackboxwarrior-mkultra @lancedoncrimsonwings @sharkblizzardblogs @nightmaricwriter @scoundrelwithboba @cepheusgalaxy @cacophonyofwords @theink-stainedfolk @silly-scroimblo-skrunkl @write-with-will

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A big thanks to @oros-ash3s for helping me write this chapter ⋆˚࿔

─ O.W. ꩜ .ᐟ

[chrysalis-thestateofchange]

*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*─ | “Something to Eat” | ─ *•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*

Characters // Atlas (he/him), Wren (they/them)

The next morning.

Wren slides out of their sleeping bag in the back of the van with a grunt, the hair on one side of their head flattened against their face. They blink the sleep from their tired eyes as their gaze lands on a very awake new companion of theirs. “Did you sleep at all?”

His piercing gaze flicks over to them, and he gives them a quick nod, but it’s very apparent from the weary look in his eyes that he’s lying.

Wren stares at him for a long moment, tracking the lie immediately. “Mhm.” They push the sleeping bag towards the boy. “We need to get on the road again. We’ll stop for gas and food in the next town over.” Wren leaps up and crawls over the console between the two seats and plops down on the driver’s side. “Sleep while I drive. You’ll be useless if you’re tired.”

The boy quickly rolls up the sleeping bag for them and tucks it into the corner, following them to the front. “I’m fine.” He grunts.

With a huff, Wren rolls their eyes and starts the van. “You won’t be soon. If we’re lucky, they won’t come looking for you yet, or ever. But if they do, we’ll be sleeping a lot less,” they explain, pulling out of the parking garage. “So sleep.”

He is quiet at their words. Leaning against the window, the boy stares out at the surroundings with an unmistakably sad sigh. “I’m fine.” He reiterates.

With a hum and an exasperated wave of their hand, Wren turns onto the main road. “Whatever. I’m not slowing down for you when we’re being hunted like animals. And trust me, whether it’s your people or not, we will be.”

No response. He stares straight ahead, gaze level. His hands are clenched tightly where they rest on his thighs, and his posture is stiff. Despite seeming to trust Wren enough to follow them out of Eden, he still doesn’t seem to have relaxed the slightest bit from the night before.

Wren sighs and slumps into their seat as they speed down the freeway. “You’re not going to say anything?” They ask after a long moment of silence. “I got you out of there. You should at least tell me stuff about you so I know who I’m working with.”

The boy’s gaze flicks over to them but he still doesn’t move. “Why should I?” He asks in a monotone voice. “I have no reason to.”

Wren glances away from the road to narrow their eyes at him. “I saved your ass. I say that’s plenty reason. I’m going out on a limb to trust you won’t kill me in my sleep.”

His gaze shifts away again. “Eden said the same thing to me, did they not? They were a whole lot kinder to me, too. That’s no reason for me to trust you.” He says again in the same flat voice.

Wren clicks their tongue and shakes their head, fixing their eyes on the road again. “Fine. Don’t expect to know anything about me either,” they grunt between gritted teeth.

“Don’t care.” He says with a slight shrug, eyes dull, going back to watching out the window.

With a groan, Wren tips their head back, eyes leaving the road for longer than was considered safe. “Okay, whatever asshole,” they grumble with a snarl. “We’re driving for another two hours.”

“Okay.”

· · ──────── ꒰ঌ·✦·໒꒱ ──────── · ·

They have been stuck in this damned van for over an hour already and Wren is suffocating in the presence next to them. He hasn’t so much as uttered a single word since Wren’s last attempt to strike conversation. The silence becomes too much and Wren finally speaks again, saying, “You have any…hobbies?”

It’s silent for a bit, the boy just staring out the window, watching with his back turned to them as they pass through the city. “Why do you ask?”

Wren’s shoulders sag slightly as they let out a sigh. His questions make their brows stitch together. “I don’t know man, I’m just asking.”

“Do you?” 

Wren admits defeat, nodding with a shrug. “Yeah man, I guess.” They glance over at him again, biting at the inside of their cheek. “I like to draw. And I like music.”

He hums, still staring straight ahead.

Wren adjusts their grip on the steering wheel as they wait for their companion’s reply. Nothing but stiff silence fills the air. They click their tongue and pry further, saying, “Were you allowed to listen to music in that place?”

The boy nods slowly, not taking his eyes off the road. “Yes.”

Wren leans forwards in their seat, pressing against the steering wheel. “What kind of music?”

“Whatever I like.”

“And what kind of music do you like?” Wren asks shortly.

“Am I annoying you?” 

They shoot him a sideways glance, letting their body relax as they sigh. “No. You could talk a little more though. You’re so dry. And you didn’t answer my question.”

“I like a variety of music.” His gaze is blank – unnerving –  as he stares at them. “Is that a sufficient answer?”

Wren hums, rolling their eyes but accepting the answer. “All right,” they sigh, shrugging. “It’s good enough. I like K-pop.”

“I’ve never heard of it.”

Wren’s head snaps towards him as he speaks. “Open the glove box. There’s CDs in there.”

The boy robotically does just as they say, opening the glovebox and carefully rummaging through the CDs.

“Pick one. Then put it in the slot.”

After a moment of hesitation, he selects a random CD and puts it into the disc player.

Wren presses play. “Just listen to it. If you don’t like one you can skip it.”

He nods and starts to listen.

Wren taps their hands against the steering wheel as the song is carried out. Their gaze shifts sideways with an expectant raise of their eyebrow. “So?”

“It’s different from what I’ve heard before,” he says, not sounding quite as terribly dull.

Wren hums. “What does what you usually listen to sound like?”

“I had a lot of old rock CDs at home.” He says. “I usually listen to stuff similar to that.”

Wren raises their eyebrows slightly at the boy’s first seemingly carelessly given response. The corner’s of their lips quirk up slightly. “Hey, that’s cool. Rock is cool.”

He nods in agreement. “It is.”

Wren feels lighter than only moments before. While the boy is still guarded and blank faced, at least he’s willing to speak now. A little anyway. “My dad’s a big fan of old rock. He’s got a ton of records and a big fancy record player. You ever own a record player?”

“Yes. I had one in my dorm.” Briefly, it seems like he wants to say more, but no more words reach Wren’s ears.

“That’s cool,” Wren says, fixing their eyes on him once more as they take the exit. “I’ve never had one myself. But I had a CD player at home. That’s why I've got all of those,” they say, nodding towards the glove box.

Silence.

Wren sighs. They turn down a bumpy road, grunting as the van jerks and grumbles against the asphalt. “Let's get something to eat. I’m hungry. What do you want to eat?”

The boy shrugs. “Whatever you prefer.” He says, glancing down the uneven road.

Wren glances over at him. “What, have you never had fast food before?” they ask with a raised brow.

WIth a blink, he slowly shakes his head no. From the look on his face Wren can tell he doesn’t even know what fast food is.

Wren stares at him for a long moment, silent. Then they sigh and rub a hand down their face. “Jeez.” They take another turn, the road smoothing out. “We’re going to McDonald’s.”

“Okay.”

Wren nods, satisfied, as they turn into a parking lot, shaking their head with a hum. “What food do you normally eat then?”

“The food provided at the cafeteria. It’s carefully selected to give us all our proper nutrients and vitamins.”

Wren scoffs and rolls their eyes. “That’s so boring. Do you even have a favorite food?” They ask as they put the van in park in front of the golden arches of heaven.

“Not particularly,” he says, staring up at the McDonald’s.

With a sigh, Wren thumps their forehead against the steering wheel. “That’s so sad dude. How do you not have a favorite food? Whatever, let’s go.” They turn the van off and climb out, gesturing for their new “friend” to follow. When he follows in suit, Wren leads him through the sliding doors and approaches the counter, jabbing a finger at the menu. “What do you want?”

“What kind of food do they serve?” he asks, looking around, lips parted, eyes sparkling in awe.

Wren deadpans and points at the menu again. “Read it. They’ve got burgers and nuggets and shakes and stuff. And chicken sandwiches. I like the spicy one.”

The boy narrows his eyes at the menu. “I’ll just have whatever you usually order.”

Wren sighs and marches up to the counter, placing their order and dropping a fist full of crumpled dollar bills in front of the cashier. “Let’s go sit,” they say, not waiting for the boy as they find a small table in the corner.

He follows, trailing after them like a lost dog, sitting down at the table across from them.

Slumping into the chair, Wren hums “It’ll be quick. That’s why they call it fast food.” They tip their head back and stretch their arms over their head. “Is there anything you wanna do before we’re being hunted down?”

“I don’t know.” He mumbles. He continues to look around at all the new people sitting around them, his eyes scanning basically everywhere except for Wren. 

Wren raises a brow and sits up, leaning forward against the table. They stick out a finger at him and shrug. “You’re free now. You can do whatever. For a short period of time anyways. There’s never been something you’ve wanted to try?”

He shrugs. “Not really. My duty to Eden is the most important thing for me to focus on, everything else is just a distraction.” He is still in the habit of quoting the mantras Eden has forced into his head.

Wren frowns and narrows their eyes at his words. “Welp, that’s not the case anymore. You can actually do shit now.”

“I’ve always wanted to travel…” he murmurs, quickly glancing to Wren for approval, like he’s scared he might get punished for saying the wrong thing. It makes Wren slightly uneasy.

They quickly brush it off and chuckle, their lips splitting into a faint smile. “Traveling’s cool. We’ll be doing plenty of that now.”

His eyes dart down to Wren’s smile. “Okay.” He says, perking up slightly.

Wren doesn’t miss the way he seems slightly more intrigued by the matter. “I mean, it’s not like we’re going backpacking in Europe but we’ll get to see different places at least.” 

The boy nods, running his fingertips along the edge of the table.

Wren eyes him for a moment longer before their order is called. “I’ll be right back.”  They retrieve their food from the counter and return, dropping the tray on the table. They grab one wrapped burger and hold it out to the boy, pushing a carton of fries towards him. “This is a Big Mac.” 

He takes it with a “thanks” and carefully unwraps it. He inspects his burger for a moment before taking a tentative bite.

Wren doesn’t wait for him to speak again, grabbing their own burger and ripping open the paper, sinking their teeth into the food with a groan. They chew away at their food, plucking fries from their own carton every now and then and cramming them into their mouth. “So?”

He chews silently for a moment before swallowing. “It’s… really good,” he admits.

Wren can’t help the smirk that breaks their features at his answer. “Hell yeah it is. You want another?”

The boy takes another big bite of his burger and nods. Wren takes a bite of their own burger, snorting before heading towards the counter again.

He continues to eat his burger, content washing over him, the last night's events slipping from his mind for a moment.

Wren places an order for another burger before returning to their place in front of the boy, busying themself with their own food once more. They finish their burger just as their second order is called and make their way over and grab it, delivering it to the boy.  For a long while, they stare, studying him as they pluck at their fries. They want to ask more. They want to pry information out of them. But this is the first time since meeting him that he hasn’t seemed completely tense and on edge. Wren remains silent.

Finishing off the last of their fries Wren crumples up their trash, stuffing it in the bag their food came in. “We should get back on the road soon. You want to finish that here or take it with us?” they ask, nodding at the burger he’s clutching.

He swallows his huge bite of food and wipes his mouth. “I’ll eat it in the car,” he says, carefully wrapping his food up again.

Wren almost smiles at the sight, him wrapping his food almost as if it were something precious. They nod and stand, tossing their trash in the nearest bin and nodding towards the door. “Let’s go.”

After tossing all of their trash, he nods and follows them back out the door.

Wren climbs into the van with a sigh, feeling more comfortable with food in their stomach. “All right. We’ll drive for another hour or so and stay in the next city. It’s pretty busy so we shouldn’t have a hard time going unnoticed.”

He nods, buckling his seatbelt and getting comfortable in his seat once more.

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TAGLIST \\ @ohagiwrites @oros-ash3s @bloodinkandashes @corinneglass @icantthinkofablognameatm @vesanal @inky-anathemata @bioniclechronicles @seastarblue @gr3yhellh0und @aalinaaaaaa @shadow-of-tea-and-tea @robinshandhurts @ieppiq @sugaredparchment @lunaeuphternal @ifmasonbasonwasawriter @steh-lar-uh-nuhs @blackboxwarrior-mkultra @lancedoncrimsonwings @sharkblizzardblogs @nightmaricwriter @scoundrelwithboba @cepheusgalaxy @cacophonyofwords @theink-stainedfolk @silly-scroimblo-skrunkl @write-with-will

★ Send an ask or dm to be added or removed from the taglist ★

A big thanks to @oros-ash3s for helping me write this chapter ⋆˚࿔

─ O.W. .ᐟ

[chrysalis-thestateofchange]

*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙* ─ | “Conversations” | ─ *•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*

Characters // Atlas (he/him), Ira (they/she)

Atlas is perched across from Ira on his bed, carefully applying nail polish to her nails. It’s the first night in a while that he hasn’t snuck out to go follow around the spy, but for once, he doesn’t care, allowing himself to enjoy the moment, even with the horrors he’d discovered this past month still hanging in the back of his mind.

Ira tips her head back with a sigh, leaning back against the wall. “Geez, my back is killing me. Hitting the wall in training did not treat me kindly,” she grumbles.

Atlas’s brows are furrowed in concentration, his fingers gripping the nail polish with a kind of intensity not usually present in regular teenage boys. “Hold still, I’m not done yet.” He huffs. 

Ira straightens and flexes out her fingers once more. “Sorry,” they mutter, holding their hand steady. A beat of silence fills the room, only filled by the soft sound of one of Ira’s favourite records playing in the background. “I heard you missed training the other day. What’s up with that?”

Atlas frowns. “I don’t know.” He mumbles, leaning down so she can’t read his face. “I guess all those rumours and whispers were getting to me. I just went to blow off some steam, and by the time I realized, training was already finished.” He says, the lie coming to him easier than he expected.

Ira frowns and narrows their eyes before shrugging. “I get that. What did you do? To blow off steam?”

“Just went on a walk. I needed to clear my head.” He responds, moving onto their other hand.

Ira hums casually and when he moves to their other hand, they lift it up closer to him. “Right… did Cato talk to you about it?”

Atlas is silent for a second, the memory replaying in his mind, unsettling. What may once have felt comforting now just leaves him nervous, uncertain. “Yes. I shouldn’t have let her down like that.”

Ira tilts her head slightly. “What did she say?” She pries.

“She was just… disappointed.” He says, carefully applying the nail polish, sure not to make eye contact with her, no matter how much Ira attempts to. “She made me do extra training that night, and I swore it wouldn’t happen again.”

“Right.” Ira says quietly, voice trailing off. There is something about the quietness of her voice that alerts Atlas, forcing him to finally look up. There’s that feeling again, poking at his insides. Leaving him feeling hollow, wrong. Talking with Ira, something that was once so easy, so natural, now feels like a chore, excuses and lies slipping out where his true thoughts had once rested.

“Who told you?” Atlas asks suddenly, meeting her gaze. “That I missed training?”

Ira clears her throat and glances away briefly. “Ah, you know. You turn heads. If you suddenly don’t show up to training, people are going to talk.” She says with a shrug. “Don’t worry too much about it though. I’m sure as long as you show Cato you’re back on track, everything will be fine.”

Atlas nods, satisfied with their answer. He’s being paranoid, the files stuffed underneath his mattress wearing heavy on his heart, pushing him from the things that truly matter. He needs to get himself under control. This is Ira. There’s never been anything weird about hanging out with Ira, and he certainly won’t allow that to be a possibility now.

He turns back to their nails. “Right. I just need to work harder.”

Atlas’s response brings a wide smile to Ira’s face and they give him an approving nod.

“Do you think you’re prepared for Evaluation day?” Atlas asks with a smile, gently blowing at Ira’s fresh new nails.

Ira perks up. “Me? Definitely. I even worked to beat your last time.” They boast proudly. Their smile flickers for a moment but not long enough for Atlas to dwell on it.

“I definitely think you’ll get in.” Atlas pulls away, admiring his work. “I mean, we've been preparing since we were kids. You probably could’ve made it in earlier, if you wanted to. I’m sure that the others will be impressed.”

Ira smirks at the praise and nods. “Aw, thanks kiddo,” she says, leaning forward and bonking his forehead with theirs. “So how do they look?” They ask, holding up their nails with a grin.

“Good.” Atlas gives her a small grin back.

Ira nods, satisfied, and Atlas places his hands in front of her expectantly. “Do mine now.”

“What color?” They ask, gesturing to the container of nail polish bottles.

Atlas skims through the colours, selecting a black and a red bottle, similar to his hair. Ira smiles, not surprised by his predictable choice. “Good. All right, how do you want them? Every other?” 

Atlas nods, lifting his hand for her, still as a statue.

Ira hums and unscrews the black nail polish and starts on his thumb. She’s quiet for a beat before saying, “What about you? How do you feel about evaluations?”

“I’m confident. If Cato believes I’m ready, I have no doubt that I’ll make it.” Atlas responds, holding still for Ira. The answer feels almost robotic now, falling from his lips without any true honesty or drive behind his words. “At least I have her on my side, if no one else.”

Ira pauses her painting just briefly, her body going still before she refocuses on applying an even coat to each nail. “And this is what you want right? There’s nothing else on your mind?” She says, looking up at him expectantly as she switches to his right hand.

“Mhm.” Atlas nods. He keeps his face carefully neutral, watching Ira closely as they paint each nail. There is something foreign in their gaze, something he isn’t used to. He almost doesn’t notice it, the sliver of emotion across her face so brief it’s easy to miss.

She doesn’t press further. “Good. It’s important for you to want this. This will be the best thing for you. Nothing else. Though I’m sure you’ve heard enough of that from Cato.” She snorts as she sets the black polish down and begins with the red on the unpainted fingers.

“Yeah,” Atlas murmurs. He thinks about all the files he’s seen in the past few weeks, the death toll that spy showed him. He wonders if this is really what he wants, or if it’s just what he’s been told that he wants.

He wonders what will become of him.

Ira’s eyes narrow and this time, Atlas doesn’t miss the tightness of her mouth before she smiles. “How does the first coat look?”

“Good.” Atlas gives her a smile, continuing to keep still as she paints his nails. Ira smiles, proud of their work so far as they begin to do a second coat.

There is a tension that clings to the two of them as the night continues on, words unspoken hanging in the air. The files directly underneath him feel hot, setting his skin aflame.

He wonders how long he’ll be able to keep ignoring the lies etched into the walls of his home, the blood caked beneath the bricks. He wonders how long he’ll be able to keep up this act.

Masterlist || Previous || Next

TAGLIST \\ @ohagiwrites @oros-ash3s @bloodinkandashes @corinneglass @icantthinkofablognameatm @vesanal @inky-anathemata @bioniclechronicles @seastarblue @gr3yhellh0und @aalinaaaaaa @shadow-of-tea-and-tea @robinshandhurts @ieppiq @sugaredparchment @lunaeuphternal @ifmasonbasonwasawriter @steh-lar-uh-nuhs @blackboxwarrior-mkultra @lancedoncrimsonwings @sharkblizzardblogs @nightmaricwriter @scoundrelwithboba @cepheusgalaxy @cacophonyofwords @theink-stainedfolk @silly-scroimblo-skrunkl @write-with-will @theink-stainedfolk

★ Send an ask or dm to be added or removed from the taglist ★

A big thanks to @oros-ash3s for helping me write this chapter ⋆˚࿔

─ O.W. .ᐟ

[chrysalis-thestateofchange]

＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙* ──| “A Reason” |── *•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*＊

Characters // Atlas (he/him), Wren (they/them)

TW: Contains graphic depictions of gore

✧ ೃ༄*ੈ✩

The halls are quiet as most have retired to their rooms for the night. It’s the perfect chance for Wren to do some digging. The files they found were shocking but they need more. And with the newly stolen, all access key card, they would get just that. Wren had bumped into a researcher completely on ‘accident’ and even helped smooth out her lab coat and kept her from falling. If the researcher's key card disappeared later that day, it certainly had nothing to do with them.

Wren continues down the dormitory corridors at a brisk pace, glancing around every corner to ensure no one is wandering about. Just as they are exiting the housing wing, they peek around the corner and mutter a curse. Him again. Why’s he lurking in the hallway like a creep anyways? He always pops up at the worst time. Wren glances around, searching for any nook or cranny to hide in. Nothing. Just straight, empty hallways as far as the eye could see. Wren inhales. All they can do is run past the hallway that guy was down and hope for the best. With one more peek around the corner, Wren sets into motion, sprinting past the hallway. They curse under their breath as the clunky soldier boots thud against the floor. No way the trainee didn’t hear that.

With a newfound urgency, Wren rushes further down the hall, hearing no footsteps behind them. After they make it a sizable distance, they slow down, panting. Well they got to their destination sooner than they thought. The labs. The general access doors have no lock or key pad, and so, Wren slips right through them. They glance around, peering through windows into darkened offices and research rooms. They need to find a very specific room. The file room. Not the regular file room, though. They need the one that contains the videos… The one that contains medical records and files of the Elites. Wren’s gaze scans down the hallway, landing on a thick metal door at the end. The panel beside it is larger and has a green stripe on it, much like the stripe on their stolen key card. They jog down the hall and stop in front of the door.

There are no windows to peer into. There's no way of knowing if there's anyone in there or not. Wren tries to calm their nerves by telling themself it would be ridiculous for anyone to be here this late at night yet they still find themself holding their breath as they press the key card against the panel. It beeps and glows before the door hisses as it unlocks, and thick metal slides aside to reveal the room. It’s small and plain. Not anything like the general file room, filled with stacks of files and long rows of cabinets. This room has no filing cabinets or boxes, just a single computer on a desk on the far side of the room. Wren slowly approaches the desk. It’s lined with drawers. Carefully, they open one and peer inside. A single hard drive. 

Wren hurriedly grabs the hard drive and pulls out the chair in front of the desk. They sit and immediately turn on the computer, pushing the drive into the back of the monitor. They open the files and see a vast array of folders of information. The very first was labeled “research logs”. Wren clicks on it and their jaw drops at the vast number of videos that are displayed. They click on one and their stomach churns at the contents. A boy, likely just older than Wren sits on an operating table. Tubes upon tubes were running into his face, into his throat, into his stomach. The boy’s face is slack and the microphone is very clearly picking up labored breathing. The camera pans over to a woman in a lab coat. “Day 112 of injection experimentation.” She begins and Wren grits their teeth.

The scientist pokes and prods the subject and when she says, “He’s not thinking a single thing right now,” they click out of the video with a shudder. They click on another and their lip curls up in disgust. They look away for a moment before forcing their gaze back to the screen. Much like the first video, there is a person — a child  — on an operating table. Only this is worse. The child is unconscious as blood pools beneath them. The skin of their arms has been cut through in long, precise lines and the layers of the skin and meat are peeled back to reveal muscle and bone, pulsing and seemingly drained of most of the blood that would naturally be expected. Only it isn’t natural. What lies beneath the skin is entwined with wires and chords and more tubes. The stomach and legs look just as the arms did. Wren covers their mouth with their hand, grimacing and clicking out of the video before the scientist can begin speaking. “What the fuck…”

Wren clicks through video after video, each more horrifying than the last. In some there are “patients” strewn about on tables, others they are sitting curled up in small metal cells with glass windows as scientists point at them and speak about them for their logs. One in particular makes Wren’s blood run cold. It dates back quite a few years. The video’s focus is a girl. A girl much younger than Wren is. She can’t be more than twelve, and yet, there she is, chained to a table as scientists stand around her, pressing knives into her skin, slicing through the layers of her flesh and watching her blood melt the weapons away with a sizzle, the metal mixing with her blood and running down her skin in sickening rivulets. Each time, the girl screams and sobs as the acid in her veins melts metal and stings her skin. Shrill screams tear out of her, and the scientists don’t bat an eye, they just cut and cut and cut, talking about it all so plainly. With a growl, Wren grabs the hard drive and rips it out of the computer.

Wren’s blood boils. They knew it. Those files, underground rumors, everything was true. They have proof. They finally have cold hard proof to show to the world. They grip the hard drive and slip it into their vest pocket before spinning around to leave. They stop immediately however, when they come face to face with the trainee they’d been so careful to avoid.

Wren blinks. Once. Twice. “Jesus…how long have you been standing there?” They suddenly feel stupid for not realizing they had been followed. Suddenly defensive, Wren’s hand subconsciously reaches up to tough their bandaged nose, it stinging at the memory of the last time they were in this guy’s presence. However, now, they’re surprisingly still standing, unharmed. The trainee looks shocked, his face pale and his eyes wide. “You saw all of that then, did you?”

The trainee says nothing. He seems to be struggling to even make a sound. Wren slowly steps forwards, hands lifted to show they won’t do anything. “Do you understand now? Why I wanted to find the truth, why I wanted to uncover it all?”

"It's..." The boy’s voice is barely above a whisper. "It's for a good cause. There must be... more information missing, there has to be a reason why they would do something like that. They wouldn't just..." He swallows, trailing off.

Wren grits their teeth at his words. They really brainwashed the fuck out of this guy. They could only imagine everyone else was like this too. “What reason could they possibly have that justifies that? Nothing makes that okay. If it was that cult doing it, you wouldn’t hesitate to put a stop to it.”

"It's... different,” he says unconvincingly. “Those- those people must have done something evil, or else they wouldn't have gotten hurt. Eden saves people, they take them in, give them homes, a purpose. You... you're seeing it all wrong."

Wren narrows their eyes and sighs. “And how do you know Eden isn’t evil? How do you know what’s true about whatever stories they drill into your heads? They’re using you. Can’t you see that?” They take another step closer, eyes wide as they look up at the trainee. “Don’t you want to stop what they’re doing? Or at least escape it before you’re next?”

"I have to fulfill my duty." His throat bobs as he swallows. "I'll be rewarded for my hard work. They'll protect me. Only evil people like you need to be punished. You'll see."

Wren scoffs. “Your duty? Rewarded? Do you hear yourself? You’re just spewing their nonsense.” They take another step, waving their hands through the air. “What have I done that’s worse than what you just saw? If I am evil, then you are the fucking devil.”

"No I'm not. I'm bringing justice to the world." The trainee’s voice gets quiet as he stares at them. "Someone as stupid as you couldn't possibly see the bigger picture of what we're doing, how we're bringing peace to everyone - Magicae and humans alike."

Wren takes a step back. “You don’t understand. They’re brainwashing you. You think that because they tell you to think that.” 

"I'm not brainwashed." The boy spits back, posture tense, shoulders pulled back, defensive.

They shake their head a few times, sighing heavily. “The thing that they claim is bringing peace to the world is harming your own people. You saw what they were doing. They were experimenting on people like you. Can you think of any way that’s helping bring peace?”

The boy doesn’t answer their question. "I've seen firsthand what good Eden can do. They take in abandoned Magicae and give them a new life, a better life."

Wren scowls and lets out a dry laugh. “A better life? Did that look like a better life?” They turn around and pace down to the computer before walking back with a huff. “Why won’t you believe the truth? Just accept it! Get out of here while you can.”

"Eden is eternal." The boy recites that eerie phrase, his voice still deadly quiet. "There's nothing you can do to stop it."

The stupid mantra makes Wren grunt and narrow their eyes at him. “Whatever. You’re too far gone anyways. Go be one of their puppets,” they bark, marching past him and towards the door.

The trainee does nothing, letting them pass with a blank stare.

Wren reaches the door and turns back with a glare. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you when you become like them.” With that, they’re gone, disappearing back down the hall.

Masterlist || Previous || Next

TAGLIST \\ @ohagiwrites @oros-ash3s @bloodinkandashes @corinneglass @icantthinkofablognameatm @vesanal @inky-anathemata @bioniclechronicles @seastarblue @gr3yhellh0und @aalinaaaaaa @shadow-of-tea-and-tea @robinshandhurts @ieppiq @sugaredparchment @lunaeuphternal @ifmasonbasonwasawriter @steh-lar-uh-nuhs @blackboxwarrior-mkultra @lancedoncrimsonwings @sharkblizzardblogs @nightmaricwriter @scoundrelwithboba @cepheusgalaxy @cacophonyofwords @theink-stainedfolk @silly-scroimblo-skrunkl @write-with-will

★ Send an ask or dm to be added or removed from the taglist ★

A big thanks to @oros-ash3s for helping me write this chapter ⋆˚࿔

─ O.W. ꩜ .ᐟ

[chrysalis-thestateofchange]

..─＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚⋆Character Bio⋆˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*＊ ─..

🫧 Wren Chua, the Catalyst 🫧

..✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧..

“I cling to everything — CDs that skip, rings that turn my fingers green, the dead ends of my hair, old love notes that turn my stomach over and over. 

And I’m not proud of it but there are still boxes under my bed. And I’m not proud of it but my closet is running out of space. And nostalgia is a fucking waste of time but my heart is full with it. 

Tell me I won’t hold this forever. Tell me there will be a day when I gloriously let go.” 

⟢⠀Fortes Latifi, "Hold This"  

..✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧..

✨⋆✴︎˚｡⋆ Basics ⋆✴︎˚｡⋆🌀

Name || Wren Chua

⁀➴༯ Name meaning || Wren is a gender neutral name with English origins. It means "small brown songbird". In Celtic folklore the wren became somewhat of a symbol for poets and songwriters. It was said that those people were blessed by the birds due to their lilting voices. In Singapore, the last name Chua is an alternate pronunciation of another surname, 蔡 (Cai). While it can carry many different meanings depending on the region, in Singapore it is most often associated with being "slow" or "gentle".

Nicknames || Chicklet - Used by parents

Age || 14 years old

Birthdate || February 13th, 897 (Aquarius)

Gender and Pronouns || Intersex, Agender (they/them)

Sexuality || Aromantic, asexual

Ethnicity || Singaporean, American

Classification || Magicus

Power || Illusions

Explanation of Power || They can create hallucinations, as well as warp the reality around them. When their power is activated their eyes glow silver.

Occupation || Unemployed

Role || Protagonist, hero

..✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧..

✨⋆✴︎˚｡⋆ Personality ⋆✴︎˚｡⋆🌀

Wren spent the first part of their childhood bouncing from home to home in the foster care system.

They were never kind, always rude and untrusting. They were stubborn and determined not to form any sort of bond with any of their foster families.

They were a problem child to say the least. Uncooperative and independent.

They were difficult to get through to and even harder to be patient with. Whether they had no friends because they were like this or they were like this because they had no friends is difficult to assess. No family kept them around for long. That is, not until they were adopted by Maja and Pietro Anderson.

Life with loving parents brought out Wren's nicer qualities. Maja and Pietro discovered that their child was not only incredibly observant and artistic, but also that they had a sort of quiet ambition that they carried with them.

However, despite living in a healthy environment, school still proved difficult. Wren was never easy to motivate in subjects that they did not enjoy and their ability to befriend others was still severely lacking. To others they were an unmotivated, bratty, vulgar, weird kid.

And yet, at home, their parents saw Wren for the bright, witty, sweet little child that they were.

୧ ‧₊˚ 👾 ⋅ ☆

Wren is a middle school dropout that has been living in their van for almost a year now. They discovered they were a Magicus at twelve-years-old, and about a year later began to hear underground rumours about two mysterious Magicae organizations, Eden and The Congregation of the Chosen. The stories were unlike anything they had ever heard before (and frankly, horrific) so they left home, determined to bring to light the truth about what Eden and The Congregation are doing to Magicae — and have been doing, for several centuries now — and put an end to it.

୧ ‧₊˚ 👾 ⋅ ☆

Traits || Sarcastic, observant, vulgar, stubborn, creative, determined, has a habit of saying things without considering the other person's feelings

Alignment || Chaotic Good

Likes || Music, K-pop, their DS, comic books, drawing, their adopted parents, the color blue, alcohol markers

Dislikes || School, Eden Inc., The Congregation of the Chosen, inflexibility, bugs, the cold

Fears || Spiders, failure

Hobbies || Art (namely drawing), collecting comic books, playing video games, sitting and listening to songs while reading the lyrics along with them, crafts with their parents, hiking with their dad

..✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧..

✨⋆✴︎˚｡⋆ Appearance ⋆✴︎˚｡⋆🌀

Wren has the build of your typical unassuming, slightly late-blooming teenager. They're still awaiting a growth spurt (it'll come, they swear). Wren was never a terribly physically active child so they're on the lankier side but they have toned up a bit as they've gotten older due to hiking and such with Pietro.

They have choppy navy blue wolfcut with black roots that they cut themselves. After seeing the results, Maja insisted she help with the dying process. They have slightly rounded, upturned, hazel eyes with flecks of gray in them and pale skin. They have few freckles on their nose and a lip piercing that they did without Pietro and Maja's permission.

Height || 5'2"

Aesthetic || Wren has gone through plenty of clothing phases. They tried to be emo and then sleek and clean and those were both an awkward disaster. What they've most often gravitated towards are big jackets, baggy pants, lots of graphic t-shirts and random accessories. They essentially dress like Sonic the Hedgehog.

..✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧..

Close my eyes, fantasize / Three clicks and I'm home / When I get back I'll lay around / Then I'll get up and lay back down / Romanticize a quiet life / There's no place like my room

"I know the End" by Phoebe Bridgers

..✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧..

✨⋆✴︎˚｡⋆ Extra Tidbits ⋆✴︎˚｡⋆🌀

Wren ran away in the dead of night when they were 13 years old. They took one of their father's credit cards and his van and has not been seen since. They've been on the run for about a year. They left home just shortly before their birthday.

Wren has no recollection of either of their biological parents. They both went missing a week apart from each other when Wren was still an infant.

For the first week living with their adoptive parents, Wren did not accept a single dish Maja or Pietro made. They insisted that they could do things themself and would make Maja and Pietro sit at the table and not help at all while they prepared meals for themself. Not a single meal they made could be considered edible.

After getting their lip piercing, Wren tried to do multiple other piercings by themself. Maja caught them every time except once. That one time, Wren ended up with a gaping wound on their nose that Pietro had to tend to.

Wren went through a phase where they would push everything in their room aside to make room and try to learn k-pop dances in the middle of the night. Pietro would usually wake up and go in to fuss at them and tell them to go to sleep but end up sitting on their bed while they did performances for him.

୧ ‧₊˚ 👾 ⋅ ☆

|| PLAYLIST

|| MOODBOARD

|| MASTERLIST

TAGLIST \\ @ohagiwrites @oros-ash3s @bloodinkandashes @corinneglass18 @icantthinkofablognameatm @vesanal @inky-anathemata @bioniclechronicles @seastarblue @gr3yhellh0und @aalinaaaaaa @shadow-of-tea-and-tea @robinshandhurts @ieppiq @sugaredparchment @lunaeuphternal @ifmasonbasonwasawriter @steh-lar-uh-nuhs @blackboxwarrior-mkultra @lancedoncrimsonwings @sharkblizzardblogs @nightmaricwriter @scoundrelwithboba @cepheusgalaxy @cacophonyofwords @theink-stainedfolk @silly-scroimblo-skrunkl @write-with-will

[chrysalis-thestateofchange]

..── •̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙˚⋆ Canon Timeline ⋆˚•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙ ──..

**Dates are subject to change as this project is under development**

✮ ⋆ ˚｡𖦹 ⋆｡°✩

Eden || Arc 1

⟢⠀September X:913

⟢⠀Notable characters: Wren, Atlas, Cato, Ira

⟢⠀Wren is 14, Atlas is 15, Cato is 36, Ira is 20

Runaway || Arc 2

⟢⠀October X:913

⟢⠀Notable characters: Wren, Atlas, Baz

⟢⠀Wren is 14, Atlas is 15, Baz is 32

The Congregation of the Chosen || Arc 3

⟢⠀November X:913

⟢⠀Notable characters: Wren, Atlas, Alastair, Jeremiah

⟢⠀Wren is 14, Atlas is 15, Alastair is 16, Jeremiah is 20

Hiding || Arc 4

⟢⠀December X:913 to March X:914

⟢⠀Notable characters: Wren, Atlas, Alastair, Baz

⟢⠀Wren is 15, Atlas is 16, Alastair is 16, Baz is 32

The Alliance of Magicae || Arc 5

⟢⠀April to May X:914

⟢⠀Notable characters: Wren, Atlas, Alastair, Kokoa and Kau’i

⟢⠀Wren is 15, Atlas is 16, Alastair is 16, Kokoa is 19, Kau’i is 19

Hunted || Arc 6

⟢⠀June X:914

⟢⠀Notable characters: Wren, Atlas, Alastair, Jeremiah

⟢⠀Wren is 15, Atlas is 16, Alastair is 16, Jeremiah is 21

Cato || Arc 7

⟢⠀July to September X:914

⟢⠀Notable characters: Wren, Atlas, Cato, Sasha

⟢⠀Wren is 15, Atlas is 16, Alastair is 16, Cato is 37, Sasha is 26

Maximus || Arc 8

⟢⠀October X:914 to May X:915

⟢⠀Notable characters: Wren, Alastair, Maximus, Kauri

⟢⠀Wren is 16, Alastair is 17, Maximus is 17, Kauri is 15

Number 792 || Arc 9

⟢⠀May to September X:915

⟢⠀Notable characters: Wren, Atlas, Alastair, Octavia

⟢⠀Wren is 16, Atlas is 17, Alastair is 17, Octavia is 41

Forgotten Memories || Arc 10

⟢⠀September X:915 to October X:917

⟢⠀Notable characters: Wren, Atlas, Alastair, Kokoa, Kau’i

⟢⠀Wren is 18, Atlas is 19, Alastair is 19, Kokoa is 23, Kau’i is 23

Rikiyo Geun || Arc 11

⟢⠀November to December X:917

⟢⠀Notable characters: Wren, Atlas, Alastair, Kokoa, Kau’i, Rikiyo

⟢⠀Wren is 19, Atlas is 19, Alastair is 20, Kokoa is 23, Kau’i is 23, Rikiyo is 39

Missing || Arc 12

⟢⠀January to February X:918

⟢⠀Notable characters: Wren, Atlas, Mahin, Altynai, Chinua, Alastair

⟢⠀Wren is 18, Atlas is 19, Mahin is 19, Altynai is 31, Chinua is 30, Alastair is 21

Avoidance || Arc 13

⟢⠀March to July X:918

⟢⠀Notable characters: Wren, Atlas, Alastair, Daphne

⟢⠀Wren is 19, Atlas is 20, Alastair is 20, Daphne is 32

Kazuya Inoue || Arc 14

⟢⠀August to September X:918

⟢⠀Notable characters: Wren, Atlas, Alastair, Altynai, Kazuya

⟢⠀Wren is 19, Atlas is 20, Alastair is 20, Altynai is 32, Kazuya is 25

The Aftermath || Arc 15

⟢⠀October to December X:918

⟢⠀Notable characters: Wren, Atlas, Alastair

⟢⠀Wren is 19, Atlas is 20, Alastair is 21

Recovery || Arc 16

⟢⠀January to February X:919

⟢⠀Notable characters: Wren, Atlas, Alastair

⟢⠀Wren is 20, Atlas is 21, Alastair is 21

Jane Balan || Arc 17

⟢⠀March X:919

⟢⠀Notable characters: Wren, Kokoa, Kau’i, Jane

⟢⠀Wren is 20, Atlas is 21, Alastair is 21, Jane is 37

Beátrice Arnaud || Arc 18

⟢⠀March X:919

⟢⠀Notable characters: Alastair, Luna, Bernadette, James, Beátrice

⟢⠀Alastair is 21, Luna is 18, Bernadette is 20, James is 25, Beátrice is 45

Argus || Arc 19

⟢⠀March to November X:919

⟢⠀Notable characters: Atlas, 524A79X26

⟢⠀Wren is 20, Atlas is 21, Alastair is 22, 524A79X26 is 18

Rescue || Arc 20

⟢⠀November X:919

⟢⠀Notable characters: Wren, Atlas, Alastair, Argus, The Elites, Octavia

⟢⠀Wren is 20, Atlas is 21, Alastair is 22, Argus is 18, Octavia is 44

Domestic Bliss || Arc 21

⟢⠀November to December X:919

⟢⠀Notable characters: Wren, Atlas, Alastair

⟢⠀Wren is 20, Atlas is 21, Alastair is 22

Akrah || Arc 22

⟢⠀January X:920

⟢⠀Notable characters: Kokoa, Karl, Elio, Akrah

⟢⠀Kokoa is 25, Karl is in late adolescence, Elio is 24

Unlikely Allies || Arc 23

⟢⠀January X:920

⟢⠀Notable characters: James, Jeremiah, Eleanor

⟢⠀Jeremiah is 27, James is 26

Paulo Rebeiro || Arc 24

⟢⠀January X:920

⟢⠀Notable characters: Wren, Atlas, Alastair, Jeremiah, Paulo

⟢⠀Wren is 20, Atlas is 22, Alastair is 22, Jeremiah is 28, Paulo is 32

The Last Elite || Arc 25

⟢⠀January to February X:920

⟢⠀Notable characters: Atlas, Argus, the Elites

⟢⠀Atlas is 22, Argus is 19, Ira is 27

A Tale of Brothers || Arc 26

⟢⠀January to March X:920

⟢⠀Notable characters: Wren, Silas

⟢⠀Wren is 21

Rikiyo Returns || Arc 27

⟢⠀March X:920

⟢⠀Notable characters: Wren, Atlas, Alastair, Kokoa, Kau’i, Luna, Rikiyo, Octavia, Clematis

⟢⠀Wren is 21, Atlas is 22, Alastair is 22, Kokoa is 26, Kau’i is 26, Luna is 20, Rikiyo is 41, Octavia is 45, Clematis is 41

The Final Battle || Arc 28

⟢⠀April to December X:920

⟢⠀Notable characters: Wren, Atlas, Alastair

⟢⠀Wren is 21, Atlas is 22, Alastair is 23

TAGLIST \\ @ohagiwrites @bloodinkandashes @corinneglass @icantthinkofablognameatm @vesanal @inky-anathemata @bioniclechronicles @seastarblue @gr3yhellh0und @aalinaaaaaa @shadow-of-tea-and-tea @robinshandhurts @ieppiq @sugaredparchment @lunaeuphternal @ifmasonbasonwasawriter @blackboxwarrior-mkultra @lancedoncrimsonwings @sharkblizzardblogs @nightmaricwriter @scoundrelwithboba @cepheusgalaxy @cacophonyofwords @theink-stainedfolk @silly-scroimblo-skrunkl @oros-ash3s @steh-lar-uh-nuhs @write-with-will

[chrysalis-thestateofchange]

───⟡. || 𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐑𝐎𝐃𝐔𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍

Welcome to THE CHRYSALIS: A STATE OF CHANGE

This is a personal project that me and my best Ohagi have been working and developing for the past year. It’s a passion of ours and it’s long overdue that we created a blog to go along with it!

“The Chrysalis” is a dystopian fantasy-thriller novel that with a large cast of characters that the two of us have put a lot of time and effort into. It will be co-written by the both of us and posted as regularly as we can with our busy lives and inevitable procrastination and writers block.

If any of this is of interest to you, welcome. We’re excited to share this vast world and characters with an audience and can’t wait to expand on our story more.

If you’d like to check out our other writing and wips (and maybe even give us a follow):

You can find me on @/oros-ash3s. I post writing, traditional and digital art of my characters, and sneak peeks to portfolio work I have for college.

You can find Ohagi at @/ohagiwrites. She posts her incredibly talented writing over there, and I highly recommend that you check her out.

For posts that are written and posted by Ohagi, the overall theme will be green. For posts done by Ash, the overall theme will be blue. We’ll also sign off with our names in the tags and the bottom of the post. O.A. for Ash, and O.W. for Ohagi.

Now onto The Chrysalis ⋆˚࿔

— O.A.

✶ 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐲𝐬𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐬: 𝐀 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 ✶

STATUS || Writing

POV || Third-person limited, multiple POVS, present tense

GENRE || Dystopian, fantasy-thriller

── ⟡ ˙🌱 ̟

For as long as anyone can remember, magic has been a taboo subject. No one really believes in it, the myths of a secret society of people with magical powers being nothing but an old fairytale told to kids.

But Atlas Zieliński knows better.

Growing up in Eden Inc., an organization built to conceal Magicae and protect the human population from the terrorist organization known as The Congregation of the Chosen, he's always sought to do what's right, use his powers for good — fulfill his purpose.

But when a spy named Wren breaks into Eden one day, discovering hidden secrets about what the company is really doing to the Magicae that they are "rescuing", Atlas is faced with a decision that makes him question everything he has ever known. He suddenly has to ask himself if Eden is as good as he had been told it was, and what "his purpose" really means to the company.

── ⟡ ˙🌱 ̟

CONTENT WARNINGS || The Chrysalis deals with a wide variety of complex and dark subject matter, including grooming, sexual assault and hypersexuality, substance abuse and addiction, suicide, self harm, domestic abuse, death, torture, human experimentation, dehumanization, and kidnapping. Although some of these won't be extremely explicit, it will be referenced and implied throughout the story. The chapters including such content will have the appropriate trigger warnings attached. Overall, the story is more mature and deals with a lot of violence, so if that bothers you please click away.

THEMES || Grief, oppression, corruption, brotherhood, freedom, vengeance, control, war, fascism, terrorism, savagery, monstrosity, loss of innocence, past vs present

── ⟡ ˙🌱 ̟

TAGLIST || @bloodinkandashes @corinneglass @icantthinkofablognameatm @vesanal @inky-anathemata @bioniclechronicles @seastarblue @aalinaaaaaa @shadow-of-tea-and-tea @robinshandhurts @ieppiq @sugaredparchment @lunaeuphternal @ifmasonbasonwasawriter @blackboxwarrior-mkultra @lancedoncrimsonwings @sharkblizzardblogs @scoundrelwithboba @cepheusgalaxy @cacophonyofwords @theink-stainedfolk @silly-scroimblo-skrunkl @write-with-will

✩ Send an ask or dm to be added or removed from the taglist ✩

── ⟡ ˙🌱 ̟

𝄞 — 𐔌 " 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒅𝒐𝒘𝒏 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒎𝒆, 𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒊𝒏 𝒖𝒏𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒂𝒃𝒍𝒆 𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒅. " ♪ 𐦯

- no children , the mountain goats .

──────────────────── ★ ˙ 🪲 ̟ !!

— belongs to @/ohagiwrites .ᐟ

THE ALLIANCE OF MAGICAE

Wren Chua || they/them

Alastair Cadwalader || he/him

Karl || he/him

Altynai Johansson || she/her

Bernadette Anouilh || she/her

James Evans || he/him

Pabitra Tiwari || she/her

Chinua Chagha’an || he/they

── ⟡ ˙🌱 ̟

THE CONGREGATION OF CHOSEN

Pollux Wang || he/him

Julius Alamilla || he/him

Eleanor Faux || she/her

Elise Meyer || she/her

Jeremiah Cadwalader || he/him

Peter Rangi Floquet || he/him

Constanza Zaneta || she/her

Dani Hortmans || they/them

Jane Balan || she/her

Paulo Rebeiro || he/him

Béatrice Arnaud || she/her

Kazuya Inoue || he/him

Akrah || he/him

Rikiyo Geun || she/her

──────────────────── ★ ˙ 🪲 ̟ !!

— belongs to @/oros-ash3s .ᐟ

THE ALLIANCE OF MAGICAE

Wren Chua || they/them

Atlas Zieliński || he/him

Kekoa Kalawaia || he/him

Kau’i Kalawaia || she/her

Luna Thanh Nzuyen || she/her

Elio || he/him

Mahin Gupta || he/him

Orla Pereira Alacantara || she/they

Daphne O’ Connell || she/her

── ⟡ ˙🌱 ̟

EDEN INC

Castor Wright || he/him

Octavia Mongke || she/her

Cato || she/her

Sasha Beneš || he/him

Silas Fazel || he/him

Clematis Mireille Auclair || she/her

Malum Kone || they/them

Akio Yamada || he/him

Baz Ambrus || he/him

Kauri Samir Malik || he/they

Maximus 792M59X87 || he/him

Ira 261Z88X21 || they/she

Eilan 524A79X26 || he/him

Signe 476188X21 || they/them

Maira 937L48X74 || she/her

Knox 643039X52 || he/him

──────────────────── ★ ˙ 🪲 ̟ !!

CHAPTERS

── ⟡ Each arc and its masterpost all found in one place. Everything is in order of where it occurs inside the story.

|| LORE AND WORLDBUILDING

── ⟡ Everything you need to know about the world and history inside the Chrysalis.

Eden’s Name Origins

|| CHARACTER INTRODUCTIONS

── ⟡ All the character bios found in one place.

Eden Inc.

|| EXTRA INFORMATION

── ⟡ All else you need to know about the story!

Timeline

── ⟡ ˙🌱 ̟

|| PLAYLISTS

They can all be found under The Chrysalis on Spotify.

── ⟡ Which characters they correlate to will be revealed with each arc. Send an ask to @/oros-ash3s or @/ohagiwrites for more info.

|| MOODBOARDS

── ⟡ Moodboards for the characters. Sections will be added with each new story arc.

Wren Chua 〃 Atlas Zieliński

Eden Inc.

──────────────────── ★ ˙ 🪲 ̟ !!

“𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒍𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒐𝒏 𝒐𝒇 𝒉𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒚 𝒊𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒏𝒐 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒏𝒔.”

𝗦𝘁𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗘𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗸𝘀𝗼𝗻 || 𝗗𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗚𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀

Credits || @/cafekitsune + @/hyuneskkami