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raisingred · 4 months ago

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Eternal Sorrow and Immortal Light

"I began to rediscover this world."

⚠️Male Pizzi and Female Koukaki⚠️

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"The probability of encountering someone with a similar plight here is small, but not zero. Perhaps you'll turn around and see a fellow wretch just like you."

This piece may contain: fights, foul language, and other content that may cause discomfort.

"The world is not made of things, but of events." — Wittgenstein

Things constantly change in the eternal flow of time, yet there will always be a definition to express them. Events, however, prove their existence the moment they occur, requiring more complex vocabulary to capture that fleeting instant. Like how the sun is merely a star, yet sunrise is a daily spectacle.

But it has been a long time since I last saw a sunrise.

Astra lay on a simple padded recliner, unable to sleep, clutching a fleece blanket twisted into a ball. It was too cold outside, and the room felt stifling. He stared at the window, fogged up, blurring the lights and shadows of the city.

He thought, night falls so quickly here. The outside world soon plunged into dead silence, the only clear sound being the hum of electrical appliances inside. He felt the warmth of the heated chair beneath him, cradling him.

The ceiling of this room is so high, he murmured to himself. The square ceiling light seemed infinitely distant, dimming over time like a star from a faraway place, exploding billions of years ago and slowly fading away.

Astra heard the sound of a door opening. Someone had left, and then silence returned. Did Tromp leave? Isn't there a curfew? Where could He go now? Wouldn't He get caught? He wondered. Is there anyone else here besides Him?

Before he could finish his thoughts, his own door opened. In that instant, he suddenly sat up, alert, and the room's light turned on again. The first thing he noticed was the rich aroma of chocolate and melted marshmallows, followed by the sight of a stranger smiling at him, holding a cup.

The stranger had neatly trimmed black hair and wore a mask resembling that of a welder, covering half his face. From his ears to the sides of his head, two silver-gray metal receivers clung tightly, their function unclear. He wore a layered jacket with a blue-gray glowing crystal embedded at the center. He looked adorable, with deep black eyes that sparkled with intelligence and alertness. Without a word, he walked over to Astra, sat down, and handed him the hot cocoa.

"You probably didn't expect there to be someone else here," the stranger said. "I'm Pizzi, Tromp's assistant. When we rescued you, the boss didn't let me help, afraid I'd mess things up, so he sent me away. Well, you haven't eaten anything, have you? I made you some hot cocoa with marshmallows."

Astra held the hot cocoa with both hands, staring at the rising steam. He turned to look at Pizzi, pondering who this person was.

"Are you spacing out?" Pizzi leaned closer to Astra, asking in a friendly tone. "It won't taste good if it gets cold."

"No..." Astra snapped out of his daze but still didn't move. For some reason, he felt a physical aversion to the sweet, high-calorie drink, or perhaps it was just too hot, and he didn't want to drink something scalding.

"Oh dear..." Pizzi suddenly slapped his forehead in regret. "I should have asked what you wanted to eat first, but I didn't want to disturb your sleep, so I forgot. Look at me... oh... I'm so sorry."

Pizzi quickly stood up and took the hot cocoa away, returning shortly with a simple glass of cold water. Astra drank it in one gulp, feeling his body temperature drop and his mind clear.

"Hello, Pizzi... um, can I call you that? Is that your name? I'm Astra, I think."

"Oh, of course I know you're Astra. Your core's identity information already told us!" Pizzi grabbed Astra's hand and shook it. "I'm also very happy to meet you because I feel like it's been so long since I've interacted with anyone! Although many people come to me to fix things, I still feel lonely."

"You haven't interacted with people in a long time?"

"Yes," Pizzi nodded. "Actually, I need to confess something. Like you, I was injured and lost my memory. I can really understand your confusion now because I was once like that too."

"How were you injured?"

"The boss told me it was a heavy object hitting my head," Pizzi touched his chin. "Then I couldn't remember what happened before. I just cried and cried. I think I was only 17 then. The boss told me my name was Pizzi and regretfully shrugged, saying he didn't know more."

"After a long time, I cried myself out, so I gave up on remembering and decided to start a new life. In the following days, I learned to repair vehicles and body parts, and even make some simple components. Now I'm 27 and a qualified mechanic!"

Astra watched Pizzi smile happily. He thought, my name is Astra, his name is Pizzi, and His name is Tromp. Wait, where is Tromp?

"Where's Tromp? Did He leave?"

"Yes, the boss went out. He often goes out at night."

"Isn't there a curfew?"

"He doesn't care about that."

"What is He doing?"

"I don't know either."

This mysterious guy... what is He up to? Astra couldn't figure it out.

The outskirts of the city at night fell into a deathly silence. The streets were lit only by orange lights and glowing pavement. The sound of hurried high heels broke the quiet as a cloaked figure swiftly darted along the roadside and disappeared into an alley.

"Monk."

Tromp's voice rang out, calling for something.

Deep in the alley, an eerie orange-red light flickered in the darkness. Three massive eyes slowly emerged from the shadows, followed by a sharp screech from the abyss.

"Calm down, buddy, it's me." Tromp took off his hat and smiled, bowing to the three sharp eyes. His right leg crossed behind his left, and he slowly crouched.

The creature screeched again, but this time the sound was cheerful and crisp. Then the darkness dissipated, revealing a tall, slender figure standing before Tromp, dressed in a strange robe, with wing-like feathers flapping on its head. It tilted its head, bent down slowly, and touched Tromp's shoulder with its beak in a gesture of affection.

"Caw," the figure spoke. "Tromp—nice to see you—" it drawled in a clear voice. "Coo coo, what do you need from me?"

"Take this to ■" Tromp said, the last few words turning into a burst of static. Of course, Monk understood. It gently took the securely sealed box with its claws and nuzzled Tromp again.

"Alright, be careful. Take care. Go on!" Tromp patted Monk's head.

Monk hopped a few times, then slowly retreated back into the darkness. Soon after, Tromp felt a strong gust of wind as the sound of massive wings flapping echoed. A huge shadow shot up from the narrow gap into the sky, disappearing quickly, leaving only a slowly dispersing orange trail.

Tromp watched Monk leave, then tapped a button on his goggles. A door opened in the ground, and without hesitation, He jumped in. The ground closed again, as if nothing had happened.

Five seconds later, a triangular monitor with flashing red lights and alarms flew into the alley. But after scanning the area and finding nothing, it left with dim yellow lights.

Tromp ran swiftly through a secret underground passage, part of the city's ventilation system. Honestly, these chaotic, sprawling pipes were more livable, maintaining a constant temperature of 15–30°C. Now, Tromp was heading through this dimly lit fluorescent tube-lined passage to the city's most bustling central area. He was very familiar with this route, as it wasn't the first time He'd done this.

After some time, Tromp lifted a metal plate above him and jumped out.

The city center was a completely different world from the outskirts. Here, people heard high-definition broadcasts of intense, rhythmic pop music pounding in their ears. Then, they should look up at the towering skyscrapers, their massive screens displaying news or live broadcasts of public events. Sometimes, these screens would merge, projecting 3D logo promotional videos funded by major corporations.

The city center could be described as surreal. There was no daylight here; a dark canopy covered the sky 27 hours a day, like the darkest eyes of the universe perpetually gazing at the noisy scene below. The wide streets were filled with people dressed in various shades of black and green, chatting as they walked. Unlike the faceless, simply dressed individuals in the outer city who walked with their heads down, these were the middle and upper classes, possessing wealth and social status. Uniqueness was their trademark; they could stride forward with their heads held high, while the lower classes could only clutch a bit of concentrated battery power, waiting in assembly lines and cubicles for the day they'd be discarded.

Look up.

The floating roads Astra saw from the outskirts were even more awe-inspiring when viewed from the center. The massive structures supporting these roads were adorned with dense, star-like lights by whimsical designers. As the bridges and roads slowly moved, the lights shifted like stars circling the North Star, leaving a predetermined trail overhead.

Tromp jumped to the ground, quickly distancing Himself from the crowd, then ran toward the area currently under surveillance by city patrols. Of course, He was soon spotted.

He hadn't gone far before His path was blocked. Without a hint of panic, Tromp stared directly at the person before Him. The figure wore goggles with black screens, the lenses' two dots now shrunk to their smallest, reflecting alertness and surprise. She wore a black cloak with built-in cushioning bubbles, exaggerated suspenders, and boots that made her a head taller than Tromp. Above her head was a glass dome, inside which a triangular prism slowly rotated.

The patrol officer held a massive clamp in her left hand and a large knife in her right, coldly eyeing Tromp. She suddenly blew a whistle to alert her companions of an intruder, and soon, Tromp was surrounded by a group of robed guards wearing pale masks.

"If you can't talk nicely, then I'll have to play along~"

Tromp still wore His signature smile, then swiftly drew a long sword from His back. The blade rang out with a clear, sharp sound as it left its sheath, showcasing its keen edge. In the few seconds before the guards could react, the sword slashed across their necks. A flash of steel, and the group fell, gushing golden blood.

"Little girl, still want to try?" Tromp wiped the sword clean and sheathed it, then provocatively curled His finger at the girl.

The girl gritted her teeth, extending her hand. The long clamp shot out, its burning-hot jaws opening toward Tromp, the surrounding air screaming from the heat. Tromp easily leaped back, dodging the first attack, and blew a kiss at the girl.

Clearly enraged, the girl thrust her piercing knife at Tromp, but He dodged again. The knife slammed into the wall, creating a deep crater and emitting black smoke. She grinned and laughed, launching another attack, but each time, Tromp evaded. She chased Him frantically.

Tromp simply smiled and ran toward a specific spot. The last time, He deliberately didn't dodge. As the girl swung her clamp, He sidestepped slightly, grabbed her neck, twisted it, and pulled her into a hidden door that had appeared out of nowhere.

"Ouch, pretending to be chased by you was much easier than trying to get in here myself. At least this way, no one noticed me~" Tromp released the girl.

Her expression had changed now. She smirked and said in a cute voice, "Pat my head~"

"Sure," Tromp reached out and patted her glass head. "Koukaki is a good girl."

"Hehe, I'm a good girl, I'm a good girl." Koukaki clenched her fists under her chin, tilting her head and smiling. She pressed the elevator button first, and the two ascended over a hundred floors.

"What are you here for this time?" Koukaki asked.

"To ask your friend to help me with something," Tromp replied. "Also, I need to prepare to be scolded because it's dangerous for you to be out at night..."

"Shh, we're here," Koukaki said.

"Quiet, she might be asleep."

#incredibox #fanmade #fan novel #incredibox v8 #dystopia #science fiction #incredibox dystopia

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