june event.

[falsitates]

JUNE 15, 2021

The heatwave has passed and the weather has never been better. The city is full of life once again, and the streets are busy as people return outdoors to enjoy what summer has to offer. Everything appears to have returned back to normal.

For everyone, but you.

The newcomers are given an envelope that is either addressed to their current residence or placed in their belongings. There is no return address, and inside is a New York state government-issued ID. It appears to be authentic. The residents, on the other hand, receive a similar envelope, but with a SIM card. There are no other notes.

Are these your rewards?

  MISSION BOARD

Your phone vibrates.

It doesn't stop until you pick it up and when you do, it's cold. The buttons do nothing as it shuts down, unresponsive to whatever actions that you take. Then, much like last time, white lettering on a black backdrop appears.

WELCOME TO WEEK THREE.
A NEW MODULE HAS BEEN UNLOCKED.
YOU MAY CHOOSE TO IGNORE IT.
OR YOU MAY CHOOSE TO USE IT.
AUDENTES FORTUNA IUVAT

A new section has been added to the app. It reads as 'missions'. There are currently three tasks available right now.

  BEGINNINGS OF A FOREST

The barrier continues to grow in size. Vitae's outskirts are gradually, but surely, expanding, and in its new area is a sea of trees. There has never been a forest surrounding the city, yet one is unmistakably forming. It's small, extending outside for less than a quarter-mile, and asides from its sudden appearance, there's nothing unusual about it. Only trees, the barrier, and the nagging feeling that someone is watching you.

Nobody in the city seems to notice. When questioned, they claim that the forest has always been there. In fact, the city was created in the heart of a forest, and it has remained that way since its inception. None of them are aware of the fact that these trees were never there until now.

It's as though the forest has always been there.

  DECISION TIME

By the end of the day, your phone vibrates again. A new message appears.

ALLY?
BETRAY?

One of the two choices must be selected. Otherwise, you won't be able to use your phone.

Make your choice.

Comments

[infolds]

[ He hears someone. Who is that? Connor looks over to see... oh, it's Noah. Right. He had healing magic. Maybe it's a good thing that it's Noah who got it, is a fleeting thought that crosses his mind.

But wait.

While healing magic is cool and all and his hands are being restored, he quickly withdraws his hands and puts them behind his back. He doesn't quite trust the magic stuff just yet, even if visible proof is right there, doing good for him. He makes a strained face. The worst of it is gone, but it's not fully healed just yet. ]

What are you...

[ --doing. Connor doesn't get to finish that sentence. It feels like it hurts everywhere. Of course it is, because he was sitting on a bench and the phone was right there, near his lap. ]

[morient]

[ Noah's magic trails off as he sees Connor shrink away. That's a first - the other two were compliant and he was able to restore them to prime health. But what if Connor was hurting because of the magic? ]

Um, I can heal, so....

[ His first instinct was to help. ]

Did it work?

[infolds]

[ Connor slowly brings his hands to the front so he can see them too. The worst of it has healed up. He has all of his fingers. He's glad the feeling wasn't real to an extent. Moving them still hurts though, and the healing skin at the moment feels raw. Not all layers have reconstructed just yet. ]

... Yeah.

[ He feels like he can finally breathe despite Noah telling him to take deep breaths earlier. ]

I... I'm going to the hospital. Call an Uber for me. I have--

[ Money in his pocket? He doesn't want to get it out. He feels like anything that touches his hands will immensely hurt. ]

... some money.

[ Since it hasn't healed all the way, his hands start bleeding again. Fun. He seems wary of the power though, so if Noah tries to heal again, he'll shrink away even more. ]

[morient]

[ Noah is too polite to force something on someone who doesn't want it. Connor seems like he's no longer in life-threatening danger, so he wouldn't push it. Going to the hospital seems wise as well. ]

Okay. [ He takes out his own phone and opens the app. ] What happened? Were you attacked?

[ This is probably the third case of weird assualts he's been seeing lately... ]

[infolds]

No...

[ Connor tries to think straight. He's eerily calm for someone who has bleeding hands, but he seems out of it, but less than before. ]

My phone blew up. Maybe I shouldn't have gotten a Note 8...

[morient]

Your phone?

[ That is weird. Or maybe the app decided to self destruct his crappy phone or something. That's what Noah will conclude. ]

That's so strange... was it already malfunctioning?

[ Someone's taken their Uber request. They'll come in a few minutes. ]

Let's go to the carpark.

[infolds]

It was working fine.

[ Connor tries to stand but everywhere kinda hurts. He plops back down on the bench. ]

Ugh, hold on...

[ He never had a reason to take painkillers, and he wished he carried them around like someone else he knows. He grits his teeth and does his best to get his butt off the seat. He eventually ends up standing, but he's still a bit wobbly. ]

Carpark... Carpack. There, right?

[ He gestures with his head. ]

[morient]

Yeah. Um, you can lean on me if you want.

[ But not too much, because Noah will fall over as well. He's not very sturdy. ]

The driver should be coming soon.

[ Noah can probably parry any questions from the driver by talking about someone's mispiloted aerial drone. Hopefully a visit to the ER won't be as expensive given that Connor has obvious injuries. Noah knows where to go once they're there; he's a frequent visitor. ]

[infolds]

[ It's unfortunate for Noah, because once he says that he can lean on him, he shifts his entire weight to that side because he feels like he can barely stand.

rip ]

[morient]

[ Noah's body instinctively flies into panic once he feels Connor's whole weight go on him - there isn't much room for him to think in the few seconds before his body is fated to it the floor.

That is, until his self-preservation unconsciously calls upon his newfound magic and he finds himself suddenly freezing in place, as if someone had taped a metal pole to his back. ]

Ah.... Are you okay?

[ If Connor doesn't want to get healed more, then he supposes they'll just have to walk slowly. ]