august event.

[falsitates]

AUGUST 1 ~ 15

Vitae appears to return to normal as the night draws to an end and the new month's first day dawns. Its vanished citizens gradually begin to repopulate the city, and everything returns to normal. Everyone talks about how quickly July went by. August sure has come and gone in a blink of an eye, huh? How funny. They all laugh as they go about their business.

According to the news, the next two weeks will be cloudy, gloomy, and surprisingly chilly.

  THE MISSING

The news also reports that an alarming number of people have gone missing. Citizens of all ages, from young to old, have mysteriously vanished without a trace. It is estimated that approximately 20% of the population has gone missing. Local search parties have been organized and posters have been placed on bulletin boards. A group of volunteers goes into the forest and the abandoned castle every day to look for clues, but they always come up empty-handed.

Rumors quickly spread throughout the city about the disappearances and how spirits must have abducted them. Some of the more superstitious stockpile table salt and hire bogus exorcists to purify their homes. Others visit the shrine and begin praying to gods who have been forgotten. They claim to sense a presence that wasn't there before, and they use it as evidence that a higher being is present and will assist them.

From the trees, four crows watch. When members of the app approach the shrine, they all squawk and flap their wings. Only one flies down to the offering box and dares to come close. The other three remain on the sidelines.

  BRACELETS AND SIM CARDS

Every app user, new or old, are fitted with a watch on their left wrist. It's impossible to remove, and even the most powerful tools fail to make a dent in it. You simply have to live with it. Its user interface has changed since last month. It now has an identical copy of the app, allowing those who frequently forget their phones to have access. It also has a SIM slot on its side, but inputting any regular SIM card appears to have no effect and it's spit out. Anything else is spit out as well.

But for those who kept their mysterious SIdo M cards from June, as well as recent newcomers who wake up with one in their pockets, will find that the bracelet will accept them.

When it is inserted, it displays a city map. It looks a lot like the one that was unveiled last month. It updates every hour to show the user's immediate surrounding area and the precise locations of... something. White dots can be found in random locations, such as the middle of a beach, the back of a supermarket, and dark alleyways. There's no other information about these dots, and it's unclear what would happen if someone went to them.

There are a few scattered throughout the city. Do you dare to go?

  VITAEGATE

Your phone begins to vibrate.

It will not stop until you pick it up and when you do, it's cold to the touch. The buttons become unresponsive as it shuts down. Then, just like all the previous times, white lettering appears on a black background.

WELCOME TO WEEK TEN.
A NEW MODULE HAS BEEN UNLOCKED.
IT HAS THE POSSIBILITY OF PROVIDING VALUE.
DE OMNIBUS DUBITANDUM

The app now includes a new section. It reads 'forum.' The section is exactly what the name says. It's a simple forum where anyone can post comments, but they're all anonymous. No one can tell one from the other.

There are already a few comments.

  DECISION TIME

Your phone vibrates again on the 15th.

ALLY?
BETRAY?

You must choose one of the two options. You won't be able to use your phone otherwise.

YOU HAVE SELECTED [ALLY/BETRAY].
CHOOSE A USER.

The message is followed by a list. It contains the names and photos of all of the app's users. Your phone will remain unusable until you make a decision. Those who are adamant about not making a decision will notice moments before midnight that their watch begins to slowly overheat, with an ominous timer counting down from ten minutes. The options appear once more. After that, the timer will disappear.

YOU HAVE SELECTED [NAME].
THANK YOU FOR YOUR ANSWER.
PLEASE WAIT PATIENTLY UNTIL THE NEXT UPDATE.

Comments

[breweries]

My name is Shylock Bennett, a wizard from Western Country.

[ not even going to hide who or what he is, as always. just going to take out the trash and proceed inside the fancy bar, smiling at nier and nodding him over to the counters when he sees him enter the premises. ]

Now, first things first - what will you be having?

[silentends]

Your name is uh..Shyness? Shy??? I get the wizard part but...

[ Wrong name pronunciation, rip. Nier always fails at names the first few times without exception so Shylock is just getting the short end of the stick this time. Sorry Shylock. ]

I'll have some vodka.

[breweries]

It's Shylock. You will find out, Nier, that "shyness" is the last thing anyone would describe me.

[ it's cute though, how this human is tripping over names already. shylock gets that a lot. give him a moment to prepare the drink; at least vodka seems to be a staple here and the world shylock's from. ]

Here you go.

[silentends]

Erm... thank you, Shylock.

[ Nier makes a gesture of gratitude by nodding and accepting it. Technically he's old enough to have alcohol and it's legal for him to have these kinds of drinks. He turned twenty-one back in June. Nier takes a sip of vodka but he can already feel the effects taking over him. Unfortunately, he happens to be a lightweight. ]

I can't remember much from the past month. What did you do over the summer??

[breweries]

Well, let's see. Firstly, I got to experience the Fourth of July for the first time. I also did a mission with my dear benefactor at the forest. Then...

[ mmmmmmmm. ]

It was quite a blur for me as well, the latter half of the month. I did my best to survive the onslaught of creatures that came with the night, and it wasn't easy without my powers. It was only a miracle that I was still in one piece, though I cannot exactly say the same for my friend.

[silentends]

Oh yeah, there were missions and other things going on. I had already forgotten.

[ It seems like everything is happening so fast that he hasn't had a chance to process it yet. Nier needs more vodka, maybe. He's getting used to the taste.]

At least you weren't hurt too bad. What happened to your friend? Are they okay?

[breweries]

Oh, he's all right. He's still recuperating from that stab wound he'd gotten from a scuffle recently.

[ he chooses this time to look at nier, as if zeroing in on him. he's not. ]

And you?

[silentends]

A stab wound....I hope it's not serious.

[ Nier doesn't even remember stabbing Johannes and he's already partially drunk. ]

I got possessed by something weird and then I was badly hurt. Ever since then I could use that strange magic you saw. I still don't know what I'm supposed to do, but I think I want another drink.

[breweries]

[ a chuckle, as he pours him another glass. ]

That is rather strange... Someone named Noah on the application told me that our powers will come back to us in due time. Perhaps you'll be getting yours back in a much different way than others.

My friend is doing fine. He couldn't speak for a few days, however. He has this habit of rambling that might be irritating to some, you see.

[silentends]

It sounds like your friend needs a few more days to rest anyway.

[ Nier is suddenly more chatty himself now that he's has vodka funny how that works. He wonders if Shylock is going to drink anything but he doesn't ask out loud. ]

My powers are different that much is true. You know Noah? Noah is my best friend. You can believe in his words.

[ He's known Noah for a long time so he's happy to hear that name. ]

[breweries]

[ he can't drink during his shift, king. though if he had his bar back, he could indulge himself with a sip or two... but alas. ]

I shall take your word for it. Knowing someone for that long is a boon in and of itself. As I'm not from around here it can be rather hard to find a friend like that, but here's hoping that we'll be good acquaintances from here on out as well.

[silentends]

I was born in this city and I've lived here for all my life. So I wouldn't know what other places are like. I only have this one.

[ Nier might be taking more vodka and sipping it casually. His head feels like it's clouded in fog but he can also relax this way. ]

We can be aquantiences but you shouldn't get too close to me because I might curse you by accident.

[ Look, he has no idea what his powers are capable of doing. Shylock might be putting himself in danger by getting too close. ]

[breweries]

Is that so? Well, why not place a curse on me right now?

[ insane behavior right here. ]

[silentends]

[ There's some kind of omnious shadow moving in the background. Nier wasn't really joking about the whole curse thing. Suddenly it just disappears. ]

No, I won't. I don't want to hurt you. Magic is dangerous.

[ If magic is so dangerous then wouldn't he be dangerous? Nier let's his emotions get the better of him so he seems more scared of that idea than anything. ]

[breweries]

It's only dangerous when you want it to be. And trust me when I say that I've encountered more wizards with magic more volatile than the one you're trying to put under control.

But the fact that you're able to control it to an extent does mean something. You should be proud of yourself for that.

[silentends]

There isn't much for me to be proud of. All I know is that it's some kind of harmful dark magic.

[ He doesn't know too much about its origins or how it works. Nier just thinks that using it feels natural and that alone scares him.]

Why does deadly sorcery even exist?