This story will be from the perspective of a different Elsen for each chapter. The rating is because of certain content in here that I'm personally afraid might hit home for too many people. But it might not. I don't know, hence the warning.

Honestly, I don't even know why I wrote this. Maybe because I was bored, and there aren't enough Elsen-centric fics out there. Yeah, that's probably it.

One Elsen worked at the refinery.

The refinery is where the raw ashes are sent in order to be cleaned. One has to meticulously sift through the ashes by hand and pick out the crystallized granules of sugar buried within. It's hardly an efficient process, but the problem is easily solved with a hundred or more low-wage workers.

One Elsen, nameless like the rest but who we will refer to as Three, was one of these low-wage workers. Three was good at his job, but not exceptionally so. No one in this place was. If they were, surely they wouldn't be stuck here. Three was, however, a little different from the rest. He felt that he deserved more.

It wasn't that Three was greedy or selfish. He didn't think of himself as better than the rest. But he'd begun to notice the trembling in his hands characteristic of sugar deprivation. Soon, he knew, would come the irritation, the itching, the difficult, painful breaths. Then, inevitably, would come the Burning. He was seeing these signs in the others as well. Two of them had already Burned this week. Something needed to be done.

The following week, Three sought out an audience with the Zone's Guardian. He nervously trudged along the winding path leading to his office, anxiously rubbing his arms. He wished that he had gotten more sleep the night before; his feet felt like boulders, and his eyelids weighed even more.

Soon, he found himself at the Guardian's office door. Steeling his nerves, taking in as deep a breath as he possibly could, Three opened the door.

Few Elsen had ever been in Enoch's presence, and Three paled at the sheer ginormity of the man at the desk. But his attention was quickly drawn by what sat on the desk. Enoch had been enjoying a pie, using a fork that was far too small for his meaty hand. Flicking his gaze over to the staring Elsen, he disinterestedly flung the tip of his fork at the Elsen, sending a glob of blueberry jam flying to the floor. He found some sick amusement in watching the Elsen scramble for the small piece like some starved animal. It wasn't until he laughed that Three quickly stood up, anxiously licking his fingers.

As soon as he calmed down, Enoch pushed his piece off to the side, leaning over the desk and steepling his fingers. "There is a reason you came here, boy. What is it?"

"Oh, uhhh..." Three stuttered, "Ummm... I, a-as well as the others in the refinery, erm, have been suffering from sugar deprivation. I-If you'd be so gracious, I request, on their behalf, a larger portion of dessert after lunch."

Enoch stared at Three for a long moment before leaning back in his chair, a disappointed sigh escaping his lips. "We hardly have enough sugar as it is, lad. We can't afford to give out more just because one person asks."

"B-But sir," Three spoke up. "People at the refinery are Burning. If we don't get more sugar quickly-"

Enoch slammed a large palm down on the desk. "Look here, boy. I didn't let you into my office so that you could tell me who I can or can't give my sugar to. A few Elsen Burning here and there, it happens. And so what? I just hire more. Do you understand me?" The Guardian leaned so far over his desk that the quivering Elsen could count the beads of sweat dotting his brow. "You're. Expendable. So I'd better not hear any more complaints like this, or it'll be you I'm replacing. Do I make myself clear?"

Three stared at Enoch's face for a long time. The quivering stopped. Slowly, face expressionless, he looked down to his feet and replied, "...Yes, sir."

The Guardian leaned back in his chair, satisfied. "Good. Now get back to work before I decide against letting this slide." Nodding slowly, Three turned and walked out the door, wondering why that one word bothered him so much.

Expendable.

(...)

Three did not go back to work that day. Instead, he rode the monorail to Area 3. As he sat on one of the cracking seats, that word kept playing over and over in his mind. Expendable. Expendable. Three had always thought of himself as a unique individual, his own person. It was crushing to hear his Guardian essentially tell him that he was just another number to be replaced. He knew that he was right, but it hurt all the same.

Expendable.

When the monorail eased into the stop, Three exited with slow, deliberate steps. When the ominous smoke stacks in the distance came into view, he stopped. But he was on a mission, and he was going to see it through. So he pressed on.

Around the side of the building, he knew, was a large, metal door, not in view of the public. This meant it was relatively unprotected, so Three found that it was unlocked, so he let himself inside. Immediately he was hit with the intense heat and the stench of sugar and death that stole his breath, sending him into a hoarse coughing fit. There was one Elsen- one living Elsen- mindlessly shoveling bodies into the furnace, silent save for his rattling breath.

As soon as his breathing became somewhat regular, Three cautiously made his way across the room, being careful not to step anywhere near the piles of bodies. The other Elsen finally noticed him and turned his head, staring with large, dead eyes, eyes nearly identical to his own. Swallowing his discomfort, Three walked to the edge of the furnace, right next to the other Elsen.

I'm expendable. I can be replaced. They need sugar. I can help.

Three turned his head to face the other Elsen, deprived just like him, and said, "You can join me if you want..." Then, he jumped.

The fall wasn't far, but the pain was excruciating. The fire lapped at his arms, his legs, burning his clothes to papery ash, blistering and charring the skin underneath. He tried to scream, but the flames infiltrated his lungs, sending white-hot pain throughout his body. Then suddenly, he felt nothing. He couldn't feel the pain, the fire lapping at his darkened flesh, not even a tingle at the tips of his fingers. Three closed his eyes and smiled, and his body soon gave out, falling to pieces, becoming a part of the ashes that littered the bottom of the pit.

The remaining Elsen watched the entire scene unfold, quietly witnessing the degradation of Three's body. But he soon lost interest, and continued shoveling the corpses into the pit.

And the moment was forgotten.

The next chapter will be better, I think, with a little bit more actual story to go with it. It will be done quickly, if not right after I post this.

Edit: Right after it is, then.