The streets were quiet as I walk through the sector.

I hear nothing in the distance but the echoes of my footsteps in the vast canyon as they hit the pavement, cracking under my weight. It's rare for me to go out of those cramped pipes and walk outside in the open, but here we are.

I'm surprised the people moved out already. Usually it takes a while for the officials to get the folks down here to leave, but I guess people had common sense about that at this point in the sumps of Zaun. I could feel it on the way here. The feeling of someone lurking behind me. The feeling that I'm being watched above by some winged predator in the sky ready to swoop down. The shadows cut deeper into my eyesight, growing and darker and darker and darker still. I felt cold within the shade over me.. Shivering.. What was it? Was it here? Was it after me?

I turn around in the abandoned street to see nothing but the damp flickering green lamps that offered the protection of light. I grow attracted to it.. To its offer of company and exposure.

Folks are still around here. In small traces. I'm feeling their emotions.

Gotta go before they find me. I had a job to do.

I turn my head away from the light's allure and made my way along the broken path. My hands begin to shake with every step. My green gooey skin solidifies like ice with every turn. Until.. I'm here. I look up at the scarred apartment complex whose wound will never be fixed. I look up at the massive hole that marked it almost covered in yellow "Caution" band-aids in an attempt to get people to go somewhere else. It was going to be destroyed shortly. The wardens were "done" with this one, now for the next of millions.

I walk up to the glass door and opened it. Everything was turned off. Everything was quiet. I take out the shreds of paper from the college and looked at it one more time, hoping it would magically reform again so I could use it as a reference, but no such magic arrived. I made my way across the halls.

"It's okay ZAC.." I said to myself. "You can solve this mystery.. Heroes.. deal with these sort of things all the time! Hehe.. I just need to remember.."

I walk up the metal stair. They cried as I step on them. The infrastructure wasn't good enough to protect them.. I gotta keep that in mind. I look at the multiple cracks of this building and seeped into one of them, making my way up the levels.

"Ok.. So.. the guy was some science folk.. Interested in something with animals and transformation.. I.. guess?" I said as I climb up through the crack. I pop out. The third floor. I took out the shreds of paper again and simply imagined them on there. "Ok.. Science folk.. and transformation stuff.. Got it.."

I put it back in my body for safekeeping, repeating the phrases over and over again so I won't forget it. I walk to the halls an- I see a glimmer.

I see a glimmer of light in the distance. I approach slowly, fearing it's presence. I was still a monster after all. Or an omen. Or.. whatever it was now. I can't risk it.

I walk softly on the floor, not making a sound. The small glimmer became brighter and brighter until I could make out the metal handle above it. A lantern.

"Uh… sir?" I yelp out to the glimmer. "Y-you.. shouldn't really be here. I-I-It's really dangerous, and I think the building's gonna fall apart. You should really be down there pal. Lemme help you out there, pal."

No answer.

"Uh.. pal?"

No answer. What's going on?

I seep back into the cracks and go through the walls of the many rooms until I finally reached it: the room of the glimmer only to reveal.. nothing.

I popped out of the wall and landed on the floor. Though it was rubbed off, I could still feel the old presence of dried blood. I stared at the white glow of the lantern with the essence of notes and journals nearby. I took one..


Day One

I have learned the essence of it. The studies of techmaturgy taught me much, to get out of the constraints of humanity through robot and machinery, but life provides such interesting ways of adaptation as well. Should we not forget about that? …

Day Five

…Today I've finished the potion. It's time for a test run.. Maybe people would willingly do it. For the name of progress! For the name of sci-

Day Seven

No one's coming to the tests. I'm not desperate enough to grab subjects; I'm not like them. I'll be better. I'll.. I'll be a martyr!…

Day Nine

..I can't feel my legs. Back feels incredible pain. yet eyesight is incredible.. ..Imagine what this would do… Further te-

Day Eleven

..I lost speaking ability.. I lost my arms.. I may lose my head.. Must.. find replacements..

Day Twelve

Get me out.. Get me out of this accursed body!

Day Fourteen

..something must be made..

Day Sixteen

..they found me.. I can't have them find me.. …Everything ruined..

Day Seventeen

..Traces found underneath.. traces found.. traces found..


That was it. The next pages were ripped. I feel the claw marks touching the soft paper. I close the book reluctantly and then.. I felt it. The living dread underneath.

I breathe heavily, faster and faster and faster in what seems like the middle of nowhere. The dark grows colder and colder. The shadows cut deeper and deeper. The storm came from behind as I crouch. I felt it before. On the streets. In the sewers. In my old home, but it grows. I feel the limbs stiffen. I feel myself shaking, trembling with every breathe. The storm came from behind.. It grew closer.. and closer.. and closer..

I immediately turned around and threw my arm in the dark. I feel metal. I feel feathers. And I saw the red eyes looking wildly at the sudden assault. My grip tightens.

"Sorry about that, pal! I'm not letting you get away that easily…" I growl. "You caused a lot of trouble around here.." I ready my other hand with a fist and pull him closer, ready to smash him quickly, but the claws digged into my arm. The latch between me and him was destroyed and I feel his body hitting mine, his claws digging into my body as I punched his hard head. I only hear glass broken as I feel sharp pain stabbing into my skin. I yelp a small cry.

"KILL! KILL! KILL!" it shouts erratically. I kicked him away, pushing him back to the dark door. His metallic body hitting the floor.

I dive for the small illuminating lantern. The glass breaks. Shocks absorbed in my skin, shards sticking closely, and nothing can see me.

The wretched creature storms into the door, his glowing red eyes prevalent in mine. I tried to go through the crack, but I couldn't leave without the journal. It was too important. I jump behind the bed. I see red rays looking wildly everywhere. Left and right. Up and down. I hear his steps closely.

I look out at the hole covered in yellow tape. I had to get out of here.

I readied a small slingshot and blasted my way out. The yellow tape was ripped. The burning red rays skimmed over my body before the dim lights of Zaun flooded the room.

As I fall, I hear the screech. As I fall, I hear the flapping of wings. The shadow lurking above.

I look towards the building again, and shot my arm through a window.

He begins to dive.

With my hand, I grabbed the floor, and swung myself to a lower level. Mere seconds after impact, a black flash appeared out the window, diving downwards. I run away from it, running as fast as I can from it. Turning every corridor away from his eyesight. I feel the red rays on my skin. I hear the screech of terror that echoed behind me. Glass breaking. Metallic footprints on the rise.

I had to go faster and faster. I had to find a way out. I stormed into an apartment and locked the door. The floor begins to shake. I look out the window and launch myself away.

SPLAT!

The concrete beneath me cracked under my weight. I got up to the sound of screeching above me. I run to the nearest manhole and dove back in. I run deeper and deeper in the sewers. First I felt the street above me shake. Then I could hear the crumbing of building as it tore apart buildings for me. Then I could hear the echoes of the destruction in his talons until… it was no more.

I give a sigh of relief as the feelings of adrenaline escaped me. "That was close.." I said to myself. I look up at the surface. "Hopefully everyone's far away from that place.. At least I got stuff with me.. Or.. within me.. I guess.." I give a short pause, letting me catch my breath. Letting it reach my thoughts. "…was it afraid of me?"

Suddenly, I feel pain in my right hand and stomach. The numbing feelings were drained away. I grasped at the hand.. It felt like it cracked.. It was the one I punched him with. I still remembered the claws. I still remembered the feeling of metal. It barely even made a dent..

As I got up and stumble my way back home, one phrase begins to haunt me. One phrase that's still with me…

"traces found underneath."