Chapter 61: The Fog Island [1]
The first approach the group decided on was to traverse toward the middle of the island. They did not know which part was the most dangerous, nor which path might be the best; they just relied on the certainty that the opposite shore leading to the eastern border was up ahead.
The thick mist was unlike anything they had ever seen; it was as if the phenomena they were familiar with within the safety of their homes were but a cheap imitation—nothing more than a wisp of cigarette smoke. The fog here embraced them, clung onto them, stretched and tore around their bodies just to melt together once again, just as if the air was made of cotton candy tinged with gray... but there was no sugar in the air.
The entire area they had seen while still afar: there was no place unclaimed by the white cloud. Thus, forging their path straight through was at least the quickest way.
Aldrus held his arms up, palms open, pointing forward. It was an unusual feeling, seeing through his hands.
Slow and clunky was their pace; big trunks often stopped them dead. They appeared to manifest out of thin air, but Aldrus only noticed once it was too late. The process was like an endless loop—feeling gritty wood kiss his palms, turning back, and being blind all over again.
Not long a span had then gone by before the youths failed to distinguish north from south. A real downside, that was. They had hoped for half a day’s nonstop trudge; weathering the night was not the plan. Still, as the hours flew by, they grew more and more resigned, for such an outcome was bound to come about.
And with that, their first failed day came to an end. The first of many.
Night descended, and with it, the chill of mountain tarns. The company was forced to raise a lean-to of broken boughs under the shade of ancient oaks. And although the situation was disastrous, they had not encountered anything particularly threatening just yet.
When the bivouac was finished, Cedric prompted Aldrus to drop the baggage so they could set up the tents. However, just as he turned to do it, the blond boy’s face grew languid.
"W-What’s wrong, Cedric?" Aldrus asked, immediately catching his expression.
"The pack... is soaked."
"Wha—" Aldrus’ voice cut off as he glanced over his shoulder. Every single pelt-pack and the entirety of their gear lay sagging, soggy over his back.
H-How?! Since when has the rain been able to pass through?!
"Aldrus, don’t tell me you forgot to [Freeze] our stuff?" The silver-haired boy joined in, concerned.
Aldrus shook his head harshly. "Of course not! How could I forget? I’ve made it a habit by this point!"
"Then how?! Take it off, quickly!" Cedric grunted.
Aldrus obeyed and swiftly dropped everything to the ground. And just as he did, something strange happened. The boy felt an unbridled sense of relief. He noticed then—the packs had been weighing on him.
"N-No..."
"What is it, Aldrus?!" said Alice.
"I-I really hadn’t been using [Freeze]," he said.
"You’ve got to be kidding me, Aldr—"
"But I swear I did!" he cut Cedric off. "I’m sure, man, I kept our gear safe! How else would I have been able to travel with all this weight? Something happened; it had to! I just now noticed how heavy all of it was... as if my [Freeze] had been dissipated so gradually that I didn’t even notice!"
"Come on, man! You can carry all of it for days! How has it failed you now?!"
"I don’t know!"
"..."
"..."
"...Agh. I’m sorry, Aldrus. I just... I just can’t believe everything’s ruined," Cedric said, looking away. He then stooped and rummaged through the dripping packs. "...The tent’s unusable," he added dryly.
"N-No way..."
No. It can’t be right. How did I make such a mistake? Aldrus thought before clenching his teeth and stepping out of the shelter.
"Where are you going?" Cedric asked, adding his puzzled look to the other two.
[Freeze].
Once outside, under the pouring rain, the black-haired boy attempted to use his skill on his own body. And then...
Nothing.
Damn it, it can’t be!
"Hey! Come out here, quick!" he said.
The other three youths exchanged concerned glances, then obeyed and jogged outside, joining him.
Alice found her voice first. "What’s going on?!"
"Try [Freeze]," Aldrus said with hollow eyes. "On yourselves."
Alice, Aiden, and Cedric stood still for a moment. Their expressions showed they had caught on to where Aldrus was going. They hesitated, focused, and after a brief space, they furrowed their brows in disbelief.
"I can’t."
"Me neither."
"..."
The milky-eyed boy turned to them, by now as soaked as their luggage.
"...Let’s go inside."
***
Shortly thereafter, the four sat together, circling what ought to have been their fire for the night—a fire now unkindled.
"...We’re going to freeze to death," Cedric said in a sour tone.
The others sought to shush him, as they often did, but their jaded blond friend was this time, most likely, not in the wrong.
It had not taken them long to discover that they were unable to use not only [Freeze] but all their other powers as well.
With the heavy rain, the moist air, and no [Freeze], their hard-wrought lean-to was doomed to char by reason of the flames; thus, they could either sleep atop smoldering boughs and freeze to death or sleep beneath its swaying leaves without a fire and freeze to death.
They chose to, at least, shelter themselves under nature’s ceiling.
I don’t get it... What the hell is going on here?!
Aldrus had turned the matter over and over again. They were once more stripped of Time, but now there was no artifact thwarting them. Or, at least, not one that they knew of.
The only remaining explanation had to be that something—or someone—of a higher rank was actively suppressing them.
In truth, Aldrus knew what it was. He had just wished it to be someone.
"Hey," he called suddenly. The others turned to meet his gaze.
"...It is the fog," he said. "This whole place... is rank two."