He stepped through the door, and the world unfolded itself like paper. He wasn't trapped in that static city anymore, everything moved in this city, people, vehicles, birds, all of it moved. He was free, free from that gray scale world.
Lights flashed, slicing the darkness like knives. Colors he has never seen before — yet know what they are — spilled. The air tasted sharper here, it was cold and almost metalic, but it wasn't unpleasant, it was still better compared to where he was previously.
He looked down at his hands, it was still pale, but for the first time, he noticed the faint glow beneath his skin. It was not his veins, no, no, no, it was something else.
"Are these...roots? " He thought to himself, examining his arms.
"You're still tied to this place."
A voice spoke again, this time from somewhere real.
He turned fast, heart pounding.
A woman stepped out of the shadows. Bits of mirror covered her like armor, catching the light.
"The city hasn't let go of you.
You're the crack it's trying to hide.
The sound it can't stop hearing."
In her palm, was a small, black seed, pulsing with light.
"This is your choice." She said, hand held out.
He stared, "What am I supposed to do with it?"
"Plant it, what else are you supposed to do with it?" She said.
"What's wrong with being unsure?!" He hissed.
"Wait, why am I so casual with this lady? " He thought to himself, glaring at the lady in mirror-armour. He was certain she was an entirely new individual, "But why does she feel familiar? "
"I don't f**king know, just take it!" She snapped.
"I never take things from strangers." He replied, hands crossed, and slowly walking away thinking that, "Maybe I'm just imagining it? "
"Then don't, and let them catch you easily!"
That caught his attention, "W—What do you mean by that?"
"Do you really think you just spawned trapped in there?" She replied, wagging the seed.
"Well—" He stuttered.
"As much as I hate to admit it, she's right,walking away meant I would be trapped again. But i don't know what'll happen if I do take it " He thought to himself, looking at the seed in the woman's hand.
The woman's gaze softened.
"If you plant it, you will see the city's soul, and it will see yours."
He finally came to a conclusion, "Give me that." His fingers curled around the seed.
A sudden crash echoed behind them.
The shadow from before appeared again, now solid, no longer flickering.
It snarled.
"They're coming." She said sheathing her mirror-sword.
"What do we do?"
"Let's get out of the city, for now. People might get involved."
"Wait."
"Why?" She asked.
"Where do I plant it?" He asked, clutching the seed.
She scoffed, "That was just a figure of speech, just crush it. Now let's go."
"Yeah, let's go." He said as he crushed the seed in his palm.
Light exploded.
End of Chapter 3.