//Grassland//

Chosen and Green look up the sky as the particle-like mist starts to dissipate into the ground. Chosen raises an eyebrow as he stands his ground, on edge. "Hold on.."

Green looks from Chosen to the sky as the familiar outer dome of the Outernet begins to show once more. "It's clearing.."

"Yeah, but who knows what could happen next. Stay close to me and don't leave this shield." Chosen insists, continuing to walk across the damp ground. He eyes the grass narrowly as flickers of glitching particles swim through the green blades. "What the hell is this thing..." he mutters to himself.

Thirty minutes pass as the duo tread the grassy lands of the Outernet. Chosen stays on guard at every step while Green tries to distract himself from the gut feeling of worry.

"So like, I was wondering..." Green begins. "Are you and Dark, like...friends? Orrr-"

"Friends. We're friends." Chosen stares ahead with a deadpan expression. It's nothing new for him to be asked that same question so often.

"Uh huh. It's just that, y'know. Didn't you two fight a lot? And were enemies before or something? You've never actually told us much."

Chosen sighs, glancing over at Green. "It's complicated. Arch-sworn enemies, arch-partners in crime, friends, frenemies, roommates. I don't know anymore..." Chosen pauses for a moment, before looking at Green again. "You seem pretty protective of Purple."

Green looks away dismissively. "Ehh, well, yeah. I suppose so. I'm protective of all my friends."

Chosen cocks an eyebrow suspiciously.

"And Purple- along with all my other friends! means a lot to me..."

Chosen turns his attention back ahead, keeping his thoughts to himself. "I see."

"Y'know, I've never actually asked. What kind of music do you listen to?" Green lightens his tone and looks over at Chosen curiously.

"Oh, uh." Chosen looks at Green awkwardly. "I don't really listen to music."

"Really!? Seriously? Like, no music at all?"

"Does listening to Dark shredding the electric guitar count?" Chosen tilts his head to the side slightly as he lowers the light shield, dissipating it into his hand.

"Pfft, I mean, If that's your kind of style." Green snickers.

Chosen rolls his eyes and scoffs to himself, thinking about Dark playing the guitar. Every time the evil man would ever play the electric guitar, he would use his bright red, sharply shaped instrument, shredding it like it's some sort of rock concert. Chosen would always find it kind of cute- I mean, amusing, how Dark would always over exaggerate his playing. One time, back five or six years ago at a pub, Dark got up on the stage and started expertly playing the electric bass, a sleek black guitar. The way his fingers smoothly plucked the strings caught Chosen's eyes.

Chosen starts to feel the warmth growing on his face as he gets lost in thought. He scowls and shakes his head, disappointed in himself to be pondering on these memories for so long. Thinking about the old days with him and Dark gave him the greatest nostalgia, and also regret which is the downside.

Eventually Chosen and Green approach civilian area. A small town comes into view, paddocks and wind turbines painting the land. Everything seems rather normal, apart from the fact that no one is around. The streets are barren. The sky is painted with ultramarine hues and streaks.

"Is this the place?" Chosen asks, looking around cautiously as they enter the town.

Green nods "Yeah...but it's weird how no one's around."

"Don't let your guard down yet."

An eerie chill runs through the chilled air as a small breeze runs through the town. Everything seems abandoned. Green pulls out his phone to check the time. 3:47PM. Then, something catches his eye. A small dot lighting up up at the bottom of the WIFI bar. "The internet's coming back online!"

Chosen glances over at Green. "Really? Guess that's because the fog and storm cleared."

Green opens up Stickchat on his phone and scrolls through his contacts until he gets to Purple's contact under the name of "Pretty flower boy" with a little flower emoji. He opens up the contact page and taps the call button. Green raises his phone to his right ear and waits in anticipation as the device vibrates and rings.

Chosen pays no attention to the other's call, instead keeping his eyes peeled on the path ahead.

Ten seconds go past but the call declines. Green sighs and calls again, his stress and anxiety growing with each second. Another ten seconds of ringing and the call declines. Green whimpers with frustration and worry as he calls Purple once again.

Chosen narrows his eyes at a house down the road, the door hanging ajar ominously.

The phone vibrates like Green's heart pounds. Finally, unexpectedly, the call picks up. Green's eyes light up and he stumbles over his words. "Purple!? Hello!?"

A heavy sigh comes from the other side of the phone, then a sniffle, and then a voice. "Green where are you?" Purple says disquietly, his voice quiet and sad.

"Purple? What's wrong? I'm in your town."

"What!? Why are you here!?"

"Because we were looking for you!!"

A shaky breath and a slight sob comes from the phoneline.

Green's mind rushes with thoughts and worries as he hears Purple's weeping. "Purple. What happened? Where are you?" his voice is gentle, concerned and serious.

After a moment of silence, Purple sighs. "I'm at the graveyard."

As Green processes what the other boy said, a flash of sympathy crosses his face. "Oh.."

"Can you, uh...come here please." Purple sniffles.

"Of course, um, Chosen's here with me though."

"It's fine. Just come meet me here, please."

"Alright...I'll be there in a few minutes." Green promises kindly. "Bye.."

"Bye." Purple hangs up on the phone instantly.

Green stops walking and just stands there in the middle of the road as Chosen continues walking forward. He's at a loss for words, only worry, concern and sympathy.

Meanwhile, Chosen walks over to one side of the street and onto a driveway. He approaches a nearby small house, lined with a short, brick fence and tainted white curtains. Going up to the front porch, he inspects the wooden front door. His eyes narrow as he carefully looks at a giant scratch mark around the rounded brass handle. The scratch mark has a hue of ultramarine.

Green gazes over at Chosen and his surroundings. "Chosen? What is it?"

"This is fucking weird..." Chosen sighs, frustrated and confused by everything. He then places his fingerless-gloved hand on the cold handle and turns it. Surprisingly, the door swings open. A gust of wind flows into the front entrance of the house..

Down the entrance hallway seems abandoned and cold. The overhead light hangs loosely from the tainted ceiling, flickering on and off. Claw marks are scrawled across the creased wallpaper that once lined a warm home. The floorboards creak as Chosen takes a cautious step onto the wooden flooring. The faint sound of scuttling comes from a further room down, possibly from a mouse or a gust of wind. The building seems supposably vacant, but The Chosen One knows better. Chosen narrows his eyes slightly as he tries to see down the dark and eerie hallway.

"Yeah, I know you're there..." Chosen mutters lowly. He then summons a small flame in the palm of his hand. As the small glow from the fire lights up the hallway, Chosen's breath gets caught in his throat. A tall figure, at least 3 metres tall, pale blue. Its head is tilted over from hitting the ceiling. A once innocent citizen of the Outernet, now deformed, lanky and terrifying. The mouth is harshly stretched and hanging open as ultramarine blight drips from the opening. Thick, glowing, ultramarine tears stain the beasts swollen cheeks. Chosen's eyes go wide as he stares in shock and fear at the infected individual.

"Holy shit-" he quickly swerves away and ducks as the infected soul tries to grab at Chosen with it's long, sharp claws. A terrifying shrill erupts from the beast's throat as Chosen runs to the door and blasts a formation of ice in the direction of the danger. He gasps and stumbles out the front door, a hand on the doorframe. He looks behind him to see the lanky soul frozen in place from the large form of ice. Chosen sighs and looks over at Green, who is still standing in the driveway of the house, staring at Chosen and the front door with horrified eyes and quivering lips.

The shorter stick figure takes a deep breath and toughens up. He summons fire in his hands and hovers into the air steadily. He then flies over and past Green, grasping Green's shoulder on the way and lifting Green into the air along with him.

Green instantly holds onto Chosen's leg as Chosen's flies down the street. If Green wasn't already really worried and nervous before, he definitely is now. All that runs through Green's mind is "We need to find Purple and get out of here."