V.I.R.A.L

Alton found himself at the foot of an old park. Staring on at the rusted worn-down playground with broken swings and a destroyed gate, he found himself confused. Was this the start of his trials? Indeed it must have been something else. But he couldn't lie but feel sick by sight with a pungent stench in the air making him want to vomit. But on the edge of that was also the feeling of nostalgia.

Three young children ran through Alton, making him stumble back as he watched them going off to play. There were two boys and one girl playing with the ruins of the playground without much care. The first boy had medium green hair curled up and messy matched with yellow eyes. He was pushing the only swing left for the girl who Alton didn't take long to recognise. Clearly, from first sight, it was Eve, far younger than before. "Push me harder, Lucas! I want to go as far as possible!"

"I'm not strong enough to push you that hard, Eve!" Lucas complained, turning to the lone boy crouched down pushing chains around. "Alton, come and help me!"

The other boy reacted, standing up with a sigh but bold laugh. "I always have to do everything for you, am I not Lucas?!

The little boy ran over, pushing Eve with all his might getting further than Lucas ever could. This made Alton stare blankly, shaking his head. "What is this? What the hell are those Gardeners trying to trick me with?"

"This is no trick." The Woman spoke, standing idly next to Alton without much care. "Everything you see here happened at one point or another. We are succumbing to your past, Alton Brantley. Before you were found by your father."

"I was born in the Garden?"

"Correct, that you were. Like many other poor souls, you were born into a world of terror and pain: a world where the sun never rises and one we are forever trapped in. Anyone raised like that would want change, wouldn't they? To be free from their chains and break out into your world."

"I always had a faint idea my origins were with the Garden. But why show me this? What has this got to do with my trials?"

The Woman sipped her tea, giving a nod of acknowledgement. "At this current moment in time, nothing. We simply wanted to remind you just where you came from. Your life was much simpler back then, before the war. Before everything changed, you would play with your two best friends Lucas and Eve, almost every day without fail. None the wiser that, in fact, one of your friends was a traitor and member of Fairy-Tale, it wouldn't be long before you found this out, however."

The memory faded into darkness as another came to be as Alton found himself in a training camp, his younger self working with Lucas on hand-to-hand combat. Lucas was sent to the ground with one block, startled by the events as the young Alton held his hand out. "You need to keep your concentration, Lucas. The enemy won't be so kind."

Taking his arm, Lucas shot up to his feet with a smirk. "You're one to talk. Aren't you always encaptivated by Eve? When the hell are you going to make your move already?"

"It's not like that," Alton explained, scratching his head. "I don't know what it is, but I don't see Eve like that."

Lucas wrapped his arms around his wooden sword, leaning forward nodding. "I hear ya. I don't think she's too fond of you either. Does this mean I can make my move?"

Alton laughed, punching Lucas' shoulder. "You bloody idiot…. I heard the Stages of Grief are getting ready to start the war against the outside."

"They are? Huh…. Do you think we can win?"

Alton shot Lucas a dodgy look, pissed off. "What sort of reply is that?! Of course, we can! Those devils damned us to this hell for no reason. We suffer here every day while they live like kings. We have to win!"

"Very good, Alton, but perhaps keep your voice down, no?" Adam exclaimed, adjusting Alton's leg making him stumble. "Try to remember to always keep on guard. Your closest ally could be an enemy in disguise."

Alton stood up, snarling. "Not funny, Adam…."

Adam smiled, looking around. "I shouldn't be telling you boys this, but you've heard the rumours of war, right?"

"How can we not? It's all people talk about these days."

"Right, well, they aren't just rumours. They are true; the Gardener Stella has already dispatched Mortem to scout the outside world to corrupt their people to our cause. I've been tasked in keeping everything in check out there."

"You're going to the outside world?!" Lucas yelled, getting people's attention. Slouched down, he whispered. "Sorry…. But seriously."

Grumbling to himself, Adam nodded. "You and your big mouth Lucas. But yes, that's the truth. It's almost time."

"What about Eve. Is she going too?" Alton questioned.

"About that…. Alton, before we go, Eve and I want to talk to you. In private. Don't worry, you'll get back to your training soon enough; an afternoon with training won't hurt your chances of being the next in line to become one of the Stages of Grief."

Alton looked to Lucas, unsure. "Is that alright?"

"No sweat, man, I might just overtake you with those extra hours, though."

"As if. You've already well overtaken me." He jokes, shaking hands with Lucas. "See you soon, Lucas."

"Catch you later, Alton."

The Woman turned to Alton, looking for his input. "So?"

"None of this makes sense. This is before the war. Before Adam became Bargaining. Why are they both here? Why was I friends with Eve?"

"It's hard for me to state such things. At that moment in time, I was only in a Stage of Grief preparing for a war we had readied ourselves for nearly 500 years. That war would devastate your world and cause the first collapse."

"I don't understand; how am I only a few years older here? I should be an old man by the time my father found me."

"Time works differently in the Garden compared to your world. In fact, everyone works differently. The Garden is in its own space-time circular free of outside interference. 400 years in your world is nothing more than five here. An advantage you might have, that's why we chose to work as quickly as possible and prepare the next vessels for our stages which you were meant to be one of them. Do you know which Stage you were training to take over? Bargaining isn't that funny."

Alton stared on arms crossed, full of questions. "Then how did I end up in Fairy-Tale?"

"Why don't I show you?"

****

The young Alton walked into the heart of a dead Titan sitting behind the small village as a reminder. Crouching in, Alton already noticed Eve sitting on a log waiting. "We're back, Eve."

Standing up, Eve turned to Alton with a soft smile. "Hello, Alton."

"Yo, Adam told me you were leaving for the outside. Can't say I'm jealous."

Adam began walking around Alton marking symbols on the trunk of the Titan, making Alton slightly confused. "Do you trust us, Alton?"

"Huh?"

Adam walked back, kneeling down placing his hands on Alton's shoulders. "Do you trust us, boy?"

"I- I do."

"Good, then all our work wasn't for nothing. We can move forward with One's plan."

"One?" Alton whispered before freezing in shock as he spotted the Fairy-Tale symbol on Adam's hand. "No, wait. One as in the Ten Judgement's One?! You're…."

"I guess we never did formally introduce ourselves, did we? Under the Ten Judgement, I am Eight, and my sister here is Nine. Yes, we are members of Fairy-Tale."

Alton felt overwhelming dread as he tried to run, only to find himself trapped on the spot as the symbols plastered in the trunk began to glow. "What…. What are you doing to me?!"

"There are no hard feelings, Alton, but we're only completing our mission. We were to infiltrate the Garden and snatch a Child of the Garden for our own use. It took us a while, but we finally found you before the Gardeners could act. In simpler terms, we are making you one of the Ten's Judgement."

"You tricked me…. Lied to me! All this time, I thought you were my friends?!"

Eve crouched up with a blank stare. "Feeling any sort of anger against us is pointless. You will soon relish us as your family and see the Garden as your enemy. This is a blessing you should embrace."

Eve held her head, whimpering slightly as Adam kneeled. "Easy now, try not to use too much of your power. Salvation will take over quicker if you do. Alton, whether you like it or not, you will become Ten aid us in taking down the Garden and free my sister. You were chosen from birth. It is your destiny; you cannot escape this."

Alton collapsed as the Fairy-Tale Logo burned into his hand forever. The Woman stood over the young Alton shaking her head. "Do you understand now? You were taken from birth. Brainwashed slowly but surely by the Berry siblings to hate us. Before you had the chance to free your people, you were snatched by Fairy-Tale and wiped away your life here. After they held us back, Adam, now Bargaining, used his newfound authority to sneak you into the Garden where who would find you?"

Alton looked up from the Titan as he saw his father approaching the young version of himself. Adam watched as he was taken. "All of this was planned?"

"From the very beginning. Your fate sealed from birth. They say destiny is set in stone, but I believe that not to be true. You are free to make your own choices, not theirs. You are one of our children. Stolen from your home to kill your own people. It doesn't have to be this way. Come home, Alton, return to us and take back your rightful place as Acceptance."

Alton turned away, whispering. "No. You're wrong. I'm don't belong with you nor Fairy-Tale. My name is Alton Brantley; my father was Ragnar Brantley my mother, Debra Brantley. I was born in Sunset Peak. Victoria is my home, and I will fight for it till my last breath."

"Is that so? Very well, it appears you need more encouragement. If the past won't make you realise that, then let us show you the terrible present you cannot stop."

The world faded as Alton found himself standing over Victoria on a Titan. Looking down, he stepped back, confused. "What is this?" Turning his heart sunk to see Alice bloody and beaten facing off against Eve. "Alice…."

"Bear witness to a horrid present, Alton, one you cannot stop. Witness the death of your dearly beloved Alice Hawthorne."