[ WP ] You are a citizen from West , one day , you meet a citizen from East .

The tunnel was damp, but well lit. Curiousity getting the better of her, she'd used a crowbar to pry the entrance open. It stretched for as long as she could see, the lights radiating a white light. People were afraid of Darkness where she came from. It was said to infect the minds of the healthy, twisting them into dark creatures. Long ago, her people had raised walls around their country, lighting up every single corner. Villages were protected by Lumis, elite forces wielding glowing weapons. Roads protected by streetlights and patrols connected villages to the large metropolian city known as Lumitopia, a beacon of light that could be seen from wherever you were. If you were ever lost in the darkness, the beacon served as a guide to bring you home. 
 
 Once long ago, a village in the southern part of the country went dark. The roads connecting to it were snuffed of their light, and its very presence absorbed by the darkness. The villagers were supposedly possessed by the evil Darkness, becoming twisted creatures of hunger, feeding on other people. When the road was once again lit, a search party of Lumis was sent to investigate. They were dragged off the roads, into the abyss, and were never seen again. 
 
 The story was widely considered to be a scare tactic for parents to keep their children out of the dark these days. But Chloe could n't shake the feeling that there was some truth to it, considering Night Sickness was a real thing. And after an investigation fuelled by undying curiousity, she'd found herself in the supposed village. She'd never been afraid of the dark, a trait inherited by her Lumi guardian father. Armed with nothing but a glowing lamp and a runed dagger, she explored the ghastly village. It was a gloomy place. Ruins. 
 
 While exploring, she'd realized the village itself was at the very border of the Great Wall. With curiousity and a theory, she'd begun exploring the edges of the village, near the wall. That's how she ended up here, in the tunnel. 
 
 *The tunnel must've lost its power when the outage happened, * she thought. The white lights stretched, and she began walking. *Perhaps they came from here, the demons. * She begun walking, against all reasoning. 
 
'Who's there?', somebody suddenly called out. Chloe froze, narrowing her eyes. In the end of the tunnel, a shape presented itself. It held a flickering torch, as if it was needed with all the lights decorating the tunnel. Chloe sneaked ever closer without responding, to get a better look. She saw a young man, drawing an arrow from his quiver. He set the tip of the arrow on fire, arming himself as he pulled on the bowstring, aiming down the tunnel.'Answer me!', he demanded. 
 
'Alright! Alright. Do n't shoot,' Chloe said. She held up both her hands in defeat, approaching. After a long silence, she ensured the young man,'I am just an explorer.' 
 
 He approached, the arrow still very much pointed at her. Once he came close, Chloe noticed just how ragged he looked. Torn clothes, a dirty face and a ghastly look in his eyes, as if he'd seen a thousand terrible things. 
 
'Why are you here?', he asked, lowering his bow somewhat - instead studying Chloe the same way she was studying him. He eyed her over, noticing her nice clothes and golden amulet. 
 
'I told you, I'm an explorer.' She lowered her hands, drawing a breath of relief as the man snuffed out the flame on his arrow, sheathing it into the quiver. 
 
'So am I,' he said. He walked a little closer to her, when her scent hit his nostrils. A perfume of sorts, a clean smell in general.'You're not from the East,' he stated confidently. 
 
 Chloe shook her head a little, admitting.'No, I am not.' 
 
'You're from the other side of the wall.' 
 
 Chloe had already figured out this man was an Easterner, though she had a hard time processing it. She'd always been told the Eastern land was a desolace wasteland, dead, and hopeless. *There are no humans there, * her father had always said. 
 
'So are you,' she said. 
 
'What's it like there?', he questioned. 
 
'We... We have lights.' 
 
'Lights like those?', the young man said, pointing on the white electricity powered lamps filling the tunnel. 
 
'Yes.' 
 
'Tell me about your big light.' 
 
 She raised her eyebrows, thinking for a moment.'I'm sorry, big light?' 
 
'We see it all the time. Its been the centre of many stories, and hopeful thoughts. Some think they can cross the wall and get to it. They never do.' 
 
 *Lumitopia*, she thought.'Oh... I think you mean our capital city.' 
 
'Your... city? You have a city that large?' His tone turned to envy, his face to distress. 
 
 She simply nodded, guilty of luxury. He shook his head, pacing back and forth. 
 
'It's not *fair*', he hissed.'We huddle around fires, drawing strength from eachothers warmth and strength. We watch our friends and family slowly succumb to Night Sickness because there is n't enough wood to burn to provide all of us with the light we need. We're protected by mere wooden fences and archers. We are frequently raided by the Twisted. I watched my own mother twist and turn, coming at me with a bloody thirsty intent. I had to *shoot* her.' 
 
 Chloe processed his confessions, lowering her gaze. She felt small, sheltered and ignorant.'I'm sorry,' she wheezed. The man sat down, with his back against the tunnel wall. 
 
'It's not your fault', he said finally. Chloe sat down with him, handing him her lamp.'Take this', she said, smiling. 
 
'To guide you in the dark until my return.' 
 
 He looked at her, confused. 
 
'My father is a Lumi. We'll get your people to safety.'
