I remember floating for what felt like forever. It might have been a day, it might have been two. It may have only been two hours. Either way, it felt too long. I was also starting to get a little seasick, but I didn't complain out loud.

It was freezing cold. The air was about four degrees celsius over the ocean water, and the fact that the ice-cold waves splashed up onto me every once in a while didn't help all that much. One was lucky because he at least had a nice, long jacket. Even if he was also soaking wet from pushing the boat out earlier. All I had was a simple long-sleeved shirt, pants, and some shoes. 

Although, on the topic of shoes, this was the first time I actually thought about how One didn't have any. I could look down at his feet and see that they were all messed up, bruises and cuts lining them. No wonder he wasn't as fast as me. While running I had forgotten that he didn't even have shoes. I couldn't even imagine what stepping on all those rocks, twigs, and sticks felt like. He never even complained about it or brought it up.

I felt make face soften, a frown slowly forming. I never thought I'd be so thankful for having something as simple as shoes.

"....So, the Tribe of Darkness, huh?" One asked me. I think he was trying to stop me from feeling bad for him. He could probably tell by the face I was making that I was, and he didn't want me to. "What's that like?"

I slowly looked up at him, then down to my side.  "They... they're really strict if I remember right. It's been a while since I've been with them since they've sent me out to be...er, studied. But I specifically remember a lot of rules. I wasn't really allowed to do anything."

"Interesting," he muttered, still rowing. I could tell he was somewhat starting to tire since we slowed down, but he didn't complain once, so I didn't point it out. I didn't want to be rude.

"So... I know you don't actually KNOW what you are, but what do you... think you are?" I asked, not quite sure how to phrase the question. "I mean, you look pretty human."

"Ah. Well, I have spent my whole life on my own, so the only record I've ever had is my number," He stated, holding his hand out and rolling up his sleeve, showing me the number one engraved onto the inside of his wrist. A variety of cuts and scratches surrounded the number, as if someone, maybe himself, was trying to scratch it off. But you can't scratch a number off. I myself had the number six engraved onto my own wrist. It was small and just above the palm of my hand. It was something that all higher-numbered people had done as a way to track and know a person's threat level. 

"When I grow up, I'm gonna invest in gloves someday," He laughed as if his number was a lighthearted joke. "That way no one can judge me solely on my number. Luckily for me, since my coat is a little big, the number is covered for the most part."

Gloves were actually a pretty good idea. I made a note to myself to remember those for when I got back home to my dad. 

Note to self: invest in gloves.

"Well, do you know anything about where you descended from? Anything at all?" I asked, briefly checking the compass to make sure we were still heading east, which we were.

"No," He shrugged. "I used to think I was human. You know, because of my appearance. But no human could ever be a one, so that debunks that theory. I also don't think I'm from the Tribe of Darkness like you, because face it, I don't look the part and they would have killed me at birth without hesitation. No offense. So... I guess that must mean I was descended from a tribe of ancients. Or maybe I'm half human half ancient. Who knows?"

I paused, looking down. I really hoped he wasn't half and half. My tribe had only spoken the worst of them. They had always described them as monsters. 

They always described ones as monsters too. I've heard stories about what could happen if a one was unleashed upon the world, and they all ended in total destruction.

I think he could see my worried expression because his brown eyes seemed to soften for a moment. 

"....But I do know one thing for certain." He stated after what seemed to be a long moment of very awkward silence.

"What's that?" I asked him, still shivering from the cold.

"That I want to help people!" He assured, continuing to row. "Don't worry too much about the cold. It'll get much warmer onshore since we won't have to deal with the ice-cold ocean breeze or the water." He stated.

Regardless, he approached land not long later. One rowed us in as much as possible, then got out into the water and pulled the boat with me still in it to shore so I wouldn't have to get my shoes wet again. He didn't seem to mind. I think he could tell I really didn't want to get wetter since I was freezing.

He was also right about it being much warmer on land. Once he helped me out he nodded at me, then gently took the compass from my hands and placed it in one of his pockets, waving me forward and onward.

There were lots of tall buildings. Not many trees. It was definitely giving me a different feel from the forest. I'm not sure if it was more or less scary.

"Stay close," He whispered. "I've been out here before. We can't just stroll on through, or we'll be spotted and caught for sure." 

I nervously nodded, following behind him. "Okay. So what do we do?"

"I know a few buildings we can hide in and sneak through to avoid getting caught in the streets," One replied, grabbing my arm and pointing towards a building. "Most of these are abandoned, besides the lab and the factory, last I checked. So we should be really safe."

The lab and the factory. Those certainly didn't sound good...

"Can't we just avoid those places then?" I asked him.

"I mean... we could. But if I'm spotted in the streets and people find out what I am, I have a gut feeling that they wouldn't take that very well... Plus, the moon can't follow me indoors."

I nodded in understanding. The moon did do a pretty good job at exposing him, so I could see why he would wish to avoid it. 

I also noticed quite a few shattered mirrors just lying around as we walked. I wondered why there were so many. It was odd, to say the least. Seemed like a random item to be scattered around the town. I wonder what broke all of them. 

As we walked through abandoned building after abandoned building, the theme of shattered mirrors became more prominent. There were multiple scattered throughout. I was almost worried about One cutting his feet on the shards, but he was careful to avoid stepping on them. 

Each building looked long abandoned, some with broken boards and holes in the floor, leaving gaps which we would have to jump across. Naturally, when One couldn't make the jump, he'd have me make it over, then I would hold my hand out and catch his arm if he were to fall. I wasn't afraid of dropping him anymore like I was earlier. I knew I could catch him now. I had more faith in myself.

It was like we became a team. It was almost fun.

We were on our way through one of the last abandoned buildings before the lab, which I was most definitely dreading going to, but One assured me it would be okay. He then squeezed his way through a hole in the wall, leading to the next room, where an unshattered mirror was situated.

The first unshattered mirror I had seen yet on this journey.

I wasn't through yet, but I remember him describing it to me, and I remember what I saw on my end. 

I think that might have been the first time I ever saw him encounter his powers. 

From my point of view, I was trying to get through the same hole he just squeezed through. Once I did, I looked over to see him begin to space out, just staring at his reflection.

"One?" I asked, crawling through and standing up.

He then approached the mirror, like it was a siren calling him.

When he later described what was going on to me... he said that the unshattered mirror didn't show his reflection. Not to him, at least. Instead, it glowed. Like a bright, shining light off in the distance. He said it called him forward, closer and closer as if it was pulling him in. 

The ringing was loud to him. It was like white noise in his head. Even though I couldn't hear it, he sure could. He covered his ears and lowered his head, as he slowly walked towards the mirror.

"One?" My voice asked him again, only to him it had sounded so far away. He could barely even tell what direction the noise came from. He wasn't sure if it was me calling him, or the mirror.

Then, he said when he reached up for it and touched it, he could look up into it and see a hallway start to form. It was long and narrow. Somewhat blurry too, like the image of the hallway wasn't done loading. Then, he was suddenly brought back to that hallway. It was the exact hallway he saw at the beginning of this story. He fell forward as if someone had just shoved him down. 

Only, he described the hallway as appearing more clear than before. He said that it was dark and that the world echoed. He called my number in there, but no one could hear. He said he was all alone.

So, he looked down the hall, seeing that door again, just like before. Unshattered mirrors lined the hallway. So, he stood himself up and he ran forward, getting slightly further than he did last time. 

He said that as time went on, the world began to slow more and more until his movements were like slow motion. Then, before he knew it, he was on the floor again, me holding his arm and falling backward with him back in the real world, leaving a now shattered mirror in front of him.

"WHAT WAS THAT?!" I cried, shaking slightly. My voice cracked as I spoke, but I didn't care. "How'd you go inside the mirror?! What's going on?! Are you okay?!"

He looked around as if confused, then looked up at me, glass shards covering him. For once, he looked lost.

"What... happened?" He asked me as if I would know anything.

Was he seriously asking ME what happened?! How in the worlds would I have known?!

"I don't know! You walked into the mirror, then kinda just stood there. It was really freaking me out, so I reached in and grabbed you," I breathed, shaking slightly.

He paused, then slowly stood up, brushing the broken glass off of himself. "Not sure what that was all about," He laughed in an attempt to calm me down.

It didn't work. I had really thought I was about to lose him to some creepy mirror dimension. I was worried that he was just going to get stuck in there or something. "B-But you just... the mirror just... the mirror just ATE you!!" I cried, feeling tears form in my eyes.

"The mirror didn't eat me," One laughed, rolling his eyes. "Don't worry. I'm fine. See!" He urged, taking the paper bag off and showing me a soft smile. "I'm okay... it's still just me!"

I slowly calmed down, sniffing and nodding, grateful to see that he still looked exactly the same as before. He didn't get hurt or distorted in any way, shape, or form. So that was a relief.

Still was an extraordinarily ordinary child.

"Come on," He urged, waving me forward and reaching for the door out, completely ignoring whatever had just happened to him and dismissing the situation. "We've got to keep moving."