(Trigger Warning: Suicide)

~ Two Months Later ~

Dearest Six,

Hi! It's One. It's been a while. I know you'll never get this, but I'm writing anyway. I suppose this is less for you and more for me. Writing like this makes me feel less alone. Not that I'm completely alone! I have my mask with me!

You should meet my mask! You'd love him! He's my new companion! I keep him attached to my belt. Just for safekeeping!

A lot has changed since you... you know. Don't worry about it, though! I assume now that you must have let go by accident or something. Or maybe you had a really good reason. I don't blame you. It was probably my fault anyway.

I knew very well that it wasn't my fault. I was just trying to convince myself that it was. It was easier to blame myself

All is forgiven. I'm kinda laying low for a while. After I escaped, I teleported out to the mainland. Since everyone probably thinks I'm dead, I kinda had to escape. I found my way onto a massive ship, which just left the port not long ago. I don't really know who runs it yet, but maybe people are nicer here! I have high hopes.

I still miss you. My mask gives me good company... but sometimes I wish it was you and not him here. Not that I'm not grateful for him. He's a great friend. I never have to worry about him leaving me! You should hear him, he says the funniest stuff! Together, after I bring back the sun, me and him are going to become comedians or something! Wouldn't that be fun? Maybe you could come by and see our show sometime. I know you hated my jokes... but it would be nice to see that you're still alive.

I paused my writing, biting the pen I found and thinking of that last sentence. I could only hope that he was still alive. He had to still be alive.

I let out a small sigh, then finished the letter by saying that I missed him and hoped that he found light in his future, even though we both clearly lived in the dark.

I looked around myself. I was on the lower decks of the boat. Not the lowest level, but the second-lowest. The rooms where suitcases and supplies were located. I had no idea what kind of ship I had snuck onto, but it was massive. I also had no idea where it was sailing, but I knew it was heading far away, which was exactly where I needed to go.

I folded the letter up and stuck it into the back pocket of my pants. I really missed all the pockets I used to have in my jacket but was grateful for the few I had left.

It had been a month, so a majority of my burns had healed for the most part. I brushed my now black hair over my left eye to hide the yellow. I then limped over to a small mirror, which was hung up on the wall. My right foot was still severely cut from the piece of mirror I stepped on a month ago. It didn't heal because whenever I walked the wound would just re-open. I would always leave a bloody trail wherever I went. Not that it mattered. No one else was down in this section of the boat with me.

I sighed as I looked at my reflection, then reached my hand forward and touched the mirror, not to teleport, but something else. A new trick I learned was to distort my reflection, that way I could see what I wanted instead of what was real. I changed my reflection's appearance from what it was to what it used to be, a happy young boy with brown eyes and a paper bag over his head, being comforted by his large jacket as he smiled through his eyes. It felt nice to see that me, even if I knew that it wasn't technically ME anymore.

I missed that me.

I didn't really have a solid plan anymore. My checklist couldn't be less vague. So far, the only goal I had was to stay alive and keep my mask safe so we could someday bring the sun back like I always told myself I would.

I missed having Blumiere around. With him, the path seemed so clear. I knew what I was doing and where I was going. But now? I had no idea. I usually wasn't one to just sit around and wait for stuff to happen since I never liked wasting precious time, but there really wasn't much else to do.

I supposed I could start by figuring out what kind of boat I was actually on. I hardly paid any attention when I initially snuck on since my only goal was to get as far away from the city as possible. There were tons of people getting on, so it couldn't just be a cargo ship. Perhaps a large ferry or a cruise line. Though it was hard to imagine anyone going on vacation in this world.

The ground was covered in a thin layer of cold rainwater. There was a small amount of moonlight seeping through the cracks in the walls, where salty seawater would leak through. The cut on my foot stung with each step and left a trail of blood, but I tried not to mind.

The atmosphere around me felt somewhat eerie, especially since I was all alone. Well, not completely alone, since I had my mask with me.

I decided to do some exploring, so I walked through the cargo room and into a small hallway which was clearly not meant to be walked through since the ceilings were too low for most adults. I was still able to walk in, however. I only had to bend my knees slightly to keep my head from hitting the ceiling.

I wished I still had my flashlight to illuminate the darkness. I needed to find a way to replace it soon.

I wanted to find a set of stairs so I could make my way to the upper levels of the ship. Even though those levels would likely be filled with people, I preferred it to the damp and cold lower levels I was currently trapped in. When I initially broke in, I just climbed up the side of the boat and crawled into the first open window I could find, which happened to be somewhat near the bottom.

There were a few glass bottles situated on the ground which I accidentally kicked and shattered as I walked since the darkness obscured my still blurry view. (My vision had still yet to fully recover. I desperately hoped I wouldn't need glasses.) The shattering noise echoed and cut through the silence like a hot knife through butter in a way that made me jump. I was careful not to step on any of the glass pieces as I walked past, until the ceiling raised, leading to what looked like a small maintenance room where-

I had to bite down on my fist to keep from gagging. There was a high window where the moonlight shined through, illuminating the room with a light blue color. In the middle was a tipped-over wooden chair. Above it was a tall, thin man, his arms and body limply hanging from the ceiling. A thick rope connected his neck to a ceiling beam. I looked down and away as if that would take the image out of my brain.

It didn't.

I knew the world was cruel, but... this felt unreal. The fact that this person decided to give up instead of continuing to fight. I could only imagine the horrors he endured. Especially since he was an adult, so he clearly made it past the hard part and got to adulthood.

There was a small note on the floor. I could only imagine who it was left for. Perhaps a person this man cared for. Despite my better judgment, I picked up the letter and read.

No escape, no escape, no escape, no escape, no escape, no escape.

She won't let me out. This is the only way. She won't let me leave. She won't let anyone leave. She's always watching. It's so dark and cold.

LET ME OUT

I swallowed and put the note down, silently wondering who "she" was.

Looking to my right, I could  see a wooden door. There was a large eye carved onto it. It almost made me feel like I was being watched. Not that it was a new feeling. I always felt like the world had its eyes on me. Being born a One, it was almost like I was forced onto center stage and no matter how many times I auditioned for the ensemble, I was forced to play a lead. I don't want to sound ungrateful for being born with a high number, but sometimes I really do wish I wasn't me. What I wouldn't give to be a 100, the weakest number anyone could be ranked.

I sighed, seeing that the doorknob was too tall for me to reach, so I reluctantly went back to that chair below the hanging man, muttering a small "Sorry," as I dragged it over towards the door. I hoisted myself up onto the chair once it was in position, then grabbed the doorknob, pushing the door open and hopping off the chair, into the next room.

It was dark and I could feel the density of the water thicken and grow sticky, which made me cringe slightly. It was too dark for me to tell what I was walking in, but the texture felt almost like cold mud that was a little too runny.

For a brief second, it almost looked as if there was something lurking in the shadows, but it quickly darted to the left before I could get a good look, making me jump at the sudden movement.

My curiosity lead me to chase after it, but at a slower more stealthy pace, since I didn't really feel like running, especially on my still hurt foot. Whatever I was chasing seemed to disappear through a vent in the corner, so I walked over, prying the vent cover open and crawling through.

"Hello?" I whispered softly.

After a minute of crawling, I came to another vent cover. I was able to kick it out with my good foot, then hop into what looked like a tiny hideaway with a small lantern that was lit in the middle of the room. The room was far too small for any adults to fit, not that they could access it since the vent seemed to be the only way in and out.

I looked around. I thought I was all alone, when a small circular white thing suddenly appeared, holding its little stubby arms out to the small flame which emitted heat, which was so comforting it made me want to lie down and fall asleep. It had been a long time since I fell asleep feeling secure and warm.

I looked at the little white guy. It almost looked like a ghost, but not a normal ghost. This one was round and its eyes were black. As soon as it caught me looking at it, it covered its eyes and turned away as if it was trying to hide. I giggled slightly at its silly appearance, then took a step back.

"Don't worry, I get it. Most people are afraid of me," I said. "I won't bother you."

I then turned away, crawling back up through the vent and leaving the little ghost thingy alone.

After my little encounter with Blumiere, I wasn't about to force something else to go on a daring journey with me. Especially since the little white ghost thing didn't seem to be in need of any saving. Sure, I could try to find a way to get it off this boat, but I didn't even know if that was what the ghost really wanted. In the end, it was probably better to just leave some things alone instead of trying to fix and help everything I saw.

In the end, not everything wants to be helped.