Desire Saturated Areas first began to appear a year after the collapse. The Aftermath-Watch had described them on the news as locations where an accumulation of one desire far exceeded the rest, growing so potent, it transformed the entire location to become a representation of that desire itself, devouring anyone unlucky enough to fall prey.
Zeon had never seen one of them, though he had heard the horrors of such locations whispered amongst frequent zone hoppers, those with the means, the clearance and high enough tiers to be allowed transit between zones.
More than a quarter of Earth's population had been decimated by the collapse or erased from existence along with whole cities. Another good number of the remaining population had fallen victim to Desire Saturated Areas, trap locations that looked ordinary from the outside, but once within, would trap unsuspecting victims forever.
What made them even more terrifying was that these areas appeared randomly, too much to be adequately monitored by Aftermath-Watch.
This could have truly been an ordinary train station just a few months ago, but now...it was a trap zone.
Zeon had never anticipated that so soon after leaving Zone 12, he would encounter this.
He wasn't unlucky, that would at least mean there was an element of chance. This felt personal.
He took a wary step back, eyes shifting around the strange sights. Everything in this area was ever changing, fluorescent lights flickered, reds turned blues, flower pots turned glass sculptures, like the entire space was constantly trying to decide on what would be most enticing to its newest victims.
Enough to trap them in its novelty for all time.
"Novelty... the unending pursuit of the new and unusual..." Lilith murmured, also scanning their surroundings.
A mechanical chime sounded from somewhere far off. A woman's voice announced a departure, but the train never came and the announcing voice switched to that of a man mid-sentence, and then a child at the end of it.
Lilith gripped the sleeve of his jacket tightly. "This place... it's alive." She hissed beneath her breath.
[System Notification]
[Ambient Desire detected: NOVELTY]
[Desire saturation: 93%]
[Danger: EXTREME.]
Zeon barely acknowledged the alert. He yanked Lilith after him, sprinting for the rusted stairwell that led back to the street.
The moment his boots touched the first step, the air shattered around them. Reality tore open like paper and they fell. Not down the stairs or backwards, the world tilted and they fell sideways, straight into a swirling black hole.
---
After what felt like an eternity, they hit the ground hard. Zeon rolled on instinct, helping Lilith up to her feet.
The world spun around them, and when it finally settled, the first thing that greeted them was chaotic music and flashing neon lights.
Somehow, they now stood in the center of a booming carnival right on top of a railway. It was massive, neon lights flashing everywhere. All around were dizzying rides hanging off broken archways, circus clowns manned stalls.
They yelled over the music as they called out their goods: dresses that changed colour and style by the second, treats that had all the flavours combined in one.
Just like before, the hollow-gazed people rushed past in every direction, laughing, screaming, eating, kissing.
No purpose or destination. Just constantly seeking the next new experience.
The air reeked of sugar and gasoline, and there was a long row of stalls with mouthwatering street food.
Zeon's eyes squinted slightly, recoiling when he noticed the stall with steaming, spicy looking skewers, ripple and change to a stall overflowing with his favourite candy.
Lilith spun around in a circle, her eyes wide. "What the hell...?"
Zeon had the same question in mind.
"Stay close." He warned, tone low. "Don't look too long at anything."
That warning was more for his own benefit.
He shoved his hands into his pockets to hide the way they were twitching. The air here wasn't normal. Every sound, smell, every flash of color teased at his skin. Like it wanted him to join, to lose himself, to chase something he didn't even know he wanted.
His tattered, ruined clothes suddenly looked too drab. It felt itchy too...
Zeon shook his head quickly, suppressing the lure.
Each new sight clawed at his mind, whispering; "you've never seen this before, you've never felt this before, don't you want more?"
He felt something slithering under his skin. His hands twitched, itching to reach out, to grab something, anything new.
[System Notification]
[Desire Influence Detected]
[Commencing Leech Protocol]
A jolt of strength flooded his body and he hissed through his teeth. His body jolted faintly as the system absorbed the amassed desire from the surrounding madness. The Parasite fed hungrily, consuming the endless novelty cravings saturating the crowd.
It triggered in him a sharp pulse of something clearer, harder. A mental slap to the face, that severed the carnival's pull.
[System Event]
[New Ability Unlocked: Anchored Will – Temporary immunity to mental desire influences.]
[Class: Tier 2]
[Transfer potential: Limited]
He turned to Lilith just in time to see her transfixed on a spinning ride shaped like a wheel of mirrors. Every reflection showed a different version of him when Zeon stared at it. One stronger, one happier, one all dressed up in an expensive tux.
Versions of himself he had at one point or the other wished to be.
Zeon grabbed her hand, squeezing hard enough to hurt. "It's not real."
"Look at me," Zeon barked.
She flinched. "I..."
He didn't let her finish.
"Initiate anchor in bond mate 1." Zeon hissed, His system flared in response. A wave of numbing clarity spread around them.
Suddenly the world lost some of its color. The desperate pull, the addictive whisper promising endless thrills, dulled.
They pushed through the crowd.
A few grabbed at Zeon's jacket, murmuring about rides that changed your body and games that let you rewrite your past.
Zeon ran.
Every few feet, something new lay in waiting, calling for attention. Zeon sighted a shooting gallery where the targets were living memories;
He didn't stop.
He dragged Lilith along until the pavement cracked under their boots, revealing a black ripple in the air.
It could have been the exit, or not. Zeon didn't hesitate.
He shoved Lilith forward, leaping in after.