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mono·chop·sis
/ˈˈmänəˌkopsisˈ/
noun
noun: monochopsis
1. The subtle but persistent feeling of being out of place.
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Kribirsk, the Fold.
The coarse murmur of my associates' voices woke me from my slumber, along with the steady rumble of the shabby carriage we sat in. The air was tense. I blinked sloppily, the exhaustion from the trip left me weary and weighted. It took a moment to register the affronted look on my sister's face. "Alina?" I strained, my whisper drawing her attention.
Her gaze wandered slowly and I was lost as to what was going on in her mind. She smiled softly as our eyes connected, giving my hand a soft squeeze as if to reassure me. I wondered what had happened, studying the drained appearances of my colleagues.
They were haggard-looking, war-torn boys who were anything but nice. I knew one of them had to have said something, having been subjected to their snide remarks before. But they were just like the rest of us, worn from the constant war that encompassed us. They were just boys, who knew nothing but struggle.
I couldn't hold it against them. But I sure as hell wouldn't let their animosity go unchecked.
So, I took the chance to give a swift kick to the shin of the one who sat in front of me. It was a fairly weak blow, considering how famished we've all been since the rationing began. He still glowered at me.
"Cartographers, listen up. We're almost there. Pack up and be ready to leave. If you lose anything, you won't be getting a replacement," The carriage driver told us.
My sister and I were quick to gather our things, Alina slipping her notebook into her sack whilst I threw the sash of my courier bag over my shoulder. Ignoring the glares which the boy gave me, I waited for our arrival at the war-frontier. But the faint growl of the Volcra which rolled through the near vacant hills of Kribirsk shook us all to the core.
If I hadn't known any better, I'd think the noise would simply be a tectonic shift or something else of the sort.
The rest of the ride was spent in eerie silence, all of us fearing the mere idea of being in proximity of the darkness which was the Fold. Our gaunt faces had paled significantly since the haunting echo had reached us.
On our arrival, I was quick to reach solid ground. The familiarity of standing on land was something I had taken for granted when I was younger. It was grounding, something that connected me to the rest of the world. And seeing the relief on Alina's face, I knew she felt the same.
However, the bone-chilling cries of monsters in the dark were something unearthly and unkind. My eyes couldn't help but be drawn to the shield that protected the rest of Ravka from the Fold's clawing hands, and for a moment, I thought my heart had stopped in place. The cold hand of my sister brought me from my trance, and I quickly averted my eyes.
Unease bubbled inside me as I began walking, keeping my head down to stop myself from stealing another glance. All I wanted was to sleep.
"We're never going to see it go away," Alexei said in awe, "This abomination is going to be here forever."
YOU ARE READING
𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐖𝐄'𝐑𝐄 𝐃𝐄𝐀𝐋𝐓 - Shadow and Bone/ Grisha series (ON HIATUS)
Fanfiction[MIX OF BOTH THE SHOW AND BOOKS!] Delmira Starkov was simply a mapmaker before crossing the Fold, infamous for its darkness that split the country of Ravka in two. She was the girl that did everything for her sister, her only family. But after being...
