Part 1 - Sickler's isolation
Sickler felt isolated from the world around him. As an infected shadow, he knew that he was different from others. While most shadows were kept in colonies, Sickler was forced to live as an outcast. This made him feel all the more distant from others.
One of the only people who didn't make Sickler feel like an outcast was Yosef. Yosef was a handsome man, who cared deeply for Sickler. Whenever he was around, Sickler felt like he was a part of something special.
One day, Yosef came to visit Sickler. Sickler was feeling lonely, and Yosef's presence made him feel better. Yosef came and sat down next to Sickler. They talked for a while, and Sickler started to feel better.
Yosef then leaned in and kissed Sickler tenderly. The kiss was enough to make Sickler forget about all of his troubles. For a moment, he felt like he was complete.
But just as suddenly as the kiss had come, Yosef pulled away. Sickler was confused and hurt. Why had Yosef kissed him, only to pull away so quickly?
Yosef's expression became serious. "Sickler, I can't keep doing this," he sighed. "I care about you, but we both know that this isn't right. You're infected and I'm not. We can't be together."
Sickler felt a deep ache in his chest. Yosef was right. As an infected shadow, Sickler was doomed to a life of loneliness and rejection. No matter how much he wished he could be normal, it was impossible.
"I understand," Sickler whispered. "I've always known we couldn't be together forever. But it still hurts."
Yosef took Sickler's hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. "I know, and I'm sorry. But we'll always be friends, Sickler. I promise."
With that, Yosef stood up and began to leave. Sickler wanted to beg him to stay, to hold him just a little longer, but he knew it was pointless. Yosef was right - they couldn't be together.
As Sickler watched him go, he felt more alone than ever before. The world was a cruel place for an infected shadow like him, and he was beginning to wonder if he would ever find happiness. But he knew one thing for sure - he would never forget the kindness that Yosef had shown him, even if it was only for a little while.
Sickler spent the rest of the day in his isolated corner of the world, contemplating his existence. He wondered if there were others like him out there - other infected shadows who were just as lonely as he was.
As he sat there, lost in thought, Sickler suddenly felt a strange sensation in his body. It was as if something inside of him had awakened. He didn't know what it was, but he knew that he needed to find out.
Sickler stood up and began to walk, driven by an unexpected and unexplainable force. He walked for what seemed like hours, until he finally came to a clearing in the forest. There, in the center of the clearing, stood a shimmering crystal.
Sickler approached the crystal cautiously, but as he got closer, he began to feel a strange energy emanating from it. He reached out to touch it, and as soon as his fingers made contact, the world around him began to spin.
When the spinning stopped, Sickler found himself in a completely new place. He looked around, confused and disoriented, when he heard a voice calling his name.
"Sickler! Over here!"
Sickler turned and saw a group of shadows, all gathered around a small campfire. As he approached, he saw that they were all infected, just like him.
"Welcome, Sickler," the closest one said, smiling warmly. "We've been waiting for you."
