The Forgotten Numbers

Chapter 10 // Love

Two months later, 121 and I fully adjusted to the Purity royal lifestyle. We were given full control of Purity and two beautiful houses.

We were working on fixing the corrupt systems that spoiled Purity, removing laws that prevented two lovers from having a child of their own, and the number system. No one should suffer the harshness of the Outer Circle ever again. We wanted to create the utopia Purity was intended to be.

"Are you ready?" I asked 121, "We have to be at the funeral in one hour."

"Yeah, almost," she replied staring at herself in the mirror.

"It's going to be a beautiful ceremony. It will help give us closure; the last two and a half months have been a whirlwind of emotions."

"I know."

"The car's here, we gotta go."

We drove to the memorial garden in silence. I was nervous, and by the look on 121's face, I could tell she was too. Once we got there, we were astonished for the outcome. All of Purity was there, with no Outer or Inner Circles, there sure were quite a lot of people. The butterflies in my stomach carried me up to the stage, and 121 followed.

"Good afternoon citizens of Purity," I spoke into the microphone, "I would like to thank you all for coming to today's memorial. Many of you are friends or family of the deceased, and to you, I am very sorry for your loss. In the past, there was an Inner and Outer Circle dividing our citizens. Life in both areas was unjust. In the Outer Circle, people died of hunger, or they were murdered for their supplies. In the Inner Circle, citizens who broke any of the ridiculous laws that used to exist in Purity were sentenced to death by System EX. I'm glad to say that no one will have to suffer the same fate as these individuals ever again. My parents were killed by System EX for giving birth to me and 121, and it deeply saddens me that I was never able to meet them. Upon being released to the Outer Circle, I met a man that is the real reason Purity is pure now. His number was 324. I have done extensive research on him after obtaining my Balue Royal title trying to figure out why he saved us. Through the several thousand video cameras around purity, I now know this; 324 wasn't always a number, he used to be pure. He was friends with my Mother and Father, and when they got the notice to report to the government office with their children, 324 heated a metal spoon and branded himself. He sneaked out to the Outer Circle through the garbage disposal and waited outside the door, where they release children into the Outer Circle, for 7 hours. When we were thrown out, he took us to his shelter. He raised us with self-defence to survive in the Outer Circle and education to survive in the Inner Circle. He was originally going to wait until we were 18 to send us on our mission, but he contracted an illness and, knowing he was going to die, he sent us when we were 15. 324 knew if he sent us to terminate System EX we would end up finding out everything about ourselves and we would fix Purity. To honor him we are naming this park after the name he had to give up. So, everyone, welcome to Deon Park. This park will forever remember those who tragically passed away due to the past circumstances in Purity. Again, thank you all for coming."

121 placed her hand on my shoulder as a tear escaped my eye.

This is love.