Chapter 5

Soleil had long since led Alyx away. It would be his first time outside the house, since the previous times were brief moments that did not count.

Alyx's big eyes looked around in wonder. "It's so bright out!!" he exclaimed.

The light from the sun was minimal, but it reflected off the icy landscape and created a bright glow.

Soleil grinned at her brother's excitement. After seeing the same scene every day, she had long grown tired of the sight.

"It'll be even prettier when we get to the southern fortress. There'll be so many pretty things there, I'm sure of it."

"Really!?"

"Mhmm. But not like this. It'll be warm, and sunny, and colorful."

"What's it feel like? When it's sunny?"

Soleil tilted her head, thinking. "Umm, like a fire!"

She nodded, repeating herself. "Yes, like a fire. But it won't hurt when you get close."

"That sounds nice…" Alyx mumbled, his lips turning slightly blue from the cold.

"Wear your scarf properly," Soleil scolded as she wrapped it tightly over his mouth. It had fallen loose during his long rants.

The two children had been walking since dawn. There was no point waiting for the sun to warm the earth, since temperatures in the snowy wasteland rarely rose higher than freezing.

Luckily Alyx was easily distracted enough, and they managed to walk a good distance before he needed to rest.

By now they had reached the edges of the town Soleil was used to searching. She didn't bother looking in the buildings, as she had already searched each more than a dozen times.

Soleil carried two small backpacks, filled to the brim with the leftover lynx. It was a shame, though, as much of it ended up going to waste.

Alyx had helped carry his bag in the beginning, but later on he struggled to merely carry himself, leading Soleil to take over. It would be a miracle if she did not need to carry him as well.

Even so, Soleil did not rush. She was not particularly eager to reach the southern fortress. Rather, she dreaded the day they would arrive.

Soleil would be happy as long as they reached the south in one piece. At times like this, Soleil thanked their odd constitutions. They were stronger than normal children, and hopefully, would never progress to the state of other anomalies.

Soleil had been strengthened by her daily outings, and Al, who mostly stayed inside, was having a harder time keeping up. His age, being 3 years younger than Soleil also played a factor.

However, Soleil believed the genetic modification to not have fully affected him. His hair, previously a dark black, had lightened into a reddish-brown. His eyes gained a red hue, amber colored, to mimic the dark red coloration of Soleil's.

The day Alyx began showing signs of mutation was also the day his mother died.

The small group of survivors consisted of Alyx's parents and a few others. Hazel joined later on, after a few years of wandering.

They were hesitant at first to accept an elderly lady and small child, but Hazel's exceptional medical skills won them over.

A year had passed mostly uneventfully, save for the deaths of a few. Accidents, they were. Truly unfortunate. Among them, was Alyx's father.

Food grew scarcer than it already was, and oftentimes the entire group would share one meal. Their numbers dwindled lower as they took more risks, eventually leaving Hazel, Soleil, Alyx, and his mother.

It could be thought that prolonged exposure to an abnormality like Soleil caused Alyx and his mother to likewise mutate. Alyx, being young, adapted easily. His mother, however, was weakened from starvation and stress.

Hazel, previously a nurse in the Institute, had the benefit of vaccine exposure. The vaccine…could not even be called a vaccine. It was akin to blind testing, working on a select few lucky enough to have compatible genes.

It had taken two years for Alyx's changes to stabilize. Luckily, Alyx's appearance would garner no suspicion.

Soleil would need to think of an excuse before they reached the fortress, as white hair and dark red eyes were not common traits seen among humans.

With that thought, she gasped. "Albino!"

"Al…? Me?" Alyx questioned, confused.

Soleil snickered, "its me, Al."

She struggled to find words to help him understand, finally settling on a simple explanation. "Its how I look. The people at the southern fortress won't question us because of it."

Alyx nodded his head, "It's a good word!"

"Yes, yes it is."