Truth About Fear

Naran moved as he adjusted himself to the new clothes.

He wore a black and red windbreaker set. Originally he was going to wear jeans and a hoodie, but he found them too restricting.

He wore a basic black tee under the windbreaker jacket. The jacket itself was a more thin variant than some of the more well known ones. Due to this he felt no discomfort in the heat. He left it unzipped for maximum flexibility.

Orin nodded, "Not bad, they fit you well. Now follow me, it's time for you to learn the more fine details of a Fear."

Naran followed Orin throughout the Camp. The Camp itself wasn't a basic one. Buildings were placed in a circle, as if surrounding something. There was an opening in the south, allowing people to move in and out with ease. Between the buildings was a mix of different things. Occasionally there would be a tent. Naran spotted Horis in one, tinkering with something.

Besides the tents that held various usage, there was also open aired setups with different unidentifiable objects on them. There were small groups of people around these, discussing amongst themselves.

Orin paused in the middle of the building encirclement, "Ah, first let me explain our Camp."

He pointed to the north building, "That's the medical ward, simultaneously the most used and unused building of the entire Camp."

He then began to list the buildings clockwise, "There's the Gym, we use it for Fear training however. That's the food hall, meals are served at Six am, Twelve pm, and Six pm respectively. If you miss those hours usually there are leftovers, but it won't be hot. That's the garage, it's rarely in use however for we tend to park the more used vehicles outside. That's the backup generator station, we take our main power through the normal channels. However backups aren't unnecessary. The big one is the dorms, you'll probably have a roommate due to our lack of space. Finally that's the recon headquarters. We have a special team working almost tirelessly to locate possible Hopes and Desires with special equipment."

He snapped his fingers, "They also work as our R&D department part-time. That device you saw back at the shack was one of their creations."

Orin began walking towards the Gym as he continued, "The tents and tables are put up by the residents, as long as no one has any issues with your setup, you're fine to use it as you please."

He opened the Gym doors, and gestured Naran inside. His eyes quickly adjusted and he saw another two people conversing. They spotted Naran, stared for a moment, and continued their conversation.

Orin shut to door and looked over, "Ah, that's our other rookie. Found her during a Desire incident. She's currently being instructed by Dale, he will most likely be teaching you as well. Not right now however, I'll be explaining a few things first."

Orin lifted a folding chair from the walls and opened it, "Any questions before we begin?"

Naran shook his head.

Orin placed the chair before grabbing another, "Then take a seat."

Naran sat obediently as Orin struggled slightly with a stubborn chair. With a forceful push it folded open and he sat. Pulling out another lollipop he stuck it in his mouth and began, "There are a few... key details about wielding a Fear. You will need to revisit the very memory that made you develop this Fear. Moreover it will be exactly how it occurred, your present self will have zero effect on the memory. So it will be just as terrifying, just like you remember."

Orin smiled, "However, you don't need to go through this process! You already seem to be able to use it, even if only slightly. The fact you are able to do so makes you almost on par with the founders. All of them are incredibly powerful."

His smile faded as he continued, "There's also something you should know. The physical form of Hope... It's a bit more than something being born. It's Hope itself, by killing it we also kill that Hope within people. That's why we only investigate Hopes that are close to becoming a Desire, so we don't kill off something unnecessary."

He leaned back, "Sometimes... Hopes faded without our input. Every once and awhile on a job you may notice that your very target simply vanishes. We... don't hold a lot of power. By that I mean we aren't an official government force. In fact we are hated by many because we kill the very hope they cling to."

He put back on a smile, almost forcefully, "Sorry if this is a lot, Dale's better at explaining things than I am. Your lessons with him will begin soon. Don't be nervous, Dale is a smooth guy. I'm sure you'll feel right at home in no time."

Orin stood and walked over to the two. After a quick conversation he made a thumbs up at Naran and beckoned him over.

Naran walked over as Orin began to leave. As they passed Orin patted Naran's shoulder, "Be confident."

Dale made a warm smile on his face as he greeted, "Hello! You're Naran right?"

Naran nodded, "Yes."

"I'm Dale, though I'm sure you know that already. I assume Orin filled you in on the basics?"

"Yes."

"Very good, I was just about to answer a very good question by Yun over here. How can you become stronger?"

Dale held up a finger, "Well, the answer is slowly. There is no shortcut, though some Fears are capable of temporarily exploding in strength. Despite that rare occurrence, the natural way to increase your strength is by using your Fear. The natural strength of a Fear stems from your actual fear. Once you wield it you naturally become more afraid of the object of your fear. Meaning slowly this cycle continues until you find your limit."

Dale shrugged, "The limit is different for everyone, a natural limit of how much you can fear something. So as long as you continuously use your Fear, you should naturally grow stronger."

"However I have something to give your beginning journey a slight boost."

Dale handed Naran a pair of fingerless black gloves, and gave Yun a bracelet.

Yun put it on and asked, "What is it?"

"Fear amplifiers. For some reason these only work for beginners, and become useless once you reach a certain level. Otherwise they would be priceless! If you wear these your control over your fear will be amplified to a certain extent. Essentially giving you an easier time in the beginning."

Naran followed Yun's example and put on the gloves. Yun eyes the gloves and asked, "Why do I get the bracelet?"

"It suits your type of fear better. If you want something different looking you can talk to Yuwela."

"It's fine then."

Dale's warm smile brightened, "Great! Thankfully you both don't have to go through the painful beginning process. For now let's work on your basic control. Naran we will find you a room soon. For now let's go see if Ryan is free."