Blink

Chapter 16: Extraction I.

MICHAEL'S POV

"Do you know where you are Michael?" a man asked me. He wore a red coat that shone bright, hiding his face from me.

"Is it heaven?" I asked.

"I wish it was heaven, but it isn't. This a network of sorts, that a select living and dead, traverse." The man replied to me.

"So, am I dead?" I asked in fear of his response.

"No, you are not dead, not yet at least. But wouldn't it be fair to call those that converse with the dead, dead? Even if they are alive? Sleep is a death simulation after all" the man replied with a smile in his voice

"So, you are dead?" I asked the man in fear.

"Yes, I am, but isn't the state of being dead permanent in comparison to being alive?" The man said in a cheery tone.

"What is this place?" I asked the man.

"That is for the dead to know, and for the living to wonder" the man replied

"Mich-"

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! Ryuuki's alarm clock rang, waking me up. I violently removed the alarm clock batteries and retired to my bed, but now I couldn't sleep. I had the same dream again, the dream I had been having since I got to the creed and as usual, it seemed more than a dream, was it a vision? Or a message? I wasn't sure.

"Why can't that bastard stop being philosophical and just tell me what's going on" I muttered to myself as I walked to the training arena.                                                                                                                    

On arrival to the creed, Ryuuki was assigned to me as my personal Guardian and thanks to Delai's suggestions, I was also made to share a room with Ryuuki, so we could "bond" and "respect our differences". My biggest issue with Ryuuki was his alarm clock, it never woke him up, but it always woke me up. Did I discuss it with him? Yes, I did, and he always agreed to stop using the alarm clock, but somehow, it always rang again at 4am.

So, there I was, walking to the training grounds as early as 4:30am because I couldn't sleep. "I should hide that alarm clock later this morning" I muttered as I walked into the training arena, and as usual, Ella was there sparring with Delai, or rather, getting beaten up by Delai.

"Hello Michael" Delai waved at me.

"Good morning Delai" I said weakly

"Don't tell me you are still angry at me for making you Ryuuki's roommate" Delai said with a mocking tone.

"You are definitely going to pay for that" I replied with a scornful tone.

"Why don't you do that right now, by sparring with me!" Delai said in a cheery tone.

"No thanks" I replied her with a calmer tone. I knew better than to spar with Delai. Something told me she was getting tired of beating Ella, and she needed something new to beat up.

I went on to jog around the training quarters, not because I wanted to but because the doctor of the creed, Ritchie, said exercise could activate my blink.

"Hey Michael, let's spar shall we?" I heard Ryuuki say behind me.

"Sure" I replied. I preferred the idea of sparring with Ryuuki in comparison to sparring with Delai, not because Ryuuki was weaker, but because Ryuuki was actually sparring to teach me, not to break me. Plus, he always seemed sleepy for some reason.