Siren's Elegy Volume 1: Orphans of Ashen Earth

Chapter 11: A Tear in the Seams

June 17, 4021 08:30 [Zìyóugǎng- Lunar Gate Trait Acclimation Center]

Vivian reclined in the shade of an orchid tree, languidly observing the training session unfolding nearby. In the blazing summer heat stood Akula wearing nothing but shorts, gritting his teeth in deep concentration as he attempted to transfer an ounce of his own blood between two sterile containers situated on opposite ends of the open-air training arena. His blood floated in the shape of an amorphous orb between his palms as he carefully shuffled from one end of the arena to the other. Surrounding him, the other boys, similarly stripped down to their shorts, relayed instructions to their friend as he trained to perfect his 'Blood Manipulation' aptly named by Cecil. They had been at it for roughly two days continuing this ritual for the third morning in a row. While the boys toiled in the 30° C weather, Aisha sat cross-legged close to Vivian, practicing her own skills.

Her expression appeared dull, telling signs that something was bothering her. Vivian could already guess what occupied her thoughts; two days prior she had overheard Mirai and Aisha in a heated argument embroiling into Mirai's insistence that they remain platonic. Aisha's only response was to stare at him with a morose and confused expression. It was sobering to witness. Vivian concluded it need not be made public, so she kept her lips sealed, ready to dole out advice should her friend seek her counsel.

Aisha took a handful of sand at her feet, letting the coarse material run through her fingertips, catalyzing it in her palms to form glass. Like Akula, her abilities had evolved since the terrorist attack on the plaza. She could now convert matter into another product given that it was theoretically possible and did not require massive amounts of catalysis or compression to form. Small reactions like sand to glass and carbon to coal were within the range of her newfound Trait mutation that Vivian had dubbed 'Conversion'. Unlike Aisha and Akula, neither Mirai nor Indra had developed any new Trait mutations with Indra still failing to manifest any semblance of a Trait. To compensate for their lack of genetic growth Mirai had opted to learn some new conduction techniques from Cecil, practicing by channeling his 'Static' into a silver baton while Indra focused on building up his physical attributes, egged on by Akula.

Vivian utilized the opportunity to record their performances so she could analyze the data later as part of her research. She was enjoying the time off, taking in all the vistas the city had to offer, sampling the local delicacies, shopping for new clothes, and partaking in the revelry whenever they went out to explore as a group. Though she had lived in the city for twenty-six years she had seldom left the neighborhood that she had grown up in. Raised by her father, Colonel Tiānshàng Jìguāng, Lunar Gate's Matriarchs and research labs were the only other places she had frequented during her formative years. She had undoubtedly stepped out of her comfort zone in the past few days, eager to experience the next day's adventures.

She glanced over at Indra who was attempting to perform handstand push-ups while his feet were held up by Cecil. His muscles tightened, taught fibers wrapping around his slight frame as he descended and ascended in sync with Akula's invigorating chants. Completing his final set of push-ups the Traitless Homunculus loosened his stance. Cecil let go of Indra's legs, allowing his back to slam into the ground as he knocked the air out of himself, wheezing and laughing with the others. Despite Aisha's advice to talk to Indra about her concerns, Vivian hadn't had the opportunity to speak with him one-on-one. At least that's how she wanted to perceive the situation, trying adamantly to discourage the notion that she had been actively avoiding encounters where they could speak alone.

The Homunculi finished their training for the day, hitting the showers before leaving the arena for a nearby park. Casual clothes suited them best, in Vivian's opinion. She and Aisha donned thin blouses, hers a light pink and Aisha's a summery green, complemented by high-waist shorts. The boys opted for cargo shorts of varying shades of grey with the only noticeable difference being the type of shirt they were wearing. Akula and Mirai chose plain t-shirts with solid color profiles. Indra and Cecil decided to wear short-sleeved button-up shirts, with Indra sporting patterned vertical stripes and bandages once again wrapped around his tattooed arm whilst Cecil dressed in a simple floral print. Everyone seemed more relaxed and at ease. Although Vivian could still sense the tension between Mirai and Aisha, for the most part their vacation had worked wonders in de-stressing the group.