PROJECT: Incarnation

The ultimate sacrifice | 18

The duties of a leader are never ones to be underestimated. A leader is responsible for all of their team members and their well-beings. A leader is responsible to guide them and protect them from any harm. A good leader strives to act as such.

Ashe had learnt that the hard way.

Being the second PROJECT to deviate from the company's constant manipulation, she had tried to help the others escape as well. It was a duty she had gotten upon herself because they deserved freedom as much as she did. Somehow, they had followed her, believing her to be the only stride of hope they had to be free again. After all, she had managed to break her chains all on her own. She had the key to liberty. Yet, she had failed them and the result of that was losing one of her closest companions, Katarina.

A day didn't pass without her reminiscing all those harsh words they had exchanged during their last encounter and how Katarina had stormed out, never to be seen again until later when she returned to being a PROJECT puppet. Ashe didn't consider herself a good leader for she had allowed her arrogance and her pride to cloud her judgement. She oathed to never make the same mistake again. There was no space for mistakes. The long path to incarnation ran through miles of clouded hell and she needed to be the right leader for the sake of her companions.

Trying to teach them how to be human again was especially challenging indeed. She wasn't absolutely sure herself how to function in certain circumstances but she tried to learn through her experiences and share them with her team. Others were easier to teach and others, well, not so. It took great effort to even teach them even the basics like how to smile. Ashe was convinced that this was way more difficult than any other mission they had gone through.

But if they fell a million times, they would rise a million and one.

Ashe had learned her lesson and she was being extra careful with how she was treating each of them. She knew all of their strengths but also their weaknesses and she could tell when someone was underperforming. No one could miss her hawkeye, not even the most discreet ones. That's why she instantly noticed when Fiora grew quieter - quieter than usual anyway. She remained silent and indifferent for the most part which was something odd, considering she always had an opinion on any matter. But now she didn't seem to care at all. She seemed to be lost in her own world of thought.

Ashe decided to approach her slowly and steadily. Fiora could be very bipolar whenever given the circumstances so she could never be exactly sure how the duelist would react. Fiora sat in a corner, away from her fellow companions before her leader joined her.

"Hey," Ashe spoke first. Fiora acknowledged her with a simple nod. "Is everything alright?"

Fiora didn't respond immediately. Her gaze remained locked on the floor, probably not even looking at it. "I guess so."

"You don't seem so, though," Ashe pointed out. "You can always tell me what bothers you."

Fiora hesitated but eventually spoke. "It's just that I'm having some flashbacks. Not anything specific - just a name. Grand Duelist."

Ashe let her finish first before asking, "What do you think this means?"

"Probably it's a name they used to call me in my days of glory. I don't know, I don't really remember," Fiora shrugged her shoulders. "And then there's a vague figure I can't wrap my finger around. I had a lover, as much as I can recall but I can't recall their face."

»The more I find out, the more I realize how much we lost, how much they deprived us from. A life, an identity. It's not fair, Ashe, and it enrages me."

Fiora clenched her fists. She was never one to show too much emotion but right now she was really upset, as far as Ashe could tell.

"It's not fair not just for us but for our families. This lover of mine, how do you think they might feel about the whole situation? How do you think they would react knowing I don't even fucking remember them?" The dueler growled. "PROJECT Inc has ruined more lives than they could ever take credit for!"