--- Behind the Scenes ---
Author: Hey Zero, when will you go away?
Zero: Hmmm. When I feel like it.
Author: That's not a clear answer...
Zero: It's not supposed to be
Author: Give me a clear answer, damn it!
Zero: .........
Author: What? Why the sudden silence?
Zero: Shut up. I'm in an important game moment.
Author: Wha? Oh, er... Okay...
Zero: And done.
Author: ...that was fast
Zero: Eh. Noobs
Author: Woah there, that's kinda cruel, no?
Zero: That's nothing. I have some choice words if you want actual cruel
Author: Aight. Let's stop here, then... Wait, you're changing the subject!
Zero: Kek, am I now?
Author: Grrr... This piece of---
--- Start of Chapter ---
[Helios, Medical Bay, 3rd POV]
Lei: "Sora-chan... is it?"
The little girl nodded slowly.
Mei: "I see, then, shall we introduce ourselves?"
But the little girl shook her head slowly.
Sora: "Dr. Tesla already told me your names... Nice to meet you, Lei-sama, Mei-sama."
Lei: "Pfft---"
Trying to hold her laugh, Lei looked away while Mei made a troubled smile.
Mei: "No need to call us like that. Just Mei and Lei are fine, Sora-chan."
Sora: "...um."
Sora nodded her head slowly.
Mei: "Now, onto the other matters..."
Sora: "...?"
Mei: "What were you doing there? What happened that caused you to be laying on the ground unconscious?"
Sora: "..."
At her questions, Sora made a particular expression before looking down at her arm.
It was covered in bandages.
Lei: "Ah, don't worry about those injuries. They'll be gone in no time."
As an effort to assure her, Lei said so while smiling softly.
Sora: "...um..."
Lei: "Hm?"
Mei: "Yes?"
Sora: "..."
Mei: "What's wrong, Sora-chan? Are you hungry? Do you want me to make you something?"
Concerned at her being silent again, Mei asked her.
Sora showed a shy expression before she slowly gazed out the window. There was a certain meaning behind that face.
Lei: "...hm? Ah, Sora-chan, did you lose something?"
Lei didn't miss it out as she asked her the question.
Hearing that, Sora slowly nodded.
Sora: "Mark II..."
Mei: "Hm? What is it?"
Sora: "A tiny and round robot. He's a very important part of me..."
Lei tilted her head.
Lei: "A part of you? What do you mean?"
Sora seemed to realize that she had used strange words and explained more.
Sora: "Mark II is a robot that Sensei gave me. It can store memories... And because I don't have a good memory, it's a very important thing for me to keep him by my side..."
Mei: "Ah, I see..."
Lei: "Is that so..."
Lei and Mei made a thinking gesture while Sora shifted her gaze again to the window.
Mei: "...wait."
Lei: "Hm?"
Mei's mutter was heard by Lei.
Mei: "I think I've seen it just around the area where we found Sora."
Lei: "Eh? Really?"
Mei nodded.
Mei: "I'll go fetch it right now---"
Her voice was cut mid sentence by the mechanical sound of a pair of doors being opened.
The two girls---oh, Sora looked as well---the three girls shifted their eyes toward the entrance door to the room. Or to be specific, toward the girl that was standing before it.
Leila: "I found this."
She held out a tiny robot.
Sora: "Ah, Mark II!"
Sora exclaimed. Just by that, Leila already noticed what the situation was and walked toward her before giving it to her.
Sora: "Thank you so much... Err...?"
Just as Sora was about to convey her gratitude, she realized something. The girl that gave her the robot had an identical face to Lei, with their eyes being a different color as the only difference.
Lei: "Ah, right! Sora-chan, meet Leila, my Onee-chan!"
Sora: "Ah, I see... Thank you so much, Leila-Neesama."
Lei: "Pfft---"
Leila: "..."
The way Sora called her suddenly made Lei break a laugh, well if not for the fact that she held it in. Still, the fact that she was laughing didn't escape Leila's sight.
So, she---
Lei: "---Brugh?!"
Smacked her in the head in less than a second.
Sora, who couldn't see what happened in that instant, only tilted her head, clearly confused at Lei's sudden change of act. Meanwhile, Mei awkwardly looked away.
Sora: "What's wrong, Lei?"
Concerned at her sudden shift of reaction, Sora asked.
Lei: "N-no... I-it's nothing... Guwah... My head..."
She softly rubbed her head while waving toward Sora as a way to assure her.
Leila: "Sora, just call me Leila. No need for that follow up."
Her sudden remark made the girl in question look at her before nodding a bit.
Sora: "I understand, Leila."
Leila: "Hm, good."
Lei: "Ugh... My Onee-chan is resorting to violence these days..."
Mei: "Er... Let's get back to the topic at hand."
With an awkward look, Mei said toward the three girls.
Lei: "A-ahem... Now that you got your companion bot back, why don't you turn it on so we could know what actually happened?"
Lei did a fake cough before she gave Sora a suggestion.
Sora: "Ah, right. Usually, when I want to speak with Mark II, I just say... Mark II, Mark II, who am I? And after that, it will respond like..."
...but no sound came from the little robot.
Sora: "Eh? D-did Mark II die...? M-Mark II...?"
Seeing that there was no response from the robot, Sora started to tear up.
Lei: "A-ah, don't cry, Sora-chan! It's probably just broken, no need to be down about it. Mei!"
Mei: "R-right! I'll call Tesla right now."
[A Few Minutes Later]
Tesla: "And... Done and done. Here you go. He's all fixed."
As she said that, Tesla gave the little robot to Sora.
Sora: "Um... Mark II...?"
Mark II: "...beep... beeeeep..."
The moment she called its name, the little robot's eyes started to light up.
Mark II: "Good... morning..."
Sora: "Ah! Mark II is alive again! Thank you, Dr. Tesla..."
A happy Sora bowed her head as she said her gratitude.
Tesla: "It's nothing."
She said so while waving her hand.
Lei: "Ah, right. I just remembered something."
Tesla: "Hm?"
Lei: "While Mei was out, I asked Sora about that place. Uh, what do you call it again..."
Leila: "Roost."
Lei: "Right! That place."
Tesla: "Oh?"
Lei: "Turns out, it's actually pretty close to where we placed the second matrix detector. Just a few hundred meters."
Mei: "Lei, I don't think that's categorized as 'close'... Anyway, what do you think we should do now, Dr. Tesla?"
Tesla: "Why are you even asking? We should go there."
Lei: "Right, and maybe one of the people there knows, or at the very least, have seen Kiana."
Mei: "Ah! You're right!"
Lei's suggestion was a reasonable one. After all, the people who had been staying in this city would have been the most knowledgeable about the events that had been happening around their vicinity.
Anyhow, everyone then agreed to go to the place where Sora had lived for the last few years.
[A Couple of Minutes Later]
Sora: "Ah, I remember this place..."
Walking just around the area of the second detector, Sora looked around with a curious expression.
Lei: "So, do you remember now about what happened to you before?"
Sora: "Um... Mark II, what happened?"
Mark II: "Beep. Sora was attacked by honkai beasts but managed to escape, only to slip and fall before becoming unconscious."
Mei covered her mouth in surprise while Lei made a concerned expression.
Mei: "Thank goodness that Sora-chan is okay.."
Lei: "Agreed."
Sora shyly nodded before looking at Mark II and asked her second question.
Sora: "Uhm... About Roost...?"
Mark II: "Turn left, right, another right, and go up the stairway."
Sora: "Ah, I remember now... Okay..."
She nodded before turning around.
Sora: "Follow me..."
Lei: "Alright."
Mei: "Hm, okay."
Leila: "..."
Tesla: "Why are you so silent most of the time..."
Leila: "Because I like it."
Tesla: "I can't argue with that, I suppose."
Tesla sighed before following the three girls in front of them. Meanwhile, Leila glanced at the massive and impressive Nagazora wall far on her left before finally moving as well.
[Timeskip]
Sora: "We're here..."
As she went through a tunnel-like path, the sight of an encampment revealed itself at the end of the pathway.
Lei: "Wow..."
Mei: "There's still a lot of people..."
Tesla: "No kidding."
Leila: "..."
Lei had an interested smile, Mei was looking around with a curious expression, Tesla folded her arms, while Leila just stayed silent as usual.
While the four girls were showing their reaction toward this new place---three girls to be specific since the fourth was still the same but that's not too important so let's move on---Sora had gone to told the others that she was fine and well, also not forgetting to tell them about her saviors that came from the outside.
After that was done, she came back to the group.
Sora: "Welcome to the Roost... The people here had no problems with you guys... I'm glad... I was a bit worried that they won't accept you guys, but it seems like my concern is not necessary..."
Lei: "Aww... Thank you so much, Sora-chan! You're such a good girl."
Mei: "Mhm, that's true. Thank you for your concern, Sora-chan."
The two placed their hands on her head before starting to pat it.
Sora: "Ah... Um... You're welcome, Lei, Mei."
A shy Sora appeared!
Anyway, while the three girls were doing cute things, Leila had splitted off from the group and went toward the nearest house with a few people in front of it.
Leila: "Excuse me, have you seen a white-haired girl with weird clothings and had a twin braided hairstyle around here?"
Tesla: "Wow, you have the guts to tell them that a valkyrie's clothing is straight out weird, huh..."
Leila ignored Tesla's remark.
Man: "A white haired girl..."
Woman: "Weird clothing and a twin braided hairstyle..."
The coupl---pair, was deep in thought as they resurfaced their memories of the last few days. As such, they encountered a few memories inside their minds. The memories of them eating with the others, the memories of them fishing, the memories of their hot nigh---
Man: "Sorry, but it doesn't seem like we've encountered someone like that."
Woman: "Yeah..."
Leila: "...I see. Good to know. Thank you for your answers."
Leila nodded understandingly at the pair and walked away.
Tesla: "...hm? I feel like something just---"
Leila: "Let's go to the next person."
But before Tesla could finish her sentence, Leila grabbed her small arm and pulled her away.
Man 2: "Weird clothing girl? Nah, I ain't seen someone like that."
Woman 2: "I'm sorry, I haven't been outside of the Roost for the last few days. So, I can't be sure about the answer."
Man 3: "A girl? Hm... I've seen zombies, but they're girls, right? Huh, now I wonder what happens if I shove my di---"
Woman 3: "No... I don't think I've seen anyone like that... I'm sorry."
Woman 4: "Hm? Ah! Double it and give it to the next---"
Man 4: "Eh? Someone like that? No, I don't think I have. Huh? What's the truth behind the number 42? Now that's something I can answer. Listen closely---"
After a while, Leila had gotten zero unexpected answers and a couple of expected answers.
Leila: "Nobody has seen Kiana. That means my assumption was right."
Tesla: "Eh? Wait wait wait, don't you think it's weird that one of the guys just now said about fitting his---"
Leila: "Kiana shouldn't be able to move much considering her state right now. No wonder no one has been able to see her."
Tesla: "So you're just going to ignore me and those weird answers, huh... Well, I can't blame you, I suppose."
Tesla gave Leila a blank stare before sighing while Leila had her hand below her chin, she was thinking hard and serious. There was no possible way that she was thinking about something stoopid---
Leila: "I wonder if Ray will fit inside m---"
Tesla: "Okay! Time out! We're a family friendly book! Nothing like that, please! You know what? Just change the POV, please!"
Tesla shouted with an exasperated expression.
Meanwhile, Lei and Mei had been talking and hanging out with Sora and the little kids on the other side of the Roost.
Sora: "Kiana... White hair and twin braided..."
Lei: "Mhm, we've been searching for her since the last time we got a signal from her, it was around here."
Sora: "I see..."
Sora nodded slowly.
Sora: "Is she... an important friend?"
At her answer, Lei chuckled while Mei smiled softly.
Mei: "She's one of my best friends. I can't leave her alone out here, especially in her condition right now."
Sora: "Is she sick?"
Mei: "Ah, well..."
Lei: "She's not."
Mei seemed surprised at Lei's quick answer.
Lei: "She's as healthy as she could be. It's just that this part of her is kinda unstable right now."
Lei pointed at her head and shook it. Seeing that, Sora and the other childrens couldn't help but to giggle. Mei did so too.
Lei: "Hence why, we have to find her and bring her back. No matter what."
A confident smile formed on her face as she said that.
At that sight, Sora and the others had an expression of awe.
Mei: "...she's right. We have to find her, no matter what."
Lei: "Yup."
Lei nodded nonchalantly.
Sora: "...hm... If Sensei were here, then maybe she could help, but... since she's not, how about asking the others?"
Mei: "That sounds good. Let's do that."
Lei: "Hum! Ah, wait, Sora-chan?"
Sora: "Yes?"
Lei: "Do you know where your Sensei is?"
Sora shook her head.
Sora: "She's not here even though it's that time of the month for her to be here. Maybe she'll come back after a day or two."
Lei: "I see. Thank you, Sora-chan."
Sora: "Mhm."
After that, the two girls went around and asked them questions---much similar to Leila just now except the fact that they were asking in different locations compared to Leila.
And what do you know, with the power of being a main character, they found it.
Girl: "A girl with white hair... Is she using a white bodysuit?"
Mei's eyes widened a bit before she nodded toward the teenage girl who was standing behind the window.
Girl: "I've seen her going to the West part of the city. But, I don't know which part exactly since a beast suddenly appeared and I had to run away."
Mei: "Ah, no, that's enough as a clue for us, thank you so much."
Mei bowed her head a bit while Lei seemed to be thinking.
Lei: "West district... We have to cross over the wall first before being able to go there."
Mei: "Right..."
Lei: "Oh well, it's already good enough as a lead for our next step. Let's tell this to Tesla and Onee-chan."
But right before Lei and Mei walked away, the woman from behind the window called them out.
Girl: "Ah, wait, you two..."
Lei: "Hm?"
Mei: "Yes?"
They turned around.
Girl: "I... I heard that you are able to fight those beasts?"
Both of them look at each other before turning their gaze at the woman again and nodding.
Girl: "Can I ask for help about something?"
Her voice sounded hesitant. But even so, both of them nodded since she was quite a big help for them.
Lei: "What is it?"
Girl: "I... uh... I dropped my pendant while I was running away from that beast. It's around the East Square, if I have to guess."
Mei: "Ah, that area, I know that place."
Lei: "Really? Then..."
Mei: "Yes, we'll try to find it as soon as possible."
Girl: "Ah! Thank you... Thank you so much..."
Mei: "No-no, this is the least we could do for you considering what you've given us."
Lei: "Come on, Mei. Let's go."
Mei: "Ah, yes."
[Timeskip]
Mei: "Here you go, the pendant is safe and sound."
Handing the pendant that the two had found, a shivering hand of a woman came out of the window and slowly grabbed it.
Girl: "Ah... Ah.... It's back..."
Mei & Lei: "...?"
The two tilted their heads.
Girl: "Thank you so much... Thank you... Mom... Dad... I can finally see your faces again..."
Mei: "Ah..."
Lei: "I see, so that's how it is..."
Sobbing sounds came from behind the window, without any more context the two girls already understood what happened.
Lei: "We'll be going now, okay?"
With a soft voice, she said so.
Girl: "Wait..."
That word took the two by surprise as they looked at the girl again.
Girl: "The person... you're looking for... that girl... her name is Kiana... right?"
The stuttering between her words indicated that she was still crying about her parents, but even so, she had something to say.
Mei: "Yes. That's right. Is there something you want to tell us?"
Girl: "To be honest... Yes... There is one more thing..."
With a more controlled voice, she then told them that---
Girl: "That Kiana girl... When I looked at her, I noticed that she was... crying."
Lei & Mei: "!"
Girl: "I... don't know what is going on with her nor does it has anything to do with you guys, but... I just hope that she'll be better after reuniting with you two."
Mei: "..."
Lei: "Don't worry, we'll make sure that she'll feel better. Also, thank you for telling us that."
Lei glanced at Mei and the latter noticed what she meant.
Mei: "Mhm... Right, we will."
Mei nodded with a smile.
Lei: "Let's go, Mei."
Lei turned her heels and walked away. Mei glanced at the girl once more before doing the same.
As she was walking, her hand subconsciously touched her chest.
There, she felt something. Her fingers had touched upon a hard object. It was no ordinary object, of course. Rather, it was an important one.
Slowly and silently, she grabbed the necklace that she had been wearing ever since that day---the day where her beloved one had disappeared for a long time.
Mei: "..."
With a certain emotion inside her heart, she gazed at the amethyst pendant.
It was no ordinary stone, for sure. Amethyst had indicated strength, power, and courage for the wearer.
As such, she had been wearing it without taking it off for the last four months.
Lei: "..."
With the same silence, Lei glanced at Mei before touching her snowfall-like earrings.
It was a gift that she had received from a long time ago.
Lei: "Ray likes to give out accessories to me before."
Mei: "Huh?"
At that sudden remark, Mei shifted her gaze to Lei.
Lei: "He never gave anyone other than me even though some of his friends, who were girls, asked him to buy it for them with their own money."
Mei: "..."
Lei: "He's quite an expert for accessory gifts, you know?"
Mei: "...I can see that."
She said while looking at her pendant again.
Lei: "He would spend a lot of time thinking about what kind of accessories would fit for me back then before finally choosing one and buying it on a different day."
She touched her earrings once more while closing her eyes.
Lei: "But, it seems like that kind of special treatment doesn't apply to only me anymore. As such, you're quite someone to be able to make him do that."
Lei chuckled before turning around.
Mei: "..."
Upon hearing that, a soft and genuine smile formed on Mei's face as she silently moved her pendant close to her chest---where her heart was.
Lei: "Although... It's kinda itching me the wrong way to not be treated as the only special one anymore."
Mei: "...ah."
That sentence made Mei stop her action.
Lei: "Oh, but don't worry. I've long moved on from that feeling because I've already known you close enough to not feel any hate or other bad feelings. So, don't take what I've said the wrong way."
Mei: "...is that so."
Lei: "Yep."
With that said, Mei glanced at her pendant once more---
Ray: "...Mei... I..."
Mei: "No. I don't want to hear it anymore."
Ray: "...I'm sorry."
Mei: "...No. I'm the one who should be sorry. I... had my sight too focused on the past when what's more important... is the present. And the future."
Ray: "..."
Mei: "Whatever reason you had for choosing that decision... I won't ask about it anymore. After all, you are here now. You returned to us... to me."
Ray: "..."
Her hands instantly let go of the pendant and the moment she realized it, she panicked and quickly looked down only to see that the pendant was still attached to the necklace.
Mei: "...Ray..."
A dark feeling appeared inside her heart. It was a mixture of sadness, regret, and...
Despair.
...or was it really?
[???]
There was nothing.
Well, not really.
There was two figures sitting across to each other in this white and empty space.
One had black hair and eyes while the other had white hair and golden eyes.
Ray: "Eh? Did you change your eye colors?"
Naron: "Yes."
Ray: "Why?"
Naron: "Because I feel like it."
Ray: "..."
He gave him a blank stare. What a way to start a conversation, indeed.
Ray: "Anyway..."
After a sigh, he leaned on the table and put on a curious face.
Ray: "What do you want to talk about? Is it important?"
Naron: "It is."
Ray: "Okay... Why so?"
Naron: "It's related to your power."
Ray: "Eh? Is there something about 'Resonance' that I have yet to know?"
Ray tilted his head while Naron folded his arms.
Naron: "I wasn't talking about 'Resonance'."
Just by that sentence alone, Ray widened his eyes.
If not "Resonance", then what? What other options could there be other than the fact that he suddenly had a new...
Ray: "Wait... You don't mean that..."
Naron: "Yes."
Without any more context, Ray understood what he was implying.
Naron: "As such, this is an important matter to talk about to you."
Ray: "I see... But, why now of all times? Why not from the beginning when you told me about 'Resonance'?"
Naron: "..."
At that question, Naron gave an odd silence.
Ray: "Is something... going to happen?"
Judging by his voice, it was clear that he was starting to feel worried.
Naron: "I don't know."
Hearing that answer, Ray clenched his hand.
Naron: "I just know that the longer you don't know about it, the worse it could be for the consequences later on."
His monotone voice somehow felt like it was hinting to a certain emotion.
An emotion... that always formed on certain events.
Events... that always ended up in losing something.
Something... that was far more important than anything.
Naron: "As such, I will tell you what I know about it."
Ray: "Eh?"
That odd sentence caused Ray to look at him with a confused look.
Doesn't that sound like Naron didn't even know everything about the power he was about to tell him?
If so... Then just what kind of power existed inside of him?
What kind of strength did he possess?
Questions started to pile up inside his mind.
Unfortunately, not all of his questions could be answered by Naron.
But soon, the main factor of change would descend.
After all, the clock hand would soon reach its peak and rang like how it's supposed to be.
And when that time came...
The cause and effect would happen.
He would know the answers.
But at the same time....
The consequences as well.
--- End of Chapter ---