The time before the expedition passed quickly. Serah returned to her usual self after that night, but they never spoke about what happened. Ever since, her smiling face had felt ever so slightly like an act, but John chose to let her keep her secrets—for now.
They sat together on a train, leaving everything behind after saying their goodbyes. The day after he told her, John’s mother seemed a bit more accepting of the reality of the situation. He could sense there was still some doubt, but that was only natural given the lack of proof and the absurd situation they found themselves in.
‘She will still worry, of course. But I think she should know I’ve got some agency in my fate.’
The compound was located in Paris, another city in the European coalition, so they had to travel there first. The only way to do so without fighting was by using the underground transport system developed after the monsters invaded Earth.
The transport system stretched between each major city still inhabiting Europe and was essential to their cooperation and survival.
“I’m still amazed by all the technology they’re using here. Trains have supposedly existed for a few hundred years already, but everything feels new to us. An entire millennium of innovations and inventions, it’s no wonder we feel alien,” Serah noted, looking at the screen that showed their position on a map.
“Yeah, it’s too much to even try to understand. Even electricity is too complicated for me, and that’s supposedly the base element of nearly all their inventions,” John replied, also staring at the screen.
They were both sitting in comfortable seats as the train traveled soundlessly through the airless tunnel. The carriage they sat on was filled with breakers, over twenty in total, with most coming from different cities to the east of Berlin.
‘I’m guessing most of them will join us through the portal. Many look nervous, but some seem more seasoned.’
Serah looked to be deep in thought again. “How well do you think our world would have handled the monsters?”
John had to consider that question for a bit. “Hmm, it would depend on the numbers and suddenness of the attacks, but considering how many people train their magic, it might work out. We can’t grow stronger in our world, but if we could, then I think we would be fine.”
Serah nodded, but she didn’t seem entirely convinced. “Maybe. But if the company in Berlin has produced thousands of people like us, why does it still look this useless? Even with all their technology?”
“... Okay, I might have underestimated the monsters a bit. If there were demon- and horror-tiered beasts in the invasion, we would lose. And there are enemies like those in this world.”
A voice sounded inside the train, similar to Vera’s robotic voice, letting them know they would arrive in a minute. Due to the extreme speeds, the train had started decelerating a few minutes ago, so they knew they were getting close.
John looked at Serah again, seeing some uncertainty in her eyes. “Are you feeling okay?” he asked, hoping she might share some more this time. But it was her choice in the end.
Serah looked at him with a hint of surprise, but smiled right after. “I’m fine. Nervous but fine. We’ll likely stay in that portal for months, so I’m just hoping everything will turn out alright.”
John nodded. “Unless we’re extremely unlucky, I think we’ll be fine. We’re going to get a lot stronger once we start fighting and claiming, so the normal mortality rate doesn’t scare me much. I guess the only potential problem is the other members of our squad.”
Serah nodded slowly, looking lost in thought. “Yeah, extremely unlucky…” she mumbled.
They were slowly rolling into the station, so they both got out of their seats and prepared to leave. Neither of them bothered to bring much besides a few changes of clothes since their most critical equipment was safely stored inside their cores.
As the doors opened, a rather intense-looking lady stood there, studying all of them closely. “All breakers headed for the Gamma portal, follow me,” she said firmly before turning around and walking off, forcing everyone to follow her right away.
John looked around, feeling a sense of efficiency from the station's design. Although they were still underground, he could see sunlight reaching down from some windows overhead, giving the area a warm tinge.
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“I don’t think Paris was very big in our world… But I always wanted to visit West Francia,” Serah said, looking around as they exited the station. “Well, I doubt it’s anything like I’ve heard rumors of in this world.”
Once outside, John felt the city looked similar to Berlin, except for some changes in general design. The buildings were less dark and grey here, which made them feel more inviting. The giant wall surrounding the city looked the same, though.
A man dressed in white appeared out of nowhere and walked over to the lady they were following, whispering something in her ear. She halted her steps and looked at him in surprise before turning back to their group.
“John Tarvo, please follow this man. Someone wants to see you,” she said, addressing the entire group since she didn’t know any of their names.
John was surprised, wondering who it could be, and why it was just him. He looked at Serah with a hint of worry, but she nodded back at him with a smile.
“I’ll be back soon,” he told her, trying to be reassuring.
“Take your time, John. I doubt we’ll be leaving without you. See you later!”
John nodded and started walking towards the man dressed in white, greeting him with a bow as he got close. ‘This guy seems strong…’ he thought, feeling some pressure from the man.
“Follow me, sir,” the man said before walking towards a large white building nearby. It was the most magnificent building John had ever seen, at least a hundred meters tall and designed like a twisting waterfall captured in marble.
‘... So they still have the liberty to make extravagant designs, then. Or is that from before the invasion?’
The grand building made him even more curious about who wanted to see him, so he followed the man without a word.
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They soon entered the building and walked through a large open lobby. It was all pearly white and clean, but there were almost no people, making John slightly uncomfortable. ‘What sort of place is this? And who am I supposed to be meeting?’
He cleared his throat to get the white man's attention. “Who exactly am I going to be meeting, sir? I’ve never met anyone from Paris, so I’m pretty sure it’s not someone I know.”
“Do you know the ranks of us essence-users, John Tarvo?” the man asked without turning, walking up a set of stairs that followed the wall around the lobby.
“Uh, I think so? Breaker, Aspecter, Invoker, and Weaver, right?” John asked, hoping he had gotten them right.
“Exactly. Weaver is the highest rank any human has reached, and only seven of them exist. You’re about to meet one, the Lady of Fate.”
John nearly missed a step and had to grab the railing so as not to fall over in his surprise. With the possible exception of Captain Dirk, he had never even seen an invoker before. Meeting a weaver was far beyond his understanding. This was one of the seven most influential people in the world, someone more important than even the king was in his world.
“W– why?” he stuttered, unable to express his thoughts clearly.
“I don’t know. It might be a mere whim, or it might have some meaning. And you might leave more confused than you enter, so be prepared for that.” The man kept walking once they reached the top of the stairs, walking directly to the center of the building.
‘A mere whim? Well, what else could it be? But why would she know of me in the first place? Is it tied to my youth? Or is there anything else about me she might find interesting?’
John racked his brain trying to figure this out, but he ultimately gave up. He would just have to get through it. He could feel the nerves, but excitement was also building in his chest as he got closer.
Meeting a weaver sounded like an incredible experience, if only to see what level of power he could reach someday.
They reached a circular white door at the end of a hallway, where the man stopped and gestured for John to enter. John felt his heart beating faster, filled with expectations.
He approached the door and watched it roll to the side, revealing an incredible scene. The floor was like still water, reflecting the scene in the room. If it could even be called a room. There were no visible walls, and it seemed to continue in infinity in every direction.
‘Uhh, what? The building wasn’t large enough to hold a room like this! Is it some other form of technology?’
About twenty meters from the door was an elevated platform that also looked like it was made of water. A blonde lady dressed in a loose white dress was playing on a translucent piano. With every touch of the keys, a very faint tone rang out, making an ethereal sound unlike anything John had ever heard before.
He was entranced by the scene, looking at the back of the lady swaying with the notes.
The Lady stopped playing and slowly turned toward him, smiling. “Welcome, John. Please come in; I’d like to talk to you for a moment.”
John found it hard to convince himself this woman was one of the strongest people in the world. She seemed more like a fragile princess, unable to lift as much as a sword. But there was something special about her, that was for sure. And she was pretty. Not Serah pretty, but still well above average.
He approached her, walking through the doorway and onto the strange floor. The floor turned out to actually be covered with water, gently swaying back and forth. It parted as he entered, defying gravity and showing him a path forward to the platform.
‘Oh, does she control water? Is that her aspect? Or is it just a simple spell?’
As he walked, she turned around on the piano stool and crossed her legs, before leaning backward over the piano and closing a transparent lid. Her eyes were piercingly blue, staring straight at him.