「Turritopsis dohrnii / immortal jellyfish」

「→ found in Mediterranean Sea

And in the waters of Japan.」

「※ Through reversing its body cells to a younger state—the polyp stage, over and over again......... The key : Transdifferentiation

......(Stem cells).....」

" Cas, I found it."

He stood up from the bricks and broken furniture, brushing the dust off the cover of a dark blue leather notebook.

" Found what ?"

" My notes !"

The young man with the notebook came to the door, flipping over the fragile pages excitedly, without looking up for his companion.

「........ ※ Infra-Sound......」

" Cas ! It's all here ! The texts !"

「 Infra-Sound :

sometimes referred to as low frequency sound, sound lower in frequency than 20HZ. 」

「 → Hearing becomes less sensitive as frequent lowers, so............. Possible to feel Infra-Sound vibrations through various parts of the body. 」

" Cas ! You must see this ! Cas !"

The young man finally looked up from his own notebook.

But there was no one.

Save for himself, standing in the dark shattered abandoned house. Alone.

" Cas...?"

The young man lowered his voice immediately, slowly lowering his body as well, looking at his surroundings vigilantly for any signs of unnatural movement.

There came a small snap from a room at the end of the hallway, making him turn around with a quick jump, to see nothing inside the deserted room.

His room. Which used to be.

The notebook he hid cautiously into his dusty get coat, while gingerly moving again into his room, good back close to the ravaged walls.

His eyes scanned right to left quickly.

His old bed, still intact but covered with a thick layer of dust.

The posters on the wall now lay on the ground, leaving the blank square areas on the tattered walls.

The clock broken, it's insides scattered around the lamp stand.

The window, still behind wooden planks pinned deep all over.

The light, coming from above,

Where the roof used to be.

He came to the books scattered all over the dusty wood floor, and discerned for useful books to add to his collection.

That was when he heard again the mechanic snap, this time from under his bed.

A dim light glowing from beneath.

The young Man suddenly remembered, kneeling down as fast as he could and saw, with a smile on his dirty sweaty face, pushing the books underneath the bed aside to have a better look to marvel at his old creation, still working on its own through all these years, the pride of his imagination humming a distance away, as if waiting for his return.

The young man reached out his hand

" Come on..." he whispered, containing his excitement

" Come... It's me, Your Father Caesar !"

With a sudden loud whoosh and a snap, the glowing machine flew to his palm, beeping as it's parts began to rebuild and suit it upon his fingers and skin.

He pulled back and watched, as his hand, now sheathed like a hand with armor, of hybrid Nano iron.

" Good girl...."

This young man Caesar smiled, touching his old creation with admiration and Longing.

But a sudden clash of glass pulled him back to the uncertainties in this house and he stood back up, holding out his gun with his other hand, the armored one pointing out like a glooming flashlight.

He exited the room carefully and heard in the room next to him, a slithering sound, like liquid, like creature.

Caesar's heartbeat quickened.

To get to the stairs down and leave the house, he still have to pass the room with the ominous entity within.

He mustered his courage, sliding forward inch by inch without a sound.

He dare not look into that room, by through the edge of his eye, he knew what he saw and what it was.

A dark smudge slithering on its own, with tentacles lurking slowly towards the door. Like darkness swallowing the room into its world.

He moved passed the room as slowly as possible and took a deep breath of relief, dropping a sweat or two onto the wooden floor.

'It' heard.

Caesar quickly realized it was upon him and he jumped, from the hallways straight to the stairs, crashing and tumbling down to the first floor. But he stood up immediately, racing to the exit as the dark tentacles were already all around him, devouring his surroundings whole even the floor he stepped turned dark.

Caesar made a dangerous move, instead of rushing out to his car and escape the Dark entities, he turned around with Lo machine armored hand he glowed the humming light towards the dark.

The Darkness screamed and cowed at the Light to his utter surprise.

" Woh !!!"

A voice of an older person outside the house gasped

" Blimeys...!!"

" Go ! Go go go go go !"

Caesar Shouted and pushed the old man to his old-time truck as the old man quickly started the engines and sped off towards the desert outside the dilapidated city buildings.

" Seriously, where were you ?!"

Young Caesar Skyman panted, gaining his breath after a life and death encounter

" I thought you were...."

" I went to pee."

The old man Castiel replied candidly, turning the steering wheel as the truck turned to a side and hit the iron fence open as it pass

" Your restroom was destroyed, so I peed outside."

the old man chuckled, brushing his bushy beard as he drove.

The iron fence closed back slowly behind them.

" You see, the water here isn't right for my tummy."

Mumbled the old man, while drinking from a dirty bottle as he drove.

" You didn't hear 'Him' in the house ??"

Caesar asked.

" You mean 'It' ? No I didn't."

Old Castiel shrugged

" We wouldn't have stepped a foot in if we heard."

Young Caesar Skyman nodded, too tired to argue and touching his armored hand.

They have evolved, according to Caesar's observations, 'Their' existence have proved to have surpassed 'it'.

Still, it was worth it to venture back to his old house.

" See what I found."

Caesar Skyman showed old Castiel his armored hand, which relieved itself and turned into a watch like gadget.

Old Castiel shrugged

" Better not let the children touch that."

He mumbled

" They will destroy it."

" I know."

Caesar Skyman chuckled at they drove towards the white building on top of a hill.

Their School.

《Before Light 》

<Ⅻ>

" Wrong turn, Cas. Wrong turn."

" oops."

Tuesday / Cloud, little rain

I went home.

Found the notes in her room. I have no idea why it was there.

She kept it neat.

As if she was still there.

I even thought she was next door.

It was not.

It was Sora.

She was under the bed, calling for attention.

I held out my hand, and she reacted, as I designed.

She remembers.

The shadow was by the door and sneaked in on us, like sand, like water, slithering towards us like

" Ahem."

With quick reflexes Caesar Skyman slammed his hard covered diary shut and looked up from his seat in surprise.

She jumped back as well.

" Ah..my apologies..."

" No, no, it's alright, sorry for not noticing...."

Caesar Skyman stammered awkwardly, standing up to greet the lady in his doorless office

" Thought it was Cas...."

Caesar said after a short pause

" Thought...... you've left...."

" Not today.. Not yet."

The young woman answered, twirling her stroke of purplish dark hair with her fingers uneasily

" You see, for an establishment for children, this place is below acceptable....! I mean, aside from lack of resources, there's still much to be desired, like... Like...."

The two young scientists looked at each other in silence.

"....... I see...."

Caesar Skyman scratched his head apologetically

" But.. It's still an honor for you to be here, Miss Claudia, on Solar Industry's behalf. It's late now, I'll drive you back."

" No, wait."

Caesar looked up in surprise, his coat in hand. He thought this young lady hates to even stay in this repulsive establishment any second more, as to what she just said implies.

"... No ?"

Caesar asked stupidly

" Then... Where are you gonna...Spend the night ?"

Claudia sighed

" It's not that I like this place, the restrooms aren't clean, the appliances, even the Lights went off time to time... This place needs a full upgrade."

She muttered, her finger twirling her hair quicker than before

" It's... The children.... They need me, more than I thought."

" Not.. Not just the children."

Caesar Skyman blurted out and turned away.

The two young adults looked away at separate directions.

But through the side of her eyes she is watching him.

" I need a place to sleep."

Claudia finally broke the silence and they went to find things needed for her to rest through the night.

They went to find items in the storage room, where children were passing by.

" Woo~ it's Skyman sensei and Claudia sensei~ in the same room~~"

The boys jeered playfully.

" Rio, Finnir ! Go play somewhere else ! We are busy right now !"

Caesar shooed the kids off, but the boys looked on sniggering at the far corner.

" Boys, they do talk, don't they."

Caesar apologized but Claudia was silent about it.

She opened a large cabinet, and large thick quilts and other large instruments all tumbled down her, blowing up explosions of thick dust !

" Watch out！"

Caesar cried and went to break Claudia's hard fall, but things crumbled down like a cascade, and they both tumbled, Claudia supporting her upper body with her arms, while Caesar Skyman lay underneath her, face to face.

They breathed heavily,

In the dark full of dust.

Claudia whispered something that Caesar Skyman listened, and she let herself down slowly closer to Caesar on the floor.

Caesar Skyman wasn't sure, and whispered back, his arms unsure where to put. So Claudia's hands guided his to her waist.

Caesar Skyman understood.

But his morals, he considered for a split second,

Which seemed minuscule before the End of the World.

...

.........

Thursday / Cloud. No rain.

For the first time in many years,

We finally had breakfast.

Caesar Skyman sipped the coffee Claudia brew, sitting in his office, still in pajamas.

Claudia sat opposite him, looking at him suspiciously.

".... What ?"

" Nothing.."

Claudia answered looking out at the newly cleaned window pane with a slight frown, twirling her longer stroke of purplish dark hair once again.

" I'm... Just noting down things in my diary."

Caesar Skyman clarified himself, although he wasn't told to.

" I know."

The twirling finger stopped

" It's not that I really cared... But.....

....Who is this Sora ?"

Caesar Skyman's eyes lit up with enthusiasm

" Come, Let me Show You !"

Reluctantly, Claudia followed him down to the science lab where the Children had science classes, but they went even further, opening the wall that was a secret hidden door into Caesar's real lab.

It was still a mess, and Claudia nearly fainted at the disorganization of the parameter.

" I'll just stand here..."

Claudia whispered, standing at the entrance towards the chaotic laboratory.

" Then I'll stand here too."

Caesar stood close to Claudia with a grin and held out his hand towards the wreak like room

" Sora."

Caesar Skyman summoned

" Come to father."

And out from the each corner of the room, soft mechanic pieces flew onto Caesar Skyman's arm, encasing not just the hand, but to up to his shoulder an arm set of a futuristic armor that was yet to be designed.

Lights underneath each part of soft metal humming and glowing like it was alive.

Claudia calmly contained her surprise and touched Caesar Skyman's armored arm

" This is... Sora ?"

She asked.

" Synchronizing Offence Reflex Armor. S.O.R.A. "

Caesar Skyman introduced

" It was my college presentation at the time... It was just the hand then, and the professors aren't amused by it. Now with spare time and waste resources from Solar Industries, I can make a difference to the world."

" Make a difference ? With...."

Claudia touched the armor again

" You mean... This can deflect..Nano Infiltration ?!"

" Yes."

Claudia gasped and in her eyes, Caesar could see hope.

" We can win this war, Claudia."

They finally met.

Claudia seemed sceptical at first, but she is willing to help.

She helped me in various ways, I was very lucky to have her by my side.

She can be hard to understand sometimes,

But I can try.

" Alrighty, children ! Gather up ! Time for class."

Old Castiel sensei announced, knocking the desk to gather attention from the loud chattering, playing children

" Sit down, Rio, and don't climb onto the desk again like a monkey."

" What's a monkey, sensei...?"

Asked the timid Neliya, sitting at the front row of class.

" Well, that's why we are here."

Old Sensei Castiel muttered, opening his thick book of stories and lessons.

" But sensei ! They are already outside !!"

Rio and the other energetic kids cried pointed outside.

" oh my, who ??" Castiel asked, pushing his thin fragile glasses to place.

" Yuri !! And the others !!"

And there she was

Her light blue hair like the skies that were once pure,

Running across the field kicking a dirty soccer ball.

" Oh my, it's PE class right now !! I do be old.....

Children, line up outside and..... well, just Go on....."

Sensei Castiel ushered the children out of the classroom as the younglings all dashed out to play sports, racing to kick the ball and take the baseball bats, nearly no one cared to line up.

Except one good loli Neliya.

" Nah, forget it, Neliya, go play."

Old Castiel sighed.

But the loli Neliya wasn't sure

" Really...Sensei...?"

" Hmm... Why not we learn something called golf today, hmm, Neliya ? At least it's something new."

Sensei Castiel suggested and soon returned with a queer long pole like thingy with a huge hard head at the top.

Neliya was afraid of the golf bat and hid behind sensei Castiel, shivering.

" No no, this is but a golf bat ! Golf ! Golf is fun.... I like golf. You put the ball down here like this here.... And I'll stand back here and do this.....Ho !"

The children

They are bright, they are smart, they are charming

They are like Stars in the night sky

They are Light,

If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

They are Hope.

And the ball flew off with a sounding ping and all the children followed their gaze at the tiny ball flying to the skies and then hitting the fence far away with a smash.

They are our only chance to go back,

To a loving, kind world that once was,

The children and teach us, lead us,

Like Stars in the night sky.

" Sensei ! Can we play golf too ?!"

" Sensei ! Teach us ! Teach us !"

Soon the children swarmed around sensei Castiel and Neliya was pushed far away.

" Sensei, let us try !"

" Sensei, Me First !!"

" Me ! Me ! Me !"

" Sensei... Yiii...."

Neliya squeaked as she fell to the back of the crowd as more and more kiddies and Lollies gathered around old Castiel's knee, circling him enthusiastically.

" Ho ! Ho ! Wait Ho !"

Castiel cried, holding the bat high

" Neliya came first ! Now line up and be good ! Be good ! Good...."

The boys and girls lined up and were good while Neliya came to the front.

" Now, Neliya, hold the bat like this..."

And old Castiel helped Neliya grab the golf bat in the right positions and posture, but the bat was taller than Neliya and she was still afraid it will fall and drop on her head.

" Good good... Now you've held it like this, aim at that ball."

" But Sensei... Ball is tiny..."

Neliya said with watery eyes.

" Hoho, that is alright, the length of the bat will hit the ball if you swing it like I did. You just have to swing."

" Just do it, Neliya !"

Lucky encouraged from behind the line.

" You can do it, Neliya！"

" Oh ! Just do it already !"

Rio and the boys taunted impatiently and were glared at but the girls.

Neliya looked up at Castiel's gentle grin, his eyes telling her she could do it.

So the loli took a deep breath,

Closed her eyes,

And swung the bat !

Hitting old Castiel's crotch !

The old man howled in sheer agony and fell to the ground, holding his broken parts.

The girls screamed and the boys gasped in mutual pain. But soon the boys began to laugh.

" Castiel sensei !!"

Claudia rushed out to the injured old man hurriedly

" Sensei, are you alright ? Can you stand ??"

" I'm fine.. fine...."

Old Castiel answered, staggering with his shaking legs wearily

" I... I think I'll leave the rest to you..."

And Claudia help the old man to rest in the infirmary,

Neliya just stood there, crying terribly.

" Rio ! It's your fault !"

Lucky scalded the laughing boys.

" Hee hee ! Why me ?"

Rio asked sheepishly.

" Because you were rushing Neliya !"

" No I wasn't ! Hee hee !"

" You !! You'll say sorry to Neliya !"

" Why ?! I did no Wrong ! Neliya hit sensei, at the balls !!"

" Woo woo..." Neliya cried.

The boys went on laughing, but the girls were angry, and a quarrel is inevitable !!

But then someone took the golf bat and with a wide swing and a bright Swack !!

" Hoyah ! ! !"

A sound Of metal hitting straight at its target, sending the white ball flying up higher than the school facility,

Up Up it flew,

The children all fixed their gaze in silence.

And the ball landed,

Outside the gates.

The children cheered all in unison

" Coooool！！Yuri !!"

The children praised the young girl, holding the golf bat and chuckling proudly.

" How did you do that ?!"

The children asked excitedly

" Teach us the way !"

Yuri giggled cheerfully, giving the bat to Neliya

" Neliya taught me !"

" Really ?! Teach us, Neliya !"

" Sick moves...！"

And the children gathered around Neliya as one by one they had their turns swinging bats and hitting balls.

Soon they began playing all kinds of sports around the school, the PE class lasting for a long long time.

Let them play,

Let them learn,

Let them be merry and joyous,

As long as they can be.

" Yuri ??"

Let them sing,

Let them laugh,

Let then shine.

We are their night,

So they could shine.

" Yuri ??"

Yuri sat alone on a rock after a long while of sports, resting and humming a song to herself.

The boy behind him stood, and listened to her hum.

Yuri stopped and turned around.

" Vi... Vitas ?! How.. How long have you been standing there ?!"

Yuri asked shyly, realizing she had been singing while someone's listening.

Vitas realized how rude he was for sneaking on her and looked away apologetically

" I am sorry..!!.... But..... Yuri's voice, its very Beautiful."

Yuri paused, and jumped down from her rock.

The two children standing face to face,

Behind the rock.

" ....so.., Vitas ?"

" Huh ?"

" How about me ?"

Yuri asked, her face coming close to the blushing kid's

" What do you think, of me ?"

Young Vitas froze, his face turning redder and redder the second passes.

" Umm.... Uh... Yuri is... Very cute, I guess..."

" And ?"

Yuri grinned playfully watching Vitas blush for that's how she prank him all the time

" And ?!.... And bright, kind.... And caring...."

Vitas could but look at his own dirty shoes, drowning in his own embarrassment

" And Yuri... You never give up...."

" Really？"

Yuri was just planning on pranking Vitas for sneaking up on her, but now even she is blushing herself.

" And you, Yuri ??"

Vitas turned the question back

" What do you think of me, Yuri ??"

The two young children blushing at each other's presence.

There was silence.

" Yuri ! ! ! ! !"

some kids came calling for her

" The ball !! There's one ball missing !"

" I'll go find it !"

Yuri called back and turned to leave,

But Vitas, taking hold of her hand, kept her close.

" Yuri !.... I....

.....I want to know, please ?"

Vitas slowly let go.

But Yuri took his hand, like she always does,

And smiled, her cheeks peachy red

" You already know what I feel, Vitas !

Because........I feel the same."

And carrying his hand, Yuri led Vitas out of the shadow of the rock, to the light of the sunset.

Vitas, staring at Yuri's silhouette lovingly.

...

.......

The children all gathered around the metal fence wall.

The golf ball, sitting a close distance away, but far enough.

" If we find a long stick,"

Finnir suggested

" It might work."

" It's too far for a stick, brother."

Feira disagreed.

" But, climbing the fence ?"

Kai suggested.

" No, the teachers said we shouldn't !"

Lucky claimed.

" Rio, stop shaking the wall, it's no use."

Neo said in disdain at his brother's idiotic actions.

" Hoh hoh ! I can bring down mountains and rivers !" Rio cried like an idiot.

" But sensei said we can't go out of the fence...."

Neliya squeaked

" Can you help us fetch the ball, Neruko？"

Neliya asked the wild cat they kept in school, who just came to ask for head pats and food.

" Nya... "

Neruko the cat replied, and Neliya hugged it up.

" It's just a ball, forget it."

Neo was about to leave.

" But it's sensei's golf ball. We can just leave it out there."

Kai suggested and some children agreed.

" We dig from under ?"

Finnir suggested another scheme.

" I have a shovel."

Treize the chubby kid held out his toy shovel.

And Finnir and Treize started digging while the others think of a better plan.

" I'll call sensei for help."

Spake a silent tall boy, Firren, who was the oldest kid around, and went to find the teachers.

So the children waited.

" Nya~~"

" Neruko ?"

Neliya looked around for the cat, and screamed.

" What, Neliya ?!"

Yuri asked, coming to the loli.

" Neruko !!"

Neliya whined

" Neruko climbed up the fence !!!"

And Lo the cat climbed the fence to the other side, and successfully landed on the other side.

The children stared with eyes wide like saucers.

...

.......

" Thank you, Claudia Sensei."

Old Castiel thanked Claudia in bed

" But seriously, someone needs to keep an eye on those children. They destroyed the seesaw while I was having a pee. Who knows what they are up to next."

Claudia smiled

" They are curious children, sensei, but clever as well. I am sure they are..."

" Sensei ,A ball is outside the fence."

Firren came to the infirmary

" Should we get it ?"

Claudia stood up that instance in haste.

" Told you."

Old Castiel shrugged, watching Claudia rush out of the room.

...

.......

Many children tried to climb the fence like the cat just did, but none were successful.

Then Yuri had a plan !

She found a hook and tied it to a rope, and from the top of the slide she ran, jumping at the last second and throwing her grappling hook, and to eceryone's awe Yuri climbed to the top of the fence, amongst cheers of children.

Vitas was worried. Because he doesn't care about the ball.

He cared about Yuri.

" Oy~~~ ! What does it feel like you there ??"

The children asked Yuri who sat on top of the fence, looking at the horizons where the sun slowly sank down.

The wind swirled in many different directions above,

And the Land, so wide and endless without borders, stretching out across her imaginations.

" It's Awesome ! ! ! !"

Yuri yelled back, looking forth at the vast beyond.

She used to sit on the rock and sing while watch the barren lands ahead, but the view here, was a different world.

It was bright.

It was endless.

It was New, a new world,

Outside her small universe,

Lies a greater, mightier

Future.

" Come on, everyone !! You should really see it ! It's Awesome !"

Yuri called to the others.

" Uhh... But Yuri, we're supposed to get the ball."

Reminded Lucky.

" Ah, that's right ! Teh heh~"

Yuri chuckled, scratching her head.

Once more, Yuri grabbed the grappling hook and moved down to the other side of the fence.

There were large iron pieces stabbing out of the sand earth below, like barriers for fighting games for boys.

There were also many strange dirty objects large and small, Yuri had never seen before.

A seat connected with strings to a large round tattered cloth, large metal wheels, and many cracked boxes and large tin buckets.

They all lay, motionless.

But Yuri suddenly stopped. She saw something move. She thought it was Neruko, but it wasn't.

It was something bigger.

Yuri stared forth, and didn't move.

" Yuri, what's wrong ??"

Lucky asked.

But Vitas also saw something no one saw

" Yuri ! ! ! !"

Vitas Shouted all of a sudden

" Your rope ! ! ! !"

Yuri looked up and heard a snapping of rope, and Lo her grappling hook broke apart from her rope and before she knew it

She was falling.

Lollies screamed.

Boys uttered.

But Yuri with her reflexes grabbed the fence with her tiny fingers just in time.

The hooks scattered down to the sand below, at least Yuri still has her rope. Quickly she tied it to the fence and slided down, earning applause from the children.

" Heh heh~"

Yuri chuckled to them, but only Vitas saw her trembling hand, tightly holding to the rope.

Quickly Yuri retrieved the ball, and before she headed back, she turned to face the world outside one last time,

Where No child has faced,

Beyond.

It was vast and barren, but Yuri believed,

She believed there is something splendid out there. Someone out there protecting the world.

She believed

".........母さん..." Yuri whispered as she stepped forward and got the ball.

" Nya~~"

Neruko came to Yuri, and asked for some head pats even outside the fence.

Yuri knelt down and patted the cat but suddenly stopped and looked up.

Yuri Stood up slowly, her eyes fixed at the world before her.

At the large Iron pieces,

The metal shards and wheels,

The dead trees.

And something that dashed across and disappeared behind a large rock.

" Yuri, What's wrong ??"

Lucky cried, sounding quite worried

" Come back ! We have the ball !"

Yuri turned around to everyone, and asked the children excitedly

" Did you see that ?"

No one replied, not even Vitas.

" ....... see what, Yuri ?"

The children asked, started to feel scared.

And Yuri replied

" Someone !

Someone is out there.

And I saw it !"

...

The wind began to blow stronger as the Land slowly entered dark.

The lights in Caesar Skyman's lab flickered and Caesar looked up at his screen.

His gadgets nearly crashed to the ground

As he rushed out of the lab urgently.

The radar, flashing.

'The Shadow' is coming.

...

" That's... Impossible, Yuri !"

Finnir exclaimed

" There's nothing living out there !"

" Yeah, Sensei told us so !"

Feira backed up Finnir's words.

" But I don't see anything !"

Rio cried, wishing he saw something.

"It's just the tumbling weed."

" It's the wind blowing the dead trees !"

" Yuri."

Vitas called, worried and afraid

" Just come back, please ?"

But Yuri stood still, her back facing the faltered children.

Yuri wasn't afraid,

She wants to know.

She wants to see.

She wants to understand.

The sky slowly, Darkened.

...

Old Castiel staggered to the office in crutches

" Caesar ! ! ! !"

Castiel cried

" Caesar !! It's Coming !!"

" I know !"

Caesar Skyman also rushed down the stairs to his office and opened his many screens all across the places outside the school and saw

" By Jove.... It's a swarm !!!"

Old Castiel hollered.

And before their eyes, a hurricane of dark matter swirled miles away, coming closer menacingly.

Caesar Skyman had never faced this amount of dark coming to his facility.

Now is the time to use.....

「....Infra-Sound......」

It can be done,

It can be done !!

With Infra-Sound... And Sora... This Swarm of Dark Nano Scourge can be annihilated,

But At What Cost ?!?!?!?!

At what Cost ? !

" YURI ! ! ! !

COME BACK HERE THIS INSTANCE ! ! ! !"

Claudia shrieked angrily at the top of her lungs from behind the fence

" How many times have I told you,

Never ! Never ! Never !!!

Get out the fence ! ! ! !"

The wind grew stronger,

And their shadows began to fade.

Lollies began to weep, begging for Yuri to turn back.

But Yuri instead stepped forward towards the coming storm of black ash.

" YURI !!!!!"

Claudia shrugged l Shouted again.

" But... There's someone Out There !!"

So Yuri went on,

Not turning back.

Caesar Skyman held up the button to release the defence mechanisms towards the Nano Scourge..

" Wait, Caesar !! The children ! They need to hear the bells first !!"

Castiel reminded and Caesar gasped at his neglecting the most important part.

To protect the children !

" Thank you, Cas !"

And Caesar salad rang the bells.

The ringing came from behind the large old clock, and it echoed, humming in deep chime.

The children looked up,

Yuri looked back.

Claudia's eyes widened.

" The bells.... "

The children whispered to one another

" The bells, it's time !"

The children nodded to each other firmly.

" YURI !!"

the children called out to her, and Yuri resposibly turned to face the children looking up to her as she took a deep breath

" EVERYONE ! ! !

TIME TO PLAY———————— ! !

HIDE AND SEEK ————— ! ! ! ! !"

" Let's GO Hide！！！"

Quickly the children scattered at all directions, hiding into objects, trees, all sorts of things that could block them from contact of the coming defence mechanism.

Teenager Firren quickly helped some children find places to hide before he hid himself.

Claudia was amazed, seeing this situation for the first time, the children well organized in this routine, and turned to see Yuri———

Yuri was gone.

Hide and seek.

" Pss, Sensei~~"

Claudia turned around but saw no one.

" Sensei~~~"

The voice came from the thick iron tubes at the playing ground and Claudia saw Neliya hiding inside

" Sensei ! You must hide too !"

Claudia thought for a moment and finally realized why.

Quickly, she crawled into the tube in haste.

" Head master Skyman said everyone including Sensei and students must play Hide and Seek when the bells chime."

Neliya explained.

" Claudia sensei, do you know why ?"

" It's to protect you."

Claudia answered gravely

" From what we do, to the dangerous monsters outside."

...

Castiel checked the school parameter

" All clear."

" All clear."

Caesar Skyman repeated and put on his specialized helmet shaped as a machine crown connected with wires to the back of a rumbling machinery.

And Castiel also went to hide, closing the door of Caesar Skyman's office behind him.

The school clock opened, and behind it is the office of Caesar Skyman !

The hurricane swarm of The Dark Nano Scourge had arrived, it's dark tentacles dancing about in an epileptic like frenzy.

Caesar Skyman snarled, and pressed the button.

The machinery behind him uttered a low moan and silenced.

All but silence.

The bells shivered, but without sound.

The whole school shook ever so slightly as if the world was blurred.

Everything vibrated, on and on,

On and on

And on and on and on.......

The Nano particles started to shatter, it's whole mass vibrating with the invisible force, and the tentacles came to a stiff seizure before dispersing into the wind, vanishing to the night.

The lights on the fence lit up the night, and Caesar Skyman's voice could be heard

" Fellow Teachers, students, the Scourge is over. For safety measures, please stay where you are for at least ten more minutes.

Then you may resume your activities.

Dinner will be ready soon."

" Dinner ?"

Old Castiel asked Caesar Skyman.

" What ? Haven't you prepared anything yet ?"

Caesar asked and the old man shrugged.

" Guess I'll be cooking asap."

Caesar Skyman sighed in relief, putting Shawn his crown shaped device, pressing the temple of his head, to soothe the pain from inside his brain.

The humming still in his head.

The sky cleared, and the Stars started to shine.

The air clean once more and the land was alive again.

Claudia crawled out from the tube and came to the center clearing

" Alright, Everyone, Roll Call !!——— Lucky !!"

" Here！"

" Neo !!"

" Here！"

" Rio !"

" Heyoh !"

" Feira ! Finnir !"

" Here！"

" Here..."

" Neliya !"

" He...Here...！"

" Kai !"

" Here."

" Vitas !"

" ...Here！"

.....

.......

" ——— Yuriーーー！"

" ——— Yuriーーー！！"

" Yuriー？"

" Yuriー！"

" Yuri〜！"

" Yuriーー"

" Yuriーー"

" Yuriー！Where are you？！"

" Yuriー？"

" Yuri！"

" HEーーーーーREーーーーー！"

From the dust, the fog,

A small hand waved,

Her silhouette under the lamp lights slowly cleared.

Claudia watched with shock, as the dust scattered,

She could see someone else, by Yuri's side coming towards them.

The children too were shocked in silence.

Yuri looked up and beamed to all at the other side of the fence,

While the figure behind her shivered, hiding behind Yuri's back.

" It's okay, come on,"

Yuri whispered gently

" They are nice. Come, say hello to everyone !"

" Yuri..!"

Claudia asked, her voice stern but shaky

" Who is behind you ?"

The figure behind Yuri gave a jolt and hid deep behind Yuri more, shivering and too afraid to face them.

But Yuri, holding the shivering child's hand in hers, gripping it firmly and tightly, smiled back at her classmates and teacher

" —————Her name is Lima！"

Her Name Is Lima.

The loli walked out slowly,

Her twin silver ponytails swinging freely with the night breeze,

Her hand held tightly to Yuri's, though shaking, but the grip firm.

And those Golden eyes,

Looking back at the crowd brute her innocently, teary, her lips twitching, but chose to remain silent, and finally she looked down on the sand, too shy to look back up again.

Claudia sighed in relief, seeing it's a human child, not a monster, and smiled

" .... Lima."

Claudia called gently at the shy loli.

Lima looked up at her blankly, not knowing what to say, how to respond.

" Lima, "

Yuri whispered to the shy loli's ear

" When the teacher calls your name, you must say 'Here!' ."

Lima realized, and looked back at them all standing under the light and said aloud timidly

" H...H...He...HE...——HERE！！"

And the children awed, cheering and clapping as Yuri hugged her from behind, welcoming her with a warm embrace.

" Nice to meet you, Lima."

Claudia brought the two Lollies back from the other side and the children looked at Lima up and down curiously, asking tons of questions.

" Hey ! What is that ?!"

Asked Lucky, pointing at Lima's sparkling gold necklace

" It's beautiful !!"

" Is it your necklace ? Cool !"

Lima blushed at their loving welcome, finally feeling safe and accepted

" ...yes..."

Lima nodded.

...

.......

Late after dinner,

The three scientist teachers gathered in Caesar Skyman's office, brooding.

" That child...."

Caesar Skyman frowned, pressing the temple of his head continuously

" How is her status ? Is she contaminated, Cas ?"

" No. She's fine and healthy. But malnutritioned at the point."

Old Castiel answered

" She's generally in good shape, no ticks, no lice...."

Caesar Skyman brooded still, sitting in his chair, facing the night sky.

" She's on our side, Caesar."

Old Castiel finally added

" On the Human side."

" Has Seito answered our call ?"

Caesar then asked, but the old man shook his head sadly

" I fear...Solar industries has fallen."

" Very well."

Caesar stood up and began packing.

" Where do you think you're going ?"

Claudia asked, and even Old Castiel is packing

" Where are you going, like right now ?!?!"

" To where she Came from."

Caesar Skyman replied.

Claudia couldn't agree.

" No."

She stepped forward to block the two men

" Wherever she's from, it's ended. You'll only get yourselves killed !"

" Not with my armomr, the S.O.R.A !"

Caesar argued.

" Even, with the armor !"

Claudia rejected adamantly.

" Look, it's solar industries !"

Caesar Skyman continued

" You saw that girl's necklace, she's from that place, and I have friends there. Most importantly, Solar Industries have the finishing pieces to finish my works and the armor !

We either wait and die, or we struggle to win."

"...... Then I'm coming with you."

Claudia insisted.

" NO !"

Caesar and Castiel cried

" The children, they need you !"

" But...."

Claudia looked at the two men, knowing this might be their last memories together.

But Caesar Skyman turned away, throwing his things onto the back of the truck and entering the vehicle, without even a goodbye.

" He has that metal arm, he's alright."

Old Castiel chuckled, assuring Claudia

" And I'm just an expendable old fogey. I've already over lived my time. Just giving as much help as I can."

" You are never Expendable, Cas."

Claudia whispered,

And she hugged the old man farewell.

The truck drove off, under the two moons.

Saturday / less cloudy, half sky

We waited for dawn to come.

Then we set off towards the rising sun

Where it was dark.

The irony.

We were lucky.

We always were.

Reminding us the luck we have cost,

And how less remain.

Solar Industries

Was our last hope to build a new home,

Outside our atmosphere.

They held numerous headquarters all over the globe,

And resources I need.

The truck came to a halt,

Before them, the shattered gates swung.

Sound, died.

" Go on, Cas."

This one had a school,

Like us.

But we were lucky.

" Oh Lord....."

Castiel gasped outside the truck, flinging his backpack to his stiff back

" Oh my....."

「Children,

All dead.

Their faces,

pale, innocent,

No wounds, no pain.

No hope.」

Castiel came to a motionless chld and caressed her long dark hair, turning back with tears in his eyes

" We have to bury them."

" No."

Caesar shook his head, and observed the lifeless children scattered all over the ground Before the fence

Darkness didn't take them,

It was by their own hands,

Infra-Sound.

Defending themselves from the Nano Scourge,

But also killing all the living if they aren't careful enough.

" We take them back."

Caesar Skyman decided and carried the dead children to the trunk of the truck.

" But... Why ?"

Castiel asked in wonder

" Bury them behind our yard ?"

"......I need them."

Caesar Skyman said shortly.

Old Castiel didn't answer and complied sadly.

They approached the last two bodies in the dark corner,

Two sisters, embracing each other in the face of utter doom.

Castiel cried

" Poor souls...."

Castiel came to bring them to the truck

" ... May you two rest in peace."

They were sisters,

Holding dear to each other.

Castiel slowly pulled the sisters apart,

Their stiff hands still clinging together.

" Rest now, my childs."

Castiel whispered, freeing the sisters grasp

" You are free, forever."

The older sister finally let go.

That was when Caesar Skyman saw the younger sister, sitting within her sister's embrace in the dark,

Was missing an arm.

Castiel carried the older sister backwards gently, but suddenly stopped.

" Caesar...?!"

Castiel called, quite urgently.

" ......Stop......"

「 A hand, a dark hand, desperately,

Held her beloved sister back

Such dark grasp.」

" Don't...take ..my sister...away from...me.......！"

Come back !!

And Lo, dark liquid tentacles burst out from the orifice from where the younger sister's missing arm should be.

Dark black matter.

She was alive, but too polluted, corrupted.

" CAS !! STAND BACK !!!"

「I pushed Cas back,

Putting on Sora onto my arm.

Cas ran to the truck with the girl,

And I stood

Face to face with the Shadow.」

Caesar Skyman's armored arm began to hum and glow as he pointed lo glowing metallic palm onto the younger sister in the dark.

The loli in dark liquid squirmed in pain at the sight of Light and the low humming of the armor

" No......Sister......No......！"

Come Back !

" I am sorry."

And Caesar Skyman's palm began to flicker and sizzle, turning ablaze in mere seconds,

And both the loli and the Dark shrieked.

The whole Solar industries facility shuddered and began to crumble.

Caesar Skyman panicked,

The resources, about to be buried and destroyed !!

" Cas !! Meet me at the gate !!"

" But Caesar !!"

" GO ! ! !"

「I turned back,

The child was sinking,

Screaming bitterly into shadow.

I turned away.」

Caesar ran full speed into the facility, desperately finding his resources.

But sharp tentacles shot out and pierced through the ceiling, the walls and the cracked floor.

The shrieking of Dark Nano Matter grew louder as the black smog moved it's way towards what was living, towards Caesar Skyman, trapping a prey in its trap.

Caesar Skyman saw the exit crumbling.

And tentacles swiping about, crashing desks and cabinets in its wake.

The resources all scattered to the ground, breaking and wasted.

" Children,

No matter how dark the world may be."

Caesar Skyman punched his chest in anger and agony of defeat.

But there, in his most desperate failing hour,

Caesar Skyman saw the one thing that shimmered among the darkness around him, close to his hand.

" Our Light shines in you all."

Caesar Skyman picked the thing up quickly,

An USB,

And slided it into his pocket,

Before standing up again, with a cry that denies defeat, pointing his burning dazzling armored palm towards the Dark Nano tentacles before him,

And let go,

The beam of light penetrating through layers of dark nano matter, melting the buildings and burning the Nano particles.

Caesar Skyman went on firing, running towards the last glimpse of light from the exit, as Nano tentacles began resurging and snaking from behind him, snatching his arms and legs.

Caesar Skyman thought of his death,

His unfinished works,

The school,

The children,

Old Castiel,

Claudia !!

And with courage and determination, and pure gut instinct,

Caesar Skyman performed his final move, placing the S.O.R.A palm to his chest, and let his body engulfed in that warm, bursting,

Blue Light.

It was minutes after old Castiel returned, leaping out of the truck and came to the rubble that was solar industries, shouting the young scientist's name, again and again.

All but silence.

" Caesar....."

Old Castiel slumped onto the ground, devastated.

How to tell Claudia of the dreadful news.

" CAS ! ! ! !"

Old Castiel jumped to his feet in shock, rushing to the noise from the rubble and saw, a smoking crater where Caesar Skyman lay, panting and sizzling.

His whole body smoking hot.

And the armor on his arm shattered, but the pieces still humming in an extremely low frequency.

...

.........

They returned to the school at night, and finished unpacking what was at the back of their truck before midnight.

" You want a drink ?"

Caesar Skyman thought for a moment, as he locked the iron entrance of the basement and hiding it under the Rock.

" Beer ?"

Caesar Skyman asked.

Castiel nodded.

Caesar Skyman sighed.

He never liked any kind of booze.

But now his mind needs some way to relieve itself

" Why not ?"

They drank, sitting before the rock, admiring the thousand stars above.

" Tell me, Cas."

Caesar Skyman asked the old doctor after half his beer

" Will we win ?"

Old Castiel looked at the young man, wondering if it's a drunk question or a sensible argument.

" We still need to survive."

Old Castiel replied, his eyes on the thousand stars.

" We won't, Cas."

Caesar Skyman burped

" You see, the universe, turning to its own rules——

—— Logos. The universe will still be moving, time will still go on,

Even after our lifetime,

And our children's lifetime,

After,

Even our existence....."

Caesar Skyman looked at the old doctor seriously

And asked

" What are we doing Cas ? Only to survive ?

But what defines existence ? How do we define survival ?

How do we.... Surpass Life ?"

" Caesar, you're..."

" Think about it, Cas,

Somewhere, out there, there is a form of existence

Surpassing Life and Living, then how does it exist ?

It doesn't, to them, 'Living' is not the only way to 'Survive'.

It's a world in another dimension with life, but unlike our 'Living form' it's... Somewhat... To Exist without the concept of life, but still a way to Be...

..... How, Cas.... How to achieve that?"

" I don't know, Caesar. I don't know....."

Old Castiel answered, in a weak whisper.

Is Living the only way to Exist ?

What, and how do we define 'Living' ?

Self conscious ?

To consume ?

To activate ?

To grow ?

To replicate ?

To wonder ?

Do these make up 'Life' ?

Or are they just the living forms of our world,

Not the full possibility of Existence ?

Can there be,

A New Form of Life, of Existence in our world ?

Still in his brooding mind or drunken stupor, Caesar dragged his body with those wobbly legs up to his office.

He came to a dim light at the end of the corridor where the children's bed rooms were, with sounds of a minor commotion happening.

He followed the noise and finally heard the weeping of the little girl,

The girl named Lima, crying sadly.

Caesar made a peak inside.

Claudia was there surrounded by the children, all hugging Lima the close, caressing those light purple long hair.

Caesar saw in Claudia's eyes, uneasiness of the future, but also courage to live on and protect, her hands slowly calming the crying girl by brushing across the child's hair tenderly, trustfully.

Her lips carving the soft Whispers to sooth the loli's sadness.

From what Caesar encountered, this young girl must have faced tremendous terror of her school destroyed, classmates killed before they are saved, things that would traumatize any person if they had the same experiences. No matter what Claudia whispered, how many caresses she gives, the girl remained sobbing desperately, wailing uncontrollably.

Nothing could erase those wounded memories, nothing could, not even time.

That's what Caesar thought, before he suddenly heard

Singing.

" —— Close your eyes —————

——— Don't you cry —————

Let the Sorrow within you subside——.

" ——— Don't despair ————

—— Have no fear ————————

Give the weight to me when you hear———

—————— This Lullaby ———"

Caesar bent down his legs and came to kneel, slowly on his knees outside the classroom but hid himself behind the wall,

His heart in echo to Claudia and the children's singing together, to comfort the crying child,

And his tears came out too without his realization and would not stop.

" You say

All seemed so wrong with the life that you're living,

" You're searching for some reason——why.

" You are so scared to trust,"

" You are feeling unworthy,"

" Aching for comfort——tonight."

" —— When your heart's too sore to beat'

And you great it might never heal——

— And you feel not beggars want you———"

" I Do."

Hand holding hand, circling the sad loli among the dim lights of candles,

The children following Claudia's song, singing

" Close your eyes,"

" Don't you cry,"

"— Let the Darkness within you—Feel Light—"

" Don't despair——"

" Have no fear——"

" —You'll find comfort in me——"

"———with this Lullaby————"

———This Lullaby——

—— Don't you cry——

——— This Lullaby——

" ——— Close your eyes———"

Footsteps.

Wait, one child sitting nearby with the others thought.

The child walked past her friends, new and old,

Passing by the teacher and out of the classroom secretly,

Away from the candle lights.

Only to follow the footsteps.

Down the corridors, stairs, Cross the yard,

And to the yard,.

Where the rock was.

But the rock, was moved to a side,

And a doorway down to a dark place, a flight of stairs.

" Hello ?"

The child called,

And Light,

Swimming, floating, grasping, whispering,

Glowed, in answer.

The child followed down the path of Light leading her forward,

Lo,

Headmaster Caesar Skyman standing before a million screens,

Of floating grasping Light,

Of a world full of flying ships with cannons,

Of Armored Beings, shining like Stars,

And Blueprints, many many Blueprints over the screens on the wall,

Of one place, The Place,

Of the Land of Light,

Of The Herunis Carna———

" No.... Yuri, what are you doing here ?!

You are not supposed to be here !! Yuri !!"

Light, swimming in jars,

Grasping the glass walls with its floating tentacles,

Alongside naked dead children behind the glass.

" Yuri....!!"

"I am sorry......"

Yuri stepped back,

And Light moved back with her, gathering to her.

She could hear voices in the Light,

The voices of those soft, swimming Light behind glass,

" YURI ————!!"

Swimming towards her,

Closer, and closer.

" YURI ———！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！"

...

.......

.................

Yuri thought it was her alarm clock.

Must wake up.... Or Firren will.....

........Wait...

This wasn't her room.

Yuri looked side ways, blinking hard and from the softest bed she had ever lay on shed looked out the window next to her, to expect the dry lands or abandoned high towers or perhaps blue water fields,

But To See a City instead.

A city among the clouds, sharp planes and air pods flying here and there, light dazzling throughout the far horizons.

So many.... StarBreakers......

The world beyond her imaginations,

Always only spoken and mentioned by Firren and Reina, now, with her own eyes

The City of StarBreakers,

The Capital of The skies,

Sky World.

Yuri tried to get to the window.

" Ouch...！"

The tubes and bandages in her veins were accidentally ripped off and a dew of light blue popped out of her skin slowly and flew to the wall straight in front of her bed.

Yuri was surprised. Her arm started to bleed more as the thin streak of light blue went on flying to the other end of the room dirtying the wall on the opposite side.

And the tubes that was once in her veins now started to tangle up pointing foward.

Yuri spooked ! And tried to sit up in shock, to see that her waist and legs were cuffed to the bed by devices !!

And Lo !! The towers of the city outside her window All tilted !

Sky world is tilting.... No,

Her bed, the place she was in, the whole room she was in is Tilting !!!!!

That was when the alarm started to ring, saying

" ATTENTION ! !"

" ATTENTION,

STARBREAKERS ! ! "

" SKYWORLD IS UNDER ATTACK ! ! !"

" ALL STARBREAKERS, TO COMBAT POSITION IMMEDAITELLY ———!!!!! "

[.............To be continued]