Darkness. Numbness. These things had become his senseless norm. In the sea of nothing, he had fully lost a grasp of the when; time slipped between his faint memories. He was bound by a seemingly endless obscurity. Unsure, confused, and perpetually tired. He lulled himself in a sea of color, his mind searching for something to occupy his senses. It was terrible to be alone, trapped within this void, but from the nothing, suddenly there was a noise. Not quite words and almost murmurs. It was barely audible, but he could tell they carried intent. There was a hint of wonder and care in the noise. It felt—oh so—human. Even in the void, there was something for him—a quiet balm against the emptiness that enshrouded it all.
The simple thoughts that lightly brushed against his psyche were enough for Gira to find himself at peace with wherever or whatever had happened to him. Whether he was alive or dead, he was happy to be with someone—something.
These simple exchanges permeated his existence for time unknown. Caught in the comfort of a sweet daze, afar from the pain of the waking world. The sounds each day grew more and more coherent. Their jumbled essence slowly became simple greetings, snippets about the day, bits of laughter, and sometimes strains of sadness. And then came stories—fantastical tales of dragons, ancient heroes, mad machine gods, deep and vast seas, and everlasting storms. Fragments of a world beyond his shadowed cage, echoing through the empty halls of his mind.
Somewhere inside, he felt the stirrings of gratitude. Each voice that reached him felt like a tether pulling him closer and closer. The more he listened to the voices, the clearer they became, until one day he could discern them fully. Their tone, their volume—he even caught the names of those who came and went, each one like a small star against his inner darkness.
Yet there was one voice he never heard. One person that never came to talk. Lucas. A feeling of dread wormed its way through him, twisting through his calm. Where was Lucas? Had he survived? Though their time together had been brief, Lucas had been his first friend. He quietly pondered imponderables until he simply gave up. Gave up? HUH, we just named dropped someone and you just give up?
Eventually, time drifted by—indistinct, vague, and confusing. And finally, after an unknown, vague, and confusing time, after living vicariously through the words of those who’d visit him, he opened his eyes. Rising from his bed like a zombie, he sprung upward, deliberately and surprisingly.
The sudden motion startled his current visitor, who dropped her things as she squeaked in terror. Bound in cloth, Gira glanced around the green room where he’d been kept. The walls were adorned with vibrant green flowers that seemed to bloom directly from the surface, blending seamlessly with the earthy beige of his bedsheets. To his right, a wide window flooded the room with light, creating an atmosphere that felt like a whimsical forest grove.
But what stood out the most was his visitor. A girl with messy, long, vibrant crimson red hair with contrastingly light blue eyes that seemed to be on the verge of tears.
“Hmllo…” Gira mumbled, his voice muffled by something in his mouth. Raising a brow, he moved his hands to inspect the thing in his mouth before violently pulling on without any regard to what it may be connected to.
“Wait, wait!” the girl shrieked, rushing toward him as he pulled on the device.
She jumped up and grabbed his arms, wrestling him away. “Calm down! Let me call my mo—I mean, Dr. Xizu.”
“Mmmocor? Shihu?” Gira slurred, blinking at her in confusion.
“Just sit tight and don’t pull on anything else,” she said firmly, backing away while keeping her eyes on Gira as she went over to the door.
Naturally, Gira ignored her. With a determined tug, he pulled the device from his mouth, unleashing a deluge of slime and goo as he spat out the tube lodged in his throat. Not stopping there, he glanced at his hand, then ripped out a tangle of tubes embedded in his arm.
“Agh,” Gira said as he rubbed the spot before pulling down on the gauze that covered his face. Feeling around, everything seemed in order except for the fact his hair had gotten way longer. “Uhh, not a fan of this,” he muttered as he played around with his spiky hair.
Moving the covers off himself, he slid his legs over the bed's edge. His feet met the cold floor as he wobbled back and forth as he struggled to stand. Using the bed as support, he finally stood up. Stretching out as he stood, he raised both arms before spreading and began to move his limbs around, making sure that he hadn’t lost anything. Grazing his chest with his hand, the roughness of his ribcage surprised him as he inspected his own body.
As he steadied himself, he felt something different—a faint, swirling warmth that he could feel surging in and around him. Kyyr? He wondered as he inspected the energy in the air. Instinctively, he focused the strange essence towards his wobbly legs; the energy brought him a sense of balance, and soon he was running around the room, testing his strength.
Reaching the window, Gira noticed that there was a gravel path outside that led around a garden of sorts. Prying around the window, he unlatched it and managed to swing the window open. The crisp, fresh air filled his lungs with a refined chill that swelled in and through his body as he perched on the edge of the window. An overwhelming urge overcame him. His muscles tingled as he looked out onto the strange garden; he could see that on the horizon there was some kind of edge. Actually looking around. Gira realized he was back in the city of Krreat. But he was high up. His eyes widened in excitement as he realized this garden was on top of one of the towers.
Unable to contain his excitement, he leapt out the window and began to run through the garden. His legs carrying swiftly as he pranced around, jumping around, taking in the sunshine, as leaves fluttered around him as a strong gust of wind surged through his hospital gown and his bandages. This sudden, boundless freedom brought tears to his eyes as he spun around, laughing.
Back in the hospital room, Xizu, the red-haired girl, and a bunch of other people burst in, only to find the window wide open and Gira missing.
“He shouldn’t be able to move!” Dr. Xizu exclaimed, rushing to the window. “He couldn’t have—!”
In the distance, jumping around, was a noticeably older Gira smiling at a flower he’d just plucked.
“How is he moving around like that?” a nurse asked, astonished.
Xizu shook her head in disbelief as she answered, “I have no idea.”
Noticing the group of people that had formed by the window, Gira waved at them, and one of the nurses absentmindedly waved back.
“Hasn’t that kid been in a coma for over a year?” another nurse asked.
“Yup…” Dr. Xizu said, watching Gira run around as if nothing had happened. She leaned out the window, yelling, “GIRA, GET BACK HERE!”
Gira yelled back something but he was so far away they couldn’t really understand.
The red-haired girl stepped forward, pushing past the nurses. “I’ll go talk to him.”
“Thanks, sweetie. Try not to startle him—though I doubt he’ll care; he’s been asleep for so long.”
“He won’t care?” the girl, Holly, asked as she jumped outside.
“He's... kind of like your big sister,” Dr. Xizu explained as she let out a deep exhale.
“Right, you’ve mentioned that before…” Holly murmured, wondering how to approach the strange young man running around outside.
Gira had wandered to the edge, climbing over the guardrails. He settled himself down, letting his legs dangle freely as he took in the vista stretching out before him. Rolling hills blanketed in wildflowers dotted the landscape, their colors shifting with each gust of the salty breeze from the nearby sea. Above, the sky was a deep blue with the ever-far wispy fair clouds that swimmingly cruised the heavens above. And of course, beyond it all, far above vaguely stretching across the blue’s of the skies was the fracture that was overpowered by the sun’s light. With an outstrehced hand, Gira reached for the beyond before he gave up. The beauty of the open sky tugged gently at his heart, its boundless freedom filling him with a serene, unbidden joy. For a brief moment, Gira let his thoughts drift away with the clouds, his weary gray-black eyes softening as he looked out over the grand world he had managed to cling to.
Holly watched the lonely young man sitting on the edge, his messy hair fluttering in the wind. There was a calmness about him, a quiet serenity that mingled with an unmistakable hint of longing as he stretched his hand toward the sky. For a moment, it looked as if he might slip off, his body precariously close to the edge. She felt a pang of worry but hesitated, unsure of how to approach him.
Lost in her thoughts, Holly blinked—and suddenly, Gira was gone. “What where?” she muttered, glancing around in a mild panic. Her eyes widened as she spotted him, now sprinting along the guardrail with reckless joy, balancing himself on the narrow ledge as if it were a game.
Her breath caught, a gasp of terror escaping her as she watched him weave and sway, his arms outstretched as he embraced the rushing wind, a playful smile lighting up his face.
Stopping briefly, Gira noticed the red-haired girl that was awkwardly waving her hands around every time Gira seemed to falter in his balance.
“Hello!” Gira called out cheerfully.
“OH, uh, hello!” she replied, catching her breath.
“Who are you?” he asked.
“M-my name’s Holly! I’m Dr. Xizu's daughter!” she called out over the wind.
“Oh, I vaguely remember her showing me pictures of you. Although you look a little different,” he remarked. Before she could answer, the wind blew fiercely between the two, both of their long hair fluttering crazily all over the place.
“Can we go back inside?!” she asked, half-shouting to be heard over the wind.
“Sure!” Gira bound over to her.
“Wow...” she murmured, watching him approach.
“Wow what?” he asked, looking around curiously.
“It’s just… I’ve only ever seen you lying down. I never thought I’d actually get to meet you…”
“Hmmm, makes sense. So, uhh, Holly! Right?”
“Yeah?”
“I’m in Krreat right?”
"Yeah, we’re on the medical plateau of Krreat. ”
“Wow, I finally got to go up the buildings!” Gira exclaimed, his eyes alight with wonder as he scanned the area around him. Inevitably, his gaze drifted upward, following the towering ivory-and-gray structure that stretched skyward. His eyes widened as he tried to take in the sheer height, his head tilting further and further back.
He traced the building’s ascent, each level climbing higher and higher, until it seemed to blur into the endless blue. There were so few clouds today that he half-expected to glimpse the top of Krreat itself—but to his astonishment, the structure disappeared into the blue beyond. "Wow, I didn’t realize it was this tall!” he exclaimed, pointing upward in awe.
Holly turned and followed his finger. “Oh, th-that’s the Ermacless Space Elevator,”she explained, a bit awkwardly.
“The what?” Gira looked at her confused.
“Uh… it’s a massive elevator that connects Krreat with the Steel Dragon,” she clarified.
“The what?” Gira’s eyes lit up, tilting his head. “Dragon?! Did you say dragon!”
Holly stammered, “Umm—well, I can explain later, but for now, Mr. Gira, could you please come back with me? You’ve been asleep for a long time, so we need to run a few tests to make sure you’re alright.”
“But I feel pretty good; outside of having to constantly use Kyyr to move around, I’d say I’m A-okay!” He replied while giving a thumbs up.
“Just come with me, please. It’s been quite some time, so—”
“How long?” he asked, his curiosity piqued.
“A couple months, that’s all…” She answered, glancing away while fidgeting with her hair.
“How long is a month?" Gira asked.
She squinted at him, unsure if he was messing with her. “It’s about four weeks.”
“How long is a week?”
Holly stared at him, bewildered. “A week is seven days…”
“Oh wow, how many months was I asleep for?” Gira tilted his head as a strong gust of wind ruffled his hair.
“My mom—I mean, Dr. Xizu can tell you all that.” Holly said, pointing back towards the building.
“Okay! Let’s go!” Gira exclaimed as he rushed past her towards the building.
Holly watched him with a mix of amusement and disbelief. How on Esthes is he older than me? she wondered.
When Gira reached the building, he was greeted by Dr. Xizu, who caught him in a warm hug. “Thank you,” she whispered.
“Wha-? For what?” He said returning the hug regardless. "Wow, you’re really soft!” he said as he buried his face into her.
Just then, Holly arrived to see her mother clinging to Gira. “Mom!” she exclaimed, pulling Gira away from the hug.
“It was bliss…” Gira murmured, satisfied.
Holly flicked him on the forehead. “You may not realize it but you’re an adult now.”
“I am?” Gira tilted his head in confusion.
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“Mom, get a hold of yourself!” Holly said, exasperated as Dr. Xizu’s eyes filled with tears.
Through her tears, Xizu looked at Gira and said, “Thank you for saving his life!”
“Who?” Gira asked, confused. “Lucas? Or one of the rangers?”
“My husband Bern... He said you found him by Signia’s Cove; he was caught on a tree.” Xizu explained.
“Ohhh—yeah, I vaguely remember smelling something tasty and I ended up finding a ranger stuck on a branch. Anyway, how long was I asleep?” he asked bluntly.
The nurses and Holly all looked to Dr. Xizu, who took a deep breath before beginning. “Gira, you’ve been asleep for 17 months and 12 days. After you dealt with the abyssal anomalies, your body began to break down. The rangers found you just in time, but you were… on the very edge.”
Gira absorbed this thoughtfully. “So… how long is 17 months?”
Xizu sighed as she began to realize how many stupid concepts she’d have to explain: “Okay, a year is composed of 13 months. Each month is composed of 28 days, except the final month, which has some extra days during some years. Don’t ask why. You were found sometime in the afternoon on June 9th by Lucas. That same night, an abyssal anomaly appeared from some alien wreckage. It has been over a year since then. So you have aged over a year. We’re currently in the month of September. Don’t ask why any of the months are named what they are.”
“So, how old am I?” Gira asked, placing a hand thoughtfully on his chin.
“Well… I originally thought you were 15 back then, but somehow. And I really don’t know how. You physically aged one year up between when I met you and when they found you bleeding out on a rock.”
“Hmmm, people did mention I got taller.” Gira mused, thinking back on that night. “Wait so I’m 17?”
“You can do math?! Sorry—I mean, yes, you’re 17 now. We decided to use the day we found you as your birthday so you’re 17 years old as of June this year.” Xizu explained. “Now, mentally… the reports were all over the place. Cali called you a gentleman, Denver called you a brother, Morotov called you ‘THE RED BEAST,’ and both Lucas and I thought you might have some kind of rare learning condition or brain damage.”
“Hey! I told you guys I need time to warm up my brain.” Gira protested before adding, “Oh right! What’s my eye color now?”
"They’re gray-black,” Xizu replied.
“Ahh, that’s probably why I’m not so gentlemanly right now.” Gira said, confusing everyone.
“What does that even mean?” Holly interjected.
“I have no idea, but something is up with my eyes.” Gira replied, pointing at his eyes that were covered by his long, spiky hair. “By the way, I was wondering if I could cut this, please?”
Xizu sighed, smiling. “We’ll get you groomed; just sit tight and DO NOT run off again. Alright?” she commanded.
With that, the nurses and Dr. Xizu began to work on Gira. Holly excused herself in the meantime, giving Gira a wave as she left. Testing didn’t last long but Gira found all of it exceedingly boring. I, as the narrator, have decided to exclude all of his dumb questions and agonizing explanations for a more streamlined experience.
After a few hours of grooming and enduring all the tests, Gira was finally almost free to roam. There was, however, one last stop. Dr. Xizu led the now-tidy Gira to an elevator, pulling out her crystalcom. “Holly, we’ll meet you on the first floor. I’m taking him over to meet up with Dad and Mr. Frye.” She paused, listening, then added, “Alright, love you, sweetie; bring Alice with you.” Ending the call, Xizu glanced down to find Gira looking up at her.
“So… you still want to adopt me?” He asked.
“Legally, I’ve been your guardian for well over a year,” she answered with an annoying smile. “My offer to be called Mommy still stands.”
“I’ll pass. ‘Xizu’ sounds better anyway.” Gira replied, adjusting his clothes. “I’m surprised Fred managed to get my exact haircut from back then.”
“Well, he is a machine; he just used the old footage he had stored of you as a reference.”
“Oh, that’s neat, by the by, about this adult thing. What’s that mean for me?” Gira asked.
“Well, you gain access to a bunch of more rights and the freedom to pursue a career, but since we’ve been cut from the ORPA, your options are pretty narrow. My husband actually wants to recruit you into the rangers. He’s been talking about it ever since your brain activity started to show positive signs.”
“The rangers seemed nice.” Gira said, then shook his head. “Wait, what happened to Lucas?”
“He’s been going through a lot; he’s been doing rehab in another city.” She explained
“There’s another city?”
“He’s been living in the city of Heilagjǫtunn.”
“Okay… Where’s that?” Gira asked.
“By lowglider It's about a week away from here,” she answered.
“Is that far?”
“Yup, he’s on another continent.”
“Why is he so far away?” Gira prodded.
“You know what continents are?” Xizu muttered before answering his question. “Well, he suffered a severe injury, if you remember. So his arm was amputated….”
Gira’s eyes widened. “I remember his arm was really messed up when I found him. Did they have to chop it off?”
Xizu’s eyes narrowed on him. “Wait, you know what amputations are?”
“Yeah and?”
Xizu shook her head. "Uh, anyway, Heilagjǫtunn is a city renown for its weapons and technology. They have the resources to build some pretty cutting-edge prosthetics. Compared to us, they weren’t as dependent on the Translates to function so he was sent there to get a prosthetic.”
“Ohhhh,” Gira replied.
Ding. The elevator rang as they arrived on the ground floor.
“Oh, we were in the same building as your office!” Gira noted as they excitedly entered the flowery lobby he had encountered before.
“Yeah. The same building you crawled out of, like some kind of demon.” Xizu commented with a hostile smile.
“Oh, well, the lights were pretty, and Lucas was leaving without me so...” Gira noticed her smile had grown more oppressive.
“Anyway, let’s find my daughters so we can head over to the ranger station.” Xizu said as she scanned around the lobby, which was surprisingly full of people. “Ah, there they are.”
Gira noticed the number of people staring at him, causing him to give an awkward smile as he followed Xizu. “Pssst, hey Xizu.”
“What?” she replied, still walking towards two girls that were sitting in a cozy couched area.
“What’s up with all the people looking at me?”
She stopped and looked around. “Oh, that’s because you’ve become a bit of a celebrity after recordings of your massac—I mean, battles were leaked by one of the rangers.”
“Oh, so they all know I can turn into Savagrios,” he said, nodding.
Xizu suddenly turned around, causing Gira to accidentally walk headfirst into her. “Wait, you know about Savagrios?”
Still buried in her chest, he replied, “Mhm.”
“How?” she asked, baffled. “Actually, let’s discuss this with Bern at the ranger station.”
“Mmkay.” Gira replied as he enjoyed the warmth of Xizu's fluffy black sweater.
They reached the two girls, each absorbed in their own world. Holly was entranced by a book, her eyes gliding swiftly through the pages, unaware of Xizu and Gira. On the other hand, the smaller, orange-haired girl was passed out on her sister’s shoulder.
Xizu sighed, “Alice is sleeping again.”
Looking up from her book, Holly said, “She keeps staying up late watching Dad’s videos.”
With a defeated look, Xizu leaned down, gently shaking Alice. “Sweetie, wakey, wakey. We’re going to see Dad.”
Alice grunted, her eyes still shut as she grumbled something.
Gira poked his head out from behind Xizu. “Hey red-hair girl!” he said, walking over to Holly.
Holly flinched as the cleaned-up Gira got a little too close to her, causing her to turn bright red. “T-t-t-t…”
“T-t-t-t?” Gira echoed, tilting his head, eyes still locked with Holly's, who were looking anywhere but into Gira’s eyes.
“T-Too close!” Holly shrieked as she slammed her book in Gira’s face.
Gira stumbled back. “What? Did I do something wrong?”
The commotion woke up the drowsy girl, while Xizu turned with a knowing grin. “Gira, for some unholy reason you were blessed with a pretty good face, and my sweet daughter here isn’t too good with guys, so...”
“Mom!” Holly hissed, mortified.
Gira’s iconic little hair bits twitched. Iconic? Since when? “So I’m a handsome chap, huh?” He said with a goofy grin, flicking his hair back with one hand.
“Yeah but your personality really kills your gift…” Xizu continued, dryly.
Gira’s newfound ego was instantly smashed as he dramatically sank to the floor.
Xizu cleared her throat. Turning to the teary-eyed Holly and to the half-asleep Alice. “Well girls, let me formally introduce you to your new stepbrother.” She gestured at the emotionally damaged Gira that was still dramatically posing on the floor.
Almost instantly shaking of his depression, Gira stood up and, with a smile, introduced himself: “ I am Gira the person.”
Both girls looked at the mildly deranged Gira in confusion. Alice pipped up, “Mom, is this weirdo really the guy that saved dad?”
Xizu exhaled, “Yup.” She blankly answered, clearly in disbelief herself.
“What’s with the looks?” Gira asked, confused by the cold reaction.
“Nothing,” Xizu answered. “Anyway, girls, introduce yourselves.”
Holly rose from her seat. Gira hadn’t taken much notice of her appearance earlier, probably because his hair was flying everywhere in the wind. Now, though, he could see her clearly. Holly was a slender girl, nearly as tall as him, with wavy, scarlet hair that cascaded down like undulating flames. Dark roots added depth to her hair, which lightened to wispy ends, and one strand at her bangs was entirely black—a striking contrast.
Looking at her face, he noted how similar to her mother she looked, aside from her light blue eyes that contrasted against her mother’s amber-red gaze. A delicate, star-shaped earring dangled from her left ear, made of a translucent light blue stone that matched her eyes. She had very refined, long eyelashes that were black at the root like her hair but gradually became crimson red.
As for her clothing, Holly wore an oversized dark purple sweater with a loose, draped neckline that folded into itself, exposing her slender neck. The sweater seemed a bit too large, its long sleeves nearly covering her knuckles. She had it tucked into black, wide-legged shorts that resembled a flowing skirt, held in place by a broad belt around her waist, embossed with her last name: Mourns. She also wore black leggings, which bore her surname around her left thigh. On her feet were sleek, futuristic-looking black sneakers with subtle light blue lines accenting the design.
Holly began her introduction, still a little shocked by the goofy but cleaned up Gira. “My name is Holly... I turn 17 next month. So I’m technically your...” she paused and stared at the ground.
“My what?” Gira asked.
Flustered, she stammered, “I’m your… litt…”
“What?” Gira asked bluntly, disregarding her red face.
Alice stepped forward, saving her sister from further embarrassment. “We’re your younger sisters, champ. Woo.” She deadpanned in a flat and mildly sarcastic tone.
Holly was having a meltdown as Alice, her younger sister, interrupted her introduction with hers. Alice was clearly younger than Holly but she seemed to have an edge to her that her sister didn’t have.
Her hair was shoulder-length, wavy like her mother’s and sister’s, but tied back in a low ponytail. Unlike the others, her bright marigold hair didn’t have any additional colors mixed in, making it stand out with a subtle shimmer compared to her family’s. She had amber eyes that were much warmer than Xizu’s, missing out on the spice of red that her mother had. Her eyelashes were also a darker orange and she was giving Gira a very indifferent and relaxed look. Almost as if she were studying him.
She was wearing a mossy green sweater with a rounded neckline, accented by two darker green stripes near her waist. The sweater was long and droopy, going past her waist and drooping to her upper thighs, giving her a laid-back look. She paired it with textured, black kegggings and, like her mother, wore add-on garter pockets for utility. Her shoes were sleek black sneakers, accented with her last name, Mourns, printed in a bright green along the sides.
After studying Gira, Alice tilted her head, one eyebrow raised, before resuming a neutral expression. “My name’s Alice; I’m 14. My favorite color is green, my favorite animal is the Crimson-brimmed Lesar, I like fish, and my hobbies include freezing things, hiking, and watching mo—”
Xizu stepped in quickly. “Alright, sweetie, that’s plenty.”
“What’s a crimson-brimmed lesar?” Gira asked, intrigued.
“Ah,” Xizu realized there was a negative feedback loop that might form if the two started talking. “You guys can talk later when we get home. Alright?”
“Okie,” Alice replied cheerfully.
“Aww, sure..” Gira mopped.
But almost instantly, he perked up, leaning over to Alice with a whisper. “Wait, so are these Lesar things cool or what?”
Xizu realized that even though Gira was physically 17, he acted more like a kid. Then again, looking at her two daughters, she began to doubt her own parenting. Snapping Holly out of her meltdown and getting Alice to stop answering every stupid little question Gira had, he managed to get everyone ready to head to the ranger station.
It was a bit chillier beneath the megastructure than Gira had expected. He was dressed simply in the clothes Xizu had provided—a lightweight black jacket, zipped snugly to his neck, with the word Mourns printed in light blue across the back. His matching black pants blended in without drawing attention, and he wore black sneakers with light blue accents. As they walked toward the ranger station, he took a deep breath, letting the brisk air heighten his senses.
“So, where’s the station?” Gira asked as he wandered around the outside, inspecting the familiar building side. His eyes lingering on an old faucet on the side of the building.
“Not far,” Xizu replied, glancing at him with a raised brow. “Just don’t disappear on me, and we’ll get there on time,” she added, pulling out her crystalcom.
Gira let out a soft hum of acknowledgment, finishing his nostalgic inspection of the faucet. As he turned, he noticed the area bustling with more people than he’d remembered. “Hey, little girl, has there always been this many people here?” he asked Alice, lowering his voice as if sharing a secret.
Alice gave him an unimpressed look. “First off, my name’s Alice.”
“Right, sorry,” Gira replied, rubbing the back of his neck with a sheepish laugh.
Alice smirked, glancing around the street. “As for the people? I guess ever since people started going missing in the outskirts, more and more have moved back into Krreat.”
Gira’s smile faded, his expression growing thoughtful. “People are going missing?”
Holly, overhearing their conversation, stepped closer, her voice quiet but serious. “Y-yeah… ever since the incident at the twin stations, the abyssal activity hasn’t really let up.” She hesitated, her gaze drifting to the ground. “Nothing as massive as the station attacks, but… there’s been a lot of missing persons since then. It’s not hard to connect the dots with the abyssal monsters from that night.”
“Monsters…” Gira repeated softly, the word still making him feel weird. “So… are people being taken?”
A lowglider slid smoothly to a halt in front of them, its sleek, skiff-like shape hovering just above the ground, its soft hum getting their attention.
Alice, glancing briefly at Gira, replied, “Probably, but no one’s ever seen who—or what—is taking them.”
Xizu leaned down toward Gira with a slight smile. “Bern can fill you in on everything if you join the rangers,” she added, almost casually.
Gira shrugged, “Hmm… not sure. The uniforms are kind of bland.”
Xizu rolled her eyes, gesturing for them to board the lowglider. “Well, you can complain about the fashion choices to him in person,” she replied with a smirk.
As they climbed up the narrow steps that extended from the lowglider’s rear, Gira inspected the vehicle with an intrigued expression. “So, what’s this thing called?” he asked, fingers grazing the smooth, metallic frame as he followed them inside.
“It’s a lowglider~” Alice remarked as she picked a spot, sliding down comfortably on the fluffy seat.
“They’re a basic transportation vehicle we use,” Holly added, giving Gira a small smile. “They’re Kyyr-based, easy to use, and fast.”
“ I wanna drive it!” Gira said eagerly, dashing aboard and looking around with wide eyes. “So, where’s the driver’s seat?”
Xizu scoffed, amused. “No offense, but you don’t exactly strike me as a great driver. Besides, this is a public lowglider, so it’s driven by a mechanoid.”
Gira ignored her comment, his curiosity overriding her teasing. “From where?” he asked, looking around, trying to spot the hidden driver.
Holly giggled softly, gracefully sitting down beside her sister. “The lowglider itself is the mechanoid. Unlike private ones, these don’t need control panels since they run on internal commands.”
“But I thought you had to be alive to use Kyyr?” Gira asked, tilting his head, a slight frown of confusion crossing his face.
Xizu sat down across from him, crossing her legs as she pulled four candie pops from her thigh pocket, handing one to each of them. “Kyyr can be collected and synthesized into a stable liquid form, so it acts more like a fuel source than an esoteric substance. In short, it’s a fuel type.”
“Ohh, is the fuel that light blue liquid stuff the rangers carry around?” Gira asked, watching as the lowglider hummed to life and lifted smoothly off the ground, cruising forward on the city’s mostly empty roads.
“It is,” Xizu replied. “But it’s not very safe for regular use. The only reason we even use it is because of the low-Kyyr levels in our atmosphere.” She paused, realizing she might be opening a floodgate of questions. “Honestly, you should ask the rangers at the station if you want to know more about Kyyr.”
Gira nodded, determined. “Alright, I’ll try and remember all my questions!” he said, mostly to himself, his gaze fixed on the bright light ahead as they emerged from under the megastructure’s vast shadow and into the open air.