Sayaka’s screams were resonating in Nova’s ears, but they were only fuel for his excitement as he closed his eyes. When he opened them, they were no longer falling; instead, they were in a small room. He scanned his surroundings. It was a very small room with a bunk bed, minimal living space, no kitchen and a door to what Nova assumed was the bathroom as well as another door that was most likely used for entering and exiting. Luggages were all pushed to one corner opposite from the bed.

Sayaka started shrieking. “Why are we here?”

“This is an important aspect of your memory.” Nova’s words seemed to have an effect on Sayaka as he saw her expression change from scared to calm. She clutched onto the rabbit tightly as she gulped and stared straight at the door.

A younger Sayaka bursted into the room with an exhausted demeanor. She fell onto the bed, hoping to ease her stress. Exhausted thoughts filled her mind. She rolled over and then let out a big sigh. “Is this what I really want to do?”

Nova had recalled from Sayaka’s memories that she was forced to enlist in the military as her father believed it would strengthen her physically and mentally. Sayaka had struggled a lot because she had been against enlisting. The days she spent training felt like hell. She hated everything about the military; though, there was one saving grace amidst the chaos.

The past Sayaka’s attention drew to someone who entered her room. A tall girl around her age walked across the room. She had dirty blonde hair styled in a boyish cut, bright green eyes and was dressed in the same uniform as Sayaka. “Are you okay?” She had a bit of a raspy voice.

Sayaka sat up to stare at her. “I’m okay. Thanks for asking, Lillia.” She feigned a smile.

Lillia just stared at her. She approached her and then knelt down. “If you say you’re not okay, just say it. I don’t want to see you breaking down even more than before.”

How kind you are, Lillia. Worrying about a disappointment like me. Sayaka still maintained the fake smile. “Thank you for being considerate of me.” I do not deserve it at all. “I’m okay. Really.”

“If you say so…” Lillia then went into the bathroom to wash up.

Sayaka just laid down once more. She thought about what happened throughout the day. While the training was as excruciating as she remembered, she also recalled feeling so much pressure due to expectations; the trainers were all people her father knew and they had high hopes for her. Her days were always spent disappointing all of them. Today had been the worst for she had been given snide remarks. Her already fragile mentality waned day by day. She had enough; she wanted to leave.

She stood up and looked out the window. Security Cobots heavily secured the camp at night. It was impossible for any recruit to leave their rooms after curfew. Sayaka knew that the longer she was confined here, the harder it would become to run away. She needed to act now.

She aimed straight for her luggage, but stopped. She glanced over at the bathroom door. Lillia had been struggling with the military camp as much as she did. She wondered if she should ask her to come along. She shook her head at the thought.

Lillia’s here because she wants to be. She wants to make people happy. She needs to be here.

She resolved to escape by herself. She did not want to burden others and she did not want others to burden her. She hastily packed her bag; she had brought a large suitcase and a small backpack, but opted to leave the suitcase behind. She packed clothes and portable toiletries that she had extras of and rushed towards the door. She stopped to hear the sound of Lillia humming in the shower one last time before taking a deep breath. She turned off the lights and scurried.

She did her best to avoid passing security bots and guards and left the dorm building undetected; having a small frame felt like a blessing for her. Once she was outside, she knew the next stage in her escape was going to be a challenging one. The security robots were programmed with the most advanced artificial intelligence. Finding a fault in them was impossible.

Nova’s heart started racing at the scene. He had remembered watching it before in the Contract Room. It was as if he was watching a movie; he anticipated her next move despite knowing what happened next.

The only way to best my way through these flawless robots is to eliminate them. Even if they are perfect, they have a weak point.

She scanned the vicinity. When the coast was clear, she took out a switchblade she had hidden under her sleeve and snuck up behind the robot. She kicked it onto the ground and swiftly stabbed the center of its back. The robot started short-circuiting before it ultimately shut down. She tossed it aside after pulling the blade out.

Robots aren’t perfect because they’re all powered by a core. Like how humans have a brain and heart to function. Take them out and it’s the end. She gripped the handle tightly with a dissatisfied expression. In the end, all I know is violence.

She repeated the same tactics for the second and third robot she detected. After destroying the core for the third robot, she noticed a fourth one coming her way, so she had to abandon her blade and somersaulted herself towards the robot’s blind zone. There were seven robots in total and she had destroyed three so far. The fence seemed so far away.

“Fuck it,” she whispered, “I’ll just have to rely on brute strength against machines.”

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She charged towards the fourth security robot, subdued it and used all of her leg strength to smash its chest, damaging its core. Nova found her strength impressive.

He turned to the current Sayaka and asked, “Do you have Plasmian blood within you?” To Nova, she was as strong as Arcturus who is mixed.

Sayaka shook her head. “I do not. I am a pureblooded Laminan.”

“What is the secret to your family’s strength? You all are much stronger than the average Laminan.”

“We just use our intelligence to find ways to enhance our strength.”

“Think smarter and not harder. An interesting perspective.”

When he focused back on her memory, the past Sayaka already destroyed the sixth robot with brute strength. Once she hid from the final robot, she took a look at her hands. They were swollen. If she continued with this, they would bleed. That would also mean it would hinder her chances of escape.

She shook her head. I already made it this far. I cannot back out now.

After replenishing some of her energy, she wasted no seconds and lunged towards the final robot. When she used her hands to subdue the robot and to tear it apart, she suddenly felt a sharp cut through her hand and saw blood. She quickly threw the robot onto the ground and smashed its core.

She looked back at the mess she created. She knew this sort of path would be her future from now on. With a deep breath and solid resolve, she eyed the barbed fence. She started climbing; ignoring the pricks that she continuously felt.

“I’m impressed you kept going despite having bloodied hands.” Nova remarked. The current Sayaka then released a hand from the rabbit and showed it to Nova. His eyes widened at the sight of the numerous scars all over the palm and fingers. He felt something sink into his chest.

“SAYAKA!” A voice yelled out to the escaping recruit. The past Sayaka stopped and turned around to see Lillia approaching her with a worried countenance. She ignored her presence and continued.

“What are you doing, Sayaka? You’re going to get in trouble!”

Once she reached the top, Sayaka took a good look at the clear night sky. The wind felt nice from the top. She turned to Lillia who was still panicking at her actions.

“Lillia, remember what I had told you three months ago? About how I wanted to be the wind? About how I want to be free from rules and expectations and drift to wherever I please? That’s what I’m doing right now: becoming the wind.”

“Is this what you really want?”

“Yes.”

“If you leave, you’ll become a fugitive and live a life running away forever. Is that what you want?”

“Absolutely.”

Lillia Heartful, so earnest and kind. She’s nothing like me. She’s someone who still has people who love her. I do not. Even if I want to offer her to tag along with me, I cannot strip her of a life she chose for herself.

She took one last look at Lillia’s surprised countenance, taking in her green eyes. She had never seen such green eyes before; they were a pure green color that reminded her of emeralds. “Lillia, there will be a day where we will cross paths as fugitive and soldier. I can’t wait to see what sort of soldier you’ll become. We will become enemies and I won’t hold back when that time comes. Even if it means killing you, I will continue to be as free as the wind–as free as the clear sky you see above you.”

The surprise on Lillia's face slowly changed into a reluctant but firm expression. Sayaka could tell she wasn’t going to say anything to her anymore; she was accepting her escape. It was as if she was letting her go. As a sign of gratitude, she gave Lillia a genuine smile. “Good-bye, Lillia Heartful. May we meet again in the future.”

She then jumped down on the opposite side of the wall and rushed towards the dark world in front of her. Her heart started racing. Excitement boiled her blood. She was finally free. The memory ended.

Nova and Sayaka were still standing next to each other; Nova couldn’t find the right words to start a conversation. Seeing her in the Spirit World made him sad; she longed for freedom. She obtained it and it was taken away from her the moment she died and her soul had drifted here. He knew from her memories that she was free, but what about her true feelings? Was she truly satisfied? He needed to know.

“How did you feel about your escape and tasting freedom for the first time in your life?”

Sayaka’s free hand curled into a fist; she placed it on her chest. “It was the best feeling in the world.” Nova’s eyes widened as he saw a bright grin on her face. The Sayaka he witnessed from the memory and in this world was a woman with little expressions, so to see her with such a bright visage warmed his heart; the warmth caused him to develop a frustration within him. He found it unfair that such a person who desired freedom had it taken away from her.

“And now you’re stuck here.” Nova murmured.

“It’s not so bad. I’m dead, but it means that I’m truly free. I do not need to meet my family. I don’t need to run away from soldiers. I think this Spirit World is like an answer to my wishes.”

Nova couldn’t believe what he had heard. “You’re happy you’re dead?”

“Yeah.” She was speaking the truth, but Nova found it unfathomable because she had such a cruel and unfortunate death.

Sayaka’s eyes started glistening as tears dripped down her face, surprising Nova. “What’s wrong?”

“Even if I’m happy to be dead…to be free…I still have regrets. I wanted to tell Lillia to come with me. I wanted to make my new life more fulfilling, but I keep thinking about how I died and I cannot get over it.”

Nova felt his heart sinking into his chest as he watched Sayaka weeped. A sudden chill brushed down his spine. He felt tension in the atmosphere. The longer she wept, the stronger it became. He felt uneasy. “Sayaka, please calm down.”

His eyes protruded as he witnessed a black aura shrouding Sayaka. His worries accumulated as he grabbed onto her shoulder. He shook her with all his might. “Snap out of it, please.”

“I shouldn’t have trusted Naomi…” Sayaka muttered. “If I hadn’t trusted her, none of this would’ve happened.”

Her grip on the rabbit tightened to the point that it had to pull itself out of her grip. It landed on the ground and turned its head to stare at the guilt-ridden Sayaka. The aura became thicker. Nova’s worries kept growing. “It’s not your fault…”

“It is my fault.” She muttered. “It’s absolutely my fault.”

A strong force suddenly pushed Nova back, releasing his hand from Sayaka’s shoulder. “No!” Sayaka fell onto her knees, clutching her head and screaming. The aura started shrouding the entire area, concealing the entire memory and changing it into a black void.

Nova mustered all of his strength to push forward towards Sayaka, but he kept being blasted back. “Don’t give into your negative emotions!”

His words were futile to her ears. She kept despairing while Nova eventually found himself submerged into a dark ocean. All he could do was wallow in his own regrets by covering his face with his hands.

Don’t give into your negative emotions, or I’ll do the same…