Chapter Thirteen: Between Time
Hours Before Yozora and T.LAC Depart to Fight Jezebel
The control test area grew colder by the minute, a biting chill filling the air as Yozora stood in front of the Cube. His breath misted in the freezing atmosphere, but his mind was elsewhere, lost in thought. The situation gnawed at him, leaving him confused and frustrated.
Why are we doing this again? he wondered. If I’ve consumed a fraction of my power, why haven’t some of my abilities or memories returned? Haven’t I done this test before? What’s the point of doing it again?
Yozora’s eyes narrowed as he turned toward Instructor Selene, who stood silently nearby. “Instructor Selene? I have a question,” Yozora said, his voice low but steady. “What’s the point of doing the control test again if we’re just going to get the same result as before?”
Selene paused, gathering herself before answering. She knew Yozora’s frustration ran deeper than just this test. "Well, Yozora," she began carefully, "this isn’t exactly the same as the original test. This specific Cube functions differently."
Yozora crossed his arms, still skeptical, but he listened.
“The Cube you used during the standard control test merely reveals if a person is a Tuner and their class type. But this Cube,” Selene gestured to the shimmering object before them, “is an amplifier. It works with the fragment you’ve already consumed. When you place your hand on it, the Cube will take you back to certain memories—fragments of what’s been locked away.”
Yozora’s eyes flickered with a mix of curiosity and suspicion. “Locked away?”
“Yes,” Selene continued. “Being Zeroed works by sealing certain parts of your DNA and stripping away memories from your mind. The reverse process—unlocking what’s been hidden—takes time. This Cube accelerates that process. It amplifies your connection to the fragments you've absorbed.”
Selene’s words hung in the air for a moment before she elaborated further. “For T.LAC, as an Augmenter, he’s been manipulating the gravity around him since he was three or four years old. Once he regains even a fraction of his ability, he’ll fly as naturally as he did back then.”
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Yozora tilted his head slightly, still processing everything. "What about me?"
Selene exhaled slowly, choosing her words carefully. “You, Yozora, are... different. In terms of raw power, you were always basic—at least, that's how it appeared. You don’t remember, but before the original control test, you were bullied often. We knew which kids would pass and which were doomed to fail.”
Yozora's fists clenched. He could feel the weight of something buried deep inside, but the memories were like shadows, just out of reach.
"Yozora," Selene continued, her tone softening, "you were on the list to fail. You shouldn’t even be alive. But when you touched the original Cube, something unexpected happened. After you disappeared, we analyzed the area for hours. We found traces of a pocket dimension.”
Yozora’s brow furrowed. He reached up, holding his head, trying to remember. "A pocket dimension? I don’t... I don’t remember that at all. What’s in it?"
Selene crossed her arms, leaning back slightly with a sarcastic tone. “If I tell you, will you stop hating me?” she asked, though she already knew the answer.
Yozora shot her a cold glare. "No."
“Fine, fine,” Selene replied, waving her hand dismissively. “The pocket dimension is connected to your ability. When you touched the Cube, it activated dormant DNA within you—DNA linked to the first Tuner, Orin. His class type was called ‘Suits.’”
Yozora’s eyes widened slightly at the mention of a new class type, but he remained silent, waiting for her to continue.
“Suits,” Selene explained, “are a special type of Tuner. They can forge abilities, skills, and techniques into what they create—whether it’s accessories, weapons, armor, or clothes. Everything they forge has a specific function. They store their creations in a space only they can access, a vault, or as we call it, a pocket dimension.”
Yozora felt a small flicker of understanding, but it was still clouded in confusion.
“Your vault, Yozora,” Selene said, “is filled with items you’ve created in the past. But be careful—some of the things you made back then are far too powerful for you to handle in your current state. When you touch the Cube again, it will activate your vault, allowing you to retrieve items. For now, you should take only what you can control. Grab the Wings of Apollo, which will give you the ability to fly, and your Scyth, Star Gazer. They don’t require much Hindo and will grant you access to abilities you’ve placed in them.”
Yozora stood there, the weight of her words sinking in. Though he still felt betrayed by everything Selene had kept from him, he couldn’t deny the truth in her explanation. His anger simmered, but beneath it was a growing resolve.
“Thank you,” Yozora muttered, his voice quiet but sincere. "For telling me a little about myself." He glanced at the Cube, his expression hardening. "I guess it’s time I give this Cube another shot."
With those final words, Yozora approached the Cube, ready to uncover what had been locked away for so long. The air around him felt even colder, but this time, the chill didn’t bother him. He was ready.