I’d often read about kidnappings in novels of the old world. Of course the feeling was unfamiliar to me, but even so I couldn't help but wonder, slipping in and out of consciousness, trying to recollect where I was and what I was doing— would that feeling be something like this? Scenes of an unchanging roof would meet my eyes; different voices, muffled by cream colored walls, spoke just outside of…wherever I was.
I couldn’t make out anything in this place, it felt too dreamlike, too……surreal. Thankfully as soon as I would open my eyes, exhaustion overtook them, and I would sleep once more. But my actual dreams weren’t much better— less dreams and more a sped up slideshow.
I saw my fight with the Behemoth and the Crysfiends; I fell to the earth from a high altitude, much higher than when I escaped the Crysfiend’s lance. But instead of crashing I fell through the sand, into a cave that reminded me of the spelunking horror stories I read online. I couldn’t understand the way it was structured, much less find my way out. But I didn’t need to.
The cave shifted into blackness, and beneath my feet I stood on a slab of smooth gray stone floating in the middle of a nebula. Even was standing in an unending galaxy, in the same place I saw him last time but…I couldn’t speak. Time passed too quickly, his form felt too fluid like the blurs of the clouds in the stars surrounding us. But I knew it was him.
“Hmh..?”
I opened my eyes to the feeling of warm liquid seeping down the side of my lips. The room had the same familiar cream and oak colored walls as my own room, but a distinct color stood out from the rest.
“I’m sorry,” said a girl clad in purple as she wiped away what I hoped wasn’t drool. “I’ve never done this before, please forgive me.”
I felt a rough patch of cloth move up my cheek before the sounds of clinking glass reached my ears. A moment later, my lips parted as a spoon poured something warm down my throat— I vaguely recognized the taste of warm coconut. I think my body may have involuntarily moved, because no sooner did my muscles react than a hand placed itself on my forehead, gently pushing me into the pillow.
“You’re still hurt. Please rest.”
That small movement was enough to drain what little energy I had; in fact, I could barely register the sound of her voice. “This…will be a cherished memory.” As my consciousness drifted into sleep, the last thing I recognized was a bow tied tightly to her chest.
The images passed like flashes of lightning this time. Monstrosities in the sky, enormous cities encircled by transparent domes, a sea made of blackness and Slayers fighting against unrecognizable Outsiders. What was most strange was that I saw myself waking up to Hanna and Lia, following the former’s voice and taking the latter’s hand. And almost immediately afterward, they began fighting together alongside Yukiko and another girl I didn’t recognize— one clad in hues of blue. Each of them looked…younger.
Was this still a dream? No. I wouldn’t be able to dream something like this.
“Where………go……”
A familiar voice penetrated the dream— gruff, yet feminine. I recognized that voice. It was the same one I used to anchor myself when I first arrived.
Ah. I see; she’s here.
“Sorry Hanna,” I sighed, “I’ll be needing your help again.”
I latched onto the incomprehensible words, feeling the world melt around me as I closed my eyes.
It was time to wake up.
My eyelids fluttered open, squinting at the bright light above me. I craned my neck to the right, trying to avoid the brightness before slowly lifting my arm to block the source. The room looked similar to my own, albeit much bigger.
Four rosewood colored beds dotted the king-sized room, with dark mahogany desks complimenting the ivory walls. An enormous window was at the end of the room, though given how dark it was I guessed it was well past dusk. Turning my head left, I could see I had one of the two beds closest to the entrance, and right at the entrance door…
“…where did that stupid bloody napkin go?” a petite girl in pink and blue angrily whispered while reaching underneath a mahogany desk. One of her hands violently searched the floor while the other held a tray full of supplements and what looked like a bowl. “Honestly, the one time I try and do something and it ends up—”
“…H-Hanna?”
The girl immediately shot upwards, crashing against the desk and nearly toppling the contents of the bowl. She stood frozen with her back to me for a few long seconds, unsure of what to do before suddenly making a break for the door without looking back.
“H-Hey, Hann…nevermind you’re gone.”
I let myself collapse onto the bed, too exhausted to call out or look for her. At the very least, her sudden departure managed to wake me up completely, a blessing and curse since my entire body ached like the morning after a strenuous day.
“Tch-aah..”
I winced as I propped myself upwards, using the pillow as a support for my back. Gently examining my chest and arms, I could feel the bruises that still covered them; I must’ve been in worse shape than I thought if, even with nanobots and futuristic medical technology, there were still injuries on my body. I was grateful that was the extent of my injuries but…
“…for a world full of mecha technology, I expected better healing.” I sighed to no one in particular. A sudden dizzy spell overwhelmed me, causing me to grab my forehead as my palm and hair covered one of my eyes.
Right. The fight with the Behemoth— that was the reason I was here in the first place. I wonder how that ended……
It took a moment for the dizziness to pass, but when it did I looked around the room for anything resembling a clock, even checking my metallic bracelet for any similar function. But when neither told me anything, I accepted the results of the fruitless search and sighed.
Everything that happened felt too surreal. I knew in my heart and mind I really was in another world, but the stillness of the room only made me question everything again…no. I had to start pushing those thoughts out of my mind permanently. If I kept doubting myself, doubting where I was or what I could do, what I should do, I’d be no better off than if I were still on Earth.
“……………”
“I will not be another failure in this world!”
I closed my eyes, letting the memory ring. It wasn’t until it faded that I opened them again, looking at the darkness outside the window.
“How much time has passed…?”
“About three days.” said a tender voice that stood at the door. Her outfit was white and pink, with bright auburn hair that flowed freely around her shoulders to her knees. In her hands was a tray full of supplements and a bowl with dried up liquid staining the sides.
“Lia…” I uttered, unsure if it was a question. She offered a gentle smile in response as she entered the room, setting the tray on the table.
“He’s awake,” she said in a tone that sounded very…rehearsed, “it’s alright to come in.”
In the wake of her words entered a Resonator in a blue and pink outfit. One that adamantly refused to make eye contact with me.
“Hmph. Just wanted to make sure we weren’t interrupting the kid’s beauty sleep.”
“Hanna……but weren’t you just here a few minutes ago?”
“You probably dreamt the whole thing!” she said, whirling her face turning red, “I just tagged along cause Lia and I were headed the same way!”
“Mmm, yes. In the direction of the medical bay…” her friend responded with a polite smile that felt infinitely more like a defeated sigh.
“W-Whatever!”
I couldn’t help but laugh a little.
“I see……thank goodness you’re both okay…”
The two ceased their subtle banter, a stern frown replacing Hanna’s blush but…I couldn’t help but feel there was something more behind it.
“You should be saying that about yourself…is what I’d normally say. But you’ve been refusing to learn to look after yourself, and only children or animals need to be told something more than once.”
I looked down with a faint smile.
“Yeah…I guess so.”
“……gch!” By the time I looked up, Hanna had already stomped her way next to me, pulling me up by the collar. “Is that all you have to say for yourself?! If you lied about being suicidal you should’ve said so, the ESDF has no need for selfish cunts that just look for an easy way out!”
“Hanna!”
“Am I wrong?!” she said, directing her attention to me again. “Why didn’t you retreat? Why didn’t you radio Lia for support? You didn’t just sleep those three days, you were in a coma! So why can’t you get it through that thick fucking skull of yours that you can’t learn to fight if you’re a corpse!”
My entire upper body and torso were lifted off the bed with each passing word; it was easy to forget that Hanna’s strength is on par with five or six fully grown men. Does that mean mine should be too? Maybe with training, but I didn’t feel any stronger. In fact, in front of Hanna’s piercing gaze, I felt weak.
Errant. Guilty. Maybe because I understood why she was doing this.
I understood why, despite her reprimands, her eyes looked ready to break. I knew she didn’t shout as loud as she could because, if she did, she wouldn’t be able to stop her voice from cracking.
“But eventually, she just…broke.”
“She needed help. I can’t just leave someone to fend for themselves.” I said, gently putting a hand atop hers. “Maybe that really does make me selfish but…I’m sorry for worrying you. I really am.”
Her grip tightened and loosened in response to her mixed emotions. I could feel my shirt digging into the bruises on my back, but decided against saying anything.
“Selflessness and suicide are a needle thin line apart, you know. What good is there in saving another person if you die as a result?”
“So you’ve said. But when I saw there was something I could do I……isn’t it normal to help someone who’s in trouble?”
Her face was close to mine— close enough that I could feel her breath and blushed at the fact.
What’s with the surreal amount of beauty in this world? A sudden feeling of deja vu hit me; if I had to walk the line of life or death every time I got close to Hanna or Lia…even if they were both attractive, that was a cruelly unfair deal.
“That’s the part you don’t understand.” she said, nearly shoving me back onto the bed. “If you don’t have the strength to help, you’ll only end up getting in the way.”
“Ironically it’s because he got in the way that I survived.”
The three of us nearly jumped at the voice of the woman at the door. A deep voice that came off as feminine yet commanding without needing to try.
“Chelsea..!” I said with a wave of relief. “You’re alright.”
“I tire of repeating myself.” she said, leaning on the desk next to Lia. “In this, Hanna has a point. You’d do better to listen.”
“‘My worries are wasted,’ right right.” I said, disappointed. “Still, I’m glad you’re okay.”
“……………”
“Chelsea?”
“It’s nothing,” she said, placing her weapon next to her. “You’ve been asleep.”
“So I’ve heard,” I said, trying for a smile at the two girls who came to check on me. “Sorry for the trouble.”
“You would do better,” she said, emphasizing the final word, “to listen, child.”
I scratched the back of my head, genuinely confused at what I did wrong this time.
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“I just said I survived because of your interference. Did that cause some kind of trouble?”
“Oh…I guess not…”
“Don’t encourage him…” muttered Hanna, sulking to the side.
“The entire situation was…unusual, and I was at fault as well. To fall for such a trap…”
I heard the faint sound of her tightening grip as she spoke.
“What happened in the end? The last thing I remember is the Worm of the Earth swallowing the Behemoth and…me being thrown off.”
“There’s much to discuss.” she said, taking her weapon and making her way towards the door. “And there is someone who would like to speak to you about such things.”
As the door shut behind her, I looked up in confusion at Hanna.
“Don’t ask me— Lia? Any ideas?”
The girl put a small finger to her lips. “Anon…during your spar with Senpai—”
“—Senpai!? When did you fight Senpai?!”
“A little before the attack started.” I answered, recalling the unpleasant memory. “What about it?”
“He mentioned the ESDF having some sort of…interest in you, right?”
It surprised me how wide Hanna’s eyes opened. She knew exactly where Lia was going with this.
“They sent him to fight Senpai…and the fight with that Omega too was……”
Her voice trailed off, replaced with the grit of her teeth.
“And now they’re coming here, after having done that!? Those little fu—!”
The sliding door drowned out Hanna’s curse as the weight of the air immediately shifted. Even with Chelsea at the front of the door, I could see the imposing figures of two people behind her. The first to enter was a pale man entering his autumnal years of life, wearing a well-pressed suit and lacking any facial hair, though his scalp was brimming with well-kept white hair. He was tall, easily and well above six feet, but didn’t strike me as particularly strong— not physically at least. The fact his presence alone was enough to silence Hanna spoke volumes in and of itself. And the person following closely behind him—
“Good evening Hanna, Lia,” she greeted, nodding at the two of them while drawing a long breath from a lengthy cigar. “Thank you for the escort, Chelsea.”
Though she was much, much shorter than the man, she also appeared younger, maybe mid thirties. Her long, burgundy hair was tied back in a ponytail that failed to keep her curls and bangs in place; more than anything though, my eyes were drawn to the burn scars covering much of the left side of her face, stretching over her eye and ending just beneath her lips.
Unsurprisingly, the hand that she used to smoke also had scars, though not as many, and her right hand was completely uninjured.
“Not at all Commander, President. If that will be all, however, I have a request.”
“Which is?”
“I would like to be present for—”
“—denied, I’m afraid.” Though the man made his remark sternly, it wasn’t without a cushion to soften the denial. “Confidential matters, I’m sure you understand Madam Chelsea.”
She said nothing, opting to close her eyes in acknowledgement.
“Right down to business I see,” laughed the woman as she drew another breath. “Old man, she’s going to find out eventually anyway so why not keep her around?”
“Commander Meredith, I advise you hold your tongue.”
“You haven’t even bothered to ask how they’re doing,” replied the pale woman, crossing her arms and walking toward the window at the far end of the room. “Isn’t that right Hanna? How have you been? Lia, anything new?”
“……………”
“We’ve been…fine.” responded Lia. I looked towards Hanna— her jaw was clenched tighter than I thought possible. Her head was slightly bowed, likely so her bangs could cover her eyes and face. I tried to think of any reason she’d be in such a state, even Lia was acting colder than usual. And then I acknowledged it— “President,” and “Commander”.
“—and soon enough, someone on the top made the choice to pull the plug.”
A wave of cold washed my entire torso and body. One of them…is responsible for the death of that girl. The previous wielder of Empathetic Connect.
Hanna’s best friend.
“Is that so?” she said, drawing another breath and tearing her eyes away from the scenery. Almost immediately our eyes made contact, and she approached my bed with methodical, swaying steps. “Well, the very topic of conversation. Tell me your name.”
“…Anon.” I said, trying for a neutral greeting. “As of five days ago, the newest member of Skull Beach.”
“Hmmm, Anon, is it..?” she said, picking up my chin to examine me. “Tell me Anon, have you taken on a lover yet?”
My face instantly flushed, but the loud slam of a fist against the wall dispelled every notion of embarrassment I had. Hanna, head still bowed, had a fist placed firmly on the cream colored wall. Maybe it was my eyes playing tricks on me, but I swear I saw the shadow of an indentation surrounding her fist.
“President, Commander— permission to be dismissed.”
It was meant to be a question, yet her voice carried no tone of request.
“……granted. You should get something to eat, it’s quite late.”
No response left her throat as she walked out of the room, Lia excusing herself and following shortly thereafter.
“Madam Chelsea, we will take things from here. Go and rest as well, as you only just returned from a mission.”
She nodded, walking out of the room. Our eyes met just before she exited, and whether from the intensity of the situation, or my not having recovered, I couldn’t tell what she was thinking as she departed. The door shut with a soft *click* and before I knew it, I was alone with two of the highest ranking members of the ESDF.
“She’s going to find out eventually, seeing as she has authority in emergency situations. Why send her away?”
“There is a process and chain of command. Straying from it will only add needless chaos.”
“Aaaah you’re such a stickler for the rules, old man! And more importantly why’s it so warm in here?”
The woman, Commander Meredith, complained as she unbuttoned her blazer and white dress shirt underneath— flagrantly showing off a remarkably well-endowed chest in a size too small for it. I don’t know whether she was ignorant or simply didn’t care about the fact she was still a few inches from me, but the blazer thrown so carelessly onto my shoulder was the straw that broke the camel’s back.
“…oh?” she said, narrowing her eyes as smoke leaked from her mouth. “So this is what it’s like to be on the receiving end of your emotions. I never thought it’d be so loud and clear.”
I panicked, instinctually lowering my head to reign in the ability only for her to pick it up again, cigar in hand; the smoke forced its way into my lungs, sending me into a coughing fit. But she didn’t seem to care.
“You’re quite shameless, boy” she laughed, “but it’s been years since I’ve gotten to unwind, and the knots in my back are killing me.”
It was difficult enough to respond through all the coughing and hacking, but her face leaning closer towards mine made it all the more difficult.
“I think a little youthful vigor can properly hammer out all of my aches; what do you say? Think of it as a reward for all your hard work.”
Through her beguiling gaze I noticed her right eye was a deep, drowning shade of azure while the left, the one damaged by scarring, was a pale, pale sky blue. I was only just about to respond before a hard shove to my bruised chest sent me on my back as her weight rested on me.
“You won’t refuse now, I trust,” she whispered, “so let’s get started…”
“MEREDITH!”
The sudden, booming voice caused me to flinch beneath the weight of the woman who only let out a sigh.
“You are the High Commanding Officer for the Earth Self-Defense Force. I tire of telling you to ensure you act in such a manner.”
“Old maaan, you have the worst timing to be a stickler for rules and appearances.” she complained, taking her blazer and stretching out on a separate bed to the right of me. “Well, I wasn’t lying about the knots and these beds are wonderfully soft, so I’ll stay like this for a while.”
I tried to get my beating heart under control as he finished reprimanding her. How in the world did my ability leak out so easily? No, more importantly why didn’t I reign myself in?! Because I’ve been unconscious for so long? Are emotions amplified after waking up from a coma? I was lost in thought and embarrassment before a guttural, commanding voice returned me to the present.
“Empathetic Connect is a double edged sword, in part released when one feels particularly strong bouts of emotion.” explained the man whose hands were now behind his back. He stood at the foot of my bed, oblivious or uncaring to the fact chairs were scattered all around us. “An untrained Resonator could let it loose, causing havoc on the battlefield…as well as in their fellow Resonators.”
His words calmed me down. Not because they were comforting, but because I knew exactly what he was referring to.
“With respect sir…it seems like you’re speaking about prior events.”
His gaze narrowed. Even as a Resonator, goosebumps traveled up my arms at being under his study. “Mister Anon…recall I said it was a double edged sword. The ability is also beneficial— I’m told it’s what allowed yourself and Madam Chelsea to not only survive an encounter with an Omega, but annihilate quite a large specimen of Worm.”
“According to our dearest Chelsea,” said the Commander, rolling around to face me so her bangs covered her unscarred, pale skin, “you were the one to come up with the plan to destroy the Behemoth. Without saying a word, she understood your desire to incapacitate it before killing it completely. A shame it didn’t work.”
I felt my forehead unconsciously furrow as I tried recalling the memory……it’s true that at the time she mentioned something about enacting a plan of mine, but I was so preoccupied with the fight I didn’t pay any attention to it.
“I see…but, you just mentioned it didn’t work?”
“Your briefing on the mission’s end is your own responsibility.”
“Old man…” grumbled the woman, to which he took a deep breath.
“Given the circumstances, however, I will inform you. The Omega class Behemoth escaped, though thankfully Madam Chelsea managed to kill the Worm of the Earth accompanying it. We specifically sent you to fight it,” he explained, “because we needed to see if your Slayer possesses…a certain ability.”
“…sir, would throwing me into the fire be the best way to go about doing that?”
“Indeed, you’ve proven your incompetence. Two missions, five enemies, and you’ve not yet managed to earn a single kill.”
I gripped the sheets, trying to calm myself. I wanted to rebuttal that I’ve had basically no training, and nearly died on both those missions. Before I organized my thoughts into a coherent argument, however, he continued.
“Despite this, you managed to survive your first mission. We thought perhaps you had some sort of underlying ability or training responsible for this, but your fight with fellow Resonator Senpai disproved such a theory.”
The President really liked backhanded compliments, it seemed.
“Sir,” I said, exhaling slowly, “may I ask what the point in informing me about all this is?”
“More than other Resonators,” responded the Commander, swinging her legs off the bed and standing, “we need you to survive.”
“Seems ironic.”
She smiled at me while lighting another thin cigar. It reminded me of a cat staring down a mouse.
“The Empathetic Connect ability is uncommon enough as is. If you truly do possess the ability we’re looking for as well, we need you to be prepared for what’s to come.”
“What’s…to come?”
“What you’re about to hear is strictly confidential, Mister Anon. Make no mistake, if you inform anyone else, you will face severe disciplinary action.”
“…if it’s so important, shouldn’t the others know as well?”
“Others would cower at having to face another Endbringer.” said the Commander.
My eyes widened, and new waves of cold washed across my body in waves.
“We won’t tell you who, when, or how,” she continued, “but we have reason to believe another Endbringer is coming. Very, very soon.”
“That is why you are being strictly forbidden to undertake any missions or deployments until you complete the standard seventy-two hours of training.”
I looked down at my bruised arms, which seemed a bit more healed than when I first woke up. If another situation like Lia’s happened again, especially with an Endbringer…
“Well, all things considered you shouldn’t have been deployed anyway,” said the woman throwing on her blazer again. “But for having no training whatsoever, it’s impressive you’ve managed to survive until now.”
“There are other factors at play, Mister Anon, make no mistake. But we simply needed to inform you ourselves.”
I got the distinct impression that his words were only partially true. But I was never a strategist, I hadn’t the slightest idea of what the ESDF had planned.
“I’ll…do the best I can.”
“And if you ever need to unwind, do come and let me know.” invited the Commander, blowing smoke in my direction with an impenitent gaze. Whether from the smoke or her comment, I didn’t know.
“As you were, Mister Anon.”
As the two made their way out of the room I called out to them, and to my surprise, they listened.
“Sorry,” I said, remembering the soup from earlier, “is there any way to check when a Resonator entered the room? I wanted to thank Meridia for checking in on me.”
The Commander closed her eyes for a moment before tapping the metallic bracelet hidden beneath the cuff of her dress shirt.
“Meridia, the Resonator previously an instructor?” she said, swiping away a small hologram that had popped out of the triangular accessory. “She was never here; perhaps you simply dreamt of her? If so, do try and keep it in moderation.” she smiled.
I sighed as the two made their way into the hallway. I could’ve sworn it was a girl clad in purple, but if not her then—
“Purple…purple……was it her then?” For a girl that came across as quiet and shy, her outfit choice of an enormous bow latched to the front of her shirt was interesting. I made a mental note to find and thank her later, but right now I had something more important. I winced for a moment at throwing the covers off of my legs, but the pain was nowhere near as bad as it was before.
Right, now wasn’t the time to be laying down. Her unrestrained anger, that defeated look that came after striking the wall as hard as she could.
“Hah…training huh?” I scoffed as I stood up, confirming that she did, in fact, leave an indent in the wall. “Well, it’s the perfect excuse to bother her.”
Because I can’t learn to fight if I’m a corpse.
I looked out of the raven black window, aware that it’d be wiser to wait until morning…no. By morning it might be too late; even without an ability, anyone would be able to tell.
I sighed. “I swear this is gonna end with me getting my teeth kicked in.”
With that, I quickly made the bed before leaving through the door; I needed to find Hanna.