Bloop… My consciousness rises to the surface like bubbles bursting. At the same time, the scenery around unfolds like a panoramic view.
But the place my consciousness has emerged isn’t a military base in the northeast or a cradle. Out of nowhere, I find myself in the middle of a luxurious café.
I can’t move my body as if I’m tied up in chains. I can only roll my eyes around and barely survey my surroundings.
There are several plush sofas placed around. Dim and warm lighting highlights each seat like a spotlight. An old-school classic tune plays softly from a speaker in the corner.
Suddenly!, I notice the year and date on a calendar in the corner. 21XX, Month X, Day X.
Exactly three years ago to this moment.
Is it possible that I’m right in the middle of a dream?
Why am I drifting in this twisted space and time?
Hmm… No clear answer arises despite my rambling thoughts. I’m still chained up, just wasting time.
Ding-dong!
After what feels like a while, I suddenly hear the cheerful sound of a doorbell and the creak of the door opening.
Then tap-tap, someone’s footsteps start to approach me.
“Uh-chya!”
With the sound of someone flopping down on the sofa, a cute little sigh escapes her lips.
It’s a voice from a woman who seems quite young.
As she settles in, she suddenly yells as if she’s seen something shocking.
“What? I’m not first? When did you get here?”
“…A week ago.”
In the once empty front seat, another woman has taken a place.
Her voice drips with a natural elegance.
She elegantly crosses her legs and takes a sip from her cup without making a sound.
“Ugh… that long? You must have been bored…”
“Not really. I didn’t even notice the time pass while adapting to this body. It’s not bad…”
The woman sitting across raises her left arm and twists it around, giving a peculiar commentary.
“I’m! I’m? Aren’t I super cute? What do you think?”
“Sure.”
“Tch. What kind of response is that?!”
The other woman beside her bursts out in frustration at the nonchalant reaction.
Although I can’t see her, I can easily picture her puffing up her cheeks in annoyance.
“…”
The woman in front of me chose not to respond.
Time continues to tick by.
I can hear the sound of a cheerful hum from next to me. Occasionally, she taps the table as if getting bored.
Ding-dong!
“Oh! It’s already here. You got here fast?”
“Hello~”
Ding-dong!
“What? Did you two come together?”
“Hehe, we ran into each other on the way!”
Ding-dong!
“Ugh… I’m late… I’m late…”
Ding-dong!
“Last place! Last place is here!”
“You’re late~”
Days and nights pass. With each cheerful doorbell ring, new voices keep filling the empty sofas.
From children to mature adults. A variety of age groups fills the air with chatter.
I could easily count at least seven voices. Moreover, all the voices belong to women.
“…Is this all for this group?”
After what seems like a while, the quiet woman opens her mouth again. Her mature and elegant voice resonates through the soft music.
“It feels like a few are missing. Where’s Spica? What about Polaris?”
As if searching for someone, she glances around at the empty sofas. Her gaze lingers unusually long on my spot.
“Spica doesn’t want to come. She said she’ll stay human. She wants to live as an ordinary girl, so don’t look for her or call her.”
In response to her question, a lively girl’s voice shakes her head lightly.
“I heard she has to fulfill her past wishes or something… that’s what she said when she left. Anyway, she’s a bit strange. Maybe it’s because she’s possessed by a corpse rather than being alive…”
“Poor Spica. Either way, she can’t reject her will… What’s she going to do later…”
Someone’s voice seems sincerely sympathetic.
“What if she spills everything…?”
“Don’t worry. You know she wouldn’t be able to do anything even if she wanted to.”
The elegant voice calms the worried feelings of someone unsure.
“Actually, that’s a good thing. It could be an unexpected variable. Besides, I hold the control here as the alpha entity. What about Polaris?”
“Uh…”
In response to her elegant question, the timid voice that had been silent in the corner finally raises her hand and nervously starts to speak.
“When I was in the egg, I was close to Polaris… I think the egg hatched…”
“What? What do you mean?”
Huh, huh…
“Ugh, yelling like that makes it hard for her to speak. Now, take a deep breath and calm down…”
“Hah, hah, hah…”
After calming down, the shy girl speaks again.
“I felt biological signals while I was asleep… But a few years ago, they suddenly stopped… So, the egg must have hatched…”
“What on earth happened…?”
Someone muttered with a tone of defeat.
“Shouldn’t we look for her now?”
“What’s the point? If the egg hatched years ago, she must have already died. Even if she wakes up, she won’t be able to adjust to it…”
“What should we do…? Polaris was the strongest star in this group… without her…”
“That doesn’t matter. Regardless of who’s here or isn’t, what matters is that we do what we need to do.”
The elegant woman’s voice abruptly silences someone’s anxieties.
“Okay. Now, let’s talk about business. What role does each of you have?”
“Corporal of the National Army Barrier Guard’s Exploration Unit.”
“A night stage singer.”
“East tour healer.”
“A nun.”
“An ordinary rank-and-file member of the People’s Liberation Front Southern Army.”
“I’m a florist.”
Pfft… A florist…
“Hey! Why are you laughing? Being a florist is great!”
“I am…”
It’s like watching a school self-introduction scene from childhood. Once all the introductions are done, the elegant woman nods in satisfaction.
“Not bad. Everyone retains their memories, right? So…”
“…Hold on.”
“What?”
The military woman who introduced herself as a guard stopped her. The serious tone grabs everyone’s attention.
“…Tch.”
“What? What’s up?”
“The opponent… is still alive.”
With her words, the pleasant atmosphere that had just been there dissipates in an instant.
A chilling silence fills the room.
Crack…
The elegant woman in the seated position grinds her teeth ominously.
“That can’t be… How… I saw him take a lethal hit right in the fountain…”
“Is that for sure?”
“I’m sure. His name is on the active roster in the military database.”
“Still, it seems like he took a serious injury. He doesn’t seem as strong as he did before. Although it’s not precise, he’s definitely weaker than he was in his prime.”
“Still can’t relax. Considering what he did to ruin our plans, he has to be removed for good. What’s his current condition? Let’s make an inference.”
“It’s mostly anger and hatred. There’s a touch of resignation and despair too. Underneath that, there’s lingering attachment, regret, and sorrow about the past.”
If I throw just a little bait, he’ll bite right away.
“I’ll be doing some groundwork. If the opponent still harbors grievances against us, he will surely get closer when he finds a trace.”
That was the voice of the woman who introduced herself as the East tour healer earlier.
“I’ll cross over the barrier. Demons? They seem to have a higher particle sensitivity than monkeys. Perhaps I might be able to subjugate them like the monsters.”
“I have to head back south. If things go well, I might find a way to utilize the inferior beings.”
“I’ll just keep doing what I do. Surprisingly, the night stage seems to have a lot of connections with the powerful. If I’m lucky, I might just dig deep into that world.”
“Okay then. I’ll need to get ready to face the opponent. I need to prepare a tomb. I can’t make the same mistakes as my sisters.”
The woman with the composed demeanor finally nodded.
“Will this be alright…? No matter how weakened he is…”
“Don’t worry.”
The confident voice of the elegant woman rings clearly.
Crack. It starts to sound as if glass is cracking, and soon the sound of shattering fills the air.
Suddenly the vision that had surrounded me lifts.
The speaker, which had already become old and rusty, emits no sound. The table in the center of the sofa looks rotten and on the verge of collapse.
The sound of wind and waves rushes in through the holes in all directions. The once lavishly decorated walls are now completely gone.
I shift my gaze to the right. I can see the white sandy beach and the waves creating bubbles crashing down. In the distance, remnants of old structures stand, precariously close to collapsing.
The direction of the sea is not west but east. This indicates that this is still the territory of an ancient civilization that has yet to be reclaimed.
I turn my attention back to the front. With a swish, the elegant voice’s face morphs into that of another person.
There sits a girl with clear blue eyes. However, in contrast to her gentle look, what now fills her face is a smile soaked in malice.
“He won’t be able to move an inch. I can guarantee that.”
*
I felt the gentle breeze tickling my ears. A rough texture repeatedly licking my lips drags me back to reality.
Suddenly, as I open my eyes slightly, I see a small creature, cream, and amber-colored, eagerly sucking at my lips.
“Peanut… uh?”
Meow~
Peanut gently bit my lips. The expression looks like it’s scolding me for waking up late or perhaps it’s just angry.
I scan my surroundings. It looks very much like a hospital room.
I feel like I had been having a dream, but the only thing I remember is the face of a woman with a nice look on the surface, but filled with wickedness underneath. And even more so, I don’t even know her. Was it just a weird dream…?
“…Ugh.”
As I regain my senses, sharp pain starts to hit me from various parts of my body.
I’m still slowly coming to my senses, and for some reason, my memory feels foggy. I ponder over the source of my pain.
Meow~
Peanut mews, seemingly begging to be petted. I try to raise my right hand for him, but for some reason, it won’t move at all.
It feels like I’m buried under something heavy. As I try to turn my head, I find someone I never imagined.
“Kuwu… Kuwu…”
Yeon Minha is leaning on my hospital bed, taking a light nap. Her face is filled with exhaustion that is far from noble. She looks like she hasn’t slept properly for days.
The sweet floral scent filling the room seems familiar; it could be the perfume that always emanated from her.
Next to her are a water container filled to the brim and a white towel that looks like it’s been used several times, sprawled out.
For a moment, my heart sinks. I check if my mask is still correctly in place, but then I feel the familiar texture securely covering my face, letting out a sigh of relief.
My right hand still won’t budge at all. It’s as if something is tightly binding me in place.
Just when I was about to give up and raise my left hand to pet Peanut instead…
“Huh?”
I suddenly realize the reason for the oddly comforting feeling I’ve been sensing. I tilt my head.
I feel no discomfort at all where I’m touching Yeon Minha.
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