The aftermath of the battle still clung to the air, a heavy, acrid scent of smoke and blood lingering like a thick fog. My heart was still pounding in my chest, the adrenaline refusing to fade, and the sweat dripping down my brow reminded me that this mission was far from over.
Somuchi stood over the fallen Orion follower, her eyes cold and calculating as she wiped her foot clean of blood. I watched her for a moment, my mind still reeling from the chaos of the fight.
I glanced over at the kid huddled in the corner, his wide eyes locked on the destruction around him. He'd seen too much—more than any child should. A sharp pang of guilt hit me. I hadn't meant to drag him into this, but here we were.
"Somu," my voice came out shakier than I intended, "take the kid. I'll look around for any intel."
She glanced at me, eyes narrowing slightly. "Your arm," she said, motioning to the graze on my limb where a beam of light had struck during the fight. "You sure you don't want me to tend to that?"
I shook my head, gritting my teeth. "Nah, don't worry about it. I've got to focus on the info right now."
She didn't argue, just gave me a brief nod. "Alright, come on, kid. Let's go," she said, taking the boy's hand. They moved toward the exit, leaving me to sift through the wreckage.
A deep breath escaped me as I watched them leave. That could've gone sideways fast. Somu had my back—again. I owed her.
I wandered the dark corridors of the base, stepping over debris and the occasional piece of shattered equipment. Each room I passed held the echoes of violence—evidence of what had happened here.
As I moved deeper, something shiny caught my eye. "Ooo, a chain," I muttered, bending down to inspect it. It was a chain with a star-shaped pendant, oddly pristine amidst the chaos. "I like it," I said, slipping it over my head. "Not like anyone's gonna wear it."
The chain settled around my neck, the cool metal a strange comfort in the midst of the bloodshed. I continued to move through the building, my boots clicking against the tile floor, my mind fixed on what I might find.
I entered a room that seemed to be a storage area—papers scattered across a desk, a computer screen still glowing faintly. My eyes scanned the desk quickly, taking in what was left behind. I walked over and began rifling through the documents. The papers were mostly technical notes and reports, but one folder caught my eye. It was labeled "Celestial Experiments: Phase III."
Curiosity spiked, and I opened it. The contents were filled with technical jargon and research data. The experiments described focused on celestial power manipulation, with the goal of augmenting individuals' strength by modifying their bond with stars. The files mentioned subjects enduring extreme conditions to push their limits, altering their celestial alignment to enhance their abilities.
There were reports of subjects undergoing intense physical and mental strain, their bodies pushed to the brink of destruction to test the evolution of their powers. Some notes even discussed manipulating emotions—aggression, calmness, sorrow—as a way to enhance star power. These traits seemed directly tied to the strength of the star the subjects were bonded to.
A chilling realization settled in: these experiments weren't just for science—they were about control. Orion was behind them, wanting to create the ultimate weapon, one that could be molded and manipulated at will. Bending the very nature of stars to serve his twisted designs.
I flipped through a few more pages, but nothing indicated who the subjects were—only that they were part of a long-running project. No names. No identities. The lack of detail only made it more sinister.
For now, I needed to give this information to Somuchi so she could pass it along to headquarters. The mission was over. We got what we came for. I picked up the documents and left the base.
Walking through the streets of the lower district, I felt a strange sense that something was behind me. I turned around—nothing. I turned back. Still nothing.
"Hey, Kame!" Elysia yelled, her voice way too close to my ear.
"Where did you come from?!" I shouted, startled.
"Does it matter?" she replied, tilting her head.
"Well, I guess not," I said, shaking my head. "And besides, you didn't help much at all." I couldn't help but remember her earlier promise to help me search.
"It's not my fault I couldn't find…" she trailed off, staring at me with an expression that almost seemed… angry? It was unsettling.
"It's fine, don't worry about it," I said quickly, brushing it off. "Anyway, I found some info on my own."
"That's good. What did you find?" she asked.
I grabbed the chain I'd taken from the base, clenching it. "I found documents—experiments that were being done on people to turn them into weapons," I said hesitantly, the topic making my stomach turn.
"That makes you sick to your stomach, doesn't it?" she asked, like there could be any other reaction.
"Of course it does…" I said quietly. "This is exactly why we have to get rid of Orion." My voice carried more conviction this time—remembering what happened to Mom because of him.
Elysia said nothing for a moment. "I see," she finally said—plainly, with no emotion behind it.
I decided not to question it. I still didn't know if she was even human. Could she feel what I felt?
"So, Elysia, I'm going to get my arm healed. Just follow me if you want."
She nodded. "Let's go, Kame."
We started walking through the lower district toward the upper gates.
"Kame?" I echoed.
"Yeah. Short for Akame," she said with a smirk.
I laughed a bit. I guess she wasn't entirely emotionless. "Yeah, I figured it was short for my name, but why?"
She looked at me as we walked. "Because if we're gonna be friends, we need to get comfortable. Nicknames help."
I smiled. She was unsettling at first—but maybe she wasn't so bad. "Then I'll call you Sia."
She grinned. "I like that."
We continued walking through the lower district until we reached the gate that separated the two worlds.
The gate hissed as it opened, and the chill of the upper district's wind brushed against my face. Cleaner air. Brighter lights. Everything up here felt like it belonged to a different universe.
But the weight in my chest didn't lift.
"The clinic's just a few blocks that way," I muttered, nodding to the left. Sia walked beside me in silence, eyes scanning everything.
We stepped inside a small Guardian outpost where a medic stood waiting. "Akame, right? Somuchi radioed ahead," the woman said, motioning for me to sit.
As she wrapped my arm in a glowing bandage that pulsed with soft white light, I finally let out the breath I'd been holding.
"You took a light beam to the arm. Be glad it didn't hit your core. That kind of wound eats through normal flesh like fire."
"Yeah… lucky me," I muttered.
When I stepped out of the clinic, Somuchi was already there—sitting on a bench with the kid beside her. She raised a hand lazily in greeting.
"So," she said, "got anything for me?"
I handed her the folder. "Celestial Experiments. Phase III. This one… it's bad, Somu."
Her expression darkened as she flipped through the pages. "We'll get this to HQ. Maybe we can stop it before Phase IV."
"Alright. When are we leaving?"
Somuchi gave me a knowing look. "Today. I already packed our stuff into the transport. No need to go back there."
"Mhm… and what about Zaire, Raven, and Luma? Will they meet us at HQ?" I asked as a woman entered, walking straight to the kid.
"Yeah, they will," Somuchi answered. "They might already be there, considering how close Celestial Haven is to HQ."
The mother turned to me as her son clung to her hand. "Thank you for saving my son… I'm sorry for the trouble," she said, voice soft and nervous.
I quickly shook my head. "Don't worry—he didn't cause any trouble. And don't just thank me—thank Somuchi too. She saved both me and the kid at the end of the day."
Somuchi smiled at the kid and waved before turning to the mother. "It was no big deal, ma'am. He was well-behaved in the clinic. Oh, Akame—he made something for you."
"For me?" I asked, crouching down. "What is it?"
The kid stayed silent, then handed me a folded piece of paper. I opened it—it was a drawing of me and him.
I smiled. "Thank you. It's very good."
I ruffled his hair gently. "What's your name?"
"Brian," he said quietly. "My name is Brian."
Still shaken, but hanging in there.
"I'll hold onto this, Brian. So if I see you again, I'll remember you."
He smiled, and he and his mom left.
Somuchi turned to me as I stood up. "Let's get going," she said, opening the door.
I followed behind her into the open field where the Celestial Transport was parked.
We boarded, and Somuchi piloted it smoothly out of the planet's atmosphere. It looked just as beautiful leaving it as it did arriving.
I pulled the folded paper from my pocket and looked at the drawing again. I smiled.
I saved that kid. It felt good… helping people. Now we just had to reach Guardian HQ and figure out what came next.
I leaned back in my seat, letting my thoughts wander.
Elysia.
"Yeah?" I heard her voice in my head.
'What the hell?!'
'I told you I could speak to you anywhere. And I can manifest wherever I want too. You're the only one who can see me.'
'You only said the seeing part… whatever. Me and Somuchi are heading to HQ.'
'Alright then. Try to get some rest. You might need it.'
'You're right'. I leaned further into my seat. 'Gonna sleep. Goodnight , Sia.'
'Goodnight, Kame.'
I closed my eyes, letting the hum of the ship soothe me as I drifted off.
'I wonder what will happen at HQ.'