[After Purification Process, Day 1 - From Epsilon's Perspective]
When I opened my eyes, the first thing that came to my mind wasn't last night's memories. Not my father's raised hand, not that teacher's cruel face... The first thing I felt was Null's determined, protective whisper: "You're no longer that small, lonely child."
These words had broken those old, rusty locks in my soul. For the first time, that heavy burden I'd carried inside for years had lightened this much. Though every muscle in my body ached when I got out of bed, my soul felt as if it had sprouted wings. The fear hadn't gone, no. But I knew I no longer had to face that fear alone.
I couldn't contain myself while enthusiastically eating the breakfast Null had prepared – that strange but surprisingly delicious mixture of cans. "Come on, come on, come on!" I pressed her, pausing for a moment. Last night I had revealed my darkest secrets to her. I had cried, trembled. Today I was as excited as a child. I wondered what she thought of my instability. But when I looked at her face, I saw no judgment behind that always expressionless mask. There was only calm acceptance.
When she said "Get dressed first," I replied "Yes, commander!" and ran to the workshop. The first idea that came to mind was an outfit that would maximize my mobility. Of course, the design being a bit... eye-catching was also a bonus. Seeing Null's reaction had become one of the greatest entertainments of my new life.
When I returned, when she said "You've completely given in to perversion," I barely held back my laughter at seeing that serious expression on her face and furrowed brows. But then when I heard her whisper "But why am I embarrassed?" something inside me warmed up. My monument of logic android was embarrassed because of me. This was the greatest victory I'd won.
When we went to the training area, all my cheerfulness gave way to tense anticipation. "I'm ready!" I said, but I wasn't even sure myself from the tremor in my voice.
The next few hours were pure hell.
Null moved like a shadow. Every punch I threw went nowhere, every kick I attempted ended with me on the ground. Every point on my body ached. If I didn't have healing ability, I would have given up long ago.
"Enough! You're taking your anger out on me, aren't you?" I rebelled as I got up from the ground for the tenth time, and she looked at me calmly. "No. I'm just teaching you."
And she really was teaching. After each fall, she would come to me and give clear instructions like "You're leaving your guard too open," or "You're putting your weight on the wrong foot." Her voice was harsh, yes. But not merciless. Her purpose wasn't to hurt me but to make me stronger.
In the middle of training, for a moment, while I was out of breath from exhaustion, she came beside me to show me a stance. As she held my arm and moved it to the correct position, she spoke with her head tilted slightly to the side. "Don't tense your shoulders so much. Power comes from flow, not tension."
I froze at that moment. Her tilting her head... That slight, wise manner when explaining something... This was so familiar. A memory flashed in my mind. Years ago, when Delta was explaining a complex equation to me, she had made exactly this movement. The same head tilt, the same focused gaze...
"Strange..." I whispered involuntarily.
Null paused. "What's strange?"
"Nothing," I said quickly, coming to my senses. "Just... I feel like I've seen this movement somewhere before." That moment on the beach came to my mind. That illogical sentence Null had said: "But she didn't abandon you." This was the same as that moment. Meaningless, out of place, but deeply familiar. I thought my mind was playing tricks on me. Maybe some of Null's movements were merging with Delta's memories in my subconscious. There could be no other explanation.
By the end of training, I was completely exhausted. The idea of going to the shelter and reading the new section in the book seemed more like a necessity than an escape. When we started reading those glowing letters, I forgot all my fatigue.
"Lies in your ability to produce enough Edgium to activate the capsule."
We both simultaneously looked at that massive, mysterious machine in the center of the shelter. That pile of metal that had stood silently for years had suddenly become the key to our future.
"So," I said, holding my breath. "This isn't just my task."
Null shifted her gaze from the capsule to me. In her red eyes was an expression I'd never seen before. This wasn't an android's responsibility to a human. This was one companion's gaze at another. A partner's expression.
"I think..." she said. "...we need to work together."
At that moment, everything between us changed. She was no longer a guardian tasked with protecting me. I wasn't a fragile human under her supervision either. We were two beings who could change the fate of this world. We were a team. And for the first time in my life, I felt like I'd found a place where I truly belonged.