WAS Headquarters, Hazen
The full red moon bloomed in the sky, casting a crimson glow over the massive building.
The WAS building: a vast complex forged from glass and pure tenzen minerals. Stretching across four by four kilometers and standing twenty meters high, the WAS HQ was the tallest and largest structure in all of Eldrid.
It served as the vanguard of sorcerous activity, responsible for certifying sorcerers, establishing guilds, and detecting demonic presences through a satellite-like device known as the Tenzometer.
The HQ also housed the office of Eldrid's Sorcerer-General: Sir Zelazny Zoldrak.
...
Whirl! Whirl!
The still silence of the night was abruptly broken by a distant whirling, growing louder as it neared the building.
A helicopter the size of an airship emerged from the dense clouds, descending slowly toward the rooftop helipad.
People in black suits over white shirts and ties were already waiting there, standing in formation as the helicopter hovered closer.
Gradually, it lowered onto the pad. The propellers slowed, giving one last whirl before coming to a stop.
Without warning, the passenger door swung open. A foot stepped out.
The man wore a black tuxedo coat that reached his knees, paired with black trousers and a white shirt that radiated elegance. Though slightly aged-perhaps in his late fifties-his deep blue eyes still glowed with youthful vigor.
He was Sir Zelazny Zoldrak: the Sorcerer-General of Eldrid.
Before he could take another step, the waiting officers instantly surrounded him.
"Welcome back, sir," they greeted in unison, as a man in glasses stepped forward. Unlike the others, he wore a yellow suit over a white shirt and black tie.
His name was Arthur Smith.
"Good grief," Sir Zoldrak sighed, furrowing his brow. "I finally take a month off, and I return to this mess?" He shook his head, removing his coat.
Arthur extended a hand and took the coat.
"My apologies, sir. We tried contacting nearby sorcerers, but none responded," Arthur said as the two began walking toward the elevator.
"Tch." Zoldrak clicked his tongue. "And the First-Grades?"
"None at all," Arthur replied as the elevator door slid open.
"Arrrgh," Zoldrak groaned, stepping in.
The door shut behind them.
Cling!
The elevator began its descent from the top floor to the tenth: the penultimate level.
When the doors opened, Zoldrak was met with another round of greetings.
"Welcome back, sir!"
"Yeah," he muttered, waving a hand dismissively as he strode past.
"How about Harbinger?" he asked.
"Contacted him, sir. He said he's busy with another mission and won't return until tomorrow," Arthur replied.
"Anastasha?" Zoldrak continued, eyes fixed forward.
"She said she was too tired to go," Arthur answered.
"Uh?!" Zoldrak stopped before a large door. "What about Ackerman?"
"He was the only one who responded... but not until two weeks later," Arthur said.
"That's so like him," Zoldrak muttered, pushing the door open before pausing.
The entrance revealed a spacious office. The room was dim, illuminated only by the faint red glow filtering through the wide glass window opposite the entrance.
In front of the window stood a grand leather chair behind a desk cluttered with papers. To the side sat a gold-laced sofa that looked almost divine.
"Feels like I haven't been here in decades," Zoldrak said as he entered and sank into his chair.
"So, what did Ackerman say?" he asked.
Arthur approached the desk. "He said he couldn't bring himself to go, since the demon was far weaker than him."
"Uh? Does he realize that demon's been ravaging for weeks?" Zoldrak exclaimed, eyes widening.
"Yes, sir," Arthur nodded. "But he just laughed, saying a mid-class demon with an A.T.R of minus thirty-eight point two was more of an insult than a mission."
"That lazy, arrogant bastard! If I ever get my hands on him..." Zoldrak gritted his teeth.
"But strangely, sir..." Arthur interjected.
"Uh?" Zoldrak looked up.
"...the demon has already been neutralized," Arthur finished.
"Neutralized?" Zoldrak repeated, stunned.
"Yes, sir. We lost its signal about four hours ago. The only conclusion is its demise," Arthur said, adjusting his glasses.
"Hmm. That makes sense," Zoldrak murmured, stroking his chin thoughtfully. "Your navigation skills are top-notch, so I'll take that as fact."
A few moments of silence passed.
Then Zoldrak sighed deeply, leaning back into his chair.
"For now..." his tone hardened.
"Contact Harbinger. Once he's back, I want him investigating the Sylva Forest perimeter: we can't afford another Blackthorn incident."
"Yes, sir!" Arthur bowed, turning to leave.
"Also..."
Arthur stopped as Zoldrak's voice echoed behind him.
"Get me a cup of coffee."
Arthur smiled faintly. "Welcome back, sir," he said, then exited the room.
...
Swooooooosh...
Swirling tides rose and fell upon the sea with a soundless rhythm. The sky was black, thick with darkness. The horizon was a void, with only a faint crimson light seeping into the endless expanse.
And at the center of the sea...
...stood Code Weber.
His eyes were wide open, yet he saw nothing. He simply stared ahead into the darkness beyond. He didn't move, neither did he breathe.
But strangely, he was whole. The injuries he had sustained earlier were gone, completely erased, as though he had been given a new body.
Swooooooosh!!
Another tide rose and fell, and suddenly...
Code snapped.
His eyes widened.
"Uh?" He gasped, blinking frantically as he tried to turn.
But his feet found no solid ground and...
Splash!
He fell into the sea. Yet, somehow, he didn't sink. Instead, he found himself balanced atop the surface.
"Where am I?" Code whispered. But just like before he died, his voice existed only in his head. No sound escaped his mouth.
He spun around on the surface of the sea, but everything beyond him was void and darkness.
"What the hell's happening? I thought I died," Code muttered, squinting.
"And why does my body feel so numb and heavy, like I'm being crushed?" He gritted his teeth in pain.
Swoosh...
Another wave roared to life, then fell into the sea again.
"Is this heaven? Or hell?" Code asked himself. According to the Aethric teachings, neither heaven nor hell looked or felt like this. Heaven was supposed to be glorious, with angels and flying babies welcoming you, while hell was its cruel opposite: no one welcomed you...
...you welcomed yourself.
...to doom.
"Eeeh!" The thought sent a chill down Code's spine. "I hope this place is neither of them," he muttered inwardly.
Then, his expression hardened.
Clap!
He slapped both cheeks.
"For now, I should find out what this place is," he said to himself.
But as he lowered his hands...
He froze.
"Ugh?" His eyes widened.
His cheeks felt warm, as a liquid trickled down them.
It was thick, viscous, and felt nothing like water.
Code's gaze shifted to his hands. Trepidation burned in his eyes.
Then, slowly, he looked down at the sea beneath him.
His heart skipped a beat.
"I-Is this...?" Code stammered, breathing heavily.
"Blood?"
He was sitting on a sea of blood.
And in that instant, before he could process the horror...
A blinding white light flashed across the entire space.
...
Code's eyes snapped open as he jolted upright.
"Ah?!" He exclaimed, instantly sitting up. He looked around: sand, leaves, rows of trees in the distance.
He lifted his head to the sky. The sunlight pierced his eyes, forcing him to raise an arm for shade.
"Wait..." His mouth hung open as realization dawned.
"I..." he muttered, and a slow smile crept onto his face.
"I am alive?" he shouted, and this time, the voice came out of his mouth.
His voice box was fixed.
He glanced at his arms.
Intact.
His legs.
Whole.
His body was unharmed. Not even a single scratch.
'But what was that gloomy place?' he thought, remembering the sea of blood he'd been sitting on moments ago.
"How the hell am I even alive? Is this another dream?" Code muttered, pinching himself. The sharp pain confirmed it: this was real.
"Was I given a second chance at life? Or wait... did I reincarnate?" he wondered aloud, staring up at the bright sky.
Then suddenly...
"Nah, you didn't," a voice said from behind him.
"Eeek!" Code screamed, spinning around in alarm.
"Who the hell-" he began, but froze.
In front of him stood the masked man. Sparkling white hair, a silvery mask running from below his eyes to his jaw.
Looking at him up close, he really was strikingly handsome.
"Yo," the man greeted, casually waving his hand.
"H-hey," Code stammered with a nervous chuckle.
"Didn't think you were gonna survive," the man said, sitting down beside him.
"I was already planning a proper funeral for you," he added, pointing toward the row of graves ahead.
"No one else survived," he said grimly.
'No one?' Code's mind echoed. Ran's lifeless image flashed before him.
He counted the graves...eight in total.
'Ten of us went on that mission,' he realized.
"Arrgh," he sighed softly.
'Thank God. She escaped,' he thought, a brief relief washing over him.
Still... one thought bit at him.
'I didn't even get to collect my four percent cut from that bastard,' Code muttered under his breath.
A cool breeze drifted through the forest, bringing with it a strange calm.
The two of them, Code and the masked man, sat in silence, watching the clouds glow beneath the sun's golden rays.
Yet for Code, the air felt unbearably awkward.
"Err... uh," he began nervously. "Th-thanks for saving me."
"Nah, don't worry about it," the man replied with a wave. "Just think of it as divine benevolence," he said proudly.
"Huh. Um, okay," Code nodded uncertainly.
"For now..." the man continued, turning his sharp gaze toward Code.
"Shouldn't you wonder why you're alive?" he asked.
"Hm?" Code looked at him.
"I mean, you were literally butchered yesterday," the man added.
'That's true. My body was destroyed. I died... yet I'm here,' Code thought. "Wait, was it..." he turned to the man.
"W-was it you?" he exclaimed.
"Hmm... at first, I thought maybe some of my power leaked out," the man said thoughtfully. "But sadly, it wasn't me."
"Huh? Then who did?" Code asked, brows furrowing.
The man's eyes narrowed.
"You healed yourself," he said flatly.
"Eh? Wh-what are you talking about?" Code stepped back in disbelief.
"You see..." the man continued, his tone low and measured. "There's something very strange about you."
"Strange? What do you mean?" Code asked.
"You were supposed to be dead, and buried by now," the man said grimly.
"Yeah, I already know that," Code muttered.
"Have you ever heard of Zeros?" the man asked.
"Z-Zeros?" Code's eyes widened. He knew that term well.
'Incomplete fusions of humans and demons,' he recalled.
They were one of Aethralism's core teachings: humanity's greatest abominations. The blemishes of life.
'I thought they were only legends,' he thought.
"Y-yeah," Code finally answered.
"Arrgh, good," the man sighed deeply.
Then came the final blow.
"Because that's what you are."
...
To Be Continued...