Aria stood by the glass window absently staring at the crowd swarming in the streets below. Her mind kept replaying yesterday afternoon when her sister cried for her. Again. Then she remembered the moment she tried to tell her sister about test results but decided not to.
"You made the right decision." She reassured herself for the nth time since she woke up. "Not being blood-related doesn't mean we aren't family," Aria reasoned.
She heard the sound of the door sliding open then close but she kept her attention fixed on the view below.
"Miss Selman, you shouldn't be on your feet yet," she heard Frey advise.
"I know. But since I was told I've got about six days left to live, I really don't care." Aria retorted.
"You know that's not really true, right?"
"Which one? The six days, me dying, or the fact that I don't care?" She snapped. She turned around and glared at Frey who was leaning on the wall beside the door. He held a folder in one hand and a paper bag in the other and he had traded his suit for a long-sleeved shirt and a pair of track pants.
"All of the above. You can still increase your six days and you won't die, at least not yet," Frey calmly stated, "and you care too much. If you didn't, you shouldn't have been affected by what I said." He pushed himself off the wall and slowly walked towards Aria.
Frey held out the folder he was holding towards Aria. "I came to bring this to you." When Aria did not make a move to take the folder, he looked at Aria then nodded to the folder.
"Tell me first about the content, is it good or bad? I mean, I…uh…I just had a bad experience related to folders yesterday."
"So it was Hugh who came to deliver the news yesterday. On behalf of the entire Cerberus Arc City branch, I apologize for making you put up with him." Frey had on a serious expression as he said this. Aria's eyebrows shot up in surprise. She felt that the situation she was in quite comical.
When Frey slightly bowed his head, Aria lost it and burst out laughing.
"W-what…are…you…doing?" She asked Frey in between fits of laughter. Frey kept silent but he was looking at her with a puzzled expression. When Aria stopped laughing, he cleared his throat and spoke, "I am really sorry you met him."
"It's okay now, I guess," Aria got a hold of herself "but why did you apologize?"
Frey did not answer and held out the folder towards her again. Aria did not take it again. Instead, she asked Frey, "What's in this folder?"
"Your training plan. We tried to come up with something that will help you control when to activate or deactivate your ability, and help your body become more stable at the same time."
Frey noticed Aria's clueless look.
"I don't know if Hugh told you," Frey cleared his throat, "but the moment you awakened until now your ability is activated. Activated ability consumes a body's spiritual energy but if the energy is drained and the ability is still active, it will begin to wear your body down as it will use your physical energy. Your ability has used up all of your stored energy and it is now running on your physical energy. That's why we need to teach you to control it so that you can recover and stabilize in time."
"I...thank you. Very much. I mean it." Aria's eyes began to water. She directed her gaze upward and quickly blinked back the tears threatening to fall. She took a deep breath and smiled at Frey, "I don't think I need to read the contents of the folder anymore."
"That's fine, but know that the result of this training plan will still depend on how much effort you'll make," Frey stated.
"Okay. When can we start?" Aria felt a tiny stream of hope bubble in her heart.
"If you want to stabilize in time, we need to get started as soon as possible."
"Like now?"
"Okay then, "Frey nodded and handed Aria the paper bag he was holding. "Put these on. I will be waiting outside." Then he exited the room.
Aria found a black tracksuit with her rubber shoes, the pair she was wearing when they were attacked by the banshee, inside the paper bag. She hurriedly changed into it from the pajamas and slippers she was wearing.
"Follow me," Frey said when he saw her walk out of her room. As they walked through a long well-lit corridor, Aria observed the patients, nurses and other people wearing suits milling about. She noticed that all of them have colored auras. After a minute, her eyes were sore due to the variety of colors around her, so she turned her attention to Frey. She watched how Frey and these people acknowledged each other through nods and waves.
When they turned at the end of the corridor and headed toward the elevator landing, Aria became uncomfortable with the sudden silence that she initiated a conversation with Frey.
"Frey, I have some questions."
"Ask away," Frey replied without looking back at her.
"What is Cerberus? You said you were from Cerberus, right?"
"Cerberus is an organization that manages the underworlder affairs."
"So is it kind of like a secret organization?"
"Yes. And no. To normal humans, we may be what you call this 'secret organization'. We keep the existence of Cerberus a secret to protect people like us and the underworlders from them, and to protect them from us. To people like us and the underworlders, Cerberus is an independent power that keeps the underworlder factions balanced. Our job is to make sure that no underworlder war starts again. So we mediate, protect and punish."
"So, the banshee from before…you punished her?"
"She broke one of the rules the underworld powers and the Cerberus agreed upon. That is to not kill innocents. She killed 2 children and 4 adults just to check the extent of her abilities."
"Gosh…" Aria shivered as she recalled the creepy banshee. "…that means I must keep away from creepy underworlders. They're dangerous."
"Not really. The dangerous ones that you should keep away from are the ones who still look appealing in their true forms."
"Like you?" Aria blurted. Then she realized her error. Frey cleared his throat and an awkward silence descended between them.
Aria looked down at her feet, she watched them make small steps because her legs still felt a little weak. Then she noticed that Frey has slowed his pace. She felt grateful for his consideration.
"Thanks," she murmured. Frey did not reply but Aria felt that the silence was no longer awkward or uncomfortable.
When they arrived at the landing, Frey pushed the down button and the two of them waited for the elevator doors to open.
When the LED light above the elevator flashed 22, the doors slid open.
Inside the elevator, Aria saw Frey press his right thumb at the scanner placed on the top of the elevator buttons, then he pressed the B4 button.
Aria kept her gaze on the numbers flashing above the elevator doors. She was beginning to feel anxious that he started tapping her fingers on the elevator wall. She was greatly relieved when heard the chime that signaled the doors opening.
"Uncomfortable with elevator rides?" Frey asked her when they stepped out of the elevator.
"I'm a little uncomfortable with small enclosed spaces, in general," Aria confessed.
"Sorry about that." Frey just said and he walked to the huge unadorned metal doors standing a few meters away from them. He gave them a little push and they swung open as if hit by a mighty force. Through the doorway, Aria was impressed by the spacious area the size of several football fields. As she walked inside, she became increasingly amazed by what she saw. She took note of the bright overhead lights and the metallic purple walls that reflected just enough amount of light; the non-reflective dark blue flooring that effectively absorbed the sound of her footsteps; and various exercise machines that were neatly lined along the walls, as well as the people using them; and the enormous analog clock that hung on the far side of the room.
"Welcome to the Training Room."