Even before rays of sunlight peeped from the horizon, a young woman can be seen alternately walking and jogging on the asphalt pavement, weaving through the streets of the peaceful neighborhood of the Southwestern District of Arc City.
Aria has already managed to run the perimeter of her neighborhood and she is about halfway through her daily 3-kilometer cardio. The figures on her LED watch that she saw on her periphery read 5:20 AM. As she kept going, the chilly morning air blew softly against her, cooling her sweat-drenched body.
The sky was already awash in a peach glow when Aria completed her morning run. She slowed down to a walk as she passed her apartment building and headed towards the park directly across the street.
She sat on the patch of still-dewy grass and concentrated, pulling the light and dark energies around her. Yesterday, when she got home, she began testing areas where her elements are most abundant. As she was going around the neighborhood feeling the concentrations of energies, she serendipitously found out that it was the time of the day that determines when both her elements will be abundant at the same time.
After that discovery, Aria adjusted her daily schedule so that she will be able to train her skills regarding spiritual energy early in the morning and at dusk. She spent the rest of the evening planning everything until the last day of the recruitment and promised herself to follow it religiously.
When the alarm on her watch chime, Aria stopped gathering spiritual energy and headed back to her apartment to get ready for the day.
**********
The white ceiling, the sterile smell and the soft mattress on his back disoriented Frey the moment he became conscious. He clearly remembered hitting the ground after he almost got hit by a car, but everything after that was a blank. He clicked his tongue when he remembered the pain he felt when he jumped to avoid crashing into the car.
"My leg." He said as he sat up. Very slowly, he got out of the bed and winced the moment his foot touched the floor, but he did not feel the pain expected. He tested his leg, putting varying weights on it, wearing the expression of disbelief.
He glanced at the clock and counted back to the time he fainted.
[It's been 18 hours. How is this fully healed within eighteen hours?] He sat on his bed and touched his leg again. He was sure from the pain he felt that his tibia was shattered. When he mentally computed the time it was supposed to take him to heal based on his tests, his eyes went round as saucers.
"It's supposed to take a day." He said in wonder. Frey reached 100% stability years ago so he could not figure out the sudden increase of his regeneration rate.
His pondering was interrupted by the approaching sound of hurried steps from the corridor. The door slid open and Gene headed directly toward Frey. "Hey, man. How are you feeling?"
"What do you think?" Frey threw a question back at Gene.
"I was just concerned, man." Gene threw both hands in surrender. "No need to be irritated."
"I know. I was kidding." He grinned for a moment then his face went back to its usual passive look. He stood and made his way out of the room, leaving a stunned Gene inside. Gene followed him outside seconds later. He pinched Frey's cheek.
"Wait a minute! Who are you? Where did you take my serious friend?" He narrowed his eyes and pinched Frey's cheeks harder.
"I just found out something." Excitement shone in Frey's eyes as he removed the hand on his face.
Gene shrugged. He sighed and shook his head. "It's nice to see you like this again," He whispered. It has been months since Frey last had that expression. In his mind, he thanked whatever it is that put it there.
"Did you say something?" Frey stopped and turned to him.
"Oh, nothing. Let's go report whatever it is that you found." He caught up to Frey and threw an arm over his shoulder.
**********
"Ari!" She heard Laya's high-pitched scream before she was enveloped in a very tight hug that she had difficulty breathing.
"Aya, you're killing me." She hoarsely said.
"Oh, sorry." Laya quickly let go and held her hands instead. "I just missed you. By the way, how are you and your sister? I heard about your accident."
"We're fine now." Aria steered her friend toward the classroom as her friend's naturally loud voice is drawing the attention of the people passing on the corridor.
"I'm sorry about your part-time job. I tried to get you excused but they did not allow that." Aya said as the two of them headed toward the seats on the back of the classroom.
"It's fine. I can find a new one." Aria felt uncomfortable with the curious stares some classmates were giving her. She held her head up and paid them no mind.
"More importantly, can I borrow your notes for the lectures I missed?" She said as she arranged her things on the desk.
"Sure." Laya rummaged in her bag. "Here it is."
"Thanks. You're a lifesaver." She browsed through the notebook and counted about twenty pages of noes.
[This is gonna be a long day.] Aria sighed as she opened her notebook and began copying her friend's lecture notes.
When the school bell finally rang, Aria nearly fell on her knees and thank the gods. Her left hand hurt for having to write almost twenty-three page worth of information' her head ached from having to read them all and her stomach growled for having missed lunch.
The angry growl of her stomach caught Laya's attention. "Hey, Ari, let's eat some ramen." She circled a hand around Aria's arm. There was this noodle shop just outside their campus that served the ramen she liked.
Aria was about to agree but she stopped when she recalled the schedule she made. She checked her watch. It was 3:03 in the afternoon. [I have about two hours free. Might as well eat dinner.]
"Sure." She replied.
As the two of them walked through the tree-lined pathway from the main building of their university to its gate, Aria could not help but glance around. The field on both sides of the pathway was filled with students doing their thing. Aria watched some of them threw Frisbee around, she could not help but chuckle as one of them nearly ran into one of the large trees that lined the pathway.
Suddenly, she felt Aya nudge her side with an elbow.
"What is it?" She looked at her friend and saw her nod her head toward the end of the path. She turned and saw one of the most popular guys in their campus, and also her long-time crush, Ion.
"Oh," Aria said as she realized her heart does not flutter like it used to weeks ago. Aya, however, interpreted it the other way around. She dragged Aria as she skipped toward Ion before.
"Hey," Laya greeted Ion, who replied with a nod and a wave. A smile appeared on his face when he saw Aria.
"Hey, how are you?"
"I'm fine. Thank you."
"That's good to you hear. So..." Ion rubbed his neck, "my friends and I are having a party at my apartment this Friday night, I'd appreciate it if you and your friend could come."
Laya squealed in delight but she stopped and her face fell. "I can't go. I have work this Friday. Maybe Ari could-"
"I'm sorry. I can't go. I still have a lot to catch up on." Aria smiled at him apologetically.
"Oh, is that so?"
"Yes, I'm sorry. We have to go. Bye." Aria waved at him and walked away. Laya also waved ar Ion and followed Aria.
"Ari, why did you reject his invitation? I thought you liked him!" Laya was confused by Aria's decision.
"Oh, well. Let's say I've got more important things to do."
**********
"Tell me...How did your stabilization rate drop to about 60% yet your regeneration rate increased?" Gene asked Frey for the fifth time as they walked the halls of the 50th floor.
"I don't know. To be honest, I'm wondering about that too."
"Hell, if this would happen to me everytime I'd get hit by a car, I would..." Gene shook his head and chuckled.
"I know, right?" Frey replied.
Gene stopped in his tracks again. "You're really in a good mood, aren't you?"
Frey just stared at him then walked towards the reception desk.
"I'm here to report to the Chief."
"I know. He's been expecting you." The elfin woman replied without looking up from her computer.
"I don't know why you do that," Gene told him as they walked in Chief Hoover's office. "You know we wouldn't be able to access this floor if they did not allow us to."
"I got used to it, I guess."
"Jules," Gene rubbed a hand over his face. "You're really weird."
Chief Hoover was staring out the glass window behind his desk when the two of them went in. They immediately stood attention.
"Agent Frey, how are you feeling now?" He asked.
"I feel better now."
"What is it that you found out?"
Frey told him about how he stumbled upon the missing underworlder's car and what went on from there. "The one who drove a car was a normal human but I felt a strange aura around the human. I managed to take a good look at it when I activated my ability."
"Hmm. Though it's good that you found something out. I don't really like it when my agents' overtax themselves for the sake of gathering information. Even if you could stop time, Ju-"Chief Hoover briefly cleared his throat,"-Agent Frey, it's not advisable that you stop more than a ton of an accelerating object." Chief Hoover scolded. "So whose do you think is it?"
"I'm not sure about that. Though, I'm sure about something."
"What is it?"
"The human driving the car was compelled."