The other day, Emma woke up on the sofa at Alex's house, not remembering exactly what had happened after the promise she made to the girl. She was still tired from the things that happened the day before. Terrifying memories of Alex's mother's death went through her mind, but she soon forced them to disappear.
She yawned and got up, sitting on the couch. The room remained the same as the first time she was there, except for a few blood stains on the carpet that resisted the heavy cleaning that Alex must have done on the spot.
Suddenly, a strong pulsing pain hit her head, which made her have the reflex of placing her hand on her forehead futilely, as the pain continued to pulse. A little dizzy, she got up with difficulty and started walking in search of something that not even she knew what it was. "Damn, what's happening to me? I need to find a way to stop this pain."
Arriving in the hallway, and even stronger pain pulse made her lean against the wall. It was as if something desperately wanted to escape from her mind, forcing its way out through her skull. And then, as quickly as it arrived, the pain disappeared, and Emma felt her head lighter than before. However, something seemed wrong, she felt as if she were no longer alone in the room.
She looked around, but found nothing, sighing relief.
- Do you think you got rid of me? - a female voice echoed across the room, nothing like something Emma had heard before.
Scared, she looked at the source of the sound and found a fox, completely white and with blue eyes on top of the sofa, staring at the girl with a curious look.
At first, Emma thought they were hallucinations but soon noticed that no matter how many times she blinked or how many times she punched her head, the creature did not disappear from her sight.
- Are you serious? Are you trying to make me disappear? - questioned the creature, jumping off the couch and heading towards the girl. His whole body emitted a bluish aura.
- And what should I do? I'm seeing a talking fox! - Emma responded by giving up the futile battle with her mind and facing the animal.
- You didn't even hear me, let me explain what's going on.
- Of course, I didn't hear, you're a fox.
- Shut up. I didn't come out of your head to hear you talking shit.
- Wait a minute... you're the one who caused that headache?
- Yeah! I had to find a way to... what do you want to do by approaching me?
Without even responding, Emma tried to kick the fox, but her foot went straight through the creature's body as if it didn't even exist. But she kept standing in front of the girl. And it wasn't enough just to have missed the kick, another pain pulse hit Emma's head, which receded due to the pain.
- Wait, are you serious? Did you try to kick me?
- What are you?! A ghost?! Get the fuck out of my head!
- Look, I wish I could, but as long as you have that chip behind your ear, our minds are forever connected.
- The Chip?! - With this, Emma remembered Amber's speech a few days ago, beginning to understand the things that were happening. "The inactive Artificial Intelligence that Amber talked about... would that be it? "
- That's it, you're starting to understand. Now if you don't want to kick me again and have a headache, it´s better to listen to me. - Seeing herself without choices, the girl chose to do what the animal said. - I'm the artificial intelligence that lay dormant on the chip you put in before you came here. When the process of transferring from the real world to the digital begin, our minds merged, but I was dragged into the depths of your mind, from where I had to found my way out.
- That doesn't make sense... that mind-melding thing and all.
- Well, I guess whoever idealized me didn't have the kindness to send an instruction manual to know how I work.
- Don't you think it's strange? Having your mind in someone else's possession, at the same time as you have that person's mind in your hands?
- This isn´t how it works. There is no longer yours and my mind, both have become one. At the moment, our thoughts, goals, and memories are all shared among us. However, we're not the same person, just to be clear.
- Well, if you're someone, you need a name, it'll be easier for me to call you if I need anything - such a comment caught the fox's attention, who started wagging her tail. - I think I'm gonna call you Âme
- Âme? It's an interesting name - she answered, making an expression that resembled a smile - Well, now I have to go, it's hard for me to manifest myself in physical form. I'll be looking for The Core, so I probably won't be able to talk to you from inside, but anything, call me, I'll see what I can do. - Âme got in a strange position and then started running towards Emma, jumping on the girl and disappearing as she entered her body.
As soon as she disappeared, Emma continued to doubt whether all that was real or not, being taken away from her thoughts by the sound of footsteps approaching.
From a door in the middle of the hall, Alex appeared, dressed in thick brown pants that went up to a bit on her leather boots. Besides, the previous day's shirt was replaced by a long-sleeved blouse. She had a tired look and the fact that her hair was all messy indicated that she had just woken up.
- E-Emma? Who were you talking to? - she questioned, yawning.
- Ah... I think you were dreaming. I just woke up too. - she said, not wanting to explain what had just happened.
- Really? Well, it must have been really... I didn't sleep very well that night - Alex pulled a hair clip out of his pocket and quickly put her long hair in a ponytail. - I'll make breakfast, we can talk about what to do next while we eat. You can go get your occupation at the altar while I take care of things here, just don't be late! Otherwise, I'll go after you by myself. - she said, throwing a smile at the girl and going towards the kitchen, which was not far from where she was.
- I´m counting with you. - Emma spoke, returning the smile and going to the opposite side, towards the exit.
Already outside, Emma was happy to realize that the rain of the previous day had passed, giving way to the golden splendor of the sun, bathing the whole world with its light. Everything seemed perfectly normal, just like when she arrived in the village: people walking from one side to the other, children playing in the street, some wagons entering and leaving the village. However, something was bothering the young woman, something that she could not see or hear in that everyday landscape, but it was there. She felt as if she were being watched constantly by an invisible threat, almost the same sense of alertness she felt as she was being chased through the streets of New York.
With quick steps, she walked to the altar, looking everywhere, but didn´t notice anything despite the feeling that haunted her.
Arriving at the circle surrounded by pillars, she entered the structure and went to its center, where the floating crystal remained spinning in the air. As she approached him, the message that was there before had been exchanged for another.
"Congratulations! You have completed the two missions necessary to determine your occupation. Please approach the crystal and touch it. The analysis will be based on the decisions that have been made and how you have resolved the situation".
Thus, as was requested, Emma leaned her hand against the stone, which stopped spinning around itself and began to shine and buzz abnormally. A few seconds later, the brightness and buzzing went away, indicating the end of the reading process. Another message appeared on the support below the stone, a little longer than the others.
"Based on the two missions you've accomplished, we believe the occupation that best suits you is: Mercenary.
In the search for rewards and experience, you are the first to show up to offer your services in return for something. Whether fighting or debating, you are always ready to solve the problems that come your way".
"I called myself a mercenary before, so I guess that was more than expected in the end". Emma thought, satisfied with the result. With her occupation defined, she was ready to go back to Alex's house and have a coffee. However, as soon as she turned around, her eyes found a very familiar sight: dressed in black clothes and hiding her face in a hat as black as her clothes, the individual slowly raised the front of the hat, revealing a malicious look carved into the woman's blue eyes. Her face was flashing a disdainful smile.
- Yo, Fox. Do you Remember me? - said the Heron, lifting her head for good and looking directly at Emma.
In that instant, the girl froze, feeling trapped by the enemy. There were no distractions, no means of escape, no way out. The only thing Emma could do was force a cheerful smile, waiting for some miracle to happen, not that she believed in miracles.
- Hey, Heron.
- You know, our last encounter was a little complicated, we got off on the wrong foot. Now that we're "friends", I think we should forget everything that happened and move on with our lives normally, how about that? - The blonde offered, approaching the girl.
- You don't look like someone who makes peace agreements.
- Now that we're here, we don't have to carry things from the other world into this one, and also, the order I was given was emphasized in the part where I said to return with you alive, it's not like I have many choices, you know? But seriously, how the hell did you end up at this end of the world? I had to walk my ass to find you.
- You'll know, I don't think it matters. As you said, the important thing is to get me back to wherever you are.
- Yeah! You're starting to get the spirit of the thing! - she reached out her hand to Emma, who saw that movement with suspicion. - Come on, the guys are waiting for us in a city a few days away, we have to hurry before they get upset with us for being late. - she said, throwing an inviting smile.
Emma couldn't deny it, the Heron seemed like a good person. Someone who, if it weren't for that situation, she'd like to be friends. Faced with that, she had no choice but to risk everything in a bold move, which had a high chance of ending in disaster, but she had to try.
- I don't want to go back - This speech made the Heron's nice smile an expression of extreme doubt - I planned this on my own before I even turned myself into you. I've decided I'm going to take down the Golden Menorah. Do you want to join me in this impossible crusade? - offered, throwing a tense atmosphere into the air.
The dubious expression on the woman's face turned into a melancholy smile, letting her arm fall off and come back to her.
- Honestly, why do things always end like this? - she asked herself, directing her gaze to the sky - All the people I try to get close to decide to walk away... it must be some curse. - She looked down her gaze again, looking at the girl. - Long ago, there was a girl whose family left her to die on the filthy streets of a Neon city. This girl survived by eating garbage, stealing, doing the unthinkable to survive, driven by an unshakeable wild instinct. One day, someone found this girl, a nice, cheerful old man. The girl couldn't understand why the man was smiling all the time, or at least why he wanted to save her life. He adopted this girl, involved her in a group for people like her: people with no home, no place in the world, no life. It was in this group that the girl understood what happiness was, and all the feelings she needed to be happy. One day, this girl was adopted by another family and given a name for the first time, and then she followed her life normally, never forgetting her saviors. When this girl was 23, already in college, she came home and received the terrible news that her adoptive parents were involved in a car accident. They both died instantly. At that moment she felt the ghost of abandonment coming back to torment her, and with it he brought greedy and jealous feelings, sinking the girl into the underworld of the city a second time. And then, in this underworld, that same man appeared again, calling her by her name and saying that if she helped him in a God-given mission, he would give her whatever he wanted.
- And that girl was you. - Emma responded, but had no confirmation from the Heron.
- In the Golden Menorah, many know me for being a mercenary, who will do anything for money. But you know what the truth is? Money is just a toast to my true intentions. I have always wanted to escape from that oppressive reality, which can easily destroy a person's mind when they lose everything they carefully built and could call their own. The day my parents died, Esther Eisen, the girl who inhabited this body, went with them, giving way to the shattered spirit who had always been the true owner of this being. A greedy, fearful and instinctive soul, but one that preserves memories well. And I know very well who the man who took me off the streets is, and who the people who taught me how to be who I am today. And that's why even with the order I was given, I can't let you leave this city alive. - she concluded, letting a short sword slide down the sleeve of her overcoat, grabbing it by the handle and running towards Emma at a surprising speed, giving her no chance to react.
However, as the attack would hit the girl's body, she was pushed back by Alex, who was carrying a shield on her left arm, defending the Heron's stroke. The shock between the equipment resulted in sparks, which flew everywhere. Realizing that her attack was repelled, the woman retreated, staying in combat position.
- Alex! - Emma shouted, being happy to see her partner showing up to help her.
- I told you I'd come after you if it took a long time! - replied, giving her a determined smile. Besides the shield on her left arm, she had a kind of sharp metal plate on her right arm, which would probably serve both attack and defense. It was also equipped with a pair of shoulder pads made of some metal that Emma didn't know about - so who's your friend?
- I wouldn't call it friendship, but it's a person who doesn't have the best of intentions.
- A partner? I'm really surprised you have one, but that won't change the outcome of this battle. I hope you're ready for what's coming, Fox!