Karabell still remembered his old life, but it seemed like nothing more than a distant dream. He was fourteen back then. And, like any other boy his age, he'd used to spend most of his free time reading books or playing video games.
"Despite what other said, I actually enjoyed going to school. My grades have always been above average, too. Well, I was in the kendo club, and I needed to keep on getting those good marks if I didn't want to get kicked out," Karabell had explained to Marno right after he'd awakened. Of course he'd wanted to get into the kendo club. To him, there simply was no better feeling than hitting his opponent's head, as hard as he possibly could.
One night, he'd heard a strange sound, like a mix between an animal's growl and a thunder. All of a sudden, he'd felt his body grow numb. And, no matter how much he'd struggled, his limbs had refused to move. Strangely yet, Karabell hadn't panicked. If anything, he'd felt tired. Way too tired to freak out. Eventually, he'd managed to fall asleep... And he hadn't woken up for a long time.
"And, that's pretty much it, huh? I find your story hard to believe. Under normal circumstances, I'd diagnose you with amnesia and... But these aren't normal circumstances. Besides, everything you've told me is way too detailed to have been a dream. And way too strange. I have to admit, I got a little worried when Shono brought you here. Imagine my astonishment when he told me he'd found someone sleeping safe and sound in one of those abandoned houses. I guess the Lower District really is full of surprises."
"I'm sorry, but I don't know who Shono is, and I certainly know nothing about the Lower District. And about believing my story, I honestly don't really care. Maybe it was just a strange dream, after all." Karabell had stared at the bearded man in disbelief. That long, white lab coat, just like the scientists he'd seen in movies and anime. "Would you mind showing me to the bathroom? I feel like a cold shower would help me clear my thoughts."
He couldn't recall everything from before. His parents' faces, their names, the friends he was sure he'd had... No matter how much he'd tried, those memories had refused to come back to him. In that moment, Karabell had made a decision. Based on what the scientist had told him, he'd somehow traveled two thousand years in the future. After all, being asleep for that long seemed even more impossible. If that was indeed been the case, he couldn't talk to anyone about that. Aside from that man.
The name of that scientist was Marno Ress, and he'd been the only one who'd known of Karabell's past. He was also the one who'd taken the boy under his wing. The man who had grabbed Karabell's hand, guiding him through that new world and turning him from a helpless kid into one of the best soldiers in the AAD. His father. And that man was no longer in that world. They hadn't been that close, that was true in a sense. But that didn't mean that Karabell hadn't looked up to Marno. He still did.
Clicking his tongue, Karabell hurried down the stairs. He didn't have the time to be thinking about the past. His adoptive father had died. End of the story. But he didn't want to lose Alice and Een, two of the few people he could call friends. He'd sent them to another area in Lower District. That was the name given to the entire lower half of what had once been the beautiful city of Tokyo. There were many still areas that hadn't been mapped yet. They were a four-man team, but they usually worked in pairs. That way, they wouldn't get in each other's way if combat ensued.
"You hear that, Shono? Looks like my hunch was right... unfortunately."
"Let's hurry," the man replied, picking up the pace.
They'd clearly heard the gargling of an Aberration. And Alice's battle cries. Shono somehow managed to pinpoint their location, and suddenly started down a narrow alley between two of the buildings. He had exceptional ears, Karabell had to give him that. Out of those three, he'd known Shono the longest time. Shono was already 31, easily older than them. Karabell had always wondered why he insisted on continuing to be a soldier, when he could've become a teacher instead. The man wasn't that old, but he'd probably been fighting Aberrations for over ten years. Most of the Agency's soldiers finished their training at around twenty years old. However, that also meant that Shono had considerably more experience than them.
As they got closer and closer, the noises became louder. At last, they caught a glimpse of Alice's red hair as it danced through the air. She was fighting an Aberration covered in feathers... notably faster than other types. And, by the looks of it, she still hadn't gotten a hit in.
"Took you long enough!" she shouted, noticing the two. The reason why she hadn't killed the Aberration yet suddenly became painfully obvious. There wasn't one, but three Aberrations surrounding the two fighters. Een was doing his best trying to hold off the one clad in scales while Alice struggled against the two feathered ones. She swung her shortsword around frantically, hoping to make the beast back down.
"It's been a while since we last fought together as a team... You'd better not be out of shape!" Karabell exclaimed, barely containing his excitement at the sight of his two comrades being seemingly unharmed.
"Right back at you!"