"I thought the girl's clothes were a bit strange, but I didn't want to overthink it..." Lyra drew in a breath, plopping down heavily on one of the beds. After apologizing deeply, Karabell had asked Een and Shono to wait in the other room. The wall was thick enough that they wouldn't be able to hear anything. It wasn't that he didn't trust them, but, after seeing the effect that encounter with the Superior had had on them, he didn't feel like letting them in on that topic was a wise decision. He'd originally wanted to get Alice to leave as well, but had decided against it. The Captain knew that, someday, he'd have to tell everyone about himself. About his past.
Alice stared nervously at the other two. Karabell hadn't said anything yet. But, somehow, the atmosphere was incredibly heavy. She instinctively knew that they were about to discuss something important. Important enough to be kept secret from Een and Shono. Was it really alright for here to be there? Kar'd chosen to let her stay, so it probably was. He'd said something about a code of some sort, but they hadn't learnt anything about it at the AAD. She blinked nervously, her lips pressed tightly together. There was no mistake. Lyra had caught the meaning behind Kar's words, which was more than enough to make Alice feel out of place, stuck in that room with them. They both seemed to know something she didn't. And they weren't eager to talk about it. Kar hadn't seen that girl before, but the look in her eyes told Alice that she already understood him better than her. There was an awful tightness in her chest. She wanted to leave, to get as far away from that room as possible.
"I'm sure Frederick already informed you, but I'm Karabell Ress, a captain. This is Alice, one of the few people I trust more than I trust myself. Lyra... Can you tell us exactly what happened to you before coming to this place? I know it's a lot to ask, but please explain it as best as you can. And, before you ask, yes, it's alright for Alice to hear this. I want her to know everything. I'm sick of keeping secrets. I'll tell the others soon enough, too..." Karabell's breath was tight in his throat.
"Keeping secrets, huh. It's funny, considering the current situation. We're on the brink of extinction, and, no matter how many Aberrations die, more and more continue to appear. Information is valuable, Ress. I already told Commander Frederick about myself... Don't worry, I won't say a word about you. Though he's probably figured you out by now." Lyra drew a deep breath to steady herself.
She was twelve back then. After coming home late from school, she'd gone straight to bed. At some point during that night, she'd also heard that odd, disturbing sound. She also told them that it'd happened in the summer. Unlike Karabell, she seemed to recall many more things from her previous life. She still remembered her family, friends, even the fact that they had a dog. But, details aside, her story was almost identical to Karabell's.
"When I woke up, I was already here at Base Miu. One of Commander's men had rescued me. They told me the year was 4020. Meaning that a bit over two thousand years had passed since I'd fallen asleep. Despite that, I hadn't aged a day. Aside from Commander Frederick, no one cared who I was or where I'd come from. I was taken to another base, where I spent the next four years or so training and learning how this world worked. I studied like my life depended on it. Which was kind of true. At first, I also wanted to keep it a secret too. I only told Commander Frederick about it, and he didn't even seem that impressed. After those four years, I finally became a soldiers. I searched every building I came across, every single day. To no avail. I didn't find anyone. I thought I was the only one who... Sorry, that's not what you wanted to hear." Lyra cast a wary glance at Alice. "The point is, both Captain Ress and I somehow managed to sleep for more than two thousand years, completely unharmed. I think that may also be that child's case. Though from what Karabell said, I seem to have woken up a few years earlier than him." Lyra bit a nail, obviously annoyed. Things had truly gotten complicated.
"It's too late for excuses, but I have to apologize for not telling you sooner. Marno was the only one who knew about this. I didn't know how you'd react, I didn't know if you would believe me." Despite his best efforts, Karabell's voice shook as he spoke. "I'm sorry for using using you like that, Lyra, but my life before all this... It's as if such a thing never existed. I can only remember trivial stuff, like that Konami Code thing. At first, I thought you'd label me as crazy if I were to talk about all those things. But after I got to know everyone better, I realized I didn't want to lose that..."
Alice interrupted his train of thought, pulling him into a tight hug. She gently stroke Kar's hair, trying her best not to let the tears that'd welled up in her eyes overflow. Or course it was hard for her to understand, but she didn't doubt that Lyra's tale was true. There was one other thing she'd fully grasped. Kar had been bearing such a heavy burden for too long a time. He was a reliable man. He was the Captain, so calm and collected that it was hard to imagine that he'd ever have a hard time with anything. Lyra quietly left the room. She closed the door without a sound, humming the same tune from before.
"It's alright," Alice's voice fell to a whisper. "It's alright. None of that matters. I've told you this before, but it's fine to let your guard down. No one will judge you for it. We all make mistakes. Choosing no to tell us about your past was your decision, and we have to respect it. Don't think that something like that would be enough to make us hate you. I don't like to keep repeating myself, but you're our Captain. It's your duty to watch over us. And it's our duty to watch over you." Her face animated with joy as she looked Kar in the eye. He smiled faintly, wiping away his tears. Seeing him like that really felt a bit strange.
"Alice... Thank you. I've been pretty pathetic these days, relying so much on you. I bet you'd get mad at me if I said that," Karabell chuckled. "But it seems like I can't do everything by myself. And that I don't have too. We'll get rid of those creatures once and for all, together. So please, lend me your strength."
"You don't have to ask so formally," Alice said, flicking his forehead. She wouldn't have dared to do something like that the week before... Somehow, she felt like they'd gotten a lot closer. "Maybe one day..." she mouthed silently