'This doesn't make sense,' Morin Esten thought to himself as he traced the trail of universal energy through the spatial layers. He had to move fast, due to the very nature of spatial energy that washed away the universal energy with each passing second.
The trail of universal energy did not follow a straight line like most spatial layers jumps. It was common knowledge that the fastest way to traverse the spatial layers was just a straight line from the start and endpoints.
'Even if it was to throw me off, it shouldn't be this bad,' Morin continued to think when his senses started to tingle.
'Unless this is a decoy.' Morin stopped himself abruptly and observed the universal energy trail in front of him. In his haste to follow the trail in fear of losing it, Morin neglected to consider that it may just be a decoy and that the perpetrator might have already escaped.
'Right,' Morin thought to himself, pressing his lips into a straight line. The trail of universal energy that should have been washed away by the spatial layers, was still in front of him, prompting him to follow it. Morin glanced back and saw the trail stretching behind him, almost obscured by the waves of spatial energies.
'It's the Depraved, most likely a Numbered,' Morin concluded upon seeing the unusual behavior of universal energy inside the spatial layers. 'What were they doing out in the open and at this time?'
'It can't be so simple if it involves the Numbers,' Morin thought quietly in between the turbulent spatial layers. 'Maybe...' Morin focussed on his gift and his connection to Aster City inside his barrier.
Packets of universal energy started to shoot through the spatial layers, exited it, and zoomed toward the control center he had set up. Receiving the signal, the center sent back the response containing the information that Morin wanted.
The response packets tore into the spatial layers and reached Morin's approximate coordinates, recorrecting their path upon coming into sight.
Absorbing the universal energy, Morin Esten checked its contents.
'A barrier pearl was used about a minute ago at the Spectrum Hospital...and soon lost connection...'
Morin immediately traveled back through the spatial layers toward the corresponding coordinates in the real world.
As he approached the area, the spatial energy turned strangely calm. Right before his destination, Morin reached a barrier preventing him from going further.
'This is it,' Morin channeled the universal energy outside the spatial layers, making it tear through into the spatial layers. In a normal case, the spatial layers would dissipate the universal energy given time. However, due to the sheer quantity of the universal energy that Morin Esten was drawing through, the spatial energy was partially repelled.
Flicking his hand, all the universal energy started to condense. The universal energy quickly went from not visible to a barely visible gas to a translucent liquid to a shimmering solid to form a cone. Without another word, Morin made the cone spin with a twist of his wrist.
'Faster,' Morin thought to himself as he increased the output of his gift, sweat forming on his forehead. The spatial energy in the surroundings started to spiral as well drawn by the spin of the spinning drill of universal energy. As the vortex got faster, the chaotic energy started to eat away at the cone. But Morin had achieved what he wanted to do. Keeping the tip of the cone sharp, Morin flicked his hand forward and pushed the high rpm drill into the barrier dragging the chaotic spatial energy with it into the barrier. The barrier bent a little but held.
'A powerful Number,' Morin thought without worry. After all the initial thrust was not the *point*. As the drill spun, the barrier started to twist as the drill dragged the barrier with its spin. Finally, the barrier tore apart like wet paper allowing Morin to enter.
Inside, Morin found tears in the spatial layers with spatial energy leaking out at a great velocity. And beyond, mixed with the spatial energy, Morin senses a great amount of universal energy. And it was all condensed at a point-
'No not a point, in a person,' Morin observed through the tear. 'Self-destruction?' Morin thought as he finally noticed that there was another person there.
Morin attempted to extend his control of the universal energy inside the suicide bomber, but his control slipped and the detonation started.
Gritting his teeth, Morin shot forward through the crack and into the blinding sea of universal energy and spatial energy.
Morin reached out his hands into the raging sea of universal energy and grabbed at it to move it apart.
The universal energy started to give way as Morin moved towards the only other person in the room. Using the universal energy that he continued to gain control over, Morin pushed it against the violent storm outside. Hands trembling against the strain, Morin furrowed his brows as electric shocks traveled through his hands turning them numb.
Hurrying over to the person he had seen, Morin found them bloodied and battered, knocked out due to the force of the explosion.
Wisps of spatial energy curled up from their body, slowly eating away at it.
'Seril,' Morin's brows furrowed even more as he identified the inhuman triangular-shaped ears at the top of her head.
Seeing that she was safe for now, Morin shifted his attention to the rest of the universal energy still raging around the two.
Thinking for a moment, Morin split a part of the universal energy and formed a barrier around Seril's unconscious body. Reinforcing the barrier, Morin dropped his numb hands and let the raging universal energy consume him.
Weathering through the storm, Morin started to absorb the chaotic universal energy into his own body, calming it down inside of him.
Slowly but surely, Morin absorbed most of the raging universal energy until the rest of the universal energy in the room calmed down. The spatial tears started to mend themselves, blocking the escape of spatial energy into the world.
"Phwoooo" Morin breathed out heavily as he stood there, brimming with all the universal energy that he had absorbed. Looking around, Morin saw that the entire area had been utterly destroyed. The ceiling was crumbling, debris scattered here and there, with large holes in the walls.
Waving his hand, Morin started to siphon the universal energy out of his body and started to send it to his control center to reinforce it. Morphing the barrier around Seril into a cushion to carry her, Morin walked out of the devastated room with Seril in tow. Glancing back, Morin noted the surprisingly intact nameplate, 'Kurenai Sekijo'.
Snapping his fingers, Morin sent the information to his control center to run a search on the 'doctor'.
'The numbers have already infiltrated this deeply into the city...The hospital is not safe here,' Morin thought to himself. Dispersing the barrier that Seril had set up, Morin flew out of the window towards Nova Academy to get Seril treated immediately.
---------------
Emmia woke up with eyes shining with excitement. Today was the day with her shift at the factory and she could finally submit that design that she had been working on for so long. Getting up from her bed, Emmia felt that the house was empty, no sounds from downstairs where Seril would be moving around.
'Guess it's one of those days,' Emmia thought to herself. While Seril had tried her hardest to convince Emmia that her job was just some desk job from the service sector of the city, one which she could do from home, Emmia knew better.
'I wonder when she would tell me,' Emmia sighed to herself briefly before continuing to brush her teeth. While Emmia didn't know the details, she knew well enough that Seril was involved in some dangerous work.
Closing her eyes, Emmia wished that Seril was alright with whatever she was doing, before moving downstairs to prepare a simple meal. With Seril cooking most of the time, Emmia knew very little about cooking.
'Ahh!' Emmia rushed to put something together, time ticking away as she had woken up late again.
"No more late nights after this," Emmia mumbled, grabbing her bag, with the correct books this time.
--------------
Classes were a bore for Emmia. After all, This wasn't a time where she could study or revise anything. She was just waiting for the day to end so that she could go hand in the design for the forest crawler.
Throughout the entire day, Emmia could barely focus on anything, her mind always wandering to the design of the forest crawler that she had created.
'Is it enough?'
'Maybe I should have tweaked that....'
'The calculations about the frame should hold...'
'Maybe I could add some small functionalities.'
'No, no, I don't want to overcomplicate this.'
And finally, the day ended. At 2 pm, Emmia grabbed her bag and hopped up excitedly. Luna followed Emmia with the same stone face, with a small twitch in her lips at seeing Emmia's antics.
"..is it today?" Luna asked Emmia as they exited the classroom building.
"Yes! I'm so excited!" Emmia chirped with a spring in her step.
"..Slow down," Luna called out to Emmia in concern. 'She'll collapse if she runs around like that,' Luna thought concerned.
"It's fineeeee! I feel great!" Emmia grinned, her ruby-red eyes sparkling behind her glasses.
Letting out a small sigh, Luna hurried after Emmia in case she suddenly trips-
And Emmia tripped.
"..I told you," Luna said coldly as she held the bigger girl's shoulders to prevent her fall.
"Ahem- yea," Emmia responded, "I mean thank you -uh- I mean, I should have listened to what you said," Emmia stuttered sheepishly.
"Now can you let me-" Emmia stopped suddenly and yelped. A small pressure dug into her shoulders causing a sharp pain to shoot through them.
"What was that for?" Emmia protested the injustice.
"...So that..you don't do something like this...again," Luna replied softly.
"...are you angry?" Emmia questioned with some surprise.
"...no," Luna denied.
"You are, aren't you?"
"...no."
"I'm sorryyyy," Emmia cried out, ignoring Luna's answers.
"..I'm not angry.."
"I'm sorryyy," Emmia continued to apologize for all the way to the edge of the campus, with the two going back and forth with Luna's annoyance slowly building.
"You did that...on purpose, didn't you?" Luna asked Emmia, her voice a little louder than usual.
"Yep," Emmia broke out into a wide smile. "That was revenge for that shoulder press."
Speechless, Luna stared at Emmia with what she hoped was a scowl.
Instead, it looked like Luna was struggling to scrunch up her face properly causing it to twitch slightly.
Seeing it, Emmia contained her urge to laugh and decided to apologize, "Ok ok, I'm sorry. It won't happen again."
This time, an eyebrow rose to a considerable extent as if expressing Luna's doubt.
"Are you sure?" her face seemed to say.
"Yes I'm sure," Emmia responded with a huff. "Anyway, I'll see you tomorrow! Byee~"
"..Byee" Luna said her goodbye and watched Emmia rush off, her excitement propelling her towards the factory where she worked at.
For a few moments, Luna stood rooted at the spot where she was standing.
'I'm having fun,' Luna thought with a moment of surprise after analyzing her actions over the past few weeks. In fact, this was the most fun Luna had ever had.
'I don't know if I should laugh or cry at that fact,' Luna thought with some amusement as she turned around to walk back to her apartment.
Only, this wouldn't be a peaceful walk back. Standing a few meters away from her, Chase ran his hand through his hair and stopped mid-way, acting as if he had been caught.
"Oh! Luna! Just the person I wanted to talk to! Do you have a moment?" Chase grinned charmingly, charm seeming to undulate out of him.
Luna quietly gazed at Chase's face, her doll-like face not showing any movement as she gazed into his baby blue eyes.
'Why is he here?' Luna thought to herself quietly.
'Isn't he Emmia's stalker?'
'Why is he talking to me now?'
'There must be some plan here?'
'This really isn't a good place, a crowd has already gathered,' Luna surveyed the surroundings calmly. In the short time of her exchange with Chase, there was already a small crowd forming, already growing in number. Murmurs resonated throughout the crowd.
"Who's that girl?"
"She's pretty!"
"Not as pretty as Chase!"
"Right!?"
"She's so lucky to get to talk to Chase!"
"I wish I was her!"
"Chaseee~ Take me~!"
Luna's eyes twitched as she overheard a few of the whispers that were being passed around the crowd.
"....Not here," Luna answered Chase, not liking the attention that was being focused on her in this crowd.
"Sure," Chase nodded with an easy-going smile. "I know a place, follow me."
The two quickly left, leaving behind a storm of rumors between the Academy Prince and a mysterious Doll.