A little over after Sam brought Dan to the infirmary.
Sam was thinking of going on a mission with his partner, Volta. He decides to find Volta who told him she would be in her room. He went up to her floor and her room. Front of the door he sighed loudly. He leaned his head closely and closed his eyes. An outline of the entire floor was visualized within his head. He could see Volta laying in her room.
Sam immediately opened his eyes and backed away from the door. It's a lot clearer than I thought, he was quite shocked.
"Would she be down for a mission?" He mumbled. It was around 1 p.m. where the heat would shower upon them mercilessly.
Couldn't hurt to try, he thought.
Sam approached the door and knocked on it twice, "Volta, you in there?'
The door quickly opened to the inside, "hmm?" she peeked through the crack of the door.
"Hey, I'm thinking of going on a mission, you down for it?" He made an inviting smile.
"What's the mission?" She asked.
"Well, I haven't gotten one yet. Wanna come get with me?"
Volta stared at him in silence. A long few seconds for Sam, he started to feel weirded out. "I'll take that as a no…?" Sam felt shut down.
She continued staring at Sam.
Sam started walking back in the direction of the elevator. Shying his way out of the situation.
"Yeah, I'll come with you," she said.
Sam stopped moving and turns to her, "souka, ikuzo," he smiled warmly at her.
Souka, ikuzo = Gotcha, let's go
Volta got out of her room and walked beside Sam to the elevator. They rode it in silence. They walked out the dormitory in silence. They walked to the BTC office in silence. Sam got the dossier for their mission, he was the one who asked for one.
"I'll input your names," said the office person. "Say your full names, please."
"Sam Merrickson."
"...Volta," the only thing she said during their whole trip.
"Just Volta? No last name?" Asked the office person.
She didn't respond.
"Well, okay then." He prints the documents out and handed it to Sam.
Tasked: Sam Merrickson, Volta
Beast Count: 15 (fifteen)
Threat Level: 2 [normal]
Location (First Sighting): Gen's Warehouse, Hursh
Description: Small, Vicious, Fast
Volta started walking quickly out of the office before Sam could finish reading the dossier.
"Hey, Volta, wait!" Sam called out. He half runs across the room, turns around to the office person, "thanks."
He simply smiled as a response.
Sam chased after Volta outside of the office. "You okay?" He asked concerned.
"Why wouldn't I be?" She asked back, confused.
"Well, you kinda just bolted out of there."
"Oh, right."
Again, with her damn cold attitude. I get that we only just met, but my god… I wish she talked a little more.
"Hey, Volta?"
She turns to him and raised an eyebrow.
"How long have you been a sorcerer?"
She shrugged her shoulders, not a single word uttered or sound made.
"How can you not know?"
"I can't remember," she replied.
"Soudesuka…?" Sam thought she was lying, but he couldn't sense that she was. The emotions running through her was just nonexistent. He couldn't believe his senses. Sam thought about starting a conversation with her, but nothing interesting for her comes to mind. She can't even remember when she became a sorcerer, she probably doesn't care about much in general, he deduced.
Soudesuka...? = Okay...?
The walk to the warehouse was quite far, about ten minutes, but it was closer than using the train. There were no stops close by. Gen's Warehouse is an automobile repair shop, one that's known for its relatively affordable price.
They reached outside the warehouse. The gates of the warehouse were still closed, it was a day off for the workers. Sam noticed a trail of blood leading to a car. He followed the trail and saw a man bleeding from his legs. He crouched down to him, "are you okay?" Sam asked, looking at his chewed leg.
"What does it look like!?" He retorted, groaning in agony.
"I'll call the ambulance."
Sam grabbed his phone and dialed for an ambulance, and called for the BCC—Beast Clean-up Crew. A company specifically made to clean up after sorcerer missions dealing with beasts.
"How many people are inside?" Sam inquired.
"There's four people inside. Please, hurry."
Sam stood up and turned to Volta who was no longer there. "Where'd she…?"
Sam tries bolting inside and before he could reach the entrance, the gates slowly opened, revealing Volta covered in purple ooze from the beasts she slaughtered.
"They're all dead."
"The… Beasts?" Sam couldn't really believe it.
"Hai," she nods.
Hai = Yep
"The people?"
She shrugged her shoulders, "I dunno," replied in a nonchalant tone.
"Urk…"
Sam runs inside and focused his senses to find the four people. He found all four huddled inside the men's restroom. When he got to the restroom, it was quite big, and the four were hiding in two different stalls. Would that be a good idea, to hide in stalls? Sam wondered.
"It's safe now, you can come out," Sam announced.
The stall doors opened slowly and four people walked out. Three of them were men, one of them was a girl. "Where's Glen?" The girl asked.
"One guy is wounded outside, he might be Glen. He's okay."
The four then rushed out of the warehouse and the ambulance and BCC arrived. Sam rejoined with Volta. Sam then started talking to one of the BCC members.
"I always forget how young they force people into the schools," they said.
"Oh, I wasn't forced," he corrected.
"Core-User?"
"Yes."
"Well, her?" The woman pointed at Volta who was walking away from the warehouse.
"She was probably forced."
Sam then just realized Volta had left him there on his own, "did she just bail!?" Sam blurted out.
"Yeah, dude. Is she your partner?"
"Yeah," he sighed.
"Well, we've got it from here, good work."
"Thanks," he said while running, chasing after Volta. She walked pretty far from the warehouse, about halfway to the school.
"Yo, Volta!"
She stops and turns to him.
"Why'd you leave me?" He questioned, a hint of offense in his voice.
She shrugged her shoulders.
"At least tell me if you wanna leave, I wouldn't mind."
"Right. I should do that," Sam didn't think she took his advice to heart.
"You wanna grab food?"
"I don't have money," she started walking again.
"That's fine, I'll pay," he said with a courteous smile.
"Why?" She asked.
"We should get along anyway, I wanna know more about you," he thought it was a little too desperate, but it was fine.
"Fine."
"Where do you want to eat?" He asked.
"I dunno."
"Shit…" He sighed.
Why isn't she like other girls? Sam sighed.
Sam had a little habit of trying to impress girls, with his heightened senses, he could easily pick up on other people's desires. He had always wanted a girlfriend, but girls his age really tried getting along with him to get with Dan.
What the fuck? He had always thought the same thing. He felt a little insecure about that specific aspect of him. Dan was a very rude and cold person to anyone but him and his mom.
Naze dayo? He thought. Perhaps it was his karma for cheating.
Naze dayo? = why?
"Isn't there a place you like around here?"
She glanced up, trying to recall. "I think I'm from Hursh, so maybe."
She thinks? He wonders. Then he started deducing it in his head, does she have amnesia?
"Hey, can I ask you something?"
"What?"
"Do you have any family?"
"Ye-" Volta stops herself from answering. She looks down and stops to think. I should have one, I think. It only makes sense, right? She contemplated.
"I think… I do," she replied.
"You're not sure?"
"If I didn't have parents, how else was I born, right?" She said, her heart a little shaken.
Sam was still monitoring her emotions, she's wary all of a sudden.
"That is true. What are their names?"
Volta pictures a woman with dark purple hair, incredibly tall to her. She looked like a small child compared. The woman turns to her but there was nothing on her face. A blank page of a face. She thinks that's her mother. She couldn't picture a father. She couldn't remember her name. But the woman calls to her, her voice soothing and calming, but she couldn't make out the words.
"I… I don't know…"
"How could you not know?" Sam blurted out tactlessly.
Volta's eyes widen and her head shot up to his, she grabbed the collar of his shirt and pushed forward with her feet. She pins him against a wall and stared him down.
Sam's heart started beating out of his chest. He sweats profusely while being held. He used his hands to move her arm but it won't budge. Looking into her emotions, she was fucking pissed.
"Gomen na," he was barely able to let it out. Being pinned so hard he was actually struggling to breathe. "Sonna koto o iu tsumuri wa nakatta!"
Gomen na = Sorry
Sonna koto o iu tsumuri nakatta! = I didn't mean it like that!
She suddenly snaps out of it and backed away. "Sorry, I didn't know what came over me," she said, feeling confused.
"That's fine…" She's confused. She really didn't know what came over her.
"Can we walk?" She quietly requested.
"Yeah, of course," Sam was still trying to recover his breath.
The two walked, side-by-side this time. Volta starts to pull her own hair as her head spins, spiking an uncomfortable headache. She reaches into her left pocket and pulled out a hairband. She collected her hair in one hand and tied her hair into a pony tail. Her headache seems to deteriorate slowly afterwards.
"I hear this voice in my head every time someone brings up family."
A voice?
He thought he should pursue the conversation, "what does it say?"
"A lot," she said.
"Begging and crying. I was loud, it stressed me out." "Soudesuka…" Sam didn't know what to make of it.
Soudesuka... = I see...
"Sam, right?" She called. "I know you wanted to know more about me, but I don't think I know more than you do."
"Then let's use this opportunity to rediscover who you are," he replied. "If you have any trouble, I'll help you."
"But… Why?" She couldn't understand his intentions.
"I think everyone deserves to find their true self." He says it, despite everything he is.
"You really think that?"
"I do."
"That's pretty altruistic of you."
"Altruistic?" He scoffed. "You remember the last words of people you care about."
"Last words…?" Volta repeats in confusion.
"I know a sandwich place, you like sandwiches, right?"
"What do yo-"
"You'll love it, let's go!" He started jogging away from Volta. She was left confused. She pursued him and ended up jogging there at his pace.
The sandwich place was big, clean, and lively. The two ordered their own. Volta spent around ten minutes with the menu trying to order a sandwich. So many options… She was overwhelmed. She ended up going by Sam's recommendation.
The two ate their sandwiches with a side of fries. Volta figured out that she really loves bread.
"How is it?" Asked Sam.
"The bread is good."
"The bread…" He mutters and laughs inside. Out of everything?
Afterwards, they head back to the school. The restaurant was near a train station, one that had a train to their school.
They entered the train, it was packed. About sixty people in each car. They got to stand near the door. Although, a little to the middle. Sam's back faced the door. Their stop was two stops away. So, they stood in the crowd.
Volta was facing Sam with her hand up holding the handle. Sam was absolutely freaking out as she was way too comfortable with being too close with her. Having her body, a little pressed against his was bad for his heart. He sweats like after a sprint, even though it was cold. His heart beats out of his chest. His face turns red slightly. What's worse was that Volta was the same exact height as him. He forcibly closed his eyes in order not to gaze into her eyes. And other things.
As the trains stops at their first stop, he accidentally opened his eyes and saw her eyes. Her eyes were bright blue the first time he saw them. Electrifying eyes that matched her look. But after seeing them this close, her eyes had a little hint of green. He was amazed. Gradated, like northern lights.
His heart beat slows down, but it deafened his ears. Mata ka? A feeling he's all too familiar with. Then again, he always said he wanted one. After talking with Dan about it, which may not have been the best decision he made at the time, he stopped being so desperate about it.
Mata ka? = Again?
"It's different this time!" Exclaimed Sam to Dan.
"It isn't," Dan replied, shaking his head. Fed up with Sam's love bullshit.
"I know that what I'm feeling is true love," he cringed at the words he uttered to him. Dan thought it was corny, even for Sam.
"Sam, what you're feeling, it's not love, it's lust," well, Dan didn't exactly say those words. That was just how Sam wanted to remember it. What Dan really said was, "Sam, you're just fucking horny."
Maybe Dan was right, he thought as he stared into her eyes.
She raised her eyebrows in a expressionless face, "are you okay?" Volta asked.
"I'm fine," he flirts small smile at her.
"Okay," she glanced a different way.
Damn, she got so uninterested all of a sudden.
The train closed in on their stop. About a minute away. Sam turns to the entrance.
On the first car, out of the twelve cars, was an exceptionally tall figure fully cloaked. It looked out the window and did not move a single muscle. Not even when the train stopped. It had one eye in the middle of its head like a cyclops and a wide mouth that reached the sides of its head. Its flesh was wood-like.
Averaging sixty people in each car there was a total of seven-hundred-twenty people. The train stopped and the doors opened. As Sam was about to take his first step, Volta felt a flux of mana all the way to the left. It was small and faint, then spiked. She moves forward, pushed Sam out of the train car and fell on top of him outside on the platform.
Sam confused, "what was that?" He asked.
Sam turned around to see the train filled with blood, flesh, and organs. People's limbs scattered on the floor and seats. Some hands were even still gripping onto the hanging handles. Blood completely covered the windows, not a thing can be seen through them. The poles, seats, the general inside of the train were also destroyed.
Some people inside the train were still moving, though completely mangled and disfigured. Suffering in their final moments.
Sam's eyes widen as he starts to breathe heavily and quickly. His entire body shivered. Volta runs to the front of the train where the creature ejected itself to.
I didn't sense it, this beast cloaked its wavelength? Volta wonders the anomaly.
She runs to it as fast as she could, breaking the sound barrier. The beast turned around and faced Volta, it roared at her.
A maniacal, she recognized.
She landed her fist right at its abdomen, knocking it to the other platform. It definitely was big. But what was the most peculiar was it wore clothes and it hid its presence.
The beast launched off the platform, creating a giant dent. Volta launched herself upwards and lands a knee to its head. She then grabs the back of its head with both hands and raised her other leg and locks the back of its neck. She maneuvers around the beast's neck and ends up on sitting on its shoulders. She then reached inside its eye socket with her bare hand and grabbed its eyeball and gauged it out.
The beast was still moving, though more erratically this time. Volta drops down, behind the beast. As it was flailing its arms, she used her whole right arm to stab through its back. The beast wailed, then she used her other arm to cut the beast in half at super speed.
The upper half of the beast was still moving, though very little. Volta went up to its head and stomped it. The ground rumbled as she landed her heel through its hard head. Finishing it.
She looks from the front of the train, seeing the amount of people that died in an instant and for some, agonizing deaths.
Volta rejoined Sam. He hasn't move from where he was. His mouth gaped widely and his eyes were open wider than ever. Tears in his eyes as he hyperventilates.
"Sam, call the thing again," she meant the BCC.
"Ah… Uh…" His head spun, his thoughts scattered.
"Sam?" She called.
"Volta?" He called back.
She crouches down to him.
"What happened…?" Sam shocked.
"A beast attacked."
"H- How…?" He unclearly asked, "how could you be so nonchalant about this?"
"I wouldn't fret over this."
"This is something you should fret over."
"I can't," she replied.
"People just died, Volta!"
"There's nothing I could've done about that," she admitted. "I barely sensed it coming, and you didn't sense it all."
"I…" Nothing comes to his mind. Not a comeback that would make him look like he was in the right.
She placed her hand on his left shoulder, touching his neck a bit. The words she uttered next came from a place buried deep inside her consciousness, "bear the burden, it's all you can do."
She stands up, without lending him a hand, she dashed out of the station.
Once Sam managed to calm himself down, he called the BCC to clean up the mess. He walked back to the school, hand in his pocket, trying his best to keep his head empty. Not a single thought he tried to raise.
It was just like Sean… He recalled. His heart skipped a beat and started beating loudly. "Bear the burden?" He muttered to himself.
"That's all I fucking do…" His heart quickly filled with rage and hatred.
After he entered the dormitory, he decided to sit in the lounge for a short break. He's afraid of breaking things inside his own room. He couldn't count the amount times he ruined his room to vent out his frustration.
Sam sat on the couch alone, he notices the big hole that Heath and Dan made earlier. He cared nothing much of it. He leans back completely, hanging his head back. He sighs loudly.
"Yo," said a familiar voice.
"Hey," Sam recognized it to be Heath.
"Did you go on a mission?" He asked.
"Just got back," Sam groaned.
Heath notices Sam's tone and expression. He can already tell how his first mission played out. "How did it go?"
"The mission itself? I couldn't do anything. Volta did everything, basically."
"Unfortunate," Heath said with little pity, "and outside of the mission?"
"A whole train got fucking annihilated. I couldn't see it coming." He buried his face to his palms. "I would've died if it weren't for Volta," he sighed, dejectedly.
"You okay?" Heath awkwardly asked.
"That's all you're gonna ask?" Sam felt a little irritated.
"What on earth do you want me to do?" Heath shrugged to ask.
"Make it me feel less shit, I guess?" Sam then shrugged his shoulders.
"How could you not see it coming?" Heath said in a sympathizing tone. He also took in a little interest of what Sam said earlier.
"Volta said she barely sensed it, I guess it hid its presence?"
"Beasts can't hide their presence."
"Then?"
"It's an ancient spell. I doubt anyone alive could still do it," Heath said.
"How do you know about it?" Sam grew wary of the conversation. Actively sensing Heath's emotions. Rage.
"Let's say I take interest in historic spells." Intrigue. Fondness.
"You know anyone that can pull that spell off?" Sam inquired, "that's alive?"
"Y- Nah." Honest. Sam felt a little doubt.
"Is it a hard spell to pull off?"
"Very," he sighed.
"So, in short, you were outclassed. Volta was lucky, probably because she's such a good sorcerer to begin with." Genuine. Honest. Sam's doubt faded.
"I guess, you're right," Sam agreed. Maybe what he felt earlier was needless suspicion.
"Did that make you feel less shit?" Heath chuckles.
"A bit," Sam replied, smiling thankfully. Even though it hurt him, he knew Heath wasn't insulting him by what he said. "Thanks."
"No problem."
Heath walked away from the couch, "where you going?" Sam asked.
"My room."
"Why?"
"I need my night's rest."
"It's two fucking p.m."
"Don't matter," he smiled.
Heath walked towards the elevator and called it. He rides the elevator. "Phew…" He sighed in relief. He chuckles to himself, "almost let that slip."
"When we see each other again, I swear, I'll kill you," with certainty, he uttered the words as an oath to himself.
Sam was left alone in the lounge. Since he was alone, he decided to just lay down on the couch. Covering his eyes with his arm. All he could think of was his brother, Sean. His smile that Sam always loved seeing. His demeanor that Sam always admired. He wanted to be like his brother.
You'd be disappointed to know how different I am from you. I'm sorry.
"Sam," Volta called.
Sam uncovered his eyes, "hey, Volta."
"I left you, again. Sorry about that," she didn't seem genuine about apologizing.
"It's fine," he shrugged it off. "What's up?"
"I found out you're supposed to talk to people when they see… Uh... Death."
"Well, you already did."
"I thought that might've been… Insensitive." Considerate.
"Maybe if it was anyone else. I'm fine with what you said," Sam got up and sat upright. Sam then pat the cushion next to him for her to sit. She takes the seat next to him.
He took his time to look at her head. Her pretty eyes, her cute face, and her electrifying hair. "I like your hair tied up," Sam complimented.
"Do you?" She started playing with her ponytail.
"Yeah, it looks good on you."
The right things to say is… "Thanks," replied Volta.
"Do you mind if I call you 'V'?"
"No, it's fine," she replied quickly. It was almost like she didn't really care.
"Can I ask you something?" Sam thought he should pursue this interest of his on her. It was based off curiosity, but he really wanted to get closer to her.
"What?"
"What's the first thing you remembered?"
"The first thing?" She looked up at the ceiling as she says it. She starts to recall and remember. It was a full minute of her thinking, Sam didn't want to interrupt her. "I think… It might've been me wanting to be the fastest sorcerer."
"How long ago was that?"
"A month ago."
"A month?"
That's fucking recent.
"Where was that?"
"In my dorm room. I went here before anyone else did."
"They let you?"
"It was a woman who let me live here."
"What's her name?"
"Cate… Or Cathy?"
Sam was quite baffled that she doesn't remember anything. "Did you have an injury?"
"I don't think so. I don't have any scaring, I don't think."
"Hmm…"
"Though, I remember being in the hospital."
"Okay," Sam nodded. He thought a little progress. "For what reason?"
"I don't know… I can't picture why I was there," she replied. "That's the one memory I have that's incredibly vivid yet… So… Blurry," her face couldn't hide her frustration, despite holding a blank face.
Then Sam ran out of follow-up questions. He doesn't know what else to ask about her other than her memories.
If she can't remember anything, she wouldn't know any of her interests, Sam thought.
Silence third-wheeled them for a long ten minutes. Sam just stayed quiet, hoping something interesting comes to mind. He didn't want to ask anything about sorcery because he feels a little insecure.
"I have a question to ask," Volta broke the silence.
Oh, thank god! Sam relieved.
"Yes, anything," he said too enthusiastically. Sounding a little too desperate.
"Do you have a family?"
"I do," Sam nods.
"What are they like?"
Should I make myself look good or be honest? I mean, she wouldn't judge me for it, would she?
"I have a cute little brother and sister. They're both six-years-old, few months apart."
"What're their names?"
"My brother, Kiran. My sister, Lana," he replied. He takes a deep breath and risks their relationship being awkward for a few days. "Ore no oka-san to otou-san wa ore ga kiraidesu. Karera wa ore o sememashita."
Ore no oka-san to otou-san wa ore ga kiraidesu. Karera wa ore o sememashita. = My mom and dad hates me.
"Nante?" She wonders aloud.
Nante? = Why?
"Ore no aniki wa shinda."
Ore no aniki wa shinda = My older brother's dead
"Anta no haha to chichi wa sore o anta o sememashitaka?" She put it together herself.
Anta no haha to chichi wa sore o anta o sememashitaka = your mom and dad blame you for his death?
"Yup," he laughs. "Dakara, ore wa sorcerer-desu."
Dakara, ore wa sorcerer-desu = That's why I'm a sorcerer.
"To get away…?"
"Chigau. Ani ni fukushuu suru tame ni."
Chigau. Ani ni fukushuu suru tame ni = No, I'm doing this for my brother
"Vengeance?"
Sam's mouth twitched as he was about to answer. He had never said anything about it to anyone outside of his own family, other than Dan. Even then, he didn't think it was a good idea to do it. So, he bottled it all up. He wasn't ready to pour it out.
"Can we talk about something else?" He pleaded, "please."
"Yeah, okay," Volta replied in a considerate tone.
Volta tried her best to scroll through the data in her head, ones that are whole and definitive enough for a conversation. One that she thinks would be cohesive. RPG…
"Do you play any games?" She asks.
"I do, sometimes," he nods lightly.
"What genre?"
"I like metroidvanias, dungeon crawlers, and RPGs."
"I like RPGs too."
"Really? What do you play?"
"God's Wrath."
"Majika?" Sam expresses his shock. "That's so old!" The game came out in 2006.
Majika = For real?
"It was installed on my computer and I just played it."
"I play more of the newer games."
"I haven't played more games since I finished God's Wrath."
"Oh, then we should play God Vessel for sure."
"God Vessel?"
"Yeah, you'll love it. The game dev loved God's Wrath, so it should be up your ally."
After the two nerded out about RPG games. Mostly Sam, Volta was able to respond several of his questions. Sam decided to take Volta to a game store and buy her a PocketGame, a portable device for playing a lot of games.
The two spent the night in the lounge, playing God Vessel in co-op mode. Until ultimately, they fell asleep with their games on, around three a.m.