My eyes stayed forward as we made our way through the ruins of Æsir City, mapping out the best path in my mind. This beauty decayed had become known to me, but for Lynsithea, everything lay in newness and mesmerizing. She would look around, wonder in those eyes, taking in every crumbling building, every twisted metalwork into her expression as if for the first time in her life she was beholding it all.
"This way should be safer" I said, glancing back to make sure she was following.
She nodded her head, her eyes still wide with curiosity. "Everything is.... different" she murmured, almost to herself .
We continued, and a soft chirping sound caught my attention. I stopped in my tracks, searching for the source.
"Did you hear that?" I asked, more to confirm my own senses than anything else.
Lynsithea leant over slightly, her head cocked in a listening attitude. "Birds? I thought they were extinct."
"I thought so too," I admitted, scanning the area. "Maybe they've been in hiding, hunkering down and waiting out the worst of the climate and the wars. Without people, it makes sense that they might start coming back."
As we spoke, the bird flew downwards towards us, its white wings gliding gracefully through the air. It landed gently on Lynsithea's arm, a snowy owl. My breath hitched at the sight. An owl with white feathers and sharp eyes multiplied the hue of pale skin and hair of Lynsithea, they looked... alike.
"An owl!"
Lynsithea gave an almost imperceptible, small smile to the creature on her arm, the smile of mutual understanding that did not need normal words. "Hello, little one," she said softly, beginning to pet him.
The owl settled onto Lynsithea's arm, rumpled its feathers, and refused to leave. She regarded me, a little perplexed. "What do birds eat?"
I shook my head, a little helpless. "Honestly? I have no idea. It's been so long since I've seen one… They have to eat small animals or something, but I don't know what we could find here for it.".
She still had her eyes on the owl and nodded. "Maybe… it likes me" she said in a very low voice, as if she was wondering about the bond between them.
"Seems like it" I agreed with a grin as I took in the sight of the two of them together. They did really look like they belonged in the same world or something.
We walked on, the owl perched comfortably on Lynsithea's right shoulder, and she browsed through the photography book that she was holding, her fingers running over the images with interest, and wide-opened eyes full of curiosity and amazement. She stopped soon, though, tilting her head to the side to look even closer at one of the photos.
"What kind of magic captures these places?" she asked, her voice tinged with awe, giving the feeling that such a question was simple.
I glanced over at the book and smiled. "You mean a camera?"
The girl looked at me, her eyes very wide and inquisitive. "Camera? What is a camera?"
"This is a device for photographing any objects, it's the same thing you're looking at in this book. It captures a moment in time, kind of like preserving a memory," I explained, hoping that made some sense to her.
She seemed to mull this over, nodding slowly as she looked back to the book. "A device… that takes memories... That's… amazing!" Her voice was hushed, almost reverent, like she was still piecing it together.
I snickered. "Yeah, I guess so. Though, I suppose it's been a really long time since anyone's used one of those around here."
As we waded our way through the ruins of Æsir, so the desolation stretched out around us. It was silent, that abandoned city, except when the hooting of the snowy owl perched upon Lynsithea's shoulder cut across its stillness. My interest got the better of me, and I turned to her.
"Hey, Lynsithea," I started, "that healing back in the elavator..... what kind of medicine was that? Never seen anything like it."
Lynsithea turned her head a little to the side, as if thoughtful.
"It was called Virellis" she said after a moment. "A special herb from my world. It has powerful healing properties."
My eyebrow rose, and I became interested. "Virellis? Never heard of it. Does it work like a regular medicine, or is it more magical?"
"It's both," she said. "It has natural healing properties, though my magic can help it function that much better. It's very good for treating wounds."
I nodded in awe. "So, it's a mix of herbal medicine and magic. That's pretty amazing."
Lynsithea smiled faintly. "Yes, it's one of the gifts from my world. I'm glad it could help you."
I returned her smile with a mix of gratitude and curiosity. "Well, I'm definitely grateful for it. I don't know what I would have done without it."
As we pressed deeper into the ruins of Æsir, I couldn't help but steal a glance toward Lynsithea. My curiosity finally won out. "Lynsithea, how did you come to this world? Were you using some portal to travel; was it on purpose?"
Lynsithea's brow scrunched a little with the thought. "I.... I cannot remember very well. All I know, I was using a portal to travel to the different worlds, but something went wrong in the transition."
I frowned, feeling worried. "Went wrong? What do you mean?"
"Quantum distortion from portal malfunction-induced amnesia," she explained, her voice chagrined. "It's an aftereffect of distortion through space-time.... the process of traveling. I was trying to travel, but instead, I ended up here with fragmented memories."
I nodded, making a mental note of how grave the problem was. "So the portal messed up, and that's why you can't remember much?"
"That's correct," she said, affirming this. "I'm still trying to put everything together and realize why I was brought to this world. It's been pretty hard."
I turned to Lynsithea. "Lynsithea, if you will let me ask, what world were you from before all of this happened?"
Lynsithea's gaze did an absent muse, as if she had thought about it but couldn't remember. "I... I don't know the name of my world. It's all hazy. But it was a place with lush forests and vivid landscapes, not like this desolate Earth."
I nodded, trying to piece together what he was saying. "So, it was a world full of so much natural beauty. That's in contrast to what we're seeing here."
"Ah, yes" Lynsithea said, and even in her tone one detected the nostalgic twinge, "for it was very different from this harsh and naked world. Indeed, I'm not at all sure how I came to be here."
I could see the longing in her eyes. "It must be hard to be away from home so much, especially with all the amnesia."
Lynsithea sighed softly. "Yes, it is. I wish I could remember more. I feel like I'm missing a part of myself.".
I looked at Lynsithea and saw how well she was picking up English. "You know, your English is getting better. Is it true that you're learning it just by reading?"
Lynsithea seemed a little surprised but nodded with excitement. "Yes, I'm learning from books and what I see around me. It's a bit hard, but I'm getting the hang of it."
I smiled, really impressed. "That's amazing. It must be quite an achievement to learn a new language like that."
She gave a small, thankful smile. "It's not easy, but it's interesting. Books have always been a way for me to learn, even when I'm far from home."
I laughed a little. "Well, it seems like you're doing a great job. If you need any help or practice, just let me know."
"Thank you, Zane," she said, her eyes lighting up. "I might take you up on that."
As we neared the city's main road, the route that would take us out of Æsir City and back to my home, I looked at Lynsithea. "We're nearly there. This road should lead us to a safer way back."
Lynsithea glanced around, noticing the wide, empty street. "It feels very different here. I hope we don't run into any more problems."
Before I could say anything, a sudden noise grabbed my attention. My heart jumped when I saw a small, floating object in the distance. "Hold on," I said, trying to see better. "Is that a drone?"
Lynsithea looked where I was pointing, her face showing worry. "A drone? What's it for?"
I frowned, trying to figure out what was happening. "It could be a drone for spying. We need to be cautious. Let's hurry and find someplace to hide."
As I saw the drone coming closer, I started to wonder why a small drone would be in this almost abandoned city. I looked at it more carefully and felt a bit worried. "That drone... it belongs to I.R.I.S. Corp. But why are they checking this place out?"
I looked at Lynsithea, who seemed confused. "I thought you said I.R.I.S. was no longer around."
I shook my head, still watching the drone. "They were gone, but it looks like they might still be working. We need to find out what they're searching for and avoid being seen."
As I thought about the situation, things started to make sense. "Why would I.R.I.S. Corp be here?"
I wondered, trying to remember any important information. Then it dawned on me.....the keycard I found had belonged to Hanz Taylor. Was his death attracting more attention than I thought?
I frowned, trying to understand the connections. "Could it be that Hanz Taylor's death is making I.R.I.S. Corp look into it more? Maybe they're searching for something connected to him."
A soft, anguished sound from Lynsithea broke into my thoughts. I turned to find her breathing quickly, her eyes wide and frightened.
The snowy owl perched on her shoulder was getting agitated, ruffling feathers as it watched her worriedly.
Lynsithea clutched at her chest, and I realized she was having a panic attack.
"Lynsithea!" I said, edging closer, wanting to be careful not to get her all the more panicked. She was the last thing I wanted to do.
"Hey, it's okay. Just breathe. I'm right here." My owl flapped its wings in an obvious attempt to soothe her as well.
I kneeled beside her, my panicked heart trying to calm her down, "What's wrong, Lynsithea? What's all this? Why are you panicked?" I inquired gently with my tone.
With her big, fearful eyes, she just tried to look at me and muttered slowly, "I saw. a black figure. It's the same as in my bad dreams."
My stomach turned as I realized just what she was talking about. Her trembling hand pointed in the direction where she saw it.
My gaze followed, and I suddenly understood what she was talking about. My stomach tightened as I realized what she was talking about, a black figure, just like the androids from IRIS Corp. "A black android…" I muttered under my breath.
That explained her fear. If those androids were around, then we were in more trouble than I thought.
I recognized the black android as one of the [Inquisitors], a unit specifically linked to the IRIS Corporation.
These are no ordinary investigators; they are enforcers, deployed to wipe out the threats and reinforce the company's hold on this dying world. Their presence had a serious connotation, mostly fatal, and they did not leave any stone unturned in their ruthless efficiency.
That one was here meant something far more dangerous was happening, something connected to Hanz Taylor, Lynsithea, and maybe even to me.
I'd thought they all went to the other side during the Quantum Exodus.
What business would an Inquisitor have here, in a world most abandoned? Whatever had brought them back couldn't be good. This was huge.... much bigger than I could ever have thought.
The Black Android swept, methodical, his sensors picking up every minute detail in the area. Suddenly, something caught his eye, so small, so delicate, something out of place against all the desolation. He bent down, snatching up a single white feather. An owl feather.
He held it between his metallic fingers for a moment, looking at it.
[Feather detected] he responded into the voice call, in emotionless tones. [Owl species. Uncommon in current environmental conditions.]
Another voice responded on the comms, probably of the grey android, [Birds shouldn't be here. Not with the state of the world.]
The black android nodded, though the action was more out of habit than necessity.
[Agreed. This is an anomaly. We need to investigate further.]
His sensors swept around him for more signs as his mind raced with calculations. [Might be tied into our targets. Tracking this lead.]
He stored the feather in a compartment and his eyes scanned the horizon for any further unusual signs, ready to follow this new clue wherever it may lead.
I crouched behind a crumbling wall, my breath shallow as I tried to process what I'd just overheard.
Now it was clear, from the discussion going on between the black android and the lot and the discovery of an owl feather, that the death of Hanz Taylor actually was attracting some keen interest from IRIS Corp. I squeezed my fists, trying to steady the mind's whirlwind.
The Inquisitors being here meant that it was big. These androids never made visits just for regular control, they were looking for something far more serious. I glanced sideways at Lynsithea, who was still trying to calm herself down, her face turned pale and tense.
The feather.....the fact of its being an owl's... was but one portion of a puzzle that grew more tangled by the minute.
What was so important concerning Hanz Taylor's death that it would bring these powerful androids out? The fact that they did, it was important for me.
I needed answers and, of course, Lynsithea had to be gotten to safety before I could explore these thoughts further. I couldn't have her involved in this more than she already was.
I looked at Lynsithea, who was already walking with a snowy owl sitting on her shoulder.
She was moving quietly, trying not to make any sounds as she went towards the emergency exit I had shown her before. The owl felt the tension and looked around, as if it was very alert and ready to fly away if it sensed any danger.
I had to make sure the Inquisitors kept their attention on me so she could escape. The problem was how to do that.
These androids were made to be very efficient and were programmed to get rid of threats in a very harsh way. Fighting them directly wasn't a good idea, I would be defeated very quickly.
But maybe, just maybe, I could use the surroundings to help me.
I quickly looked around, trying to find something... anything... that could help distract them. We were surrounded by the remains of the old world: pieces of glass, damaged machines, and a streetlight that was barely working.
If I could make enough noise, it might get their attention away from Lynsithea, giving her a chance to escape safely.
I inhaled deeply, thinking through the steps of my plan in my mind. There wasn't much time. I needed to act now, before the Inquisitors noticed her.
Lynsithea was relying on me, and I wasn't going to disappoint her.
Walking through the streets filled with debris, I noticed an old billboard hanging loosely from its structure. It seemed ready to fall at any moment, which could be exactly what I needed to create a diversion.
With the right aim, a single shot should be enough to bring it down. My heart raced as I held my gun tightly, focusing on the billboard.
If this plan succeeded, it might give Lynsithea the opportunity to get away. And if it failed... I tried not to consider that possibility.
At the same time, in a nearby control room, the red robot was in front of a wall of screens, watching the city's old camera system. All of a sudden, one of the screens came to life, showing a blurry picture of a boy walking through the broken buildings. The robot's eyes got smaller as it knew who the figure was.
[We found something!] the red robot said through the communication system, sounding calm and effective. [A boy is going towards Sector 12. Probably the one who caused the last warning.]
The black robot's voice came through the earpiece. [Keep watching him. We'll catch him.]
The red robot nodded, its mechanical parts making a noise as it started the tracking devices. [Got it. Initiate: Hunt Protocol now.]
And the Hunt begins.