Ahhh, we are so back! Look who's back, baby—OWW! What was that for?!"
"For being too loud."
"Oh, come on, Thunderstorm! You can't be grumpy all the time. Can you smile? Pretty please?"
"Say that one more time, I dare you."
"Smile—Eh?! Wait, Thunderstorm, I'm joking, I'm joking! Ice, help!"
"No."
"Quake!"
"Thunderstorm, stop chasing Cyclone, please."
"Tsk, fine."
"Pff, you're no fun, Quake. Things were just getting good."
"Yeah, let them fight!"
"Thorn…"
"Ehhh, Solar?! How did you—"
"Everyone, listen up! Stop whatever you're doing and pay attention. Like I said, we're not here to fight. I brought you all here because we need to discuss something."
"Like how we're still alive?"
"With what Blaze said. Shouldn't we, you know… be gone, poof, since the reboot was supposed to wipe the powerband data and everything?"
"Sadly, I don't have an answer to that question. But seeing as we're still here, we might as well make use of it. Since we have a new user—"
"Eh? What do you mean—Ohhhh, right, right. I forgot we're in a new place."
"Glad you could remember the obvious, Cyclone. Now, regarding him, what can you say about him? Thunderstorm, why don't you start?"
"Coward."
"Blaze?"
"Well, he's pretty weak… but that could be fixed with training!"
"…How about you, Ice?"
"Shameless."
"Okay… What about the good things? Thorn?"
"Well, he is kind…"
"Kind. I see. Okay, anyone else?"
"...."
"Solar?"
"He's kind."
"...."
"Alright, thank you, Thorn and Solar, for that comment. Now, with the powerband at full capacity—"
"Hey Quake, I have a question."
"Yes, Cyclone?"
"What's that purple thing over there?"
"....."
"You're right, it wasn't there before. Should we—?"
"No, don't touch it. It could be dangerous."
"I trust Quake on this one."
"Thank you, Solar. Now, is everyone familiar with the protocol that should be followed if a new user were to take the mantle of the powerband?"
"...."
"Really?"
"....."
"Sigh, Back to square one, then. Now, listen up. The protocol is called Operation Galaxy."
++++=====+++++
I opened my eyes somewhat groggily when I finally regained consciousness. One thing that hit me was a wave of fatigue and nausea. It felt like my mind was going to explode. Thankfully, that feeling faded after a few seconds as I took a calming breath. What greeted me first was by far the most familiar thing I had ever seen in my second life: the white ceiling. By this point, staring at this type of ceiling, preferably with the same color, was probably going to be the most common thing I'd ever see in this life.
I tried to move, but everything in my body felt weak. Were those voices real? Before waking up, I thought I had regained consciousness, but that was not the case when I realized I was in a dark space. I heard voices like there was a group of real people talking. Whether it was a dream or not, I don't know. It felt all too real. There can't be people living inside my brain, can there?
That would be crazy. I shook my head, amused by the thought.
I looked over to the side and saw a guy with chestnut brown hair, reading a book with his legs crossed. I couldn't discern much about his appearance besides the scarf around his neck and the gray jacket he wore. He seemed extremely focused on the book, without even acknowledging my existence, even as I stared at him. 'Who the fuck is this guy?'
However, it appeared I was wrong in thinking he hadn't noticed me, as he spoke up. "You're awake."
I narrowed my eyes on him. "Yeah, I'm awake. And what are you doing here?"
"I'm here to check on you," the man replied without looking up from his book. Quite rude, in my opinion. I looked to the other side and saw another bed. From the looks of it, someone was there not too long ago, judging by how messy the sheets were. I glanced back at the man and asked, "So, are you going to tell me who you are and what's going on here?"
The man closed his book, and his eyes turned to me. His eyes were brown, matching his hair. His face, however, looked like he was in his thirties, probably older, given the few strands of white hair near his bangs. "I'm Welt Yang, one of the members of the Astral Express," the man, named Welt, introduced himself.
"Wait, you're the Mr. Yang that March and Dan Heng talked about?" I asked, still doubtful. Could I really believe this so casually? He didn't seem to be lying, though I wasn't the best at reading people's expressions.
"I did say my name, didn't I?" he replied, quirking a brow.
"Ah, that you actually did," I nodded, finding that part hard to disagree with. "So, why are you here?"
"I already answered that question a couple of seconds ago."
"Ah, you did again," I replied, coughing lightly. "Uh, so…" My words trailed off, unable to find anything else to say. This was awkward. Thankfully, he decided to break the ice.
"Show me your wrist."
"Pardon?"
"Show me your wrist," he repeated with the same calm voice.
"For what?" I tilted my head in confusion. What's up with this guy?
Welt seemed to see my confusion as he clarified. "You have a watch, correct? What color is it?"
I furrowed my brows at that strange question. Seriously, what the fuck is he on about? But seeing his serious expression, I might as well answer. "Uhm, it's... orange and black stripes."
He frowned. "Are you sure?"
I shot him another confused look. He dares doubt me? "Yes, I'm sure. I've seen it plenty of times since it's literally attached to my body."
"I see. Can you look at it again?" I looked at him strangely at his request and did not bother to ask as I held my wrist up high. My eyes widened in shock when I saw my watch was completely brand new. I mean, really brand new. The watch, previously cube-like, had turned circular. The colors of the watch, previously orange, were now dark purple.
I stared at it in surprise, my mouth hanging open in shock. "So, orange, huh?" I turned to see Welt's attention fixated on me… wait, more like he was fixated on my watch instead.
"Did you paint it?" I asked without giving it much thought.
"Huh?" I saw Welt's confusion visibly on his face.
"Sorry, that was a dumb question to ask," I shook my head before continuing. "Okay, for sure, I remember my watch wasn't like this. Unless…" I paused, finally recalling some of the words that the watch spoke before I passed out. My eyes widened in realization. That's right! The reboot!
That was the only explanation for how my watch turned out like this. Though I didn't expect it to change drastically in appearance, hey, at least it looks quite cool now.
"You seem to know the answer to your question already," Welt said.
"Yeah," I nodded, not realizing the slip of the tongue.
"I see. Then what did you deduce from it, Ethan?"
I blinked, looking at him curiously. "You know me?"
"March told me," he replied.
"Ah, figures." I mean, who else would it be? I sighed. "Anyways, my watc—Wait, why am I going to tell you this piece of information?" I finally caught myself. That's right, I have no proof this was the real Mr. Yang they talked about. I never met him nor knew what he looked like.
His brows raised at my sudden pause. "I'm guessing you're cautious of me, correct?"
"Uhm, would you harm me if I said yes?" I asked nervously.
Welt chuckled, making me tense up. Did I make a mistake?
"Ethan, what do you think of me to make you say that?" Before I could answer, Welt added, "You want proof? Is that what you want to say?" he asked, showing an amused look.
I nodded hesitantly.
He hummed, his gaze shifting toward the door. "She'll be here any moment."
"Who—"
"Mr. Yang!" The door flung open, revealing March's excited and cheerful face. "There you are, we've been looking all over for you!"
"Hello, March." Welt gave a short wave at the young girl.
I turned my head toward her just as she snapped her head in my direction. Her eyes widened as she shouted, "Oh, Ethan! You're awake!" She rushed over and gave me a hug. While I was flattered—it's not every day you get a hug from a cute girl—I could feel my chest tighten as her hug grew stronger. Not from embarrassment or any emotional nonsense, but because…
"Can't breathe," I gasped under her grasp. Did I survive to die by a hug?
"Oh, sorry!" March immediately let me go, seeing my pain. I inhaled deeply to recover the oxygen I lost from my lungs after freeing myself. "Did it hurt really that bad?"
I looked up at her. "Yes."
March pouted. "Seriously, you say the same thing as Stelle. What's so painful about my hug anyway? It's supposed to bring comfort, not pain! Right, Mr. Yang?!"
The person in question turned his head the other way.
I just stared blankly at her protest. "Speaking of her, where is she?" I asked, finally curious about her whereabouts. She must be perfectly fine, seeing as she woke up earlier than I did. I did wonder why—wasn't she supposed to be more badly injured than me? Not that I'm wishing for it.
"Oh, she went to talk to Himeko," March answered simply.
"I see." I nodded. I had a feeling they must have talked about something important, maybe regarding what happened with the Doomsday Beast. I then turned to Welt. "Sorry for doubting you, Mr. Welt."
Welt chuckled. "Don't worry, Ethan. It's good for someone to be cautious. Keeps them sharp," he said. "Also, call me Welt or Mr. Yang, if you would."
"Ah, I see, Mr. Yang," I replied, which earned me a grateful nod from him.
"So, Ethan, how are you feeling?" March asked in worry, inspecting me up and down.
"I'm fine… I think? I didn't suffer any injuries, did I?" I looked at the two of them in question. Since there was no nurse here apparently, there were only two I could ask.
March looked quite unsure, while Welt, on the other hand, answered.
"None so far."
I breathed a sigh of relief. "Good. I thought I suffered more, honestly," I said, leaning my back on my pillow more comfortably. "So, how long will I be staying here?"
"For as long as you recover, which is probably in a few hours or so," Welt said.
I frowned. "Great."
+++======++++
I don't know how many minutes have passed since March and Welt left to attend to whatever matters they had. Now, I was alone in the room, staring blankly at the wall while sitting upright. Boredom had started to settle in. Since I wasn't allowed to leave the medical room, according to the nurse who checked on me a few minutes ago, I was basically trapped here until further notice. On the bright side, things were calm and, most importantly, very safe. I missed this small, secure space, something I hadn't had in the past few hours.
I turned to inspect my watch; curiosity finally got the better of me. Since it had rebooted, I might as well test it out. Who knows? Maybe it would actually work this time. But first, I tried pulling it off my wrist one last time. Still, it was stuck as if someone had super glued it to my skin. The screen remained the same, and I frowned in disappointment. Just out of curiosity, I placed my finger on the screen, and to my surprise, it lit up, accompanied by a voice.
[Host, how may I help you?]
"Ah!" I yelped, not expecting it to talk or activate like that. "Wha—Wait, are you inside my head?"
[Answer: For privacy concerns, the host hears communication through thoughts only. However, the option to disable this is available.]
I exhaled, trying to calm down from my initial shock. "Okay, that surprised me, that's all."
[Apologies, Host.]
"No, it's fine. I should have probably guessed that since this isn't the first time you've talked to me. So, I can communicate with you through my thoughts?"
[Affirmative.]
I breathed a sigh of relief. "That's good. It's going to help me avoid some embarrassing moments talking to myself in the future," I said, shuddering at the thought of it. While I don't care about my image or what people think of me, I'd rather avoid embarrassing myself if possible. "Also, keep that option available," I added.
[Understood, Host.]
I fell silent for a couple of seconds. My brows furrowed. "Wait a goddamn minute, this is the first time you actually talk to me, like talk to me. What gives?!" How about the times I tried every possible way to activate you?! That's what I actually wanted to say, but I decided to play the nice guy.
[Due to low energy capacity, the powerband was unable to function normally unless in an emergency.]
"So, in short, you were low on battery like a phone?"
[Affirmative.]
"So that's why you tried to siphon that energy back at the platform?"
[Affirmative.]
"Then why didn't you say anything? I could have done something about it," I pointed out.
[Answer: The probability of the host finding compatible energy was close to 0%. Hence, all matters related to the powerband's capacity were not disclosed.]
"...." Touché.
"Right, that explains a lot," I admitted, scratching my head. "So, you're an AI, right?"
[Answer: To clarify, I am what you call SAIPS, Super Artificial Intelligence Processing Sphere. I am responsible for controlling and guiding you towards your elemental powers, Dear Host.]
I was intrigued when he mentioned elemental powers again. This is what, the third time it's mentioned? "Elemental powers, huh..." I said "So, how do I activate them? You know, if I want to?"
[Answer: The host needs to rotate the dial case to select the elemental power of your choice.]
"I have more than one element?" I asked in surprise.
[Affirmative. The host has a total of seven elements. Each element has three tiers.]
"Ah, I see." I nodded. I might as well try it, right? For research purposes. It would be bad to be ignorant of these things. I slowly and cautiously grabbed the edge of the dial case, feeling nervous. Of course, I was. This was like one of the fantasies I would have dreamed of during my childhood days back on Earth.
I calmed down and took a single intake of breath before slowly moving my fingers and rotating it. There was a "click" sound before the screen changed and a green symbol appeared on it. I stared at the symbol curiously. Was it me, or did it look a lot like a leaf?
"So, this elemental is...?"
[That is the Leaf Elemental, Host]
"Leaf? Huh." I turned the dial again, and another symbol appeared, this time red, resembling...
"Let me guess, fire elemental?"
[That is correct, Host.]
Before I could turn it again, I heard a loud knock on the door. My hand froze, and my eyes snapped toward the door. It must be the nurse checking up on me. "Don't speak until I say so, okay?" I instructed the AI.
[Understood, Host.]
"Come in," I called out, loud enough to be heard outside the door.
The door opened, revealing two figures I didn't expect to see: Abraham and Emily. My eyes widened in surprise.
"Ethan!" Abraham shouted, rushing toward me. I blinked, seeing how fast he was coming. This wasn't going to end well.
"Wait, Abraham, don't—" I started, but it was too late. His intended hug turned into a push due to his speed, and the next thing I knew, I was lying flat on the ground, groaning in pain.
"Ouch" It hurts, very much.
"Ethan, you're alive!" Abraham exclaimed with a joyous expression.
"Not much longer if you don't get off me," I said, glaring at him. I, of course, welcome his concern for my well-being, but crushing me with his weight was not it.
"Ah, sorry." After apologizing, he quickly got off me. Abraham held his hand out and helped pull me up.
Upon standing, I stared at Abraham and said calmly, "Thanks for the show of concern, a hurtful kind of show of concern but a concern nonetheless."
Abraham laughed sheepishly at my remark. "Yeah, sorry about that. I was worried about you, you know? What kind of friend would not worry about their friend?"
"That said, when did you learn that I was here?" I asked.
"The gray-haired girl told me. What was her name again? Stely? Stalle?"
"You mean Stelle?"
"Ah, yes, Stelle. Man, her name is hard to remember. Anyway, we passed by each other in the master control zone, and I had, um… the urge to ask her about your whereabouts since I saw her with you last time."
"And she told you?"
"Yep."
"..." I fell silent before speaking again. "Say, you saw her, right? Did you see where she went?"
"I have a guess, but I'm not sure. I think she was heading towards Herta's office," Abraham replied, sounding uncertain.
"What would she be doing there?" I wondered. March did tell me Stelle was in talks with Himeko, but going to Herta's office was really... odd, to say the least. What I know about Herta is limited, but she was one of the genius society members or whatnot. Maybe she found something that interested her? Probably. I looked past Abraham and saw Emily's eyes fixed on me. To be honest, it was really starting to creep me out.
"Emily, I didn't expect you to come here."
"Hello, Ethan," Emily greeted me with a bow, her face as emotionless as ever. I wondered how she could keep such a straight face all the time. Seriously, I had never seen her laugh, and she rarely smiled. "How have you been?" she asked.
"I'm doing good, thanks for asking," I replied sincerely before turning back to Abraham. "So, you brought her along? Why?" I whispered.
"She convinced me to let her come," Abraham replied with a shrug.
"I see." I nodded, then turned my attention back to Emily. "So, you've been doing well?"
She nodded.
"No injuries?"
She nodded again.
"Good." I smiled warmly. "It's nice to see you again, Emily."
Emily's lips curved into a small smile. Like I said before, it was rare to see her smile like that.
"Okay, you two love birds, there's a single person here. In case you didn't notice," Abraham interjected.
I glanced at him, crossing my arms. "Seriously, dude?"
"What? Didn't I read the room correctly? You always tell me to do that," Abraham replied, looking genuinely confused.
I sighed, not bothering to pursue that topic. "Never mind. Anyway, since you're both here, why don't we play some games?"
"Ohh, what kind?" Abraham asked, perking up. Even Emily seemed intrigued enough when I saw her dead eyes showing signs of life.
I smiled. "Have you heard of chess?"
++++======++++
An hour passed after Abraham and Emily left. They had only come to visit me for a short time during their free hours before returning to work. It was saddening to see them go. Their company was honestly more refreshing than... well, you know who. The board game was surprisingly more fun than I thought it would be. I wasn't fond of them back on Earth, but at least they made for some good additions to chess.
I lay flat on my bed, feeling the soft mattress pulling me in like a vacuum. Too bad there was no TV or anything in this medical room, which made it even more tiring to just lay here all day.
"Hey, you there?"
[I am always in your presence, Ethan.]
"Good. Anyway, I wanna ask you something. Do you have a name that I can call you? It would be weird if I call you "you" all the time, or perhaps AI all the time."
[The decision of naming me lies with you.]
I furrowed my brows, slightly irritated at being called Host so many times. "Hmm, how about calling me Ethan? Being called host doesn't feel right with me."
[Understood, Ethan.]
"Better," I smiled. "Now then, what should your name be?" I hummed thoughtfully, then my eyes widened slightly after finally deciding what to name it. "Alright, how about—" I stopped suddenly after hearing another knock on the door. My face contorted in annoyance. Seriously, this is the third time someone interrupted me.
"Come in," I said tiredly.
When I saw who was at the door, I couldn't say I was surprised, but my mood definitely soured.
"Stelle?"
Stelle's head snapped in my direction. "Ethan! You're awake!" she exclaimed with a bright smile.
"Yes, I'm awake," I replied flatly. How many times did I have to say that today? I was seriously considering putting up a sign that said, 'Yes, I'm awake.'
Stelle walked up to me, standing not too close and not too far. She appeared to be nervous about something as I saw her fidgeting, while also saying nothing.
I felt weirded out by the sudden silence, especially by her behavior. "If you're gonna say anything, please do," I said, maintaining eye contact with her.
"I.... have a proposal," she said timidly.
"Huh? What do you mean by proposal?"
Stelle's nervous expression faded as her lips curved into a smile as she gestured her hand at me. "Come with me."
I stared at her hand before looking up at her face, confused. "To where?"
"To the Astral Express. You're coming with me."
"...." I fell silent. Was it wrong to say I was not surprised? I knew Himeko would later invite Stelle to join them, but me? Well, I did have a feeling, but I mostly ignored it. But, BUT, I did not expect Stelle to be the one to invite me.
"So?" she said, looking expectantly at me.
I chuckled before taking a deep breath and said, "No."
Stelle's smile stiffened as a frown replaced it. "Why?"
I looked at her expression and couldn't help but frown as well. Damn it, how can I explain this without sounding rude? After pondering for a quick few seconds, I began, "Listen, it's not because of you or you guys, but it's because I'm content here. It's safe."
Stelle nodded, seemingly understanding my words. "So you want to be safe?"
"Yes—"
"Then don't worry, you'll be safe with me," she interrupted. My brows twitched as I let out a sigh.
Seriously, why am I talking to this girl again? She's stubborn as hell.
"Stelle, my answer is still no."
"Yes."
"No," I repeated more firmly, but she pressed on.
"Yes."
"No."
"Yes."
"No."
"No."
"Yes." I blinked. Wait, did she just—
I looked at her grinning face in annoyance. "Really?"
"You said yes, so yes," Stelle smiled cheekily.
I took a deep breath. "Stelle, I'm serious. I can't come with you," I said slowly. I watched as her appearance took on a thoughtful look. I wondered why that was.
"So you won't come?" Her head tilted to the side as her eyes peered into mine somewhat creepily.
"Yes," I replied, to which her head dropped low. I let out a small sigh. I stood up, preparing to put my hand on her shoulder to reassure her "Stelle, you have to understand—" Before I could finish, I saw something flash below me. My eyes darted to it just in time to see something blurry coming right at me. I leaned back, and a small gust of air flew past my face. My eyes widened as I saw Stelle holding her bat.
I stared at her in horror. "What are you doing?!"
"Someone told me that if someone refuses you, then you should use force," Stelle replied calmly, swinging her bat around while not leaving her gaze on me. It was like I was looking at a future murderer.
"What? You almost got me killed!" Or worse!
Stelle blankly stared at me. "Don't worry, this will be quick, and will only knock you out."
I held back my anger and couldn't help but ask "What would happen if I was knocked out?" There was no way I could win in a full-on fight with this girl. I don't have any fighting experience, and even if I do have some sort of powers, there was no way for me to learn them quickly enough to be a match for her. I saw her fight and could clearly tell she was experienced.
She appeared thoughtful for a moment. "Then you'll be on the Astral Express after you wake up," she said, smiling.
I stared at her with an agape expression. Wait, is this girl seriously considering kidnapping?!
Before I could respond, she suddenly swung her bat again, but luckily I managed to dodge it once more. I gritted my teeth as my focus was solely on the bat, afraid that if I slipped up even once, that would give her an opportunity to strike me.
'AI, whatever you are, can you help me here?!'
[Conclusion: Ethan does not appear to be in danger.]
'I am already in danger!'
[Can you please elaborate more specifically, Ethan? Who is the threat?]
'She's right in front of me!'
[Analyzing…]
[Conclusion: Threat not detected.]
'....' Emergency? Well, that was a fucking lie.
"Help! Someone's trying to kill me here!" I shouted, hoping someone would come to my aid.
Stelle looked at me, confused. "Who?"
I glared at her. "You, of course!"
Stelle opened her mouth but then decided to say nothing as she continued to approach me. I kept backing away, dodging her blows. If it weren't for my good reaction time, I'd be toast right now. "Stelle, stop! We can talk this out!" I called out frantically when my back finally hit the wall. I was cornered.
Stelle paused at my request, her bat lowering slightly. "So, you'll reconsider?"
"Uhm, no," I said, realizing my mistake immediately.
Her smile vanished as her bat slammed into the wall where my head had just been. I felt tiny bits of debris falling onto my shoulders. I knew at this moment, I had to compromise.
"Okay, okay! Fine, I'll think about it! Just give me a moment to consider, okay? Is that fine?" I asked shakily. Her eyes bore down on me, but thankfully, she seemed to consider my words and nodded. "Okay."
I breathed a sigh of relief before another burst of anger surged within me. Seriously, what's wrong with this girl?! I should have known she was mentally unstable with the signs laid out for me. As I was deep in thought about this whole situation I found myself in, I heard the door open and curiously peeked over to see who it was.
Dan Heng.
'Safety!' I immediately used this opportunity to run past Stelle, who was caught off guard by the sudden action.
"Dan Heng! Help! Brother, help!" I shouted.
Dan Heng, whose expression was mostly expressionless, turned to shock as I practically went over him, out of breath.
"Help… Stelle…" I struggled to put the words out as both my hands were placed on my knees.
"What's wrong?" he questioned, frowning as he didn't fully understand the dire situation I was in.
"She's—" I began but was interrupted.
"Dan Heng."
"Ah!" I screamed in surprise, spinning around to find Stelle standing behind me, smiling. Her bat, however, was nowhere in sight. She looked like an innocent girl, unlike before who looked like a psychopath.
"Stelle, it's a surprise to see you here," Dan Heng said before turning to me. "You're here to see him, correct?"
Stelle nodded earnestly. "I wanted to ask if he'd like to join the Astral Express."
Dan Heng nodded. "I see."
I looked between them, feeling that something was off.
"Ethan," Dan Heng called out.
"Yes?"
"Have you made your decision?"
"I—"
"He's thinking it through," Stelle sternly interrupted on my behalf. I gulped.
"I see. I suppose you've already made up your mind, then."
"I—" I looked back at Stelle, who appeared to look expectantly for my response before turning back to Dan Heng. I gestured to him to come closer. His face turned a confused look but seeing my desperation, he complied and went closer to my side.
"What I'm about to say is literally life-or-death for me," I whispered.
"...What?" His confusion deepened, so I clarified.
"Just, if anything happens, be at my side, okay?" I watched his expression double in confusion at my words, but he nodded nonetheless.
I cleared my throat, preparing to face Stelle. "So, um, Stelle, the thing is… my answer would still be no."
Stelle frowned as I saw her palms open, traces of light flickering on them.
In response, I turned to Dan Heng with a pleading look. 'Help me!'
Dan Heng looked at me, realization dawning on his face as he simply shook his head. "I see what this is about now." He turned to Stelle. "Stelle, you really, really want him to join, don't you?"
Stelle paused as she stared right back at Dan Heng before nodding firmly. "Yes."
"I see," Dan Heng nodded, then turned back to me. "Ethan, I'm afraid I have to side with Stelle on this one."
I blinked in surprise, my expression shifting to one of betrayal. Before I could say anything, he continued.
"It's not what you think. This concerns everyone here on the station, including your life."
"Eh?" I was taken aback.
Dan Heng took a deep breath and explained calmly, "Let me explain. Both of you are anomalies and have something in common with each other. Hers is a [ruby="Cancer of all worlds"]Stellaron[/ruby], and yours is that… strange watch. Both are dangerous, I presume. Not just that, but both of your special quirks, if I were to say it that way, contain a large amount of Imaginary energy that could potentially attract threats like the Antimatter Legion or others in that matter."
"So you're saying that if I stay here, I would be the cause of all the trouble?" I asked.
"Exactly," he nodded.
"Then why are you bringing me in and Stelle if we're that dangerous?" I found his logic flawed as I crossed my arms and gave him a suspicious glance.
Dan Heng sighed, "Ethan, the Astral Express is more than just a way to travel across worlds. It's a way for us to forge a new path, especially for individuals like us. This could be your opportunity, as it was for me."
I fell silent, considering his words for a moment. "That doesn't—"
"Also, I already talked to Mr. Yang and Himeko regarding this. They both agreed to take both of you in. I'm pretty sure Stelle has already been aware of that."
I hesitated for a brief moment before shaking my head. "I just—I don't know. I can't decide this in one day."
"We'll be leaving in a few hours. You don't have much time left for this," he pointed out, to which I sighed.
"Alright, just give me a couple of minutes. Would that be fine?"
Dan Heng smiled. It was the first time I saw him smile. "There's no pressure in this, Ethan. After all, it's your choice in the end. We won't force you, right Stelle?"
Stelle flinched back at the mention of her name as we both stared at her.
I rolled my eyes. Choice, my ass. That option had already left when someone tried to use a bat for that.
"I see. I'll be going then." Dan Heng bowed and left the room.
As I watched him go, I couldn't help but wonder about his reason for coming here. It felt strange as if he had done it on purpose. I looked at Stelle, who hadn't said a word.
"You're not gonna...you know?" I asked nervously afraid that when Dan Heng left, she would start going after me again.
Stelle shook her head "It appears I was wrong. Sorry Ethan" Her voice was soft as she dropped her head low to which I somehow pitied her. Damn It, why would I pity someone who nearly crushed my head a moment ago.
"It's alright" That was a lie, still I didn't have the heart to say I don't forgive her. "Still, I want to ask you something."
"Yes?" She glanced at me curiously.
"Why do you want me to join the Express so badly?"
Stelle blinked, her mouth opening for a moment before closing. She seemed unsure of the answer herself.
I sighed. "Never mind—"
"Because why not?"
I tilted my head slightly, giving her a perplexed look. Seriously, I wonder what is going on inside her head.