Chereads / Pulsation [Taboo] / Chapter 6 - The Weight of Two Mere Lives

Chapter 6 - The Weight of Two Mere Lives

After speaking those words, Seiya's father left him alone. 

Seiya lay there, too weak to process his thoughts fully—but not so weak that his mind was free from any at all. Despite trying to understand, he couldn't fully grasp what was happening.

Lying there, he thought back to the children he'd met earlier in their uniforms—their distant, empty eyes now made sense to him, though he hadn't understood at the time. 

They must have been going through things like this while I lived freely. 

Tears slipped down his face as he reflected on those poor kids. He could hardly bear the thought.

But as he drifted in sorrow, doubts tugged at him—maybe his father was right, and those children were just here for treatment. 

In the end, he didn't know what to believe, and the uncertainty only added to his despair.

---

Seiya remained in the guarded room for three days, the door heavily bolted, the sounds of factory workers his only company. 

His father didn't visit, nor did anyone else, except the worker who delivered his meals.

With nothing to do and nowhere to go, Seiya's mind wandered to his mother and siblings, wondering how they were faring. 

When the door creaked open, he looked up, meeting his father's gaze with blank eyes.

"Those eyes—did you miss me?" his father asked, stepping closer.

Seiya didn't feel "miss" was the right word, but he did have questions, and he had wondered where his father had gone.

"Curious where I've been? It's obvious in your eyes." His father chuckled, arms crossed behind him. "I had to manage things concerning you and your mother."

Seiya's eyebrows shot up in confusion.

"After bringing you here, I needed to stage an accident so no one would look for you. Everything's been handled, so look forward to our next session," his father said with a creepy smile before leaving.

The cryptic words only heightened Seiya's confusion. He had no clear answers, but waiting was all he could do.

---

In a restaurant, a group of Awakeners celebrated a mission accomplished, seated around a large table. News played on the TVs in the background.

"Come on, let's order and eat! Ozai, hurry!" One of the Awakeners waved over the stragglers, among them Ozai, who looked worn from the mission, his injuries bandaged like the others.

But Ozai stopped as a news segment caught his attention.

[The home of renowned scientist Matayoshi Sanio was found burned to crisp, leading to the loss of his wife, Matayoshi Hae Ra, and his youngest son, Matayoshi Seiya. The incident is suspected to be arson and homicide, and the perpetrator remains unknown…..]

Ozai stood frozen, the world around him fading into silence as he stared at the broadcasted images of his mother and brother.

His heart raced, his skin damp with sweat as blood rushed to his head. His lips parted, but his voice was barely a whisper. "What… what are they saying?"

Reality around him flickered like a broken machine, his mind blank with disbelief. Were they trying to say his brother, his mother… were gone?

Ozai sank deeper into a suffocating darkness, struggling to process the impossible.

His mind flitted between denial and the faint hope that this was some cruel trick, the toll of a gruelling mission, perhaps a side effect of his abilities.

His crewmates gathered around, trying to bring him back to reality, but he could barely hear their frantic voices.

"Matayoshi?" gasped a female crewmate, staring at Ozai's ghostly expression. 

Blood trickled from his nose as his reopened wounds bled, staining his clothes, but he didn't feel it. His mind was elsewhere.

As his teammates held him down, he mumbled incoherently, his mind frantically reaching for answers.

"Three days ago? How come? Where even was I three days ago? It can't be right? It can't be like this. Eomma….Seiya. I have to, I have to turn it back. It's just three days, I can do it. I have to do it or else Seiya…" Tears poured out as he sobbed amidst talking.

When Ozai tried to stand, his friends restrained him, worried for his injuries.

He was like a madman struggling to be free so they had to hold him down.

"His wounds are reopening. Get Imo!" 

Imo was the healer in their group so they needed him to treat Ozai as they pressed down on him to not escape.

"Imo isn't here. He didn't come with us"

"Damn! We have to get him treated. Hold him down"

Finally, one of the crewmate struck Ozai's nape, knocking him unconscious. The last word he whispered as he slipped away was, "Seiya…"

---

In a distant forest, Hye Rin ran with other Awakeners toward an abandoned three-story building in the distance. 

They spread out upon arrival, taking up various positions, alert but silent, their weapons ready.

"How long until the signal? Will it take long?" a female crewmate asked.

"Shut it! The captain will send the signal when it's time" another responded.

Undeterred, the girl pulled out her phone, drawing a reprimand from Hye Rin, who wasn't far away: "You shouldn't be on your phone during a mission"

The girl ignored her, plugging in her earphones and focusing on whatever was on her screen.

Suddenly, a gasp escaped her, drawing everyone's attention. They shot her looks of annoyance, hoping she wouldn't make another sound that might alert the enemy.

The girl looked up at Hye Rin, then back to her phone. 

"Hye Rin—" she began, but before she could continue, their communication rune buzzed. It was the signal; they split into duos and trios, charging into the building.

"Captain must've freed some hostages!" someone whispered.

As Hye Rin ran, her crewmate—Vira—pursued her.

"Oi, Hye Rin, wait!"

"We're on a mission. Whatever it is, tell me later," Hye Rin replied, keeping her focus.

"It's about your brother… the younger one," Vira said, keeping pace.

Hye Rin's mind jumped to Seiya. "What about him? Did he call?"

"No. He… he died. There was a fire at your house three days ago. Your mother too."

Hye Rin's steps slowed, her pace dropping from a run to a stagger until she stopped altogether. The water ring she'd conjured around her arm faded as her arms hung at her sides.

"Hey Hye Rin! What are you doing?! Get a hold of yourself" Their captain, a tan woman with toned muscles shouted, but her voice was lost to Hye Rin, who stood frozen in a haze.

"Dammit!" a male teammate cursed, rushing to cover her from the enemy's attacks. "We're in the middle of a mission!" he urged, but his words fell on deaf ears.

Hye Rin's mind was blank. She was in a state of emptiness.

She took out her phone to confirm the truth of what she was told, frantically scrolling through news and updates.

Hye Rin's leg moved a step forward only for it to swiftly turn the next second then run out of the buliding ignoring her Captain's call.

She ran out without thinking, unaware that her actions that day would leave a stain on her career.

---

Running down the road, Hye Rin's blurred vision caused her to stumble and fall to her knees on the asphalt. Her palms scraped against the rough ground, though the mission suit she wore protected her knees.

Her thoughts and breaths were ragged.

Unable to comprehend anything, Hye Rin lifted herself off the ground and continued on her way.

After what felt like hours due to Hye Rin making stops at different places to sit and think with tears, she arrived at the headquarters—the SOH Association HQ.

At the east entrance to the main buliding where Hye Rin had arrived, some of her crewmates and captain awaited her.

As soon as she got close, her captain grabbed her by the neck.

"Do you have any idea what your actions have cost us?! How many lives were lost because of your recklessness?! Both allies and civilians!" She sneered, tightening her hand around Hye Rin's neck.

Hye Rin remained unmovable with blank eyes like a doll incapable of reacting.

"Yes you were hurt from loosing important family but so what? You should've known things like this shouldn't shake you before joining! What is two lives compared to the multiple lives lost?! Just because of two mere lives you butched the mission!"

'Two mere lives' resounded loudly in Hye Rin's head.

Her eyes flared, a glint of cold passing through as she glared deadly at her captain before a frozen water blade slice through the Captain's cheek from the corner of her nose to the start of her ear.

The Captain's eyes widened in horror and shock, her grip loosening but not releasing Hye Rin from her choke.

"Two mere lives?" Hye Rin asked, her voice calm but so cold like the winter season had descended on them.

"Hah Captain" Hye Rin called softly, her chest heaving up and down from panting.

"Why don't you die then so we consider your life 'mere' " Hye Rin's eyes were wide with rage as she gazed up at her captain.

Being the youngest in the crew didn't necessarily mean being the weakest and it didn't mean being the strongest either but it can't be denied that Hye Rin was strong.

After all, the faction she's in was one of the highest and strongest, one that she attained by being a prodigy.

In her state, Hye Rin didn't mind facing off with her captain.

"How dare you treat the captain like this?!"

A male teammate lunged at Hye Rin, his sword drawn, but before he could get any closer to Hye Rin, a whip of water lashed out in front of him, pressing back the sword unto himself with such force that it gashed his shoulder before the water whip found its way to the sword handle, twisting and getting a hold of the sword then proceeding to plunge it into his stomach.

"Enough!" the captain shouted, blasting Hye Rin back with a gust of wind. Hye Rin got up and walked past the others, entering the building.

Once in her room, she began packing. A teammate entered after knocking, handing her an envelope. 

"Dismissal from the faction and a one-month suspension."

Taking the envelope and her belongings, she walked out only to pause in the hall, her thoughts processing.

She was too engrossed with what happened that she didn't even think about her other brother, Ozai.

How must he be feeling now? How was he coping? 

Hye Rin knew she had to get home to him because he must be trying to turn back time, risking himself in the process.

But their home got burned, so where exactly should she go?

While pondering, her phone buzzed—it was a message from her father, asking to meet. Sighing, Hye Rin crushed the envelope in her hand and left.

---

Back at the lab where Seiya was held, a worker entered his room carrying a small round patch labelled "GP." 

The worker placed the alloy-like material on Seiya's skin just below his collarbone. The patch melted in, leaving the letters visible.

Seiya's face showed his confusion, unable to understand the meaning behind this strange marking.

The worker hesitated, then spoke softly, avoiding Seiya's gaze. "You must be wondering what that was for," he began, sighing before continuing.

"Anyone with those letters are marked as 'unclassified'—meaning they can be used for any experiment, even those that don't yield results." 

Seiya's face showed no comprehension, prompting the worker to elaborate. "

He hesitated, then continued.

"Unlike the other kids, who undergo structured, purposeful experiments, the GPs are…His voice trailed off. "They're simply here to endure torture."

He paused, then added, "You have a session today with Mr. Sanio. Be ready."

With one last glance, the worker left, leaving Seiya in silent confusion.