This was the first time Yang Hui had passively entered the Innovator state. The instant his hand touched Rita Bernal, his eyes filled with a seven-colored stream of light, and his consciousness was pulled into the depths of space, all the way to its very end.
No light, no flow of time, a complete void.
"This is..." Shrouded in darkness and nothingness, Yang Hui sensed his surroundings as a memory surfaced in his mind. "...Why have I come here?"
Just then, a dim light slowly brightened, outlining a blurry silhouette. It was a little girl, hugging her knees, floating in mid-air.
"A complete void with no light, no warmth, where even time has stopped flowing. It is the end of the world, the world that arrives at the end of time. No matter how people struggle, the outcome will not change. You should understand as well. Whether it's hope or possibility, they are but a fleeting dream that humanity sees at the entrance to this void, a phantom that cannot even be called a comfort. It is these things that cause people to make mistakes and create useless conflicts. For life that merely exists and then perishes, one should not expect too much, nor should one have expectations... Humanity... the world... are all so sorrowful... and it is a fate that cannot be changed."
"If it can't be changed, then just destroy it." The firm and powerful words landed, and a strong yet gentle radiance bloomed from Yang Hui's chest, warm and comforting, melting away the cold, desolate void.
At the same time, an indescribably domineering force broke through the stillness of time, allowing it to flow once more.
"Eh?" The little girl floating in mid-air let out a clear, questioning sound.
"A fate without hope or possibility? If you can't change it, then destroy it, and then rebuild a destiny of your own with your own two hands."
"That's impossible. No one can break free, no one can resist. Everyone is the same. I've seen... seen... seen..."
"Haven't you heard?" Yang Hui smiled. He already knew the identity of this blurry figure. He walked forward step by step, the gentle radiance surrounding him spreading with his every move. "Seeing is not necessarily believing."
"Not necessarily believing... not necessarily believing..."
"Hope? Possibility? None of that matters. They were never important in the first place."
"Then... what... is important?"
"What's important is whether you have the courage to seize that hope and possibility." As his voice fell, Yang Hui raised his hand, reaching out to the blurry figure of the little girl.
The blurry figure shrank back in fear, curling up even tighter. Though there were no eyes on her face, it was as if a pair of fearful eyes were watching Yang Hui.
"So, do you have the courage?" Yang Hui held out his hand, stopping it in front of the blurry figure, and asked her with a smile. His expression was gentle, warm, and capable of giving people courage.
"Can it... really be done?"
"Who knows?"
"Eh?"
"Mustering the courage to act doesn't guarantee success..."
"Then why do you..."
"...But if you don't act, nothing will ever change, will it?"
"..."
The blurry figure fell silent. Her body began to tremble violently. She wanted to summon that courage, to reach out and grasp this unknown possibility. Yet, every time she extended her hand just a little, she would pull it back. After several attempts, she still couldn't sustain her courage to the end.
"Think about it. Give yourself one more chance. What do you want to do?" Yang Hui asked when he saw the blurry figure's continued hesitation.
"Give myself one more chance... I want... I want... I want..." Slowly, the blurry figure extended her hand. It was a slow movement, but there was no sign of her pulling it back.
"...I want... I want to become a little bird and fly freely!"
Their hands touched. The entire world was illuminated by a warm light. The emptiness was filled, the cold desolation was warmed, and the indistinct figure returned to her original appearance.
"See? You can do it if you try," Yang Hui said with a smile, looking at the lovable little sister before him.
"Colonel... Colonel Yang Hui..."
"It seems you know me, Rita Bernal."
"Mmm... Yes. I... I've been here all this time, but... but I know what's happening outside." Rita Bernal lowered her head shyly. "Are... are you the same as me?"
"Hmm?" Yang Hui was taken aback for a moment.
Rita Bernal didn't answer, instead pointing at Yang Hui's eyes.
"My eyes, huh..." Yang Hui was currently in a very peculiar state. In Innovator Mode, he should have been completely rational, but right now, he hadn't entered that state of absolute rationality. He maintained his usual emotions, yet his Psychic Energy was extremely active. He had never felt anything like this before.
"Are you not?"
"Fifty-fifty, I guess." An Innovator wasn't a Newtype, but both were new humans who had evolved to adapt to the space environment, and both were users of Psychic Energy.
"I don't understand..."
"It's okay. It's not anything important anyway."
"It is important!"
"No, it's not." Yang Hui understood that Rita Bernal longed to find her own kind. Because of the suffering her talent had brought her, she wondered, why was she the only one like this? Was she a monster?
If there was someone like her, Rita Bernal would no longer be the only special one. Her self-acceptance would grow significantly.
"Although I might not be one." Yang Hui didn't know what state he was in. Logically, this space was exclusive to Newtypes. Although they were both users of Psychic Energy, they were ultimately different, so he wasn't sure if he had also awakened a Newtype bloodline. "But I know you're not the only NT in the world."
"NT?"
"Newtype. A new human, evolved to adapt to the unknown environment of space."
"Evolved... Are there really others besides me?" Rita Bernal was still a child. She didn't care about these new theories, nor could she understand them. She only cared if there were others like her.
"Yes, I'm sure of it."
He didn't know if Char had awakened, but he knew that Lalah Sune, who was always by Char's side, had awakened her Newtype abilities long ago. Among the members of the Twelfth Independent Technical Division, several had suddenly become much more skilled. Their shooting was more precise, their reaction speeds faster. When asked what was going on, they just said it was a "feeling." Weren't these the signs of a Newtype awakening?
Among them was Amuro. During his combat missions in the East Asia Theater, Amuro had been under intense pressure, both physically and mentally. It was precisely in this high-pressure environment that Amuro had begun to awaken.
"Then... then I..."
"You want to meet them? You can, but first, you have to leave this place," Yang Hui said.
"Leave? I... I don't know how to leave..." Rita Bernal mumbled, looking down. She didn't even know how she got here. All she knew was that she was sent to a very cold place, and then a group of uncles and aunties in white coats stuck things all over her body. It was very painful, she wanted to leave, and then she arrived here.
"Have you heard of fairy tales?" Yang Hui asked with a slight smile.
"Fairy tales?"
"Wishes can come true." As soon as he spoke, Yang Hui's body began to dissipate, turning into specks of starlight that scattered in all directions. His body grew increasingly blurry. "I'll be waiting for you outside. Don't keep me waiting too long."
"Wait!" Rita Bernal reached out, trying to grab Yang Hui, but her hand passed through his gradually fading body, and then he vanished before her eyes.
"Wishes can come true... Wishes can come true..."
Staring at the spot where Yang Hui had disappeared, Rita Bernal kept repeating this phrase. Then she closed her eyes and clasped her hands to her chest.
And then...
...
"What a strange experience."
In Rita Bernal's room at the Twelfth Independent Technical Division, Yang Hui, who had been standing motionless, opened his eyes. The seven-colored stream of light had receded, and his consciousness had returned to his body, but he could still feel his active Psychic Energy.
"Mephis, did I awaken the NT bloodline?" Yang Hui asked. In that special conscious space, Yang Hui had been unable to contact Mephis.
[Yes, Commander. You have awakened the NT bloodline. It is only in its initial form and has room to grow.]
"Can a person have multiple bloodlines?" Yang Hui asked.
[Yes, but there are limitations.]
"What limitations?"
[First, physical constitution limitations. Everyone's constitution is different. Some can possess multiple bloodlines, while others can only have one special bloodline. There are even some who cannot possess any special bloodlines at all.
Second, bloodline commonality. Generally, when a person has multiple bloodlines, all of them share common ground. For example, Innovators and NTs are both users of Psychic Energy.
Third, Life Essence Ascension becomes more difficult. Every bloodline within the body must reach its critical point before ascension can be completed.]
"Huh?" Yang Hui was stunned. Life Essence Ascension was the transition from B-rank to A-rank. He was already at the critical point of B-rank, just one opportunity away, but now... with the addition of the NT bloodline, he would need to grow his NT bloodline to the B-rank critical point as well before he could qualify for A-rank.
"Then... if I reach A-rank and then awaken a new bloodline, I won't drop back to B-rank, will I?" Yang Hui asked worriedly. After all, something like a Bloodline Awakening was unpredictable and completely random. For instance, Yang Hui had never imagined he could awaken the NT bloodline.
B-rank to A-rank was a given, and S-rank came after that. If he was on the verge of ascending from A-rank to S-rank and suddenly awakened a new bloodline, would he have to start all over again?
[No. Life Essence Ascension is an irreversible process. If you awaken a new bloodline after completing an ascension, you only need to raise it to the critical point before the next ascension.]
"Alright, I understand."
Yang Hui breathed a sigh of relief. Awakening a bloodline was a rare and fortuitous event. Each one could be a huge boost and an increase in one's potential ceiling, but... if it meant dropping in rank, it would be better not to have it. After all, things like Bloodline Awakenings were... mostly uncontrollable.
"Colonel Yang Hui?"
Just then, a clear and familiar voice sounded in Yang Hui's ear, pulling him back from his thoughts. He turned his head and saw that Rita Bernal had woken up.