Akasha sat down on the little bed at the side of the room. She looked throughout her body as if she was searching for something.
"My skin..." She smiled, "...it feels so smooth." She had just come out of the shower after spending more than an hour there. The joy she was feeling was indescribable.
When was the last time I had such a nice bath? She thought to herself.
She stood up and walked over to the mirror facing her. The room had only a bed, a chair and a table. The walls were white and the ground was tiled.
Akasha unwrapped the towel she'd tied round her body and unveiled her naked body to the mirror. Her fingers ran down her hair which was now clean and glistening more than ever.
"I guess that man didn't lie when he said I looked like an angel," she laughed as she continued to admire her beauty.
She opened the drawer where the mirror sat and picked up a comb. She sat down on the chair and began to comb out her scattered hair.
After a while, she stopped and looked into the mirror again. "I wonder what I'd look like if I curled my hair..." She gave off another smile of admiration to her own appearance.
The length of her hair reached her thighs and swept about as she swirled in a circle. She was genuinely happy.
A knock on the door ruined her little happy time. She paused and walked over to it. "Where's the buster sword lady?!" She shouted without opening the door.
"Open up, kid," Ragnar's muffled voice said from the other side of the door.
Akasha put on the clothes she was left with on the bed and opened the door for Ragnar to come in.
"I see you've taken your time to groom up," Ragnar commented on her angelic appearance. "You have a very beautiful body."
"Where's the food I was promised?" Akasha asked impatiently.
"You'll get it, no worries. It's just that you've got to help me first, yeah?"
"What'd you want?"
Ragnar close the door and sat down on the table. "You see you've got to answer a couple of questions for me. Some folks here wanna hear directly from you."
"More legionnaires?"
"Something like that, but no pressure. They just want to ask a couple of things and you'd be good to go—that is, to take your leave if you want."
Akasha rolled her eyes and motioned towards the door. "Let's just go, I don't care about all this shit."
Ragnar laughed and got down from the table. The two walked through a large open hallway. The halls were close to being empty and it was no surprise. With the rate at which scars were emerging, legionnaires were mobilised more to curb dire situations.
"This place is built like a fucking castle," Akasha said.
"There are about a thousand legionnaires in this branch, it's normal for the building to be enormous since it houses us all."
"Y'all live here?"
"Yes, you could say that."
"So you just automatically get to stay here because you're a legionnaire?"
"Yes." Ragnar glanced at her. "You're speaking from a point of interest?"
Akasha didn't reply her question.
The two finally made it to the hall where the other legionnaires were waiting. Akasha's attention was firstly captured by the well designed table of food in the middle of the hall. Without asking any questions, she ran over to the table and began stuffing her face.
She did not realise that about two other people were in the room along with her and Ragnar until after a couple of minutes. She slowly raised her eyes and glared at them without dropping down the food.
They all waited till she finished up, but not for a second did her eyes stop reading the slightest body movements they made.
As soon as she finished, she dropped the plate and raised her head up. "That's it?" She asked, unsatisfied at how little the food felt in her belly. She wiped off the food stains on her cheek and lips with the back of her palm.
"Now, kid," Ragnar spoke up, "it's your turn to keep up your side of our deal."
"What'd you want?" Akasha asked.
"Tell me about yourself," the other female legionnaire said to Akasha.
Akasha now gave attention to the woman, ignoring the other two. This legionnaire was very different from the others. Her skin was pale and her eyeballs were entirely black like she had no pupils. Her veins were almost visibles on her face which made her appear more like a demon than a nexus. Her jet-black hair complemented her terrifying look a bit too well that Akasha began to sweat.
Her voice was soft and light but cold and lacking genuine emotion.
"Melga," Ragnar shook her head, "you should probably put on your veil. I think you're scaring her."
Melga's black colored lips stretched into a hearty smile, contrasting her overall appearance. "Tell me, Akasha, do I scare you?" Melga asked, drawing the chair she sat on closer to the table.
"What are you...?" Akasha asked. It was obvious it was not out of concern but out of the fact that she felt threatened just by looking at Melga.
"I'm a nexus just like you," Melga replied.
"What about the other—"
Akasha paused. She was now very confused. The room once filled with the three legionnaires suddenly became two. Akasha looked at Melga again and then the third legionnaire appeared. She glanced again at the third, but he was gone.
Akasha rose up violently and flipped backwards from Melga and Ragnar.
"Wow, kid!" Ragnar stretched out her hand toward her. "Calm down."
"Where's the third legionnaire?! Is this some kind of fucking lab experience?!" Akasha yelled.
" 'Third legionnaire'?" Melga squinted her black beady eyes. Melga glanced at Ragnar and realised what was going on. "You're right, Akasha. There's a third person here, but it's not what you think."
Akasha still kept her distance from them.
"Be calm, alright?" Ragnar assured her. "Nothing is going to harm you here."
"Apocryph, stop gawking at her," Melga spoke to a person who stood beside her, but Akasha couldn't see anyone there.
"Who the fuck is she talking to?" Akasha asked.
"Apocryph," Melga answered. "She's not going to hurt you. She's just interested in you perhaps."
Akasha's stance changed into a defense position, it was obvious she wasn't buying anything Melga was telling her. "What is she?"
"She's me."
"What?"
Melga got up and walked over to Apocryph. She stood beside it. "Apocrypha!" Melga called out.
A gush of wind circulated the room as a ghost-like woman emerged. She appeared to look like nothing—a static-like being with Melga's body outline. She had no face or skin colour and looked like a shadow.
"The word 'apocryphal' ", Melga touched Apocryph's face, "do you know what it means? Accepted as real but impossible to verify its existence—that is what she is."
Akasha looked at Ragnar, perhaps rethinking if trusting her was a good idea to begin with.
"She's like my ghost," Melga said. "Don't be alarmed. You're not the first to be scared of her, though you are among the few to see her without my call for her manifestation. Which makes me have more interest in you..."
Apocryph motioned towards Akasha who was a little calm compared to before but still didn't move closer to them. As it got close to Akasha, it walked round her running its fingers through her hair. Akasha's eyes followed the being as it swirled round her a couple of times.
"She loves your hair," Melga said. Apocryph walked back to Melga and stood by her side. "Now, just a few questions and you'd be gone."
Akasha reluctantly sat back down to continue her interrogation. "There's nothing to tell you about myself. I don't have parents or a family and I live in a fucking alleyway, that enough information for ya?"
"Did you always know you had powers? If so, what time in your life did you notice them?"
"I was eleven or twelve when it first happened, if I can remember well."
"What was the ability?"
Akasha sighed. "I can just break shit, I guess. Look, I don't know but some how I'm just durable."
"Durable enough to come back to life?"
Akasha glanced at Apocryph and then back at Melga. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"You died, Akasha," Ragnar said. "The poison that scar injected into your collarbone killed you. Only for you to 'come back to life' stronger, faster, better—like a completely new being."
Akasha stratched her head and looked around nervously. "I don't even remember that," she said, with her head face-down.
"But did you feel anything?" Melga asked.
"I don't know!"
Melga sighed and gestured to Apocryph. The being immediately appeared behind Akasha and grabbed her by the head. Her eyes went black—just like Melga's—and violently levitated as it sort through her memories.
It was one of the many things Apocryph could do. This made Melga and Apocryph an outstanding, and formidable duo. There was no surprise how they were a UR legionnaire.
After some seconds, Apocryph gently placed Akasha on the chair without touching any other part of her body apart from the head. She removed her hand from Akasha's head and she immediately gained consciousness.
Melga knew this was a drastic action to take because she wasn't sure how Akasha would react to Apocryph's encroachment into her mind. As expected, Akasha reacted violently. She leaped for Melga as soon as Apocryph let her go.
Ragnar remained still and without movement. She didn't need to defend Melga for any reason for she was more than capable of killing them both in the room. At least she knew she'd come close to winning if she fought Melga.
Melga easily evaded Akasha's pounce, moving sideways and grabbed her arm, forcing her to the ground with one grunt. It was hard to believe she could move that way having such a frail looking body.
Akasha cushioned her fall with her other arm and attempted to rise back up to attack Melga again. But something was heavily wrong.
Apocryph looked bigger than usual, almost covering the entire room where they stayed. But that was just the first thing Akasha realised. She tried to stand up, but she couldn't. Her body felt heavier, her breath laboured, it was like she was exhausting herself just by existing.
"Stay!" Apocryph said, her deep, screeching voice trembled into Akasha's ear. Though, only Akasha and Melga heard her.
"Apocrypha!" Melga hushed. "Do not yell at her."
"What the fuck?!" Akasha struggled. "Hey, buster sword lady!" She looked at Ragnar. "That was not part of the fucking deal! Ain't nobody fumbling around in my head!"
"Melga, that's enough," Ragnar said. Akasha stared at Ragnar with shock written all over her face. She didn't think Ragnar would listen to her. "I think she's had enough."
Melga frowned. She walked back to sit down and stared at Akasha.
The white haired nexus suddenly had enough strength to stand up and move again.
"I'm sorry about that, Akasha. You're free to go now," Melga smiled and then looked away from her.
Akasha didn't move a muscle in response to Melga.
"Kid, let's go," Ragnar said, stretching her hand out to Akasha.
Akasha smacked her hand away. "Go where? And to what?"
"Do you not want to leave...?"
"Why? I can eat good food here, dress well, smell nice, feel healthy, and be treated like everyone else. Why the fuck would I leave?"
Ragnar stood confused. "You can't stay," She said.
"Because I'm not a legionnaire? Then fuck it, I'll become one. Enlist me in your exams. You're interested in what I can do, right? Then I'll serve you, with the condition that I live here."
Melga stood up once more. "Do you know what it is to give service to the Legion?" She asked.
"I don't give a fuck to be honest," Akasha replied. "I'm only interested in my survival."
Ragnar sighed and smiled. "Fine," she agreed, "but you'd have to wait outside for me."
Akasha left the room.
"Ragnar," Melga's tone tensed, "are you sure about enlisting her?"
"I'm very positive," Ragnar grinned happily. "She's prospective. In fact, I'll singlehandedly enlist her."
Melga smiled.
"So what did you see?" Ragnar asked, still slightly smiling from the thought of mentoring Akasha.
Melga's face went grim. "Ragnar...that kid...I don't understand her."
"What do you mean?"
"She's off. For someone who doesn't know anything about her abilities, she seems to have a good measure of control over them. She could see Apocryph without my manifestation not to mention that I didn't get anything from her but glimpses of what felt like shattered memories."
"You couldn't fully access her mind?"
"Yes, but according to Apocryph, it wasn't my fault. She was intentionally putting her off. There was somewhat of a barrier blocking my access, though not strong enough to withstand it."
"That's strange..."
"The only things I know about her is that she actually did die in that battle, but the word
'Survive' kept ringing inside of her, like her aether was trying to wake her up."
"Her aether?" Ragnar chuckled a bit. "That sounds a bit ridiculous."
"I'm aware, and that's why I can't make sense of it. The other thing I can deduce from her is this: Akasha is evolutionary. She's unlike any nexus I've ever encountered."
"How?"
"The way her aether is weaved, her core and the number of abilities she's likely to possess is insane."
"Did you just say abilities?"
"Yes. I'm unsure of what she is, but I can tell if we can have more than one of such a person on our side, the Legion's strength could dramatically increase. And just maybe we'd be strong enough to destroy the Genesis of the scars to begin with."