Observing a small flower, I wondered what drew me to it so much. Was it the delicate, bell-shaped petals tinged with a faint purple hue? Or was it simply because it stood out among the sea of yellow and white weeds surrounding it?
"What's got you so entranced, Firefly?" A familiar voice called from above. I turned to see its source—Traveler, watching me from a perch on the rocks.
"Ah, Traveler. It's this." I pointed at the flower. "I've never seen it in the forest before."
Crouching down beside me, Traveler gently lifted the drooping bloom, tilting it toward the light. "That's a bluebell. Strange to find one growing here. They usually prefer hillsides. A migrating bird must've pooped some seeds along the way somehow."
"Bluebell?" I murmured, tilting my head. "But... they're purple."
"That's because they're in the shade." Traveler smirked. "A little more light, and you'll see their true colour." As if on cue, the clouds parted, allowing a warm shaft of sunlight to spill through the canopy. The bluebell shimmered, revealing its true hue—a rich, elegant blue.
"Wow," I whispered, enchanted.
Traveler chuckled at my amazement.
"Can I change my name to Bluebell instead of Firefly?" I asked suddenly.
He laughed, ruffling my hair. "Do what you want. Though, if you ever get a last name bestowed upon you by the Empress, that might be a more fitting change."
I traced my fingers over the silky petals, savouring the quiet moment. "You told me fireflies symbolize hope. What do bluebells mean?"
Traveler didn't hesitate. "Humility, gratitude, and everlasting love." He sighed, as if recalling something distant. "I had a friend once—stiff as a board—who was obsessed with flowers. Ended up learning more than I ever wanted to about them." He scoffed, shaking his head. "It was so much easier to just admire them instead of memorizing their meanings."
Something about the way he spoke made me curious. "What was his name?"
Traveler hesitated, his expression unreadable. Then, finally, he opened his mouth to answer—
"Hey, Firefly!" The sudden shout made me flinch. The vision of Traveler and the flower dissolved in an instant.
I blinked, my fingers still clutching the dirt-stained gardening gloves as I jolted upright.
"Firefly!" Tom called again, hopping over the trimmed grass.
I exhaled, shaking off the remnants of the memory. Setting down the gloves, I rose to my feet, brushing off my knees.
"There you are! I was just—Wait, since when did we have a pond?" Tom skidded to a stop, staring at the cleared patch of land where the old stone path curved around an empty basin. Moss and smooth rocks lined its base, the beginnings of a water feature long forgotten.
"You didn't know it was here?" I asked, arching a brow.
"Not with how tall the grass was before! I'm surprised no one fell in—oh, right!" He suddenly remembered why he was here. "Commander Peter sent me to grab you."
He bounced on his heels, brimming with energy. "Come on, come on!"
Shaking my head, I followed him back to the lodge, where the others had gathered in the main lounge.
"What's going on?" I asked as I stepped inside.
"Nothing," Peter grumbled, arms crossed. "I'm just annoyed that all of you have been holed up in your rooms for the past eight days." His sharp glare scanned the room before landing on Evan. "The only productive thing anyone's done is when Evan went out to buy equipment for Firefly's gardening!"
Evan flinched under the accusation. "Can you blame us? There haven't been any missions!" That was a mistake. Peter seized Evan's head with one massive hand, his grip tightening like a vice. "Ah! Ah! Commander! Please put me down!" Evan yelped, struggling in vain.
Peter scoffed and dropped him unceremoniously onto the floor. "Since you've got so much to say, why don't you use that mouth for something useful in town?"
Turning to the rest of us, he slammed his palm on the bar counter. "All of you. Go into the city. If you don't do something worthwhile by the end of the day, I'll personally supervise your training tomorrow morning."
Whatever that entailed, it was enough to send Dan bolting out the door with his sister in tow.
Peter's attention snapped to me. "Nicole. Jason. Your mission is to make sure Firefly gains some common sense."
"Huh? Why?" Jason frowned.
Peter's glare darkened. "Why? Because I said so!" Without warning, he grabbed Jason's head, applying the same skull-crushing grip he'd used on Evan.
Jason winced, struggling to keep his expression neutral.
"You got a problem with that, punk?" Peter asked, his voice low and dangerous.
Jason swallowed hard. "No, sir." Satisfied, Peter released him. Letting Jason stagger back after being dropped.
A loud pop interrupted the tension as Nicole blew a bubble with her gum. "Lame side quest," she muttered, exhaling. "But sure. Wonder what loot I can score on free roam."
Before leaving, I hesitated. "Commander, do you know when the other battalion leaders will return?"
"Tomorrow, supposedly. Maybe the day after, depending on the weather." He waved me off, already losing interest. "Now stop stalling and go do something productive—like capturing a felon!" With that, he shoved us out the door.
Outside, the others had already scattered. Only Jason, Nicole, and I remained. An awkward silence settled between us. Trying to break it, I offered hesitantly, "I-I hope we can get along, Nicole, Jason."
"Sure thing," Nicole said, unfazed. Then, without missing a beat, she turned to Jason. "We're taking your motorbike."
Jason blinked. "That won't fit the three of us."
Nicole shrugged, already heading toward the trees.
"I can take Andy," I suggested. "He can fly fast enough to keep up with your bike."
Nicole paused mid-step. Slowly, she turned on her heel, her sharp gaze locking onto me. "How fast, exactly?"
"Three hundred miles per hour in two seconds. Five times that with the Constellation Drive active," I said matter-of-factly.
Nicole stopped mid-step, then stomped back toward me, slipping a pair of reflective sunglasses over her eyes. "What are you waiting for, then? Summon the knight. He can carry the two of us while you pilot."
"Excuse me?" Jason was immediately against it.
But seeing an opportunity to impress them, I wasted no time. Summoning Andromeda in a flash of light, I teleported into his cockpit, ready for flight. Nicole, grinning, climbed onto Andromeda's hand with barely contained excitement. Jason, on the other hand, was panicking. "Hang on, there's no way we're doing this. Going that fast will rip our skin off!"
"Andromeda has a protective shield battery. It stabilizes the airflow, so there's no resistance. We'll be fine as long as I don't exceed a hundred miles per hour," I reassured.
Nicole looked delighted. "Even better."
"Enough blabbering," she said, waving Jason off. "Grab him, and let's go."
"Wait—!" Jason barely had time to protest before I seized him by the waist.
Igniting Andromeda's thrusters, we shot into the sky, climbing above the forest before Jason could wriggle free.
"PUT ME DOWN!" he yelled, gripping my arm like his life depended on it.
"Too late!" Nicole whooped, throwing her arms up as Andromeda soared with them both in his grasp. "Head that way—we should reach the city in a few minutes!"
Andromeda's leg and back thrusters roared, a blaze of heat pushing us forward. Below, the rest of Rogue Raven trailed behind on the winding road, their vehicles dwarfed by the sheer speed of our ascent. Within moments, the small city appeared over the horizon.
Touching down on a dirt path leading into town, Andromeda set Jason and Nicole down gently. Jason, still wobbly from the ride, struggled to stand. Nicole, on the other hand, was practically bouncing with excitement.
"Ooh! Now that's what I call fast travel!" she exclaimed, patting Andromeda's metallic arm in approval. "I thought you'd be a real wet blanket, newbie, but you're more fun than I expected."
Smiling, I dismissed Andromeda back into his card form. "It was the most efficient option. And... I feel bad leaving Andy to just watch all the time, so I try to involve him whenever I can."
Nicole arched a brow, then smirked. "Oh? Don't tell me you've got a thing for robots." She leaned in with a teasing grin. "Guess that'd make sense, considering you're an artificial humanoid yourself—"
I stared at her, completely lost.
Jason groaned and grabbed Nicole by the collar, yanking her back. "Stop filling her head with nonsense." Without giving her room to argue, he started walking. "Let's just check in with the police station, see what cases are open, and get this over with."
"Laaaame," Nicole drawled, poking Jason in the back with both fingers. "Firefly, call him a lame-o. If we annoy him enough, he'll ditch us and do all the work himself."
I frowned. "...Did you mean to say that last part out loud?"
Nicole ignored me, still prodding at Jason's back with repeated "lame-o" taunts. Eventually, he had enough. Stopping abruptly, he let go of her collar—only to drop her flat on the path.
"Fine," he sighed, dusting his hands off. "Peter told us to make sure Firefly gains some common sense too. So while I take care of the mission, you babysit her and make sure no one lures her into a back alley scam."
Nicole immediately brightened. "Finally!" She hopped to her feet. "I know a good arcade in this city. Let's go."
Jason turned down another road without looking back. For a moment, I hesitated, glancing between him and Nicole. A pang of concern nudged at me—he'd be handling the mission alone now. But he didn't look my way, nor did he give any indication that he wanted me to follow. Accepting his decision, I turned and followed Nicole deeper into the city.
The streets were lined with towering holographic signs and brightly lit displays. Shops brimmed with unfamiliar items—oddly shaped utensils, colourful trinkets, toys unlike anything I'd ever seen. One store in particular caught my attention, its window filled with delicate pastries labelled "crepes." Nicole noticed my curiosity and, on a whim, bought me one.
"Think of it as payment for the Andromeda express," she said, handing it to me.
It was warm and soft, filled with something sweet. I took a bite—and instantly, I understood why the signboard called it 'heaven on earth.'
After finishing, we arrived at our destination. "Here it is!" Nicole spread her arms wide. "The ultimate sanctuary—the arcade!"
The building's glass exterior pulsed with shifting neon colours, the glow spilling onto the street. Inside, the air buzzed with electronic sounds, the rhythmic clicking of buttons, and the chatter of players deep in concentration. Nicole strolled up to the front desk, where a tired-looking man flipped through a magazine.
"Oi, Boss. Two keys," she demanded.
The man barely glanced up. Then, when he saw her, he sighed. "Oh, hell no. You're back." His gaze flicked to me. "And who's this supposed to be?"
"An acquaintance." Nicole leaned over the counter. "Now hand over the damn keys, or I'm griefing your base again."
I blinked. Was that... a threat?
The man scowled, giving me a long, sceptical look. Then, with a reluctant sigh, he tossed two key cards onto the counter. "Fine. But you're charged by the hour, as always. And keep your artificial on a tight leash."
Nicole snatched the cards with a triumphant grin. "Thank you~." She twirled one in her fingers before tossing it to me. "C'mon, Firefly. We'll start with something familiar to ya."
As I followed her, I felt it again—an all-too-familiar sensation. Stares. Venomous. Unwelcoming. The kind I had endured back in the training facility. The distant kind from civilians on Helios and Epsilon stations. Malicious, but not immediately dangerous.
Still, I ignored them.
Nicole swiped her key card against a machine, and it lit up with flashing lights.
[Are you ready to play Gun Blitz and Gore, Cadet?! Pull the triggers to initiate your first mission!] The loud, commanding voice startled me. For a second, I thought a senior officer was addressing me through the machine.
Nicole grabbed one of the attached plastic guns and handed the second to me. "Just aim and shoot. The longer you survive, the higher your score."
I studied the weapon—a moulded plastic replica with a cable running to the console. Curious, I pulled the trigger. My on-screen character fired, but... something felt off. "There's no recoil," I muttered.
"It's not meant to be realistic," Nicole replied, already gunning down waves of enemy robots on the screen. "It's made for fun. Just try it. See how it feels."
Shrugging, I did as Nicole suggested, mimicking her movements as I took down wave after wave of enemies. The androids came at us in relentless droves, collapsing under our gunfire until their speed and sheer numbers became overwhelming. Five minutes in, survival was no longer an option.
When the final screen flashed, Nicole turned to me, her face devoid of enjoyment. "What do you think?" Despite her lack of enthusiasm, the game displayed our score—first place, the highest recorded so far.
I set the plastic gun back in its holder, considering my response. "It's... a little lacklustre. Compared to a real gunfight, it lacks a certain..."
"Thrill?" Nicole offered.
"That might be right," I admitted. "But maybe a better word would be risk. Or... enemy ingenuity."
Nicole smirked, as if she'd expected that answer. "Then let's try something with a little more fantasy." She led me deeper into the arcade, where rows of computers lined the walls, their screens flickering with vibrant colours. Stopping at one of the stations, she motioned for me to sit. "Try this."
I obeyed, settling into the chair as the monitor flickered to life. Nicole navigated through a sea of game options before selecting Immortal Duels 11. Skipping through menus with practiced ease, she dove straight into online matches and queued me up for a fight.
"Use this controller," she instructed, tossing it to me. "Mash the buttons, figure out what does what, and try to win the PvP."
"H-hang on," I stammered as the matchmaking screen blinked. "That's it? No warm-up? No tutorial?"
Nicole ignored me, sliding on a pair of headphones as if she'd already moved on.
[ROUND 1.] The game selected a character for me—a towering, muscular fox wielding gauntlets. [FIGHT!]
Panic set in. I mashed buttons at random. My character leaped. Punched the air. Kicked at nothing. Meanwhile, my opponent remained eerily still—then suddenly surged forward, closing the distance in an instant. Before I could react, a blur of attacks shredded through my health bar in a brutal combo.
[YOU LOSE!]
The screen's mocking tone only fuelled my irritation. "...Excuse me?"
[The game requires knowledge of your characters attacks and tools, pilot. It is similar to a knights modified traits.] Andromeda's voice echoed through our neural link.
As Round 2 began, I muttered back, "That's not the part I'm struggling with, Andy..." Desperately, I scrambled to test the controls. 'This is move... that's block... is this—ah!'
I barely managed to figure out a few inputs before my opponent struck again, slicing through half my health in seconds. But this time, when they lunged for the finishing blow, I reacted. A desperate button press triggered a counterattack, my character landing a heavy strike.
For a brief second, I thought I had a chance.
[ROUND 2, LOST! YOU LOSE!] The match ended. The screen booted me out, immediately searching for another opponent.
I exhaled sharply, gripping the controller a little tighter. "...Let's try that again."