Licking her chapped and bloody lips, a scream of happiness escaped Ira's lips, causing her to clutch her chest in pain at the sudden movements; she was still recovering from her soul nearly being shattered and the malnourishment from not eating for multiple days—it was a miracle she was not dead from dehydration!
But that did not matter, she had completed the trials bestowed upon her by the Oracle of Fate.
"Yes..! I survived, I did it!"
Ira had dreamed of this moment; she would no longer have to worry about battling abominations of the Aberrant or Fallen ranks no more—not only that, but with her new attributes she felt powerful, as if she could shatter a building with a single punch.
"All thanks to Astheneia; I hope she survives."
Sorrow soon filled her heart; the person she cherished most in the world was gone.
Bending over, she quietly wept.
The young girl was not very good at crying, so only an ugly whale left her chapped lips.
"Maybe I should... Oh god... I'll go buy me a drink… I am so thirsty.."
A growl came from her stomach, "And hungry..!"
And so, she wiped her tear-stained face.
She began to search for a vending machine; there were not many of those left in the world, and most of them were extremely expensive due to their maintenance costs.
Sorrow was not the only thing that filled her heart; instincts did too, similar to those of what had told her where, what, and the capabilities of the Dune Lord.
This time, though—it was different. Resonance was responsible for this rather than an Oracle.
["Slay Your Benighted Self To Overcome The Trial Bestowed upon you by Shadow of -Unknown-.."]
The mechanical whispers of Resonance seemed to slip from her mind occasionally. She knew her objective in her subconscious, yet it still managed to slip from her conscious mind the moment the young girl had begun to think of something else.
◇
Ira seemed less pale after drinking some sort of protein juice, but her stomach was still grumbling in the emptiness.
Clutching her gut, she tossed the can into the trash can.
"I will do my part of the deal, Oracle…"
Across the street, a sign read "Fort Delta Police Department", and a few officers guarding the premises stood across from Ira.
They had been staring at her with wary eyes for a long while—or maybe they were worried she would collapse at any second; it only took a single glance to tell the silver-haired girl was on death's door.
Soon, an officer walked over towards Ira.
"Are you okay, young miss? Where are your parents?" His expression contrasted his worried tone—no emotions were visibly shown, sending an uncanny feeling through Ira's body.
Shaking off the feeling, she spoke in a weak voice:
"As demanded by.. the…"
Confusion settled into her mind, 'What was it again..? I know I have heard it before.. Oh, that is it!'
Speaking again, but in a more confident tone, she answered the officer's question.
"As demanded by the Eighth Special Directive, I am here to surrender myself as a human of the Dormant rank."
Finally, emotion began to paint the man's face, "Are you sure?" He questioned.
Summoning a portion of her mist forward, she showed the man.
'It will be easier to show him than to talk... that, and because I do not enjoy talking to people I do not know.'
Nodding his head, he ordered Ira to follow him in.
◇
Sitting in a chair, she sighed in boredom.
'I have been here for an hour! When will they get to the "sign-up" bullshit…'
Ira knew the process took a long time; after all, they had to assign her to a chort, add her to the database, and possibly assess her capabilities.
Finally, the officer entered the room again, hissing silently he did.
"Come on." He demanded with a monotone voice.
Following the man out, a vehicle was presented to her. Ira already knew what she had to do, so she entered the car and waited patiently for what would happen next.
Glancing out the windows, she noticed a woman approaching the vehicle; soon, she entered the driver's seat.
"Buckle up, Ira." The mysterious woman said.
'How does she know my name… What kind of stupid question did I just ask?!' The young girl silently raged at herself.
"Do you know which occupation you've been assigned to? Do you know which cohort you are going to be assigned to?" The woman asked.
Nodding silently, Ira answered with a soft voice.
"Gate Incursion Response Specialists? However, I do not know what cohort I am going to be in.."
Chuckling softly, the woman responded back:
"That is alright, and you are correct. You will be joining GIRS. Ugh, it is so horrible to pronounce. I will show you to your cohort, Ira."
A silence overtook the atmosphere—she did not mind, only quietly looking outside the window of the car.
The world was quite gloomy. Windows were shattered, street lights broken, the roads in desperate need of maintenance—large pot holes causing the car Ira was in to slam against the ground.
'I never would have thought I would become an awakened. Then again, I never thought I only had six years left until that damn Oracle came along!'
Sighing heavily, Ira began to shape her mist yet again.
Astheneia in mist form appeared in the palm of her hand, causing her to be struck with yet another wave of sorrow.
She had a tendency to bring up things she knew would upset her. Perhaps it was to get a rise out of herself that was not the feeling of rage or apathy.
Astheneia had once told her that her name meant wrath once before.
'Stop… I need to move on; she was not even real…' Ira told herself internally, yet it brought her no comfort.
Clenching her hand into a fist, she crushed the mist form of Astheneia.
Suddenly, the car slammed on the brakes, sending Ira's face crashing into the seat.
She clutched at her nose in numbing pain. The young girl yelled out, "What the hell was that for?!"
A laugh and a snort escaped the woman's lips, "We are here, idiot! Get out and follow me."
Annoyed by the woman's childish action, Ira wanted to comment on how a fifteen-year-old girl was more mature than a grown adult!
Reluctantly, Ira followed her; soon they arrived at where Ira would be meeting her new companions.
"Try and keep respectful, we don't want you getting beaten up, now do we!" A cheeky grin appeared on the woman's face, before she shoved Ira inside the room and slammed the door shut, disappearing.
Four individuals laid inside; one of them was already walking towards Ira with his raven black hair and onyx eyes that attracted Ira's attention, along with his broad shoulders.
Two others were playfully fighting together and throwing insults, one had beautiful lush auburn hair paired with an entrancing set of dark hazel eyes and a bronze tan—the man was comparable to even Adonis in terms of beauty. There was also the girl he was wrestling with; her hair appeared to be as puffy as clouds, and a shade of ashy rose. Her milky white eyes made her appear blind, but her actions suggested she was not.
The last was lifting weights in the back area of the room, her hair a unique shade of black that resembled the broad-shouldered man, yet had an underlying difference—her violet eyes seemed to pierce Ira's very being.
The broad-shouldered man finally reached her, "You must be Ira, right? I am Andrisson, I will be your superior. All your actions during combat will be overseen by me, and if needed, I will be there to aid you," he said.
Nervously smiling, Ira noticed the obnoxious duo closing in.
'I need to move!' She silently screamed to herself.