Uh...
Where am I...
What is this place...
Why is there so much darkness...
.
A palace...?
No.
A lab.
A huge lab I'm unfamiliar with...
But what am I doing here...
(walks further)
Uh...
A person in front of me...
Crying?
Why is he crying...
And...
.
What's that thing behind him... in that glass chamber...
A thing...?
A creature...?
What is it...
...
Oh no...
It's shaking a lot....
More than it should be...
Why is this thing acting like that...
.
And that guy....
??????= No... It's over... Let it swallow me... AAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!! (breaks the glass)
Huh??
(the thing escapes the glass chamber, covers him)
What...
(dashes towards him like a tsunami)
.
.
.
BAIZHI- NOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!
(breathes heavily, looks here and there)
(realises he was on the bed)
BAIZHI- Damn... it was all a dream... it was... a pretty horrific one...
(looks at his hands)
BAIZHI- But what even was that...
.
.
.
VOL 2:
THE ARCHITECT OF THE VOID: ENZI
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.
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(the next day, at HQ)
BAIZHI- HUH?
RAMOS- Well, yeah.
BAIZHI- C'mon, why am I being blamed for all those things? (T-T)
RAMOS- No one is blaming you. In fact, it was quite impressive that you had the guts to erase Waleed from existence.
BAIZHI- Then what's this???
RAMOS- Well, everyone agreed that there could have been a better way to handle that attack. And, well, since you were responsible for literally nuking the whole street, all higher-ups have decided to put you in Strike Team Z as a replacement for suspension for cleaning up the streets.
Due to the rising concerns of the Liminality's change in attack patterns, Executives have decided to unify all departments as the Strike Department, a unified department which will contain SPs as well as Guild Leaders to be sent into the zones where Liminality will make its next move.
And... they put me in the lowest strike team as a suspension to clear the debris and stuff...
BAIZHI- I thought I was here to save people from the Liminality... not to do this janitor work, duh...
RAMOS- (laughs) Hey, it's not like we are sending you to clean toilets or something lol. And this is not a permanent suspension. Once the streets are cleared of the debris and ruins, your suspension period will end right away.
BAIZHI- But... how am I even gonna deal with those large pieces of debris... I'm way too skinny for this job (;-;)
RAMOS- (holds his arm) With this.
(2 nerves in Baizhi's hand start glowing, orange and cyan)
BAIZHI- Uh...
RAMOS- I'm sure I don't have to explain this, right? If you can forge an ultrasonic beam which can erase anyone's existence, you can find a way to handle this, too.
BAIZHI- Right...
RAMOS- (pats his shoulder) And don't think negatively. Consider it as a part of your training. If you really want to accomplish the objective of achieving all 9 resonic skills, then you have to prove your worth for them. This is a good opportunity to prove yourself.
BAIZHI- Understood... I'll get to work then.
RAMOS- Not today. Your suspension will start from tomorrow since today UTF and Ratz are deciding the strike teams. In the meantime, I'll tell you to talk to this person. (gives their card) His name is-
BAIZHI- Enzi...?
RAMOS- Oh, you know him?
BAIZHI- Hmm... I used to know him before I ever visited Remiss City, at RIA.
RAMOS- Astro's Company? Oh yeah, I remember you were recommended by her from her company.
BAIZHI- Yeah... I met him there. And Kae as well...
RAMOS- Hmm.
BAIZHI- Either way, it's been a long time since I met him. The last time I met him was... before the cave incident. Where was he these days?
RAMOS- Was sent to investigate the recent attack on the nearby city. He returned like, yesterday, having rested in his room. You should talk to him since he will be around you in the street.
BAIZHI- Oh?
RAMOS- Yeah.
BAIZHI- Well, that's a nice excuse to meet him again, I guess.
RAMOS- Talk with him once he's available, and be ready tomorrow at the place.
BAIZHI- Got it. (nods)
.
(In the night)
Damn, I left HQ way too late today. I wasn't supposed to be there this much, but these damn reports I was told to manage.
Now that Ramos is currently holding the leadership over the Law Department, he has informed me to take less of a load now...
But...
"Well... I lost all feelings for you now."
Maybe I wasn't just a better person in general.
Makes sense, I'm currently the most hated person after the street incident and my behaviour last week.
God knows how long I have to keep up with all this... knowing that I still have almost 11 months to live...
(notices someone sitting at the bench in the park)
Uh wait. Is that... Enzi?
BAIZHI- Hey!!! (rushes towards the bench)\
ENZI- Uh? Oh. Baizhi. [NAME: ENZI, SSP UNDER SERVICE AND THM DEPARTMENT, MASTERY 1 IN WORLD MASON]
BAIZHI- Hey. Long time no see, man.
ENZI- I should be asking the same.
BAIZHI- Uh?
ENZI- Where were you for a while now? You like, disappeared during your training period, just like Astro.
BAIZHI- Oh...
I am still bound by not revealing to anyone that I'm affected by the Liminality.
BAIZHI- Nothing much, just some urgent work came.
ENZI- Oh.
BAIZHI- Also, what do you mean by... "like Astro"?
ENZI- Hmm. Astro also vanished like nothing.
BAIZHI- From SP Forces?
ENZI- (looks up in the sky) From Remiss City.
What...
BAIZHI- What do you mean...
ENZI- Hmm. She disappeared like nothing, a few months ago, when you weren't present here. No resignation, no notice, nothing was said. Executives told it was a resignation, but it felt a little fishy. I mean, we both know how she was, right?
BAIZHI- Yeah, she was hella extroverted and a little, way too honest sometimes.
ENZI- I mean, what can I say? She was a teenager after all. She was still developing maturity while running her company as well.
BAIZHI- I have got no news regarding RIA either, maybe she went back there?
ENZI- It's gone. The company is gone.
BAIZHI- Oh...
ENZI- Will talk about that some other day. Anyways, I got a heads up that you will be under my leadership in tomorrow's renovation project on the street.
BAIZHI- Oh, well, yeah.
ENZI- Baizhi.
BAIZHI- (...)
ENZI- (keeps his hands on both of Baizhi's shoulders) You didn't take care of yourself, right?
BAIZHI- Uh...
ENZI- Remember, I told you not to get involved in any trouble?
BAIZHI- Hmm... I'm sorry.
ENZI- It's alright. Whatever you did that day was super dangerous; you could have lost your life, dude.
Yeah, as if I'm not dying already...
ENZI- Believe me, man. I don't want to lose more people after whatever happened in RIA...
Lose more people...?
Am I... missing some context...? I'll have a talk later with him about that.
BAIZHI- Don't worry... Nothing will happen to me, as long as I'm standing for my people.
ENZI- Good to hear about that.
BAIZHI- It's pretty late at night now, you should sleep.
ENZI- Hmm. I'll see you tomorrow then.
BAIZHI- Alright.
Did actually so much happened in my absence here...?
No idea but I need to keep finding my intels with time.
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- / - \ -