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Chapter 2: The Awakening Call
The hangar of the Foundation of Humanity was vast — a cathedral built for titans.
Lining the massive chamber were rows upon rows of dormant Franxx units, each standing silently like knights waiting to be summoned.
In the very center of the hangar, under the bright artificial lights, rested Strelizia — the legendary Franxx — newly restored, shining like a sleeping queen.
Hiro and Zero Two stood before it, their gazes locked on the towering machine.
Neither could explain why their hearts raced so wildly, nor why their hands trembled as they looked up at it.
"You two will begin synchronization trials today," Instructor Hilda announced, arms crossed.
The other cadets gathered along the walkways above, curious and whispering.
It was rare — almost unheard of — for a pair to request their own Franxx, especially one as infamous as Strelizia.
"Begin when ready," Hilda ordered.
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Inside the cockpit, Hiro adjusted the unfamiliar controls, while Zero Two smiled mischievously beside him.
"Don't fall behind, partner," she teased, giving him a playful nudge with her elbow.
Hiro chuckled nervously, but deep down, an emotion stirred — not fear, but... familiarity.
As if he had sat here before.
As if this seat had always belonged to him.
"Alright," Hiro said, determination lighting up in his eyes. "Let's do this."
The synchronization sequence began.
Light pulsed around them as the Strelizia roared to life, its systems awakening from their long slumber.
The first few moments were rough — the Franxx staggered as Hiro struggled to align with Zero Two's movements.
She leaned forward, whispering with a sly grin,
"Don't fight it. Just feel it."
He closed his eyes, letting instinct take over.
Then, something extraordinary happened.
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The Franxx stopped shaking.
The meters and monitors all flashed green.
Their synchronization rate —
96%.
An almost impossible number for new pilots.
The entire control room froze.
The instructors stared at the readings, unable to believe their eyes.
"How... how is that possible?" muttered one of the mechanics.
Instructor Hilda's hand tightened into a fist. She watched the two pilots — the boy and the girl — moving in perfect unison, as if their souls danced to the same rhythm.
"It can't be," she whispered. "They're... resonating."
High above, the other cadets were stunned into silence.
Something inside Strelizia — something ancient and sacred — responded to the pair.
Its armor gleamed more brightly.
Its eyes burned fiercer.
It was as if the Franxx itself was... happy.
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As practice continued, Hiro and Zero Two laughed and stumbled, getting better with each try.
Though their minds didn't remember the past, their hearts guided their hands.
When they fought the virtual training enemies, their movements were fluid and instinctive — covering each other, defending, attacking, like two parts of a whole.
By the end of the session, they were exhausted but smiling.
Zero Two leaned back in her seat, breathing hard.
"Hey, Hiro," she said casually, "Have we... met before?"
Hiro blinked, caught off-guard.
He didn't know.
And yet — he nodded, without understanding why.
"Yeah," he whispered. "It feels like... we have."
They smiled at each other, the unspoken bond growing stronger between them.
The first thread of destiny had been tied once more.
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That night, as Hiro lay in his dorm bed, staring at the ceiling, he felt it again — that quiet ache in his chest.
He didn't know her name in the dream, but he saw her.
A girl with pink hair... reaching out her hand.
"Find me again..." she whispered, as stars burned across a black sky.
Hiro woke up with tears in his eyes — without knowing why.
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