"Geez, that stupid idiot, trying to risk her life like that." Camellia tossed her phone aside and flopped onto her bed.
Time had passed quickly—she hadn't even noticed that the sun had already set.
"How oblivious can that girl be?" she muttered.
"Can't be helped, big sis; you know how she is," Erina interjected, clinging to Camellia's side.
"Ugh, that's true... but Erina, how come you know Aria so well?" Camellia asked, a hint of annoyance creeping into her voice.
This wasn't the first time she had asked this. She often felt that Erina and Aria were too close, sometimes even closer than Camellia herself, which irked her a bit.
"…We just mesh well together, that's all," Erina replied.
"I see… is that what you think I would say?!"
—Squish...!
Camellia pinched Erina's cheeks, pulling them around like a rice cake.
"Mgguuu… s-stop that, it hurts..." Erina protested, helpless against Camellia's playful wrath.
"Ugh, it makes me so angry how you two are always so secretive." Camellia released her grip and glanced at her phone.
Aria Cyth, her saviour and the cousin of her big brother, from afar.
Like her brother, Kuro Historia, she was someone Camellia could always rely on.
Outside of her supervision, Camellia was hesitant to let the cute and beautiful girl out of her sight. As she moved so far away, one concern weighed heavily on her mind:
Finding a man she fancies.
"That won't happen," Erina interjected, reading her thoughts.
"Huh? Why do you say that?"
With a serious expression, Erina placed her hands on Camellia's shoulders.
"It's… hmm." She struggled to find the right words but arrived at one clear conclusion:
"She's into women."
"..."
"..."
"...I-I see."
Camellia's face flushed red, caught off guard by Erina's revelation.
It could have been a light-hearted joke coming from her little sister, but Erina had an uncanny ability to be frighteningly accurate in such matters.
"Heh, Camellia… are you really that flustered? Good grief." Erina shrugged, smirking at her reaction.
Because she could read minds to some extent, Camellia found herself having to remain silent, which forced her to avoid certain situations.
"You…! Wait, since when have you been so clingy?" Camellia's voice softened as she acknowledged Erina's physical contact.
"Mmm~?" Erina tilted her head, glancing between the two of them lying on the same bed.
Camellia was trapped in Erina's embrace, like a chipmunk hugging a tree.
Since they had reunited after two years, Erina had become excessively affectionate towards Camellia, and it was starting to raise concerns.
"And when did we start sleeping together in the same bed?"
"What are you talking about? We always did this back then, no?"
"That 'back then' was five years ago!"
—Swoon…!
When Camellia pushed her away, Erina flinched and looked down in sadness.
'Isn't it ironic that the mature one in the family has turned into someone like this?' Camellia thought.
Erina had been an uptight little sister who sought perfection; her demeanour changed significantly in public.
'Meanwhile, my situation is completely different…' Camellia reflected as she compared herself to Erina.
Both of them had their own worries. Camellia felt isolated inside Arcadia, where death lurked around every corner.
Erina was alone, forced to take over as chairman and prevent politicians from exerting their influence.
It was a lonely battle with no one to lean on, a miserable existence.
"…Tch!" Camellia clicked her tongue and hugged Erina back after shoving her away.
"Big sister...?" Erina's eyes widened, flustered by how sudden it was.
Camellia looked away, her ears red with embarrassment.
"Y-You at least deserve this much."
"...Hehe."
...
...
...
—Ching!
"Hmm…?" A notification popped up on both of their phones.
They were enjoying their time together, treasuring the happiness of their reunion.
Until they received a heartfelt message from Aria, a bombshell that shook them to their core.
...That night, a haunting melody of agony echoed from a warehouse that belonged to a girl.
If any civilians had accidentally stumbled upon it, they would have thought they encountered a wailing ghost.
=======
"Ugh…" I pinched my eyes shut, unable to sleep last night.
I didn't think I'd be clumsy enough to make such a mistake—sending a text I wasn't supposed to.
Was I so overwhelmed by yesterday's events that my senses dulled?
Two hours after I finally fell asleep, I was awakened in the middle of the night by Camellia and Erina.
At first, I thought it was just an accidental mishap, so I went back to sleep.
As a result, they grew even more furious, and I was scolded for two hours.
Camellia exclaimed, "What if you died?! I would've been worried sick for you!" with such a loud voice that I had to turn the volume down.
Erina was no different; her melancholy gaze turned cold—so cold it felt like a dagger was pressed against my throat.
I was a little shaken at first, thinking they had reverted to their old selves, but this time it was different.
They weren't mad at me—they were mad for my sake.
Thinking of it this way made me smile, and I took a deep breath to focus on the present.
After all, today was the day I would meet the Director of Project ANGEL.
"Something wrong, little lab rat?" Eskieth tapped me on the shoulder.
I felt grateful that Eskieth, of all people, expressed concern; it's just that she was constantly drooling whenever she touched my shoulder.
"You're still calling me 'little lab rat'? Bah, whatever. I don't care anymore," I said as I straightened my posture to shake off the sluggishness.
"My… uh, friends from Demiurge figured out what happened on the way to Trestkania. Let's say it was a complete disaster." A shiver ran down my spine as I recalled the events of last night.
"Friends… Ah, Camellia and Erina from the Historia family, correct?"
"...Yeah, I'm surprised you know I'm close with them despite having only the bare minimum of information about Demiurge."
"Fufu, don't forget that we're one of the most technologically advanced nations, little lab rat~. That includes access to information as well."
"Hmm, that makes sense."
—Vroom...
The two of us were riding in a car, heading towards where their Director was located, beneath the bustling city of Trestkania.
Since we were in a populated city like Kleinford, people were going about their lives normally, as if the Cardinal Sky hadn't happened.
Unlike the deserted wasteland outside, it was nice and cool here, thanks to the giant dome that encompassed the city, which acted as its main lifeline.
—The reason Trestkania was still standing was its ability to withstand a threat that could wipe them out if they chose to.
Curious about what Trestkania looked like, I peeked through the window like a curious cat, fascinated by how different it was from Demiurge.
It resembled a metropolitan city, filled with neon lights and towering buildings, creating a vibrant yet compact atmosphere.
People with prosthetics were quite common; in fact, most individuals had them, showcasing their enhancements as if they were completely normal.
Drones hovered around, some trailing specific individuals, much like Anellia Thena, though a bit more subdued.
It was fascinating to observe the contrast between a modern, European-style magical civilization and a half-cyberpunk, futuristic city.
"Whoa..." My eyes sparkled with excitement, thrilled that all of this came from my imagination, transforming words into the reality I was now experiencing.
"Fufu, are you that captivated by this shallow sight?" Eskieth asked me.
"Mhmm~!" I nodded cutely, too engrossed in taking everything in.
Eskieth went silent for a moment, pondering my thoughts during this time.
It was as though she was peering through the remnants of innocence left in the world, her smile tinged with bitterness as she wondered how long this 'peace' would endure...
Rotting from the inside out.
—Thud!
"We've arrived at your destination, esteemed guests." The driver opened the door for us.
"Already...?" I slumped in disappointment, feeling like we had reached our destination too quickly.
"You can always explore a bit once we're done, little lab rat," Eskieth suggested.
At that comment, my eyes sparkled even more with curiosity, eager to discover what the cuisine would taste like.
Before I got distracted any further, I cleared my throat and looked at the other vehicle behind us.
"How are those three?" I asked.
"They're in another car over there. It's best if we don't draw attention to ourselves by being all in the same vehicle."
"I'd believe you if you weren't so insistent on staying with me." I boldly saw through her true intentions.
"It can't be helped, little lab rat~, I'd love to tell you why, but you'll find out when we meet her." Eskieth didn't deny my accusation.
They already knew about my unique abilities; it was inevitable that I would be called in for this.
My identity was a double-edged sword.
I could meet the Director directly, who might be the Overseer I was looking for, but I would have to face the backlash that came with it.
"There's also a second reason for this," Eskieth said, pointing at the second vehicle behind us.
One by one, Lux, Nox, and Anellia emerged from the car, all looking like aspiring models in formal uniforms.
Even Nox looked mildly attractive, despite covering his face with a scarf.
The real concern was how long their tempers would last, especially with Lux's hostility… and of course, Anellia.
"You wouldn't want to be caught in the middle of oil and water like Nox, would you?" Eskieth adjusted her suit, which was formal office attire without the top—just like what she wore when I first met her.
Since it was a formal meeting, we were all dressed in suits, myself included.
I had no idea how they managed to get a suit in my size, and I didn't think about it too much. I just put it on and wore it with grace.
Definitely not ecstatic about getting to wear something like this, mhmm, yeah.
Eskieth also instructed me to wear the emblem that Orion had given me and place it on my chest.
It was meant to identify us as part of the organization, so I complied.
"Y-Yeah, thank you for that," I said, nodding my head vigorously.
After a long car ride, the five of us regrouped and walked through the alley in silence. We found ourselves in the middle of the city, where people bustled about, going about their daily lives.
I wanted to ask why their so-called Director was in such an urban area, but considering the circumstances, I decided to keep my mouth shut.
The more I thought about it, the more I realized that Project ANGEL is technically a secret organization.
That would make sense, given that I had only heard vague information about them; it took Erina quite a bit of digging to uncover who they were.
Orion, the leader of the Xero Squad affiliated with Project ANGEL, was registered as an official ambassador from Trestkania. His combat skills and wisdom all made a lot more sense now.
"We're here!" Eskieth approached a wall and started feeling around it.
"Aria, stand back," she asked, gesturing for me to follow what the other members were doing.
Everyone else stepped back, and I did the same, feeling somewhat restless in an unfamiliar environment.
—Thonk!
"Ah, found it." Eskieth gave us a thumbs-up and counted to three.
All of them closed their eyes, waiting for something to happen.
Uh— aren't we supposed to enter a door or something? Or a transparent wall we could pass through that transports us to a mystical land?
My anxiety grew as time passed by, and Eskieth's hand was about to count to zero until she opened her mouth, calling out to me.
"Don't forget to protect your head, little lab rat~" Eskieth said with a smirk as she flicked a switch.
—Thud!
…
…
…
"…Hmm?" I opened my eyes. Nothing had happened yet.
"Was there something that was supposed to happen—"
—Crackle!
Mincing my own words, the world around me pixelated as if it were from a video game.
The scene beyond shifted into a chaotic array of colours, something that felt completely otherworldly.
Everything disintegrated into bits, including the rest of the squad members, pixelating into nothingness.
This… isn't this too flashy for an entrance?!
"GYAAAAH!!!" I screamed, not knowing what to expect.
Remembering Eskieth's warning, I braced my head for impact as I began to fall endlessly.
Where was I going? How fast was I falling? Time flowed strangely in this chaos—it seemed to pass, yet it didn't.
I kept falling and falling and falling… until I suddenly saw an interior below me.
It was a giant hall, and as I drew closer at an alarming speed, I realized I had no choice but to save myself.
Out of instinct, I enveloped myself in a ball of Ichor to distribute the force of the impact away from my body.
"Kggh...!" I closed my eyes and braced for the landing as I fell toward the ground, my momentum accelerating...
Then suddenly, my descent halted.
...
...
...
"U-Ugh... where the hell am I?" I absorbed the Ichor back into me and found myself in a mysterious room.
I had expected to break through the floor, but my fall slowed significantly, allowing me to land safely.
This wasn't the grand hall I had seen before.
Instead, it was a small, enclosed space that resembled an office.
Piles of documents cluttered a table, and computers and mechanical tools were scattered on the other side of the room.
If I had guessed where I was...
The one-on-one meeting with the Director, an Overseer of Trestkania, begins now.
"Welcome to my office, Aria."
"!?" I turned around and saw a woman in a lab coat, leaning on her table with a coffee in hand.
For someone who had transported me into her office in such an exaggerated way, I couldn't take my eyes off her.
She had white hair tied into braids, yellow eyes, porcelain skin, and a physique that didn't match her bland attire.
Her youthful appearance made it hard for me to grasp her true identity.
Only by peering into her eyes, I instinctively knew who she was deep down.
On the other side of the room, a man, presumably in his 40s, stood behind her.
He was dressed in a military uniform, ready to go on a mission at any time, especially during this crucial moment.
Like the members of the Xero Squad, he had jet-black wings folded neatly against his back, a clear sign that he, too, was an angel.
"Are you the director?" I asked, my gaze filled with concern, still shaken by what had just happened.
"Apologies, it seems that the welcome party I arranged for you was a bit overwhelming for our guests." She smiled and snapped her fingers.
—Click!
The office lights turned on, bright enough for me to see my surroundings.
"To prevent any misunderstandings between us, I'll answer your question: I am indeed the director of Project ANGEL."
My suspicions were confirmed right from the start, and I nodded, paying closer attention.
She must have all the answers I needed; after all, I had some questions for her as well.
"What you experienced was a 'test' to determine if you were an ally. If you hadn't had an emblem with you, you would have fallen endlessly until reaching the Earth's core."
"T-That's… something," I replied.
Falling endlessly felt like a fate worse than death... was this why Eskieth told me to equip the emblem rather than use the ring?
"Enough explaining. Let's begin, shall we?" She clasped her hands together.
With her hands clasped, she majestically sat in her chair, looking at me as though I were a valuable subject, much like Eskieth.
But there was something more... sinister about it.
"Alathea Guishe is my name. As an Overseer of Trestkania and the Second Director of Project ANGEL, I must ask: is your resolve strong enough to seek the Exitium Stones guarded by the Sentinels to end this war?"
—Click!
The bodyguard beside her activated a projector. It displayed a world map dotted with multiple red points on each major nation.
"What is this...?" I couldn't believe my eyes at the sudden information given to me.
What was shown to me was concrete yet crucial, even if it was horrifying news.
One nation had multiple red dots. It was easy to infer who they were.
The nation with the most red dots—or Exitium Stones—was Morze, the one that had instigated it all.