My alarm blared at 7AM, waking me up an hour or so earlier than usual. I didn't want to bother going to eat breakfast, so I left the dorm room and walked to the room with Tiette sitting in a chair nearby.
As I approached him, his attention immediately turned to me.
"How... Was sleeping...?" Tiette said, looking tired and grunge as the last time we saw each other yesterday. Though this time he had coffee beside him.
"It was fine, the mattresses were a bit too uncomfortable, though."
"Heh... You'll have plenty more chances for comfort... As soon as you complete your training."
"... I suppose so. When exactly does the actual training start?"
"Around noon today. Training consists of physical exercise routines performed in groups or alone... depending on personal preference..." Tiette responded bluntly.
"So basically, I'll run laps till I collapse? Is that what it's going to be?"
He nodded once.
"And how long would you say it takes to become ready for combat?"
"After three months, you could potentially qualify as fit enough to join our operations... however, not every recruit makes it past their third month here... many give up before even beginning... due to insufficient stamina reserves... some choose to leave due to poor health or personal issues."
"Well, I won't let either happen since I know why I am doing this." Perhaps it was my poor judgement, but I felt somewhat compelled to express confidence when speaking with someone who appeared older than me.
"Ah... Suit yourself... then... And about what I wanted... To talk to you about..." He grabbed a stack of documents and placed them down on the table in front of him. "This report... It says that you... Fend off an Amalgamate... All by yourself... Eyewitnesses have been questioned... Several times, their statements coincide perfectly... You really beat one... So I think... You should skip the physical training..."
"What? That's not what happened at all! My wife, Alice was there. She died to that Amalgamate that day! Are you telling me that nobody saw her dead body in the car?!" Dark emotions boiled within me, rage filled me from my head down to my toes and I grabbed Tiette's collar forcefully.
Despite that, he took a sip of coffee as I tried to intimidate him with the most menacing glare I could conjure at that moment in time.
But then, he said, "Dofro, I don't know what you're talking about... But there was nothing about you having a wife, let alone a girlfriend in your records..."
"Don't fuck with me!" My voice turned aggressive and I tightened my grip around his collar, pulling it closer to me, causing Tiette to widen his eyes for the first time ever. "I saw her die! We were in the same car! She got killed, I saw it! You should know this because your men have relatives who died too, haven't they!?" I yelled as loud as I could.
Tiette stared at me with an unreadable expression on his face, it seemed as if he were unamused or maybe even bored. "That doesn't change the fact that... No one else saw anyone in that car. Anyways... Do you want to... Skip your training and get into action immediately? You'd get paid... And... Do you have any family?"
Was he trying to tick me off or something? Because that is a really low blow.
I shook my head, fending off whatever terrible feelings and thoughts I had at the time, "No, I don't have a family anymore. So I'll skip the training."
Tiette smiled slightly. "Good... Here is your badge and uniform... Your new partner, Ootaea... Will meet with you shortly..."
"Ooataea? Is she also skipping training?" I asked, my anger slowly subsiding as it was replaced by curiosity.
"Yes... I'm sure she will be... happy to hear that." Tiette chuckled under his breath, "Anyways, take this badge and wear it... Always carry it around, it is your identity card... And... Get to the briefing room as fast as possible."
I took the badge and pinned it onto my uniform. It read "Hunting Division" on its surface and had a small black symbol. That black symbol... I know it... I just can't seem to remember what it meant. Anyhow, I quickly changed into the clothes given to me by Tiette, not too long after that, Ootaea came barging through the door into the room where Tiette was seated with a huge grin on her face.
"Ugh... That's one creepy look you have, you know that?" She commented while looking at his face.
"Yeah... Maybe. But can you... Blame me? Things are going... Pretty well." He smirked. "Now, you two... Go to briefing room number three... And listen carefully to what will be said."
"Yeah, I know. Greenhorn, come on! Let's go!" Ootaea smiled as she grabbed me by the sleeve and ran to the briefing room, leaving Tiette behind.
As we walked down the hall, Ootaea turned to me with a look on her face that spelled out 'Curious'.
"Hey, Greenhorn! What's with that blue glow that you had during your simulation? Wasn't fair that you got some cool power while I had to fight on my own with a spiked wooden plank... Anywho, what was that?"
"I don't know... But it was powerful, and..." Should I tell her how exhilarating it felt? Or... "I'd like to learn more about it."
"Hm... Are you a nepo-baby? Is that why you get to have such a fancy power?" Ootaea inquired, her curiosity seemingly piqued by something she said. Though, her tone suggested otherwise.
"Nepo-baby? What's that? I've never heard that term before, is it something new?" I questioned, confused and curious myself, what type of word is that anyways? Nepotism?
"In short... It's someone who got their position because they know someone with a higher rank who gave them a free ticket to the job." Ootaea explained briefly.
"Oh, no, no. I didn't know anybody from here before I signed up. I just wanted to get a job that pays well." I explained, trying to make it as believable as possible, "My previous job only paid 4 bucks an hour. Had to get out of that hellhole."
"Damn... 4 bucks... How did you even live off of that?" Ootaea said, shocked at the number. She clearly didn't understand how much 4 bucks an hour was in this economy... Then again, I was lying. So I might be the one who doesn't know much in the end.
"Mostly microwaved noodles, 5 times a day, a can or two of soda and some fruit juice in between those meals." Though it didn't sound convincing to my ear, maybe a dunce like her would believe this.
"Damn, that sucks! When I started out here, I got 20 bucks an hour! Having to eat microwaved noodles everyday and drink soda all the time, that's just torture!" She exclaimed, shaking her head in disbelief. "I'm surprised that you aren't fat at all... How are you even fit in the first place? All the people I've seen who lived like that ended up being obese!"
I shrugged, "Probably because I had to walk 30 minutes to the store and back, everyday... That and the fact that I don't have a car to drive me to the store."
"Wow... So that's what happens when you're broke as shit!" Ootaea giggled to herself, "That's just sad, Greenhorn, but don't worry! This is the perfect job for ya!"
"Yeah, hopefully." I responded, a small smile appearing on my face.
Her expression didn't match mine, however, a serious yet curious look was painted over her face, "Hm... Your smile doesn't reach your eyes. Why's that?"
"What do you mean?" I questioned, confused as to what she was referring to. "What's wrong with my smile?" Concern began to grow within me, did I make a stupid mistake or something?
"No... it's just... You know what? Nevermind." A smooth 180 turn and a shrug, that's what Ootaea did, before continuing on her way to the meeting room. I followed suit, keeping a close eye on her movements and expressions in case she tries to trick me into doing something else later on, or perhaps she really just wanted to help me get familiar with this place faster? Who knows, I don't necessarily trust her, but she seems like a trustworthy person at the same time.
...
At the third briefing room, we were met with an old man, standing by the podium in the center of the room. He was dressed in all white—The usual that everyone here wears. His wrinkly skin, gray hair, and thick eyebrows made him look ancient. Yet he still maintained an air of authority and power that I hadn't seen from anyone else around here, not even matching the voice of that Yovan person on the intercom.
"Ah... Hello there, Dofro and Ootaea. Nice to see you both in the flesh." He said, smiling warmly at us. "Please take a seat over there." He pointed towards two chairs near the back wall, where I assumed we would sit for now. We walked towards those seats and sat down, waiting patiently for the rest of the group to arrive.
As I sat there, I couldn't help but wonder what was going on. Wasn't this just supposed to be some sort of training exercise or something?
The old man began to speak again, "I hope you don't mind me asking for introductions first, my name is Jokim, and I am the commander of the Hunting Division. Unlike that lousy Tiette who is the examiner for the hunting division. As you may know, the ADF's main goal is to hunt all of the Amalgamates and as a secondary objective, we research Metalhearts." Jokim paused for a moment before continuing, "The reason why we study Metalhearts is because there is a certain connection between the two, Amalgamates, I mean. Though we do not yet fully comprehend what that link actually is, and how to use it to our advantage. We have been able to uncover some information regarding the origins of these beings and how they came into existence. But that's enough information for now, aye?" His demeanor seriously didn't fit his appearance at all, but I suppose that's what made him a bit charismatic.
He chuckled. "Now, I'm sure you're all dying to know who's going to be working together today! Well, let's get started with that." He walked over to the chalkboard behind him and wrote on the blackboard in white chalk 'Two-man-group'.
Then he wrote two names underneath, "Dofro and Ootaea."
"Greenhorn! We're partners!" Ootaea said with a big smile. "I'm glad I got paired up with someone cool for once! I've always wanted to work alongside someone like you!" Her excitement was clear, but it didn't seem genuine at all.
I looked around and noticed that everyone else was in the room—Where did they even come from? The room only had Jokim in it when we entered... Yet, now it's packed full of people. It felt weird but I shook off the thought.
Jokim cleared his throat, "Ahem! Now then, let's begin with the actual briefing." He tapped the blackboard twice, "Your mission is simple, protect a shipment of materials being transported by a supply convoy. There will be no backup units accompanying this convoy, nor will any support be provided. You are responsible for your own actions. Any questions?"
Ootaea raised her hand and said, "Yes sir! When are we leaving?"
Jokim smiled at her enthusiasm, "Tomorrow morning, bright and early. So get some rest and prepare yourselves accordingly."
She nodded and sat back down, looked at me and said, "Tomorrow morning... Greenhorn, are you ready?"
"I guess so, I'm not really sure about anything regarding this job, though. What do we do? Are we just supposed to protect the shipment from criminals or...?" I trailed off, unsure of how to continue.
Jokim appeared to have heard my words, and responded accordingly, "You'll be protecting it from Amalgamates. For your knowledge, the supply convoy is being sent to an outpost in the Northern part of our neighboring town, and there is an increased chance of encountering an Amalgamates in that area since it is so close to the Blue Void."
Blue Void? What kind of ominous name is that for a place? And what exactly is a Blue Void in the first place? And why does it have such a high chance of spawning Amalgamates?
I opened my mouth to ask, but Ootaea raised her hand once again and spoke up, "Sir! Can I ask a question?"
"Go ahead, Ootaea." Jokim said, smiling at her.
"Is there any other information we should know beforehand? Like... What types of Amalgamates are we likely to encounter? Or maybe even the approximate location where we can expect them to appear? Maybe even the number of enemies we'll face?" She asked.
Jokim shook his head, "No, I'm sorry, but there isn't much we know either, these supply convoys are usually escorted by a group of armed guards who aren't part of the ADF. But as the ADF stands, we have collaborated with the local militaries for training and other such things, they have decided to entrust their soldiers to us. So we'll be taking charge of the security for the supply convoy. As for the types of Amalgamates... We're unsure. They're all unique in their own ways, each one is different from the next."
Ootaea nodded and sat back down, looking dejected. I couldn't blame her though, this mission was already looking pretty dangerous, especially since we're not even sure what kind of enemies we'll face.
"Group one, that'll be all for now. You may leave and return to your dorms." Jokim said as he dismissed us.
We stood up and promptly left the briefing room, heading straight back to our dormitory. As soon as we arrived, Ootaea turned to me and said, "Hey, Greenhorn! Wanna play a game? It's called poker!"
"...No thanks." I replied curtly.
She looked disappointed, but then shrugged her shoulders. "Don't be such a bummer. C'mon, let's have some fun!"
"I don't feel like it," I responded bluntly, walking past her and sitting down at the table.
She pouted slightly, "Aw, c'mon Greenhorn! Just one round, please?" She pleaded with puppy dog eyes and began to beg me, "Pleeeaaaaseeee? I'll even let you go first! Pretty please? Please? Please? Please?" She was relentless, but I didn't budge. "C'mon man, don't be like this, you can't stay cooped up in your room forever! Let's go outside for a bit, maybe grab some food or something!"
I was getting annoyed at this point and finally gave in, "Fine, fine... But I'm not going out there unless you promise me that we won't play poker. I hate gambling."
"Yay!!" She cheered, "Let's get out of here, let's get some fresh air!" She ran out the door and I followed after her, sighing softly to myself, this girl was seriously a handful... Why does she have to be so hyper? Can't she calm down? Geez, she's like a child.
We left the building and walked around town for a while.
"Where should we go?" I asked.
"I dunno, anywhere I guess the park! Let's bask in nature and... Oh shit, I don't have any money..." Ootaea said as she checked her pockets and wallet, a sad look was plastered on her face.
"What do you need money for? We're going to the park, right?" I questioned her.
She shook her head, "No way, dude, I was trying to show you a cool stand that is open at the park! They sell these really good drinks and snacks and stuff, but... Aw, man..." She sighed as if she were begging me to give her cash, though I was as penniless as her.
"Well, I don't have any cash either, so..." I shrugged and continued walking.
"Wait! Wait! Don't walk off yet! There is a way we can get money!" She exclaimed excitedly, her voice rising with every word.
"Are you suggesting that we steal? If so, I'm out." I said firmly, not wanting to get involved in anything criminal.
"No! No! No! Not at all, I promise! Just hear me out," She said, "There's a shop nearby that sells really cheap tea, they're super cheap because their tea leaves have gone bad. But if you can make a cup of good tea with their rotten tea leaves... they give you a reward of a whole 20 dollars! I've seen people do it, but nobody has succeeded. You can do it though, I believe in you, you're smart and stuff. Plus, they have a bunch of free snacks there too, so if you're hungry then you can have those!"
"That's... actually not a terrible idea. Okay, sure, let's give it a shot." I nodded and we began to head towards the shop that Ootaea spoke about.
As we were walking, I noticed that the city had gotten quieter and emptier. It seemed as if the people were hiding away in their homes or perhaps they were all inside somewhere else. Either way, the streets were almost barren, except for a few people here and there. We walked through a large alley until I saw the sign 'Rotten Tea Shop' in bold red letters and a picture of a steaming teapot below it, it looked like a sketch of a kid's drawing.
Ootaea looked at me with a big grin, "See, this is where I was talking about! It's called 'Rotten Tea Shop', isn't it awesome?"
"Yeah, yeah," I muttered, rolling my eyes, "Let's just go in already..."
She nodded excitedly, "Okay! Come on, let's go inside!"
As soon as we stepped inside the store, a foul smell hit my nose and body. It was a mix of rotten eggs and spoiled meat.
The interior of the store was dark and dreary, with no windows or natural light. There were only a few dimly lit lamps that illuminated the room, and there was a counter in the middle of the shop where two employees were standing behind the counter, their faces hidden behind masks and hoods.
"Hello, welcome to the Rotten Tea Shop. My name is Mina, what would you like to order today?" One of them asked.
I looked up at her, she seemed to be around my age, or maybe slightly older. Her voice was very monotone, and those dead eyes that appeared through the mask and hood were unsettling to say the least.
Ootaea spoke for me, "We're here to make Rotten tea! We want the 20 bucks!"
"Ah, yes, the usual. Very well, take a seat and we shall bring you the leaves." The girl replied, gesturing us to sit down.
I sat down at the nearest table and Ootaea joined me, sitting across from me. She looked nervous but excited at the same time, she was probably excited that she could eat snacks and maybe even get a 20 dollar prize.
The employee came over with a small box filled with tea leaves, placing it on the table. They smelled terrible, it made me want to vomit.
"This is the tea you'll be making. Feel free to use the equipment around you to make the tea, though we don't offer any type of heating, you'll have to work with this cup of hot water. The water should be boiling enough, though, and it's free. You may begin."
She walked off and went back behind the counter, disappearing into the darkness of the back room, leaving us alone to our own devices. Ootaea reached over and grabbed the box of leaves, opening it and looking inside. "Ugh... these smell really bad..." She commented, closing the lid again and sliding it towards me. "Here, you do it."
I sighed, taking the box and examining its contents. There were different colored tea leaves, each one had its own distinct smell, which I assumed were from different types of plants, however, some were clearly more rotten than others.
"Okay, so... How am I supposed to do this?" I asked aloud.
"I don't know... You're smart, right? Figure something out." She said with a shrug, looking at me with anticipation.
I've had my fair share of tea with Alice before... So, I should be able to figure this out, right? I thought to myself, trying to remember everything I've ever learned about tea. Though the only thing that came to mind was that it should be sweet... Right?
I closed my eyes and began to think of ways to make the tea sweeter, maybe mix it with sugar? Honey? Milk? I don't think they offer any of these here...
Whatever, I'll wing it. I picked up the box of leaves, examining them once again, they all smelled awful, but there were a few that didn't smell too bad. Those are probably the ones I'll use.
"Alright, here goes nothing," I said to myself, taking a handful of the leaves and putting them into the cup of boiling water.
I waited a moment for the leaves to steep, hoping that I wasn't making a huge mistake, and after a couple of minutes, I took a sip. It tasted like shit. The tea was extremely bitter and disgusting, I couldn't believe it, I actually managed to make something worse than the original.
Ootaea looked at me expectantly. "Well?"
I sighed, shaking my head, "It's horrible, I can't believe I actually tried to make this."
She laughed, "Haha! You suck at making tea! That sucks!"
"Yeah, whatever..." I muttered, looking down at the table, "Hey... Can I ask you a personal question?"
"Sure! What's up?" She asked.
"Did you ever lose someone important to you?" I asked.
She paused, looking at me for a second before answering, "...Yeah... I don't really have many memories of us talking but... My parents also died to an Amalgamate, I was nine years old back then. They were killed in front of me... It was a traumatic experience. I still have nightmares about it sometimes. But, I think I've grown past that, I have accepted it, I've moved on."
I didn't understand how she could do that. Move on after your loved ones were killed by Amalgamates? That's impossible, isn't it? I stared at her with a blank expression, my mind racing with thoughts, "So, you're okay now? Are you telling me that you've gotten over their deaths so easily? How? How is that even possible? Do you just forget about them and pretend they never existed or something!?" I replied to her, my emotions getting the better of me, "How can you say that you've moved on when you have the chance to avenge them? Why didn't you seek vengeance against the Amalgamates who took your family away?"
"I..." She hesitated, "I don't know, I... I've always been scared to fight them... But I thought, maybe if I joined the ADF, I could be strong again... The way they wanted me to be."
Don't let your emotions run rampant, Dofro, stay calm, don't lash out. "I see. I'm sorry for asking. It was rude of me to pry like that."
"It's alright. Don't worry about it. Hey, the tea changed colour! It's purple now! I wonder if it tastes better?" She said, taking the cup from the table and sipping on it.
Her eyes lit up, as if she was having an epiphany. "This is actually really good! Wow! You've done it! You've done it Greenhorn!! Oh my god! Thank you so much!" She exclaimed, handing me back the cup, she continued, "Here, take a drink, it's delicious!"
Sure, I'll humour her. I grabbed the cup and brought it to my lips. It's still hot, but not boiling. I cautiously took a sip of the tea, expecting to taste something disgusting but surprisingly, it tasted great. It tasted like... Sugary strawberries... How did I manage to make this? Was it a trick where you had to wait before leaving until the taste managed to settle?
"See, what did I tell ya! You're amazing at this!" As she exclaimed it aloud, Mina—The girl behind the counter, looked at her with an odd stare, before coming over to the table and asking; "What's going on here?"
Ootaea turned to Mina, "He did it!! He made good tea with your Rotten Leaves!! I'm so proud of him! He's amazing at this!" She said excitedly.
Mina took off her mask and smiled, "Really? Well, that's great news, congratulations, I'm very impressed, nobody has ever managed to make something edible from our tea leaves before, they're so rotten and awful tasting, even for us. We have been trying to make tea with these leaves for years now but we could never get it right. So thank you very much sir... What is the secret to it?"
"Well... I just, let it marinate before drinking it. I don't know exactly what I did, but it worked."
Mina's eyes lit up, as if she understood something new. "That is... awfully simplistic. We and our customers tend to throw the tea in the sink after the first sip..." She sighed and smiled again, "I guess we were just impatient, but thanks to you, we now know what we were doing wrong. Please, take these twenty dollars as a token of our appreciation." She said as she handed me a 20 dollar bill, I took the bill and looked at it. "Wow, thanks." I said, smiling.
"You're welcome, we'll be making tea from your method from now on, thanks to you, we can finally serve drinks to our customers." She replied with a big grin.
Ootaea looked at me with excitement, "Thank you!! Let's go, Greenhorn! Let's go get some snacks!" She said, grabbing me by the arm, and dragging me out of the shop.
As soon as we exited the shop, she let go of my arm, and ran ahead of me. "C'mon, c'mon! Let's go get something yummy to eat!!" She shouted, running off in a different direction, I followed her as fast as I could...
And eventually, the day came to an end. Tomorrow will be the day of my first mission. I'm both excited and nervous at the same time.
After a full day of dealing with Ootaea and going around, I was fatigued and just wanted to go to bed, so I walked back to the dormitory with a heavy heart and a sense of dread looming overhead, I can't believe that I'm doing this, I can't believe that I've been drafted into the ADF, and I can't believe that I'm going on my first mission tomorrow... This is insane, I don't want to do this, but I have to, for Alice.
Alice was all that mattered to me. Alice was my life. Alice was the only thing that I cared about. Alice was the only reason why I'm still here. Alice was the only one that made me happy. Alice was dead, and Alice is the reason that I'm here, and Alice is the reason that I'll die. Alice was the only one that I loved, and Alice is the only one that I'll ever love.
But I can't think like that, I need to focus on the mission. If I don't, I'll end up getting killed, and Alice won't have anyone to avenge her. So, I must do this.
For now, I will rest until the morning comes, I will sleep soundly tonight, because tomorrow is the start of my journey to avenge Alice.