"When I realized it, I was already running. Without stopping... far away from that place. The lights illuminated everything around me, but even so, I was already completely engulfed by the darkness."
TROOOOSH!!!
"Ah, yes... I remember. It was raining heavily that night. The thunder tore through the sky, illuminating my body for brief moments. The water ran down my skin, washing everything away. A storm—it was what illuminated that forest. And the further I got from that place... the more I felt that I was finally home."
SPLASH! SPLASH! SPLASH!!!
A pale and skinny young girl ran amidst a storm. Thunder danced in the sky, the lights and flashes swallowed the night, and for milliseconds illuminated that forest.
The girl's feet sank into the ground as her heavy steps were swallowed by the water. Her clothes were soaked with water and mud.
– Huff... huff... huff...
Her breathing was heavy. The tears from her eyes mixed with the rain.
She gasped, running with difficulty. Pain spread, her knees at their limit, her frail and slight body on the verge of collapse.
She stumbled, feeling her last reserves of strength being drained by the effort. Her vision trembled. Her eyes began to see double. Her legs seized up in knots.
"I couldn't stop..."
The rain continued to wash her. Her speed was so low that it now made no difference whether she stopped or not... it was her limit.
"If I stopped..."
TROOOOSH!!!
Another bolt of lightning struck the ground.
SPLASH!!!!!!.
Along with the thunder, another thing had smashed those puddles of mud with the impact of its body.
"If I stopped..."
There she was. The young girl, overcome by exhaustion and fatigue, pushed to the maximum, tumbled into a dirty puddle of water amidst the earth and leaves. Nearly unconscious, totally drained.
"I couldn't think that... I couldn't stop..."
Despair leads to...
The young girl, defeated on the ground. Swallowed by the puddle. Fighting to maintain consciousness. She dragged herself. The only thing left in her heart was despair. Her drained strength was now replenished by this sensation, in a struggle to rise.
For despair leads to determination.
– Argh...
The mud swallowed her, but her breath emerged again.
– I need to...
Her arm emerged from the mud, pulling her out of the puddle. The rain continued to enlarge the puddle she was submerged in.
But she forced herself, using her last strength, and when it ran out, she created more. More and more... dragging herself out. With only one desire: to live... she got to her knees in that puddle.
– I need to get out of here...
Her apathetic gaze had vanished, her torso fully emerged. Kneeling, the drops covered her face. But now the tears were not visible. In her eyes, she knew an immense fury and the purest will to live. A scream came... emotion, she released her voice, after a long time. That "dead" young girl had vanished.
– I HAVE TO GET OUT OF HERE!!!! I WANT TO LIVE!!!!!!
Her scream swallowed the entire forest, just as the rain was taking her. And from that scream, she emerged. And so Mana was born again, from that puddle of mud.
Engulfed for the first time by determination. Even without strength, she got up. Her eyes had changed.
– I won't die...
She said to herself, dragging herself to her feet. The lack of strength wouldn't stop her there. She leaned against a tree slippery from the rain. She squeezed the branches hard. Her gaze was constant like the storm.
DARK DETERMINATION.
The determination that consists of high persistence and will coming from the bottom of the heart. To not die. No matter the cost. No matter the cost...
Sneaking and leaning on the trees, in a slow but persistent way, she continued, without stopping. Taken by this aggressive will that came from the bottom of her heart. The same heart that now whispered promises... she was taken by this Dark Determination.
So she continued... and continued... following her heart, for the first time in years.
Being human. Hours, dragging her frail body through the forest. The dangers didn't matter... the further away... the more at home... without a destination... without direction... but facing her whole life. Nothing would look for her there... for her, and for herself... she needed to survive.
Without direction... without destination... without home...
When you have no destination or objective, any path will do.
She didn't tell herself this truth... only one thing echoed in her mind.
– I need to survive... I need to... live...
Days. Nights. She didn't know. She had no idea or notion of time. Hours, weeks might be too much. Time had passed. Nights without eating or sleeping. Days without eating or sleeping. Only her Pure and Dense Dark Determination. The fragile girl, swallowed by the will to live. Without turning off her brain at any moment, or stopping to rest, she crossed that forest. Living on insects and tree-worms, and the water that fell from the rain. She felt the light burn her dehydrated and dry skin... lights shone in her eyes. She hid them, sensitive to the brightness. She no longer felt the earth or the leaves under her feet, but rather, that she was still in a puddle of mud that this time was forming on the pitted concrete. She heard voices.
– Damn... what a bizarre girl...
– Totally... look at her clothes, she can't be from here.
– Urghh... what a strange girl... gross!
– Ugh... she stinks...
She, for a moment, left the 'airplane mode' she had put herself in. Her brain connected to reality for the first time in days... she was shocked as she blinked her eyes, and finally saw in front of her: lights on poles, neon in shades of purple and red, various stalls, many people, many voices... it wasn't a delusion. The pitted concrete asphalt. The people were different from her usual. Prosthetic arms with unnecessarily bright lights. Carrying weapons as if it were "normal," they stared at her, not with reverence for Princess Reixys, but as one looks at a person in a bizarre situation. They saw her that way. The diverse stalls piled up.
People wearing coarse clothes, full of technological gadgets. The unnecessary prosthetics. The loaded weapons were not for show. The stalls, the poles, houses and stores, all taken by those filthy and flickering neon lights. Totally bizarre and different from anything she had ever seen.
She, with a glazed and hallucinated look, fixed her wide eyes on all of it. And soon a bizarre smile, from ear to ear, opened on her face. The sentence was spoken as that frightening vision formed.
– Hahah... I survived, did you see?...
THUD!!!!
A fall. Everyone looked stunned, staring at the bizarre girl who had just collapsed on the ground. Completely passed out.
SPLASH!!!
She plunged her face into a puddle of mud on the concrete. Totally unconscious.
"I... I was home... for the first time. I was home."
Hours passed. The young girl woke up in a makeshift, shoddy stall, something a purple and blue neon tried to disguise in a shoddy and poor way. Still delirious, and opening her eyes, she heard a rough and firm voice, coming from someone walking around the bed she was on.
– Oh, look at that!!! You woke up, huh? For how long? I don't know... I didn't count, it doesn't matter anyway.
The voice sounded unconcerned. She noticed by the shadow that it was a big man, very big. It didn't take long for her to know and look around: various disassembled devices. Weapons, computers, everything, typical mechanical work. There was grease, dirt, parts everywhere. Yes... a tall and strong mechanic. The same person who had just taken in the princess of House Reixys was nothing more than a simple mechanic.
– So, young lady, you're far from home, right? Okay, it's not the best time to ask your name... but you are in BigFellLight. Hoho, hahaha!!! It's a slum, kid. Well... and not one of the friendliest, huh... and speaking of which, yes... it's the same one that was built on top of a passage of the great BigFell River!
The man continued walking around the stall, apparently tidying up or collecting his work tools. A click went off in Mana's brain. Reality surfaced in her mind... she was very far from where she came from, a slum... home to criminals. She remembered the vision from before. There were not "friendly" people there, and her body's alarm was immediately activated: a pure instinct for survival.
– ARGHH!!!!
She grunted in a sudden jump, feeling her whole body vibrate with infernal pain. The price for the nights, days without stopping, without even really eating or drinking.
– Argh-ARGHHHH!!!!!
The scream came along with the increasing pain, she thrashed. But her agonizing body didn't realize: she was strapped to a stretcher, totally immobilized before waking up.
– ARGHHHH!!!!!
The scream grew along with the pain and despair. Being trapped, that pain, her situation, the consequences... everything was killing her. But then...
Shh... Tim!
The man injected a syringe into her. A purple content was absorbed by her veins. The scream stopped.
– Arrgh... hufff... hufff...
Heavy sighs came from the girl in shock, who now watched the man's face in panic and confusion.
– Damn, you scream loud, huh?... Argh... don't worry, that's just medicine. I've been injecting it whenever I see discomfort. I'm a doctor... and, as you can see, a mechanic. I hope my attempt to keep you from falling off the bed didn't scare you... well... nice to meet you, girl without a name... my name is Naxes!!! Naxes Heaves Xplorer. Haha!!! Nice to meet you!!! You bizarre punk!!!
"Of all things... you were the most important... I will never forget you..."
– Argh... argh... mine... my name is... my name is Mana...
"I love you..."
The hours passed as if they were seconds. That gigantic man named Naxes now came, still dirty with grease, but carrying a gigantic whole roasted pig with just his hands. The tray the pig was on was already bigger than Mana's entire body. The man awkwardly threw the tray with the pig onto the table. He patted the girl, who was sitting at the table, trembling with hunger, twice on the back. And then immediately clasped his hands in thanks.
– LET'S EAT–
– ARGHHHH!!!!!!
Before finishing his sentence, the girl fiercely lunged at the food, brutally destroying the roasted pig, beginning to devour the entire belly of the animal. The giant man was astonished by the strength and ferocity with which the girl attacked the dish. But mainly, by the lack of manners and etiquette she carried.
– H-HEY!!! THAT'S NOT JUST FOR YOU, DAMN IT!!! I EAT A LOT, YOU KNOW??!?!?!!?
He awkwardly pulled the girl's legs, intending to make her leave at least something for him to gnaw on. A useless effort.
– Hahah... okay okay, there goes my dinner... wow... my God...
The battle was lost, and slowly, he watched that fragrant and tasty roasted pig be entirely devoured. And there she was, completely sprawled on the table, in the place where the pig should have been. Completely sprawled and sloppy, exhausted from overeating. That little roasted pig-devouring demon. The frustrated giant approached, with a look of someone who at least wanted to enjoy that beautiful roast.
– Damn, girl, you really ate everything, huh? What a little monster... well... at least it means it's good... of course it's good... I made it, didn't I?
No response, the girl had completely passed out. The man put a sincere smile on his face. And with his wide, large arms, he put the exhausted, sleepy, and full-bellied young girl in bed. A sincere gesture, something not expected from a stranger, especially in the reality she found herself in.
More hours passed. Mana now woke up, hydrated and fed, her body was almost completely recovered after all that. She opened her eyes and, as an impulse, quickly and aggressively, sat up rapidly. Only to see the man reading a book in front of her bed, delicately and carefully.
– Oh? Look at that! The little eating demon woke up, huh? Feeling better?
He asked, without taking his eyes off the book.
Mana stared at the man, who showed no kind of self-defense sense with the stranger in front of him.
– Y-you...
– Huh?... You're wondering why I'm not being cautious with you, aren't you? Why I'm not being careful...
The man closed the giant book with just one hand, while looking at the girl.
– Don't worry... you're just a kid, it's okay. It's the least I can do for some worried guy out there, right? Hahaha!!! After all, I'm a father too.
Mana squeezed the sheet over her legs, while staring at him.
– Huh? You don't have a good relationship with your parents, right?... I understand, I didn't have one with mine either... and I also don't have a good relationship with my son. Well, it's the cycle, right?... You know how it is...
Mana squeezed even harder... Her heart began to race... with time, the situation she was in came to her mind. Her actions... what she had done... consequences... the darkness returned to her mind... Her eyes grew heavy again... That situation was...
– Ah, I get it...
Her reasoning was cut off like a snap, by the man's voice.
– Your parents aren't good people, right? Haha, I understand well... that was my case too. It happens that some people just aren't born to be parents... I should know, my son... well... I couldn't raise him... and that always hammered in my mind. It's been years since I've even heard from him... but I honestly hope he's doing well... look, kid... try not to blame them, you didn't seem to love them, but hating isn't good. Just try to move on with your life, okay? You don't need to touch them. Just living is very good!!!
The girl, upon hearing that, let her fists relax and, immediately afterwards, looked at the man in front of her. He had a sincere and honest smile on his face, something she had never witnessed. She stared at him and said:
– You... who are you to think you understand the slightest bit of what I feel... you... and your type... don't understand anything! –
OW!!!!!
TANG!!!!
The big man had given her a small punch on the head. Clearly, due to the difference in sizes, it caused more damage than expected.
– Argh... damn!!! Who do you think I am??!!?!?
– I'm sorry, little girl... but here you're nothing more than that, hahah! A little girl!!!
The man touched her head gently, ruffling her already highly disheveled hair. She, in a reflex, slapped the man's hands away.
TAP!!!
Awkward, but precise, throwing his hand away. She, awkwardly, threw herself back, purely on her self-defense instinct.
– P-please... d-don't touch me... I don't allow it!!!
The girl closed her eyes and put her hands in front of her face in a gesture of self-defense. The man noticed something: something very sad about that girl. The man thought to himself:
– "Hmm... you've suffered a lot, haven't you, Mana? The way you react is noticeable... I won't touch the girl's wounds... the way she acts, shows she was subjected to horrible physical torture... I know these methods, and those clothes... it's the indoctrination of those damned people... most likely she was forced to bury everything she felt in a living-dead shell, subjected to emotional and physical torture... the way she acts, totally awkward, she has no idea what she's feeling... but I know... this goes beyond fear..."
The man, looking at the girl who was now huddled against the wall, patiently scratched his own head. The little girl who had broken loose a little while ago, devouring the pork, now didn't even seem like the same person.
But he understood, she was reacting only out of pure survival instinct. Such instinct, suppressed to the maximum throughout her life, the shell had been broken, but what was left?
– Look, kid... it's okay now, you're far away, see? –
CRACK!!!!
A violent snap of the door to Naxes' stall being smashed. A violent kick. The door opened brutally, accompanied by a crude shout.
– HEY, NAXES??? HAS OUR DAMN GUEST WOKEN UP YET??? I'M COMING IN!!!
A hoarse, female voice smashed the door, her scream tearing the air. The young Mana, startled, pressed herself even harder against the wall, putting herself in a sprawled position, like a cold-blooded lizard fearing for its life. Her gaze returned to that lifeless form. Dust rose, and Mana and Naxes' eyes met that figure.
A young woman, in her late teens, took crude steps towards Naxes and Mana.
Tap! Tap! Tap!
Her appearance was revealed. Blood-red hair styled upwards. Freckles on her cheeks and a wide burn scar on the left side of her face. She wore a white jacket with vibrant red details. On her back, conspicuously and exuberantly, a name was printed in large letters: "ROCKET". Her left hand was a shoddy prosthetic with several burn marks, but well decorated with various rocket stickers and explosion onomatopoeias. Her right hand was covered in bandages, covering recent burns. Her pants were patched, dirty, and covered in grease.
Apparently, Naxes wasn't the only one who worked with that kind of outdated technology in that place.
She threw her hands behind her head, a relaxed posture. Looked at Mana carelessly. Then, crossing her arms, looked directly at Naxes.
– Damn. She's already like this? Did you already reveal that we're going to eat her? You can't reveal it like that, Naxes... the prey gets scared, and the meat loses quality...
The woman put a bizarre smile on her face, revealing a series of pointed teeth, a bizarre dental arch that resembled a shark. She stared at Mana with wide eyes and started drooling.
Mana trembled, her heart almost jumping out. But she managed to contain her heavy breathing, her glass eyes didn't blink. But she felt a bizarre terror. But faced with her instincts, faced with a possible predator, her "indoctrination" came to the fore.
Naxes analyzed the situation. He let out a long sigh. Tucking his hair back and shaking his head in denial and disappointment, but it was expected. He knew that woman well.
– Okay, okay... very funny, Rocket... heh... I admit it...
TACK!!!!
A furious punch hit the skull of the girl formerly called Rocket with brutal force, intentionally too strong, making her bounce up and down like a spring instantly.
– BUT ARE YOU AN IDIOT, YOU IMBECILE??? DON'T YOU SEE THE GIRL'S CONDITION??? IDIOT!!! IDIOT!!! IDIOT!!! YOU IDIOT!!!!!!!!
Naxes grabbed her by the shoulder, still dazed, and shook her like a ragdoll.
– C-CALM DOWN, DAMN IT!!! I WAS JUST JOKING, I'M SURE SHE UNDERSTOOD, DAMN IT!!!
The one called "Rocket" screamed desperately. But she also expected that reaction from Naxes. She knew how sensitive he was with children. But she couldn't contain her humor.
He abruptly stopped shaking her. He looked her in the eyes and sighed, lowering his head.
– Harrgh... forget it, well, it's impossible to demand a certain sensitivity and empathy from you, right? But that's the thing, that's what the much-maligned Rocket is like, right?...
He took his hands off her shoulder while crossing his arms.
– Much-maligned??? Oh, stop it... I'm not much-maligned, I'm popular, it's different... in fact... hah...
She expected some reaction from Mana, a reaction to her infamous name, "Rocket," undoubtedly attention-grabbing. But the reaction didn't come.
– Huhn?...
She continued to wait.
– Hanh... okay okay... ARE YOU DEAF, DAMN IT???!?!!!
TACK!!!
Once again Naxes' fist met Rocket's skull.
– Rocket... I already told you, manners, please... it's the least we should have for strangers.
She rubbed her skull, noticing a swelling that came with the blow.
– B-but... she didn't even react...
– And she doesn't need to... I already told you to choose a real name, girl... at least we wouldn't go through these shames.
Naxes crossed his arms, looking in the opposite direction from Rocket.
– B-BUT, ROCKET IS PERFECT!!! IT'S WORTHY OF ME!!! AND LOOK AT ME, YOU IDIOT!!!
She now screamed at Naxes, clearly frustrated by the reaction that man had to the name she had chosen for herself.
– COME ON!!! YOU HAVE TO ADMIT, IT'S A NAME WORTHY OF THE GREATEST WEAPONS MANUFACTURER, ENGINEER, MECHANIC, AND DOCTOR IN THIS WHOLE PLACE!!!! YOU'LL SEE, YOU IDIOT!!!
– HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!
Naxes let out a genuine laugh as he placed his hand on Rocket's head, ruffling her already disheveled hair.
– Haha!... yes, you're right, Rocket, it is worthy!!! But you're wrong. You'll only be the best in this place when I die, girl!!! Until then, settle for second place, okay?
Rocket turned totally red from Naxes' gesture and, shrinking inside her own jacket, nodded.
– Okay, okay... You idiot.
– Hahaha!!! My girl, you are truly amazing in your own little way!!!
Naxes turned to Mana with a huge and honest smile on his face. The girl now looked at him differently. Her glass gaze disappeared for an instant, seeing that never-before-seen relationship, like... father and daughter.
– Hahah! Well, Mana, as you can already tell, this is Rocket. Try to ignore the bizarre name, okay? I already told her it's strange... but she always ignores me.
As if Mana was someone dear, he referred to her, something bizarre in the eyes of the young girl, who had never witnessed this.
– Well, Rocket is my student and my work partner since this impulsive ignorant stepped into this place!!! That is, more than half her life, hahah!!! I've been taking care of, raising, and teaching this idiot since she was a little kid... but I couldn't change that bad attitude of hers, what can you do, right? I guess she's just like that... and about the name, the reason is–
– I LOVE ROCKETS!!!!
Another scream from the young Rocket almost tore the hearing of poor Naxes.
– I ADORE THEM!!! I LOVE THEM!!! I LOVE ROCKETS SO MUCH!!!!
An abnormal excitement came from that girl, truly, it was a subject she liked.
– Hahah... that's right... Rocket loves rockets... well... she's good at engineering and weapon production, much more than I was at her age. I don't think it will take long for her to build one that works.
– I WON'T DO THAT!!!
Mana felt something strange coming from those two. A familiar sensation, which she had never experienced before.
– Yes you will, Rocket, hahah, yes you will!!!. Well, by the way, isn't this your work time? I'm sure it's time for you to take care of the workshop, you know what people are like. If something is missing, don't go–
– S-sorry, Naxes... it's about the EdelGear. I was doing maintenance on it, while taking care of some chores... but then I smelled that smell... THE CORE OVERHEATED AGAIN!!! I-I think... it was the stone, the stone is rejecting the core, and the core is rejecting the stone!!!
Naxes assumed a serious posture, as he looked directly at Rocket.
– And you only told me this now? Rocket... do you know the danger that means?
– I-I know... I'm sorry, please, Naxes... I-I just...
Naxes patiently placed his hand on her head.
– It's okay, Rocket... just don't let it happen again, okay? Now let's check what's going on, let's hurry!!! And you, Mana, come with us, please!!!
Mana stared at them as they ran through the door. Paralyzed, a mix of feelings, which she didn't remember experiencing. With slow steps, she went to the door, put one of her hands out, feeling the sun on her skin. The beautiful daylight, which she didn't remember feeling vividly for years... A strangely comfortable sensation flooded her heart. She heard the noise outside. People talked and walked everywhere. The smell of metal and rust, smoke and burnt lights. The daylight replaced that of the LEDs, which were now turned off. That slum, bright in neon at night, was now like a village illuminated by the sun during the day. She, led by that feeling, that pure and free feeling of freedom that flooded her heart, put one of her feet out, and then put the other. No one looked at her, no one stared or whispered.
There she was like anyone else. She took slow steps and stopped... Really, no one was staring or judging her. She was just another normal person amidst everything. Clear as day, free. She followed the trail that Naxes and Rocket had left in their run. She walked, and walked, more and more, her heart was taken, a pure feeling of peace. She breathed the air, which, even if not pure, did not carry the weight of a forced crown. Mana was free, for the first time in her life.
She walked through that slum, in front of men and women totally abnormal to her daily life. She feared no evil, as if she were part of it. The bodily anomalies, prosthetics, or the grotesque look of the disconnected wires, glass, and plates, nothing bothered her sight. She could only feel that perfect sensation of being free. A light heart.
The moment was interrupted.
– DAMN IT!!! IT'S NOT STABILIZING, NAXES!!!
A scream came from a thin man, covered in grease, with black hair down to his neck, wearing a mechanic's apron filthy with grease.
– YOU DON'T NEED TO TELL ME, MARKY!!! IT'S OBVIOUS, DAMN IT!!!
The screams came from an establishment. A smell of something burning now replaced the oxygen. And with that, a pulse.
PLAHM!!!
Everything trembled. Mana stumbled and fell to the ground. She noticed people accumulating in front of that establishment. That was Naxes' workshop.
– DAMN IT!!! COME ON, ARE WE REALLY ALL GOING TO DIE BECAUSE OF NAXES' CRAZINESSES???!!? ARE YOU KIDDING ME!!!
A boy of about 13 years old screamed amidst the crowd that was forming at the workshop. Another pulse came strongly.
PLAHM!!!
Mana felt another bizarre sensation take over her body. As if something reacted in her veins. Her heart, her skin tingled. As if something energetic exhaled from her pores, a purple glow came from her gaze.
Something was calling her from inside that workshop. The pulses were reacting to something inside her.
– IT'S THE STONE, NAXES!!! THE MEDIUM GOD STONE IS REACTING TO SOMETHING!!! THIS IS ARCANE, DAMN IT!!! BUT NO ONE HERE DOMINATES ARCANE!!! AND THESE STONES ONLY REACT TO THE PURPLE FLAME!!!!
Another pulse.
PLAHM!!!
Another tremor. That bizarre sensation continued to consume Mana. That thing that called her. She walked as if pulled towards the workshop.
– DO YOU UNDERSTAND, NAXES??? THE STONE IN YOUR EDELGEAR IS REACTING TO SOME SPARK OF PURPLE FLAME!!! BUT THAT TYPE OF ARCANE ONLY RESIDES IN NOBLES, AND THERE ARE NO NOBLES HERE, DAMN IT! THIS THING IS FAULTY!!!
Screamed Marky, the third largest and best weapons manufacturer and owner of the second largest workshop in that place, while leaning on his student, a 13-year-old boy named Norty, one of the brightest young minds there.
Naxes faced everyone while trying to stabilize his most promising, but also most dangerous, project, the EdelGear. A mega hand cannon, powered by a custom cybernetic core, the type of weapon that only Naxes could manufacture with so few resources. But that specific cannon had a differential: a medium god stone, an Arcane stone of medium density and energetic quality. The stone was coupled and fed the EdelGear's core with sparks of Arcane energy that traveled through the air. Nothing much until that point, but the combination of Naxes' special core with that stone was promising. A project in its initial state, it was still in its first stages, attached to a maintenance and energy cabin, with only two people working on it: Naxes and Rocket.
Who, despite being the brightest minds in that place, were still only two people. And to make matters worse. The EdelGear was reacting to something, Pure Arcane energy: the Purple Flame, radiating from somewhere nearby. He already had his idea.
– "Damn... that girl's clothes... yes... she really is one of them... but why?"
– Huhn... Naxes?
Rocket heard his whisper.
– Why what?... Naxes?...
A violent pulse came.
PLHAMMMM!!!!!!
And along with it an energetic current that threw everyone.
BRRRRRGHHHHHH!!!!
– ARGHHH, DAMN IT!!!
– IT'S GOING TO EXPLODE!!!!
– NAXES, DAMN IT!!!
– NORTY!!! ROCKET!!! HOLD ON!!!!
But then... the wave stabilized... from the utter nothingness, as if a giant wave hit them, and immediately afterwards, the deepest calm.
Tap... tap... tap...
Light footsteps echoed inside the workshop. While everyone was thrown to the ground, someone slowly approached. Rocket, Naxes, Marky, Norty, Zombieden, Annula.
Everyone stared at her fixedly. Especially Naxes and Rocket, completely shocked. Naxes cleared his doubts. He thought:
– "So, really... this girl is really... a noble... but... the energetic meters in the stall and the workshop didn't react or react to her... as if she didn't emit a drop of energy... she really doesn't emit any... but her clothes... and the way the EdelGear reacts to her... there's no doubt... this girl possesses a genetic spark of the Purple Flame! And the EdelGear stone is reacting to that... I just don't know... I don't know what kind of reaction this is!!!"
Rocket noticed Naxes' uneasiness, staring at Mana. She saw energetic sparks leaking from the EdelGear, which quickly calmed down as the girl approached. She stood before the EdelGear and touched the palm of her hand to it. She didn't understand why, but it was calling her... as if her instincts were pulling her towards it. Rocket stared at her shocked, and from her mouth escaped:
– Who the hell is this girl?...
Aftermath and Family Ties.
Everything had calmed down. A few hours had passed since the event, and there, several residents of that place who were close to Naxes lined up to meet his new guest, the same one who had bizarrely prevented a catastrophe. But one person watched her from afar, with an abyssal distrust. A look that was once unconcerned, was now suspicious. Rocket needed to know who the hell that girl was?... Maybe she would put them at risk. Caution.
– HAHAHAHAH!!! IT'S GREAT TO SEE NEW FACES AROUND HERE!!!
Marky spoke highly excitedly, his way of speaking went against his frail appearance compared to the other residents of that place.
– Please... I am not worthy of that level of excitement, Mr. Marky... I am just passing through... soon I will–
– NO, NO, NO!!! PLEASE, MISS MANA!!! I ask you to reconsider and live here, please!!! This place suffers and lacks feminine presences that have the slightest bit of cordiality! Your figure would make a lot of difference here!!!
Marky subtly looked at Rocket, making a discreet gesture, pointing to who he referred to as "lacking cordiality." She noticed and immediately reacted, confirming what Marky had said.
– ARGHH??!!!??!?! WHO THE HELL ARE YOU POINTING AT, MARKY, YOU BASTARD!!!
Rocket's suspicious posture transformed into fury, as she prepared to attack Marky.
– N-NO, IT'S NOT LIKE THAT AT ALL, ROCKET!!! PLEASE, NOT AGAIN!!!
Marky quickly hid behind Mana, in a cowardly gesture of fear.
– HAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!! THE BOSS IS REALLY A GOOFBALL, HAHAHAH!!!! Not
only is Rocket much better at the job than he is, even though she's younger! She still beats him up for any stupid reason! HAHAHAHAHA!!!!!
Norty, Marky's student, laughed uncontrollably at his teacher. Mocking him was something natural for that boy.
– ARGHH!!! NORTY, YOU WRETCHED BOY!!! I ALREADY TOLD YOU TO STAY ON MY SIDE, DAMN IT! DON'T YOU SEE THAT DAMNED ROCKET IS A HINDRANCE TO BUSINESS!!!
Marky remained hidden behind Mana's back, who didn't know how to react to the situation.
– M-Mr. Marky... I'm sorry, but I fear I am not strong or have enough flesh to be a good barrier for you...
Mana continued to speak cordially and politely, even lost in the urban chaos, in that workshop that went against everything she had experienced. A certain innocence prevailed in her heart.
– GET OUT OF HIS WAY, MANA!!! I'M GOING TO BEAT UP THAT WRETCHED MAN!!!!
Rocket advanced, abruptly pulling Mana away from the man, grabbing him by the neck.
– N-NO!!! NOT AGAIN!!!
Marky screamed desperately.
– HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! THERE GOES THE BOSS GETTING ANOTHER BEATING!!!
Norty continued to guffaw at the everyday situation.
But a gigantic hand, as big as Naxes', abruptly pulled Rocket off Marky.
– HEY YOU TWO!!! ROCKET AND MARKY!!! STOP THAT DATING AND DISGUISED LOVE OF YOURS RIGHT NOW!!! THIS IS RIDICULOUS!!! EVERYONE SEES IT: ROCKET FORCING THESE STUPID SITUATIONS JUST TO TOUCH MARKY, WHILE THE IDIOT MARKY DOESN'T UNDERSTAND A DAMN THING AND ACTS LIKE A DEFENSELESS GIRL!!! THIS IS RIDICULOUS!!! SO YOU BETTER BEHAVE UNTIL NAXES FINISHES PREPARING THE FOOD, YOU IDIOTS!!!
A man held Rocket by the jacket. She started to turn red upon hearing the man's words.
– I-I, I DON'T LIKE THAT IDIOT, DAMN IT!!! YOU KNOW, ZOMBIEDEN!!! YOU KNOW, DON'T YOU, ANNULA??? HE ISN'T MY TYPE!!!
A woman with long black hair, referenced as Annula, put a huge smile on her face upon noticing Rocket's desperation.
– Hahah! He is your type, Rocket!!! And everyone knows it.
Rocket became highly desperate, and everything worsened when she noticed Marky, thrown on the floor, completely flushed.
– ARGHHHH!!! I'M NOT GOING TO STAY HERE, DAMN IT!!! I'M OUTTA HERE!!! FORGET ABOUT ME, IDIOTS! I'LL ONLY COME BACK WHEN THE FOOD IS READY. LET'S GO, MANA!!!
She pulled Mana by the arm and dragged her out of there quickly. She continued dragging her through the slum. Mana had clear difficulty keeping up with her, but she didn't stop. Without looking back, the sunlight burned both of their skin. Now, in a more secluded place, Rocket stopped and released Mana's arm. Slowly, she turned to her, staring her in the eyes, and questioned her:
– Hey, girl... what's your deal?
Silence.
– Huhn?...
– That's what you heard... what's your deal?
Mana took three steps back. She understood quickly.
– Look at that... you're not as slow as you look... but you still haven't answered... what's your deal?
Mana stepped back and, in a defensive gesture, clasped her hands.
– I... I'm just... I'm just far from home...
Mana answered looking down. Her apathetic glass eyes resurfaced.
– Huhn?... don't lie, girl... I know what type you are... the place you came from was never your home.
Mana stared at her surprised. She didn't expect those words.
– You... Naxes has already read you well. We've all already read you well, in fact... you came from some horrible hell, didn't you? We all did, you know... here that doesn't make anyone special... it makes everyone equal... all of us... before we got here...
– Y-yes... I understand...
– No... you don't understand. Considering your pitiful face, you must think you're the last cookie in the jar because of the things you went through... but here it's not like that... we all left our private hell, burned alive, to be welcomed by Naxes!!! He saved us here... you can see, right? My hand... I don't even remember how I lost it... I just remember arriving here with my hand amputated when I was a kid... I was 5 at the time... my head made sure to forget the hell I went through out there... and here... Naxes adopted me, he was my father... gave me this prosthetic...
– I understand... please, I don't want to bother, I already said, I'm just passing through...
– Argh... I'm really hating that pitiful face of yours... look, girl, I'll try to summarize for you... here we are a family, no matter what... and I don't want a stranger with those clothes... those noble clothes... who reacts strangely to Arcane stones... damn, you're all bizarre... you're clearly from some Noble House... and I don't want anything of that sort threatening my family!!! Naxes is too busy with the EdelGear project to notice that sheltering a noble who ran away from home is too dangerous... and I'm not constantly burning myself, burning my face, my hands, working, to see a stranger ruin everything I love most!!! So you better get out, girl!!! Find another hole, because this one isn't going to mess with any damn noble...
Rocket immediately turned her back and started walking, leaving Mana alone in the place.
– I... I understand...
Mana whispered, as she watched Rocket, swallowed by the sunlight. But her voice echoed one more time.
– I'll be direct with you one more time... if you really want to be part of this family... ignore everything I said... and go back to Naxes' workshop. We'll probably be working on the EdelGear... and if you want to stay with us... stay, please... I'm difficult to deal with... so, if you don't want to stay, leave, and if you're going to put us at risk, also leave... but if you really want to stay with us... please, go back to the workshop... Naxes will be very angry with me... so try to overlook it... we're... waiting for you.
The night fell. And with it came the rain.
Mana followed Rocket's malicious advice and squeezed herself into a hole in the walls to protect herself from the rain. Once again, that scenario: the shoddy signs, the posts, the stalls, everything shone in neon, in the light of the night, while the rain and mud swallowed the atmosphere. Mana huddled in that damp hole. Rethinking every action she had taken, everything that made her stop in that place, at that moment, her whole life until that moment. The vision of Kameliel came to her mind: his face bleeding that night. Rocket's words returned to her mind.
She had never had a home before. The Reixys were not her home, never were. Kameliel, Hiro, Homi/Rameliel, were never her family.
What was a family? A question, a simple question, with such a complicated answer... she understood, in the end... she felt welcomed in that place, even with so little time. A family... family, was like a home, it was where her home, her heart was. There was the answer she still didn't know, but she wanted to go back to those people. Naxes, Rocket, Marky, Norty, Zombieden, and Annula. These strangers gave her a comfort she had never felt. She wanted that at that moment. Guided by this, in order to find that answer, that heart, she left that hole. Walking through the heavy rain, which soaked her, she felt she was getting closer and closer to home. The neon illuminated the puddles.
Even in that weather, the streets were full of people. She crossed the puddles of mud, the crowds, illuminated by the lights, by the moon, by the rain. She arrived in front of the workshop, which was open. It was possible to see everything inside. Naxes and Rocket, in simple protective suits and welding masks. Mana stared at them from outside.
Paralyzed, she had found an answer there: it was family. Naxes and Rocket spotted her from outside. They stared back at her.
– Hah, didn't she actually come back? Looks like she made the right choice, huh!
Rocket spoke with her voice muffled by the mask.
– Come on in, Mana! There's a suit missing for you to occupy! Haha, get out of the rain, girl! Come on in!
A smile formed on Mana's face. Soaked by the rain, taken by the lights, she took her steps towards the workshop, making her choice for the first time: to enter, by her own will. She chose that family.