I numbed my ankle, took RevitaCel, a tissue rejuvenator, and stopped worrying about the pain. In truth, pain was the least of it. Enduring a few more hours would be no sacrifice. Perhaps the sprain would worsen, but I was willing to take that risk to discover, once and for all, who had put out the contract.
Who would offer thirteen million bireais for my life? They wanted me alive. Why? Since it had all begun, so much had happened that I hadn't even reflected on it. But now, curiosity struck me hard. Who was the mind behind the contract? Why? I repeated the question. Why after I left Zenith?
I nibbled my nails, uneasy about both my contract and what the Aether Network would do. I had never imagined those questions would trouble me so much. Before, I read the news, questioned little, and followed what they said. Living in Zenith, I had much to be grateful for. I realized how easy it was to live without questioning much. After all, the systems favored me. Yes, I had been comfortable.
Then Maia entered my life.
Little by little, she drew me out of that comfort zone. First, through small realizations that life revolved far beyond Zenith. Then a gentle wave, carrying the genes of a tsunami, struck me. A wave that carried me to where I was. I was far from drowning in that tsunami. But it was coming. And it would come with everything it had.
"Everything alright? You can take more time to relax." Kiara stroked my back. "We can go another moon."
I wanted to make use of my Maiden's hunger for structure. "I want to get this over with."
The android nodded in understanding and holstered her nanoweapons. How was it possible to fit so many weapons into a single entity? There were retractable nanoblades in her wrists and boots. I counted four nanoweapons, coupled with supernatural strength. She really was prepared. Used to this. I, however, still had misgivings. The thought of shooting someone infected me with anguish.
"Ready?" Kiara slipped the MetaCore into her pocket.
I nodded.
We left.
Outside, autumn rain fell. We stepped onto veiled ground, almost white, mingled with black earth. A hissing, icy zephyr brushed the exposed parts of my body and danced across my skin, bringing the subtle announcement of something terrible. Like someone who, with a tender touch, speaks words capable of making the soul bleed. A second of peace before premeditated ruin. I closed my eyes. The cold flooded me with its deceptive caress. That was what remained. The rest… inevitable. An uncertain, ungovernable future.
The card's meaning resonated.
We reached Tentro. The night cradled those present, carefree and unaffected. They seemed so apathetic about what had happened in Zenith. I paused beneath the hololights bathing us in nightlife. Zenithians had always been indifferent to what happened below them. Perhaps the Netherians now enjoyed an imperceptible revenge, showing the same disinterest.
As we approached the Oneiric Oasis, I raised an eyebrow, curious. Why here?
The melody wound through the corners, spilling beyond the walls, a living call to the night's flow. Violet, pink, and blue lights kindled in dancing reflections through the dimness, a symphony of fleeting glimmers. Smoke billowed from within, rising in spirals to meet the sky, like a whisper dissolving in the heights. At the entrance, the queue stretched like an endless river. But Kiara broke through barriers. She crossed the doorway and set the night's rhythm.
I followed close behind.
When I entered, I saw something unusual: a female android was injecting something into Saymon's veins. He sat on a sofa, head tilted back and coat sleeve raised, exposing his tattooed forearm. A man whispered in his ear and caressed his chest, while the others remained seated some distance away, visibly uncomfortable.
The android withdrew the syringe and draped a leg over his, resting her head on his shoulder.
Interesting.
Saymon brought his head forward. Our eyes met. His untamable gaze pierced me like lightning.
I shuddered.
His face drew into an irresistible smile of exultation. Saymon rose quickly, leaving the two of them staring after him with questioning expressions, and came toward us. His restless aura enveloped me.
I held my breath.
"You came early… what a pleasant surprise," he whispered in my ear.
I shivered.
He looked at Kiara. "Kikky… ♪"
She crossed her arms. "Let's get on with this shit."
Saymon chuckled huskily, beckoning with his fingers. "Know how to play? Tsk. Come."
Kiara and I exchanged a glance before following him through the corridors to Gill's room.
When Saymon crossed the doorway, three women and a man, all half-naked, surrounded the cyborg.
Gill raised his head, and the four straightened. "Yes?"
"Could I borrow your room for a moment?" Saymon's eyes smiled amiably.
Argh. Maia was so much like him.
Gill seemed to consider his answer seriously. Then he stood and summoned the others. "Make yourself comfortable." He closed the door behind us.
I leaned against the wall while Saymon ambled across the room and rested against the desk. An intangible atmosphere surrounded him. He was fully aware of his own inevitability. "Where is it?"
Kiara turned the MetaCore in her hand and put it away again. "The name first."
Saymon watched the gesture like a fox. He laughed softly, slyly, clicked his tongue, and drew air through clenched teeth. Then he walked toward me.
I resisted the urge to retreat.
He leaned over me. "That mask doesn't suit you, Akkie." Before I could react, his hands undid the fastener. The mask came loose and fell to the floor. "Easy. I won't do anything. Just talk." Saymon gestured toward Kiara, whose fists were clenched, a seething aura surrounding her. "You're fascinating," he said in a seductive voice. "Perhaps you're more than that pretty face that won Maia over." He touched my neck and caressed my jaw.
I tried to move away, but the concrete prevented me from escaping his touch.
Kiara punched the wall in fury. The impact tore through the concrete, opening a gaping hole in the nanometal and nanocircuits. Fragments broke loose and cascaded down, clattering sharply against the floor.
Saymon didn't even blink.
"Stop that shit. You're high!"
"Maia chose her own death… I chose mine."
My eyes widened. My lips trembled, and my heart tightened. Suddenly, the air grew heavy, and the space between us disappeared. His words lodged in my mind like a thorn. What did he mean by that? What was he implying? "What…? N-no… she didn't… wh-what are you talking about?"
His eyes widened in delight. Gold shimmered in his irises. "What did you think she wouldn't do?" He smiled, amused. I had never thought smiles could hurt. That one was about to.
A knot formed in my throat, and every word hurt coming out. "Sh-she wouldn't… do that."
His cynical grin widened, driving nails into my heart. "You didn't know her well enough to know what she was capable of."
"Sh-she wouldn't do that… I-I know she wouldn't kill hers…" My muscles tensed, and desperate tears gathered in my eyes. I know she wouldn't.
Saymon stroked my face, exuding a warm aura. "You really think you knew her? You were just a distraction to her."
I froze. Blood seeped from where the nail had pierced. Had he said distraction?
Ah, anger… that feeling so misunderstood, capable of generating darkness in place of chaos and a succession of misunderstandings.
Heat rose along my neck. My heart pounded like a musical drum, my fingers trembled, and the metallic taste of fury gathered on my tongue.
Anger propelled me. It wove a spark that became a flame, then a blaze. Fire spread through my bloodstream, pumped flame into my heart, left tongues of fire in every atom, traveled through my entire body, and gathered in my hand. I drove the fire home. Consumed by rage, I branded Saymon's face like a red-hot iron. His face burned with my fury.
He staggered backward. And burst into mocking laughter. He brought a hand to his reddened cheek. His golden eyes shone, but… not with fury. Something new danced there. A spark of recognition, of delight, as though I had just proved something to him.
I gasped. My chest rose and fell with my body's torrid heat. I clenched my fists, trying to contain my wrath.
Saymon kept laughing mordantly, consumed by an amusement that belonged to him alone. His laughter gradually faded into a familiar, genuine smile that reined me in. "Y'know, she did the same thing. A little harder…" He laughed again, savoring the feeling behind his own laughter. Saymon leaned against the desk and lowered his head, thoughtful. Then he raised it. His gaze restrained. His aura softened. His features eased, almost sad, frozen in a strangely captivating melancholy.
Then he spoke.
And momentarily made all those nails in my heart disappear, leaving a tender warmth in their place. In that instant, while the icy autumn cut my skin, the cold did not exist. Because I burned, and the fire cradled me.