After the lovely shopping spree with Yurei, Hiro decided to visit the base's archives.
Although the Captain did research about me and my background, I have to find some clues about my mother's disappearance.
Especially after all the begging I had to do just to get in here.
Hiro's mind flashed to him pleading with Bailey, who had stared at him with those unreadable rainbow eyes for a full minute before finally typing in her clearance code.
"You have one hour," she'd said. "And you never got this code from me."
If only Yurei were here, then I wouldn't have had to beg so pathetically. He shook his head. But on that note, where did Yurei have to go with Marian so urgently?
His mind once again flashed to the garden—Marian's trembling hands, the pinky that had brushed against his, the way she'd looked away when he met her eyes.
I hope nothing bad happens.
He pushed the thought aside and turned to the computer.
---
It's so funny that slaves don't get clearance codes, he thought bitterly as he typed in Bailey's credentials.
Makes me remember the place of slaves in the army.
The screen flickered to life.
Hiro's fingers hovered over the keyboard. Then, slowly, he typed his mother's name.
Celica Yukishima
The letters glowed on the screen. Seeing her name written in official military script brought a wave of nostalgia crashing over him—the park, her laughter, the way she'd scold him gently when he was too mischievous. The way she'd kissed his forehead before leaving for her last mission.
Enough of that. He clenched his jaw. I can have all those moments again if I find her.
He pressed enter.
---
Search Results — 1 entry found
Celica Yukishima
· Unit: 2nd First Class Unit
· Station: 5th Main Base
· Region: Third (Research & Development)
· Occupation: Gate Explorer / Researcher
· Current Status: MIA (Missing in Action)
Last Mission: Exploration of the 5th Origin Gate
Hiro's breath caught.
Origin Gate? What are those?
He typed the query into the archive's search bar.
---
Origin Gates — Information Brief
The Origin Gates are the first gates to ever appear during the Great Collapse. Unlike standard Gates, they do not close. They continuously release Corrupted Aether into the Wastelands, endlessly generating new Corrupted.
These Gates are believed to lead to the deepest parts of the Abyss, where rare materials can be found and possibly #$@#$##$ -class Abyssals.
All attempts to close these Gates have ended in failure. The primary obstacle is their unique restriction: they only allow entry at specific temporal windows and restrict anyone above a certain Aether level from entering.
Hiro's heart pounded.
If I want to find out what happened to my mom, I have to enter the fifth Origin Gate.
He scrolled further.
Next scheduled entry window: 6 months.
Six months.
He had time. Time to train. Time to grow strong enough.
---
Hiro left the archives and walked to the training grounds.
Bailey stood in the center of the courtyard, her paintbrush sword sweeping through the air in graceful arcs. Colors bloomed from the blade blue, crimson, silver with each stroke creating fleeting shapes that dissolved into mist.
She didn't turn when he approached. But she spoke.
"Seems like you're done using the archives."
Hiro stopped a few meters behind her. "Yeah. I'm done."
"Find what you were looking for?"
"Some of it." He hesitated. "I wanted to ask whether I could enter an Origin—"
"That's not possible." Bailey cut him off, her voice flat. She still hadn't turned around.
"But why?" Hiro's frustration leaked into his voice. "There could be clues about my mother's disappearance in there."
Bailey finally turned. Her rainbow eyes were calm, but there was something softer in them than usual.
"First, not every jack and Jill has the authorization to enter those Gates. They are the reason for the Great Collapse, the reason most flora and fauna have either died or mutated beyond recognition."
She paused, letting the weight of her words settle.
"Second, the Corrupted Aether inside those Gates is ninety-eight percent more potent than the Wastelands. You wouldn't last a second before becoming feral."
Hiro's fists clenched.
"Lastly, the Abyssals inside are rumored to be Peak Class Five. It would take an entire squad of at least princess-level strength to survive, let alone succeed."
Man. Hiro's shoulders sagged. She's kinda right.
But seeing his distressed face, Bailey's expression softened—just slightly.
"That doesn't mean you should give up," she said quietly. "It means you need to be patient. Train. Grow stronger. The Origin Gates aren't going anywhere. They've been there for two hundred years. They'll be there in six months."
Hiro looked up at her. "You think I can do it?"
Bailey studied him for a long moment. Then she turned back to her painting.
"I think you're more stubborn than anyone I've ever met." A small smile tugged at her lips. "That counts for something."