Worlds In Limbo

T-01's design didn't consider movement first. So, when the engineers finished T-01's main functions and moved on to the others, they decided that slowly waddling would best suit its build and camouflage.

Currently, as the sun hangs at high noon, T-01 has left the perimeter in between Zephyrium and Pathmark, which William classifies as 'The Known World.'

They made it past the various tall forests that hosted Zephyrium and now entered the lowlands that connected to where Pathmark lies.

Fortunately, T-01 hasn't encountered any Abberants in their voyage. However, Kouki doesn't see it that way.

"T-01 has the best camouflage in The Known World, but that doesn't mean there won't be an outlier won't be able to see us..." Kouki was sitting down, speaking to himself with the glaive set on the ground. "After all, Abberants are creatures of Chaos. There's no telling what they can do." His eyes darted back to the front, his vision swaying up and down.

"Maybe I can find an Abberant here.." His words sparked with a sense of yearning, looking off into the verdant sea. "Each time I find one, it's going to be sealed without fail." He wore a pained expression, sighing heavily before he relaxed his body.

"Uhm.. Mr Kurayami?" It was Rhian. She was peeking her head from the doorway.

"Oh. What do you need, Smyra?" Kouki swung his chair to face Rhian, looking at her with his expressionless face, which startled Rhian a little.

"I just.. wanted to ask. Why'd you join the association?" Kouki's eyes widened, although Rhian couldn't tell. He sighed.

"I have a missing sister. Over sixty years ago. I joined the association to see if I would be given the opportunity to find her, but... sixty years later. I'm here alone." Rhian was shocked under her helmet, not expecting Kouki to be this transparent and dejected.

'What the hell?! She went missing? That thing didn't tell me!' 

"I'm a Chimaera, and we don't live as long as the other races." Rhian was dragged out of her mind, hearing Kouki's melancholy tone as she saw him staring at him. "Should I give up?" 

She didn't know him long enough, and neither do you. But he was vulnerable; completely transparent. Rhian could tell he wasn't willing to give up.

"No. I don't think you should. Seeing that you've been going at this for decades, you don't carry blind hope but assurance." Her voice was firm.

He smiled under his unit before sighing. "Alright." He spun his seat around, continuing to look at the vast field.

Rhian looked at him in silence for a while, pondering. "Why... did you tell me this so easily?" She heard a sigh.

"Dyeus said you are a clean slate with no knowledge of The Known World. So, I don't think I've done anything wrong by telling you about me. Plus, you seem like a nice girl," he said confidently, with a quiet tone.

"I see..." Rhian opened the door, walking toward one of the seats before placing a hand on it.

"Can I sit here?" 

"Of course? Why wouldn't you be able to?" He teased before leaning his body forward, squinting at the horizon.

"Do- uhm.. Do you know how she went missing?" Rhian asked timidly, slowly sitting down.

Kouki was silent, stressing Rhian as she wondered if she spoiled the mood. "I call them 'Infernals'. A humanoid creature with lava flowing in its rock-like skin, thick horns that grew from its forehead, and a malnourished, skeleton-like body," he said grimly, describing the thing that abducted his sister.

"I've seen two, and they always appeared from 'ponds.' " Kouki had his hand extended, with his palms opened, trying to let Rhian more vividly paint the picture.

"But so far... Up until now." His hand dropped onto his leg as Kouki sighed heavily. "Every other 'pond' I've found had was sealed, and we couldn't break through." He sighed again, frustrated as Rhian remained in silence.

'That's.. horrifying and sad. And to think he's been searching for decades... I would have given up after one.'

She was concerned about her new colleague, hoping she would be able to find a way to help him, but she found Kouki's determination... hard to discourage.

The silence was prominent. Kouki was still staring into the horizon, squinting his eyes onto something behind the hill, something akin to smoke.

"Something has happened in front of us. Be prepared and careful Smyra." Kouki stood up with haste, leaning over the panel as he pushed forward a switch.

"W-Wait, what?" Rhian also stood up, Kouki's evident distress spreading onto her.

"You see that smoke?" Kouki picked up his glaive, equipping it onto his back before pointing at something black flowing in the distance.

Rhian squinted her eyes as she confirmed Kouki's suspicions, widening her eyes as an uncomfortable chill ran through her body.

This wasn't a simulation.

"T-01 is too slow. I have to run over there quickly to see if anything has happened. If anything happens up here, I trust you can deal with it." Kouki got close to Rhian, looking at her with conviction in his eyes. Though, Rhian's eyes reflected doubt.

"LISTEN!" Kouki shouted with authority, firmly grasping her shoulders, and startling her out of her mind. "WHO OWNS YOUR BODY?!" He exclaimed loudly, bewildering Rhian. 

"A-Ah- I-I DO!" She stuttered an answer.

"THEN DON'T FEAR!" He yelled. 

"Death! Pain! All are measurements for your body to tell you when to flee. But can you?! Fighting those- putrid aberrations? They won't allow you! So fight! Ignore the pain! Your possible death! Cull that USELESS DOUBT! AND MAKE YOUR BODY SUBMIT TO YOU! HAVE IT FIGHT FOR YOU! NOT YOU FOR IT!" 

Kouki's face was carved with several Runes. One that covered where his eyes were, showing up as a blue reticle; one that carved black horizontal lines over his face and nose; and one that extended from where his ears were, making yellow elf-like ears.

"For if you don't, you'll die fearing for something you could have prevented." Kouki let go of her as red Runes carved into his skin, flowing to every part of his body.

"I-I understand."

"Good." He nodded before smiling. 

Rhian was still nervous, clenching her fist tightly before sighing heavily.

"I'll be going now, Rhian." Kouki left the room, entering the living room of the Terrestrial while Rhian followed closely behind.

"Remember. Use everything you have to survive." Kouki opened the door as he spoke.

Looking down, it was a long way with nowhere to fall safely. 'No way.' She thought, hoping Kouki wouldn't just take a leap of faith.

But he did. He took a few steps back, while Rhian stood to the side, urging him not to do something so reckless. "Worry about yourself, Smyra." He dived straight out the entrance, while Rhian watched him plummeting toward the ground, utterly shocked.

Though, this wasn't the first time he did something like this. Tapping something on his heel as a giant purple disc appeared on his back, allowing him to spin his body around as he slowed down, landing on the ground safely.

"Is she..?" Kouki looked up, seeing Smyra crouching with a flabbergasted expression before smirking. "DON'T DIE ON ME SMYRA!"

'What the- why is he so fast?' She witnessed Kouki zoom off under the Terrestrial, while she saw a green halo appear above his head.

"A-Alright! Get yourself together!" She slapped herself on the face before looking out the entrance again, confirming the fact that no Abberants were near right now.

Unfortunately, the crash she just experienced contradicts her thoughts.

"W-What the?!" Rhian and the furniture were easily flung toward where the cockpit was, knocking down every decoration while Rhian slowly stood back out to see nothing from the entrance, effectively confusing her.

"I should close it-" She swiftly dashed toward the other side, firmly gripping the handle of the door before slamming it shut. 

"Th-That should hold me a while... But what was that crash?" There were no windows on the Terrestrial, except, of course, the one in the cockpit.

"A-Alright.." Her heart weighed on her body as she felt an unusual chill, stepping closer to the cockpit.

Unsheathing one of her daggers, she quickly opened the door with the dagger held firmly in front of her, announcing to the eye peeking into the Terrestrial she was a threat.