Beyond Chrome Heights

ーWhat are you doing, how can you even think of activating the signal you emit when drinking the Chrome-Tonic from your own house!ーSylene claimed with really noticeable anger, seeing Veill acting so impulsively. ーVeill, we need to get out of here right now, that way there's a chance they'll think that you were just passing through.... And that this isn't your home!ー

Sylene held Veill's hand very tightly, so tightly that Veill felt like he might break it at any moment. However, he was aware of the mistake he had made, so complaining didn't make much sense. Sylene took a big leap as she held Veill's arm, and they fell into the street, although they managed to make good progress.

Sylene's agility and strength were too great; in an instant, she began to scale one of the Chrome Heights buildings with great speed, holding on to even the most irregularities it had.

Veill was amazed, but he also had a sense of insecurity.

"Isn't it enough just to have gotten us this far away from my house? This woman... She's too strong and doesn't measure her strength, at any moment she's going to break my hand. What didn't I become super strong too?" Veill's head began to fill with questions to himself, as he sped ahead with Sylene's jumps, whom he could notice with an overly worried expression on her face.

Veill tried to watch more closely and see the direction to which Sylene occasionally turned. At this point, the two of them had been running away for approximately five minutes, but what he could observe once again aroused a chilling feeling in him.

ーOn the streets... There are not two or three.... There are at least seven subjects following us at high speed on the street.... AND THEY ALL LOOK THE SAME! Sylene...ー

Veill watched her new companion expectantly, as if waiting for her to come up with a solution to that. But the expression on Sylene's face was the only answer she had to know that the situation was hopeless.

ーVeill, I hope you understand that I'm not angry because you gave away your position.... I'm actually afraid for you. Shortly after we left your house, these guys showed up and started following us. This means that they already knew where you live, they were probably waiting for you to take the Chrome-Tonic to confirm that you are a target to kill.... I could fight one or two, and maybe beat them, but such a large amount of enemies like them? WE HAVE TO GET OUT OF HERE!ーSylene was desperate.

On previous occasions, she had faced these thugs and had beaten them or even escaped thanks to the fact that she can turn into a shadow. However, she cannot return to others a shadow, so escaping would mean abandoning Veill.

"I can feel Sylene losing energy more and more with each jump. She is using too much force; her breathing is starting to become ragged and sweat is beginning to stain a face that, until now, had remained almost unblemished. I know that our lives are in danger, and if you haven't become a shadow, surely it's because you can't take me with you in that form? I have to do something. "ーThought Veill, in great desperation.

Armed only with courage and the feeling that he has newfound strength, Veill used his other hand to let go of Sylene.

During his fall, he was taking advantage of whatever was in the way to gradually slow down so that the fall would not be so steep.

"What is that stupid guy doing, how can he think of jumping straight at the people we've been running away from for so long!"ーThought Sylene, who was now the one who was feeling extremely desperate.

However, thanks to no longer having to carry Veill, Sylene was able to turn back into a shadow and move straight towards where Veill planned to fight.

Meanwhile, Veill was shouting straight towards the group of pursuers, who stopped in surprise at the act of facing and not escaping. ーIf they don't get close, they won't be able to kill me.... Or rather, if they don't approach, I won't be able to kill them!ーVeill launched himself with a punch and all his strength straight at the face of one of his enemies. Upon impact, he could clearly hear something begin to break. ーHow about that!! If you don't want me to break the rest's jaw as well, you better stay away!ー.

Sylene had just arrived, watching in shock and horror at the scene in front of her.

ーVeill, you need to get out of there.... Now!ー.

Sylene's shout managed to bring Veill back to reality, who was beginning to have a strange feeling. Watching carefully, her body froze and began to tremble.... The sound of something breaking was not from his enemy's jaw, but from his hand practically exploding as it hit him. Being so elated in the moment, Veill didn't feel the pain in his hand, just as he hadn't felt his broken arm. Now, with attention on the moment, Veill began to lose consciousness.

The last thing he could see when he closed his eyes was Sylene running straight towards her enemies.

When he woke up, Veill was on some kind of couch in a place unknown to him. The place they were in looked like outer space itself, but he could breathe in it. It was indistinguishable where there was a beginning and where there was an end. However, there was a force that pulled objects downward, like gravity, although in this case there didn't seem to be a floor either, but held in nothingness. Also, his hand was no longer destroyed.

Veill began to hyperventilate. ーWhat... Am I dead?! The last thing I can remember is Sylene heading off to fight those guys, but.... If I'm dead, it must mean she's.... She must be...ーWithout the courage to finish that sentence, Veill was afraid just thinking about that possibility. Did their story really end a few moments after it started?

ーNo, you're not dead.... Yet.ー

Before Veill finished his own sentence, he was interrupted by the same female voice that had been following him since Chrome Night. It was Sylene! Sylene was in the same place as Veill, whose eyes could be seen shining upon discovering that Sylene was alive, but also because he was alive.

ーWhat happened? Other than what I remember... What is this? Tell me, Sylene... How did we get here?ー

ーBefore anything else, it's good for you to know that turning me into a shadow isn't the only power I have. I have the ability to access someone's mind, organic or inorganic, and make a small change in their mind. It's not much, but it serves me well so that someone can forget what they are doing, to give you an example. However, once I enter someone's mind, I lose quite a bit of energy and can't affect the same target a second time. That's why I was worried, having seven targets at once, I probably wouldn't make it. Fortunately, they let their guard down too much the second your hand exploded, so I was able to take advantage of that small window to make them think we were effectively assassinated.ー

ーWhy did the rest of the people on the street do nothing but watch me in fear, as if I was some kind of monster, but the men who were running faster than a motorcycle, they didn't even turn to look at them?ー

ーBesides the fact that you fell off a building, Veill, normal people are not able to perceive certain things in reality. This has to do with the fact that, being related to a divinity, your position in the cosmic hierarchy changes, making you capable of perceiving things that are beyond full evidence. That is why you are also able to enter this place. In Chrome Heights there are some doors to other dimensions that normal humans would not be able to access. I really don't know why they exist or what they exist for, but these doors were manually created by someone or something, even though they are no longer put to any use.ーSylene continued with her explanation. ーOur pursuers use tools that are beyond human reach, so normal people can't see those who attacked us today.ー

ーYou can turn into a shadow, you can hack minds, and you're also super strong. Me... I have enough strength and can regenerate very fast, but don't I have more abilities?ー

ーVeill, you can't regenerate very fast. The reason why you recovered much of your body the first time I found you and your arm a few moments ago is because I injected you with a healing substance. I don't know where it came from or who made it, but I was lucky to come across a very strange man who was selling it for a very high price. However, I don't have much stock of it anymore, so probably, if we split it evenly, we both only have a couple of cures at most.ー

Veill changed his countenance and made direct eye contact towards Sylene. With a much more serious tone than he had been using earlier, he headed towards her.

ーYou told me a while ago that whoever is chasing us already knew my house and was only waiting to confirm that I was a target for them. Sylene... If they know who I am... THEY'RE GOING TO LOOK FOR A WAY TO GET TO ME! If they can't physically get me, they're going to look for other means to do it. It's only a matter of time before they figure out that we're not really dead. And even if they don't find out, what's to assure me that they won't try to murder my parents for being related to me? I HAVE TO DO SOMETHING!ー

ーI understand, Veill. But first we have to make sure we don't die in this place. Right now, and I think you noticed, you're very weak. If the two of us were to fight to the death, I could kill you ten times over before you could notice it.ー

Although Veill was angry at how he had just been belittled, he could only clench his fist in frustration because he knew it was true. Before he said another word, Sylene spoke again.

ーHowever... Although there is a limit to that, a deity can become stronger only with the passage of time. So I suggest we wait before fighting directly again. If you were only being chased by two men in the beginning, and now we were chased by seven, the next time we are found, it's very likely that we will be killed.ー

ーSYLENE!!! I CAN'T STAND TO WAIT TO GET STRONGER AND DO NOTHING WHILE MY PARENTS ARE IN DANGER!!! What don't you understand?!!! If you don't understand because you were left without someone to love you because of Kaoz, it's not my problem, but I can try to save my parents before they get hurt.ー

Before Veill could even react, Sylene shortened the distance between them and grabbed him by the neck tightly, lifting him off the ground. In her gaze, an almost uncontrollable rage could be seen burning. However, her words were expressed with a completely different intention.

ーYou have to understand, Veill, that waiting to act directly does not mean doing nothing. It's obvious that if you were to fight now, you would be killed quickly. But as you get stronger and we both find a way to grow, we can do much more. We can find a way to get information about Kaoz and what he plans to do, so we'll know what he may or may not do if he seeks to attack your parents.ー

After these words, Sylene let go of Veill and apologized for the scare to death she had given him.

"Fuck... I think I accidentally touched the only heartstrings this woman has. "ーThought Veill to himself.

ーI'm so sorry... I shouldn't have spoken without measuring my words first, Sylene. Please forgive me. I didn't mean to mention something that would have such an impact on you.ー With great embarrassment in his voice, Veill spoke.

Hearing this, Sylene only smiled at him and took a seat on the armchair that Veill was lying on before, inviting him to do the same.

After being silent for a minute, Sylene broke the silence.

ーIt's good for us to rest for a while before doing something again. In this dimension, time is different from the normal world, so sleeping for a few hours here won't be more than an hour in our original dimension. Although you have to keep in mind that these dimensions cannot contain life for long, so if we stay here too long... I'm not quite sure what will happen to us in it, but I do know that the two places will no longer have a way to connect. We only have twenty-four hours in this place before that happens. Right now we've been here for three hours, so I recommend you recover energy and get as much sleep as you can, because you'll never know when the next time you'll be able to do that is.ー

"Does Sylene do this very often? Are you telling me this because she tends to get little sleep? It's weird that she looks so good if she doesn't sleep much. I get the sleep I need and I still don't look anything like how she looks. I guess it's okay if I sleep, even though I've been sleeping for the past seven days, Sylene is right and it never hurts to do it again." ーVeill thought to himself.

4 HOURS HAVE PASSED.

"Sylene is sound asleep and I can't fall asleep? Come to think of it, I had seen Sylene at my house before, but I still don't know how she found out where I live.... And besides... I saw her in my house, but I never had the chance to see her so clearly; she is really beautiful, probably more than any woman I have ever seen before.... Is this what people know as "divine beauty"? Does being a god imply being more than any human in any aspect? I hope I can meet more gods, though first I must get out of here alive and see to it that my parents are not in danger, though I don't really know how I will do that last. "ー Veill thought to himself.... "Anyway... I think the best option right now is to just concentrate on sleeping and that's it.... But... Sylene, I know that what I said earlier might have made you cry.... I promise you that we're going to finish Kaoz and I'm going to make sure you can go back to living peacefully and sleeping forever like you are today."

16 HOURS HAVE PASSED.

ーVeill, wake up right now! We lost track of time and now I only know that 23 hours have passed! Any moment now it will be 24 hours and I don't know if we'll get out in time.... oh.ーSylene exclaimed, very urgently.

To Sylene's surprise, Veill was already awake and had everything ready to leave as soon as possible.

ーSylene, today we are going to discover everything hidden in Chrome Heights and go beyond this city to find my parents! Let's leave this place right now, let's do it together!ー

Sylene's face lit up. Veill was once again radiating a vitality, energy and determination only worthy of a deity. They both grabbed their things and quickly escaped from that pocket dimension. However, Sylene remembered something very important about the situation they were in, completely changing their plans.