Chapter 26: Once a Normal Day in School

Prior to this...I'm just a child that was lost. An Arctic landscape is all I see myself in. I don't understand. Why could I be saved by someone who I did not deserve at all. I'm just your ordinary student, your normal girl is all I am.

I do not mean to be modest or anything but...That's what I am. Even after going through so much, even after making through all of those challenges. Even after it needed me to brace myself for the storm for me to survive. Even after everyone, Analysia, Aoki and Helveticus, all on my side. I still don't understand.

I'm grateful to be recognized as worthy of their friendship. I understand that, I do. But why? Is it because of a legendary gadget? My friendly demeanor? My past? Or is it all of these factors combined? Or perhaps, is it simply because of who I am?

In a dreamlike state, I traversed the frozen wasteland, paying little heed to the surroundings. A tree, a wolf, a multitude of bookcases—all passed by without a second glance.

Walking once again, I see my parents walking passed beside me. They chuckled at each other as it looks like they have a fun conversation with each other.

As I walked further, I encountered a duo, one of whom was Helveticus, the other...someone I felt I should recognize. Both had striking white hair, causing me to squint in an attempt to place the familiar face.

Moving past through them, my mind's eye soared over the Arctic landscape, ascending into the sky where I beheld a multitude of unfamiliar faces.

A blue-haired girl gracefully played the piano, her fingers dancing across the keys as she performed the "Moonlight Sonata."

Beside her, a blonde-haired girl with waves cascading down her back stood, her gaze fixed on her watch with an air of detachment.

Observing the scene from above was a girl clad in a detective's vest, a warm smile gracing her features as she watched the performance.

These three were accompanied by numerous other individuals, likely fellow students who shared in their company.

"Is this..." My mind trailed off, my attention fully captured by the enigmatic scene unfolding before me.

One by one, they vanished like motes of dust before my eyes, leaving only Aoki to stride purposefully towards me. With each step, the barren landscape transformed, sprouting verdant grass amidst the snow, illuminated by the faint glow emanating from him like a dark star.

Extending his hand towards me, a subtle smile played upon his lips, concealed by the shadow of his hood.

"Follow me, Kiyoko-san,"

With a mixture of uncertainty and curiosity, I tentatively reached out, placing my hand in his.

The scene abruptly shattered, the glass around me crumbling into pieces as I jolted awake, coughing and sputtering from the water.

"W-Where am I?!" My voice echoed in the confined space, reverberating off the tiled walls as I frantically scanned my surroundings.

Examining my fingers, I noticed they were already wrinkled from prolonged exposure to the water. It seemed I had been here for more than 15 minutes.

Pressing my back against the side of the bathtub, I took a moment to collect myself and process the situation.

"I'm in the bathtub...Hmm, huh?"

"In a bathtub? Wait, how am I still alive?!" I exclaimed, my voice sounding unnaturally loud to my own ears. Frenziedly, I checked my hands, my shoulders, my chest, my head, relieved to find everything intact.

"Looks like it's still there." I breathed, a wave of relief washing over me. However, the realization that I was completely unclothed dawned upon me, adding another layer of confusion to the already bizarre situation.

Breathing even faster from the prospect of someone sees my body like this and now more flustered, I look around the room, darting my eyes like a madwoman to find my clothes hanging from the hanger on the side of the bathtub.

Sighing in relieve once again, I then remember about Analysia before I contacted her in my mind.

"Analysia..." A thought popped through right as I called her before I recorrecting myself with a smirk. "Screw it, Anna-san, explain what happen."

"Did you get aneurysm after I healed you or something?" A familiar emerges inside my head, her irritation evident in her tone at the new nickname.

"Well, probably." I replied equally snarky. Glancing over at Helveticus, who was in a similar... 'predicament', I added,

"Explain, Anna-san. Or this will go to turn into one of those Hentai plots real soon.""

Sighing in response to my rather flippant...'respond', Analysia took a moment to consider before posing a simple question.

"Hmm... Do you want the long version or the short version?"

Without hesitation, I opted for the short version.

"The short version is that you were revived and healed by both me and Aoki-san while you were submerged in this water-filled bathtub,"

Upon hearing this, I quickly stood up, feeling a mix of embarrassment and frustration. I accessed my hologram and swiftly purchased a plain towel, using it to cover myself before grabbing my clothes. With my emotions in a whirlwind, I stomped towards the door of the bathroom.

"Master, do you really think confronting him like this is beneficial for you?" Her unexpected question caught me off guard as I grasped the door knob. Taking a moment to consider her words, I weighed the potential outcomes.

Before I could respond, she interjected once more. "Also, he's the one who told me to save you in the first place. Are you sure you don't want to act... a little more restrained with your emotions?"

Her suggestion sounded reasonable. With a resigned sigh, I stood at the front door, my body still covered by the plain towel, feeling defeated.

"Fine..."

Taking cautious steps, I made my way out of the bathroom, or more like, a bath pool. It was pretty huge, almost the size of a stadium, or that what I felt when I was inside. Slowly, I inched my way out of the door of the bathroom.

"Master, duck!"

"A duck?"

I mentally replied, still clueless about the situation as I maintained a light-hearted tone. "Anna-san, maybe you've an error inside your computing system. There ain't no way that a duck is inside this house."

"I messed up my language system. Crouch!"

Suddenly filled with dread, I obeyed her command without hesitation. As I crouched, a sci-fi-like sound echoed above me, indicating something dangerous overhead. It grazed my head, a near miss that could have been fatal.

"Stand up. Take off your towel and whip it in front of you!"

"Explain why do I need to be nake-"

"No time! Just do it!"

Following her instructions urgently, I stood, dropped the towel, and whipped it in front of me with all my strength, hoping to ward off whatever danger was lurking.

"Enough."

The commanding voice brought my towel-whipping to an abrupt halt. Quickly covering myself, I cautiously opened my eyes to see Aoki-san standing before me, the source of the previous commotion.

"Master...don't move."

"May I asked what do you want from me?" I inquired. A slight fear was visible on my face but in all, I was standing my ground. Aoki-san locked eyes with me, leaning closer, in which making my hands clenched more onto the towel. 

"I would like you to answer...What would you do if I decided to end you here?" 

I swallowed my saliva in fear as I struggled to comprehend his words. Confused by his statement, I opened my mouth to speak. Sweat form on my forehead, realizing a thing that amiss. Not a single voice was let out from my throat.

"What would made you...different from the others that has held your power in the past?"

Leaning closer, an aura of impending doom surrounded him. His hand, now covered in green particles and codes, lurked nearer to my body. 

"Stay. Don't tremble nor cry. He'll not kill you if you didn't show him fear."

My body trembled uncontrollably, on the brink of breaking under the pressure. It seemed inevitable that I would collapse if this continued. Amidst the chaos, I couldn't muster a single coherent thought to make sense of the situation.

'How does Analysia knew how to handle this? Have someone else, another individual used this power before me? Why would he changed his attitude towards me in just a day?'

For now, these questions remained unanswered, buried beneath the weight of panic. With a shaky breath, I closed my eyes, a solitary tear escaping as I clenched my fists tighter. Blood trickled from my fingers to the floor. I was... lost for words.

Still standing in the same position. Out of ideas of what to do other than to wait for what's to come, I glared at his eyes back. Trying to act tough like that were possible in the first place. Yet, his presence, his gaze, has kept me in place.

"Answer. My. Question." He exclaimed calmly.

"...That...That..." I stuttered. My self-worth were completely crushed after the feeling of being defeated by Fuyuki and Yuki in the span of a week. As I cast my gaze downward, a wave of realization washed over me

All this time, I've been making a fool of myself. I was confident at first, thinking that I've seen everything to this. Thinking that a legendary gadget was all I needed until I was shoved aside by students...No, people greater than me.

If my life were a story, perform in front of a stage, all I could probably hear is laughter. At my braindead and out of logic decisions.

Now that he has properly forced me to answer his question, my eyes has been opened. The answer I had been searching for was right there, staring me in the face.

His action, was a wake up call that I needed.

I had found my answer. 

"Ah, I got it." I answered lacklusterly. Looking at him with lifeless eyes.

You're trying to make me feel the absolute worst, right? Yes, I'm currently just someone who's dependent on you." I breathed, swallowing my saliva, and glaring intently while my legs were trembling.

"So what? What are you trying achieve by asking me this!? From your words, I'm sure that Anna-san would just be received by another person after you killed me. I knew that I'm nothing. So why don't you just kill me while I was attacked by Yuki-san?" I exhaled. Stepping one of my feet in front another. Regaining confidence, I looked at him straight in the eyes to deliver the final message.

"I don't understand myself, my worth nor anything else. In this environment, I didn't have the skills nor ability to survive alone...Yet you always helping me."

"I need you to survive."

"What would made me different from any other students here?" I said, a solemn smile was carved on my face. Tears trickled down my cheeks, but I refused to look away.

"Nothing...is the answer you wanted me to say, right? An absolute...no one."

Glaring at me blankly, his intense aura dissipated as he turned away from me, refocusing on his previous task. Ignoring the weighty atmosphere that lingered, he resumed his routine.

"Coffee or Tea?" He asked casually while brewing a glass of coffee for his own.

"Milk Coffee." I answered without hesitation. I do not know what compelled me to immediately answer his question, probably my instinct as I drank a lot of milk coffee in the past.

After donning my clothes, I settled onto a plush sofa, sipping my coffee leisurely as we awaited Helveticus to wake herself up. The room fell into a comfortable silence, interrupted only by the gentle hum of the brewing machine and the rhythmic sound of my own breathing.

"Oh yeah, what time is it?" I turned towards Aoki.

"What time is it?" He asked back, feigning oblivious. Or...He's just that oblivious.

"Yeah." I pressed further.

"Uhm...If I'm not wrong...12 PM on Thursday?"

Just then, the large clock behind him chimed, its hands aligning precisely at twelve. 

Friday, 25th of April,2XXX

"Well, let's just start our day at midnight. There's nothing wrong about it."

Holding the bridge of my nose, I sighed heavily. 

From that point, I threatened Aoki to not talk about this conversation. 

***

Through the stars, someone was watching below. A pluck of a constellation is all he needs. Upon a rooftop, he gazed through the far universe of the sky above him. Footsteps detected by him as he smiled. 

His blue and turquoise, his jade like eyes, a pale-skinned reflected from the moonlight. Obscured, and enigmatic, yet slick, the boy closes his eyes.

"Sapphire, it's time." A girl chuckled beside him.

An outward breath. The haze reflected the cold night that he breathed out. Tilting his head aside, a smirked towards the girl. 

"Talk about cold, right Amethyst?"

Lost and dumbfounded by his response, the girl just stared blankly.

"It's your fault for not wearing the jacket given by Ruby."

"Ehh, come on. Give me your jacket!"

"How about, no?" The girl scoffed.

"EHHH, Please! I'll give you my prediction!"

"No. Get lost with your horoscopes."

"How about...Exam answers...?"

The girl turning her attention back towards the boy. Tempted yet hesitant, she mumbled.

"...I'll consider it."

Later on, the boy sneezed in the cold spring night from the cold spring wind.

"It suppose to be a cool introduction..."