LOCATION - SIGNAL TOWER 3

|Location: Wasteland, Heart|

-ZERO-

I instantly recognized whose voice that was despite being closely similar to an animal's screeching.

"Dia?" I looked down under my feet where a flickering lamp slowly casted a slight shadow of rocks and twigs. I immediately saw Dia, her green hair all tangled around the twigs near the corner of her face, her slender arms barely holding into the thick vines attached on the black trees as her legs had nothing but air as a foot hold, and the grumpy look on her face that she made while staring at me. Somehow all her frowning made me feel offended, as if I did something wrong. Looking at her acting all desperately felt out of character and weird to me. "What are you doing?!"

I leaned forward to the edge where she was. She tried to pull herself up but was too weak to do so, her breathing pattern rapidly increased as the second went by. She looked at me for a second as if she was waiting for me to do something, but no matter how hard I think, I can't seem to understand what her intentions are.

"What do you mean 'what I'm doing', stop staring and pull me up." She tried her best to reach out for me, but her hands were short for the job. With all her squirming the vines suddenly began to lose their hold into the tree and are now slowly slipping down. "Ah!!"

Along with her scream her eyes dilated as she looked at me.

After noticing she was 'really' struggling, even though it's weird because if it were me I'll be able to survive this height but she acted as if she wouldn't even though I never saw her try.. Sometimes I even wonder if I'm living in the same world as them.

Or are my standards just that different?

"Okay stay still." I grabbed her hands and pulled her up right after. "Hold my hand tightly."

It was rather unexpected, because I didn't account for her weight to be 'less' and accidentally placed too much force into pulling her and managed to lift her up in one swoop, at the same time accidentally tossing her a 'tiny bit far' from me. Let's just say I heard a loud thud after her buttocks kissed the ground.

Dia stood up as she massaged her back, she sighed in relief but also looked at me angrily.

"There, you okay?" I rushed to her side and assisted her as she stood.

"You could have pulled me softly." Dusting herself as she protests my ways.

I dwindled my thumbs together when I started to sink into my deep thoughts.

What happened was fairly a new experience to me so taking that into consideration I should take note of this for the future, who knows some people are more fragile than they look. And it might save me some trouble in the future.

I can't believe there's more for me to learn aside from the world but more over the people in it. Some of the things I learned in that book and what I gained from SAI was helpful but only to an extent it never covered anything about their culture or even morals.

I suddenly felt a slight electricity serging inside my body. It woke me up from my thoughts and made me remember the sole reason why I went here.

Right at the signal tower, I said to myself after realizing the real reason why I encountered those annoying 'little encounters' inside this forest. It's because I don't have a guide. Of course everyone needs a guide when exploring new areas, but here I am being impatient. I started to regret my choice a little.

I should have waited for Nuk or asked him for help earlier, but since I'm already here due to my fickle temperaments. I should ask Dia instead since she's here and upon close inspection she might know this place better than I am, well also accounting the fact that they lived here there's a high possibility she is.

"My bad." I said apologetically but shamelessly as it maybe after what I did to her, well I also saved her life before but still, without wasting a few breaths I asked right away for assistance. "But can I ask, I would like you to help me."

After what I said, she suddenly turned around and looked at me. I was somehow taken back at the way she gave me the death glare. Despite sounding a little sarcastic she still replied using her soft voice to me. "Demanding are we?"

"W-well you see I kinda have this, um ability.." I pause and reflect on myself and ask myself if it's okay to tell her about SAI, but there's this thing at the back of my head telling me that it doesn't feel right to do so. But I still need help right now so It's better if I cut to the chase while avoiding any subject that would Involve SAI. "Long story short, I want to go here."

I pulled out the holographic and very vague map that SAI gave me, showing to Dia the very 'generic' map and location I have. She silently looked at me and this time her face looked confused and baffled. "What?!"

Wait, what does she mean by 'what?' can't she see this thing floating in front of her? She doesn't look like acting but weird and amazing at the same time. Wait, does this mean I almost did something that would reveal SAI?

And here I was telling myself I need to hide the fact. But It's a good thing she didn't see this, I'm not sure exactly but I could feel that something bad can happen if someone other than me learned about SAI's existence.

Gosh thinking about the time I acted this way back when I first met Nuk and the others, for some reason I feel squeamish. But I drew up my composure and hoped that this will be the last time they'll see me as 'weird'.

"HA.. HA.. HA.. Wait, I'll draw it." I quickly grabbed a twig, leaned down to the ground and drew the map under her flickering lamp. "Done."

I finished drawing the rough layout of the map I have, Dia came over to my side and remained still for a couple of minutes before I noticed her biting into her nails, and even started to mumble things I can't seem to understand. But I decided not to listen to her mumblings and let her be because from the looks of it she's deep in her thoughts. It wouldn't feel right to disturb her anyway.

Dia continued to ponder for a while before turning her head towards my direction and looked me straight in the eyes.

"The heart." She said, While twiddling her thumbs she continued. "I see, so that's the case."

The things she mentioned made me curious. What does she mean by heart?

"Heart?!" I tried to pry about it, but she immediately cut me off. She might have thought I couldn't see properly because it's dark, but she didn't manage to hide the smile she made from me. A smile that managed to spring a cold sensation through my back.

It was something I can't really understand but somehow it still made me feel that way.

Ah, why am I even thinking about that? Does it have something to do with what I'm doing? It's not even related. But.. but.. Ah screw that What does that even mean for me, better to forget about it and focus my mind on one thing. Looking for that signal tower using this very 'generic' map.

"What I mean is I know where that place is." She said very confidently, which in turn made me feel alleviated. .

I sprung up and leaned my face towards her direction.

"Really?!" I manage to let out a slight giggle. "Can you help me get there?"

"Yes." She said with confidence. "I was about to head to that place anyway, might as well you tag along."

Thank goodness, she knows how to get there despite the 'less detailed' of a map that I showed her. I jumped around as I felt this surging feeling of warmth after what Dia said. "Great, let's go!"

I immediately ran towards the direction provided on the map with excitement written all over my face. But before I could go a distance Dia suddenly grabbed my collar from behind, that was a stupid move from her. I don't know what she expected to happen but the moment she pulled my collar, it didn't hinder me in any way but it tripped her when I still continued to run.

She almost fell face flat to the ground but luckily I noticed it and remembered how 'delicate' she was so I halted and immediately caught her by the waist, she let out a huge sigh afterwards. She immediately turned her attention to me. Giving me a glare, she then stood up and grabbed me by my hand.

"Hold up!" She said, "Follow me and try not to wander off."

Right, I almost forgot that she would be the one to guide me to the signal tower. She began pulling me, dragging me along the dark path ahead of us with only a dim lamp to light 'her' way. I would be needing that anyway so I could perfectly see in the dark.

I obediently followed her and responded with compliance. "Okay."

"Good." She looked satisfied as she said that and for just a glimpse I saw her face smiling with reached from one of her ears to another.

Guess they're really siblings, just by acting obedient will immediately make them happy.

Anyhow, I can't wait and see what a signal tower looks like.

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