Warfare Augmented Intelligent Frame Unit

Chapter 12 - Mirana Alicent

Chapter 12 – Mirana Alicent

"You look familiar," Miss Mirana Alicent remarked, her voice soft yet carrying an air of quiet authority. 

She tilted her head slightly, a subtle motion that stirred a strange pang of nostalgia within me. It was an unconscious gesture, one I had seen Myrrh do countless times. The resemblance between them, even in their mannerisms, was unmistakable—a clear sign they were mother and daughter.

"U-umm..." My words faltered as I awkwardly scratched the back of my head, fumbling to find something impressive to say. My heart pounded in my chest, and my thoughts tangled in a frantic scramble. After all, here I stood, face-to-face with the woman who had been my childhood heroine, a figure I had idolized for years. "I-I'm Zaft Callahan, Myrrh's partner at the university. I... I was the kid you rescued fourteen years ago during the Christmas Siege."

Recognition flashed in her eyes, and a warm smile touched her lips. "Oh, right. You're that lone survivor from the kindergarten home, aren't you?"

The memory stirred, its edges sharp and raw despite the years. The Christmas Siege—one of the most infamous events in human history—had unfolded fourteen years ago, when the Cosmic Beasts launched their large-scale assault on Earth. It was the second time the planet had faced these monsters head-on.

That night was meant to be festive, filled with laughter and the scent of gingerbread in the air. At our Catholic-run kindergarten, we had been celebrating a Christmas party. There were fifteen kids, two teacher nuns, and a single security guard. But when the Cosmic Beasts descended, their rampage laid waste to the city. The kindergarten, a place once brimming with innocence and joy, was utterly destroyed. All the children, the two nuns, and even the security guard—everyone was massacred.

Everyone, except me.

The details had blurred in my mind over the years, my brain having tucked them away, perhaps to protect me from the trauma. All I could truly recall were the scenes of chaos—the crumbling rubble, the metallic tang of blood in the air. The horror of it should have scarred me for life, but instead, it ignited a resolve deep within me. I had held onto a singular dream: to support the WAIFUs in battle, just as Mirana Alicent had saved me. To me, she wasn't just a hero—she was everything I aspired to be.

I glanced at Myrrh, whose wide eyes and slightly parted lips revealed her surprise. It wasn't often she saw me vulnerable, let alone heard about the shadowed parts of my past. She probably had no idea that I carried such heavy memories, though, to be fair, I had long since moved past them. Still, her reaction stirred something awkward in the air, and I shifted uneasily.

Then, breaking the silence, Myrrh gave a small, knowing smile before turning to her mother. "He's the hooligan I told you about from high school."

"Oh." Miss Mirana Alicent's eyes widened slightly, her hand fluttering to her chest as she gasped. "I recall you saying he was quite the troublemaker back then. But now, you've brought him here?" Her gaze flicked between the two of us, and a mischievous twinkle brightened her expression. "You only ever introduced Ephraim to me in the past, but since the breakup... I see now! You've found yourself a new suitor. Ah, the wonders of love!"

"No! We're not lovers!" Myrrh's voice shot up in an instant, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment.

"S-she's right! We're definitely not lovers," I stammered, caught off-guard, quickly backing her up even though it felt strange to agree with her on anything, let alone this.

Miss Mirana Alicent tilted her head, still smiling, but now with a playful curiosity. "So, are you two just friends, then?"

Myrrh's brow furrowed, and she placed a hand on her hip. "I wouldn't say we're friends either."