fracture skies

chapter 3

The hum of fluorescent lights buzzed faintly overhead as you opened your eyes, the sterile white of a hospital ceiling coming into focus. Blinking slowly, you registered the soft ache radiating through your body, a reminder of the fierce battle that had left you here. Memories flashed—the piercing roar of the Angel, the jarring connection with the EVA, and Rei's impassive face at your side in the heat of the moment. The silence in the room felt unsettling, a stark contrast to the chaos from only hours ago.

In the quiet, your mind drifted back to that first encounter with Rei, replaying her stoic resolve and the strange, almost haunting calm she projected even when facing the Angel. What drives her? The question lingered.

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Flashback - Third-Person POV

The roar of the Angel echoed through the city, a low, seismic tremor that rattled the walls of NERV headquarters. Beneath the surface, in the labyrinthine halls of the facility, Rei Ayanami was undergoing another round of sync testing, her pale face illuminated by the soft glow of the control panels. From behind the observation glass, Gendo watched her, his gaze cold and calculating. Her injuries, sustained in an earlier battle, were fresh, but she sat perfectly still as if the pain was nothing more than a faint echo.

“Unit-00 sync rate steady at 42%,” a technician’s voice murmured over the comms.

Gendo’s expression barely changed, though his hand tightened ever so slightly around his glasses. “Increase the rate by 10%,” he ordered. The technicians exchanged glances but complied, adjusting the settings.

Inside the cockpit, Rei’s breathing grew labored, her vision blurring at the edges. But she didn’t falter, her hands gripping the controls with practised precision. To her, pain was simply another state of being, something to be endured in pursuit of her purpose. And that purpose was singular: to follow Gendo’s orders without question.

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Back to Present - Reader’s POV

A knock at the door pulled you back to the present. Misato stepped in, her face a mix of relief and exasperation. "Awake already, huh?" she said, crossing her arms. “You handled that battle well, all things considered. But, just so you know, you’ll be seeing a lot of this room if you don’t take it easy.”

You managed a weak smile. “Thanks for the pep talk, Misato.”

She smirked. "Let’s get you out of here. They’re running sync tests later, and you’re not off the hook.” Her tone was light, but there was something in her eyes—a hint of concern—that told you she wasn’t just here to talk about training.

As Misato led you through the NERV hallways, you passed by several doctors and technicians, their expressions weary. It was as if the walls themselves absorbed the weight of each battle, each close call, echoing a quiet kind of desperation that lingered around every corner.

Is what life is going to be like now?

Your thoughts were interrupted as you reached the testing room. Inside, you spotted Rei, her figure almost ghostly under the harsh lights. She was focused on the screens, her posture rigid, her face a blank slate.

“Rei,” you greeted, feeling the urge to bridge the quiet distance that seemed to surround her. She nodded, barely acknowledging you, her gaze fixed ahead. It was as if she was somewhere else entirely, locked in a world that only she could see.

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As the testing began, you and Rei were connected in adjacent EVA simulators, the LCL fluid filling around you. A familiar sense of pressure enveloped you, the metallic taste of the LCL filling your mouth as you sank into sync with your EVA unit. The simulation screens flashed, displaying an incoming Angel, almost identical to the one from yesterday’s battle.