Falling for them (love and deepspace X OC )

From Greatness to Madness

"Dimitri." I said "So that's why everything here still works even though it was abandoned for years...The real reason you're in Charon... It's because you're guarding the research center."

"Of course. This place holds the buried dreams of countless researchers, the seeds of world-changing discoveries. In addition..."
Dimitri spreads his arms. It's somewhat of a dramatic, welcoming gesture. "It's where you were born. Your first home in this world.
I tighten my grip on the gun at my waist. I'm waiting for the next "outrageous" revelation. Back then, the research team accompanied you every day.We raised you as if you were our own child. We believed you represented humanity's most intimate connection with Deepspace..."A flickering hologram appears behind him.
Fragmented faces of figures huddled together manifest before dissolving into light and shadow.I don't recognize any of them, yet a warmth wells up from the depths of my heart. "After the Chronorift Catastrophe, our team was disbanded. Many of us disappeared without a trace... I'm the only one who stayed here to keep watch. I knew you would return one day. I've been waiting for you for a long time."

"You already knew who I was when you saw me at Charon."

"Why, of course. I can recognize our most precious treasure anywhere. Your power is unique, after all."He unconsciously moves half a step. Upon seeing me back away warily, his voice becomes even gentler. "Don't be afraid, my child. I've been waiting for you this whole time. I must atone for the sin I left behind.I know you have many questions. Go ahead, ask them. I'll tell you everything you want to know."Seeing the sincerity in his eyes, I hesitate. Should I ask him a question?

I might be close to the truth this time... I need to hear what he has to say."You said I was born here. Why don't you tell me what happened back then?"

"While not an ancient beginning, it was still sacred nonetheless...
A hologram of an energy graph depicting the process of planetary evolution appears in the center of the ruins. Planets are born, and eventually they die. Then they're reborn only to die again.
Visibly moved, he stares at the floating data curves on the display.
It's a beautiful cycle."

"I asked about my origins, not humanity's. You don't have to start from when the earth was formed"

"You think this is the life cycle of a planet?It's not.It's a representation of your life, your power."

ls he crazy?! "Go on."

"You are EVER's most wonderful, most magnificent creation.
A blank expression appears on my face. I can't even pretend to play along anymore."But Dimitri doesn't care about whether his audience is responding or not. "It began in 2034, when humanity received a faint signal from Deepspace. Once it was decoded, it revealed a story about a planet's quest for immortality.An ordinary planet achieved immortality by harnessing an inexhaustible cosmic energy source. They inspired us.And so, we conducted an experiment using collisions to recreate this inexhaustible cosmic energy. After several failed attempts, one proved to be a success. The energy manifested!
However, no one expected it... to appear inside a child's body. And that child was you. The powerful energy fluctuations we were waiting for... They came from youThe power was impossible to analyze and measure. It only grew stronger as time passed.It grew like a planet and reached its peak on Day 27. Then, it started to decay on Day 36...On Day 41, it disappeared completely.Dead. Then, it was followed by an explosion.But shortly after, your power reconstituted itself and began to grow once again. Just like a planet.Therefore, we believe the power of the Aether Core within your body is equivalent to the energy of a planet."

With growing intensity, his gaze gradually shifts from the hologram to me. It's as if he's seeking my confirmation.

I break eye contact and take a few steps back to observe the moving hologram before me. "I didn't come here to listen to the delusional manifesto of a loser.Given your current mental state, do you really expect me to believe anything you're saying?"Maintaining a calm expression, I push down my chaotic thoughts and steal a glance at Dimitri's fanatical expression. I don't think he's telling me the whole truth... Maybe I can make him reveal more information."Rather than believe I was created through collision experiments, I suspect... you conducted those experiments on an innocent child Before you deny it, you should answer my question first. Why would cosmic energy specifically take on a human form?"

Dimitri's outstretched arms are slowly lowered as a look of dejection appears on his face. "I don't blame you for being skeptical. Even we who witnessed your birth firsthand were at a loss We didn't know if we should let you grow up like a normal person... or use you as a resource.Would this immense power lead to catastrophe...?"

"Ah, there goes that caring facade. Took you long enough. Referring to this place as my "first home" and talking about a "magnificent
creation"... In the end, it was about making a massive profit."

Even in the ramblings of a madman, fragments of truth lie hidden beneath insanity.From his words, I can piece together what EVER wanted to obtain via Unicorn.They desired a new kind of energy that was far more powerful and plentiful than Earth's natural resources and Protocore Energy.Maybe that was when EVER set their sights on the Aether Core.

"You have no idea what kind of temptation lay before us back then..."
While Dimitri is engrossed in his fervent monologue, I keep an eye on his unstable state. I also use this as an opportunity to examine the laboratory. "We had countless debates. The Chronorift Catastrophe struck when we were in the middle of our endless back-and-forth.
And then, it happened. It will always be the most regrettable thing l've ever done.I can never make up for it in this life.My career, my dreams, my colleagues, those days we spent to achieve our goals..."
Something's wrong with him...My gaze quickly shifts to the control panel some distance away from Dimitri. I discreetly get ready to use my Evol. "It's over. It's truly... over...!"Seemingly drowning in penitence, Dimitri falls to his knees and triggers a hidden mechanism. A surge of energy rises from below. The large laboratory begins to shake as the rails rattle.Wait... It's not the laboratory that's shaking!Sensing movement beneath my feet, I quickly back away. But I slam into a wall instead of finding the door.A massive, curved glass panel had silently descended behind me. Its cold surface blocks my escape route.I've barely pulled out my gun when curved glass panels-previously suspended above and diagonally in front of me-descend.The panels are about to create the perfect cage.
I'll be stuck inside this spherical chamber like an insect preserved in amber.It's a mechanical trap. I had walked into the jaws of a beast as soon as I stepped through the laboratory doors." Go on now... Fix our mistakes... Go on...Go..."With steady hands, I slip a small explosive charge into the last remaining gap before the glass panels seal themselves. Then I get down on the ground as fast as I can.
Shockwaves reverberate throughout the spherical chamber. A strong force strikes my head. In spite of the pain, however, I hear the rails get jammed for a split second.I charge toward the explosion site without a second thought. Using my momentum, I smash my gun against the area where the glass panels meet.The impact forcibly opens a narrow gap barely half a palm wide. I immediately raise my gun to shoot.The bullets hit the area near Dimitri's feet, but they fail to stop whatever switch he activated. I aim my gun at him.A familiar energy emanates from the darkness behind Dimitri. As he stands up, my instincts scream at the new threat. I open fire.The bullets hit him, but he seems unfazed as he pulls out a weapon and aims it at me. The powerful blast sends me flying and crushes what little chance of survival I had been desperately clinging to.