Infused

Attuning

  "What the F**k?!" The bank robber dropped to the ground, clutching his chest. The right sleeve of Maria's blouse was torn from elbow down. She didn't recognize the 15 inches of white marble that was her forearm. She was afraid to touch anything as her arm absorbed the properties of the bank floor. The faces of the bystanders went from awe to confusion terror. Collapsing to her knees, she brought her hands to her face, returning her arm to normal. "Get away from me, please! Don't touch me!" Maria cried as a teller tried to help her up. The sirens of police outside only made stress build up in Maria. She only meant to hit the robber in the chest to knock the wind out of him. "Is he dead?" a teller asked. She glanced at the pale body in a pool of blood. "I just-I just killed someone! What the F**k?!" A man she hadn't noticed before stepped forward. "Just calm down. This stress is killing you. I will see you soon enough." He said. He looked like an angel with a soothing voice. "Who are yo-" He touched her shoulder, making her vision go white, and she collapsed. Dreams. High-contrast photo filter images flashing through her mind. A frisbee-like item with a blade edge and a large hole in the center. Chakram! That's what it was! A dark figure with luminescent wings. An obsidian statue of a...dragon? Seeming to be lit from the inside, with a red orange glow. Then, her mind went blank. She opened her eyes to see a cement ceiling and fluorescent lights. She thought, "F**king interest. Screw that bank." 

 It had been a rough day. Maria had to figure out why she couldn't withdraw money from her bank account. Which was 8 blocks away. And her car wouldn't start. She took the bus to the bank, and went through the eventful second half of her shitty day. She had just woken up in a room that smelled of disinfectant, with fluorescent lights, a cot, and a single door. Well, this can't possibly get any worse, Maria thought. Just then, she heard footsteps outside the door. It sounded as if a vault was being opened. Shit. Three men came into the cell. The first, she recognized; the guy at the bank. She noticed the second one was Japanese and actually clothed in traditional Japanese formal attire, and like the suits, in black and grey. Here and there she saw a green "Imperial" looking design. Then she saw his eyes. Is he human? she thought. His eyes were completely black, like looking into the void. The third one, she noticed wasn't even a guy, or human, for that matter. It was some kind of robot, with the form of a female. It had porcelain colored skin with glowing cyan accents, and its limbs seemed to be jointless, connected by energy. She realized the whole time she was surveying them, they were talking amongst themselves. The man from the bank stepped forward. "Hello Maria. you can call me Raphi." he said as he adjusted his tie. "This is Red, and Andrea." he said, pointing to his colleagues. Why is it so hard to focus? He looks so perfect...too perfect, Maria thought. "Why the hell am I here? What the hell is happening to me?" she asked angrily. "It's not that simp-" Raphi started. "Then make it simple." Maria said. "I-uh, well...Red. Take her to the orientation chamber." he said. "Hai." Red replied. "Wait, what? What's the orientation chamber? Why am i here?" she begged frantically. Raphi and Andrea exited the cell, Red ushered her out. Raphi and Andrea turned down a hallway, and the hallway morphed into a wall after them. I hope I'm not tripping on drugs, Maria thought. Red grabbed her wrist and seared a symbol on her wrist with a brand. Ow, dammit. "The Fuck was that for?" she burst, rubbing her wrist. "So your mind doesn't tear itself apart." he said calmly. "WAIT, What?!" she asked. Red entered something on a seemingly holographic keyboard on the wall in unfamiliar characters. The door broke away in tiles, falling into a dark void. She felt a light pull coming from inside. The brand on her wrist started to glow, a lotus, and was turning silvery. It somehow spun on her wrist, speeding up as the force pulling her through the door became stronger. "Fōkasu shite kudasai." Red said. "What?" Maria said. "Keep focus" he said. Suddenly, she was pulled in, not hearing what Red said after. Fuck. Falling, she heard the familiar sound of a shriek. It took her a few minutes and running out of breath to realize it was her own. Regaining her bearings, she tried looking around, regretting only after she started to spin. Still surrounded by nothing. "Hello?" Maria said, echoing. Abruptly, she stopped falling, and began hovering in place. Suddenly, patches of scenery and wall cascaded through the darkness. "Welcome to Erfrierung." said an artificial voice, most likely Andrea's. "Begin initiation simulation?"