"The one and only Seven, in the flesh. Didn't really believe you'd come," A female Sparrow addresses me upon introduction. I take note of her exotic appearance.
Her silver hair is kept in a neat little braid that flows graciously onto her back, piercings on her sharp ears and nose, her expression lax yet serious, the kind of seriousness you give someone you don't fully trust.
She introduces herself as Ellie, then turns to lead me down a corridor, carefully weaving through the clusters of talkative, human-minded Sparrows; some eye us over vaguely, while others continue their conversation in hushed whispers. I see from the dips in Ellie's tank top that a few scars coat her otherwise smooth skin, although I find myself unable to get a clean glance.
"You actually survived going onto Ephemeral?" I question; my mind takes notice of how bitterly she eyes me afterwards, as if I was intruding.
"The survival rate is a lot lower than you think," she finally replies. "I got every single one of these scars from my first trip down there with my original team." There's a pause. It's the sort of pause given when you realize you've said too much, but find yourself left with no other alternative than continuing. "My first trip to Ephemeral is pretty much the same story you're gonna hear at least a million times. Went down there, things were going well, then we were abruptly ambushed by Sparrows and wildlife. I was the only survivor. Those things were monsters."
I can't help but notice that word come up again, "monsters," the very one I thought I heard the last of with Helena. Why is everyone so quick to use it?
The marbled flooring leads us down a few narrow hallways and into an elevator. As it ascends, the obnoxious elevator music gets stuck in my head, and like always, my imaginary voice distastefully singing in tune, no matter how much I beg him to stop. It was one of the things I hated about elevators.
Once the doors open, we find ourselves in a much wider area. Bench presses, treadmills, and even a ring at the room's heart; the work-out area already has quite the crowd, none of which take immediate notice of us. They continue their routines instead, an eerie aura placed high above their heads with brooding wings.
Hopelessness. Despair. Sorrow. I'm given the chance to register all these moments before Ellie's voice interrupts my thoughts.
"This area is only accessible to those who are due to go onto Ephemeral soon," she continues with a yawn. "Here, I test your skills in combat and provide instructions on how to better make use Index's latest form of technology in order to increase your chances of survival on Ephemeral, but its true purpose is to make sure your motor functions are working correctly."
"In other words, you don't think I have what it takes."
There's a pause. She doesn't respond immediately.
"Rumors are nothing more than rumors. All the higher-ups seem to be quite confident in your skills, but other than the rumors, I don't know a single thing about you. Uncertainty on the battlefield leads to death. And literally the last thing I want on my hands is more blood."
My mouth begins to move on its own, ready to quote about how flawed and tedious her logic is, but it simply remains shut.
Instead, I settle for asking, "How do I know you're every bit as strong as you say you are? You've lost men, after all."
"I made the tough decisions and gave orders that must've been given. It's the duty of a leader to make sure prioritize their comrades over all else and make sure a vast majority make it back. Going into a battle with expectations of zero casualties is foolish."
"Definitely not the type of answer I was expecting from you," I say, making a clear point to emphasize on the subject. I watch her eyes narrow. "The only priority is the mission. Nothing else matters."
Something subtle flashes behind Ellie's glare. There one moment, gone the next.
Of course, the next words to leave her mouth catch me completely by surprise. "Then your first lesson will be a sparing match─against me."
And I'm left with little choice but to agree, watching on silently as all the eyes within the room finally focus on the two of us.
YOU ARE READING
Integration
Pertualangan"In no way am I jealous─just territorial. Because when you're jealous, you want something that's not yours. But when you're territorial, you just want to protect what's yours." To what lengths would you go to erase your deepest, most darkest memorie...
