Primary Zero, Osyth [Part 1]

“How clever of them.” Raiden clicks his tongue in indignation. He removes his hand from the red robe lady head. “I figured you explorers lacked a few brain cells. Actions speak louder than words, you know, but I guess not all is lost.”

The cloaked lady snarls. “Fuck you!”

Raiden exhales deeply, soothing his emotions. Turning, he walks out of the engine room as starlight chains erupt into reality, binding and lifting the explorer.

“We’ll just have to get information the old fashion way,” mutters Raiden, his lips twisting in bitterness. “My least favorite thing as a warrior.”

The explorer squirms, yet she is exhausted, making her movements sluggish. Pain sweeps beneath her flesh and her coiled muscles ache. Her vision gradually blurs.

Raiden had attempted to use an incantation with starlight manipulation called Exhibit Echo, which reveals memories of the intended target.

However, someone placed a concealment in the explorer’s mind, so even her thoughts are hidden. Raiden speculates it to be a wielder of moon.

“Your lucky Iskra isn’t here,” Raiden tells the girl briskly. “Her way of gaining information is beyond sanity.”

The explorer goes silent.

“No matter. Once Ishaan gets here, your secrets will belong to the Voyage Seekers.”

****

Kaltain believed her essence to be a bottle of trepidation wrapped in anxiety. Deep down, everything frightened her.

From the top of her head to the bottom of her feet, she feels suffocated with every inch and breath she takes. 

She dreaded fear as equally as she feared the unknown. 

However, at the same time, she feels absolutely nothing. It was like her soul was a paradox; one half this pure principle of humanity, while the other a callousness of a dark beast.

Kaltain wasn’t fond of either halves. Both can be nightmares and blessings when reality proved to be a match. She simply moved about in life with the goal of not drowning in either.

It would be a lie to say the pressure of not having a divine companion wasn’t getting to her. For the past two weeks, she didn’t make the chaos inside her noticeable, having practiced the art of deception long ago.

It only truly bothered her when she heard anything related, so like always, she ran from reality. Not literally, but in little ways—like blocking everything out.

You know, ignoring the problem in hopes gods will solve it. They never do.

It's a mistake and an instinct of comfort she needed. She just wants to breathe for a moment, form a rational plan and then return.

Kaltain didn’t really need to showout at Lightless yet. She did that during Deathly Journey by defeating a mentor, though he hadn’t used his powers. It was plain physical hand to hand combat.

However, if one were to drown for a certain amount of time, they’re bound to never rise again.

Her coping mechanism was going to kill her ambition of being great.

Damn…..Oh well.

Once again, Kaltain wasn’t too worried. She felt anxiety here and there, but she was used to that racing and nauseating feeling, as if her skin was gone and suddenly she exists so bare she swears people see her rotting insides.

Kaltain trusted herself to get the job done. She just deeply wishes she can skip to the future where all her current troubles are no more.

That future was close.

Kaltain realized how close when her wandering gaze lands upon a stunning slender, agile creature with a lithe and muscular physique. 

Elegant features bore back at Kaltain—pointed delicate snout, creamy white paws and claws, warm intelligent magenta eyes, nine long bushy tails, and lustrous turquoise fur.

The aura of the fox was majestic and tremendous. It lays gracefully upon a royal blue flowery bed drifting on a clear pond.

Surrounding the pond is a lush, dense forest deep within Heavenly Realm, with vibrant green healthy trees perched with cherries.

“Hey, girl, I’ve been watching you,” says the fox, its seraphic female voice raking Kaltain eardrums.

Kaltain didn’t respond right away. She scans her surroundings, realizing she was walking absentmindedly again. Then, she asks flatly, “Why?”

“Divine creatures hate Zuiveren, the founding ancestor of Winter Clan and God of Enlightenment. He broke His promise to us. That is why they have been avoiding you, so you can blame that bastard for your misfortunes here.”

“Oh,” replies Kaltain. “So, my question?”

The fox went silent, rolling around on the bed and eating cherries. She emanated such refinement so naturally, Kaltain was envious.

‘No answer?’ Kaltain sighs softly and pulls out her mobile phone. She checks the time; 7;48 pm.

‘Beast Companion class is about to end in 12 minutes. Oh, fuck.’ Kaltain frowns faintly. She was lost and needed to locate her way out.

Every freshman beside her has gained a divine companion. Even Kallias with his sexy mermaid. While this deeply bothered Kaltain, she made it up by being on top in her other classes, which did overshadow this flaw quite a bit.

Just as Kaltain whirls around to leave, the fox speaks up. “I’ll be your divine companion. Of course, in return, I want a favor.”

Slowly, Kaltain turns halfway and searches for the creature's expression and intentions out of suspicion. “A favor?”

‘Was that how this worked?’ Kaltain didn’t think so, yet curiosity flashes across her features.

“I want to go back to heaven.” The fox finally looks at Kaltain. “Get me there.”

‘I don’t know how to get to heaven. I mean, I think when I die, yes, a passage might exist. No, I could go to hell. Either way, what she’s asking is impossible.’ Kaltain brows narrowed with displeasure. “That’s above my pay grade.”

Kaltain lips twitch in mirth. She doesn’t have a pay grade. She remembered the line from an anime and simply wanted to say it. It seemed to fit the moment.

“No, it’s in range. You’ll understand in the future, sweetie,” the mysterious fox says with an unfathomable expression. “Right now, you must take a gamble. Bond with me or bond with no one.”

“That almost sounds like a threat.” Kaltain scoffs dismissively. “Isn’t there a passage to heaven here somewhere?”

“Only a fool would think heaven had paths to its location.”

‘And only a dumbass would ask me for a sacred favor.’ After a while, Kaltain shrugs and approaches the creature with calm strides. ‘Fuck it.’

****

The explorers refer to members of Explorers of Heaven league, whose strength rivals the greatest league to ever grace the cosmos—Aurora’s of the Sun.

The Explorers of Heaven has been inherited throughout generations and still exist as a league in this current epoch known as the Unconquered Age, which started 1210 years ago.

This league was formed 100 years ago and the members are unknown. They have never been known, yet their history is tales spread throughout all realms.

They are religious, believing in the Lord of Divinity and leave weeping bloody souls like dust in battles they engage in. The people they fight always make it out alive, yet their sanity is left behind.

Another known fact of Explorers of Heaven is that they are backing Great Night, the creator of Crystalline Rock. This causes them to clash with Voyager Seekers occasionally.

Voyager Seekers isn’t a group formed for justice, but ideals and honor. 

Power without hardship or effort was pathetic to them. It lacked the strength of determination and courage of desire.

So most of Voyager Seekers missions and objectives are primarily connected to their ideology on life.