Chapter 4:

Chapter 4

Iris: Res Natura

Words escaped my mind. Darian said I was cute, but how was I supposed to show her that? I had no idea.

"But Darian said—"

"Can you just stop? This is honestly disgusting," Mirai said in a low, cold voice as she stepped closer. She grabbed my collar and stared into my eyes with a gaze that felt like it was swallowing me whole.

"Why does a monster like you act like you’re one of us? Seducing the Commander with that filthy 'cuteness'... let it be known that no matter what masks you wear, I won’t fall for your trap."

"But I’m not—"

"Are you still playing your pathetic little game?" she snapped, pushing me away with a sneer, my feet staggered backward. "Fine. Let’s see how long you can keep this up. But know this: the moment you show your true face, I’ll be there to expose you."

She turned to leave the room, then stopped and looked back. A look of pure contempt crossed her face. "You might have managed to deceive the Commander, but you won’t deceive me. Remember that well."

Her direct glare shifted to a side-long glance. "I don’t know why he wastes his attention on a monster like you."

My features froze. Was Darian wrong? She wasn't convinced at all; instead, she had become even more aggressive.

"How can I convince you?" I called out.

"I don’t know. Maybe try being useful instead of acting like a parasite," she said as she disappeared.

I looked down at my pink skirt. What did I do wrong?

"Finally, she’s gone..." Fairy exhaled in relief.

"Why were you silent the whole time, Fairy?" I asked, sitting heavily on the bed.

"I... well... I’m just a small, weak earring, and Mirai is way too scary to argue with!" he said in a mock-dramatic tone.

"You coward. Mirai? Is that the girl's name?"

"Yes, her name is Mirai. She’s a trainee at the Academy."

"The Academy you mentioned before? I thought she was a soldier."

"Yes, that one. I don't know if you noticed, but she doesn't wear a pin."

"Oh, right, I did notice. So trainees don't wear pins?"

"Exactly! You’re starting to learn, Iris!" His words made me smile despite myself. "And don't worry about what she said. She’s clearly just jealous because the Commander pampers you."

"Is Darian that important?"

"Of course! He proved his worth in strength, strategy, and leadership while only being 18. Everyone respects him and believes in him. It’s rare to see someone like that; as a leader, he’s a genius, far surpassing the previous commander."

I didn't quite understand... What does he mean by "18"?

"18?"

"Iris, are you using your brain or is it just for decoration? 18 is his age. The number of years he's lived," Fairy said in disbelief.

According to what I've seen in my mind, a year has 365 days.

"Do I have an 'age' too? I’ve only lived for a day and a half."

"Well, true. But if you mean your literal age, you’re likely 16 years old."

"16 years?! Where did all that come from?"

"The years you lived as a monster, plus the time you spent in the lab during your transformation," Fairy answered testily.

"Iris, are you really this dense?”

"What does 'dense' mean?"

"I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE!!" Fairy screamed in disbelief.

"Calm down, it was a joke," I replied laughing.

"Where did you learn how to joke?!" he asked, stunned.

"I saw it in my mind.”

I raised my hand, holding it up to my face. So I’m 16. I don’t know why, but it felt unbelievable, making me feel strange... the idea that this hand is 16 years old.

What was I doing in my years as a monster? Did my hand look the same back then?

I lay back on the bed, Mirai’s words haunting me. Why wasn't she convinced? Did I do something wrong? I didn't do anything... I only tried to prove I wasn't dangerous like she thinks. But I failed. Will they never be convinced, no matter how hard I try? Or was my method wrong? If it was wrong, what is the right way?

'Maybe try being useful instead of acting like a parasite.'

She said that, but how? How can I be useful?

Bright blonde hair, eyes like pure gold... the image of his smiling face was still hazy.

"Darian...?"

"Yes. It's time for dinner, Iris."

"It seems you were sleeping deeply, Lazy Iris," Darian laughed.

"I was just bored." I didn't know why, but I felt heat rising in my face.

Darian took my hand, and we left the room together. "I'll take you to the game hall next time. It's not good for you to be bored."

I couldn't stop myself from staring at him in awe. He had lived for 18 years... in other words, 365 and 365 and... no, my head would hurt if I kept calculating.

"Iris, your eyes are going to pierce right through me."

I quickly looked away. "Darian, you're 18, right? Fairy told me."

"Fairy is such a chatterbox. He usually teases us; what's his deal now?"

"I... I turned him off."

"Well, that's harsh," Darian laughed. His steps weren't fast, giving us more time to talk.

"No... I just don't want him to bother me. Yes, he’s annoying sometimes."

"I wonder if his personality design was a mismatch for you? Nayla designed him that way because she thought you'd like him being cheerful."

"Well, he is cheerful, of course. And fun."

"I'm glad to hear that."

We entered the dining hall, and at that exact moment, a long silence fell over the room. Was it because of me? They didn't do this yesterday.

"Stay calm, Iris. It's because of me. They aren't used to me coming here," Darian whispered.

"Don't you usually come here?"

"Unfortunately, no," Darian said, then continued, "Now, shall we sit and eat?"He took my hand and we went to get our meals, heading to an empty table where we sat across from each other. I looked up and caught his usual smile as he watched me put a spoonful of warm food into my mouth.

"Why aren't you eating?" I looked at Darian's plate; he had barely touched it.

"Well, for the same reason I don't come here often. I don't have an appetite for food. Or rather, I’ve conditioned my body not to, so eating more than two bites a day has become a chore." Darian looked at his food as he spoke. Although he was smiling, his gaze was different.

"Are you sad?" Even if I was "dense" like Fairy said, I could tell he wasn't happy despite the smile.

Darian laughed softly. "Well, you could say that."

I didn't want to see him sad like this. I wanted to cheer him up! But how? How could I be useful?

I stood up from my seat and walked over to where Darian was sitting. I placed my hand on his golden hair and patted it gently. This is what he had done yesterday when I was sad, so maybe it would work.

Darian looked at me in shock, then smiled. "Thank you, Iris."

"What do you think you're—" a man in the crowd began to shout, but before he could finish his sentence, Darian shot him a terrifying look.

"I'm sorry, Iris. They’re still like this."

"...It's okay." At least, Darian was kind to me.

I went back to my seat to finish my food. "Darian, I want to be useful."

Darian looked at me in surprise. "Why is that?"

"Mirai told me... that people here will believe me if I become useful."

"Did you meet Mirai?"

"Yes." I didn't want to tell him exactly what happened between us.

"She must have been hard on you. She’s sharp-tongued, but she isn't a bad person."

I nodded while eating.

"What do you think about a supporting role? Maybe as a healer or an assistant to Nayla?"

"Yes, I want to!"

"I'll try to arrange a similar role for you. That is, if the other healers or scientists agree. If not, I probably won't be able to find one for you."

"What about a... combat role?"

Darian was taken aback by my suggestion. "Iris, I know you possess power like all of us—in fact, you likely possess two. Well, you know... monsters usually have two. But throwing you into the monsters' den and exposing you to danger is something else entirely."

"I see..."

"Don't forget that your powers haven't manifested yet. We don't know if they’ll be useful in combat or not. Since they aren't clear now, it means we can't gamble your life on them. Do you understand?"

"Yes." But my mind was fixed on something else. I have two powers? Which two?

"A power from Nature and a power from Extension. Nayla told you, right? That we are the Nature Camp."

"So you carry the power of Nature?”

"Exactly. As for monsters, they carry both Nature and Extension, which makes them stronger."

We finished dinner and continued talking as we walked through the corridors.

"So is there an Extension Camp? Do they carry the power of Extension?"

"Yes."

"And I have both..." I whispered, looking at my hands as I walked.

"Yes. Which makes Iris special."

"Special?" My heart fluttered in disbelief.

"Of course," Darian laughed. "I’ll leave you now, Iris. Goodnight."

"Goodnight" was the phrase said before sleep to show affection. "Goodnight."

I showered and went to bed. Today had been exhausting compared to yesterday.

It wasn't long after I woke up that I heard a knock on the door. I opened it to find a soldier, but he had a medal on his uniform. Is he more important than the other soldiers?

"The Commander summons you to his office. Follow me."

I followed him until we reached Darian's office. It was my first time seeing it.

"Enter." We went in at Darian’s command.

"Good morning, Iris. Did you sleep well yesterday?" He was sitting at his desk, which held a screen and several papers and files.

"Yes."

"I'm glad to hear that. To get straight to the point, the healers have agreed to let you join as an assistant."

They agreed? My heart raced. Finally, I could prove to them that I was useful.

"Yes, but on one condition."

"What is it?" Maybe things won't be that easy after all.

"You have to help treat an injured person and succeed in doing so. Once you succeed, they will agree to let you join."

"Okay," I said, my fists clenched. I had to prove my worth.

"I'm sure you won't let me down, Iris," he said with his usual smile.