Chapter 23 | Trust I placed in you

The Orynite stood like a towering monolith on a long, stretched white background. The dusty green color reflected a figure in a black cloak as he walked past it.

A pair of black boots hit the floor; the cloak was pushed back, and an elbow slammed against it. The figure remained stiff, held completely still.

He halted before an Orynite. It gazed at the young man: blue-eyed, short blue-haired, and pale-skinned, with an expressionless look.

A small rectangular marking appeared around the Orynite when his black-gloved hand reached for the shell.

As soon as his hand made contact, the surroundings shifted into a lush green field filled with rusty metal ruins.

But he drew a deep breath and pulled his hands away when a presence appeared. His expression instantly softened into a small frown. His lips were bitten by his own teeth, a tension that rested heavily in his shoulders.

The person looked similar to Echa, though slightly taller. Her cloak was the matching black, and her left arm was filled with a forest of Orynite crystals.

Her facial expression was sharp. Her eyes shifted to a thick green, and every Orynite reacted, transforming its color to match its conductor.

“Those steps truly swept away the trust I placed in you, Fem!” she said in an eerie, calm tone. She lifted an eyebrow at his silence. “Tch.” A sound clicked from her mouth.

“Apology, Mother. Punish me for my negligence,” he said, breaking his silence and lifting his head to release a sigh he had held captive.

His mother’s eyes shut; her eyelids were filled with sharp Orynite crystals. She hammered her thoughts with a quiet hum. “Apology accepted, now! Leave!” she commanded, her eyes half-lidded and calm.

“Understood, Mother.” Fem lowered his head, deliberately avoiding her gaze, which traced his every muscle movement.

As Fem strode, his legs suddenly faltered and halted. A sharp, shimmering Orynite ripped through his chest from behind, and black blood spilled from the stained crystal.

Fem’s face instantly turned pale. His eyes widened, and he violently coughed blood, his body beginning to shudder as the pain settled.

Fem’s head tilted back to see his mother, who held the other end of the sword in her right hand.

“Mother?” Fem murmured as tears tracked down his face. His hands curled into a fist when she twisted the Orynite sword.

His mother remained expressionless, yet her left hand reached up in front of his face, lifting his jaw. Her voice carried a clear, ominous weight: “However, faltering in posture is a stain I could not afford on my watch.”

Fem’s eyes slowly closed. He let out a small breath before collapsing against her. She caught him; her arms, despite being filled with Orynite, held him with gentle strength.

Her gaze locked onto his face. She shut her eyes and pulled his face against her chest. The Orynite sword shimmered once before vanishing entirely.

Location: Agara, Mowaidella

A few days after the GAL1049 attack…

Curtains flowed in the wind, and the sun cast its rays into a clicking flower clock. Its green petals lowered precisely as 3 PM arrived.

Echa rested peacefully on a king-sized bed, which creaked softly with her movements. Her cloak lay on a golden-plated mannequin’s hand beside her.

An old music player in the corner filled the room with calm piano music; digital notes seemed to fly off it like dissipating fog before vanishing.

A figure sat nearby in a chair, a girl who looked slightly taller than Echa. She wore a sharp, tight yellow shirt and white trousers. Her long silver hair spilled down until it hit the floor.

She adjusted her gold-colored lens. Mint-colored rings adorned her fingers as she reached for the flying saucer-shaped desk lamp, positioning it above the letter.

“Check! Check! No mail for Jeena Amanla.” A mechanical female voice emerged from a white snake swirled atop the desk lamp. “Jeena! Are you listening?” The voice held an infuriated tone.

“Mm?” Jeena hummed. She lifted her pen, tapping it against her tan chin, her lips pressed tightly shut. Her focus remained entirely fixed on the letter.

“You sent thirty-seven letters in the last six days, Jeena.” The snake spoke, turning to face Echa, who was still asleep. It then whipped its face back to Jeena. “All because the girl asked,” it added, moving closer to leap onto the glass frame.

“I know,” Jeena replied. Her finger tapped the desk while the mechanical snake coiled down her neck, halting when her finger gently caressed its jaw.

“But she asked me; she trusted me with her truth.” Her earrings swayed softly as she leaned down to write with her left hand. Dear Aunty, she wrote.

“No one is going to reply to you from Tukeana. The situation is no good, and seriously, you haven’t spoken to them in ages, Jeena.” The snake coiled onto her right-hand finger, physically stopping her from writing.

Suddenly, to both their surprise, Echa stirred and opened her eyes.