<Error> - Military School (Part 4)

As Shizuko and the other Guardians were talking about me, I followed Vula's group to the exit of the airport's main building. I stayed further behind than everyone else in the group but close enough to keep up with them. I didn't try to participate in any active conversations when the group's members were chatting, nor did I try to speak. I stayed quiet like the dead of night. This continued until we reached the northeast of the city, where most of the guarded and secretive facilities and buildings were located. The Lieutenant General and I were granted access but the others didn't, except for the Colonel. 

I was guided into the walled building with soldiers on patrol, high looming gates and other defensive measures probably meant this place was an extremely important place with tight defence. Or it could just be a prison. Who knows. 
But anyway, after multiple tests, like fingerprint sampling, eye scans, DNA tests and many other tests, I was finally led into a room where the Lieutenant General was waiting in a chair, with a table and another chair in front of her. 

"Please take a seat." she greeted cheerfully. 

I followed her order and sat down. 

"Ahh... So, I finally meet you in person and in private as well. Now, I'm going to reintroduce myself. I am-" 

A ringing sound abruptly cut off Vula's sentence. 

She looked at her phone and her smile dropped. 
"Tsk. Sorry. Gotta take this call." she apologised, leaving the room. 

I was left in a cold and silent room, all alone for the next couple of minutes. I tried to calm myself down but it was no use. 

But then, I heard something. Something like a glass crack. I widened my eyes as I got up from the seat, rushingly. 
But it was silence. Silence again. And then... I saw it. A crack, floating in midair just above the chair across from me. 
I was astonished but yet at the same time, I was bewildered. I moved closer to the crack. I observed it closely. 

Hmm. It's just like a normal crack, except for the fact that it is in midair. I can walk into it and pass through it like it's not there. Strange. What is that? 

I pondered my thoughts again. I was trying to solve the mystery but then, I felt a sudden shock running down my entire body. 
I looked at my surroundings and panicked as cold sweat dripped down all over my body. 

What was that? It felt like... death. 

I was reluctant to sit down again and I was just standing in the same spot with my guard all the way up, so I couldn't be caught off guard again by... that. 
But soon after, the Lieutenant General returned. 

"Hm? Did something happen? I'm rather sorry about taking a long time. Please, do sit down." 

I wasn't in a position to disagree so I followed her order again. 

"Ah. Sorry about that. As I was saying, I am Lieutenant General Vula, a Lone Commander. Meaning, I don't have anything under my command. I get a request from someone and I take it, leading their troops to complete their mission for them." 

"So that's how it is..." I replied. 

"Indeed. It is rather unfortunate but it works out for my style. But anyway, I have orders to tell you something but let's push that to the very end." 

"Hm." 

"Now. According to our data reports, we share over 95% of the same DNA. Rather strange. It is lower for twins but a way higher percentage for siblings. We both have the same fingerprints, for every finger, exactly. Now, this event doesn't happen to identical twins, let alone siblings. An even more puzzling case is that our physical and mental capabilities were the same. If the results were similar, then that's normal. But if it's exactly the same, then that will spark some controversy." 

"Hmm."

I listened to Vula very closely. I wanted answers to some common questions we both had in mind. As I listened, I wasn't that surprised. Maybe because I had met the god of this world, Uto, who can do anything in this world. 
If he can create life with a single wave of an arm (as he claimed), then creating two different people nearly the same, it was a piece of cake for him then. 

"And finally... my orders." 

Vula snapped her fingers and a man walked into the room, carrying something; something like a box or chest. He placed it carefully in front of Vula, bowed and left. 

"What's that, if I may ask?" 

"I'll get into it in a bit. Let me explain something related first though," she replied. "Everyone and everything contains an energy that we like to call 'Divine Essence'. It is solid proof that God exists and created this world, so that is why we worship him. We worship him so he can protect us and grant blessings to us if he is pleased. And those blessings come in the form of that energy, Divine Essence. The more Essence packed together can create more powerful blessings and vice versa." 

"Hm. I understand." I replied. "But what does that has to do with me?" 

Vula grinned. She pointed at the mysterious crack behind her. 

"Do you know what that is?" she asked. 

I shook my head. Vula laughed, and she tossed something into the crack. A violent rumbling occurred soon after. And when the rumbling ended, the crack retreated and it was gone. 

"That..." she started. "Was a crack of reality. The earliest records and reports about the cracks were around 300 years old. And a little bit of military secret here, 300 years ago was also the time when the Divine Essence density erupted to levels never seen for thousands of years. We did a lot of investigation to find answers... and our findings can be pinned to one person." 

Small amounts of sweat were running down my body. As for I awakened the curse also around 300 years ago. It was a secret that I planned to tell no one, not even the closest of my closest friends. And I swore to never tell about it to anyone as well. After what had happened to the people who I did tell it. 
Now, I may be overreacting but I can tell from Vula's eyes and glare at me... she knows that I'm the source of the problem. 

"Heh. Based on your reaction, you realised who's the person I'm talking about right?" 

"Right..." I slowly mumbled. 

"Yes, it's you. You are the person I'm talking about. Your body contains levels of Divine Essence that are far above the average being. And even for the Guardians too." 

The Guardians? I think I had heard that name before... but where exactly? 

As I tried to find where I had heard about the Guardians, I noticed something strange. Vula was frozen like a statue, and she appeared like time wasn't moving. 

"Hello? Lieutenant General..?" I asked. 

"It's no use trying to get her attention." said an unfamiliar voice out of nowhere. And it wasn't normal either. It was playing straight into my head. 

"Who's there? " I calmly asked the voice.  

"Hm? Did you forget me already? Well, it's fine. Maybe just seeing me will spark your memory." 

I rushed to turn around to see nothing. 
"Behind you." said the voice. 

So I turned around again. And this time, instead of seeing the wall again, I saw the outline of a humanoid figure.
"Is that you over there?" I asked. 

"Correct." answered the voice. The figure approached me, slowly getting into view. My eyes widened when the figure fully entered my view. Orange and black clothing. A funny clown mask. Light blue hair. And I knew one single person who matched this appearance. 

"The Leader of the Orange Clowns huh. Your appearance may have changed a little but nonetheless, the memory of you in that square with a real tree is still burning a bright flame inside of me." 

"Ah! So you do remember me still. Glad you did. I was worried for a second that you had already forgotten me." 

"So? What do you want? And what's going on here?" I asked the clown. 

"Now, now," answered the clown, joyfully jumping around me. "Don't be so hasty." 

I sat down again, half-bored. 
"So? What do you want to tell me?" I asked again. "Ugh. Today is really a huge mess isn't it..?"

"Hm? Nothing much. I only had some personal reasons to make contact you. But I'll make one thing clear: Be wary of a person with silver-grey hair, almost like metallic colour. Her name is <ERROR>. Huh? <ERROR>. Well, I guess I'm not allowed to say her name right now. Oh well, unfortunate but anyway, be wary of her. She may act cute, innocent or like that but deep down, she's a ruthless leader of a powerful criminal organisation, <ERROR>. Ugh. Can't say that either." the clown said in a serious tone. 

"I mostly understand. But is this information really important for me to know?" 

"Of course it is. So, just in case, I'll warn you once again. Be wary of a girl, with silver-grey hair, almost metallic in colour. You are going to meet her in a future conflict zone, though I won't specify which one, she along with her partner will try to take your life." 

"Kill me? Fine with me." 

"Oh. And final message before I go. She has the strength to rival even the Guardians, the top soldiers of the Cloud Empire. I'll come and meet you in the future again so don't be so surprised when time suddenly stops. I have no hostile intentions, just to be clear, though you probably won't believe me." 

"Oh. Okay..." 

I watched the clown disappear into thin air while I heard Vula's voice again. 

"-So that's the gist of it... Hey, you listening?" Vula asked. 

"Oh yeah, of course, I am." I immediately replied. 

Vula made a face of doubt before continuing. 
"Well anyway, my job here is done. Shizuko will come and pick you up in a bit for you to get sighed up and after that, I challenge you to a fair and square duel. You have no right to refuse so give it your all. I'll be looking forwards to that day." she said, walking off. 

I was prepared for her to make an official statement about our duel but I didn't expect her to say it so casually. I followed her out of the building where I met up with Heodia and we waited for Shizuko to pick us up. And as Vula said, Shizuko soon turned up and we got a ride to a hotel(?) where Heodia and I spent the night at. 

During the night, I got flashes of unknown memories again, this time of a young girl with a long white scarf around her neck holding a black sword in the snow, with the person's arms holding her up.
She lay in the memories holder's arm with her eyes closed. I felt there was more to the memory but I cannot recall it. 

...