Date - 21st July 2004 (Same Day)
Place - Central District
Time - 8:07 pm
(Narration)
What stood in sight is the quite literal centre of the land of Thysia, an enormous three story circular building called 'The Heart'. It has a diameter of 100 meters and is surrounded by walls of fences which are ten feet tall with two guards stationed at the main gate who are armed with a special type of body armour.
The ground floor consists of a simple, but giant lobby that has a man and a lady working at the reception inside the entrance on the right side. Each of them fill different time slots of the day and work in shifts to receive any visitors; after the reception, there's a staircase leading to the next floor and a doorway beside the reception which leads to a smaller circular building that has a diameter of 40 meters.
Unlike the main building The Heart, this smaller structure has no other floors, after entering through the doorway leading to this smaller building, there's a short hallway which then divides into two different paths, the path splitting to the right is a room which has a massive hi-tech device inhibiting it, this device is a teleporter which can be used to transport people and goods or services during an emergency across the provision, or even to a different planet in the matter of mere minutes, however, as of the moment it's primarily used only by the lords due to some inherent issues with the build of the mechanism.
Whereas the path diverging to the left lead to a massive storage room of documents and the workplace of a council of people known as the Central 20. While the strongest Top Lord/King is the most powerful single entity of the provision, he/she acts as a representative and doesn't hold all the powers to control the provision; in reality, this council known as Central 20 is the true ruling government organisation that ensures the regulations of the laws, and is responsible for enforcing them.
Going back a little to the lobby of the main building once again, there's a staircase and an elevator that is straight from the entrance, both of which lead to the above floors.
The first floor consists of a Conference room where the lords gather for the meeting (Lucy's current destination), then, a room that is strictly prohibited to be entered by unauthorised personnel which comes under the vicinity of Central 20 and finally, a massive room which has medical equipment/facilities (medicines, first aid, few healing pods which are made of glass, beds for patients).
The final floor i.e. second floor leads to the office of the Strongest Top Lord/King which also has a luxurious bedroom kept separately only for him/her with all necessities that one may need in their daily life. Being the strongest truly does come with its special benefits.
"I've reached…" Lucy said in a low tone as she arrived at the reception, her legs shaking a little which she tried to calm down by clutching onto her thighs.
"Huh? You! You are Lucy right…!?" Said the lady standing at the reception, waving her hand.
"Uh y-yeah! Ahaha…" In that moment, the only thought which roamed Lucy's mind was that if there was a chance to get away, she had just now lost it and could no longer turn back, "Hello Nina"
"Where were you at?" Nina said as Lucy walked towards her, she has a thin figure, orange hair tied into a ponytail, brown eyes and wearing formal clothes, her height is about the same as Lucy's (5 feet 8 inches) and age is somewhere in early 20s, "Everyone's been looking for you for the past few months! Do…do you know what has happened…?"
"I…was just away with something for a little while…but, something happened? I don't think I know what you are talking about…" Lucy asked as she wrote her name in the record book, Nina's expression had suddenly become stern.
"Er…uh…your siste-"
"Good evening, I was just about to come pick you up myself at this point, you are eight minutes late from the appointed time" Said the man standing near the staircase, he has a muscular figure, though not too buff i.e. like a mesomorph body structure, dark brown coloured hair and eyes, wearing a tan vest over a blue shirt that have rolled up sleeves with a dark red necktie and tanned pants, his height is about around 5 feet 11 inches, and age somewhere in late 20s, "Late as always"
"G-good evening sir!" Nina exclaimed, bowing a little.
"No need to be so formal now, good evening Nina" He greeted back as he walked towards the reception.
"You…" Lucy said as she looked towards the man, "Honestly, I completely forgot you existed Ari"
"HOW RUDE…!" The man exclaimed like a kid, unbecoming of his age.
"I am kidding" Lucy said as she finished up recording her entry, "Is…Mom here yet…?"
"Oh…" Nina made a sound and immediately looked down.
"Huh? Is something wrong…?"
…
"I see, you haven't been in contact for a while now so you wouldn't know" Ari said, turning to the stairs, and started walking up, "Follow me, I have something to show you"
"O-oh…alright…" Lucy said, following him up after waving bye to Nina who had a nervous smile.
"H-hey, we are already past the scheduled time… Where are you taking me…? Unusually quiet today huh…" Lucy said as they walked past the conference room towards the medical cabin, trying to calm down and bracing herself for this odd unsettling welcome she was getting.
"sigh…I honestly wish that it wasn't me who had to do this, but as the King, I have no other choice really"
clack!
He said as he opened the double door, the inside of the room would have been abandoned of any light if it weren't for a pod straight across the doorway which is filled in glowing turquoise liquid that illuminated itself.
"?!" The moment the door opened and the sight laying at the end of darkness became visible, Lucy felt that an arrow was shot through her chest for just a moment.
tap
"What's…this…?" She asked, stepping within the darkness, her voice echoing a little in this large room along with some beeping sounds that came from near the glass pod, "Rebe…cca…?"
What laid within the glowing liquid was a feeble 10 year old girl with dark brown hair wearing a white t-shirt and slacks, she had a mask connected to her face and several other wirelike things holding her.
tap
Lucy slowly took another step, her head shaking in denial.
tap
Another step, faster than the one from before.
tap tap tap! tap! tap!
She quickened her pace, trying to make sense of what she's seeing, hoping that she's mistaken the person within that glass for someone it isn't.
thuck!
"Ari…what…what happened to her?!" She exclaimed as she put her hands on the glass, confirming what her eyes were showing her; alas, it was Rebecca inside the thick container, her own little sister.
beep
"I don't know" Ari said with a grim and somber look on his face as he came closer, "Ano-"
"You…don't know…?" Lucy said as she clenched her hands and slightly turned her head to her back, "DON'T GIVE ME THAT!"
beep
"What do you mean you don't know!?" She exclaimed as she grabbed onto his shirt with both her hands, looking at him directly, filled with anxiousness, "Since…since how long has she been here…?"
beep
"It's been a bit more than a month now"
"More than a month…? She…she's been here for a month and you didn't even tell me?!"
beep
"'Didn't even tell you' Lucy, do you expect me to randomly have a dream at night that you have returned after vanishing for three months with no prior notice or contact during your disappearance?" He replied. Despite the wording of the response itself seeming irritated, the voice of it was completely normal to the extent that it almost came off as tone deaf; however, what he said was completely valid despite the given circumstances. It's as if he was calmly letting her know of his anger and frustration with her irresponsibility.
beep…beep…beep
"I did call at your house in the following days after Rebecca was found in this condition" He went on, "The one who picked up was Feirin and told me that you had returned, though because of the sensitive nature of this situation and its confidentiality, I didn't tell him about it. I told him to inform you to contact me back, which he must've done, right?"
beep…beep
"That…" She said, her expression still anxious, but hands shaking now, "Yes…he did…"
beep
"Yet you didn't call, why? And where were you even?"
beep…beep…beep
"I-I can't say…not right now…" She replied, stuttering in a low tone, her grip on his shirt now loosened, and she avoided eye contact by looking down.
beep
"When will you say it then?" He asked, still in the same posture and tone.
beep…beep
"Mom…where's Mom at…? Does she know about this?" She asked, feigning ignorance at his question and let go of her hold on him.
beep…beep…beep…beep
"Ari…does…Mom know about this…?" She asked once again, looking up at him now after not receiving an answer, his expression was still the same but his eyes showed a hint of agony.
beep
"Ari…? Why aren't you saying something…hey…" As she held his arms and shaked him, Ari looked up, took a deep breath then let it out.
beep…beep
"On 14 June, 12:04 am" He said, still looking up, "The 9th lord, Kaito reported back to the headquarters that he had found two lords in critical condition at the North District after sensing some commotion. Medical aid was immediately dispatched through portals, the two lords in question were the strongest General, Rebecca and…the 2nd Top Lord, Amane"
beep
"M…om was…?" Lucy whispered, her eyes wide open, jaw shaking, her mind clouded in confusion and unease eating her up as she held onto his arms, "Where…where…w-where is she now…?"
beep…beep…bee-
"ARI!! WHERE IS SHE NOW?!" She screamed, holding on tighter; her voice echoed in this large silent room.
beep…beep…beep
Ari finally looked down to face her, but his eyes remained closed and he shaked his head from side to side.
"...It was too late"
"Huh…?"
"By the time help reached, Amane was…alread-"
"What are you…saying…"
"...Lu-"
"WHAT ARE YOU SAYING?! IF THIS IS A JOKE THEN STOP ALREADY…!!" She screamed, pushing him away and panted heavily. Looking at him very closely, she clung to the hope that he would laugh out and tease her for taking him seriously, something that he did often, but,
tip…!
What echoed in this silence instead was the piercing sound of a single tear droplet that fell from his eye.
thud!
"This…you are…joking…right…? Right…? This…is taking it too far…" Whimpering, she fell to her knees.
beep…beep…beep…beep…beep
"Mom…is the strongest…stronger than anyone on Thysia…" She said in a low tone, "More than me or you…I don't believe it…there's nobody that can beat he-"
"She wasn't killed, it wasn't a murder"
beep…beep…beep
"Huh…?"
"It was suicide"
beep…beep…beep…beep…bee-
"Huh…? What…what are…what are you saying…" She said, gritting her teeth, thinking this is some sick joke for a moment, but the circumstances thus far had been evident enough to prove otherwise, even so, this was the last thing she could ever believe, "Do you…evEN KNOW WHAT YOU ARE UTTERING RIGHT NOW!?"
beep…beep
"pant…pant… There's no way…pant…something such as this…pant…pant…is possible…Mom wouldn't…she'd never…UGHAAAAARRRHHH…!!"
thud! thud!
"Lucy…!! STOP! STOP!!" Ari exclaimed, rushing to Lucy's position and stopped her from hitting her head on her hands which she had joined together on the floor.
"Get away…!!" She exclaimed, pushing him away.
thud!
"You! What is doing this now going to do?!" He said, stopping her by pulling both her arms from underneath, "It's already been over a month since all of it happened!"
"Grh…! SO WHAT?! SO…what…?" Her voice crippled, she sat covering her face with both her hands "It's been a month…and I…I've been just living…like nothing happened…?"
beep…beep…beep…beep…beep…
"You…don't need to attend the meeting…yo-"
"Just…give me some time…" She replied to Ari who stood beside, her hands still on her eyes, and back laid on the glass pod.
beep
"...Okay, take as long as you need…" He said and silently walked out the room.
clack
beep…beep…beep…beep…beep
"Grh…pant…pant…" Gritting her teeth in frustration, mind filled with disbelief, regret and anger eating her up, fear closing in on her; one particular emotion blossomed forth amongst them all in the next instant as she comprehended something.
'Why…why…' She thought, putting one of her hands on the glowing pod behind her, and the other still on her face, 'Why…won't tears come out…?'
Her expression was a terrified face, filled with a realisation that led to her confusion; just a moment ago, she felt a number of complex emotions running all across her head, but now, her mind was already clear. Still, what remained the same the entire time since when she entered this dark room was that she hadn't shed even a single tear.
beep…beep…beep…beep…beep...