Chapter 24: Dark Void

Hours have passed since Alecia, and Aven arrived at Clay's building.

In this afternoon, the area is quiet. Only the faint sound of the ships in the far distance is heard.

Both Alecia, and Aven step out from Clay's building, only for the doors to close behind them. They both walk past the guard, and proceed to the ship.

"Now with that out out of the way." Aven said, walking around his ship.

"We can worry about other things."

Alecia stands on the other side. Only for her to rub her forehead with a frown for a moment, only to look up and lowers her hand.

"I'm glad we're out of that place." She said, taking a quick look over her shoulder.

"I couldn't agree more." Aven said, facing her with a nod, only to open the door and gets in the ship, followed by Alecia.

"At least we got what we came for." Aven said, looking at her with his hand on the control.

"Yes." She said, opening a black sleeve, which has two syringes inside. All filled with a lime-green substance.

"I wish he had made more." She closes the sleeve, and holds it on her lap.

"It's best that you keep them safe with you." He said, powering up the ship.

"Remember it's just temporary until he makes a cure for you."

"I know." She said, looking through the window.

The ship ascends off the ground, only for the thrusters to rotate, and accelerates the ship forward, and flies from the area.

-

Along the streets of the empress' vessel. Almost like Senteria, ships fly to and fro, all in different altitudes.

Among them, Aven's ship flies within the traffic.

Alecia stares at the window, her eyes locking on a few ships passing close by, and catching a glimpse of buildings in the distance. Marveling in her mind how such structures can withstand the motion of the empress' vessel. These buildings are just at the right height to survive. Still her sister's vessel lacks speed to effect them.

Everything is so different than the world she left behind on the earth planet. The same one she remembers waking up to. Back when she lost all memory of her life, and who she is. She met life threatening dangers that tested her. She almost lost her life more times than she could recall.

Lingering on the past isn't helping her condition. After all, the past is in the past. The present is what counts, the future is to be made better, or worse by her actions alone.

Her thoughts flood her mind until she is reminded by an old friend, by the name of Kevra. It's been decades since she has last seen her. Is she okay? Where is she now? So many questions plague her mind.

Alecia turns her attention to Aven, noticing his fixed gaze ahead. Focused, and calm, he is.

"Where do you think Kevra might be?" Alecia asked, waiting an answer from him.

"Kevra?" Aven said, looking at her with a raised eye-brow.

"You are still on about her?"

"Well... She was a good friend of mine." She said, having a calm smile on her face.

"You know how it feels to miss a friend, don't you?"

"Yeah." He said, looking at her briefly.

"I told you already that she went, right after we left that planet, she quit, and disappeared. No one knows where she is."

"But why do you think?" She said, her voice having an impatient tone.

"There has to have been a reason."

"I could maybe guess..." He said, looking at her, and stares ahead once more.

"She seemed very upset by what happened to you, despite the supposed betrayal. Maybe that got to her."

"Maybe..." She simply said, her eyes averting away.

"I hope we'll see her again."

"Me too." Aven said, still focusing ahead.

"Those were the good old days."

"How do you think she'll react, if she she sees that I'm alive, and well?" She asked him, looking at him intentivly.

Aven chuckles.

"I think she will be quite happy." He said, looking at her with a slight smile.

Alecia, looks at the window, now having a soft smile, only to lean her cheek on the palm of her hand.

"I do hope she's doing okay, and happy." She said, with a quiet tone in her voice.

"I'm sure she is." He said, with a gentle tone in his voice.

Alecia, for a moment she sits quietly. Her eyes locking on a building moving past, and onto the next one after it.

The world, and within the ship, everything she sees, starts to slowly mold, and ripple, as everything dances in unison.

Her eyes dart back and forth in panic, only for her to turn her attention to Aven, as his body, and face ripple as well. Aven's faint voice is heard, but his words are muffled out.

She opens the black sleeve on her lap, and takes out a syringe. Only for her to feel a hand on her shoulder.

She takes the cap off of it, and brings the syringe close to her arm. Her hand swaying uncontrollably.

"A-ve." She tries to say, only for her words to slightly slur.

"Hel-"

She feels the ship descending. All that is seen are light rays moving up as it slices through the windows.

Everything has gotten still, the syringe is taken out from her hand, and in one motion, it gets injected into her arm.

Hardly making a difference, everything is slowly being engulfed by blackness, her eyes feeling heavy, only for them to slowly close.

-

She opens her eyes, silence beckoning everywhere, darkness surrounds her. Standing, and not moving an inch of her body, her face calm, her eyes are still, no breeze to command her hair.

Within the void, a fair distance away, a turquoise light source, shines along her body.

Her eyes shift to the unknown light, as it reflects its brightness. Only for her to see a turquoise pillar of light, and out from it, sprouts the woman she recognises all too well.

Surrounded by a turquoise glow, she steps towards Alecia. blue-hair, and still dressed in a long sleeve black top and pants, with a skirt over.

Alecia begins to frown, as she slightly turns her head, still with her eyes drawn to her. The unsettling feeling begins to fill within her chest.

"Eva." She simply said, her tone quiet.

"Alecia." She said, slowly stepping towards her in an elegant manner. Her lips slowly twist into a smile.

"I told you we'd see each other again." The glow of her pupils fade.

Alecia continues to stare at her, giving no reply to Eva. Watching as she gets closer with each step.

"What's wrong, Alecia?" Eva said, tilting her head slightly, now standing in front of her.

"Aren't you glad to see me?" She gives a non-threatening smile.

"Why would I be?" She said, looking eye to eye with her.

"You're the last person I ever want to see." Her voice fuming in anger.

"Wow... That truly hurt my feelings." Eva said, her voice oozing with sarcasm, she steps around her, smiling in confidence.

"Why the anger?" She asked, now behind her; her steps tinkling as if the floor is covered in water.

Alecia turns around to face her, still with a frownful gaze.

"You are actually asking me that?" She said, her hand closing, her one finger scratching the end of the sleeve.

"You killed people, and tried to kill me too."

Eva shakes her head, and opens her eyes.

"No." She simply said, folding one of her arms under the other, now keeping her hand near her own lips.

"Well... You're right, I did kill people, a lot of people." She said, averting her eyes, and smiling as if it doesn't faze her.

"But you..." She said, looking at her. Urging, Alecia to narrow her eyes.

"No, I had no intention on killing you."

Alecia frowns at those words, puzzled at what she said.

"Really?" She simply asked.

"Remember?" Eva said, stepping around her once more.

"Right when I was at the verge of death."

Eva chuckles quietly.

"When I confessed my... Let's say." She pauses, her chin raised while she comes into view.

"Feelings..." She stands, smiling at her, urging her to avert her eyes with a huff.

"You're not even real." Alecia said, turning away, and starts walking into the endless void.

"Are you really sure about that?" Eva said, from behind, her voice echoing across the darkness.

"Why am I not waking up?" Alecia, murmured to herself. Her eyes scanning up.

"Maybe it's because you secretly like it here." Eva said, watching as Alecia passes her.

Alecia stops walking, now breathing slightly heavy now. As endless as the void seems, she feels claustrophobic.

She looks up into the void, now beginning to inhale.

"AVEN!" She shouted his name, her hands cuffed around her mouth. Only for her voice to echoe into silence.

She gets frightened by Eva's sudden burst of laughter from behind her. Gritting her teeth, she turns around to face her.

"What!?" She asked, her voice leaving another echoe.

Eva catches her breath, still with a joyful smile.

"Do you honestly think anyone could hear you?" She asked, now shaking her head slightly.

"Has it not accured to you that you're unconscious?"

Alecia face softens, she now gives a downcast look. That's right, how could she be so foolish?

"You are silly, you know that?" Eva said.

"This is what happens when you help others... You suffer for it." Eva turns her attention away for a moment, and walks a few feet away from her..

Alecia stares at her for a moment with a frownful gaze.

"It's not a concern to me." She said, watching as Eva kneels down, as if she's ignoring her.

"That girl needed my help, and I would do it again if I have to."

"It's not something I would have done." Eva said, fiddling with the floor under her feet.

"Well that's you, not me." Alecia said, taking a few steps towards her.

"Oh Alecia." Eva said, chuckling.

"When will you ever learn that we're the same." She said, looking behind her shoulder for a moment, and back at the floor.

"We're nothing alike." Alecia said, her tone sounding in irritation.

"I don't know about that." Eva said, smiling.

"Remember what you said when you obsorbed my essence?" Those words urges Alecia to look at the floor for a moment, and looks at her once more.

"We were once separated, and now we are one again." Eva said, with a soft tone.

"That's what you said, wasn't it?"

Alecia's fist losens. Those were the exact words she herself said. Eva was at the verge of death. The body she had was completely synthetic. Thanks to her, she involuntarily brought Eva to life with her own energy. But from an energy wave produced by Leah, she was defeated, and was brought to the brink of death.

Now Eva is once again in her presence, as if nothing happened. Is she but a memory, or something else entirely?

"What are you doing?" Alecia asked her, and just then, she gasps when she hears Aven's voice calling her through the void.

"Aven, I'm here!"

Alecia jogs a few steps, now having a smile on her face.

"He can't hear you, Alecia." Eva said, her tone sounding in frustration. Only for her to continue fiddling with the floor.

Alecia glares at her, only to look up at the void, and waits for herself to wake up.

"Finally!" Eva shouted in relief, which draws Alecia's attention. Only for her to see a turquoise light forming from the floor where Eva is.

"What did you do?" Alecia said, slowly stepping towards her with a puzzled look on her face, as her eyes locks on the strange light.

Eva looks over her shoulder at Alecia, and chuckles with a smile.

Eva slowly stands up, only to step back and watches as the floor beneath them begin to vibrate. Cracks of turquoise light branchs out from the light source, and travels far as the eye can see.

The void is now filled with a loud homing noise, as it gets illuminated by large beams of light sprouting forth.

Alecia steps back, her arms still, panic on her face. She turns to Eva, with her back facing her.

Eva's body begins to emit turquoise flames as it surges around her. She slowly looks over her shoulder at Alecia, her eye pupils now glowing bright. Slowly, a slight smile forms on her face.

"Now things will be better." Eva said, her voice sounding clear within the humming noise.

Alecia widens her eyes, still panic filled her face.

"What?" She simply said, now narrowing her eyes.

"You'll finally know what ascension feels like." Eva chuckles, only to look ahead of herself, and starts chuckling.

She continues to walk away, as her body is but a silhouette against the bright turquoise void surrounding her.

Alecia continues to watch her body get smaller until she is no longer visible, only for her to be engulfed in a white light.

"Alecia?" Aven's voice is heard, now clear.

"Alecia!" He called out again, as a silhouette of his head is seen.

"Come on, wake up."

Alecia opens her eyes fully, only for them to flutter, only to see him looking over her.

"Aven?" She said, struggling to sit up, her body feeling heavy, and stiff. Only to sit up in the back seat of the ship.

Aven's ship now rests on a street corner, buildings surrounding them, with the sound of ships looming above.

"Are you okay?" He asked, holding her up, still with a worrisome look on his face.

"I think so..." She said, holding her forehead with her eyes shut.

"What happened?" She asked, looking at him, her eyes still adjusting to the light.

"I don't know..." He said, averting his gaze with a thoughtful look.

"You rushed for the syringes, I saw you struggling, so I landed the ship, and helped out, but then you blacked out."

"How long was I out?" She asked.

"About thirty minutes." He said, shifting himself in his seat.

"Wow, that long." Alecia said, having her hands over her face. She moves them off, and watches as Aven opens the door, only to step out, and gets in the pilot seat.

"Here..." He said, handing her the syringe sleeve.

"You've got one left now."

Alecia opens it, and sees one remaining, only for her to close the sleeve again.

"Alright, are you okay in the back seat?" He asked, powering up the ship.

"Yes, I'll be okay." She answered with a nod, and shifts to the one side.

"Or do you want to come back to the front?" He said, looking over his shoulder.

"No, I'll be here for now." She said, adjusting herself in the corner.

"It's more comfortable here." She smiles at him, only for him to return a slight smile.

His ship slowly ascends off the ground, as the thrusters rotate back. The ship rotates, only for it to accelerate, and flies off into the traffic of other ships.