CHAPTER 14
"MUM!" A loud shout broke through the air as a young boy shot upright from his laid back position.
His breath was ragged as he panted like someone who had just run a hundred metres race.
Sweat dripped down from his forehead as his hand slowly crept up to his chest.
His mind flashed with the images he had just seen in his dream.
But now that he was awake, it dawned on him that everything wasn't a dream.
It was all reality.
"Ray…" a soft voice called from the side, causing the young boy to quickly turn around to see his best friend sitting quite close to him.
"Huh?" He blinked rapidly as his vision finally cleared to reveal where he was.
Looking up, the view of an earthen ceiling appeared in front of his eyes.
His hand shuffled on the ground, revealing the marble texture like flooring beneath his body.
Noises filled his ears, causing his head to twist and turn as he spotted several hundred humans huddled in the same space.
Some sat on sleeping bags while some walked in and out of the place they were in.
A little distance away, a door could be seen with several people moving in and out.
In short, this place looked like one enormous hall created to house the humans.
"... Van? Wh-where are we?"
Van took in a deep breath as he now sat down comfortably beside Ray, as he was kneeling earlier.
"We are in a shelter… inside wall steel."
Ray blinked in confusion as he stared around him.
"We…we made it to wall steel?"
Van nodded with a somewhat distant look on his face.
"But honestly, our situation is bad."
Ray lifted an eyebrow.
"Huh? What do you mean?"
Van exhaled deeply as he turned to stare at his best friend.
His gaze lingered on him for some reason before he replied:
"Wall steel was caught off guard by the amount of refugees. They weren't prepared, hence we are in this shelter that is barely able to contain us.
Even feeding has become a problem as rations aren't reaching us that much. We have simply become too many to feed."
"Oh."
Ray sighed as he traced his gaze to his hands.
He blinked in confusion as all his injuries were gone.
Touching his back, he couldn't feel any blood trickling down from it, and neither could he feel his wounds.
"Huh?"
Noticing this, Van decided to explain.
"... A grade 5 healer was sent down here and she helped tend to your injuries, healing them all except…"
Ray's hand moved, touching a little above his left eyebrow to feel the slightly rough skin there.
This was where the laser from the Abberant's mothership had grazed him. He had also been hit here a few times.
"... Except that."
Ray heaved a sigh.
"Guess I have a scar now eh?" He chuckled drly as his hands unconsciously gripped his sleeping bag tightly.
He lifted his head to glance at Van, who had been staring at him intently.
"Huh? What's the matter?"
Van quickly blinked, refocusing on his friend, and then, like a robot, he pointed at him.
No. Specifically at his face.
Ray grew even more confused as he lifted his hand to touch his face.
Aside from the scar on his left eyebrow, he felt nothing unusual.
"I do not see it."
With a tired sigh, Van reached into his pocket and pulled out a shiny object, which he handed to Ray.
With a raised eyebrow, the teenager took it and brought it up to his face.
The moment his reflection appeared on the surface, his brows furrowed in disbelief.
"H… how is this possible?"
He reached up, touching his hair, then with a sharp tug, he pulled out a few strands.
In his grasp, three silver strands could be seen.
Staring at his reflection again, he took in his new image.
Earlier, his hair had been jet black with faint streaks of silver at the edges.
But now, the silver had spread. It dominated the top of his head, with only a few black strands left in the middle, before turning silver again at the tips.
"How did this happen? What happened to me?"
Van tilted his head as he studied Ray.
"Do you not remember what happened on the train?"
Ray's brows knitted tightly.
"On the tra…"
His words trailed off as the delayed memories slammed into his mind, causing his eyes to widen.
He remembered his panic on the train. The strange rock-like creature crashing into it like a falling meteor.
Then it had moved toward him, embedding itself into his skin.
The pain had been unbearable, right before his ability book burned in front of his face.
A faint chime had echoed in his mind before everything went dark.
'That chime and that mechanical voice…'
Van nodded when he saw Ray's expression.
'Seems he has recalled it.'
With a sharp exhale, he continued:
"After you lost consciousness, the adults on the train thought you were dead and wanted to throw your body out.
I protested, but they would not listen. When they tried to lift you, they felt your pulse and heartbeat. That was how they realized you were only unconscious, so they left you on the train."
He paused, watching Ray stare into space, unsure if he was even listening.
After a moment, Van continued:
"The journey to Wall Steel took about a day and a half because they had to fix the damage caused by that rock."
'So I was unconscious the whole time… for a day and a half?'
When Van finished, he looked at Ray carefully.
"... Are you alright? I mean, that rock fused into your wrist. Do you feel any different?"
Ray blinked and glanced at his wrist, which was now completely healed.
"I feel… fine."
'But I am still confused about the notification I heard before I passed out. It sounded like a… system.'
The instant the thought formed, a loud ding echoed in his mind.
[System Activated and Fully Functional]