Monday, July 19th, 1740
Train Station.
Work starts at 9 a.m., so Lyxander always arrives at 7 to avoid the crowds.
He stood upright behind the yellow line, listening to music while waiting for the train to arrive.
Unfortunately, he couldn't enjoy the music peacefully. The discussion in the group chat had left him with a major question.
"Do I really need power?"
He clearly understood how important power was, but *needing* something and something being *important* were two different matters.
If this question had arisen before his encounter with Orochi, he would have pursued power without hesitation. But now, he could no longer return to Earth, and his entire family was gone. What was left for him to pursue?
Protect his new family? Although this world possessed supernatural power, its security was clearly guaranteed. Even without power, his family would remain safe.
Power—did he truly need to chase it?
Unfortunately, Lyxander's contemplation was interrupted by a woman's voice echoing throughout the station.
"Attention to all passengers. Please stand behind the yellow line for your safety."
Lyxander boarded the train and left the station.
—
Under the blue summer sky, Lyxander walked toward the bus stop.
"Kekeke."
He chuckled at the familiar fixture of the bus stop—of course, the one he meant was Natanael.
Lyxander took a seat right beside her. Not wanting to be questioned again, he had spent the past few days sitting next to this woman. By now, it seemed to have become a habit.
Lyxander was still trapped in a misunderstanding, believing Natanael had communication issues. Because of that, he had spoken to her every day over the past week. Though she ignored him at first, his efforts finally paid off after three days of consistent conversation. Drawing on the many books stored in his mind, he managed to spark Natanael's interest.
Beside him, Natanael nodded off repeatedly, drifting in and out of sleep. He had no idea what made her so exhausted.
"If you want to sleep, you should lean back," Lyxander suggested.
"Huh?" Natanael looked dazed.
"Thank you."
She then rested her head on Lyxander's shoulder.
"Eh!"
"Eeeeh!"
*I meant leaning on the seat, not on me.*
Of course, Lyxander wanted to wake her and stop this awkward situation. However, just as he was about to do so, tears slipped from her eyes, and she began murmuring softly.
"Mom… Dad…"
Lyxander froze. Although he could now talk with Natanael, in truth, he knew nothing about her at all.
Choosing to endure the discomfort, he allowed Natanael to rest on his shoulder until the bus arrived.
---
**Entity Corporation Headquarters**
Inside the elevator, two **Crows** were descending.
"Ugh, my shoulder."
Lyxander's shoulder had gone numb. He rotated his arm.
"Sorry about that," Natanael said.
"It's fine. It was my fault for not waking you up," Lyxander replied, glancing at Natanael as he recalled her quiet sobs.
Staring straight ahead, Lyxander asked in a flat tone,
"Senior, you don't have to answer if you don't want to. Why were you crying?"
He didn't like meddling in other people's affairs. But to Lyxander, Natanael wasn't just anyone.
*When I was sad, my little sister always listened to my complaints.*
*Old memories resurfaced.*
*But I never realized she was hiding her own sadness.*
*At school, she was bullied, yet she never told anyone.*
*Even though I eventually beat up the girl who bullied her, I still regret not being attentive enough.*
Lyxander looked at Natanael.
"I'll listen."
Natanael didn't turn around or show any reaction, but she whispered softly.
"I want to go home."
A single sentence tore through Lyxander's heart. His pupils widened, his mouth fell silent. He didn't know what to say.
"My family died in an accident. I was the only one who survived."
Lyxander turned his body and lifted his head.
"I see…"
Drip.
The sound of a tear falling echoed.
Natanael finally turned around. Her pupils widened. Before her stood a man trying to cover his face, yet tears were clearly visible.
"Why are you crying?"
"No," Lyxander lowered his head and wiped away his tears.
"It's just… I want to go home too."
Natanael raised her hand and gently stroked Lyxander's head.
With a restrained voice, Lyxander asked,
"What are you doing?"
Natanael smiled faintly. Her bright blue eyes, paired with her flushed cheeks, made her smile feel incredibly warm.
"When I cried, my mother always stroked my head," she whispered.
"Hehe."
Lyxander smiled.
"I'm fine now."
"Really?"
"Really."
Natanael withdrew her hand.
"Thank you," Lyxander said.
Ding!
The elevator doors opened.
"No, I'm the one who should thank you."
Natanael walked away, leaving Lyxander standing silently behind.
—
After changing clothes, Lyxander entered Division 5's room. The room was underground, completely isolated from outside light and sound. When the lights were off, it became pitch-black.
Having grown accustomed to arriving early, Lyxander no longer needed to fumble around to find the light switch.
"Uhm."
A small sound came from beneath his foot.
He had accidentally stepped on something on the floor. The sensation felt strange, yet the size oddly fit his foot. Curious, he immediately turned on the light.
Click!
Looking down, Lyxander finally realized what he had stepped on—a chest.
"Woah!"
Panicking, Lyxander jumped back.
A blonde-haired woman woke up. She stretched her arms and back, causing her chest to become even more prominent.
It was Quartz.
Lyxander was stunned. He knew military uniforms were designed to protect vital areas, but he hadn't expected such effectiveness.
"Hoaaam."
Quartz yawned.
Rubbing her eyes, she noticed Lyxander.
"Is it morning already?" she asked.
"Why are you sleeping here?"
Lyxander turned away.
"Hah…"
Quartz let out a sigh.
"My report wasn't finished, so I had to stay overnight at the office."
With watery eyes, she began to complain.
"Isn't that too cruel? Making a girl sleep alone in the office just for a report."
Lyxander ignored her and headed toward a desk, but his hand was suddenly grabbed.
Quartz's dark red eyes widened. Her smile looked strange.
"You'll help me clean up this mattress, right?"
Lyxander tried to pull his hand away, but the more he resisted, the tighter her grip became. In the end, he had no choice but to help.
After folding the mattress, Lyxander waited for Quartz to change clothes before accompanying her to return the stolen mattress to the infirmary.
"Senior, I'm hungry," Lyxander said, glancing at Quartz.
After two weeks of working together, he had begun to understand the unique traits of each member of Division 5. One of Quartz's peculiar traits was her smile, which always felt forced, and how rarely she blinked. Lyxander even wondered whether her optic nerves still functioned properly.
"Hm."
Quartz rested her chin on one finger and smiled.
"Well… alright, I'll treat you."
"Hehe."
Lyxander chuckled. He was looking forward to spending Quartz's money.
They returned the mattress to the infirmary and then headed to the cafeteria. The early morning made the place rather quiet, with many empty tables, ranging from long tables to tables for couples.
Lyxander and Quartz chose a table meant for couples, since it was just the two of them. Before sitting down, they ordered food at the counter. There was free food for employees, but the menu couldn't be chosen.
Quartz appeared to be counting the money in her pocket, but Lyxander didn't care and ordered expensive dishes anyway. They sat down and waited for the food to arrive.
"Lyxander, why is your name Lyxander?" Quartz asked with a smile, tilting her head.
"Because my parents named me that."
Lyxander rested his cheek on his hand.
"No, I mean, doesn't your name sound strange?" Quartz mimicked him, resting her chin on both hands.
"I don't really know either. But Xander is my family name, and Ly comes from the word 'lie,' which means falsehood."
"Hm… then may I call you Lie?"
"That's fine."
"Alright, Lie."
Quartz smiled and swung her legs back and forth.
"Quartz, may I ask you something?"
Lyxander looked at her.
"Ask anything. I'll answer everything."
"Why do you always smile and rarely blink?" Lyxander observed her expression—it didn't change.
Quartz's expression remained the same.
"I used to have an older sister."
Lyxander frowned. He had heard about the death of Quartz's older sister before, and now he regretted asking.
"We were both orphans raised by the Revolutionary Forces," Quartz continued.
"Revolutionary Forces?" Lyxander searched his memory.
The Revolutionary Forces were an extremist group opposing the absolute rule of the Infernal Empire and seeking independence. In the news, they were portrayed as cruel and brutal, often carrying out terrorist attacks that killed many people.
"Yes. They gathered orphans, trained them, and indoctrinated them to become Revolutionary soldiers."
Lyxander wanted to ask something but stopped himself and chose to remain silent.
"Every day, we were forced to watch cartoon videos depicting the Empire's crimes and their ideologies. No one was allowed to blink while watching. If you were caught blinking, your body would be beaten."
Lyxander bit his lip. Now he understood why Quartz rarely blinked—not because her eyes were damaged, but because she had been forced not to blink until it became a habit.
"They forced us to train in killing, brainwashed us every day, punished us for defiance, turned us into test subjects, and worst of all… they stole our emotions."
"Emotions?"
Quartz narrowed her eyes and smiled.
"Yes. They stole them from infancy. If a baby cried, they would beat it until it stopped. We were forbidden to laugh, let alone smile. I forgot… how to smile."
Lyxander couldn't say a word. What kind of treatment could make someone forget how to smile?
"Then how did you escape?" he finally asked.
"In winter, the security at the orphanage wasn't very strict, so my sister took me and we escaped. Honestly, we almost froze to death. Fortunately, Captain Simon—who was still part of Legion at the time—saved us."
*Legion!* Lyxander was shocked. Who would have thought Captain Simon had once belonged to that organization?
He still wanted to ask more, but their conversation was cut short by an announcement.
"Attention to all Crows. Once again, attention to all Crows. Entity 03-245 and Entity 03-124 have escaped."