The old lodge stood alone, buried deep in the wilderness, yet it was never quiet. From somewhere beyond the canopy came the distinct sound of industrial machineries. Metal and engines hummed and whirred…
"You dunce!"
That voice as well… counted as machinery grind.
Anyway, the perpetual noise never bothered the boy, but rather soothed the worries of his. He would often get distracted and daydream about the wondrous possibilities the future held.
It was exciting, to say the least. That was what it should have been. But he didn't feel as such.
"Luciel, I'll actually suck your blood. We've wasted two days because of your whole sightseeing shitshow!"
The boy bore the name Luciel. Unable to ignore the voice any longer, he absentmindedly looked at his partner-in-crime.
"Don't put it on me. We could've arrived in Usirus four days ago if you didn't forget the Interconnective Band at the bar. Some lucky bastard's about to get rich thanks to you."
"Could you blame me? I was piss drunk last night. You should've reminded me!"
His partner tried to justify, stomping like a child.
"And why do they have to make everything nano!? Those insane scientists at the Ark only care about technological progress. What about accessibility and usability for the average citizen? I bet they never think about us. Curse them and the whole AIS!"
Speechless, Luciel could only sigh.
The Ark Institute of Sciences was one of the key players that spearheaded the era of Genesium technology, greatly contributing to the survival and thriving of humanity after the Shattering that happened almost six centuries ago. Their superior technology also helped humanity level the playing field during the Civilization War against the mighty Otherworlders.
Their achievements alone cemented themselves as the de facto leader of the Originals.
Now, they became known for their evolved form as the Collective Union of Resonator Affairs, acting as a supranational authority. The new AIS became one of its main departments.
In any case, Luciel found her rant questionable, considering her hometown wasn't even in the Western Bloc. He had been travelling with her for more than a year, visiting different places while working part-time jobs to make ends meet, but he still couldn't believe that his partner was an Elf. This enigmatic race's homeland was on the Eastern Bloc, living alongside other ancient races as Otherworlders.
The Elven race was known for their elegance, poise, honor, and was one of the otherworldly races that humans actually held respect for instead of despise, but it seemed this so-called fact was singlehandedly debunked by this woman.
Her language was vulgar, her clothes were always wrinkled, and her drinking habits… Never mind.
But all of those dishonorable traits of hers were the reasons he accepted her invitation to be her travelling companion. Her sense of freedom was unlike any other. It was the wind itself.
Elves would never leave the homeland even if mankind was on the verge of extinction. It was extremely rare to find an Elf in the mainland, let alone become their companion. They were treated like royalty whenever they came to visit the land of the Originals.
And so, this debacle only showcased her freedom to the fullest because… she technically escaped from home.
As for Luciel, he also had freedom. But his freedom was restricted by a sense of loss. Before meeting her, he was busy trying to fight for another day in the Outlands. He had no time to think of freedom. The only things he worried about were basic needs like food, shelter, water.
As time flew by, he became numb to killing and danger, and his emotions felt shallow. Luciel had even forsaken a part of himself just to live on. Up until the point where he became truly and utterly alone, no memories before that ever appeared in his mind.
"Hey! You listening? Earth to Luciel!"
He slightly jolted.
"You alright?"
Her flamboyant tone melted away, replaced by a softness as gentle as morning dew.
Luciel yawned and rubbed his eyes.
"Yeah, I'm fine."
"You want a drink?"
"No. Mission day tomorrow."
The Elf sighed. She stood with her arms folded. Her finger tapping with rhythm as she stared at him for a good while.
"What? Something on my face?"
She then redirected her gaze toward the ceiling.
"Tch. Pick up that frown. I haven't seen you smile, like ever. And I'm not talking about the fake smile attempts you be doing. Urgh, still giving me the creeps."
"And here I thought you got something serious to say."
Besides the point… at least this sweet side of hers hadn't changed.
Don't let her grumpiness fool you. She worried in silence. If she scolded you and slipped in some slander, she was concerned. If she cursed you out, you'd probably done something so stupid she might faint.
Luciel chuckled inwardly.
"Thanks, Bambi."
Bambi shook her head.
"Save it. Just don't dawdle around tomorrow. We're strapped for credits and this job pays. And I mean it. It pays."
"That bad?"
She shot him a look, then tapped her Resonance Watch. A small holographic screen popped up in front of Luciel, and a number appeared on it.
"106 Ekos left. Won't even last us a few days."
"What? I remember we have at least a thousand…"
With a serious expression, Luciel interacted with the floating screen.
"Wait!"
Bambi retracted her arm and tried to run away, but Luciel grabbed it in time.
"Stay still."
"How are you so strong! I'm a Resonator, dammit!" she shouted.
Ignoring her tantrum, Luciel scrolled down to the expense report where all the crimes were laid out in the open.
His eyes had no choice but to widen themselves.
"Did those frivolous Empire louts put everything on your tab or something? You spent 3248 EK last night."
Bambi quickly averted her gaze and whistled the most guilty melody known to mankind.
That was all he needed to hear.
Everything he and Bambi had worked for a month was gone in one night.
"How did you spend that much without me noticing?"
In an instant, Bambi jumped onto her bed and covered herself with a wool blanket.
"Good night!"
Just like that, the wooden cabin was filled with crisp snores.
Honestly, Luciel had the urge to flick her forehead as hard as humanly possible, but he doubted even that would subside his boiling anger. Then again, the feeling passed as quickly as a breeze.
'Better than nothing, I guess.'
He walked over to his bed and lay down, heaving a sigh of frustration.
Every night, the auburn-haired boy with gray eyes lamented for his lack of character, but even more so for the fact that he was just an ordinary human.
As Bambi mentioned, she was a Resonator. They are beings who were granted supernatural abilities and soul awakening to combat against the Shattered Realm — the aftermath left behind by the Shattering.
What came from the Shattered Realm was a series of pervasive cracks of reality, ultimately unleashing grotesque beasts that could raze cities to the ground, and a chaotic energy that rotted the souls of the living. But most importantly, it gave access to the Realm itself, to which the pioneers called it "a golden opportunity to evolve humanity."
The Shattered Realm devoured and erased everything whole, while the people's will and ambition permeated the desecrated space. This dynamic created a push and pull effect where no one wanted to back down.
The people then coined the term the Hollow and the Echo to signify its coexistence.
'Alright. Enough with the history lesson.'
Luciel pulled his thoughts back.
Oftentimes, his mind drifted to the genesis stories of their new civilization. He found them interesting because within every detail, there was deliberate meaning attached to it — the fitting term "Hollow" to describe the emptiness of the phenomenon, or the Resonators' "echoes" that lingered in hollowed spaces to prove that even in a broken world, the soul would still defiantly insist on being heard.
There was meaning.
Even in the presence of absurdity, humanity accepted it and forged meaning out of it anyway. It was the greatest protest against the absurd.
Luciel, on the other hand, saw it differently. What others called absurd, he treated as necessity. And since he possessed no calling, no direction, and no Resonance, his own life felt structurally absurd.
That's why he had always gravitated toward meaning, and why he went on this journey with Bambi in the first place. But as he experienced the novelty of the Hollow and the normalcy of the mundane, he found himself even more nihilistic.
Bambi had the power to necessitate herself. He, however, wandered around aimlessly and superficially. He would wait mindlessly until the moons arrived, and then the sun would rise.
Rinse and repeat.
And so, along the way, Luciel concluded that his life was meaningless if he was ordinary. He realized that in order to truly live, and to not feel disconnected, he needed to become a Resonator. An ordinary life could be honest, but it could not interrupt or change anything, and he found that to be absurd more than anything.
Well, at least he figured out something.
'What are the chances I become a Resonator after this job?'
He thought about it and quietly laughed to himself. But apparently, it wasn't quiet enough.
"Lucieeeeel. I can hear your thoughts… It's soooo loud."
There she was with her nonsensical sleep-talking again, although it could be very accurate at times, like this moment, for example. Her instincts went beyond just that, often saving her from life-and-death situations.
'But she would've never been in those situations if she had stopped playing around, though…'
Luciel turned his head slightly toward her bed. He appreciated everything she had done for him. He didn't mind getting dragged along with her antics. After all, there was nothing his weak self could do anyway.
He closed his eyes, slowly drowning himself in despair and desire. The waters were high enough to drown him, but his unmatched ambitions kept him afloat. Otherwise, he would have died long ago in some barren land.
Maybe it was this moonlit night that amplified his worries. Maybe his sense of self felt more disconnected than ever. Whatever it was, the catalyst that would change his life had already begun.
Thereupon, Luciel dreamed of epochs.