Chapter 164
Chapter 164
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 164
Chapter Title: The Black Crow and the White Ghost (1)
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A sudden chill crept over my skin.
It wasn't like I'd caught a cold, but it felt like a shiver.
But when I thought about it, it made sense.
It was January, not even a full month into the new year.
The snow had stopped, but Nighthaven was still in the grip of winter, with a biting wind.
The kind of weather where just cracking a door open for a moment would send shivers down your spine.
If someone lacked the consideration to close the door, this was bound to happen.
“Are you cold? I made sure to turn the heat up.”
“…!”
But the chill I felt wasn't from any external source.
It was the cold of sweat evaporating, born from tension and trembling.
Like how a cookie tastes even sweeter after a sip of bitter green tea.
It was a deeply paradoxical sensation, one I could feel more clearly because of the surrounding warmth.
*I knew a day like this would come eventually…*
I shook my head vigorously at his question, strongly indicating that wasn't it.
Then, for no reason, I fiddled with the fox mask on my lap and cautiously looked up.
There sat Raven, looking utterly exhausted.
As if to prove he'd been working hard, the suit he always wore was more wrinkled than usual.
Had Raven considered the possibility that the heater was malfunctioning?
He checked the room temperature again before turning to me with a serious expression.
“Then… Yuria, we need to talk.”
“…”
*Gulp.* I swallowed unconsciously.
What could Raven possibly want to ask, now that he knew I was a psychic?
I wasn't mentally prepared for this at all. If I'd known, I would have fled to Alice's house.
Filled with regret, I let my mind drift back to the peaceful moments from a few hours ago.
It was a timid, escapist distraction, plain and simple.
* * *
About half a day had passed since the incident concluded. Darkness had receded, and the sun was beginning to rise.
The examinees with minor injuries who wished to return home were quickly processed.
After all, in this incident, the examinees were essentially innocent victims caught in the crossfire.
It seemed there was no reason to detain them after they signed a confidentiality agreement regarding the incident.
And so, as we were grouped by region and sent home on the Association's aircraft.
I was, of course, sent to Nighthaven along with Alice, David, and the others.
“Thank you for your cooperation. A small compensation for damages will be sent to your homes at a later date… Please, we ask that you strictly maintain confidentiality.”
“Ah, yes.”
“Unless someone has nerves of steel, I doubt anyone will be loose-lipped…”
“…”
Standing in the airport with my luggage in my arms, I nodded in agreement with David.
Their opponent wasn't some local corner store, but the Fixer Association, which held sway over the entire world.
Unless one defected to the Metahuman Liberation Army, there was no escaping the Fixers.
So, no one would be blabbing about the Sky Garden.
Perhaps because David had stated the obvious so matter-of-factly.
The Fixer guiding our group covered his mouth and chuckled before turning back toward the airship.
“Well then, we'll be on our way. We wish you the best of luck with your exam results.”
With that, the Fixer from the Association disappeared behind the sliding door of the aircraft, which quickly left the runway and vanished into the distance.
Though he had a broad smile on his face, there was a subtle lack of ease about him.
It seemed he had to rush back to a mountain of work.
The scale of the incident was so massive, they probably couldn't rest even if they wanted to.
I silently cheered on the already weary-looking Fixer as I held Alice's hand and left the airport.
The sight of Nighthaven greeted me, a place that now felt so familiar it was almost like home.
*It's still the same here. It's relatively quiet, probably because it's Monday morning… Still, compared to the Sky Garden, it's so noisy.*
Nighthaven, which I hadn't seen in days, was as bustling as ever.
Every citizen in sight was a metahuman with a unique appearance, while cars, hoverbikes, and PAVs flowed like a fluid, following the city's rules.
But did the presence of Monday persist even in a world like this?
The slightly subdued, lifeless atmosphere was certainly noticeable.
A malady that couldn't be cured by otherworldly magic or advanced science.
I suddenly had the amusing thought that the Monday blues might just be the incurable disease created by society.
“Ugh, is he busy? Jin won't answer his phone… Yuria, it looks like he isn't back yet. Want to come over to my place for a bit?”
“…”
I froze.
Lost in my own frivolous thoughts, I paused at the name that suddenly reached my ears.
Raven wasn't an examinee but an active Fixer… he was probably busy working back at the Sky Garden.
My mind a jumble from recent events, I thought for a moment.
I shook my head, carefully declining Alice's offer.
I needed some time alone right now.
And because the agency was likely a complete mess after I'd been away.
If there was any trash, I had to clean it up quickly while no one was around.
Did she somehow read my thoughts? She gave a wry smile, then nodded in understanding and patted my head.
“Really? Well, let's at least have lunch together, and then I'll walk you to the agency. Is that okay with you, David?”
“Yes, that's fine.”
“I'm good with that too!”
“…Right. Elizabeth was here too.”
The four of us—including Elizabeth, a new friend from the Fixer exam who had joined our group—had an early lunch at a recommended Japanese restaurant.
Our flight had been delayed, so we arrived just as the restaurant opened, which was a stroke of luck in a way.
“Well, see you tomorrow. Get some rest.”
“…!”
After finishing our meal, I waved enthusiastically to the others who had walked me back.
Then, I closed the door with a click and stepped into the chilly air of the Fixer agency.
The agency, which I hadn't seen in a while, was as messy as I'd expected.
It had been four days since I'd left for the exam. It was only natural for it to get dirty in that time.
*Raven isn't exactly the diligent type when it comes to cleaning. Trash, laundry, dust on the floor… Yep, I should tidy up before I change.*
So, before changing into something more comfortable, I took out the cleaning supplies.
If I changed into my pajamas first, they might get dirty.
I planned to get the work done first and then take a nice, relaxing bath.
Of course, since no one was watching, I'd be using my psychokinesis…
Still, that was the general idea. I wanted to get my chores out of the way so I could relax properly.
I grabbed a bag from the storage closet and used my psychokinesis to put the larger pieces of trash into it, one by one.
With a light flick of my finger, I operated the vacuum and the wet mop simultaneously.
I cleaned every nook and cranny, even the places that were hard to reach by hand.
In an instant, the dust and grime vanished, and the agency returned to its usual tidy state.
Yep, cleaning is so rewarding.
And when you use psychokinesis, you don't even get tired. The convenience of psychic powers was the best.
*Hmm, there's nothing left to do. I don't know when Raven will be back, so it's a bit early to prepare dinner… I guess I'll take a bath and then rest in the closet for a bit.*
My clothes were tattered from everything I'd been through, so I tossed them into the trash bag without a second thought.
After getting a change of clothes ready, I soaked leisurely in the bath.
Right after the incident, there had been no time to wash up.
The feeling of the grime washing off my body was exhilarating, almost euphoric.
Soon, dressed in my cozy cat pajamas, I felt a wave of drowsiness and staggered into Raven's closet.
My little haven—cramped and dark, but with a cozy blanket and a sweet scent.
Like plugging in a phone to charge, I connected the Tesseract to the rift.
Then I took off my mask, curled up under the blanket, and squeezed my eyes shut.
*I'm sleepy after my bath… Using psychokinesis is mentally exhausting… I guess I haven't fully recovered yet…*
In my current state, I needed to take a nap before evening.
I took a slow, deep breath and let my body sink into the warmth.
My consciousness quickly dissolved, sinking as if below the surface of water.
It was such a sweet, deep sleep that I might have even drooled.
* * *
When I came to, I found myself in the middle of a long, dull dream.
A dream of a girl trapped in a small, hamster-cage-like room in a world washed in gray.
She sat curled up on the bed, as if her thoughts had ceased completely.
As if she thought she were a pill bug, she always buried her face between her knees.
There were no amusements there.
Only a soul-gnawing hunger and the identical meals that relieved it.
Anyone forced to live such a life would surely break down in tears and cry out in anguish.
But the girl remained expressionless, as if she felt nothing at all.
For her, who had repeated this routine since birth, it was just a perfectly familiar daily life.
You cannot cry if you do not know fear.
You cannot laugh if you do not know joy.
The girl was, for all intents and purposes, like a doll.
And I… I was watching this scene from above, like a ghost.
*What a disturbing dream. But… that's strange. It doesn't feel unfamiliar at all. Why?*
Formless and abandoned in the dream, I pondered.
And I eventually realized I lacked the clues to find an answer.
The solution, then, was simple. If something is lacking, you just have to fill it.
I moved my formless body and decided to wander through the dream.
*Is this… a laboratory?*
Leaving the small room where the girl was confined, I was surprised to find the place filled with people.
There were others like the girl, listlessly confined to their rooms.
And there were many people in white coats, watching them as if they were subjects of observation.
I moved my formless body closer to the people in white.
And soon, the conversation they were having reached my ears with a clarity that was far too vivid for a dream.