Golden Reveries and the Riot Leader's Trail
From beyond the fence came a "Hnghup!!" "Young master...?!" I jolted awake. Or rather, it felt more like my consciousness had been forcibly evicted to the surface. On second thought, isn't that just what waking up is? It was a subtle distinction, hard to pin down. Anyway, what the hell were those dreams about? A black sea, grotesque fish, tentacles and a massive tree, golden leaves, and... a golden-glowing [me]. 'Golden again, huh.' At this point, I couldn't just dismiss it as some random bullshit dream. The glow emanating from my reconstituted body. My mentor's words about it sharing a similar essence to hers. The bizarre liquid that revived Exose. All those symbols from the dream. Gold was everywhere, to the point of annoyance. What if one day I just breathed and started shining like a damn beacon? Then I'd probably be destined to don massive golden armor, wield a flaming sword, and conquer the galaxy. Though getting stuck on a life-support throne for a millennium sounded like a drag.
'...So what was that [me] I saw there?' It was definitely... [me]. Like that electric thrill when you're scrolling the net, watching videos or pics, and suddenly catch a glimpse of yourself in the background when you least expect it. But at the same time, it was something not me. I don't know how else to put it—that vague, haunting sensation lingered in my mind. What the fuck was happening to my body?
'Wait, this isn't schizophrenia kicking in, is it?' Schizophrenia's a classic side effect of over-augmentation, and it'd be bullshit if I ditched all the implants only to end up with a head full of crazy. I'd been too busy surviving to care much about my condition, and since everything seemed to work fine, I'd just rolled with it. But for the first time, a wave of unease crept through me. Whatever was in my Heart wasn't a one-off—it was actively changing me in real time. Corruption? Parasitism? Mutation? Transcendence? What the hell—
"Young master! Are you alright?!?"
"Huh? Oh... yeah, yeah, I'm fine."
Bell's frantic shout yanked me out of my spiraling thoughts. My head was still pillowed on her thigh. I'd lain down sideways when I dozed off, but now I was staring at the ceiling. Which meant I was eye-to-eye with Bell peering down at me over her twin peaks, her face full of worry. Feeling her soft hands on my cheeks, I said,
"Ah, it's nothing. Probably just stress lately—had some wild-ass dream."
"Oh no...! I should've watched over you better. You know, hugs are supposed to reduce stress. Right now—"
"No no, we did plenty last night. Next time. Next time."
"If it were anyone else, I'd have served you even in the bedroom. Such a shame. Ah, excuse me a moment."
Bell leaned over, grabbed a few tissues, and gently wiped the corner of my mouth. Now I noticed it was kinda damp—I must've been drooling in my sleep. Waking up yelling weird shit and then spacing out like a zombie? Yeah, anyone would freak.
I turned my head to check the clock—about three hours had passed. Mentor would be back from her outing soon, so I started easing out of Bell's lap.
"Ah."
A hint of regret slipped from Bell's lips, but no helping it. Late afternoon tea needed prepping, and greeting my mentor flat on my back wasn't exactly polite. Plus, no need to stir drama by letting her walk in on me cozying up with Bell right off the bat. Things had gotten kinda frosty last night; I'd been walking on eggshells.
> Access request from sender Ronin received at desk.
Sure enough, the building's announcement chimed soon after, signaling my mentor's return. This place required name and face registration at the entrance, followed by notifying the resident of the visited unit before granting access.
I got up from the sofa, thinking of splashing some water on my face, when a sudden thought hit me. I turned to Bell beside me.
"Bell, you notice any changes in my personality lately?"
I forced steadiness into my voice to hide the tremor, but it came out a bit hissy.
Bell looked mildly puzzled at first, but answered without hesitation, like it was no big deal.
"No. You're always my lovable young master."
A natural sigh of relief escaped me. My lips even twitched upward. I pulled Bell into a tight hug and planted a kiss on her cheek.
Mwah—
Then I bolted for the bathroom to freshen up. Behind me came some garbled noise, followed by a thud like stomping feet. I wasn't sure if hugs really cut stress, but they sure worked wonders on my loyal bodyguard.
Around 4 p.m., for afternoon tea, we set a simple tea spread and gathered around the table draped in a crisp white cloth. The delicate porcelain set—white with blue floral patterns—held black tea in some cups, green in others. The three-tiered stand bore sandwiches, scones, a few cake slices, and traditional pastries.
Kate Coleman was gone, but Transco was still considerate enough without her as liaison—daily drone deliveries brought decent-quality food. Not that it bought any goodwill. They snatched our prisoner, kept us cooped up under "safety" excuses, no outings allowed. Good eats didn't make up for that.
"......"
My mentor, back from her outing, looked distinctly uneasy. Probably not because Bell was glued to my side, grinning like an idiot. More likely, whatever she'd gone out for hadn't panned out.
She sipped her green tea, steam rising, without a care, then narrowed her eyes at Bell and me alternately before speaking.
"...What's got you so chipper since earlier, Bellatrix?"
Oh, so Bell was the issue. Bell met my mentor's sharp glare without flinching. If anything, she smirked triumphantly.
"Hmm, who knows. Just everyday, obvious stuff—not worth spelling out. More importantly, don't you have a report for the young master?"
"...Right. Probably just you fantasizing and getting all fluttery again."
My mentor fiddled with her unbound black hair—instead of her usual ponytail—muttering that. Her deep breath betrayed a dip in confidence.
She'd met with the Shareholder. Things clearly hadn't gone well.
"First off, the [recommendation] to restrict the young master's outings remains in place."
"Pfft, house arrest, huh? What's their excuse?"
"As you know, with two megacorps at a standoff. They say we must avoid provoking the other side."
"So the Birmingham transfer's off the table too."
"They claim no route's safe right now."
News said Transco and Anastasis were each reinforcing London with a battalion a day, playing chicken. Fair enough pretext—especially since megacorp clashes were off-limits. Assassination attempt plus war scare? Yeah, I got it. Looked like a ploy to lock me down now that they suspected me, but at least it had logic.
"What about the investigation into Bell's attackers?"
"...Likely Luddite activists."
".....Hah."
Yeah, figured they'd pin it there. Rioters were armed too. How they found the safehouse? "External elements with a universal gadget," probably. Never expected a full truth-reveal. Though I wouldn't rule it out entirely. Still, I'd dig myself.
"News said the riot leader's still at large."
"Heard he bolted right as suppression kicked off."
"Probably still in the city?"
"Transco thinks he's trapped in Slough, surrounded... You don't mean?"
My downcast mentor looked up wide-eyed. Bell's gaze mixed surprise with anticipation. They'd guessed my plan. No reason to hold back.
I declared flatly,
"We'll catch that riot leader ourselves. If he's guilty, punish him. If not... that's grounds to demand a reinvestigation."
If they refused? We'd bail on Slough. No way was I honoring this bullshit lockdown.
