The Possessor (2)
How long had it been since I regained consciousness inside this glass tube? All I could see were the heaps of black machinery beyond the glass and my own blurry reflection staring back from the tube’s surface. With no clock or watch in sight, I measured time by the growing emptiness in my stomach—a small habit I’d picked up from all the meals I’d missed as a child. That was how I knew time was passing at all.
“Roughly… ten hours?”
I rubbed my hollow belly and frowned, turning the problem over in my head. If the door stayed shut much longer, the outcome was obvious: death by thirst or starvation. Even if I tried to buy time by drinking my own blood, a week was the absolute limit. Cold sweat trickled down the back of my neck. Tension sharpened my gaze as I began scanning the tube for any possible way out. Ten hours without a single visitor? Something was clearly wrong.
Just as the threat of death started to feel all too real and I was frantically inspecting every inch of my glass prison, a voice descended from above.
“Ahem—can you hear me?”
It was the deep, resonant voice of a middle-aged man. I nodded quietly while still lying down. The speaker seemed to confirm I was listening; a warm chuckle rolled down from the ceiling before he continued.
“Oh dear… are you frightened? Well, after everything you’ve been through, I suppose that’s understandable. In any case, allow me to introduce myself. I am Wilhelm, director of the 7.5th Research Institute. There is no need to be afraid. I will not cause you any further harm.”
His tone was deliberately gentle, meant to soothe. I kept my eyes fixed on the ceiling, refusing to lower my guard. Friendly words or not, the man who had forced a lifelong contract on a child of five or six could hardly be called kind. So I answered in the tiniest voice I could manage, pretending to be flustered so he wouldn’t suspect my wariness.
“Yes, I understand.”
It was barely louder than a mosquito’s whine, yet the director sounded satisfied. A pleased laugh echoed, followed by the smooth hiss of the tube’s lid unlocking.
“A cooperative attitude—excellent. Come out first. There is much to discuss, and it is difficult to speak properly while you are lying down.”
Whiiiing—thunk.
The lid rose with a futuristic mechanical groan. I gripped the edge, pulled myself up, and drew in a deep lungful of air. No matter how transparent the glass had been, the space was barely larger than a coffin; turning over had been nearly impossible. Ten hours inside that thing was the perfect recipe for claustrophobia. I exhaled the suffocating pressure that had built up in my chest with several long breaths.
Once my head cleared, I looked around. Beside the tube sat a water dispenser—someone had anticipated my thirst. I didn’t question it. I simply pulled a paper cup from the dispenser, filled it with cold water, and drank until my throat stopped burning.
Puha.
The chill slid down my esophagus and spread through my body. The fog in my mind lifted instantly. Only then did I take a proper look at my surroundings: one glass tube, one thoughtful water dispenser, and countless black machines humming with low, ominous power. They pulsed with lights of unknown meaning, spinning endlessly. The sight was so alien that my body instinctively shrank back. Must be because I’m in a child’s body now.
I swallowed hard. While my eyes were still glued to the strange machinery, Wilhelm’s voice returned.
“Now, there is no need to worry. Come this way.”
The wall in front of me slid open with a soft whisper, revealing a door. I approached it with cautious steps and turned the handle.
“This place…”
“Do you like it?”
My eyes widened. Wilhelm gave a proud little laugh, clearly pleased with himself. The bed was a perfect blend of white and soft pink, covered with a rabbit-patterned blanket, matching pillow, and a large bear-shaped hugging cushion. The walls were painted with bright, colorful fruit illustrations.
“This is the private room we prepared just for you. Well? Isn’t it pretty?”
A private room prepared just for me. From the expectant tone in his voice, it was obvious that Wilhelm himself had decorated the space. I forced enthusiasm into my reply.
“Ah, yes! I love it!”
“I thought you might.”
He cleared his throat, unable to hide how pleased he was. I didn’t know what else to say, so I simply smiled back awkwardly. Being thirty years old and receiving a pink toddler’s dream room was such a bizarre experience that I genuinely couldn’t describe it. Still, I didn’t hate it. Toddler room or not, anything was heaven compared to that suffocating tube. Besides, interior design had never been my thing anyway.
I walked over to the bed and stroked the blanket. The fabric was luxuriously soft, wrapping my small hand in warmth. It had to be high-end.
“Does the bed please you? We have much to discuss, so why don’t you sit and we shall talk comfortably?”
He seemed convinced I liked the design and suggested I sit on the bed rather than the nearby chair. Since I genuinely wanted to sink into that fluffy mattress, I agreed without protest. The moment I plopped down, the springs cradled me with far better elasticity than any mattress I’d owned in my previous life. The bouncy feel made me a little giddy; I couldn’t help giving a small hop. Wilhelm cleared his throat in gentle warning.
“I see you are excited, but there are things you must hear now. Please focus, child.”
“Yes…”
Another side effect of this tiny body—my voice came out meek and obedient. I sat properly and waited. Wilhelm began the real questions through the speaker mounted in the room. He started with simple things: my name, my age, basic personal details. Those memories were already in my head, so I answered easily. There was no reason to lie.
But the conversation did not end there.
“Good… that covers the questions about yourself. Now, tell me the address where you used to live.”
“…Pardon?”
The moment the word “address” left his mouth, cold sweat ran down my spine.
I don’t have any memory of that!
Should I make something up? But I knew nothing about this world’s addresses, apartment complexes, or even neighborhood names. You needed some foundation to lie convincingly; I had none. My eyes darted around as I bit my lip, desperately trying to recall anything useful.
“You do not remember?”
“J-just a moment, please.”
I had bought myself a little time, but what I didn’t know, I didn’t know. With no escape from the corner I was backed into, I brought my thumb to my mouth to chew on a nail. Wilhelm made a thoughtful hum, then gave an answer I never expected.
“You truly cannot recall. Very well, we shall move on to the next question.”
“…That’s it?”
Instead of pressing or finding fault, he simply accepted it as if he had anticipated this reaction. I found nothing to argue with, so I wiped the sweat from my brow and nodded along. The rest of the questions concerned people indirectly connected to me or details about my former residence. Since I had no memories of any of it, every answer was the same: I don’t remember.
“Hmm. Understood. None of that was particularly vital information.”
He continued without concern, as though it really didn’t matter.
“Now, this will be the final question. Do you remember anything about your ability?”
“Ability…?”
“…Surely you have not forgotten that as well?”
His voice rose slightly in alarm. This question was clearly far more important than the others.
My ability… what was it again?
Something hovered right on the edge of memory. I squeezed my eyes shut, racking my brain, then lifted my head. Directly in front of me stood a full-length mirror reflecting the girl sitting on the bed—my current self. Flaming red hair and eyes like polished rubies. An appearance so unreal it could have stepped out of a game or comic. I swallowed and met my own gaze in the glass. Something inside my mind clicked open, and the forgotten memory surged back like a breaking dam.
“I remember now.”
“That is a relief…”
Wilhelm let out a long, genuine sigh of ease. I, however, could not close my mouth. The name of the ability floating in my head—Nuclear Fusion in English—left me speechless. I pictured the second sun burning inside my heart and slowly placed a small hand over my chest.