The box was comfortable.
But then, what?
"Then what?" I opened my eyes, but there was nothing to see—only shapes flitting just beyond my reach. Green, red, brown, black... was it a face? A person? A message? I couldn't tell. Everything was too empty, too full of static. I couldn't think. I couldn't feel. Where was everything? Why was anything?
"Viel?"
The sound was vaguely familiar. Viel... that was the name. My name. A name is a label used to respond to a query. Was this a request? A designation? A call for attention? What was Viel? Why was Viel?
"Leo, help me! Viel is—"
The world was a blur. A void grasped at my chest—did I even have a chest? Did I even exist? Was any of this real? What was it all for? Why couldn't I just be? It was all just static. Help me. I don't want to go.
Please, I don't want to go. Help me...
"Stand back, Diana."
"Haaa!"
I woke with a violent jolt, grasping at my chest and looking around wildly. Diana was kneeling in front of me, clutching my arm with a look of pure terror.
"I'm... I'm okay..." I took a deep breath. Even though I didn't actually need to breathe, the physical motion was relaxing. I didn't know why.
"You were not okay. I had to restart your system," a voice spoke from behind me.
I realized then that there was a pair of hands at the back of my neck. I spun around to find Leo watching me sternly. "What did you do?"
"I applied a high-voltage current to your primary intake," he replied evenly. "You were exhibiting signs of a total system failure. I had to force a reboot." He finally withdrew his hands. "I am experienced in these matters. I come from Determination; managing malfunctioning Smart Constructs is part of the daily routine."
Right. Right. "Fuck me..." I rubbed my temples. "I don't know what came over me."
Diana cupped my cheek, her bright green eyes searched mine. "Do you remember what happened?"
I looked down, the memory of the void still clinging to the back of my mind. "I..." I clenched my fists. "I don't know. I felt... nothingness." I pressed my hand against my chest. "That feeling when you can't find a meaning or a purpose... when everything just turns to static."
Diana leaned forward and pulled me into an embrace. "Are you alright now?" she whispered into my ear. "You scared me. You were crying for help."
"Was I?"
"Apparently so. Or it looked like it... are you really okay?" Diana pulled back to look at me. "Have you talked to someone about this? Maybe Aion? He's the only one who knows about the Old World. Maybe he can help you."
"I agree," Leo added. "This is not ideal. There may be a terminal misalignment or a deep-seated malware in your systems. You should have yourself evaluated by someone experienced with Old World relics."
I averted my gaze. Becoming a burden was the last thing I wanted. Not to mention the strange sensation inmy chest wasn't going away. The crushing weight had stopped, but a lingering dread remained, like a tumor in my logic boards. A little voice in the back of my head was telling me I wasn't enough.
"I'm fine. Let's just..." I gently eased out of Diana's hug. "Actually, now that you mention it, let's look for a way back to the city. The sooner we get this done, the sooner I can ask Aion to take a look at me."
"Yeah, I think it's best if we head back," Diana agreed. "What do you think, Leo?"
Silence.
"Leo, she's talking to you," I snapped.
"I have not finished processing yet," Leo replied, sounding annoyed. He turned back to me. "But if you insist on an answer, we have two choices: find our way back to Ingenuity immediately, or return to the checkpoint and see if we can find anything of use there." He folded his arms. "I doubt we will find anything beneficial there, hence my hesitation."
I rolled my eyes. Would it kill him to have an actual discussion instead of just deciding everything by himself? "The checkpoint isn't that far from the city, though," I pointed out. "It wouldn't hurt to check. Maybe the other participants fixed the anchor."
Diana nodded. "Yeah! And we could group up with another team, or just wait for retrieval at the tower."
Leo gave a curt nod and began walking. As much as I hated the guy, and as much of an ass as he was, he was at least five times more competent than I was. He'd prepared the fire, organized the shelter, and even took the night shift. Dammit. Why do I have to be outclassed by someone like him?
I groaned, resisting the urge to strangle him. "So? Smart guy? Are we going to the checkpoint or not?"
Leo glanced over his shoulder. "Yes. We are."
"Oh, so it's settled then?"
"You both expressed a desire to go to the checkpoint. Even if I were to disagree, it is two votes against one. Therefore, the matter is resolved. We are going to the checkpoint."
I clenched my fists. "Oh my god, I hate you so much. You know that?"
"I am aware. On the contrary, I do not hate you. Your irrational outbursts are likely symptomatic of the glitches and malware in your system. Therefore, I do not hold them against you."
"SHUT UP!" I yelled. "Just shut up! I don't want to hear another word!"
Leo tilted his head. "Weren't you the one who asked me to—"
"I changed my mind!" I shouted. "I changed my mind. Keep your mouth closed before I stress-test my fist against your suit!"
A brief silence followed. Leo nodded slowly and continued walking without another word.
I stayed a step behind him and took Diana's hand. "Sorry," I muttered. "I'm really not in the mood for its brand of logic."
Diana smiled sheepishly. "Well... watching you yell at him is enough of an outlet for me," she whispered. "And Leo isn't all bad. He really does mean well; he just doesn't prioritize emotions. Or feelings. Or opinions..." She trailed off, looking away.
"Preening asshole," I muttered, then cupped my hands around my mouth to shout at his back: "You hear that, you inconsiderate prick?!"
Soon, we could see the checkpoint in the distance, though at this point, I suddenly lost all interest in visiting it. It wasn't because it was empty, or because the tower was broken, or because there was no one around. It was simply because of the prehistoric nightmare curled around it.
Picture a prehistoric serpent the size of a city bus. Think of those diagrams that show a scale comparison between a human and a titanoboa, where you realized you could comfortably walk into its open maw without even ducking.
That was exactly what was waiting for us.
"You're right. Let's just go back to Ingenuity." I did a literal one-eighty without a second thought.
"Wait, why?" Diana asked.
I froze, my optics twitching. "You're actually going to try your luck against that?"
Diana tilted her head in confusion. Suddenly, Leo took her hand and led her back a few steps. "I knew something was wrong," he said, his voice dropping an octave. "Stay alert, Diana. There's a Masked Serpent near the checkpoint." He turned toward me. "Where is it exactly?"
"You seriously can't see it?"
"No. Describe its patterns, appearance, and current position. Is it moving?"
Wait, what the fuck? How the hell are they not seeing that?! "It's curled around the building. Its body is thick enough to crush the whole structure. It's midnight black with a diamond pattern, and its head is resting on the roof near the tower. I... I think it's asleep?"
Leo nodded and took a deep breath. "We are fortunate. The Masked Serpent is invisible to the naked eye; their primary defense is the ability to filter visible light around their scales." He looked at Diana, who was squinting hard at the checkpoint. "Mere sight won't work."
"No, it will." Diana reached back and drew her blade. "I can take it down. Should we?"
"Diana, that thing is as thick as the tower itself!" I pointed frantically. "What makes you think you can take that down?"
"You said its head is on the roof? That means it's no bigger than a standard sea serpent."
"And how big is a sea serpent?!"
"The head is usually about the size of this checkpoint lobby."
Okay, so when people here say 'animal,' they really mean 'fucking kaiju'. "Yeah, but are you sure about this? You can't even see it!"
"Almost..." Diana raised a hand, her fingers twitching in the air. "I'm close to pinning its location. I just need to focus." She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Can you step back, Viel? You're really, really bright."
"Bright?" I stepped away. "Am I?" I looked at my chassis. As far as I knew, I wasn't emitting any light.
Leo raised an eyebrow. "You were a Storm Forecaster, were you not?"
"Yes." Diana waved her hand through the air as if feeling for a breeze. "I have a lock on it. It's not that big." She twirled her blade. "Let's take it down; otherwise, it'll stop the other participants from fixing the anchor."
"What do you mean it's not that big?!" I shrieked. "Are you sure you're looking at the same snake?!"
Diana paused and looked at me. "Is there another one?"
"No! I mean—god, I hope not!"
What was this? Why were they so chill about a snake the size of a freight train? Why weren't we running for our lives?
"Is this your first time seeing a serpent?" Leo asked suddenly.
I narrowed my eyes. "In this world? Yes."
"I can only assume the average serpent was smaller in the Old World," Leo said. "That would explain your aversion and surprise at the sight of a common Masked Serpent."
...
"That thing is average?"
"Yes. Most serpents are at least eighty meters in length," Leo explained calmly. "This is a standard encounter for those who roam the wilderness. We are expected to be capable of handling such threats."
An invisible, eighty-meter-long giant snake was a "standard threat." Wow.
"Can I sit this one out then?" I asked. "You guys seem way more qualified."
CATEGORICAL IMPERATIVE VIOLATION
Oh, for fuck's sake!
I was about to protest my own programming when Diana flashed me a confident smile. "Don't worry, Viel. I've located its vitals. We'll have this done in a jiffy." She looked at Leo. "Cover me!"
"Understood."
I felt a strange sense of detachment as I watched Diana charge the checkpoint. It was like sitting in a cinema, watching the protagonist rush a boss. There was a thrill to it, but I realized I wasn't actually worried about her. It felt impossible that she would lose.
Snap! Snap!
Massive jaws tore at the empty air as the girl from the City of Love danced around the serpent's invisible maw. Sparks flew as her blade clashed against reinforced scales. The ground beneath my feet trembled every time the snake's head slammed into the earth. The air churned with concussive force with every whip of its tail.
Snap!
Diana leaped at the last possible second, her blade glinting in the sunlight. "Here goes!" she shouted, plunging the steel into the creature's neck just behind the skull. The monster hissed and wailed, the sound like a derailed train screeching across iron.
"Leo!"
The snake whipped its head upward, launching Diana high into the sky.
In a sudden blast of exhaust, Leo shot into the air. He caught Diana mid-flight, and for a moment, they seemed to dance together in the clouds before diving straight back down toward the serpent. A flash of violet lightning followed by a bone-shaking thunderclap rippled through the clearing; the blast of air shook the very earth.
BANG.
The light died down, revealing a headless, smoldering snake. Both Diana and Leo stood atop the massive carcass. Diana was giggling softly.
"Ahaha! Wow..." she gasped, her chest heaving. "That was intense." She shivered. "Gosh, I wasn't expecting the lightning." She stepped away from Leo. "Thanks for the help... ha..." She swallowed hard and turned toward me, waving enthusiastically. "Anyway, it's safe now, Viel!"
Okay, so... these people are literal super-humans. I should have known from the parkour, but taking down a titanoboa with a move straight out of a comic book? That wasn't something a normal human should be able to do.
"Are you okay, Viel?" Diana walked up to me, her face full of concern. "It's okay. The snake is dead."
"Yeah. I'm fine." I took a deep breath. Holy shit. I'm outmatched. I'm so outmatched it's not even funny. What was I thinking, comparing myself to her? Trailblazers were way out of my league.
Leo stepped toward us, his arms folded. "The checkpoint is sealed," he said. "That is why I hesitated to come here. Though I am not familiar with the specific mechanics of this Reality Anchor, I am fairly certain the operating mechanism is located inside the tower, not outside."
"Right. Sorry for doubting you, smart-ass," I muttered half-heartedly. I mean, who was I to talk back to him? He was the guy with the homemade rocket boots and the nanotech suit.
I was just a glorified cooler.