1 Chapter 1: Separation
We all have something we treasure.
-…ther! Big bro…er!
Whether it's an object or a person, we all have something we wish to protect no matter what.
-Big brother! Hang on! Don't you dare die! If you leave me alone, I'll hate you for life!
In my case, that "something" is a person.
-Big brother! Wake up! Please wake up! This is not funny, open your eyes! Please answer me!
A euphoric but ear-pleasing voice shouts repeatedly, but my ears keep ringing and I am unable to hear well; until I slowly come back to my senses.
-Big brother!
Hm?
That voice that calls me repeatedly, for some reason, generates a pleasant warmth in my chest.
That pleasant voice repeatedly calls me and speaks to me. In response to that voice, I slowly open my eyes.
-Big brother, please hold on, help will be here soon!
My vision is blurry, my eyes do not focus properly; but I can still see the silhouettes.
She doesn't seem to be hurt. Thank God, she seems to be unharmed.
-E…
My voice… it doesn't come out…
The beautiful young woman in front of my eyes looks desperate, but what caught my attention the most were the tears that kept flowing from her eyes swollen from crying so much.
It's bad… I can't move…
I try to exert force on my right arm to lift her up and wipe the tears running down her cheeks with my hand. But, not only does she not move an inch, I'm not even able to feel my fingers. I can barely hold my breath with difficulty.
This is…
I turn my vision slightly to the right so I can see the state of my arm; at the same time, the whole state of my body lying on the floor is reflected by the mirror next to us.
Black hair with a few green highlights and brown eyes. Yes, that dying guy who looks like he could die at any second is me.
I look at my condition more closely.
So… this is as far as I've come…
My little sister is using one of her hands and her lap as a pillow for me while her other hand is holding my internal organs, trying not to let them leak out of the hollow that extends from my armpit to my waist on the right side of my body.
We are both stained a deep crimson color, bathed in the color of my own blood.
-This is…
-Big brother! Everything will be fine so hang in there! Help will be here soon, don't worry!
Even if you say that, the one who seems to be more worried is you…
My chest bones… sternum and all the ribs on the right side pulverized, my clavicle and right shoulder blade also not spared; intestines, stomach, pancreas and many other internal organs already scattered all over the floor. Shattered right arm, the only thing holding it up and still keeping it hanging to my body is the little skin and muscle fibers that are barely holding on. Right lung completely useless, heart barely beating on the hand of that young girl.
No matter how you look at it, I no longer have hope. What's more, remaining conscious after taking a direct hit from an anti-materiel rifle is almost a miracle.
Seeing my current state, it's not unusual for the doctors who have just arrived to show shocked faces that seem to be asking "how can he still be alive?". Even if I am known for having an exorbitant amount of vitality and recuperative ability, everything has a limit.
My current state is so severe that I have reached the point of not being able to feel anything. I'm trying to react, but my body simply won't respond, I'm not even able to groan from the pain.
-I…
-Big brother!
The gleam in my eyes fades quickly.
The beautiful young woman despairs even more as she sees me slowly close my eyes. Her crying… a muffled sound. The tears welling up from those light lime green eyes come out even more sharply than before, her silky long bright lime green hair is all messed up and she's touching the dirty floor bathed in my blood.
Ah… how careless…
It wasn't just the hair. The young girl holding me just now, besides her arms, almost her entire body is stained with blood from just holding me.
The young woman is biting her lips so hard that blood is gushing from the wound. She is frustrated and desperate, even though she is one of the most renowned doctors in the world, without her personal equipment at hand she is not able to do anything either.
The time has come…
The strength in my eyelids disappears, it is as if I have weights on it. My eyes close and my senses shut down. Not even my little sister's screams are audible at this point.
…
Out of nowhere, I feel as if a darkness swallows my consciousness and everything has become dark and cold. I don't feel my body, I barely maintain my consciousness… I feel… dead.
Really… it seemed very sad… If I had a regret… I would like to hug her and calm her down.
Darkness and cold engulfs me under an eternal darkness, but a small light of hope illuminates me in the distance.
"Not yet".
Those soft words, in the same voice as my little sister's, echo in the distance.
And repeat.
"Not yet".
…
"No matter what the price, I'm going to save you".
…
The voice sounded shaky but determined.
"So please don't leave me… don't forget me… not until I find you. I'm going to come back to your side no matter what… even if it costs me forever".
…
Those words… the warmth of hope surged in my chest… Something entered inside me, something just touched my soul, something just integrated into my whole being and became one with me… it is warm. This feeling of security… I have only experienced it when I am with a person is specific, with the person I value more than my own life…
At the same time, I feel as if something is bringing me back to consciousness and pulling me back, as if something is absorbing me, as if space is swallowing my body.
I can feel it, the destiny of my life has been diverted… but… something inside me has been ripped away in compensation.
It is not the warmth that has just integrated into me, but part of what my being represents…
It hurts… What has just been taken from me hurts much more than the mortal wounds I had… it is as if part of my being has been torn away… part of my soul…
A strange emptiness arose inside me because of this and a strange insecurity swept through my soul.
Give it back to me!
No matter how much I screamed… no matter how much I begged, what was taken from me was already deprived…
But… little by little, the warmth I felt began to fade, until it returned to complete darkness. Leaving me with a strange feeling of being dead again, as if I were wandering in a space without end or sense, an infinite space ruled by darkness…
…
...
…
...
…
...
That feeling lasted and went on, it just didn't seem to have an end. The more time passed, the more my consciousness unraveled.
This is bad, at this rate I'm really going to disappear… I have to count…
…203,891…203,892…203,893…203,894…203,895…
…998,108…998,109…998,110…998,111…998,112…998,113…
…744,134…744,135…744,136…744.137…744,138…
…1,033,278…1,033,279…1,033.280…1,033,281…1,033,282…1,033,28—…shit… How many times have I lost count…? And nothing… still nothing happens…
If you think you are about to fall into madness, there are several methods to resist and slow it down. And counting numbers is one of the tricks to keep one's sanity in torture.
… Where am I…? How long have I been wandering like this…?
I've been counting all this time without stopping so that my consciousness wouldn't shut down; but with all the times I've lost count, I don't even know how much time has passed.
Days…? Months…? Years…? Decades…? I don't know.
I can't feel my body, I can't see anything, I can't hear anything, let alone taste or smell anything… Just… the only thing left is my vague consciousness.
The only thing I can be sure of is, I've already wandered through this darkly infinite space for an eternity. And I'm not even able to feel a glimmer of hope.
The only thing I remember is my half-dead body next to my younger sister hugging me with a full face full of tears. But… more importantly, who am I…?
This is bad, my consciousness is darkening.
The only thing that maintains the existence of my consciousness is the will for my desire to live. I don't want to die yet, not until she fulfills the promise she made to me. If she is going to give her all to find me, I have no intention of letting her down and letting myself die just like that.
Still, even though my consciousness is barely holding on, my memories are fading… This isn't good, I can't even remember my younger sister's name or face… I can't remember anyone's face… I'm the worst.
The only thing that sustained my sanity until now were my little sister's last words. I believe in her, that's why I'm not going to let her down. But that doesn't change the fact that my conscience is wearing thinner and thinner.
I… will keep waiting… I will keep counting…
...I waited…I counted.
…I waited…I counted.
...I waited… I counted.
...Waite—…
I kept holding on, held on and held on, waited and waited, counted and counted, believing in my little sister's words. My efforts didn't seem to show any fruit, until…
-… Light…?
The eternity that seemed to be infinite, ended when that flash of light came. And a voice came from the throat that I had not felt for eternity.
My body… I'm feeling it… This sensation… I'm… floating? My senses… are coming back to me… What the hell is happening to me?
Even if it's slow, I'm slowly regaining my senses and consciousness. Not only that, now my whole body has even started to ache.
I feel gravity doing its job and I also feel the wind resistance. It feels like I am falling from a very high place, as if I am falling from the sky.
I slowly try to open my eyes as I get used to the brightness of the sun.
Wait, sun?
Once my eyes adjust to the sunlight, I get to see a fascinating sight. A green and blue world full of life and countless lights of different colors in the distance.
It's a beautiful sight, but…
-But I'm really falling from the sky!
Even though it's daytime, because of the high altitude I'm at right now, above me you can partially see space. A fantastic view that would be almost unimaginable to see with my own eyes. Clearly I'm falling from a height of more than 20 thousand meters above the ground!
-…What a beautiful view.
That's right, panic is never good. Moments like this, analyzing the surroundings calmly is the best option. Luckily, my body is special, it is even much more resistant than the body of the Enhanced Humans. That's why the pressure doesn't affect me as much.
In addition to the sides, I also observe both below and above me.
-Wow. So this is what space looks like, how beautiful~
…Yeah, it's really no use being alarmed.
Now yes, being serious, higher up in space I don't see any ships, let alone traces of any ships having passed by; that makes it unlikely that I've been dropped from some kind of aircraft. But if I'm falling out of the sky not because I've been thrown from a spaceship, why the fuck am I almost touching space?
Anyway, it's not like it's the first time I've ever been thrown out of an airplane at over 10,000 meters high by force.
Truth be told, altitude has always been my thing. I've never been afraid of heights; in fact, I love being in high places. I guess that's why I'm not nervous… well, I accept that 20,000 meters is a bit too high and anyone would be nervous if out of nowhere they were in a free fall of more than 20,000 meters high without even having a mere parachute but… how do I put it? Am I what they call an exception?
Yet, there is another strange thing. I may not be affected by the lack of oxygen and that's why I never faint in the high temperatures, but that doesn't change the fact that it gets harder to breathe and that there is extreme cold at these altitudes. However, it currently feels more pleasant than usual.
To the human eye it is not visible, but I can feel something; it is as if a bubble of light is covering my body and protecting it.
As I fall, my speed increases and so does the air pressure. The landscape becomes clearer and clearer and inexplicable sights show themselves.
Floating islands of different sizes, in the distance, a giant modern and partially futuristic city with skyscrapers in the center along with airships flying overhead, and much more.
Seriously… did I eat something really bad enough to be hallucinating things like this…?
I just couldn't accept what I was seeing.
It looks like a real fantasy world, something out of a light novel. Who would believe me if I told anyone what I was seeing right now? No, rather, my current situation is already somewhat inexplicable.
Unable to accept reality, I again look out into space, which gradually seems to be being replaced by blue sky.
Looking more closely into space, I notice more inexplicable details.
Huh…? Wait, what…?
Or, rather, the mere fact that the sky is clear is already abnormal.
-Since when did the sky become clear?!
At least, for as long as I've been conscious, the world I've lived in has been completely covered by dust and clouds. It's been centuries since the sky hasn't shown itself to the Earth, it doesn't make sense that it's now clearing out of nowhere.
-… Are those… moons? No, Saturn? What…?
Even in broad daylight and full sun, there are numerous natural satellites above the sky. Among them, there is a Saturn-like one, which is the most striking of all. Both the body of the natural satellite and its ring is strangely visible and generates a rather unique sensation, somehow it feels "artificial". I don't know how to explain it, but a sense of "that ring didn't appear naturally" runs through my mind. Still—
-One… two… three… four… wow, I can see four moons~
Yes, free falls last quite a while. And if I extend my limbs to increase resistance against the wind, this can be extended a bit longer. There's no reason to be alarmed and rush so much.
-Unbelievable… It's just like they show in the records, the sky is really blue and the sun is hot… but I never heard that there is more than one moon, let alone one with a ring…
Since I regained consciousness, I'm just seeing meaningless things. Besides the fantasy landscape, the simple fact that there aren't those "clouds" covering the sky is already strange. This is not the world I belong to, or at least not the one I know.
As far as I remember, I was covered in blood and…
-Ugh.
I try to force my brain to remember how I ended up in this situation, but the results are not favorable. A severe headache suddenly hits me and I grit my teeth to endure it.
-My memory is blurred…
As I thought, that almost eternal darkness I went through was not a hallucination. Much of my memories are blurred and, even worse, there are fragments in between that simply disappeared.
But it's not all negative. Although my memory is somewhat fuzzy and not complete, my brain is slowly reorganizing the memories that remain; and I am slowly beginning to remember what happened.
My memories… are coming back… it's not much, but it's something.
-If I remember correctly, the last place I was at the mall. That day should have been my day off, so I went on a date with my little sister… but there was a terrorist attack made up of "Parasites" and…
I strain my brain again and more information comes to my head.
If I'm not mistaken, that morning, on the news they had said that a group of "Mimic Parasites" managed to force their way into the city and lost all trace of them. Don't tell me that those "Parasites" were them?
-Yes, I remember! I managed to eliminate most of them, but I got hurt covering my little sister in one of the shootouts and…
Even if it's slow, my memory is coming back.
-…
Although they were just not pleasant memories at all.
I managed to detect it, but because of one of the bullets that hit my left leg, my reaction was slowed down and I didn't manage to avoid the direct hit of a sniper shot. From the way it pierced me and destroyed my body, there is no doubt, it was a state-of-the-art antimatter rifle…
Hey, wasn't that too excessive…? Those weapons were recently released and were made to pierce through modern tank armor with a single shot, they could even take out an entire building with just one of their shots! Where did they get a valuable weapon like that from! To aim a weapon like that at me is…! Damn it, I was too careless.
If they pointed a weapon like that at me, it means they moved specifically to eliminate me. Now no wonder the "terrorists" were aiming at me all the time.
It's not surprising, in fact, I'm used to regular surprise assaults.
I am a well-known asset in "non-human warfare", being the best among all the rookies and even showing better performance than most of the veterans. I was feared by enemies and allies alike, even being given the shameful alias of "the Killer Nightmare" without my consent!
That's right, I not only lived through the war, but also experienced it firsthand and survived countless battlefields. Although peace is still a long way off…
I look below me, it's not long before I hit the ground.
There is no abundant surface of water or snow around, but luckily there is a large forest stretching far into the distance.
With my limbs extended, my falling speed is reduced a bit; if I use the tree branches to further reduce the speed, I might be able to survive; but the damage… I don't want to imagine how I'll end up after that. Moreover, if this goes wrong, even the possibility of death is at stake.
(I won't allow it!)
-?!
A voice, a silhouette. It was too sudden, but… a mystical existence clad in pure white flashed through my mind in an instant, as if reaching out its arms towards me, trying to catch me.
It was for a fragment of a second, she had disappeared as quickly as she had appeared, but I saw her figure for an instant. If I had to describe her, it could only be with the word "perfection". She had the silhouette of a beautiful woman, a body with perfect proportions that seemed to have been sculpted by the divine existences themselves; an aura of peace and long light lime green shiny hair. Her figure and beauty clearly reflected the very concept of unimaginable perfection.
I would be lying if I said I was not fascinated by her appearance.
An inexplicable warmth flooded my chest in an instant, accelerating my heart rate abruptly and filling me with a strange desire to want to cling to her.
What is this feeling, is it a product of adrenaline from the extremely dangerous situation…? No, it felt something different… but I simply don't know how to explain it.
I had never seen such a beautiful and enchanting figure, she had literally bewitched me with her beauty; but now is not the time to think about that.
Thanks to the vast amount of experience I have, overcoming my shock and reacting to the shock was like child's play.
Although I may not have been able to see her face, I could sense concern and fear in her voice.
Why would he be so worried about me? I don't know either. I felt I recognized her for an instant; but, at the same time, I am absolutely certain that I never met her in my 18 years of life.
Mystical but pleasant, a strange force significantly stops my falling speed meters before I hit the ground, as if I fell on an air trampoline. Still, that doesn't mean it's all over.
The sense of peace and security that surrounded me for an instant disappeared as quickly as it had appeared.
I'm still several meters off the ground, but with the huge difference in speed compared to a second ago, this is nothing.
Thanks to my physique and superhuman abilities, the landing of more than 20 meters high that I had left is executed smoothly, crushing the ground and cracking it into a spider web shape.
-Good.
I was just saved by someone, though I don't know who it was. Whoever it was, I give you my sincere thanks.
I wipe the dust off my pants that my fall raised as I slowly pick myself up off the floor, but fall to my knees halfway to getting up.
-?!
Heavy! My body feels heavy! What is this! My body feels at least five times heavier than usual!
I didn't notice it until now because I was in free fall, but the force of gravity's pull is much greater than normal!
What is this! My surroundings look completely normal, the leaves falling from the trees also seem to act normal, but it feels like gravity is pulling my body down much more than usual!
Calm down…
I close my eyes, breathe in and out calmly.
It's okay, I just have to get used to it.
I stay still in place, breathing calmly and with my eyes closed. After about five minutes, I stand up as if nothing had happened.
-I'm ready, I've adapted.
I look around me. I am now in the depths of an unknown forest and I don't even know where in the world I am. Rather—
-Am I even on Earth? The sky is completely clear, I can see floating islands and there are many natural satellites. No matter which way you look at it, it's a fantasy world!
Besides, I didn't think the sun would be so intense.
The world I belong to, the sky is dark 24 hours a day, the weather is always extreme, the vegetation is almost extinct and the air sucks. Compared to this world, am I in paradise…?
I start thinking about my current situation and what I will do in this near future, remembering something important all at once.
-Right!
Since in my last memories I had lost practically a quarter of my body, it's too strange that I'm now in one piece.
I immediately check every corner of my body.
-There's not a single scar, but my whole body still hurts.
The mortal wounds are gone, not even the slightest trace left; but the pain still lingers. And also—
-Thank God, I still have it with me.
Rummaging through the depths of my pockets, what I pull out of its interior is a watch; but not just any watch, but a vintage style mechanical pocket watch. It's a metallic pocket watch with some integrated gold parts and gears. In addition to the Roman numerals, the visibility of numerous gears turning under the clock hand gives it a very attractive charm.
Thanks to its good condition and great value of materials, this watch would easily cost a few million dollars. Nor would it be wrong to call it a true masterpiece. But, in addition to these points, its great value comes from another reason for me.
This precious watch was a gift from my younger sister. To be more precise, it was the first and most valuable gift she gave me. I always have it with me and never part with it. She told me she made it by hand, although it's hard to believe no matter where you look at it.
Yes… besides being an excellent doctor, she has an amazing hobby of building all kinds of valuable things. I don't know how she builds them, but she never lied to me once in my whole life; so don't ask me how she built this treasure, even I didn't understand after listening to her 3-hour non-stop explanation.
I check the clock thoroughly and find no fault with her. That's good news.
-Perfect. It seems to be in perfect condition.
I carefully put my watch away and tuck it into my bag.
Now that I've confirmed I have my most valuable item on me, I'm not really complaining about much. Although it would be nice to at least have my cell phone with me. I can't find it anywhere, so I must have dropped it at some point.
Being in an unfamiliar place, it would be nice to be able to have at least the "basic self-defense equipment" with me, even a simple knife would do the trick. With modern technology, it's not uncommon that a simple gun can transform into an assault rifle in an instant, that's why carrying such "equipment" on me doesn't cost anything. Since it is a bit dangerous to wander around an unfamiliar place without a weapon.
In any case…
-… Where the hell am I?
_____
Author's note:
Hello, howdy readers.
If you made it this far, thank you for reading the first chapter of my novel. As I already said in the synopsis, this is my first time writing a novel, so I need to take my time to write the chapters, so I hope you can tolerate me.
And you may ask: "why do you write your messages here when it has an option to add messages at the end of the novel? Well, obviously it's because no one would read it if I didn't put it here!
Well, that's it. Adiu~
