10
"What will happen?" Five asks as Rex got out of Setrakus Ra's room. The Mog looks pale but contended. Meeting with the Supreme Lord is extremely stressful. He even aged at least five years or so.
"He will be brought to the labs to be examined. The scientists will put him back to shape," he says.
Five hides his shock. Setrakus Ra is going to keep him alive? Why would he? Isn't Five enough to take from the Garde? With only John, Six, Marina and Nine left to fight against, it should not be a problem. They have Five and Ella in their side or at least Five's support. But after learning that the chimaeras escaped and the possibility of Pittacus coming back? Maybe the Mogadorian leader is threatened.
"Moreover, the Lord is intrigued with his resurrection," he says with his voice flat, as if he wanted to end the conversation.
That could never be more true.
There is something weird with Rexicus. The true born is pleased to know that Eight will be taken care of. Take note: taken care of not claimed as a property of Mogadore. However, Five puts that aside. He is afraid to see the person he once killed.
"I suppose another Garde ally is a bonus."
The Mog commander didn't reply. He simply nod and walked off to the labs to see Eight, leaving a confused Five.
With that, the traitor Garde didn't know that the official has more plans than coordinating the revival of Number Eight.
Walking in endless darkness turns out to be likeable for Eight. When you are in an unfamiliar place alone, what do you do? You walk. Explore. Surprisingly, it is peaceful and comfortable.
How long has he been strolling into the endless void? Not sure. Minutes? No, it is absolutely more than that. Hours? Maybe, he has been longing for light. Days? Not exactly. He must be hungry after all that walk, which he isn't.
Where is he? What is he doing in this endless space? Why is he here? More importantly, what happened before here? Eight is supposed to be dead right? Then this must be afterlife.
The Eighth is dead. Now there are four left to fight the War.
"Oh," Eight muttered. When someone realizes death, more likely this is collectively the rightful reaction, especially in Eight's case. He did actually hoped to be healed by Marina. The vision told him so. There is no other way around near death experience, but being healed.
"Face it," Eight tells himself. "You are in Loric afterlife. If we have a trial with Gods, be noble. Besides you die to fight." He saved Nine.
Eight continues to walk. After a more steps the place's darkness slowly whitens, like he walked into mixing colors. After the white, it becomes yellow, orange, red and the spectrum of colors go on. It amazed Eight.
Suddenly, he felt tired. The moment he is about to rest, he hears something ridiculously formal.
"What's up?" A familiar voice called.
Eight freezes in the spot. The voice he wanted to hear for half a decade is behind him.
"You have grown so much."
Eight's knees buckle. A crushing feeling made him want to cry in happiness. Instead of tears filling his eyes or his lips quivering, his mouth broke into a wide goofy grin. The type of smile that couldn't measure one's happiness.
"Joseph," he called, a tinged of heartfelt and nostalgia in his voice.
Eight turns, afraid it is an illusion, a mirage of a wonderful oasis. But he is wrong. His Cêpan is right before him, a good 10 meters distance from his spot.
Last Eight saw him was at the mountains. A trip that was concocted by the Mogadorians and was fulfilled by the woman he 'loved'. From the moment he saw the earth woman that capture the heart of Reynolds, Eight never trusted her. It was just too early.
Since then, the Cêpan-Garde, father-son and brother relationship that they shared had been troubled. Eight got blindly angry at Reynolds and nothing was the same until the day the Cêpan died.
"I am sorry," Reynolds says sincerely. That sent the spark into a wildfire. Without further hesitation, Eight runs to his friend, full speed and excited.
"I forgive you!" Eight shouts.
Reynolds smiles, happy to see that they are friends again. His turn to run too. "I am proud of you, Eight!"
8
7 meters left but then they do not go any further. It was as if they were walking at a wrong fast escalator or a pair of hands hold them apart.
They scream at each other in alarm and running faster, but it is no use.
"You have grown into a good Loric," he says proudly, extending his arms. The Cêpan's voice becomes distant. "I love you, my boy!" His body flickers. He is losing him before Eight could hug him.
"No!" He bellows. He never thought afterlife is scary as hell. Remembering his Legacies, the Garde tried to teleport but nothing happens.
He screams in annoyance. "Reynolds!"
Run faster, he commands his legs. And filled with Adrenaline, quickly he runs,
3
2
1
Eight grabs Reynolds in a hug and cry into his friend's arms. He rambles all the adventure he experienced and forget the mistake they both have done. They have a lot of catching up to do. Before any of that could happen, Reynolds gives a toothy grin and a wink. His clear last words hammered into Eight's mind, "Now wake up."
Similar to his Garde's Legacy, Reynolds is gone. Poof. Eight hugs thin air.
First came out was unawareness of escalated movement: a scream. Second is a flash of conscious: an awakening. Third is wonder, questions and confusion.
"Professor!"
"What?"
"Agenda E#8," nurse states quickly. He's-he is," she stammers.
"Humans," the professor mutters bitterly. "Call Commander Saturnus," he responds coldly without double takes.
Eye lids are supposed to open easily. Right now, Eight has to squeeze them shut, relax, and repeat. Once satisfied, he opens his eyes slowly.
Light harshly meets his eyes, he squints to it. Still blurry, Eight closes his eyes to focus. Voices swim into his mind.
"Heart rate?"
"The ice still leave lingering effects, so it is considerably low."
"Just now?"
"Yes," says the voice that comes from a doctor according to Eight. He had an ample of experience to identify a doctor. "However, moments ago it accelerated five times even for a normal rate."
"I am going to guess this is not a good situation," the other voice replies.
Eight tilts his head to get a better hearing. Although it is difficult, he manages to do so.
The doctor makes an approving grunt. "His body must not get into sudden heighten activity. He is still in fatal condition."
Who is in fatal condition? Eight asks mentally. He is in a small white room, possibly a clinic. He is strapped to different machines. Only one he recognizes as for monitoring his heart rate. The others look complicated enough.
Eight stares into the machine. The lines on the screen is not a line; it showed continuous tiny zigzags. Eight never thought he'd be happy to see line patterns in his life. The vision of Marina having a baby might come true! Before he could go further satisfied of his revival, the voice interrupts his thoughts.
"I see. At least he is conscious. That is a start." Eight turns to the voices to his right. A glass window that is covered on the other side with dull curtains, light shining to reveal two silhouettes talking.
A cough and a sound of clearing one's throat made Eight curious. "What are you trying to do with him?" The doctor's voice speaks.
Eight's face contorted. None of these voices sound familiar to him.
Where am I?
Then he hears the other voice replying, "nurse him back to health, of course."
"I can clearly see that Commander," the doctor comments with an edge. There is something that both the doctor and Eight suspects. The difference is that the doctor is irritated while Eight is scared.
Where am I? Eight tries to teleport, shape-shift and try his telekinesis, but his Legacies are lost. Just a moment ago, he is happy to be alive. Right now, he is scared to death.
He got his answer as he heard the same voice replied, "Our goal is to kill the Garde."