Black Feather: Episode XXXV
"Identity"
Laevaentteinn Rebel Base
11:32 a.m., 03/20
After my light breakfast, I immediately headed over to Lucifer's headquarters, with the help of maps on the wall and a few guards. When I arrived, I saw Garnet for the second time. The first time was last night, when she was checking up on her AC. She exited out of his room, bumping into my shoulder as she passed. I looked at her and noticed that she was retreating rather briskly. I turned back and walked in, finding Lucifer sorting some papers.
"What happened right there?" I pointed to the door.
"It does not concern you." He sounded flustered.
"Well, uh-"
"You're going to ask me about your leaving to Wyndon City?" I nodded dumbly. Lucifer tucked the papers in an open suitcase, shut it closed, and locked it. He then browsed in his computer. "The transport should be ready tomorrow, since your AC repairs aren't complete. Your AC part should arrive at your location in two days." Just what I wanted to hear.
"Thanks."
"Is there anything else?"
"Now that you mention it, what was all that transforming back there? The keep, I mean." Lucifer withdrew from the computer and folded his fingers, as if deep in thought. I waited for an answer, and my efforts came to fruition. "We'll talk about it tonight in the conference hall." I nodded and left him alone, still with his hands intersecting each other.
The day dragged on slowly, as is often the case when I'm anxious about something. It was uneventful, and I spent most of it in my dormitory, packing things up, watching the news, and taking a nap. When evening visited, Diana knocked at my door.
"Uh... yeah?" I was half-awake when she came by.
"Lucifer wants to talk to you. He's in the conference hall."
"Yeah, I'll be there." I quickly got up, put on my shoes, and left the room. I glanced to my left and right, expecting to catch a glimpse of Diana, but she was nowhere in sight. The people here sure are weird.
_____________________________
"Omnis..."
"What about it?"
"What is it?"
"I don't know myself. All I know is this: it is responsible for our rebel forces' success. Without it, we wouldn't be where we are today. Why do you ask?" Lucifer and I were alone in the same conference hall. He stood at the windows, his arms folded and his melancholic eyes staring out into the night. I was near, facing him.
"........." I became silent, but somehow, Lucifer knew. "I-"
"You too?" There was a pause, but Lucifer broke it. "I learned to use it three years ago. Our rebel force was caught in a perilous situation. Garnet was attacked, and somehow, it happened. Soon afterwards, I learned that whenever Garnet was near me and in peril, I had the option of using this 'power.' However, Garnet was already up on the surface, far away from me, but you were near and in danger. This led me to conclude that you too are an Omnis. That means you were once an orphan, correct? Then you were given an identity..."
I was quietly stunned at how much Lucifer knew. My head faced the ground. I opened both of my palms and stared. "Me? What about Garnet?"
"What about her?" Although Lucifer knew what I was asking, I sensed that he said so just in case.
"Has she used it also?"
"The power? ...Yes, it is branded as 'Anima' among females. We fought a massive MT once, and I found myself on the verge of shut down. However, she..." He stopped. I blinked.
"She what?"
"Nevermind. All I know is that you're one of 'us,' from the looks of how you annihilated the Sphere forces at the detainment facility." Qastor's eyes widened. "No one but I saw how you fought. Maybe another, but that doesn't matter." Lucifer's tone betrayed him.
"You're not telling me everything... aren't you...?" Anger welled up inside me. I always expected those around me to be honest.
"There are times when a lie is the truth to those who can't handle it. In this case, it is silence..." Lucifer started walking out. I pursued him.
"I'm not done with you! Tell me what you know! Tell me who I am!!" I was short of breath from everything I was told. Lucifer stopped near the door. There was yet another pause. A heavy, intense pause...
"I've told you everything that you need to know." With that, Lucifer walked out. Frustrated and pained, I struck the table with my fist and threw one of the chairs across the floor. Hurtful beads of tears dropped on the glossy surface. I began to wonder...
"...Who am I...?"
"Identity"
Laevaentteinn Rebel Base
11:32 a.m., 03/20
After my light breakfast, I immediately headed over to Lucifer's headquarters, with the help of maps on the wall and a few guards. When I arrived, I saw Garnet for the second time. The first time was last night, when she was checking up on her AC. She exited out of his room, bumping into my shoulder as she passed. I looked at her and noticed that she was retreating rather briskly. I turned back and walked in, finding Lucifer sorting some papers.
"What happened right there?" I pointed to the door.
"It does not concern you." He sounded flustered.
"Well, uh-"
"You're going to ask me about your leaving to Wyndon City?" I nodded dumbly. Lucifer tucked the papers in an open suitcase, shut it closed, and locked it. He then browsed in his computer. "The transport should be ready tomorrow, since your AC repairs aren't complete. Your AC part should arrive at your location in two days." Just what I wanted to hear.
"Thanks."
"Is there anything else?"
"Now that you mention it, what was all that transforming back there? The keep, I mean." Lucifer withdrew from the computer and folded his fingers, as if deep in thought. I waited for an answer, and my efforts came to fruition. "We'll talk about it tonight in the conference hall." I nodded and left him alone, still with his hands intersecting each other.
The day dragged on slowly, as is often the case when I'm anxious about something. It was uneventful, and I spent most of it in my dormitory, packing things up, watching the news, and taking a nap. When evening visited, Diana knocked at my door.
"Uh... yeah?" I was half-awake when she came by.
"Lucifer wants to talk to you. He's in the conference hall."
"Yeah, I'll be there." I quickly got up, put on my shoes, and left the room. I glanced to my left and right, expecting to catch a glimpse of Diana, but she was nowhere in sight. The people here sure are weird.
_____________________________
"Omnis..."
"What about it?"
"What is it?"
"I don't know myself. All I know is this: it is responsible for our rebel forces' success. Without it, we wouldn't be where we are today. Why do you ask?" Lucifer and I were alone in the same conference hall. He stood at the windows, his arms folded and his melancholic eyes staring out into the night. I was near, facing him.
"........." I became silent, but somehow, Lucifer knew. "I-"
"You too?" There was a pause, but Lucifer broke it. "I learned to use it three years ago. Our rebel force was caught in a perilous situation. Garnet was attacked, and somehow, it happened. Soon afterwards, I learned that whenever Garnet was near me and in peril, I had the option of using this 'power.' However, Garnet was already up on the surface, far away from me, but you were near and in danger. This led me to conclude that you too are an Omnis. That means you were once an orphan, correct? Then you were given an identity..."
I was quietly stunned at how much Lucifer knew. My head faced the ground. I opened both of my palms and stared. "Me? What about Garnet?"
"What about her?" Although Lucifer knew what I was asking, I sensed that he said so just in case.
"Has she used it also?"
"The power? ...Yes, it is branded as 'Anima' among females. We fought a massive MT once, and I found myself on the verge of shut down. However, she..." He stopped. I blinked.
"She what?"
"Nevermind. All I know is that you're one of 'us,' from the looks of how you annihilated the Sphere forces at the detainment facility." Qastor's eyes widened. "No one but I saw how you fought. Maybe another, but that doesn't matter." Lucifer's tone betrayed him.
"You're not telling me everything... aren't you...?" Anger welled up inside me. I always expected those around me to be honest.
"There are times when a lie is the truth to those who can't handle it. In this case, it is silence..." Lucifer started walking out. I pursued him.
"I'm not done with you! Tell me what you know! Tell me who I am!!" I was short of breath from everything I was told. Lucifer stopped near the door. There was yet another pause. A heavy, intense pause...
"I've told you everything that you need to know." With that, Lucifer walked out. Frustrated and pained, I struck the table with my fist and threw one of the chairs across the floor. Hurtful beads of tears dropped on the glossy surface. I began to wonder...
"...Who am I...?"