:: 8 ::

:: Dream ::

( Constructive criticism and reviews only, no flames )

The newly constructed Kaitzur Military Port gleamed in the bright sun, the metal crates and boxes that were being shipped away by soldiers reflecting the light. Kimlascan soldiers marched to and forth, patrolling the area. As soon as Luke and company arrived, a soldier saluted them and led them to the resting area.

"So, what now? We gotta get to Akzeriuth, right? Where is it from here?" Luke asked, impatiently.

Jade looked around and answered. "We can get there from here if we travel through Deo Pass. The pass is located bit little north of here."

"Alright! Deo Pass, then! Let's go! We can still catch up to Master Van if we hurry!" Luke said excitedly, running past the guards and outside the port. Tear shook her head in exasperation before following.

"Well, no point hanging around here. Ion, you still okay?" Guy asked with concern.

Ion nodded. "Yes, thank you, Guy. Shall we be going? Luke might get hurt if we leave him to himself for long."

Natalia sighed. "I don't know about that, Fon Master. It seems in his eagerness he becomes powerful enough to defeat any monster."

Jade interjected. "Indeed. Well, at the risk of sounding repetitive, shall we be going?"

Jade reiterated, as he walked past them with Sophia in tow. She smiled at Tear as she passed, causing the younger girl to smile back, before following the two.

"Is Deo Pass the only way to get to Akzeriuth?" Natalia asked, as she flipped her hair over her shoulder.

"Yeah, unfortunately, it is." Guy answered. Natalia blinked in confusion.

"Unfortunately? What do you mean?"

He grinned. "Well, there are some pretty tough monsters that live in that area, now."

"I read once that Deo Pass used to be Kimlascan territory but was claimed by Malkuth shortly before Akzeriuth. Is that correct?" Sophia said, smiling as she looked back at Guy.

Jade nodded. "My, I'm impressed at your depth of knowledge. That was in a book?"

She chuckled. "Yes, apparently so."

Guy smiled back. "But even so, what you said was right. That's why it's in such bad shape since they didn't bother to fix it up afterwards."

"Well, we'll see how messed up this place is when we get there, right? So let's hurry, already!" Luke whined, stomping further onwards and entering a small area of forestation. Tear shook her head slightly, but, otherwise, ignored him.

"Yes, the faster we get there the faster we can help the people." Natalia added.

"Akzeriuth…I won't like it." Sophia whispered. She lowered her head and sighed. "I really won't like it."

Jade laughed. "Oh, you won't? Well, I don't expect anyone to like a town that's being consumed with a plague brought on by the miasma."

She looked up at him and gave a small smile. "Exactly."

"Yes…Well, as our dear ambassador said, let's hurry." He said, eyes fixed on their destination.

She held back a giggle. "Yes, alright."

It made me wonder about Akzeriuth when the colonel hinted it was more than bad. (I could tell from his tone of voice and the way he had said what he did. Was I finally beginning to understand him?)

I had heard a little about the state of affairs there, but to be seeing the damage of the miasma first hand is…a little hard to imagine. I hope the damage isn't as bad as everyone's saying it is. I was never really good with seeing people…suffer. It's part of the reason why I despise fighting, or any forms of violence. The fact that someone, either enemy or ally, will get drastically hurt…I can't bring myself to endorse such a thing.

I'd rather see things solved in a diplomatic manner, rather than solving them with brute force. There's always that option and I'd rather leave violence as the very last resort. After traversing the small copse of trees and vegetation, we finally reached Deo Pass.

It was…as I had heard from Guy. It wasn't in its prime state; I could see loosened ropes and ladders everywhere. Rubble and debris surrounded the area, causing some mold to develop. I heard Anise speak.

"Man, this place is messed up!" I could agree very much with her on that point. I don't mean to sound mean or such, but…I imagined it to be a little cleaner than this. (Forgive me!)

Guy laughed a little, and replied to her.

"Yeah, like I said, they didn't bother to do anything with it since they claimed Akzeriuth."

My eyes turned to Luke, almost automatically as they do to the colonel. (The colonel…has a b-beautiful face. He doesn't look as old as he is…Oh! Now I'm blushing!) He scoffed at the area and continued.

"Messed up doesn't begin to describe this place! Well, anyway, let's keep going. Master Van is way ahead of us now!"

Tear followed him. I smiled. She's the most concerned out of all of us for Luke, and that's a very good thing. At least there's someone here for him. (I just have a feeling there is more in store for Luke, be it a good thing or a bad thing. Hopefully a good thing.)

"Ion, I want you to watch your step here, alright?" Anise wagged her finger at the young Fon Master, her hand on her hips. He gave her a reassuring smile and answered her. "Don't worry about me, Anise. I'll be alright. I've got you, Guy and Luke and everyone else to protect me, right?"

I smiled at him and looked at Luke again. (I tried to anticipate his answer but…)

"Whatever! Isn't that Anise's job? Let's just get going!"

My smile faded from me and it slowly turned into a frown. So much for that…I guess.

"Did you guess a more polite answer?" The colonel asked me.

I smiled softly, and nodded. "Yes, I actually did. That was an amazing observation, colonel."

He shrugged. "In this profession, it is crucial to observe. Never mind that, though. I might as well go ahead and apologize for whatever rude things I may say as a result of my…'observation skills.'"

I giggled. "Very well."

We proceeded upwards, towards the other end of the pass. Luke was leading us and was walking a little faster than he should. I got worried for the Fon Master, but decided to keep quiet. Luke had a way of…becoming annoyed when things like that were brought up, constantly.

"So far, the monsters don't seem to be coming at us unless we provoke them." Guy said, out of the blue.

Natalia nodded. "Yes, it is a relief, not having to defend against monsters as we go."

"Ion! Are you really, super-duper sure you're fine like this?" Anise asked him again. (I guess Anise can do the persisting for me, then?)

He nodded and replied, his tone of voice patient and quite comforting to hear. I already knew, though what he was going to say. (I hope I am right this time.)

"Please, Anise. I really don't want to be a burden. I'm quite fine. Really! Let's keep going, okay?"

"Just tell me if you need to rest, okay? I'll force Luke to stop and let you. Promise!" I had to laugh at that remark; she was so dedicated to him. I found it nice to see that kind of loyalty and concern. I looked back at the dusty road and continued to walk, slowly observing the area around us.

Then my eyes traveled on the colonel again, as they always did. I couldn't pin point it but there was this strange…aura around him that seemed to want me to know more. It wanted me to stay near him, like, if I didn't, I wouldn't feel as secure. I tried to hide my gaze as subtly as I could but I'll be the first to admit that I'm no master of subterfuge. (He was really very good at observing.)

"Is there something wrong with my face?" I heard him say as I quickly looked away. I blushed as I continued to lower my head. "Of course not. I'm sorry." I didn't know what else to say…That was very awkward.

"I see. Then, do you mind if I ask you something? Opportunity has struck." He continued. I nodded my head as I looked up at him. (I guess I'm killing two birds with one stone…)

"No, I don't mind. Please, be my guest."

"Alright then. Tell me, if a monster attacks us this very moment, do you have any means of protecting yourself, other than us?"

I was taken aback with that question, partly because I didn't know what to answer him. He knows I can't use fonic artes, and that I'm not a fighter. Why did he ask me this, knowing those facts? (Was he testing me, perhaps?)

I stammered to answer him, thinking abruptly of what to say, but, unfortunately, only air came out of my mouth. He chuckled, and I blinked at him. "I didn't expect my answer to be so demanding. I apologize."

I shook my head again, embarrassed. "No, I'm the one who should apologize, colonel." At least that had come out right. I really did feel sorry…I'm the one tagging along.

"Oh? Why should you apologize? If my old memory serves me correctly, you did nothing wrong. Well, not yet, anyway." I felt him set his eyes on me, but only for a second. (It was so intimidating…)

"I'm following you all like this and I can't even protect myself from any attacks. I'm sorry. It seems I'm something of a liability..."

He stopped moving, halting everyone behind us.

"Hey, what happened? Something wrong?" I heard Guy ask. I stopped as well and looked at him, his eyes wandering the area. They stopped at a nearby bush.

"Colonel?" I queried.

He frowned and suddenly grabbed me by the waist, jumping to the side as he did so. I muffled a gasp of surprise as he rapidly dropped me off to the side of the road, his spear appearing in his hand. "They've caught us by surprise. Stay here."

I was confused until I heard him say that. I nodded my agreement before running off more to the side. From there, I watched as Guy and Tear took up defensive stances and glanced around nervously. A little ways away, Luke was frantically fighting against a wolf-like monster that had finally shown itself, before Natalia and Guy noticed his predicament and went to his aid.

"Damn it, get outta my way!" Luke shouted. I saw him concentrate, red energy flowing through his right hand, before he thrust his fist forward at the monster and drew back suddenly, with an astounding force. "Raging Blast!" he cried out, and the monster collapsed.

"Ion! Stay here with Sophia! I'll take care of this!" Anise instructed as she pushed the Fon Master gently to my side and summoned up her Tokunaga, swiping an incoming attack.

"Be careful everyone!" Ion shouted.

I watched with the Fon Master as they all fought the monsters together. They were starting to wear down, and, as Natalia drew her bowstring, I saw the colonel gather up fonons for a finishing move. Natalia saw him and withdrew her weapon, staying behind him to act as support.

The colonel closed his eyes and chanted, a fonic glyph appearing beneath him. He focused on the weakened monster before releasing the fonons and crying. "Energy Blast!"

The monster was crippled under the pressure of the attack, and I flinched as I saw blood spill out from its mouth. (It wasn't pretty…)

"It's over…Sophia? Are you alright?" I turned slightly to the Fon Master who was smiling gently at me.

I smiled warmly and nodded back. "Yes, Fon Master."

"I saw you wince a little. I thought you might have gotten hurt."

"No, I'm alright. Thank you very much for worrying Fon Master. It is an honor."

He chuckled and replied. "Your regard for me is very high. I should be the one thanking you."

I hid a giggle and shook my head in disagreement. "Really, Fon Master. I did nothing worthy of a thank you, unlike the colonel and everyone else."

"I still need to thank you for thinking so highly of me."

Before I could reply, I saw Anise run up to him and heard her call out his name in worry. Fortunately for us, those monsters weren't as hard to defeat as some others we had encountered and no one was badly injured in the attack. I left Anise and the Fon Master to chat and walked up to Tear.

"Tear, are you alright?" I asked her. She didn't respond to my question, so I asked her again.

"Tear?"

She still didn't answer me, so I got a little worried. Was something wrong? After a few moments of utter silence, I turned to look at where she was looking and I stifled a small smile.

Out of the corner of her eyes, and what seemed to be the eye of her attention was a young, red-headed Luke receiving a healing spell from the princes—err—Natalia.

"Hold still! I can't heal you if you keep moving around!" Natalia scolded him, as Luke continued to wince and move around, preventing her from casting.

He scoffed. "I can't! We're wasting a lot of time! We need to go now! Master Van's waiting for us!"

"Would you please stop thinking about the Commandant for one second and focus on the more important matters at hand? Akzeriuth and the people there are what we should be worrying for! I swear, Luke…" Natalia said.

I turned back to Tear, who rubbed the bridge of her nose and sighed. She seemed startled when she saw me behind her, a knowing smile on my face. (My, I wonder what she was looking at them for?)

"Oh! S-Sophia." She coughed. "I'm sorry. I heard you but I…failed to respond. Forgive me."

"It's alright, Tear. You were a little busy anyway, so don't mind me. I just wanted to check if you were alright, is all." I replied back. It took almost all of my power to stop myself from bursting into a laughing fit. (So she is worried about him..)

After a brief discussion on her welfare, I turned and walked with the rest of the group as they moved forward (Of course, under a certain someone's request.). I suddenly remembered the colonel, when I heard him speak to Guy. I sighed to myself; I didn't ask if he was alright. Was he expecting it from me?

I walked in the middle of Anise and the Fon Master in silence, as I, subconsciously, listened to the conversations being told. I guess we're both in a stalemate-position at the moment. But it would do me well on my part to at least stay quiet and focus on the important matters at hand (Unlike…someone else here, sorry to say.).

We stopped for a brief rest when the Fon Master almost collapsed on the mountain path we were crossing Anise quickly came to his aid. "Ion! That's it! We're resting!" she demanded.

I walked up beside the Fon Master, helping him stand again. "Please, don't force yourself." I told him gently.

He smiled at us softly but forced himself to stand once more. "No, I'll be a burden. I'm fine…just a little weak." I frowned slightly and, with Anise's help, managed to help him reconsider. (I hope I'm not too pushy…)

"Ion! Listen, you're gonna rest and you're not gonna complain about it, okay? Luke! Ion needs to rest a little!" she shouted, hands defiantly on her hips. The Fon Master didn't seem to listen to either me or Anise, so I just helped him stay up. (Natalia also came to help me, when Anise was talking to Luke.)

My eyes traveled to Tear. Her eyebrows were furrowed together, and she was frowning. I didn't realize it, but it looked like she was…a little mad and worried about Luke; all at the same time. I know that feeling very well, though.

The feeling of having so many emotions inside you all at once and not knowing which feeling is right at that moment. I was experiencing that as well. I didn't know whether to call out to the colonel, or continue to watch Anise and Luke bicker, or somehow intervene and help out. I know what I'm doing now (keeping the Fon Master on his feet) is being helpful but…my gut feeling is always pointing to the colonel, and it's scary. And there was a feeling inside me as well, that was telling me to give Luke a chance.

After Guy had mentioned that the Commandant was the only master Luke ever trained under, I kind of began to pity the noble. (Me and my emotions again.)

And then, he spoke back. Luke had to say those words to us, he had to go and crush my expectations for him. I felt myself stiffen at his words, and I knew at that moment I was frowning, badly. He was becoming his own worst enemy, I'm afraid, and if he continued having such attitude problems then I'm also afraid that one of us might actually end up hating him by the end of this quest. (Yulia forbid if it was me.)

"Tsk! Fine! Do what you want! We wouldn't be having such a difficult time following Master Van if we didn't have to waste any more time in the stupid desert, though!" he screeched, a hand running across his hair.

I felt my mouth open agape, slightly. Wasted time? In the desert saving the Fon Master? What in Yulia's name is he talking about? Surely, even he should realize that the Fon Master, even a normal person, a layman even, is worth time to save from apparent death!

How could he just say such a thing so casually? That was…more than inappropriate! It was verging beyond rude and selfish! It was…egotistical! (I'm rambling on and on...In my head, thank goodness.)

I know this sounds so wrong of me to say but…at that moment I wanted to slap some sense into Luke because he certainly didn't have any at the moment!.

"How dare you, Luke! Saving Ion is not a waste of time! Fon Master, please forgive Luke's indiscretions…" Natalia somehow tried to manage the situation for Luke, but still…he fought for what he said.

"I meant it! What's wrong with calling a waste of time what it is? A waste of time!" he forcefully shot back, facing away.

I saw Tear walk back to him and someone (I think Guy) asked the colonel if it would be alright to rest.

"I think we're all a little tired, so why not? A small rest won't hurt anyone." was the reply.

I let out a frustrated, yet subtle, sigh. Anise and Natalia helped the Fon Master to rest and Tear was left alone with Luke from the corner of the cliff. I stood at that same spot where the Fon Master had been and thought of what had happened. Luke's display was…discouraging. I couldn't get over the fact that he called saving someone a waste of time. Was the Commandant this influential in his life? That he would rather meet up with him earlier than to…to save someone's life?

I…he…we…

Why, Luke? Why are you making it so hard for me to give you a chance?

Jade wasn't as chipper as he normally was. He noticed that Sophia wasn't either. He could tell that she was uncomfortable with what Luke had said. Who wouldn't be, after all? It was a rather callous thing to say.

He heard her sigh, and saw her turn around, walking away and taking a seat beside the Fon Master, her long tresses trailing slowly behind her.

He had expected Tear to be the most affected, counting out Natalia and Anise, but he never realized Sophia would take it so hard.

Responding to her sigh, he walked forward a bit and stood next to her crouching figure, as she eyed the dust on the ground with relative concentration.

He leaned on the rocks behind them, hands deftly tucked into the pockets of his clean and crisp uniform.

"You must have been trying very hard to give our dear old Luke a chance." He started, nonchalantly.

He saw that he had taken her by surprise, as she visibly jolted in her seat. She calmed down and smiled, something he been taking more noticed of the more she did it. Using a slender finger to trace the ground beneath her, symbols that meant nothing, she responded calmly. (Or…tried at least.)

"So, you've noticed, then?" She continued to trace the ground, noticing the pad of her index finger growing slightly darker.

"I'm sorry. I'm not supposed to be…I mean, I…and Luke…" she stammered, desperately trying to keep her composure under his somewhat piercing stare. She heard him emit a low chuckle and she stopped to look up to his smooth face.

"Just because one is relatively new in a groupdoes not mean that one is not human. You know that, don't you?" he replied quietly.

Taking his gaze upon the surrounding area, he continued. "You think so lowly of your opinion that I might actually mistake you for Luke! Although, I doubt he knows…"

Her smile grew minutely, but still, she remained silent and deep in thought.

"You are human, too, you know." He added, jokingly. "It's quite normal for you to be offended with what our dear ambassador has said. I am as well." He smiled.

"I don't see it on your face." She finally spoke.

He sighed and shrugged. "Well, a lot of people are surprised when I'm surprised, as far as I can tell. I don't know why. I'm very predictable!"

After a few minutes of silence, Sophia held back a giggle and sighed afterwards. She rubbed her index finger with her thumb, rubbing off the dirt and found herself standing next to the colonel.

"I don't have a reason to think highly of my opinion when it is of no dire significance."

"Oh? Is that what you think?"

She smiled softly and nodded leisurely. "Yes, that is what I think. And…I…get my words mixed up sometimes, so I find it embarrassing when I say something that I shouldn't have said."

Jade blinked at her remark.

He played with his fingers inside his pockets, and replied. "If that is the case, then why are you telling me all of this?" He didn't mean for it to come out that way, but it did and he found himself looking at her, waiting for a reply.

She said that she didn't find her opinion important, and yet here she was, blabbering about it and why she didn't like to express herself through words. Interesting, he thought.

She was caught in surprise again, and afterwards, released a small grin. She lowered her head in defeat, and started to laugh, gently.

"Honestly, I don't know myself, either."

"Yes, I suppose you don't. You're doing it again, you know that?"

Her eyelashes twinkled in confusion. "I beg your pardon?" she asked, turning slightly to face him. Jade reached out of his pockets and adjusted his glasses, slowly falling off the bridge of his nose.

"You're lying again." he moaned out, heaving a slight sigh as he went along. "It's quite obvious that really isn't the case, you know."

He lifted himself off the rock and smiled, eyeing her baffled expression behind him. "My, how troublesome you are."

Sophia's gut feeling was telling her to follow him, but she decided to just stay put. She clenched her hands together, balling them into fists, her nails created small half-moons on her palms.

She wasn't lying…it was just…she had nothing to tell. And he knew that was a lie too. She was confused and now only one thing came out of her mouth.

"Thank you."

He stopped walking and turned back to her, hands back inside his pockets. "Well now, that's a surprise."

She croaked back, repeating herself. "Thank you. I never got the chance to say that to you, back then when the monsters…"

"Oh, come now. That was nothing commendable about such an action. But, you're welcome, nonetheless. Now, I hate repeating myself, so I'll only say this once. Believe me when I say this...Shall we be going?"

She forced a smile and nodded back. "Of course."

What she had said wasn't a lie at least. Sophia was thankful for what he had done, just like she was thankful for what everyone had done, even though it wasn't necessarily for her. She was thankful for this; for everything around her that the colonel had somehow concocted.

Isn't that a start?

Awkward silence greeted the travelers, with Luke and Tear leading in front of them. Guy and Anise both stood beside the Fon Master, Natalia behind them. When Tear sighted the exit, Luke wasn't the only one who was excited to leave the Pass.

"Finally! Let's go—WHOA!" Luke was cut off.

A sharp sound echoed from the heights of the steep hill. A lean woman, sporting blonde hair and a pair of Fon guns stood atop the tall rocks, halting the advance of the travelers. Everyone looked up and Tear, much to her surprise, found herself face to face with her former teacher.

"Major Legretta!" she shouted. "What are you doing here?"

"Legretta? A God-General?" Luke remarked. "Tear, how do you know her?"

Anise had her hands on Tokunaga and gave her a glare. "Ion, stay back. She might be here to take you away." Ion silently nodded.

A heated discussion started, as Legretta's motives became clear. She wasn't here to harm them, necessarily, but she was here to stop them. Including Tear.

"It should be clear to you as to why I am here; to win free will and freedom for all human beings."

"What do you mean?" Tear questioned her, frantically.

"People read the Score for anything that they do. The Score rules their lives. Don't you think that's wrong?" she replied.

"It's not like that. The Score helps people make decisions in everyday life." Ion answered back.

"Perhaps for you, Fon Master, but most people depend on the Score. It controls them."

Sophia's eyes, once again found to Jade's. Focused on the woman in front of them, she felt him stiffen and tense. She felt herself stiffen as well, when she heard Legretta answer back to the Fon Master. The Score controls them.

Shaking herself from her thoughts, she forced herself to focus. Legretta was a God-General, which may mean another fight. She had to do her part to stay out of the way if this ever occurred. But somehow, she couldn't forget what she had said…that the Score controls people.

It just stayed there, in the back of her mind, refusing to leave. Biting her lower lip and lowering her chin to her chest, she pushed the thoughts back and looked back up towards Legretta. In a flash, their eyes met.

"You of all people should know this, Sophia." she beckoned, guns at the ready. She pointed one to her (Although not menacingly) and continued.

"Don't you, of all people think the Score is nothing but a mindless attempt to woo the people?"

Sophia blinked. "How do you know who I am?" She whispered, loud enough for the God-General to hear.

"This is neither the time nor the place for me to discuss something that concerns you. Tear! Stop this and come with me!"

Sophia felt herself shrink. She didn't know Legretta up till now, so how did Legretta know her? Neither time nor the place? So will there come a time where I will know?

She didn't have time to ponder on it though, because as soon as Tear refused, Legretta polished her guns and readied the trigger.

"Then I'll stop you by force!" she cried out. Jumping swiftly from her position, Legretta began her assault and started to shoot the nearest person to her: Guy. Anise rapidly summoned Tokunaga and carried Ion to safety, as Sophia ran beside him. Jade's spear was at the ready and Tear, although hesitant, started to cast spells from the backline.

A fierce battle took place, and Sophia scolded herself mentally. She wasn't thinking of the fight, or even the colonel. She thought of nothing else, save Legretta's words. She sounded like…she knew…she knew.

Did she know?

You of all people should know this, Sophia! It kept echoing in her mind, the battlefield soon becoming a distant memory. A distant sound…she lost her thoughts again and started to blink profusely, a habit she couldn't break from.

For the first time, she wasn't looking or even thinking about the colonel. Her mind was focused solely on what the God-General told her. How could she have known who she was if she didn't know…

No. That's not going to happen. It's nothing but a coincidence. That's it.

The battle ended sooner than expected and everyone was panting in fatigue. Legretta jumped back, atop the massive rock and started to speak again. "Tear! Get away from that reject!"

Sophia's train of thought broke when Ion grasped her shoulder gently. After an exchange of words and worried glances, she started to regain her inner equanimity and took Legretta's words.

"Reject?" she repeated.

This time, it was Jade's turn to be lost in thought. Her eyes went back to his willowy figure. He tensed up and his spear disappeared. Wine colored eyes started to darken, his brows meeting.

"What does she mean?" Natalia remarked.

"No…it can't be! The forbidden technology…How could they have…?" Ion suddenly rambled.

Jade's ears picked up his words and soon, he found himself losing control.

"Reject? Are you talking about me?" Luke cried out in protest. "What the hell are you talking about?"

Legretta remained calm, even after the battle but, before she could answer, Jade ran up closer to her andin a fit of anger, shot back at her remark.

Sophia continued eyeing him, fretting. She could have sworn she saw him tremble.

"Whose idea was this? Was it Dist's?!" he shouted, a burning anger razing through him.

Guy gaped. "Whoa." He mustered.

Anise gulped when she lead Ion beside her, Tokunaga back to its usual form behind her back.

"Are you talking about fomicry? What good would it do you to know?" she snapped. "The die has been cast, Necromancer!"

Legretta added, venom lacing her words. Sophia gasped when Jade suddenly shot a lethal look at her, his spear reappearing. Brows furrowed and voice hoarse, he responded.

"Over my dead body!"

Legretta disappeared and Jade was left clutching his weapon tightly in his hand, a visible anger radiating from his entire being. Sophia watched in amazement, or more so in shock. Was…the colonel really angry?

"Colonel…you're actually…mad!" Anise stated. Everyone had their eyes on him, an astonished look on their faces.

"I'm sorry, I lost control. I'm alright now. Let's hurry to Akzeriuth." A hand met the bridge of his nose again, as he gently pushed his glasses upwards, back into its place. He sighed to himself as he regained his cool.

"Wait, what forbidden technology? What is she talking about? What the hell is this fomicry?"

"Colonel, you seemed to know a lot about the topic. What's Major talking about?"

"It's best to forget the topic, for now. I'll explain about it when it comes up again. Isn't that right, Guy? Now, let's get moving. We have to hurry to Akzeriuth."

"Wait, what are you asking me for? Hey, I don't like that look you're giving me!"

"Damn it, someone better explain to me all of this crap! I'm the ambassador!"

The Score rules everyone's lives. It controls them. To Sophia, the outside world was just a big, big blur. At that moment, she stopped caring about others again, and started to slowly drift into her own little universe. What did she mean when she said that to me? It felt as though a huge question mark had been placed inside her mind. She couldn't stop asking herself, what did Legretta mean?

It took all of her power not to just collapse right then and there and rub her eyes out until she found an answer. She had never made contact with anyone from the Order, so how, in Yulia's name, did a God-General know who Sophia was?

There was only one possibility…but it was one saved for the more desperate thoughts. In all her thinking, she failed to notice Natalia call out to her. She blinked out of her daze and responded, simply saying. "Yes, I'm sorry. I'm coming."

The Score controls them. It was what hit her the most. She couldn't deny it. Part of that held truth. Deep down, what Legretta had said affected her because she was afraid. Afraid of something that she just wasn't ready for yet. She thought she was ready years ago, but…she was dead wrong.

And realization struck her when, in her mind, the possibilities connected. She broke the chain off and slowly started to walk outside, without noticing Jade casually waiting for her. She glanced at him and her eyes widened.

She really was selfish…wasn't she?

She hurried her pace and came in front of him. He sighed. "Are you done thinking now? Shall we be moving on, then?" he asked.

She didn't respond, and, instead, stopped Jade from walking any further. She spoke. She spoke words that came…automatically. She hadn't realized it, but Jade was the one who was most deeply affected by Legretta's words, not her.

"I know this is a little late, but…colonel? Are you alright?"

He stopped walking and she saw his head lean to the side, as she caught a small glimpse of his glasses. Her voice was soft and more of a whisper, and it worried her that he may think wrongly of her because she never asked him before if he was okay. But what worried her more was his reply, because as far as Sophia could tell, the colonel was very hard to understand.

"Why, thank you for asking. I've never been better."