The future they had so fiercely strived for now lay before them like ashes on their tongues, bitter and acrid, tainting their once-pure aspirations and corrupting their deeply held beliefs.
"So many..." His chest tightened as the words struggled to escape his lips, an oppressive weight bearing down on him. "How many others are like me? Was I really the only one kept in ignorance?"
"You are far from the only one," she said softly, her voice imbued with both compassion and resolve as she placed a gentle hand on his cheek. He looked up at her, his eyes glistening with unshed tears, as the reality of their conversation bore down on him. "The vast majority of humanity continues to live in blissful ignorance, blissfully unaware of the darkness that lies just beneath their feet, lurking like a ravenous beast."
"That is why this must end," she continued, her tone sharpening with determination. "There are those who are responsible for allowing this corruption to persist for far too long. They understood completely why I was driven down a path of absolute destruction, yet they refuse to take accountability for their actions and the consequences that ripple outward."
Yuren nodded in silence, his emotions a turbulent storm—confusion, shame, outrage—all clashing within him as his mind raced to process everything he had just learned. He had always wanted to cling to the ideals of righteousness, yet the foundation of his beliefs was crumbling before his eyes.
Images flooded his mind: the Republic's relentless drones that mercilessly bombarded East Toador, the Empire's cold, mechanical android battalions marching in perfect unison, and the Szenveir Kingdom's devastating resonance weapons, all fueled by the same sinister energy source: the Meteorn.
When she first revealed to him that humans were essentially being drained of their life force to serve as an energy source, stripped of their freedom and autonomy, he had recoiled in disbelief. He wanted to reject the idea, to dismiss it as some far-fetched nightmare. He didn't want it to be true.
But now, staring into the heart of the city's generator, a Meteorn at its core, hollowed out and devoid of every last ounce of life energy. He could no longer blind himself to the horrific truth. Reduced to nothing more than a mere battery, it existed solely to provide power to humanity, a haunting testament to the very darkness they had discussed. In that moment, the reality of their world crashed down upon him with suffocating weight, forcing him to confront the truth he had long avoided.
The horrifying truth was undeniable: for countless years, humanity had systematically drained the very souls from the beings that inhabited their planet. They enslaved these creatures, subjugating their bodies and extinguishing their minds, effectively robbing them of their vibrant histories.
Under the iron fist of the empire, the Meteorn were compelled to fight in brutal wars for human interests, their very cores harnessed to create machines that further perpetuated this cycle of exploitation. The Meteorn, once proud and free, were reduced to mere tools, existing solely to cater to the whims of their human captors.
"I want to go back..." Yuren said softly, his voice barely more than a whisper, heavy with longing. "I want to reclaim Bei and Jia's bodies. They don't deserve to have the remnants of their essence simply flushed away for testing. They certainly don't deserve to be subjected to perverse and unethical experiments."
Esotonia paused, gently cupping her chin in thought. A deep concern flickered in her eyes. "Are you sure? You may not be received kindly upon your return. The researchers will not take kindly to interference."
"It doesn't matter..." Yuren replied, his resolve strengthening despite the uncertainty. "I can't just leave them for those researchers to continue toying with their remains." He turned to her, desperation softening his usually steely gaze. "Please."
"As you wish," she replied with a nod of understanding. "If you find yourself in need of assistance, if they threaten you in any way, you can call upon us. Jytenreu may be the first to arrive, but you should tread lightly around her. She has a fierce demeanor, yet beneath that exterior, she is quite fragile. She will heed your commands without hesitation, so you need not worry."
"What about Eclipse? Would she help as well?" Yuren inquired, scanning the surroundings as he realized he had encountered very little of the infamous Apocalypse Class Meteorn.
"Is that what they call me?" Esotonia said with a gentle laugh, her expression softening as she shook her head in amusement. "If it pleases you, I shall accompany you as well."
In the few days they had spent together, Yuren found himself forgetting that she belonged to the renowned Apocalypse Class. All he knew was her name; her past remained a mystery, just as his own story did. The more he learned about her, the more he felt a genuine connection that transcended their circumstances.
Not once did she attempt to intimidate him; instead, she welcomed him with kindness, treating him as if he were one of her own kin, like a nurturing figure would embrace a child.
Was this warmth she offered a reflection of her own grief? Did he remind her of someone lost, someone she cared for deeply? The pain of those losses ran profoundly within her heart, and Yuren noted the sorrowful flicker in her eyes as she ran her fingertips along the cold, smooth surface of the capsule that held the essence of her fallen kin.
The number of times she had cradled her dead in her arms after battles was immeasurable. Each loss had carved deep scars into her heart, each one deeper and more agonizing than the last. Even as she fought tooth and nail for her own survival, her grief continued to loom over her like an unrelenting shadow. They had been killed, murdered, enslaved; their very essence drained, all by the hands of humanity.
What future awaited civilization if this trend persisted until the Meteorn were extinguished? When there were no more Meteorn available to serve in the armies or to power the machines that defined human progress, what would happen then?
Would humanity turn upon itself, each kingdom and nation placing blame on the other for the dwindling resources? Would they spiral into chaos, descending into the depths of war, fighting for the last remnants of humanity's newfound fuel source? The repercussions of their actions could ignite a cataclysmic conflict, devouring everything in its wake.
Yuren finally stood, "I'm ready, send me back."
"Visualize the place you want be, recall the sounds, the smell. When you open your eyes that will be the place before you." Esotonia smiled warmly, turning her palm to the floor, a mass of black energy sprouted like grass from a fresh layer of soil, the thin black blades shot upwards, creating a pillar surrounded by a thick mist-like fog.
Was this how she warped between places? Not a machine or anything based on electromagnetic energy technology, but a power of its own, unique. Was this what Resonance was capable of? Was this why it was so strongly desired across the nations, so coveted by the humans?
The amount of control the Meteorn had over this force... maybe they weren't the alien beings invading the world. Perhaps that may have been a lie to hide the truth of humanity's cruel exploitation and theft.
With each passing day, Yuren felt a growing urgency within him, a burning desire to uncover the secrets that lay hidden beneath the surface of the world. The web of deception that connected the societies he had known tugged at his thoughts, urging him to unravel it and expose the truths obscured by lies. Shadows of doubt lingered in his mind, but for now, he had a different mission that demanded his attention.
He shook his head, dispelling the distractions. Yuren closed his eyes and concentrated deeply, directing his thoughts to the 701st's office space. He took a slow, deliberate breath, inhaling the ambient energy around him, and then exhaled, releasing any tension that clung to his shoulders.
The air whistled past him, a soothing sound amid the cacophony of the bustling city outside. Echoes of urban life pulsated in his ears, with the rhythmic clatter of familiar machinery churning away in the distance. The scent of ash hung in the air, a reminder of the fires that often danced through the streets, as burnt cinders swirled gently in the warm breeze. Amidst this backdrop, he could hear the distant murmur of his unit's members, their voices mingling together as they discussed the daily tasks that awaited them.
When he finally opened his eyes, he found himself standing before his office, a space that felt both comfortable and charged with purpose. There, looming before him, was a portal of dark mist, swirling ominously and radiating an intriguing energy. It was about the size of a capsule, its surface flickering with an otherworldly light, while tendrils of mist spiraled off, reaching outward like ephemeral fingers seeking to grasp the air.
Yuren felt a tremor of fear ripple through him, but he resolved to push it aside. He took a decisive step forward, crossing the threshold as he entered the portal. In an instant, the world around him transformed, shifting from the silent, energy-nullifying chamber he had occupied moments before to the vibrant chaos of the battalion's office.
As he emerged, the mist dissipated into dazzling motes of light, scattering across the room and fading into nothingness as they kissed the ground. The familiar surroundings of the office welcomed him, brimming with energy and the promise of his next endeavor.