Soul's Requiem: B1 - 7. Shane & Sharpening Senses

1:  Clover Emberfield

Soul's Requiem Index

Previous Chapter

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“Without laws there can be no Justice. Without hope there can be no future… [data lost] taught me that, and I know you all see it in her. I know McArthur didn’t abandon us! He’ll return. He’s the strongest. We all know it. So maintain your hope for a brighter future; we can see it in the hope she sparks in the children.” - Shane, The Lost Diaries, Vol. III.

“Long time no see, [data lost]. What… McArthur’s gone? Humph. He lost our bet, then. I was right. You can’t save everyone… At least, not while they have free will, not that you’d agree with me. That’s why I went my own way… We’re thriving. [data lost] You would say that. Me? I hate his ideals of Salvation. Are you as naive as he was?” - Clover Emberfield, The Lost Diaries, Vol. III.

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They stopped in front of a decent neighborhood—from what Clover had seen of the town—it was a duplex, which was big for the tight-spaced places along their journey.

So, this is the place where she’ll show me answers about my clothes, huh?  Interesting location.

Getting out, Clover brushed back her braided hair, noticing the mountain chill of the elevated area, yet it didn’t affect her the way she remembered; cold and hot were simply a realization of her current environment rather than a discomfort.

She managed her dress in the soft breeze, Melissa motioning for her to follow her to a path that led them around the back.  The neighborhood had noticeably less traffic than the other roads they’d passed through, and the maintenance was done regularly by the cleanliness of the streets.  “Well…  This is a nice part of town,” she commented.

Melissa took out a small ring of keys, opening three locks on the high gate before opening it for Clover to walk inside; on inspection in passing, the woman’s intricate uniform seemed far more durable than the cotton Clover wore.

“A lot of the town’s residents keep the area cleaned up since a few spirit users used to live in the area…  It’s, umm, kind of a shrine, you could say.”

“A shrine?”  Clover put a hand on her hip as Melissa locked up behind them and guided her to the back door.  “Do they worship the spirit users here?”

“Some, sure,” Melissa gave a weak shrug.  “We, uh… we get people that idolize us, fear us… hate us, and, yes, some worship us—anyway, it’s in here.”

Clover followed her inside, glancing around once Melissa sealed the entrance, the dark hiding nothing from her enhanced vision.  They’d come through a kitchen; no dust or dishes were lying around, though it didn’t look like the house hadn’t been in use for many years with how perfectly orderly everything was.

“Do spirit users have permanent residences if they always travel and never sleep?”

“Heh,” Melissa’s eyes lingered on the stove and the table for a moment, “we’re not robots.  The SPU used to have a few permanent residences in every city, dedicated to spirit users—it’s shrunk since—but we still need a private area to relax and take some personal time… little as it may be.

“Umm, I like to read some of Skydream’s old literature  The, uh, the new stuff can be a bit, eh… too wild for me,” she mumbled with a weak chuckle.  “The arts have become… let’s just say not very spirit user friendly—at least, not for me.”

“I see.  So, what are we here to see?”

She followed Melissa into the next room, where an old 155 cm TV was mounted to the wall as the woman gave a nervous laugh.  “So, this is only for educational purposes, okay?”

“Okay?”

Melissa went to a shelf and opened it up to reveal an old tape set with the recordings beside it.  “Only about twenty-three or so percent of the spirit rulers with Armaments had clothes like yours—all of the spirit users that were Class-5 and above.”

“More than I thought, considering the ambiguity I’ve been getting regarding the topic,” Clover whispered, watching her sort through the tapes; Melissa’s skin was hot as she fussed with her hair and the cassettes.  “I… get the impression we’re doing something illegal—not that I’m against it—I don’t want to get you in trouble.”

She shook her head, extracting a recording and putting it in.  “No, no, no—it’s not illegal… some people are just really silly about some things…  Yeah, no, I wasn’t ever in the higher spirit user circles—well, not for those kinds of conversations—and a lot of that information was kept secret by the Class-4 to 7 spirit users, so this is the best short-term solution I have.”

“I can understand that,” Clover mumbled, turning to the TV as Melissa flipped it on, “but why can’t the general request the data?”

“Two reasons…  Because he hasn’t reported you to the SPU yet, and… spirit rulers and spirit masters rarely talk to those not within their circles about their abilities—including the SPU—and a lot of rules left by McArthur protected them from divulging it…  Oh, here’s the part.”

Clover folded her arms under her bust, shaking her head as the horrible quality of the home-recorded video played.  “Not selling me on the SPU.”

“There are good parts and bad parts—like anything,” Melissa whispered.

Observing the screen, Clover hummed.  Judging by the voice from the unknown person recording, it was Melissa; she sounded younger, but it was the carefree tone in her voice rather than her coming off as old now.

The blonde hugged herself while watching, expressing a mixture of bitter-sweet memories as a thin layer of snow spread across a deep, frozen valley with several iced-over rivers that gave the area a magical vibe.

Melissa’s body heat continued to elevate beside her as it went on, showing massive, ice-blanketed trees spaced across it, and a handsome blond man in his early twenties popped up on the screen, half turned away as he smiled at the camera.

Clover was instantly drawn to the yellow field of electricity that occasionally flashed across his body, yet her attention was then drawn to his infectious laugh—pure and genuine.

“Lisa!  You’re the one that wanted me to take you to Firefly’s snowy wasteland, but you’ve been fiddling with that thing since we left the city.”

“Hey!  Hey!  I think I’ve got it working again!  Look!  Look!”  she raised a cheer, running over to show him; behind them was a scarred landscape of a ruined northern city, practically torn to its foundation, a military helicopter standing not too far away.  “We need to preserve the memory!  Oh, and let’s do what we talked about!”

A silver-haired man with his long locks pulled into a simple ponytail walked over to throw his arms around the blond man.  “Now, Melissa?  C’mon, girl!  We’ve finally gotten Shane away from Skydream; let him chill a little.”

“Alma!  It will only take a minute, and you guys never tell me anything about the cool stuff!”

The man sighed, waving his hand with a low groan at Shane’s grinning shrug.  “You’re always so random, Mel.  Alright, I’m gonna take Benson to scope out the mountain; someone’s gotta do some work here.”

“Thanks, Alma!”  Melissa cheered, the camera shaking as she waved him off.

Clover shifted her hips the opposite way while looking at the unassuming man the woman was badgering—he was handsome and had a kind face.  “I assume he’s strong?”

Melissa’s lips lifted a little.  “The strongest,” she whispered.  “The only person Shane could be compared to would be McArthur.”

“A spirit emperor?”  Clover asked, returning her focus to the recording.  “And Alma?”

“One of the three Class-6 spirit masters at the time.”

“Hmm…”

Shane put his hands in his pockets with a soft, teasing smile.  “You know, sometimes I wonder if you’re even listening.  I’ve told some of this stuff to you in the past, silly.”

The younger Melissa seemed delighted to have this personal time with the legend.  “Yup, I know, but you know how miserable the SPU’s spirit user incorporation program is…  I just thought we could help things along for those of us that get chucked out of those black holes and aren’t super strong; I know I would have loved to hear it from you!”

He rolled his eyes while shaking his head.  “Don’t compare yourself to everyone; you’ve got rare healing abilities while I just make stuff go boom.  I’m not that special.”

“Says the only Class-7!”  Melissa returned.  “C’mon, Shane, please!  Oh, tell future generations about the cool stuff—like your clothes!”

“Someday, there will be dozens of Class-7, and I’ll look like a total loser with how everyone treats me, but, huu-haaa… okay, it is pretty cool.  Although…”  Shane’s smile turned suspicious as he looked down at his business clothes in the frigid environment.  “I’m starting to think you just want me to take off my clothes,” he laughed with a teasing smirk.

“Please!  For future generations!”  Melissa chimed.

“Melissa?”  Clover asked with a slight smile directed her way.

She blushed.  “I-It was a joke!  Just ignore that part…  Shane was kind of my mentor at this time.”

“That you asked to undress?  Mhm…”  She turned her gaze back to the recording as Shane’s clothes shimmered black and changed into winter wear, complete with a scarf.

“Pleased?”  he winked, spreading his arms.

“I mean…  It’s a start,” Melissa returned.  “At least you don’t look like you’re about to walk into a business meeting.  Umm… oh!  Tell them about it!”

“I’ve told you like eight times!”  Shane sighed, ruffling his blond locks with a forced smile.

Clover giggled.  “Obviously, you weren’t listening to his voice while he spoke.”

“Not entirely true,” Melissa mumbled.

However, her past self shattered the illusion with a mischievous tone, “I forgot!”

“Ah,” Clover teased, “you were just so taken in by his voice that you lost the words.”

“Hehe.  More like you weren’t listening,” he huffed, causing Clover to point at him in agreement.

Melissa looked away, fidgeting with her hair; the woman was clearly infatuated with her ‘mentor.’

“Forgive me!  I’m just… I’m just distracted!  For posterity!  History!”

“Posterity?”  Clover laughed, sending Melissa to turn away to cool her heated face.

“Fine!  Fine!  Okay, but listen this time, Mel.”

“Heh-hehe!  It’ll be recorded so I can come back to it if I do forget!”

She’s a love-struck puppy…  Melissa had it bad, but he seems like a good guy.

“Okay… so, I like to call this Full Armament—Spirit Weapons and Spirit Armor are just too generic,” he grumbled.  “We gotta sell the cool factor to get the people hyped.”

“Spirit masters can change into all sorts of outfits!”  Melissa nodded.  “Oh, we should go to the beach next!”

“Calm down, girl,” Clover smirked.

“…It was a different time, okay?”  Melissa forced out in a mumble, clearly embarrassed at herself.  “Just watch.”

Shane forced a smile while scratching the back of his head.  “Maybe…  Inferno has been moving in that direction recently, and we never know when the next crisis will hit.  Anyway, when spirit users with Full Armament exit the Void, it’ll be challenging to shape it, but it reflects your inner spirit.  Also, it can be swapped between your normal outfit and combat because you wouldn’t want to fight rassi or transevil in cotton!”

“Mhm!  Mhm!  Unless you’re a spirit emperor!”  Melissa cut in.

“No,” he laughed.  “Not even then.  Just because you’re a spirit emperor doesn’t mean it’s easy—or you want to fight naked—there are a lot of really strong transevil and rassi.”

Someone might want you to, Clover internally snickered, seeing Melissa hiding her bright red face.

Clover’s internal musings abated as the yellow lightning intensified across his body when Shane pressed a hand against his breast and plucked out a strangely shaped object, releasing a similar deep-yellow haze.

“We call these brooches, and they’re infused with dense energy, depending on what transevil you found them on.

“There are four Styles we’ve identified—Standard, Violent, Assassinate, and Bastion—each that have beneficial Set Effects if you manage to match the Style and Grade.

“This is a Tera Assassin brooch, which has a Class-4 spirit user minimum requirement to wear; mine has the Evanesce modifier that helps to eliminate rassi and transevil Super Armor.

“It’s… not my favorite, to be honest, but the Set Bonus makes it worth using it over the Peta Assassinate I have since I can’t match it with others.”

“Sets?”  Melissa asked in awe.  “What’s that all about—is it like matching cards in that one game?”

“Heh,” Shane’s brooch vanished in light to be replaced by a cyan-colored, teardrop-shaped one.  “This can get complicated; we should start at the basics—if you really want me to explain it.”

“Mhm!  Please!”

“Okay…  You have the four Styles I mentioned—this one is Assassinate—and the light-blue color marks its Grade as a Peta.  The shape shows it’s an Effect-Type.  It goes like…  Okay, let’s have this ‘student’ get out a paper and write this down!”

Melissa’s eyes lit up.  “Oh, yeah, like a university quiz!”

Clover turned to give her a lifted eyebrow.  “I don’t need a paper to memorize something.”

“Lucky…”  Melissa whispered, only partially paying attention to her as she watched the video; she was starting to wonder if the woman wanted to show her this to have an excuse to see Shane again.

Taking Shane’s advice, Clover desired to be in her outfit; instantly, the shimmering purple and light blue force swirled around her body as the clothes took shape and her dress vanished.

Shane just plowed on, and Clover listened intently.  “Heh, it’s kind of embarrassing to have you record me like this…  Eh, Set Effects are the most important piece of the process, and there are ‘five’ separate effects you can mix and match with because you have five combination pieces or items of clothing that count…”

Clover’s vision narrowed as he pointed at each item.  “Three Types of brooches—Attack, Defense, and Effect—can be placed into your five spiritual pieces of clothing—Shoes, Gloves, Bottom, Top, and Helmet—and there’s an optional invisible mode if you want to stick with your normal clothes, by the way,” he winked, and Clover could see the appeal with her own situation.

“As for clothes, they could also be a hair bob or anything else—it’s completely customizable to your style—at least in proportion to your strength and personal vision of yourself at the time.”

What does he mean by personal vision?  I saw myself like a… whatever I was dressed as when I exited the Great Void?

Shane took a deep breath before pointing at the cyan-colored Assassinate Effect brooch in his hand.  “You cannot fit Effect-Type brooches into an Attack-Type slot, and to get the Set Effect, you need to match the Grade and Style…  Basically, an Assassinate Attack, Defense, and Effect that are all the same color.”

The Grade colors are what have to be matched for a set, huh?  That’s simple enough to remember, but what are those colors and their…

It was like he’d read her mind as he went on.

“Grades start at Kilo—green—special, hard-to-kill Class-1 transevil drop these, and it only goes up from there.  So far, we’ve identified Mega—which is deep-blue colored—Giga, red; Tera, yellow; Peta, cyan, being the highest that are formed from the Class-5, but Wilfred swears there’s some magenta one that McArthur had…”  he trailed off as Alma walked back into the frame with a teasing grin on his face. 

“Spoutin’ Wilfred’s rumors, Shane?  Geez, you’re gonna confuse the kids!”

The legend gave a weak chuckle and shrug.  “I mean, who knows what we’ll know whenever someone watches this.”

“True!”  Alma gave the camera a wink.  “To set the record straight, I’ve got the only full Peta-Set in the SPU, baby!  Check it!”

He spread his arms with a big grin as his outfit changed to swimming trunks, complete with a ponytail, sandals, and glasses; a swirl of cyan rays, aura, smoke, and shell-like pattern erupted across his frame.  “I’m drippin’, bro—get me a towel ‘cause ain’t I sweaty?  Wooh!”

A few cheers came from a few men and women off-screen as he flexed his muscular body and fanned himself; he was quite the specimen, and the playful nature he had made her smile.

“He’s quite the character.”

“You… have no idea,” Melissa sighed, and the past Melissa brushed him away with a dismissive hand.  “Yeah, yeah—weren’t you going to do some work?”

“Oof, harsh!”  Alma laughed, giving Shane a thumbs up.  “Yo, I’m tellin’ ya, I’ll beat you at surfing any day!”

“Put it on the calendar,” Shane returned.  “You know Inferno’s been heading to the sea area.”

“Yo!  I’m lit, bro; you just wait!”  He jogged off to join the others, but Melissa only had eyes for Shane.

The blond-haired man’s half-smile followed his exit, and Clover realized whenever this was taken, there had been total stability; they could joke, go on a semi-vacation, and have complete confidence, yet at some point, that all changed.

“When was this?”  Clover asked.

Melissa’s hands were gripped tightly at her front.  “Huh…  Oh, when?  Umm… it was a few months after I left the Void—Shane spent time with all the new spirit users.”

She slowly nodded.  “So… the Sixth Void Year.”

“Y-Yeah, eh… you really do have a good memory,” the flustered woman chuckled.  “Oh, there’s not much more.”

Returning to the recording, Shane got back to the topic after listening to some of his comrades’ conversations and waving a hand at Melissa’s continual attempts to get him to notice her.  She had to remind herself that Melissa was technically still a teenager at this point; then again, so was Clover.

“Umm…  Yeah, that’s the basics, though.  Five Set Pieces to your outfit, four Styles, three Types, and five—possibly six—Grades, and the properties each individual brooch can have is just too many to count!

“Transevil somehow create or carry them through the Voids, and rassi collect them to use themselves, which makes raiding their camps worthwhile, and in general, the spirit user that finds it keeps it as a rule of the SPU.  Any other questions, you can direct to the blonde girl recording me!”

“W-What?!  No!  I don’t even have an Arma—”

The video promptly cut off, ending the recording.  Clover slowly nodded as she mentally went through the information.  “Interesting.  I can see the appeal, and… yes, it doesn’t look like I am naked when I dismiss the outfit,” she mumbled as her dress reappeared.  “I… only have one question left.”

Melissa blinked.  “Uh…  I probably don’t know the finer details.”

Clover’s gaze returned to the blank screen.  “How was he making them appear and disappear?”

The blonde made an oh-face before chuckling a little.  “Disap—wait!  Okay, yeah, spirit users have a kind of personal, uh… I don’t know—some people just call it a black hole?”  Melissa rubbed her chest before gesturing to a seat as she took the one across from it; complying, Clover crossed her legs and listened.

Even more confused now, Clover scratched her neck.  “Black hole?  Explain.”

“Well, it’s like—like a little personal bag that you can store things into—the stronger you are, the more you can fit in there and take out with a desire.  It’s the ghetto version of Spirit Armament that every spirit user has, but it only works on inanimate objects that are infused with the special energy of the Voids.”

“So…”

“Like a rock or metal piece with a bunch of the rassi powers in them and stuff; it can actually be extracted by some people, but… that business is kind of illegal now,” she added with a weak laugh.

“Mmh… that’s fascinating.”  Not forgetting the woman’s previous statement, Clover’s gaze settled on her.  “And… you said the general hasn’t reported me to the SPU yet…  Why not, and why have I been assigned Lily?”

“You see…”  Melissa shifted uncomfortably.  “The Eastern Division of the SPU is kind of at war with a major rassi group, and the general is worried you’ll be ordered out if you suddenly declare yourself a member.”

She shifted a little, looking away while rubbing the back of her hand.  “Well, that, or he’ll be pressured to put you in that position if he does report it.”

“Hmm…”  Clover sat back, playing with her thumbs while looking at the cabinet of home videos; it was becoming clear that this place was solely used by Melissa  as a reminder of better times and no other spirit user.

“I can understand that logic—I cannot see myself becoming a part of the SPU in any case—helping those around me seems much more enjoyable than dedicating myself to a random cause, even if that is to become the hope of humanity.”

“No pressure from me!”  Melissa smiled.  “I’ll say you’re weird for not joining, which is totally off-marker for spirit users, but I’m happy to have your help and make your acquaintance!”

“Wow.  So, I’m weird, huh?”  Clover mused.

“Just a little.  Hehe.”

“Well, ditto—you seem to be the weird one to me for just blindly following—so, is that everything you wished to show me?”

Melissa got up with a sad smile.  “I know it was a long drive for something so short.”

“No, it was nice,” Clover said, rising to smooth out her dress.  “I learned a lot today—I think it is enough to have me in thought until morning.”

“Great!  I’ll take you back to Lily’s then,” Melissa chimed, already moving to the door.  “There are some old wines left over if you want to have one…  Oh, Lily actually messaged me that she is at the local 24-hour bar, and she brought the change of clothes in case you wanted to get into them as soon as possible.”

Clover slowly shook her head.  “I don’t drink—the age limit was 24 in Skydream when I was…  Well, what is it now?”

Melissa’s smile became forced.  “Oh… I didn’t know that.  Umm… sixteen, but it’s more of a guideline.”

“Wow… okay,” Clover mumbled in disbelief.  “That is… surprising.  We can go meet up with Lily and take it from there.”

“Great!  I’ve got a small bit of time before I go back out, and unless it’s a special kind of laced alcohol, then it doesn’t affect us; spirit rulers are completely immune!”

“Huh…  A brave new world,” Clover sighed while exiting the building for Melissa to lock up.

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Chapter Eight: Sharpening Senses

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Entering Melissa’s truck again, Clover leaned against the side of the door, feeling the breeze from the open window while studying the sleepless roads.  The blonde let her stew in her own thoughts, allowing her to take in everything she’d learned.

Each question that was answered only presented a dozen more; in the end, all she knew was that the Void had changed her.  She wasn’t entirely human anymore; even if she mostly looked like it on the outside, she wasn’t—it was undeniable at this point.

The more terrifying prospect was that she wasn’t like the spirit users either, and if she wasn’t one of them, then what was she?

Contemplating everything, she shifted against the side of the door, holding the back of her hand against her cheek, eyes beginning to lose focus as they drove through the dreary streets.  Sighing, she searched for answers in the black sky; there had to be some form of hope to latch onto.

She couldn’t be someone’s puppet, so what was there for her to do?

She’d never really taken to the whole Rosa belief—it was silly—who could think some woman was looking down and sending aid to those in need?  Although, tonight, she couldn’t help but let prayer move in her heart just to reconcile with the emotions in her own breast.

How did this all happen?  I suppose people have been asking that since this whole thing occurred…  Were spirit users a part of that help from Rosa?

Her focus drifted to her braided hair, absently playing with it while reflecting on everything she’d seen thus far: Voids spitting out monsters and changed people, a ghost girl with her face, and all the unexpected loss she’d experienced.

Is taking away my possibility to have children a part of some big plan…  I know I wasn’t planning on it any time soon, but… I can’t carry a little Leora of my own…  Taking my family?  Why does my mind want to blame Rosa, but my heart cries out for her help?  How much is asking too much from a goddess, and what’s not enough?  What was that voice I heard when I fell, and why hasn’t she talked since?

Not finding the answers, Clover’s gaze shifted to Melissa as she collected herself after the emotionally charged moments they shared; a soft hum was in her throat as her head bobbed back and forth, reliving some popular song Clover recognized from before the Voids.

The woman seemed so upbeat and positive for everything she had to deal with, yet was also very in touch with her emotions and wasn’t delusional about her unusual motivations; it certainly was unnatural, but Clover couldn’t help but be envious of Melissa’s hopeful outlook.

Of course, she’d just had the chance to see a recording of the man she admired more than any other.  If love and attraction were rare for spirit users, she had found something special, yet he was obviously taken away from her in a painful way; still, she pushed on—the woman’s perseverance put a slight smile on Clover’s lips.

Thanks, Melissa, for being a light in the darkness.

Turning her eyes back to the empty heavens, Clover took another deep breath and let it out, remembering the times she’d spent with her brother. 

He was always more of the type to do whatever he wanted, taking the wheel in his life; she didn’t understand why he had had so many disagreements with their parents about certain things at the time, but she could now see he was stepping out of their shadow.

I have to go my own way…  I just need to find out what that is.  There are so many mysteries, but what was it that voice told me when I exited the Void?

The words returned with the sensation the voice left in Clover’s chest.

“Clover, you will not wake to the same world you remember…  You cannot return to the normal life you lived.  You will consume; that is what you have become—Void Incarnate—and there are enemies that seek to turn you against those that need your aid.  Trust yourself.  You have the strength and will, Clover—find the truth—denounce those that seek to ruin this world!”

“Trust myself, hmm…”

Melissa ceased her song.  “Huh?  Did you say something, Clover?”

“Just thinking,” Clover whispered.

The blonde’s smile strained.  “Yeah, no kidding; I bet your head’s on fire.”

Clover leaned into the back of her hand, putting pressure against her cheek while scanning the side of the nighttime streets.  “It’s not like I could have expected any of this…  I’ve just been thrown off by it all… trying to pick up all these pieces.”

“Yeah…  It’s a lot to take in,” she sighed, speeding up a bit to follow behind a tram as they turned down another street.

Clover sucked in the left corner of her lip, vision falling to the cracked streets while breathing in the light breeze the Great Void released.

Has anyone thought of putting windmills or something else to use this natural wind…  Why did I even have that thought?  It doesn’t matter.  I’m Void Incarnate…  Spirit users want to help humanity, like Melissa, but I’m not like that…  I do want to help, but nothing so grand as to care about every single human…  It’s just not me.

She opened her eyes to follow the dim lamps they passed, sampling the air to shift between thousands of lingering scents of individual humans; it was surreal, being able to instinctually differentiate so many intricate senses she’d never experienced before without a thought.

Should I even ask these questions?  If it was Rosa, or someone else, they sounded scared and angry…  Trust myself, and stop the things trying to ruin my world…  Find the truth…  What truth?

“Hmm…  Melissa?”

“Mmh?”  the woman replied, giving her a happy glance.

Hesitating a moment, Clover worked through how to frame her question.  “When you, mmh—was there a woman’s voice that spoke to you when you exited the Void?”

Melissa blinked.  “A Voice?  Hmm.  Not me, no, but… I mean, I’ve heard a few people mention something like that among the higher spirit users, but most of them said it was a male voice—two said female, though—if I remember right.”

“Great,” Clover sighed.  “Any specifics?”

The blonde shook her head.  “Afraid not…  Sorry.”

“Fantastic.  It’s not your fault,” Clover sighed, shifting her posture.  “I’m just working through some things.”

“Did… you wanna talk about it?”  Melissa whispered, slowing the car a bit.

Should I tell her?  No.  I don’t know what I’m dealing with; I’ve got a ghost girl that looks like me as a kid and this random woman’s voice in my head when I fell.  For now, I need to calm down; at least let my thoughts settle.

“Heh… maybe later,” she chuckled, rubbing her temple with her thumb and shaking her head.  “Honestly, I just need to process everything…  Man, it would help if I could release some tension on some transevil or rassi.”

Melissa’s small smile returned as she focused on the road and sped up.  “I completely understand!  Eh, we just need to get things sorted before sending you to a hotspot.”

A long puff of air shot through Clover’s mouth as she gently tapped the side of the door’s frame.  “I get the feeling you’re stonewalling me,” she mumbled, scanning the broken streets and nervous citizens.  “You can’t tell me you don’t know where these dangerous creatures are.”

The spirit user’s cheer dampened a tad, slumping into her seat.  “Stonewalling you, huh?  Well… you’re not entirely wrong.”

She slowed to a stop outside a business—a bar—which, of course, would be the most taken care of establishment she’d seen in a post-apocalyptic town.  Putting the truck in park, she took out the old key and tightened her grip before unbuckling and changing her posture to look at her.

Clover shifted positions to face her.  “Mhm?”

“Look, Clover,” she hesitantly started, brushing back her out-of-place hair—she’d clearly been up for a long time without the ability to freshen up.  “I know you’re just trying to release steam, but if something bad were to happen, we need to be in a position where we can respond, and there are places you could go, but it wouldn’t really be helping anyone out.”

A grimace moved Clover’s cheeks.  Basically, the needs of the many versus me…

“I know this may come as a shock to you, Melissa, but I’m not all that concerned about helping these random people.  Do I feel bad for them?  Sure.  Yet, that doesn’t mean I will drop everything to let them walk all over or use me.  I’m looking for answers, and if I can help people, then that’s great, but I don’t owe these people anything.”

Groaning while drooping back against her door, Melissa covered her eyes with her arm.  “I… figured that was what you would say in the end.  So… you aren’t like a normal spirit user?”

Clover cleared her throat, whispering, “Melissa, let me clarify…”

The woman’s eyebrows drew together, dropping her gaze to see a soft smirk in Clover’s snake-like eyes.  “Okay?”

“I don’t owe them anything, but you have been nothing but accommodating and done everything within your power to support me.”

Unfastening her seatbelt, Clover opened the door and exited the vehicle with Melissa following her; shutting it, Clover leaned against the side of the warm hood to look at the blonde’s uncertain expression beside her.

“I cannot thank you enough, Melissa, nor the help that the general has given me with Lily and you; heh, I can tell this isn’t just a job, but you really care about me, and that means a lot.”

“Which means?”  Melissa tentatively asked, sucking in her bottom lip.

Clover puffed out a long breath of air before straightening and looking up at the sky and listening to the sounds of crickets filling the night.  “If you’re asking me to wait, then I’ll do it, but I want answers; it may sound bad to you… but I don’t care to fight in this holy crusade.”

She snickered at the circumstance she’d found herself in, walking around to face Melissa, who was still trying to discern everything she was saying and any underlying message.

“Don’t get me wrong, I’d love to fight transevil and rassi—fighting does become me—I’m just not sold on the whole following orders business with the SPU.  I’ll support you—Melissa, the spirit user—if it follows my goals and we grow as friends, but it’s up to you to make sure we align.”

Melissa’s expression soon brightened.  “I… see.  Hmm.  Well, this is really new…  I don’t see it being a problem, though.  Yeah!  Give me some time to think about that, and I’ll get back to you.  So…”

“Lily,” Clover smirked, putting a hand on her hip while facing the establishment.  “Does she drink often?”

A short shrug moved Melissa’s shoulders while pocketing her key in the folds of her dress and walking next to her.  “I couldn’t say for sure; booze is a pretty lucrative business.”

“I can tell…”

Clover’s focus moved from the lovely outdoor area on the second floor of the four-level establishment to the lower bar area.  The windows were tinted, but soft chuckles could be heard from inside, and it seemed to be as high-class as you could get in a ruined town like Hollow Veil.

“I suppose we should snatch Lily up and get her home…  I’ll think about things while she sleeps; you’re not the only one that needs to come up with answers on what to do with me.”

Melissa giggled at her smile and shrugged, opening the door and gesturing for her to go first.  “I look forward to working with you, Clover!”

Her gray dress pressed against her knees as Clover entered the business; they instantly drew eyes, and whispers began.  Word of her arrival seemed to spread like wildfire because everyone knew who she was, and more than one conversation was rather unpleasant.

Scanning the first level, a frown touched her mouth; Clover could smell that Lily came in through the front, but the girl wasn’t anywhere in sight.

She led the way to the bar with Melissa following, scanning the area to see if she’d missed her behind a booth.  Dozens of men and women that appeared to be a part of the military were posted up together around the area, and she saw many wearing the Steel Box Bastion uniform.

The first thing on everyone’s tongue was grading her looks, which actually went straight to her long, braided hair; she’d heard anything below your shoulder blades was considered extremely rare these days, so it seemed on point and not that shocking, but her other features soon followed.

Ignoring the vulgar conversations between the men and women, she concluded that knowing what was on people’s minds rather than letting them hide it behind platitudes was the most optimal direction; she strode up to the bartender, taking the same path as her operator’s scent.

However, she paused just beyond a meter from the stool, turning to stare at a corner booth where Lily had been; the girl seemed to have gotten her drink and moved to that location.  Now, the only thing occupying the booth was a nearly full glass of alcohol, and something else caught her notice, a very pungent odor she assumed was the potent spirit user beverage.

The scents wafting through the air were becoming so strong that they weren’t even in the same league as before; she was adapting to these new senses.

She could practically see the odors wafting through the atmosphere, lingering on clothes, and blowing into the fans that dispersed the fumes throughout the area; it was a little overwhelming at first, but the longer she stood still, the more the past revealed itself as she tracked the strength of each smell.

The crowd gave her curious looks, with most trying not to be obvious, yet Clover’s mind was far beyond the white noise; she could sense something was wrong, but the issue was identifying it.

Melissa held her hands behind her back, spinning in a slow circle.  “I… don’t think she’s on the first floor.  Should we check the ones above?”

The bartender leaned forward against the counter, studying her with a small, welcoming smile.  “So, you’re the new…  Huh.  Anythin’ I can, eh, help ya with…  Uh, ma’am?”

Ignoring him, Clover went to the area where she’d sensed Lily; the heat of her back had pressed up against the back of the worn cushion only twenty-five minutes ago.

“Melissa… you told me these spirit user drinks aren’t sold to normal citizens, correct?”

“Right?”  Melissa asked, following her gaze to the cup.  “What’s up?”

Picking up the glass, Clover brought it up to smell the aroma, eyebrows pulling in further.  “Lily drank from this…  I can smell her saliva.”

Handing it to Melissa, the bubbly woman hesitated before sipping it; everyone watched with confused looks as she winced and coughed.  “Eh—ack…  Yeah…  Yeah, that’s stronger than the stuff I usually get.”

Returning to the counter, Clover’s eyes leveled with the nervous middle-aged man.  “Hold up…  I didn’t sell anything like that—the girl didn’t even order anything—everyone here knows that.”

Melissa sat the glass down before him and folded her arms.  “Something like this would have put a normal human in the bathroom, half-drunk, and with a single sip—puking and having stomach troubles—it would be terrible!  Who ordered it?”

“How’d ya even know any of that?”  he asked, rubbing the back of his neck before sniffing it.  “Eh…  Okay, yeah, but I keep a tight roster; you’ll see that everything I’ve got in stock is accounted for—you know I’m strict with my products, Captain Melissa—I do everything by the book!  I haven’t even sold one of these all day,” he protested.

Clover couldn’t really sense any deception from him, which drew her attention to a different angle.  “There was a man with her—big—somewhat drunk himself and with some other kind of chemicals in his system…  Who was he?”

The bartender began to fidget at her pointed questions, nodding and pointing to the back where the bathroom sign was.  “I don’t know the name—I’ve seen him with the SBB crowd every once in a while—he’s, uh…”

Dots from her conversations with Lily, Melissa, and the two disgruntled girls from the bathroom drew a numbing picture in Clover’s mind.  “Melissa, we need to go…”

“W-What’s going on?”  she asked, jogging after her as they entered the hallway, but Clover went beyond it, knowing they didn’t enter the facilities.

Exiting through the emergency exit, Clover’s nose twisted; she’d seen more than enough movies and read enough literature to know where this would go.  She’d seen news reported on it from other City-States daily before the Voids, which highlighted how good Skydream had it.

“I suspect one of the operators that was in line to work with me grew tired of orphans stealing their position and has made a rash decision in the heat of the moment.  Lily’s life is in danger.”

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