by L. M. Kerr
“Currently, the remaining Permanent Nests are probably the only thing keeping the Main Cluster, and the rest of the First Layer, habitable. If all of them are destroyed, the entire First Layer as we know it will slip into chaos, as will the future of humanity itself.”
Isaiah finished his speech, leaving a room full of stunned and horrified silence. There were no more shocked mumbles, merely silence as people tried to comprehend the magnitude of the researcher’s words.
That silence was a brief one, however.
“Very well, Doctor. Thank you for your report.” Head Cameron’s voice boomed out once more as he gazed up and down the table.
“Everyone, I will be calling a closed meeting, now, for only the Executives and Militant Branch Leaders. All other members, please exit. Tomorrow morning will be the day my decision on how we will tackle this will be announced.” He raised his hand,
“Dismissed!”
“Yes, Head!”
“Yes, sir!”
“Yes, Godfather!”
A series of shouts echoed in the air as everyone but the Executives and a few others stood up. The meeting hadn’t been a long one, but the impact of Isaiah’s words had clearly been enough to close it for only the highest leadership: The Executives and the Militant Branch Leaders, the warriors that were in charge of most of the military force of the Godfather Organization.
Micheal, Shin, and Sophia left with the rest of the group. The Sub-Executives weren’t allowed to remain in on the highest level meeting, apparently. Micheal couldn’t fault that logic, especially considering how new they were.
After they left the grand meeting room, the immediate hallway fell into multiple bustling, but hushed, conversations. Everyone around them was discussing what the future would hold, and what they thought should be done.
Micheal and his group began to walk down the hallway, a normal-looking one with yellow lights.
“Micheal, what do you think of all of this?” Sophia whispered in Micheal’s ear as she walked up next to him,
“Is what Isaiah said right? Have we really lost half of the Main Cluster already?” Her voice had a hardened, sad tone in it, as if she had already accepted the loss.
Micheal sighed and shrugged slightly,
“Temporary Nests reappear all the time. It’s possible Permanent Nests could reappear too, right?” He replied,
“I didn’t see anything like this in my visions of the future, so I’m not sure. But no matter what happens, I’m sure we can get through this, and sure we can get humanity through this.” He smiled as he said this, crushing the huge worries that had sprouted in his heart as he patted her on the shoulder.
“Oh, right, Micheal.” Shin tapped Micheal on the shoulder.
“Yeah?” Micheal returned.
“The Seer told me she wanted to meet you, if you have time. She’s really strong for an old, blind lady, I gotta say.” Shin mimed punching Morenkai in the face and then flexed his muscles in a ridiculous pose.
“Hmm…” Micheal rubbed his forehead.
‘First the attack by the Nightrunners, then these ‘Erratic Morenkai,’ and now the Seer… ugh.’ It really seemed like his days of peacefully slaughtering Morenkai truly were gone for good.
“Alright, I’ll make the time to see her. But tomorrow, not today.” He was tired enough as it was.
Shin nodded back. The trio talked about a few other things as they walked down the hallway and reached the stairwell. Their group was the first of the higher-ups to leave, giving them an empty hall as they began to clamber up.
Before they got far, however, a voice called out to them. Specifically, to Micheal…
“Heron? Would you mind if I talked to you, briefly?” The familiar voice caused Micheal to pause.
He turned around on the staircase, studying a certain man calmly.
“Doctor Isaiah?” Micheal looked at the doctor, slightly taken aback. He glanced back at Shin and Sophia, motioning for them to continue walking upward and to give him some space.
He walked down a level until he reached where the elderly researcher was standing. The man’s pale skin seemed even more pallid today, though that might just have been from the stress of everything that was happening right now.
“How can I help you?” Micheal held out his hand.
“Ah.” Isaiah took the hand, shaking it firmly. Well, he probably thought it was firmly. To Micheal, who’s Strength stat was over 80, it was like a child’s handshake.
“I went to the Seer a little while ago, after I found out she was here. You see, there’s something that has been bothering me for the past few days.” Isaiah’s blue eyes flashed slightly as he let go of Micheal’s hand and continued to talk,
“And the advice I got from the Seer was very specific.” The Head Researcher studied Micheal for a few seconds. Micheal shrugged back.
“It was to come to you.”
Micheal was only mildly surprised. People with Abilities that could see into or manipulate ‘Fate’ had a slew of freaky powers. The fact that the Seer was interested in him was also unsurprising. Even his Aura Nullification Necklace could only do so much.
“What is this all about?” Micheal inquired simply.
“It’s about… it’s about the Head…” Doctor Isaiah rubbed his eyes. As he did so, Micheal noticed that his hands shook slightly,
“Over the past few days, and even the past week or two, certain things about him have… changed. I know this might seem minor to most people, Heron, but I have always been very particular about certain things.” Isaiah continued, the shaking fading slightly,
“I notice details. I can pick apart data like its nothing, sift through a mire of confusion to seek out a singular path. And recently… Head Cameron’s behavior has begun to worry me.” His trembling returned as he got to the heart of the matter,
“I think something is wrong with him.”
.
Chapter 69
A short amount of time later…
.. .. .. .. .. ..
Micheal sighed as he sat down on his bed, rubbing his hands through his hair. He massaged his temple, taking out his frustration on his forehead.
Doctor Isaiah truly was as keen as he seemed. The doctor had noticed the oddities in Cameron’s words and actions, and managed to pinpoint the changes on something specific. An alteration of some sort.
He managed to pick all of that out without even knowing about the Vile King or the Vile King’s unique Ability.
The fact that the Seer sent him to Micheal was an interesting twist, but it still created both a problem and a benefit for Micheal.
Isaiah was a key, if little known, figure in the Godfather Organization. With him on Micheal’s side, all of Micheal’s goals for the First Layer would become much easier to accomplish.
On the other hand, now he had to find a way to soothe Isaiah’s worries.
And that wasn’t something he could just snap his fingers and solve. The man wasn’t a moron, he was literally a genius at noticing things. He was also very subtle about it. Micheal had initially dismissed him as a passionate scientist. He couldn’t be entirely blamed for that. After all… the man’s physical stats were truly too weak.
He'd set the man on a mission, asking him to research what he could about Temporary and Permanent Nest Cores by tomorrow. He'd also asked him a few other questions and set the man to work on a second mission, one that might end up being vital in the future.
A lot of what might happen depended on what would come to pass tomorrow, when Head Cameron announced his response plans.
The Head Researcher had shared most of the information he’d gathered at the gathering of upper-leadership members of the Godfather Organization. However, he hadn’t shared everything.
According to the man, there was a possible solution to this problem, one that came with a great deal of risk.
Isaiah postulated that if all of the Permanent Nest Cores were destroyed, it was possible the Monster Class Nest would suffer a significant backlash f
rom being unable to transmit its desire signals.
As a result, the doctor reasoned, based on the data he had managed to gather, that the Monster Class Nest would somehow ‘force’ new Permanent Nests to reappear. This theory wasn’t just based on science, but also in predictive Abilities from a slew of other researchers under him.
However… if all of the Permanent Nest Cores were destroyed, that would be equivalent to leaving mankind with no safe area to hide. All areas would gradually become overrun with Erratic Morenkai if Isaiah was wrong, turning the First Layer into a true, hellish nightmare.
A mistake here could doom the future of the human race.
“Sigh…” Micheal rubbed at his eyes. The Head Researcher had casually dropped so many bombs, it was already irritating to go over it all.
‘Well, at least I can be sure of one thing.’ He smiled sardonically,
‘If I damn the human race because of my attempt to save it, we might win in the end just by causing the other races to die laughing.’
He shook the faint hint of mirth from his mind as he went over the last bit of what Isaiah said.
According to him, Head Cameron was likely to respond one of two ways.
The old Head Cameron would order his forces to immediately secure the remaining two Permanent Nest Cores. The kind, caring Godfather would never risk the survival of the human race, and all of its babies, children, weak, and wounded, on an unsure roll of the dice.
If Head Cameron had changed, somehow, like through the Vile King’s influence, however…
Isaiah was convinced Head Cameron would order an immediate attack on the Permanent Nest Cores that the Nightrunners still controlled.
Isaiah said he would use this as a final testing gauge, one that Micheal felt was quite reasonable.
The doctor would know far more about Cameron’s personality than Micheal would have learned from the books he read. Personalities didn’t just change on the drop of a dime in the real world.
Micheal decided to use Isaiah’s prediction as a piece of final evidence for himself.
He already felt reasonably sure that Cameron had been infected by the Vile King. Shin’s description of a black speck, Cameron’s odd, uncharacteristic actions…
If Isaiah’s prediction came true, this would be the final nail in the coffin. Micheal would have to face the issue directly and wouldn’t be able to avoid it, or avoid thinking about it, anymore.
“Still…” Micheal yawned,
“That’s a worry for tomorrow.” He looked out the window of the room he was sleeping in, seeing the dark sky above. It was well into the night, the chaotic events of the day finally coming to an end.
With that in mind, Micheal flopped back on his bed and covered up, falling into the sweet embrace of sleep.
.. .. .. .. .. ..
The next day…
.. .. .. .. .. ..
“Hello, Seer.” Micheal glanced at the stern-looking woman that was standing near him, giving her a warm smile.
After getting a good night’s rest, Micheal woke up early and went about his normal routine. After he got prepared for the day, he’d checked the time and realized it had only been 5 am. He’d woken up far too early, a habit he had when he was nervous.
For all his future knowledge, he couldn’t help but be wary of what might happen today.
He decided to go up onto the rooftop to look out at the sky and relax. And it was here that he had run into the Seer.
Whether or not she had known beforehand that he would be here, he was unsure, but he didn’t care too much either way.
His feelings for her were genuine. In history, her efforts to organize the power ranking of the First Layer helped avoid a great deal of conflict. This abrupt apocalypse that was thrust upon humanity had caused most people to gear their thoughts towards survival.
There were always the type of people that sought out others to prove their strength. Such a list did draw those types out, to some degree.
However, most regular people viewed the list with a certain level of respect. Powerful groups that held high rankers would refuse to fight each other, knowing that casualties were likely to arise as a result, while weaker teams of humans wouldn’t even consider attacking anything that wasn't a Morenkai.
People that scavenged off of others existed too, but even those types were affected by the Main Cluster Ranking List. They would avoid the territory of powerful groups and many were even scared out of even pursuing such a lifestyle.
Her actions gained her a lot of enemies. But it wasn't as if she was the only one that could spy on other people's Abilities. Many others could. She was simply the only one to create such a publication of them.
The impact she left was hard to gauge in specific terms. But her actions, even if restrained to the First Layer, were definitely a positive.
“Good morning, young one.” The elderly lady turned to glance at him. Her bodyguard was nowhere to be seen. The only people up atop this particular rooftop were her, Micheal, and a few of the Godfather Organization guards standing at the bridge entrances.
A cool breeze swept past them, the early morning air relaxing and quiet. It was a breeze you wouldn’t expect to feel on a day as tense as this.
Micheal smiled slightly when he heard her call him 'young one.' He certainly didn't feel young, even if his body showed otherwise.
The Seer, among other things, had a soft spot for younger people. Her granddaughter had fallen ill and perished in the First Layer, back before Hansama had gained her renown and power as 'The Seer.' At least in part because of that, she was on very friendly terms with the Godfather Organization, and greatly approved of their mission.
After a few seconds, the woman continued,
“You may call me Hansama, child.” She gave out her real name.
“Well, then you can call me Micheal.” Micheal replied back, still smiling in a friendly manner. The Seer gave him an odd look despite the fact that she was blind, making him reconsider his smile. Perhaps he looked a little odd. He knew she had a way of seeing despite her blindness.
“I’ve heard you have a talent very similar to mine, Micheal.” The Seer turned to gaze out at the seemingly endless skyscrapers off to the side.
“Just a small talent. It’s nothing as active as yours, and I find that it grows weaker and weaker as time goes on.” As his actions affected the future, his memories of it grew less effective. His words were true, in that way.
As he spoke, he sat down at the edge of the skyscraper, leaning his legs over it. He looked down at the ground far below, just barely able to pick out a few shambling Morenkai in the dim, pre-dawn morning.
According to Isaiah, the ‘Erratic Morenkai’ wouldn’t start appearing for at least 24 more hours. Evacuation preparations had already begun yesterday, and continued on through the night as the entire Godfather Organization prepared to react. The quiet morning around him seemed fake in light of all of that.
“Ah, I see.” Hansama froze for a moment, a small smile appearing as she joined him, sitting down at the edge of the skyscraper,
“If I didn’t believe you before, I certainly do now.” The woman sighed,
“The Fate of the First Layer has indeed grown turbulent. My visions grow clouded, more so than I have ever experienced, in these past years here.”
“Oh?” Micheal muttered, surprised.
“Yes. And at the center of that turbulence… I can now see a figure.” Hansama’s foggy eyes gleamed as she looked straight at Micheal, raising a sinewy finger,
“You.”
“Me?” Micheal patted at his chest, mentally shaking a fist at his Aura Nullification Necklace. What did he wear the Artifact for, if not to block things like this? He mentally shrugged right after. It couldn’t stop everything, he supposed.
“Yes, you. All of my visions have grown twisted, reverting to different paths at a scale that I’ve never seen before, in all of my years here in the Main Cluster.” The woman shook her head, a hint of wonder a
ppearing in her voice.
“What on Earth are you, child?”
Micheal blinked, rubbing his chin as he considered her question. After a moment, he tapped on the Artifact he wore under his shirt, storing it in his Spatial Ring.
“I am here because I have to be here. Why don’t you try looking into my future?” He replied slowly.
She shook her head,
“I’ve tried before, and its as clouded as the hardest are to rea-“
Micheal cut her off,
“Why don’t you try again?”
Hansama frowned as she looked at him for a moment. She then nodded slightly after that consideration, the frown disagreeing.
She folded her hands together with the palms facing each other and her legs crossed. She then entered a state of meditation, her eyes closed as she focused on activating her powers.
Gradually, a glowing white eye made of energy began to form upon Hansama’s head. This eye rippled with light, giving off a sensation that it could see through everything in existence. Even Micheal couldn’t help but shiver slightly.
“Oh? I can see far more now, child. How interesting.” Hansama’s voice was full of shock as she turned her gaze upon Micheal.
“I can see it now, child. I can see-“ The Seer abruptly cut herself off, her mouth falling open in shock,
“What is this?! This burden you carry, how can this be possible?!” Hansama froze, her sightless eyes boring into Micheal,
“All this horror and pain… the dying emotions of an entire race… You bear the weight of the world itself upon your shoulders… How? How can you still stand before me, as if it's nothing? How?” Tears trailed down Hansama’s face as she gazed at Micheal, her chest heaving,
“No mortal can bear such a burden. How? How?” Sobs wracked her chest involuntarily as the Seer was hit with a swarm of emotions that she could not control.
Micheal blinked, surprised. The Seer saw far more than what he expected she would. He had just wanted her to see a gist of his intentions, to know he was only here to help humanity.
Micheal reached out and rested a hand comfortingly on her shoulder as he replied,
“Heavy or not, the burdens I carry are ones I must bear. There’s no point complaining about the things I cannot change.” He smiled slightly, looking at the elderly woman like how a parent might comfort a child,