I returned to the apartment to find a box with my name on it waiting for me. There was no other information, and I couldn't remember ordering anything.
"You won't take it?" Silas asked as he opened the apartment door. "If it is without a name, then it's a company mail."
"Why all this mystery?"
I hate this company's politics.
"Ask the resources departments," he gave the box another look then continued. "You better take it in before Alex sees it. He'll spread rumors all over the place."
Right...
"How do you know him? You seemed to be familiar with each other."
"We've gone to the same academy."
Aha—
That says a lot.
"Did he used to show off there, too?"
"His father was one of the founders of the academy. You can imagine the rest."
Imagining that made my stomach flip.
"He won't do anything for you, at least not until knowing every single thing in your background."
"He'll find out soon that I'm no special thing."
"I don't think so." Silas laughed. "Your background is too obvious. The kind of made-up things where all the questions have answers."
"It is a totally normal human being background." I insisted.
"Yes, of course. But for your luck, that will make him and every other one suspicious about everything."
"..." What a crazy society was that?
"I'll act then as before if he was near."
"That would be great."
Silas went in before me. I stayed there for a minute or two, looking at the box, before carrying it to my room.
It was lighter than what it seemed.
"So, first mail from the company on my first day, nice."
I closed the door behind me and put the box on the table, before opening it.
The first thing I saw was a luxury paper, with red letters printed on it.
[Dear Nathan Vale,
In recognition of your substantial contribution to neutralizing Class-B and Class-D Vessels, we decided to give you the key to enter them whenever you want.
You're not the only one who could enter it since the team that's responsible for safekeeping will have another copy.
As an addition, we add some equipment with their descriptions.
We hope you will continue your hard work in the future.
Note: Team D reported that the two Vessels were perfectly safe.]
What the box contained was four things in total: a new formal suit, a belt with a tiny pocket, an elevator key, and one black glove. Weird collection.
"Who told you that I need those Vessels!" I was about to scream but hold it. "This looks like a harbinger of misfortune!"
Who exactly would ever need a Vessel key in his hand? How could this count as a reward?
"At least, there are other things."
I picked up the suit. It looked totally normal. Black with grey dress shirt, nothing seemed unusual with the fabric, so were the belt and the glove.
In the very bottom of the box, there was another paper printed in black this time.
[◇Suit (phy-itm-2188):
Suitable for any weather, it adjusts to temperature.
◇Belt (phy-itm-3321):
It can store up to 4 kg yet feels weightless.
◇Glove (phy-itm-7855):
Provides the hand with temporary protection from mechanical and chemical hazards.
◇Elevator key: Vessel (phy-M(s)-5546), Vessel (Mn_ill-M(s)-765) pass key.]
Regardless of that last one, all the others made me speechless. I couldn't figure out if it's real or some form of science fiction experiment.
"Why give it to me if it's real?" I checked them again before another idea kicked in. "They are investing in me..."
If I wore their shoes, I'd do the same.
Where would you be able to find a newcomer that has all things on his side? Even if he didn't have a specialization yet?
Of course, you would invest in him. Even if he made two Vessels unprofitable...
"Poor them, I'm leaving in four weeks."
I hung the clothes in the closet to put them to use tomorrow. What was left was the elevator key.
I feared even touching it, and when I did, its texture alone made a chill run through my body.
"So, I suppose that if I use it in any elevator, I'll end up in that place?"
That, surprisingly, seemed like an exciting idea. Maybe because I didn't have a proper house for me before.
"What kind of crazy things are you thinking of, Nathan."
I inhaled…
Looking at that key made my thoughts slip unconsciously to the last thing I saw there—
The crying child.
For some reason, my heart was affected by him.
"That's our home's key? Can we go now?"
A childish voice full of joy came out of nowhere.
I looked around, and the scream died in my throat when my eyes landed on a child sitting on my bed.
That familiar child— this time, his features were fully recognizable, looking like a human being... A real human being.
The back of my neck prickled.
"Hero?"
The blonde boy looked at me in some adorable way that sent chills all over my body.
Green eyes. Icy green eyes...
Too warm though, too familiar—
"Yes, dad."
"Am I your dad?"
"Yes?" He frowned. "Did you lose your memory after what happened there?"
"...?"
"You told me that might happen, and when you come to find me, I have to tell you."
"I told you?"
"Yes." His smile got me more confused. "When will we return home?"
"Later—" I put the elevator key in the belt's pocket while trying to hide my trembling fingers. "So you did follow me all the way here. Do you know how to show yourself any time like this?"
"Yes, but as long as you allow me."
This is very promising.
'Now I have a child to follow me wherever I go?'
"What do you do when I don't allow you?"
"Just sleep?"
"You don't remember anything that happened while you slept?"
"No. But if you repeat things, I might remember."
"Oh," that wasn't giving me any hope. "Okay. Do you still remember what happened in the forest after that accident?"
"After that woman came to visit?"
"...yes."
"You told me before that to go to my forest house, I stayed there."
"You didn't get out?"
"No. Weren't you the one who built it? You made sure that there was food and water and games... I was sleeping most of the time, so that was enough."
But you were there for at least years? Or did the time go different for him than the outsiders?
"You did great."
I had no idea why I said that, but it just felt right. Hero, on the other hand, smiled widely like he achieved something huge.
"Dady," He yawned. "Can we eat something delicious tomorrow?"
"Yes, we can. go to sleep now."
Hero laid on the bed and closed his eyes. In thirty seconds after that, he vanished, and I stayed there looking at the bed while wishing for the ground to split open and swallow me whole.
Really, Nathan. A child?
"I'm doing my very best to keep up with this until I can escape it, and now I have this?"
Something looks utterly human without any fault when he is not? While calling me dad?
The crazy part was that I couldn't say things in front of him! Just looking at his face made me unable to ask any further questions!
What if he wasn't aware that he's not a human being anymore? Since he used to be one?
"What if he is still a human being? But have some kind of specializations that made him survive this way?"
The two options were enough for me to have chills. The first because being with a child who is not even human isn't that comfortable for me. The second because if he has that kind of specialization then he was for sure a powerful being— the kind of children that the crazy companies would kidnap them for experiments.
And surely, nothing about that was the real problem... it was how I would react to it.
The easy answer was: just play along, if they said that the world is this way then it is this way... without any more resistance, that for sure would make my leaving difficult but may make my life easier.
The hardest answer was: treat them all— including me— as crazy unreasonable beings. All things that happen in this month are some kind of weird game, and in the end of it, I'll return to the life I used to have.To the life that is full of ignorance and safety.
"Second time is the charm right? I'll cling to the second for dear life."
Even if it seemed nonsense. Maybe believing in that was what kept me alive those last days.
Believing in that scary thing doesn't do me any favor, while the opposite may keep me calm at least.
After I made that decision, I turned off the light and crawled in my bed to sleep...
The only thing that came to my mind after waking up was just that second option.
As if the first was never there to start with.