“Bullshit, that couldn't be the only reason,” Lace commented.

“Believe it or not, you'll eventually understand my words.” 101 took his hand and pulled him closer. “You, the old you, said it as well.”

“I could show you where it all began with your past self,” 101 held her fingers, ready to snap and change the hologram in the dream.

Her grip took a hold of his arm, and Lace felt his arteries and veins tighten under her strength. Her delicate face was an inch far from his, the fragrance of her perfume reached his nostrils. But he pondered, do androids even need perfume?

She seemed to be eager to show him the past, but Lace saw no point in doing so. What could she gain for showing the past to him? Fear or the sense of past achievements? If so, there seems to be no benefit from it.

“My past self or not, it doesn’t matter,” Lace replied and placed his hand over hers as a form of reassurance. “Only now and the future matter the most, I couldn’t afford to have anything else to think about other than the crazy stuff that happened today.”

One of 101’s eyebrows rose as she looked at Lace with a curious gaze before she shook it off and sighed, “Good grief, at least my mind is safe from the headache of changing the holograms again is this dream.”

“You’re not exactly a hard worker, aren’t you?”

“Mon chou, I’m no hard worker. I’m more of… working smart,” She said and released his hand, “And secretly.”

“I guess we’re the opposite, I’m too used to working physical labour ever since I dropped out of high school,” He replied and leaned comfortably on his armchair.

“It could have been different if you had money-”

“I couldn’t care less, life was like a box of chocolate after all. It's whether you get the worst or the best chocolate.”

“Huh,” 101 grins as her eyes were smiling a tint of playfulness, “If it was, then I’d said I’ve got the best chocolate.”

“What are you trying to imply-?”

The sight of Lace tilting his head without any sense of suspicion gave her a sudden rush of her blood. Her grin slowly faded, as she broke their eye contact due to her unbearable ragged breathing, and hid it away from his sight by turning her head. She could not afford to display her madness, which is also her fondness.

Lace only saw bits of her expression, a slight blush of it. No other people had reacted to him in such a way, much less from a woman. So, there must be a reason behind it, he thought.

“I’m sorry, mon chou, but, someone is coming to your hospital room, so I’ll have to leave you here alone and keep on a lookout as my consciousness could only be at one place at a time,” She said before standing up from the sofa. “But remember, I could still read your mind, and compliments are much accepted~”

“All is fine, and there’s no need to keep on a lookout, just treat the guests nicely.”

“No, the same thing as before could happen, so I need to be on guard every time,” 101 replied, clearly annoyed by the sudden predicament of the visit. “Tch, whoever came here, such annoyance.”

101’s figure slowly vanishes into the thin air of the lucid dream, as her consciousness had left.

Lace was left alone in the dream. His eyebrows slightly rose as he thought of who could be wanting to visit him other than his few friends.

--------------------------------------------------

A nurse in an all-white uniform gave a small knock on the door before entering Lace’s hospital room. Inside, Lace’s unconscious body could be seen connected to several machines and tubes. It was to stabilize the poisonous substances within his body, which he got from prolonged exposure to heat and smog.

It was a miracle he managed to stay alive after passing out from excessive bleeding and poison. His ability to stay conscious while sustaining internal injuries impressed the hospital staff, as they tried to comprehend how a human could endure for so long.

“Eyes over here, infirmière,” 101 said and urged the nurse to come closer, “It's rather tiring to raise our voices when talking at this distance, and the patient is having a lovely sleep.”

The nurse glanced and got surprised by the deep red gaze from 101 as if she was looking into a crimson abyss.

“Ah, I’m sorry madam,” The nurse took a few steps closer with a file board in hand. “I’m here just to inform you there will be a visitor for sir Lace.”

101 had similar thoughts as Lace. Other than his friends, no one else would go to visit him. His other family members such as cousins, uncles and aunties could not care less about him ever since his father was falsely accused and jailed.

So, the only reason someone would visit him might have a different intention other than wanting to know his well-being.

“If you don’t mind, can I ask who these visitors are?” 101 asked with a melancholy accent.

“All we know is that she came here just to give her thanks to sir Lace for saving her life in the previous incident.”

It may sound ordinary to most, but 101 could not afford to shake off the possibility that this visit might have a different intention. Moreover, hospitals do not allow anyone to visit recent patients if they are not closely related. Exception for 101 who lied about being Lace’s sister.

“Anything else?”

“Excuse me, Madam. What do you mean by that?”

The nurse was clueless about 101's curiosity. Which indicates that she knows no more than is told.

101 shook her head and gave a light smile, “Nothing, just curious. Thank you for informing us about the visit.”

The nurse nodded and left the room quietly.

101 took a peek in between the curtains of the windows and saw the aftermath of the encounter with the god of fire. The buildings were charred, and some even collapsed into debris. Plants and valuables are scattered across the streets as burned trash. Disfigured bodies of those lives lost to the flames were bagged by the medical teams. Civil servants and volunteers could be seen doing a joint cleanup, but it is likely to take more time to get it done.

“If only I arrived earlier…” She muttered and glanced at Lace who was riddled with wounds.

The city was not her concern, it is not her birthplace nor a place she grew up memories with. Only Lace that mattered, the one who has gone through thick and thin with her in their past life. The mere thought of losing him again was maddening to her.

The door was knocked, but it was not opened immediately. As if the person behind it was waiting for someone to answer.

“Come in, there's plenty of seats, so help yourself,” 101 said as she sat as close as possible to Lace while fixing her hair.

“Salutations…,” The woman said groggily as she slowly opened the door and walked in.

“The military?” 101 murmured and noticed the badges and ranking on the woman's attire.

The tall woman had shoulder-length pink hair and wore a wrinkled white military trench coat that reached below her knees, with badges adorned across one side of her chest. A pair of black gloves on her hands, white pants beneath her coat and a pair of knee-high boots.

Her tired cyan eyes met 101's gaze, as she took off her beret, “Thanks for answering my knock quickly, I thought I would die from climbing the stairs with my cramping ass anytime sooner.”

101 always thought that military personnel have strong impressions, but she reconsidered that when she met this woman.

“Haiya, I forgot to introduce myself, sorry,” she said and sighed. “My name is Vittoria Litto, ranked Special Officer, from the Pax Military Force… ugh, this is tiring.”