“It is very much a difficult life.” Charlotte said, staring at the ripples in her tea inside the cup, “Whenever I bring him coffee in the morning, most of the time he spills them in order to test out his plumbing system that barely functions.”

She sips her tea in anguish, recounting all of the times where she mopped the same floor. One the surface, Kaori and Charlotte's session together with tea evolved into a discussion of the pains of being an attendant that requires putting up with antics everyday.

“There I was, minding my business. Master had wanted sugar to sweeten his coffee, so he decided he can once again use gravity to retrieve him. Unfortunately it was right above where I was tucked away in a cabinet. I should have known to step out of the way, as he lost grip of the sugar and every grain spilt all over me. Needless to say, I didn’t scold him enough on that day.”

“People like him don’t deserve their attendants. If it were me then I would die after two spills.” Kaori said, shuddering at the thought of serving such a person.

“Tee-hee, I’m surprised myself that I’m still alive. Well then Kaori, how is your mistress? She appears to be more proper from my perspective.”

“She certainly has the same amount of issues in terms of clumsiness, but not as bad as you would think.”

“Interesting. We do a good deed in this underrated occupation. Especially considering how focused they are in achieving their goals. Make sure you treasure her. Treasure your relationship and treasure your time together.”

Charlotte’s voice trailed off as she finished her suggestion. Why did she just say that just now?

“How about you?” Kaori asked, “How do you feel about treasuring your time with Asimov?”

“Haha, what do you take me for? Even if he is the grand evil overlord of the Universe, I will still follow him to the end of the world.” Charlotte placed her tea cup back onto the coaster and a drop fell into her tea cup. And another. And another.

“I… I will follow him, any…” She choked on her words, thinking that she was mentally prepared for this discussion. The tipping point was closer than she thought.

“Charlotte?”

“I’m… so powerless… why did I think I could have fixed him…?” She felt the warmth of arms wrapped around her.

“I tried… I tried so hard… It’s because I considered this my home, this place, it’s precious to me… But I knew it wouldn’t be a home anymore if he disappeared. It wouldn’t be a home if he abandons who he used to be either…”

“There, there.”

Kaori stroked her hair just how she would do when Tamaki had her own moments of vulnerability. What she didn’t know was that this was much more effective than she thought. Asimov would do the same. The sound of an explosion can be heard in the distance, but the two paid no mind. And so, the sobs faded into the overhead clouds.

“But... I think it’s now time for you to go. To go back to your mistress.”

“Oh? Are we done ‘fighting’? If we are still using that analogy?”

“Yes, you have defeated me. Greatly. And now you should defeat the main transgressor as well. Oh but first, you should take these.”

In her hands, were the two silver earrings without the red gemstones. Kaori gingerly grabbed hold of them, feeling their weight within her palm.

“I shall carry on that duty.” Kaori got up and pushed her metal chair in, “Oh… and thanks for teaching me how to make that tea.”

A mutual understanding guided her into the shack and down the flight of stairs. She mulled over her time with the maid, they weren’t that different from each other. However, what Kaori saw as she descended to the bottom was something of an experiment gone wrong. A particle accelerator revving itself up, while Riki sat in the crossfire of the two beam’s path was on display right in front of her eyes.

・・・・・

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・

・

Everything was fuzzy. From what I can make out from my blurred vision, Tamaki and Asimov had the most intense expressions I had ever seen before. Why were they… Oh that’s right, because I could have quite possibly gone paralyzed from hitting my back on hard metal. Is that not what they were worried about? No, right. There was pain in my hands and chest. I failed to hold onto those earrings’ stones, they slipped from my hands right at the last second. And now they’re sitting inside this glass box above me.

Maybe, I shouldn’t have tried to catch them. If I hadn’t, I wouldn’t have been sitting in the blast radius of this accelerator. All because this one man who thinks he can revolutionize the world. All because of his curiosity.

Asimov...

...Screw this. Screw this! I can’t die like this! Not now. I have to live and know who I used to be, and I can’t do that if I’m dead! I’m not going to be killed in a forgotten place like this… for a no good reason by a batshit guy like you who kills people like fucking lab rats!

・

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・

・・・・・

Tamaki slammed her hand against the metal ring of the accelerator. Asimov had already turned on the machine in order to fulfill his eagerness. There was no time to grab Riki back, but as fate would have it, her valet entered the scene. To be able to perfectly time two particles traveling at 99% the speed of light is bar none impossible. That’s why there was another way.

“KAORI, STASIS IT NOW!”

Stasis? The whole accelerator was kilometers long, there was nothing to stasis. Except for... the two gemstones. The glass box cracked and broke, allowing her to freeze one of them with the other falling down into Riki’s hand. As the two beams of the high energy particles make contact with an object not affected by the passage of time, physics broke down. Because mankind had no model to describe the chain of events that had ensued after, there was no better way than to call it a work of a miracle.

It was Riki’s curiosity that got the better of him that caused him to reach out his hands to touch the reacting gemstone. And with that outstretched hand, came the light.

「I see. So that is your decision. Quite interesting indeed...」

In his palm, was like staring at the future. A light through the tunnel in a broken world. His vision was blinded until his eyes adjusted to see that he was not having one of his visions. Rather, he held his vision within the palm of his hand. Radiant energy, the light that shines bright.

What’s this?

The ball of light followed every movement of his hand. It felt warm on his hand. When he leaned in closer, he could feel the slight heat on his face.

Is this… my ability?

“So it’s true… my theories were correct. People do have dormant abilities inside of them and a catalyst can be one way to unlock them…”

Riki slowly shifted his gaze toward the mad scientist. What did he just say?

“An Aoi…” said a familiar voice. Where the voice was came fast footsteps approaching them. There was Katou sprinting along the scaffold while Oluka kept pace with him on her air bubble.

“Dormant? Aoi?” Riki asked, still transfixed on the orb of light still hovering above his palms. The stasised gemstone hit the ground as five seconds passed.

“That’s right Riki.” Katou said, “We call these abilities ‘Aoi’. Though, I’ve never seen someone manifest one in front of my eyes before.”

“Pretty...” Oluka said, “It’s like a sunset! But just not orange, more like a blue-ish sunset.”

Riki tried to find his footing as he got up, still in a daze after almost being blasted by a high-energy particle. Though, he still had the orb of light above his hand and didn’t know how to withdraw it. He clenched his other trembling fist, smiling at the orb. Truly, it was his ability, or rather, Aoi. Riki no longer felt like an outsider.

Asimov hesitated before. He understood there will be no more chances to say everything that he had learned up until now throughout his career. It had to be now before all of his work would be for naught.

“I am well aware of how much suffering I have caused in the city, but will you all allow me to spare a few more words?

But his effort was in vain. The glint of light had already come into his vision. A pain came from his neck before realizing that Katou had pressed his blade into the surface of his throat.

“You got balls for asking us that when you just tried sacrificing a civilian for your final experiment.”

A bead of sweat formed on the physicist’s forehead, dripping down onto the blade. He gulped, but this didn’t deter him from speaking.

“Th—This should especially interest you two as well, Katou and Oluka.”

The sound of their own names caught them by surprise. It was highly unusual for anyone to know the names of Azure members. But then again, this man was able to coordinate this final act in such a short amount of time.

“That’s interesting, so you know about us?” Oluka said with her chin on her arms, “Where did you learn from… I wonder...”

“I could sh—show you two! Something that’ll be of interest!”

“Those words better be relevant to us.” Katou said, raising his eyebrow.

“They will, but I just need a minute to retrieve something real quick. Is that fine?”

“Humph. A minute you say? Woman, put an air bubble around his head. For a person that doesn’t get exercise, they wouldn't be able to hold their breaths for long before they pass out.”

“Oui.” Oluka snapped her fingers and created a bubble vacant of air that eliminated Asimov’s breathing. From the fear of the time limit, he didn’t hesitate a second later to rush into his room to dig out something. After not even a few seconds, out came Asimov with a yellow file folder tapping on the bubble to indicate he needed to breathe. As the bubbles popped he took a minute to catch his breath before clearing his throat.

“You thought I was a threat to this city’s way of life, huh? Well let me do a little perspective shift for you guys. A paradigm shift, if you will. There exist those whose influence can change the very fabric of our world. Those that defy logic and reason. Their very existence should not be permitted. They are indeed a threat to humanity itself. I’m sure some of these people were responsible for the apprehension of that white-haired girl.”

What is he talking about? Threats to humanity? Is he still mentally out of it? ...It doesn’t seem like it, he looks genuinely serious.

Riki only listened on without questioning the validity to the physicist's claims. They were absurd yet Asimov’s face and tone showed no signs of deceit.

“Thanks to one of their abilities, or should I say Aoi, they disappeared off without a trace of where they currently reside. That may be the case, if it weren’t for me and my genius. I do have a clue as to where this girl was relegated to thanks to my research of them.”

“!” Before Riki went any further, his inner subconscious reminded him.

You cannot trust a single word that this man is saying. He might be lying in order to get out of this unscathed.

“As proof… this should suffice.” Asimov says as he proceeds to show what was inside the file. Pictures. Photos of only two people, but these were two that Riki recognized. He felt weak to the stomach. The two are still burned inside his memories. A male and female. He felt light-headed at the thought of being hit by something going that fast, learning to fear the sound of that instrument being played. And he still remembered the look of her angst eyes staring straight into him.

“Trust Charlotte. I whipped up a plan in order to rescue that girl from the two that have attacked her. It’s not perfect, but the likelihood of success depends on the cooperation of Azure.”

Did this guy really just created a plan just for the sake of a girl who he doesn’t know in the slightest…? And also...

“Charlotte? She—” Another glint of light reflecting light from the orb came into his vision.

“This is what he was probably talking about.” Kaori said, holding up the silver part of the earrings, “I guess in order to earn our trust, she gave these back to me.”

“Yes, those. I’m pretty much done with your earrings now, so you can take them back. I hope they aren’t too damaged.”

Tamaki leaned over to pick up the red gemstone lying on the floor. During its frozen period, it had been protected by the beams, but its fall to the cold hard floor made her wince. Even with the impact, however, the gemstone had no scuffs around it whatsoever. Are you protecting them? If so, then thank you.

“Well, Asimov. Were those your last words? Or do you want to say a few more?” Katou asked. The physicist had gotten everything he wanted out of this little excursion. He had little else to say, if not for a last few.

“Thank you, Riki. Because of you, I had one last good time orchestrating a final evil plan, gambling one more final time, seeing my theory proven, and for giving my dear servant one more final order. It really was a great last hoo-ha.”

Asimov’s words were genuine. The man was truly ready to leave his life as punishment for the deeds he had done. Riki wanted to respond, but very quickly realized he won’t be able to. He felt himself slip away, his vision wavered, and his light-headedness only grew worse until...

“Riki, your face! It’s so pale, you have to release your—” Tamaki’s voice was the last thing he heard, and the last thing he saw was the light fading from his hand.

・・・・・

“The permutations of the fabric of our universe. Quantum entanglement. So far we think that Aoi comes from humans interacting with this field, creating the many interactions and abilities that are out there. And it requires your body’s circuitry acting as an engine to unlock its energy. That’s why Riki lost consciousness back then because he was straining his body from using his Aoi for the first time. But really, it’s only a hypothesis that I came up with.”

“I see.”

They were in a prison, many meters below the surface of the world. Every movement from Asimov’s body caused the chains to bear a sound causing lasers to point at him. In front of him stood a man that Asimov knew all too well.

“You know, I still can’t believe you would actually send two of your subordinates to kill me. I didn’t think you would actually take that bet seriously.”

“Bet? No, I had something else in mind. This was for your own personal well-being, and the city’s well-being.”

“Ah, I see now. Just because I accidentally killed some—”

“It’s another reason Asimov. Because you were slowly gaining the attention of them. If you had continued on like this, then they would eventually show up.”

“Hmph, how could they possibly… oh. Th—That’s right…”

“Do you see now what I mean? For now, I’ll let my agency take it from here. You can just rest inside your little pool here.”

Pool, eh? As Asimov watched the man fade into the darkness of the prison, he wondered how things would turn out. But more importantly, how was Charlotte doing? And how will she do in this final operation?

Nah, she’ll survive. I mean, she survived this far after all. She’s no longer shackled by me.