Chapter 4—Resting Point

Unit Five was no smaller than Unit Three but took to using its space in a more academic way. The several shelves of rooms were still stacked to the ceiling, but where the administrator's office stood in back, a campus sat in the middle here. It was a brutal-looking thing, more so in regard to the sleek architecture around it. A big cement block of a building, with only narrow windows opening its face. It seemed neither welcoming nor interested in being anything more than an eyesore and seemed to repel everyone but those who learned to see it as something else.

Ace saw it as something else now. It wasn’t welcoming but it felt like where he wanted to be, sitting there as ugly as it always had. His eyes moved from one side of it to another, from the dorms to the training hall, and it hardly felt like it was time to tell this place goodbye. Fang headed inside immediately when they arrived, but King and Micaela stood with him, staring at the structure as if they had to make up their mind.

“You guys slept in that?” Micaela asked, disgust dripping from her words.

Ace laughed. “It’s not as bad as it looks.” He looked around at the shelves. “Just bad in comparison.”

Micaela patted him on the back and shook her head. "I'm going to just start writing things off as you guys being dark disciples, 'cause I promise you, this is bad." She took the building in again. "But I get it. That's all you guys were given." Still, she shuddered, and Ace laughed again.

“What are you going to do?” He turned to King.

King’s eyes lingered on the dorm. “Go to my room…People should be around to transport our stuff to proper rooms now and Knight’s things probably can’t come with me.” King forced a smile, but his pain was like a needle to Ace’s heart.

He turned his eyes on the dorms too, thinking of Raven and all the things of hers that’d end up sold or thrown away. Hunter too. Did Fang go to gather Assassin’s? No…he didn’t think she had a way to get inside.

“You?” King asked, and Ace almost forgot his question.

“I want to go to the training hall first. I want to try the simulation with my new abilities.”

“That’s probably smart.” King said. “It’ll help us get an idea of how limited they are when you are…” He paused, looking for a word.

“Disguised is a good one.” Khalaf’s voice came up from his luminance band. “While you’re disguised, are you only as strong as you ever were, or are you just a dimmer version of yourself.”

“Oh, we should talk about that!” Micaela exclaimed. “You said that hells were shining hearts that grew stronger? Where’d you get that theory?”

“By going to them.” Ace replied. “I went to three different hells. One was just empty except for the demon waiting for me. Two others were fully realized domains. They were both terrible in their own way but…I think they were pretty much like Castle Cerulean, feeding a god with the luminance of its people.”

Micaela shuddered. “That makes it sound like the people were trapped.”

King nodded. “That’s because they probably were. Shining hearts are just coalescences of luster and luminance…they’re seeds really, where the stronger of the two decides what the light means.”

“Why did you ask though?” Ace turned to the woman.

“Oh, I was just thinking about it. I think Adale ruled over a hell too, but she didn’t run it like one. It was still chaotic though.”

King nodded again. “I can remember now. There were all those tall buildings, but every thing looked like it was built out of a storming sea.”

“There’s a question in the Adale part of me that’s trying to figure out how she could have made the hell work for her. What was the piece that she missed, you know?”

Ace considered that. From Magenta, it seemed pretty clear that those hells were little different from each other. Each bore a demon, that predated upon the suffering of its people. Was Adale the same in some way? Was there no choice but to be? No…he didn’t believe that. Not after he forced the Trident Knight to be a better god. But he couldn’t explain.

"I think there's something I want to figure out too." His mind drifted to the battle with the God Eternal. Without the Joyful Waas, they never would have won. Without that devil's knowledge, they would have never realized their plan was a possibility. He became a virus to the fragment's light, made so by the part of him that was dark. The Dark Orange God of Revenge. Dark and Orange… “How do I truly unify my Umbra and Luminance?”

King pondered that with his eyes cast down. “Slasher…he was a reaper…how did he become one?” He spoke to his band.

“You can’t see me right now, but I’m shrugging. Somewhere in the dark, right?” Khalaf replied.

“We have to figure out more about what Umbra is.” King looked at Ace. “Do you think Fang will be able to do it?”

Ace thought about the four lightless Numbers. Assassin, Fang, and two more. What were their Numbers again? Neither of them ranked anywhere near Assassin. Neither of them wanted anything to do with the lightless duo. What could Fang say to them, coming home without Assassin by her side?

“I don’t know.” Ace looked down. “But I guess we have to just trust her plan?”

King nodded. “Yeah…I’ll see you later?” Ace nodded.

“I’ll meet up with you two again after I’m done.”

“And me?” Micaela looked between them.

“Find a panel and choose the help option, someone will take you to your room.” Ace offered before heading inside, wasting no time making his way to the training hall…

⁘⁛Fang⁛⁘

Elsewhere, Fang waited in a small meeting room. It was between the dorms and the training halls, sitting at the corner of the former. It took her a moment to find who she was looking for amongst the numbers, forgetting all too easily that was all they were. Between Abigail and Knight, Number 234. Clawing in above Raven, Number 403. She could summon them to this room with the authority of a graduate, but that didn't mean they would work for her and didn't mean they'd want to listen.

234 arrived first. Peachy-skinned, broad-chested, and tall, he spotted her through a bob of sandy-brown hair, turning a narrow chin at her like a knife. He didn't try to hide his sneer and turned to leave the room before 403 bumped into him. 234 made him look shorter. He was skinny, his skin dark, his hair shorter on the sides than on the top. 234 grew angrier upon seeing him and turned sharply back to Fang.

“So both of us, huh? Didn’t waste anytime after killing 214.” He barked, stomping back into the room. Assassin flashed through Fang’s mind, but she didn’t hold on to the image.

“I called you two here because there’s something important you need to hear.”

“You called us here to replace the missing part of your lightless duo. It was cute and all, the way he followed around on your tail, but we’re not him. Even 403 has some dignity.”

403 shrunk at that. Fang sighed.

“Is this necessary?”

“Isn’t it?” 234 barked. “The first thing we hear is that your group is back and only three of you survived, but not the three it should have been. Not 214, 228, and 246. Nope. 277, 316, and 388. I’ll just guess that you sent 214 to die, since he’d do anything for you, and 246 probably died protecting 388. So how’d you kill 228? And the others?”

This was going about as well as Fang expected. 234 was never going to come into the room with his claws withdrawn. Still, she didn't expect he'd claw this much. She sighed again and replied. "Circumstances in the city were worse than we were trained for."

“And your leadership score means you’re supposed to do something smart about that.”

“Casualties aren’t avoidable.”

“So that’s how you’re going to sell us on whatever you have planned?” He laughed.

“No. It’s how I’m going to convince you to listen to me.” She threw the words like knives. “If Assassin…if 214 can go out and get killed, what does that mean for you? With him and 228 dead, you’ll get to climb to their ranks easily. In fact, you’re probably the best person to be the next 214. But you are not him. You’re not a strong as him, you’re not as agile as him, and you’re not even as useful to a team as him. You’ll go up in rank, and you’ll face what he faced and end up doing worse. He at least died for a cause. Will you?”

234 sneered. “There it is. There’s that part of you that keeps your score where it is. I’m nothing if I don’t bow down when I see you, huh?”

“You’re nothing if you don’t learn how to listen when someone can offer you something.”

“And you’re going to offer me something!?”

“I’m going to give you something. A chance to get stronger than you ever were.”

“You think I’m going to believe that when your boyfriend is dead?”

“You should believe it because I’m still alive!”

They glared at each other, 403 looking between them as if he wasn’t meant to be in this room. He gulped, took in a breath to speak, and 234 scoffed, crossing his arms.

“What do you want?”

“You two to listen to me.”

“Hurry up then…the less time I have to spend in here with you, the better.”

Fang closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “There’s a reason we don’t have a Luminance. It’s partially because we’re left handed.”

234 rolled his eyes but objected no more than that.

"I haven't figured out all the details yet, but I think with your help I can understand it in a way neither King and I can alone."

“King?”

“388.”

234 laughed. “What is it then? What are you giving us?”

“Two things, first…when you get your…weapon band, I want you to say luminance terminate. This will allow you to use umbra, our true power. Second…when you do…listen for a question.”

“And?”

“Answer it…we can go from there.”

“You done?”

“Yes.”

234 headed for the door again. “Great. I’ll do that, but don’t think there will be any orders from there. I’m not going to follow a terrible leader. I’m not going to trust your plans and walk to my death.” He left the room, leaving a sour taste in Fang’s mouth.

403 spoke up at last. “He called himself Assassin?”

Fang smiled. “Yes…partially for me.”

403 laughed. “That sounds about right…234 is right though, isn’t he? You called us here because we’re lightless too, and that’s pretty much it? He’s not a bad fighter but I’m not…worth talking about. I’m not you or Assassin. I’m not…King was it? I’m not any of them.”

“If you were going to graduate today, what name would you choose?”

403 shrugged. “I don’t think I’ll graduate…I’ll be lucky if I actually end up over 400.”

Fang took him in, thinking about everything he was. He wasn’t stories of surprising victories, expected victories, sudden upsets, or shaky conclusions. If anything he had faded more into the background when he found out he had no luminance, not sure what his path forward was, but feeling like he wasn’t allowed to look for it. His graduate name and his dark name would be a challenge to find. She decided then that he was a better recruit than 234.

“The rules are the same are they are with him. If all you want is what I told you, then use that and grow stronger. But I need your help too. Come back to me if you want to learn more.”

“Why though? What are we up against that you need me?”

“The thing that killed Assassin…”

“And your this desperate?” He gestured at himself, then shook his head. “All right…I’ll see.” He turned toward the door.

“403!” Fang called out before he left. “Don’t let the past decide who you are today. It’ll change, even if it doesn’t seem like it.”

403 smiled weakly. “That sounds nice, but it might just be words.” He left, and Fang let out a deep sigh.

“Better than I thought…” She murmured, hoping the others were having a better time…

⁘⁛King⁛⁘

King entered his room and took a deep breath, standing near the door as if an arduous road stretched out in front of him. He tentatively took another step and felt it in his chest, remembering the many times he came back to this room with Knight. He headed over to the side where Knight's things gathered, his desk, his tablet, the little pleather bound notebook he scribbled poems in. As he picked it up he was already laughing and sitting down at the desk to read it. The poems were always short and sweet, loud with emotion but straight to the point. How many times had Knight lay his head in King's lap and recited them? How many times did he find himself smiling, thinking about how honest those emotions were?

He was back there now, resting on the bed. Knight was shirtless and fresh out of the shower, his body still somewhat hot, his scent something sweet and earthy that made the room smell nice. The sound of his voice in these words put a little quake in his chest, making him both flustered and ecstatic to hear what he’d say next. King closed his eyes thinking about that presence that felt heavier than any sort of blanket, atop him, around him, filling him with warmth. He tried to stay in that moment, tried to make it immortal, but the longer he held on the more he felt it slipping. When he opened his eyes, tears had wet the page. He laughed to himself as he wiped them, thinking about what Knight might say.

“Tears don’t suit you.” He’d wrap his arms around him, holding him in that way that said he wouldn’t let go.

“I cry sometimes, you know?” King would somehow find his breath.

“I know, and they still don’t suit you. They overshadow that twinkle you get in your eyes when you’re on to something.”

“I’m sorry.” He said as he put the notebook down. “I’m sorry you had to protect me. I’m sorry I wasn’t a fighter. I’m sorry I couldn’t figure anything out before any of that happen.” He wiped more tears from his eyes. “I wish you were here.” He sat in silence, in that feeling, and eventually breathed in, setting his pieces back into the person he needed to be. “Thank you for giving me that moment, Khalaf.”

The specter rose from his band. “That’s why you want to see Cerulean fall, huh?”

“It happened when we reached new Dawn…Cerulean’s ‘angels’ were there.”

“A terrible turn of events for you unfortunate little numbers. An even worse turn of events for Castle Cerulean though. And here I thought I was the thing they need to fear the most.” Khalaf cackled. “So then, what’s your part in the future plan?”

“Micaela will probably start working on how to translate Cerulean and Adale’s info into something we can use, but it’ll be faster to apply the data we have about the luminance bands. I’m going to improve those and try to equalize our combat power.”

“So then my purpose will be using my glyphs to better weaponize the system. Similar to the fight with the man upstairs.”

“The demon summoning augment was a good step.”

“Yes, but I don’t think it’s one anyone but a dark disciple can use.”

“Fortunately, we still have Ace and a few others.”

Khalaf floated around. “Of course, Ace is an entirely different story. You have your work cut out for you.”

King took the notebook and a few more things from Knight’s space, adding it over to his. “Yeah, which is why I’m going to head to the lab while they move my stuff.”

“Far be it from me to say, but maybe you and the others should take the, get some rest, thing a bit more literally. It doesn’t pay to keep going. You might go insane.” Khalaf bobbed with laughter.

King looked at his bed and then at the door. He clicked the underside of his luminance band, removing it from his arm.

“Maybe you’re right.” He went over to sit down.

“Now, if only those other two could hear me.”

⁘⁛Ace⁛⁘

The training hall was unsurprisingly crowded when Ace arrived. Numbers dying had that sort of effect on the building, giving anyone who hadn't risen before the chance to push past their limits. Most of the people were just there to watch, but those who couldn't push past Assassin had started up a combat simulation. Five combat specialists were gathered, waiting for the simulation to build. In their own right, they were forces to be reckoned with, but not the kind that could ever beat his friend. Ace almost felt bad for them, thinking about the hurdle they couldn't surmount and the world out there that was far worse than that. He came over to join them, settling into a slot, almost sighing at the wake-up call to come.

The simulation dinged and the doors came open. The combatants rushed in, weapons drawn, going for ravenous depictions of grays that poured toward them like a coming flood. The targets dropped fast, one by one, screams cut short as Numbers danced through them. Ace lingered behind, however, thinking about his new body and where he had failed in this room before. Assassin was just good at killing. His blades seemed to always go where they needed to be, each strike fatal or crippling for the fatality that was to come. Assassin could glide through a whole horde, besting simulations by himself. He was that good at killing, but Ace was good at movement, and to use that here he had to make sure his movements weren’t wasted.

He started dashing in, arm blades forming around his hands. A kick off the ground launched him through the air and into the horde. A blade sunk into a throat and he spun away, slashing around as that body dropped. As it bounced off the ground, he bounced off of it, slashing down to tear open another gray, pushing himself into the air to land behind another. His blade flicked up its back and he turned and tore through a different one's chest. That twirl continued, into another, alternating footsteps sending him tearing through his rage-blind targets. When he stopped he leaped back, kicked, broke a jaw as he kicked off, and jammed his knee into a chest. He bounced off as the body fell, ripping through another and another, until the room dinged again and a scoreboard appeared.

“Are you kidding!” One of the combatants roared.

Ace laughed. Assassin was still on top. Even dead, he couldn’t be beat.

"What do you mean 283 is above me!" Someone else yelled, and it took Ace a moment to realize they were talking about him. He turned to look at her, arms crossed and brow furrowed. Her hair was so pale it was nearly white, and her green eyes stabbed as they met his. She stomped over, jabbing a finger at the scoreboard and then his chest. "How!"

She was…255. With Abigail gone, 255 had the best chance of being the new 228 if her combat score rose high enough. Ace’s score had rocketed up though, surmounting hers and several others. He brushed her hand aside and tilted his head.

“Probably because I didn’t wait for someone to die to prove I was better.”

Her hand flew around and slapped off the back of his. She glared, and he tilted his head the other way.

“Maybe your temper is why you stood still for so long.”

She scoffed. “And you only got so far because you could cling onto someone else’s back. If it weren’t for 214 and the others, would you even be a graduate right now? How much did he and 228 have to do just for you to get this far? Must be nice to easily take the credit of others.”

“Sis…” Another blond put a hand on her shoulder.

This one was a guy, with short hair that wasn’t as pale but eyes that were somehow lighter. Standing just a bit over her and a bit over Ace, his soft expression didn’t give it away, but his combat score was one of the highest. Still higher than Ace’s in fact. His number flashed into the graduate’s mind, 219. Ace wasn't going to use it, but he looked at 255 and then at him, thinking about what to say. For her part, 255 brushed the hand off her shoulder and took off. 219 sighed and offered Ace a smile.

“Sorry…she has a temper.”

Ace nodded. “I know. I’ve seen it.” Sometimes you didn’t get a choice as to who was put on your team during simulated missions. 219 laughed.

“I think you’re right…it gets in her way, but she’s stronger for it. If she could just focus her anger she’d climb the ranks in no time. She could even be one of the one’s going out next.”

Ace considered that. Neither of these two were dark disciples. If memory served him right, they came in with a group of survivors that managed to hold on for longer than most could. Their parents had made it to the Enclave too, but their father was missing an arm and their mother had severe scars on her face. At home, they probably had names, but when the ranks opened up they abandoned them to stand here. For the first time, he wondered what would make people throw away a normal life to face the city. He was about to ask as much when 219 looked at the scoreboard and then back at him.

"How did you do it?" The Number asked, and Ace looked at the scoreboard too.

“Combat was never my specialty, so I didn’t try to be a combatant. I don’t know what goes through your minds when you’re out there, but I know what goes through mine.”

“How to move?”

“Yeah. One step into the next, into the next, into the next.”

“And your strikes are steps, not really killing what’s in front of you, just choosing a path and using your targets to reach it.”

Ace smiled. He had never spoken this much to 219 before but this talk was proving to be leagues better than his sister. “I guess you could say it’s using your strong suit to accomplish your goal.”

219 laughed. “I wonder how the leading specialists would go about that.” He looked at the scoreboard again. Ace thought he might be finding his score. He followed his eyes. Assassin had him beat by 400 points. 219 nodded his head determinately and turned to Ace one final time. “You’re graduated, so I shouldn’t call you 283 anymore. What name did you choose?”

“Ace.”

219 nodded. “214 would be proud.” He grinned and offered his hand. “Ace, before your next mission, I want to work with you to raise my score. With 214 gone we need good fighters around.”

“Why fight though? You have the chance to have a normal life, but you want to graduate and go out there?”

219’s eyes darkened then, and he cast his gaze aside. “I’m twenty-three, you know? Both of us are. We were born right before the overcast, and our folks fought desperately hard to keep us alive. I still don’t know how they did it but I decided, for as long as they’re alive I’m going to fight even harder to make my life worth it.”

“What if the fight is bigger than you expect?”

“Well, I don’t think I’m all right living without trying my hardest first.”

That dark gaze came back to Ace, and in a way, he saw himself, fighting not just to take down the God Eternal, but the glowing red fiend responsible for so much of his anguish. 219 embodied him, empowered him, and he found himself speaking before he realized what he was saying.

“If you could graduate tomorrow, what name would you pick?”

219 laughed, the darkness fading. “I haven’t thought about that one yet.”

“Well, I think the question will come up soon.”

“Now you have me wondering what’s out in the city.”

Ace laughed this time, “Even after what I saw, I don’t think I’m the best person to say…”

Elsewhere still, Micaela made a call…

[Chapter 4 ends…]