"So you are saying the only way I could get into those escape pods is by entering the main headquarters of the Ark?"
Sunny stood flabbergasted by something impossible to do when that building she recently mentioned is the most secured place on the entire ship, finding it difficult to even imagine the thought when there are so many cameras and patrolling guards from within and outside of it, making it nearly impossible to even sneak in.
"How do I even get inside without being caught?" While he could place his trust in whatever Esper power he has, it is better to take measures to ensure his success or risk getting everyone involved with him if he gets caught.
With all his power to be nearly untouchable, he knows to not get ahead of himself in thinking that he can go in unscathed and undetected.
He also knows the consequences of failure; the lives of innocent people could be at stake, especially his family and those angeloids who were just doing their duty.
Not wanting to hurt anybody; all Sunny desires is to just escape this place; simple as that. Even then, the thought of going inside the main HQ is nothing but a daunting task.
Nodding her head with a frown, Kara adjusted her glasses and sighed, "I'm sorry, Sunny; I wish I could help you more. But I'm afraid this is where you have to make your own decision. I've given you the information; it's up to you now to find a way to get in," she replied, being sympathetic to his situation. "Is there anything you wish to ask of me?" The librarian offered, her eyes filled with concern for the young man despite having just met.
A brief silence hangs in the air as Sunny thinks about what she has told him. "No, I guess not," he mutters, the gravity of the situation hitting him hard. "Thank you for your help, Kara. I really appreciate it," he added, truly grateful for her assistance in helping him with his plan.
"Your welcome."
Looking between the two, Lei suddenly yawned from their long conversation and the stress of the situation. "I'll leave the both of you to continue your discussion," she mumbled, rubbing her eyes tiredly. "I'm going to keep myself occupied with something else; I will see you later," she said, giving them a small smile before going to the other side of this room, her curious and bored eyes wandering around in hopes of finding something interesting to make time pass faster for her.
As she left, Kara and Sunny averted their eyes from each other for a brief moment, a sense of understanding passing between them. They both knew the weight of the task ahead of him, but they also understood the passion and determination in his eyes.
Breaking the silence once more, she hadn't forgotten about the other reason for giving him the information he wanted: "Since that is done, why don't you tell me about Celestial?" Her curiosity piqued as she wanted to know more about the entity that seems to have a connection between the two of them.
Raising his brows in surprise, "Oh yeah," he forgot about the matter in the midst of everything, "shes..." How would he describe her into words? It is not just a girl, not just an angel, not just a deity, but a combination of all three, or probably something far different than he imagined.
"I'm not sure what she is," admitting his lack of knowledge in the question, "but I once thought she was just a figment of my imagination, a dream or a hallucination until I found out she is real," he explained, a tinge of interest still lingering in his voice.
"Is that so?" Crossing her arms together, she stared at him with a look of intrigue. "Then mind explaining to me how this entity of ours is appearing in my own dreams and foretelling everything about you?" Kara asked, her interest piqued by the fact that Celestial is a shared experience.
"That creature is possibly more than just a figment of your or my imagination but something otherworldly that we can't comprehend yet," she added, a hint of excitement in her voice, "what do you think, Sunny?"
He doesn't have the faintest clue as to how to answer that question. "I don't know," he admitted, "she is a mystery to me as well. Maybe she is some alien visiting us, a god from some obscure religion taking interest in my life, or something in between. I do not have an answer for who or what Celestial is," he replied, lost for words to describe the entity.
Looking above the ceiling, Kara gazed contemplatively at nothing in particular. "Perhaps she is trying to guide you, show you the path you need to take," she murmured, lowering her head to meet his gaze. "Perhaps she is the one who has manipulated you to be here, the controller of fate itself," she continued, her mind racing with the possibilities. "By any chance, do you have certain feelings whenever you converse with Celestial? Like something forgotten that you remembered or a sudden urge to do something out of the blue?"
"Now that you mention it..." Sunny caressed his chin in thought, recalling instances where he had acted or felt differently after speaking with her. "Yes, there was something like that; it's hard to describe in a way words can do it justice," he sighed.
"How do I put it? Her presence had reminded me of someone from previous lives, like an old friend or a family member, perhaps a lover too, but it's been so long that I couldn't remember who it is," he said, a hint of sorrow in his voice.
She stared down at his feet and then back up at his eyes. "Whoever or whatever she is to you, all that matters is the fact that Celestial is a real person with feelings and thoughts, a consciousness of her own. Although I'm curious to know more about her and the reason why she is even helping you in the first place, we should be happy to know this mysterious friend of ours isn't an enemy."
The tone of her voice was like someone trying to convince herself, "For now, what are you going to do with this plan of yours?" Kara asked, switching the subject back to the matter at hand.
Sunny grimly nodded. "I'll figure something out; I have to," he muttered, his determination returning. "At the moment, I'm going to enjoy the remaining days here with everyone and prepare myself for the worst-case scenario," he said. "I will not let anyone get hurt because of me, not when I have the power to stop it," a steely glint in his eyes of wanting to reach his goal of achieving the life he wanted for himself.
A soft chuckle escaped from her lips, releasing her arms to the side as she leaned towards him with a suggestive smile. "I believe in you, Sunny, and I'm sure Celestial does too," she whispered. "In the end, I'm confident you will find a way to get what you want." Straightening her posture, Kara resumed her original position. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to return to my duties," she added with a nod. "Good luck with your ambitions." A warm smile appeared on her face before returning to the holographic screen.
Watching her go, Sunny scratched the back of his neck in discomfort, finding all of this strange but not something he could question. "What should I do now?" He thought, important reminder to enjoy the time left with family and friends, "I'll go and spend the rest of the day with Lei and the others, talking and playing games, while I wait for a moment of time to escape," knowing he'll have to be careful in how he spends his time before his forced to leave them behind when the times comes.
Just as he continued pondering in his thoughts, his hand suddenly grabbed his left shoulder. "Let's go home, Sunny," Lei announced from behind, a sweet smile on her face, her eyes filled with anticipation of the remaining time they would spend together.
Letting go of her hand, she watched him turn to face her with a sorrowful smile of his own, understanding the weight of the task ahead of him. "Sunny?" She asked again, calling his name in a concerned tone of voice.
"It's nothing," he reassured, raising his open palm between them. "Can you hold my hand while we walk?" A red blush spread across his cheeks as he uttered the words. The idea of holding hands with her was something he never thought he would do. "It's just that I'm scared, Lei," he confessed, feeling vulnerable in front of her. "If you know what I mean," he added, a hint of embarrassment in his voice.
Laughing wholeheartedly, she complied without questioning, her fingers intertwined with his own. "Of course," she agreed, the soft sound of her giggle filling the air around them.
"I'll always be here for you, Sunny," she whispered, her heart warming at the sight of his vulnerability in these troubling times as they moved hand in hand, walking down the long hallway leading back to the library while the faint hum of machinery buried deep within the walls slowly disappeared from their hearing.
With their fingers intertwined, the world around them seemed to slow down, the two of them in their own bubble, away from the dangers and worries of the world. Like a freezing wind that stops the heart, the fear and trepidation that Sunny felt earlier melted away under the warmth of her touch, replaced with a newfound courage to face the challenges that lay ahead.
Man and machine, the organic and inorganic, the realms of the natural and the synthetic—all of it passed by in a blur as they walked side by side, united in a bond that seemed to transcend the very boundaries themselves.
Thinking of something to break the awkward silence between them, Sunny asked a peculiar question that has been stuck in the back of his mind ever since he planned to escape the Ark: "Do you think your sister will betray me if she ever finds out?" He asked, knowing that Lei and her sister had a good relationship with one another even in the lowest moments of their lives.
Bewildered in asking such a question, Lei furrowed her brows. "Why would you think that, Sunny?" She inquired, the innocent curiosity in her voice. "My sister is loyal to the core; she wouldn't betray you, me, or anyone else," she assured, her grip on his hand tightening. "I'm sure Mei, my trusted sister of all the angeloids, will ever think of betraying you," she added, her voice filled with conviction over what she said.
"After all, she's the one who stood by our sides when we were at our darkest moments, didn't she?" Her own eyes sparkled with the memory of everyone spending time together and the unwavering support she provided during the darkest times from not just Nelson or Sunny but also her beloved sister as well.
His shoulders slumped in relief. "That's good to hear, Lei," he murmured, concerned about the well-being of his friends and family. "It doesn't hurt to try to be cautious around people, you know?" He replied, a hint of a sad smile in his voice, "It's just a possibility. I'm trying to wrap my head around, that's all," his eyes turning towards the ground, the worry of the future looming over his mind.
"Don't think much of it," she comforted him. "We are all in this together, and no one here wants to see you hurt," Lei said, looking up at him with a gentle smile. "Let's enjoy the time we have left, shall we?"
Smiling genuinely, he squeezed her hand in return. "I'll do that, Lei," Sunny answered, his heart swelling with love and gratitude for having someone like her in his life. "Thank you," his resonating voice spoke volumes of his sincerity.
The two of them continued to walk down the dimly lit corridor, the world around them fading into the background as the present moment became the only thing that mattered in the end. As long as there is someone to support another, then it is extremely motivating to keep moving forward in defying the odds stacked against them.
