Chapter One
My name is Lucia Marashima. I awoke on my back, looking at the blinding brilliant blue sky. Or so I had thought. As my blurred vision began readjusting itself, I noticed I was not looking at a sky, but a ceiling. Blue tiles covered the floor, walls and ceiling and seemed to emit a faint glow. Several rectangular sections emitting a dim faded yellow light lined the ceiling, mixing with the blue of the tiles almost creating an illusion of the sky. I sat up and noticed the hospital bed I found myself sitting upon. To the right to the bed, there was a piece of furniture looking like a desk, but its design was unsettling. I had only seen metallic desks of the sort in HERO bases, so I began to feel uneasy. Sitting upon the desk was a small black box I could identify as a computer, but had no inclination as to why I knew something so foreign to me.
I could make out rectangular sections protruding from the wall to the left of my bed, but they blended in with the remainder of the blue tiled wall. I was stupefied to find a needle lodged into my arm connecting me to a device directly to the left of my bed, the device beeped steadily at the same rate my heart was beating. I gazed downward at my hands, finding them to be significantly smaller than last I remember. The constant sound emanating from the device quickened as I became anxious of my situation. I waved my hands slightly above my head and they hit my ears protruding upward. My large fluffy amber-brown tail was also in the same spot as I had last seen it. Knowing my ears and tail were in the same places, I began to calm down, the tone coming from the device returned to its original pace as well.
“This lodging is unfamiliar to me and something strange has happened to my body,” I spoke aloud, “This can only be the work of those rampallians at HERO.”
My voice changed significantly than I last remembered. The pitch was much higher and even the words in which I spoke seemed different. I decided the best course of action would be to assess my situation. The needle protruding from my arm seemed dangerous to pull out and several circular white items were placed throughout my body, likely monitoring nearly every aspect of my being. While technology in Patsula was far more advanced than the rest of the world, electricity could only be found in the HERO bases scattered throughout the country after their invasion. My comrades and I fought HERO for over a decade, destroying their schemes at each corner of the country and saving many innocent people from death. However, fortune could not smile upon me for too long.
The final battle came to fruition in the dying valley beneath a large mud-covered hill outside the kingdom once known as Unitus. The ravaged wasteland was once brimming with rare, exotic and beautiful flowers as well as wildlife. When I was young, the hillside was my favourite place to visit and play with my best friend Sasha. The turn of events seemed fitting as I planned to finish HERO on the same hillside, defeating them for good. Megan, Sasha, Heath, Zayne and Sapphire, my closest friends and most trustworthy allies, began a fight with the HERO soldiers guarding their last standing base. The nervous jitters of the finality of this battle seemed to shake everyone during the previous night’s dinner. Everyone spoke with anticipation and worry, wondering if this truly would be the last time we fought the heinous organization.
The stench of dying plant life and thousands of soldiers preparing for battle stained an already dying valley, leaving me longing for what used to be. I dodged and parried attacking soldiers and returned their missed attacks with vengeful retaliation and I tore through thousands of opponents. My choice weapon, the Vronti Orgi, increased my reaction time and gave me intuition on the best attack. The hilt was made of dragon bone, carved to resemble a dragon’s scales, head and talons while the blade was golden with lightning bolts carved into the two flat ends and the name of the blade engraved at the bottom in beautiful calligraphy.
On top of the sword’s incredible advantage in battle, my power as a wolf-spirit came into play as well. My speed was just shy of sound itself and my physical capabilities, such as strength, smell, taste, intuition, thought-process and hearing all received an equally impressive boost. These abilities aided me in taking down the army quickly and without taking a single scratch. The six of us soundly defeated our enemies and stood just outside the entrance to the strange building. HERO bases were significantly different than anything in Patsula. They were large rectangular buildings that seemed to extend to the sky itself. The doors opened without being forced and inside was covered in material unlike anything I had ever seen.
“Well done,” a man walked out of the building with a conceited expression on his face. A strange figure shrouded in darkness followed closely behind him, they were someone whom I had not yet been acquainted. The figure wore a strange black cloak, completely covering every aspect of themselves as not to be seen. Pure blinding darkness surrounded them, as though the very light surrounding them was being absorbed. The man had a hideous scar over his right eye and his left arm was missing. His skin was a sickly lime green colour and his bright yellow snake-like eyes seemed to be awaiting the perfect time to strike. Randal, as he currently referred to himself as, was an immortal being known as a Magician. Magicians led the organization known as HERO in an attempt to take over the world and rule over mankind.
The scoundrels loved war and violence, doing everything in their power to draw out the bloodshed for as long as possible. Randal was the leader of the Magicians and my team was recruited to stop them. The Guardians are also immortal beings, but their goals and aspirations are much different than HERO. The Guardians recruited us to stop HERO in order to let humanity run itself. They believe they should not be involved in human affairs unless it becomes unavoidable, such as HERO’s interference. During my countless battles with the Magicians, I was able to exploit weaknesses and even remove Randal’s arm. Simply by sealing the connection, like in a jar or locking the arm in a chest, I found the magical energy could not reach its target and thus could not reattach. Despite countless attempts, I was unable to lock away a head or heart and stop a Magician from completely regenerating, but I knew it could work.
“Randal,” the very sight of Randal caused rage overtake me. My hair glowed a dazzling shade of crimson and darkness dripped from my very pores, surrounding my being. This power was known as my blood red form, activating when my emotions began getting out of control. Its power increased my existing powers by over double and greatly increased my overall awareness, “We have vanquished your army. Surrender now or prepare to face the brunt power of the greatest warriors in Patsula.”
“You think simply defeating my guards will be enough?” as he began adding to his statement, the hooded figure beside him held a hand out before Randal, silencing him.
“You are all fools,” the figure’s voice was dissimilar to anything I had ever heard. Their voice was cloaked by some sort of device or magic that clouded our senses and caused us to misinterpret their tone, “If you continue to trust the Guardians, you’ll only be hurting yourselves. Your blind faith in an entity you do not fully understand will be your downfall. If you return to your homes now, we will let you go free.”
“But,” before Randal could continue his thought, the hooded figure held their hand up once more, causing Randal to hold his tongue.
“What home?” Megan’s sharp tone resonated in the air causing Randal to take a step backward. Megan’s dark crimson hair was a family heirloom as everyone born into the Akiyama bloodline ended up with the uniquely coloured hair. Randal particularly saw the wrath of ‘The Crimson Dragon King’ firsthand as her aggressive and ruthless fighting style caused him agony and suffering unlike anything he had ever experienced. Despite her callousness in battle, she was an honest, loyal, warm-hearted king whom I trusted as much as anyone else. She stared daggers into Randal, warning him without uttering so much as another word he would regret speaking out against her.
“I almost forgot,” his voice quivered, but despite his fear he continued antagonizing Megan, “We burned down Unitus ages ago. Twas so unimportant and boring I seemed to have forgotten. You will have to forgive my friend for forgetting.”
“So help me Randal, if you utter so much as another sound,” Megan walked forward, standing mere inches from Randal’s face, “I will tear out your vertebrae and stick it up your ass.”
“That’s enough,” the hooded figure pushed Megan away from Randal, “Know your place wench before I make your threat seem merciful.”
“What did you say to me you abhorrent wretch?” Megan tried to assault the hooded person, but they caught Megan’s strike and tightly held her wrist.
“If you’re going to act like a churl, I might as well put you down like one,” the hooded figure shot back, matching Megan’s aggressive tone.
“A churl? If I am a churl than you must be lower than the dirt beneath my boot,” Megan raised her sword and in the blink of an eye the hooded figure sliced cleanly through Megan’s arm. For a mere moment, I was able to see their sword. HERO soldiers used a magical sword made from, what they claimed to be, pure magical energy. Regular soldiers used the same bright white energy swords while those in command used swords of all different colours, ancestry and levels of power. The hooded figure’s sword was pure black, as though the darkness surrounding them had possessed the sword and Twas so strong I feared I’d be unable to stop its attack.
Megan’s sword descended to the ground and as it did the five of us stood in awe and trepidation of the power of our newest adversary. Megan collapsed to her knees, but did not whimper. Instead she charged for another attack, only to be fended off without much effort. The hooded figure kicked Megan out of the way, like that of a stray dog and stared at Zayne and Sapphire. Before they could respond, she tore through them as though cutting paper, easily breaking through Zayne and Sapphire’s defenses.
“You fools disappoint me,” the hooded figure turned toward the three of us still standing, “At the full extent of my power you would surely have perished by now. Not only are your petty ideals weak, but your skills are equally pathetic. Your fighting is weak, your spirit is weak, it makes me sick. You are the most powerful warriors this world has to offer? I’ve fought wild animals with more fighting spirit and ability than you.”
“I can hear it in your voice,” I stepped forward, refusing to allow such a misguided individual berate our skill and our ideals, “I can hear the sorrow and pain, as though you truly care about us. If this is our first meeting, why do you care so much?”
“Your erroneous illusions fool you,” the hooded figure shook their head, “I could care less what happens to weak maggots like you. Once you are removed from the picture, my goal for true peace can be achieved. Today, I finish you and bring about a new empire of the likes the world has never seen. Prepare to face your death, I hope you’re prepared to meet the devil.”
Sparks flew as Vronti Orgi clashed with her blade. She was strong, but I was able to barely stand my ground, protecting Heath and Sasha from the figure’s incredible power. I pushed back, but they dodged my blow and tried to jab me in the stomach. I jumped back a little, but the sword’s reach suddenly increased and it caught me. Blood flowed from my stomach, but I continued to fight. Their speed was simply too great for me to dodge for long, especially considering the blood loss. My blood red form dissolved and the darkness surrounding me dissipated. My hair returned to its usual amber-brown colour and I watched as Sasha and Heath were struck down by nearly fatal blows.
“It can’t be,” Flint’s voice rang in my head just as my vision began to fade. As the blackness of unconsciousness surrounded my vision, a bright blue light suddenly appeared, likely as a result of Flint’s power.
Then, in mere moments, I found myself awoke in a strange lodging unlike anything naturally found in Patsula. Waking up in such a foreign place made me believe Flint’s plan likely failed, especially considering HERO was the only faction I knew of that could construct a room like this. I sat up sluggishly, my muscles screaming at me to remain still. Despite the pain, I refused to leave my friends alone. I had to find them and ensure their safety. I slid my feet over the edge of the bed, the icy sharpness of the floor stung my feet as I tried to stand. Instead, I collapsed to the floor, the white items tore off my skin and the needle as well. My friends were the ones close to me, if there was a chance to save them, even a little pain would not stop me from accomplishing my task.
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If I could save them without HERO learning of my awakening, HERO would be unable to use them as hostages to get me to complete their every whim. I could imagine Randal stooping so low as to kill my friends in order to allow my blood red form to take control. If I call upon its support, I can usually handle its incredible draw back. However, if the power is forced from me, I lose control and Randal would love to unleash my uncontrollable power on unsuspecting civilians. My blood red form engulfs my mind in darkness and anger, begging me to maim, kill and torture my adversaries. It feeds on my negative emotion, knowing exactly what to say and when to say it in order to get me to release its incredible power. Over the years, since the power was forced upon me, I slowly found a way to control its power and could call upon its might without going completely insane.
I’ve killed hundreds of innocent people using this power, unsuspecting of their untimely demise. The power would take control of my actions and by the time I regained control, it would be too late. Over time, I was able to slowly decrease this allotted time until eventually I never lost control. My blood red form’s victims haunt me every night, reminding me of my sins. If not for me, those innocent people would still be alive, but instead I murdered every single one of them. I might have been able to control my blood red form when calling upon its power, but if I became too emotionally unstable, it could still take control and be used against me. If I could just find a way to get to the door, perhaps I could find the others nearby.
I crawled forward and looked toward the wall opposite my bed. I realized the problem with my plan far too late, there were not doors. I looked around impatiently, trying to find a way out of the room, but without any doors it would be impossible to escape. Just as I thought all hope was lost, a rectangular section of the wall vanished and a person walked into the room. Once inside, the rectangular section became solid once more as though trapping us inside.
“Oh my goodness,” the man ran over to me, making sure I was alright. The man was incredibly tall and strong, wearing a lab coat over a white tee-shirt and white and grey camo cargo pants. His skin was much darker than mine, unlike anyone I had ever seen before. His eyes were dark brown, matching his skin tone and he had a thick goatee, “Are you alright?”
“I am perfectly adequate,” I grabbed the side of the bed and attempted to pull myself to my feet, “Tell me who you are and where I am right now if you want to remain breathing.”
“Aren’t you feisty, cat-girl?” the man’s laugh was so deep and loud it made me lose my grip on the edge of the bed and collapse to the ground once more, “I can tell you’re doing well, so there is no need to worry about you then. However, I would recommend we do something about that cut in your arm, tearing out the needle like that was quite reckless.”
The doctor helped me back to the bed, though I made it quite difficult with my squirming, before bandaging up the gash on my arm.
“I can tell you’re skeptical of your current predicament,” the doctor finished writing something on a sheet of paper as he spoke, “Normally, people would think they had awoken in a mental institution and beg for their release, but you seem calm despite your skepticism.”
“How many people have you kidnapped?” I tried to jump backward, prepared for a fight, but I tumbled over the edge of the bed and collapsed to the ground again. My head rang as I used my hands to lift the upper half of my body off the floor.
“That isn’t what I meant. I should have chosen my words more carefully,” the doctor rushed over to my side, trying to help me to my feet once more. This time I slapped his hand away, “I understand your fear, but you have to trust me.”
“Or I’ll die, right?” I used my hands to slide myself backward. I believed he had to be a member of HERO. Nowhere else in Patsula could you find electricity, disappearing doors and people who looked like this doctor. I wanted to stand and fight, but my muscles were so weak I could not even manage to make it to my feet. My blood red form was unresponsive as well, so my last resort was also out of the question.
“No,” the doctor raised his hands and took a step backward, “How about this, I get you walking again and you can leave here without anyone trying to stop you. Just, sit down and listen to me for a minute, please?”
Was the doctor’s proposition genuine? Having spent the last ten years being lied to by HERO and betrayed by villagers who were in league with them, Twas hard for me to believe. He put his hands behind his head and knelt to the ground by the wall, trying to earn my trust. I could hear the pace of his heart and see his eye moment, nothing indicated he was lying. With my inability to stand, if he wanted me dead or brainwashed, he could have done so already so I had to trust him, at least for the time being.
“As you wish,” I grabbed the edge of the bed and tried to pull myself back atop it. With the doctor’s help, I sat on the edge of the bed and decided to listen to what the doctor had to say.
“Firstly, I’d like to welcome you to our base,” the man’s deep voice seemed to boom with the acoustics of the room, “My name is Doctor Thaddeus Bracksworth. I oversee the medical wing here.”
“Where exactly is here?” I spoke harshly, interrogating the man, hoping he was someone I could trust. I hated being so forward, but I needed to know whether or not he was my enemy.
“Calm down pussy cat,” he smiled, “We’re at one of the Resistance bases in the American Empire.”
“Where?” I tried to follow his explanation, but had never heard of the Resistance or American Empire.
“The American Empire,” the man reiterated, “The large empire owning all of North America?”
“North America?” his explanation only confused me more. Was I no longer in Patsula? How far away from Patsula was I? I felt so frazzled as questions piled up in my head, trying to grasp my current situation.
“You don’t know what North America is?” Dr. Bracksworth looked at me worriedly, “This is elementary school level geography.”
“Elementary school?” I shook my head, trying to understand, “Why do you talk like they do?”
“They?” the man asked.
“HERO,” I answered, “Those rampallians from the future are the only ones who speak in such a strange manner.”
“That’s impossible,” he stood up and stepped backward in surprise, “Your manner of speech, tone, and the information you lack could only mean…”
For a moment, he fell silent, clearly trying to piece my situation together. He rushed out the room quickly and I was left to think on my own. Something was wrong. His reactions was unlike a HERO soldier, which alluded to the likelihood he was not a member of HERO. But, his manner of speech and strange accent was just like those bastards. After putting the clues together, I came to the same conclusion as Dr. Bracksworth. There was no doubt he was from the future, just like HERO.
“That’s impossible,” a woman walked into the room, no, walking is not the best way to describe the action, she majestically strutted into the room with purpose in her determined dark brown eyes, everything about her seemed to draw the knight within me to bow in respect. She had long black hair extending to her lower back and looked well maintained. Her glasses held no barring against the commanding power of her gaze. She was rather short for an adult, but she made up for it with her stature and attitude. She portrayed elegance, yet also dominance and power, it took a mere moment for me to recognize her significance within Dr. Bracksworth’s organization known as the Resistance.
“I’m telling you, it’s the only logical conclusion based on the information we’ve been given,” he protested, “There is no doubt this girl is from a time long since passed, maybe upward of a thousand years.”
“Impossible,” she repeated, turning to me. She narrowed her eyes as she studied me and I found myself staring into them, “What year are you from?”
“Sasha would know more than I would,” I shrugged, “She studied the Julian Calendar as part of her teachings.”
“Julian Calendar?” the woman fell onto the chair Dr. Bracksworth was using, clearly as frazzled as I was.
“While Commander Vallier is contemplating the situation, I suppose I should give you an explanation on your current predicament,” Dr. Bracksworth nodded, sitting beside me on the bed since Commander Vallier was occupying his seat, “Firstly, you are a victim of the Personality Editing Machine, or PEM. It’s a device allowing someone to completely edit an individual’s personality from memories to knowledge.”
“A device like that exists?” I replied with some concern, “There is no doubt trouble would arise from a machine that defies natural law.”
“Indeed,” he nodded, “The Resistance raided an illegal plant using the personality editing machine as a means to rewrite humans and place them into bodies more suited for their personal tastes. Then, they’d sell those people on the black market and make money to create more. Originally, the PEM was used by doctors and psychiatrists to reset an individual’s persona who had murdered or had an extreme mental condition. Over time, its use expanded to smaller things such as depression or intense anxiety. Eventually, the blueprint for the device was leaked to the public and people began using illegal copies for their own amusement. People were kidnapped and taken as toys.
“Technology has come so far as to grow humans for this cause. Organizations grow humans to specifications set by their client, then input that information into a device which constructs DNA. Once the human is grown, they use the PEM to transfer the mind of someone into that body and they are sold to the client. Some organizations, especially ones secretly run by the empire, plant traps in the minds of some brains to get rid of the Resistance or whomever gets in their way. So, I cannot release too much information to you, but I will do my best with the information I can share.”
“This device has HERO is written all over it,” I muttered.
“During the raid we found you in, there were a total of six refugees,” Dr. Bracksworth’s reveal made my heart flutter with hope.
“Six?” I asked for clarification.
“Indeed,” he confirmed, “However, this is the first time I have seen physical changes in the bodies. After running our standard examinations on each brain, resetting its default language and ensuring there was no barrier breakdown, your brains were placed into the bodies we deemed most compatible. All six bodies were the age of thirteen when you were found, and we believe that to be the perfect age to reintroduce someone into a world much unlike their own.”
“I see,” I looked down at my small hands, understanding why I felt odd upon awaking, “That certainly explains why my body is the way it is, as well as the language change, even in my memories.”
“Some refugee’s original personas don’t speak English so we have to break the language barrier in order to help them successfully integrate into this world,” Dr. Bracksworth noted, “For some reason, your speech patterns are incredibly old fashioned and that accent of yours is peculiar as well. No matter, in a few months you should be ready to be integrated back into society.”
“You spoke of physical changes,” I decided to explain the wolf-spirit form which likely confused him when the magical energy took away the human ears and replaced them with wolf ears atop my head, as well as the tail sprouting from my lower back, “Due to a certain incident, I was blessed with the wolf’s power. After that moment, no matter what happens to me, the spirits of the wolves will follow. There is no doubt my blood red form is also going to show up once more, its magical energy being concentrated in my brain makes it very likely I’m stuck with the accursed power.”
“Ah, so not a cat then,” Dr. Bracksworth said.
“I was giving you the benefit of the doubt since we had not yet been acquainted,” I stared into his eyes harshly, causing him to back up in surprise, “Now that you know, if you ever refer to me as a cat again I’ll make sure you will never utter a single sound again.”
“I heard something about a blood red form,” Commander Vallier finally spoke after remaining silent for a significant period of time.
“It’s a power cursed upon me,” I told them, “My hair burns bright crimson and my eyes change from yellow to red. Darkness drips from my pores, engulfing the space around me and often times my mind deteriorates, becoming uncontrollable and vile. My abilities are increased, but I often have trouble mustering the strength to contain such an evil entity. If that power is ever released, you must put a stop to me.”
“There’s no need to cry,” without even noticing, tears had begun forming in my eyes and Commander Vallier sat on the opposite side of me, wiping them from my face, “If this power truly takes control of your mind, I assume you have seen and done a lot of horrible things. I promise I’ll do everything in my power to stop that from becoming a problem. Now, let us change the subject. What’s your name?”
“My name is Lucia, Lucia Marashima.”
