Rising Shards

I was relieved to finally be done with all of this. Sai remembered what happened in the void on the bus ride over, and got pissed I didn’t tell them right away, but I successfully argued that I didn’t because we couldn’t do much about it. We tried talking to a teacher, but only Corinani was available, and she apparently already reported about it.

Annoyingly defeated and emptily unsatisfied summed up the day. We couldn’t do anything, there was no way to move forward unless we searched the entire campus for Caeda and Chickadee. Sai and I sat on one of the couches in our dorm.

”I don’t like it,” Sai said.

”I don’t, either,” I said. ”But what can we do?”

”Maybe kick Caeda’s ass the next time she shows up,” Sai said.

”I dunno if that’ll do anything,” I said.

”At least Chickadee,” Sai said.

Neither had appeared in our dorm in a while. Where were they staying? I hated how few answers we had about anything.

That night had a potential source of information, though.

”Greetings,” Mother said as she arrived in our dorm. ”I’d like to run some tests, if you don’t mind.”

She scanned the other devils first, just usual stuff to make sure the treatments were keeping everyone stable in this dimension. I told Sai I’d ask her when that was all taken care of, somehow lucky enough to catch her at a time where she wasn’t too busy with work for a chat.

I asked to speak with her alone. Usually she hated to be pulled away from work, but she didn’t seem upset this time. We sat at the foot of my bed together.

I asked straight out. ”Mother, are Caeda and Chickadee doing something under your watch?”

As always, Mother’s reaction was hard to read. I wasn’t sure if she was confused, or concerned that I’d asked something I shouldn’t have.

”What do you mean?” Mother said.

”Separate from what we’re doing,” I said. ”Something with all these void imps.”

Mother’s face remained stoic, but I could tell the gears turned in her mind.

”I was training her, like you,” Mother said.

I didn’t want to say ”Obviously, I know that,” but I did feel an urge to.

”But she recently has been working with another doctor in the labs,” Mother said. ”She’d been doing similar research on stabilizing those who were void born. Chickadee actually originally received her treatment from her.”

”Do I know them? I’ve probably seen them around,” I said.

”Dr. Vesper?” Mother said.

”I don’t think so,” I said, the name not ringing a bell.

”You actually did meet a long while ago, when you were much younger,” Mother said. ”For a time, though you couldn’t feel it with the labs jumping, we were stationed in a Taramin branch south of here, in Valataran. Dr. Vesper worked with you a bit. As soon as she transferred here, Chickadee and Caeda both requested to work with her.”

”I see...” I tried to think of all the lab workers when I was younger, but couldn’t remember any Dr. Vesper. I vaguely remembered the faces of some of the other kids who were receiving different treatments, but not her.

”A shame, honestly, Caeda’s energy is somewhat infectious,” Mother said. ”But if it’s something for Dr. Vesper, you can be certain it’s for a good cause, and in line with our larger goals.”

”Should we...help, then?” I asked.

”Dr. Vesper is particular about her work, she’s a bit closed off,” Mother said. ”I’d advise only engaging if she directly contacts you.”

A strange thing to say about someone who I should trust. I wanted to ask about the void imps, and if this was really all for some greater good, but I knew Mother’s body language. I was already taking up too much of her time.

”Right, thanks,” I said. ”I think that’s all I wanted to ask about.”

Mother rose to her feet, not one for long goodbyes, or any goodbyes, really. ”I have a bit of data work tonight, but the next time Vesper is around, I’ll reintroduce you.”

”Sure...” I said.

That night, sleep mostly failed me, so I tried to remember Dr. Vesper. I searched for her online, but Taramin didn’t have any information on its doctors available like that. I kept going back to how unsatisfying it was. I had too many questions, too many things weren’t lining up. Like I had all the puzzle pieces in front of me, but I couldn’t connect any of them.