Shadow of the Abyss

When Altair had finally returned to his quarters after a solid twelve-hour shift, the fresh scent of medical herbs traced his nose in a symphony of calming nodes. Altair felt his body visibly relax as he turned to see Ren focusing on her pill-making.

She wore a white, off-the-shoulder shirt with skin-tight dark gray jeans he bought her yesterday. And the urge to once again paint her filled him.

"Wow~"Altair blurted out, taking her all in. "You look amazing!"

"Art~" Ren cried out in a panic, nearly burning her ingredients. She turned to him flush. "Stop saying weird things."

"Mom always said to compliment those that are pretty." And he pointed right at her. " And you look pretty. Way prettier than Olivia."

Ren whirled back to her cauldron, nibbling at her lips as she tried focusing when a boom! Echoed from her cauldron. And the scent of burning sugar filled their nose, followed by a wave of black smoke.

"Damn it… Art, look what you made me do."Cried Ren, puffing her cheeks as the boy laughed.

Flopping to his bed, Altair smirked. "Not my fault. You're the one who took off my shirt." He told her, eying the collar she kept on.

"I can't always wear that, you know." She said, sulking, falling onto her back.

"Why not?"

She peeped up from down below as he peered down, waiting. After a few awkward seconds, Altair smiled. "Well? What did you make today?"

"Let's not train… tonight." She said to him, with a great sense of wearyness seeping out from her bones. "Show me a movie, tv-shows or anime like you once told me about. And let's try pizza and soda, and… what do you call it… icies?"

"Ren… I… we didn't come to his place to have fun." He said, somewhat unconvincingly. "You… we both have people depending on us, we—"

"I know… But… I also know." And her voice began to crack. "That it'll take years, cycles if not longer, to help our parents. Can't we enjoy a day or two, a week of normalcy without constant struggle? I spent all of mine caring for my Mom, washing her clothing stained by her black blood." The tears were rolling down her cheeks as she continued. " Please, Art."

Towards her tears, Altair could not refute her pleas. He relented. "Fine… but you and I will cycle our mana throughout the movie." He said, rubbing his temple as he thought of what she said.

How long would it take to save Mother?

The thought scared him more than he wanted to admit. The only person with the answers was his Father, who would not crack. He was as sure that the sun would rise in the east and set in the west before Arsene gave him any hints.

Ren felt no relief as tears only seemed to stream from her eyes, as the pressure of everything seemed to shatter what little restraint she had left. Large globs of tears streamed as her cries grew louder, so much so that Altair took her into his arms.

"I don't want Mommy to die!" she whimpered, clenching his buttoned uniform, her head buried in his chest. "I don't want her to die, Art. She can't, ok! I won't let it."

Once more, Altair felt powerless and weak as he held her. None of it was fair. Ren's mother's poisoning, his mother's sacrifice. None of it.

For a good hour, Ren cried while Altair shed a few tears silently for her sake. When it was over, she giggled. "Art…"

"Hmm?"

"You smell sweaty."

"..."

He pinched her cheeks, stretching them till he felt he could no more. He snorted and lifted her onto the bed, still in his arms. "Action, Comedy, Drama or Romance." .

"I want to laugh," She told him, a little more secure in his embrace.

"Alright. Gimme a few." Hopping into the showers, Altair had a pizza, popcorn, and soda delivered via his neuro link to his room alongside a movie to watch. By the time he finished showering and stepped out of the bathroom, the food had arrived.

Ren's stomach practically shook the room as a buttery, sweet garlic aroma filled the room. Drool slipped from the corner of her mouth as she stared excitedly.

Altair hopped on the bed beside her, holding the pizza box and soda in one hand and the tub of popcorn in the other.

"Dinner," He said as Ren took a sip of cola for the first time.

"...it's tingly… Art, it's tingly!!!" childishly, sticking out her small tongue to show him. Altair laughed, opening the pizza box. He snapped as the light turned low, and a virtual screen appeared.

"Play Mall Cop: Paul Blark "

That night, Ren nearly peed her pants with laughter, barely making it to the toilet in time. By the time they were done, some two hours later, Altair was fast asleep, his arms coiled around Ren.

"Thanks, Art," Ren said, kissing his cheek. "I know it was selfish of me, but… Thank you."

A week later, on the beaches of their small island, Altair and his fellow armed brothers soldered down the coast, fashioned in G-Belts that doubled the user's weight every hour. By the fifth hour, sweat matted many of their faces, covered with sand that clung to their skin.

By the sixth hour, two-thirds had given up. By the seventh hour, only a few recruits remain standing, bearing well over a thousand pounds with each step.

And at the helm stood Altair, somewhat short of breath, his long obsidian wet with seawater, and his chest bare to the world to take in as he ran without end. Ignoring those that did not stop Altair, sensed Leonie on his heels.

With only a spandex top and trousers, Leonie's chest burned, bearing the force of gravity pressing her feet into the wet sand, devouring what little stamina she had left. Her legs buckled, and her gaze swayed as she glared ahead, unwilling to lose out to the young man she was chasing after. And yet, with each step out, Leonie felt a tendrils of darkness filling her vision.

"Need help?" Altair asked her, glancing back, masking his urge to poke fun at the flushed cherry, barely standing.

"No," She shouted, betrayed by the darkness rapidly filling her eyes and the slowing of each step.

Nevertheless, Altair slowed his pace, ignoring her pleas, allowing two young males to run past him, "Send mana to the lungs to help stimulate breathing, or you'll faint." He said, pressing his hands on Leonie's back.

The Hands of Nirvana swelled with a stary golden radiance, sending a warming jolt of rejuvenation through the young woman's mind. Leonie was jolted awake, somewhat refreshed, as the air began to better fill her lungs and brain.

"I said I didn't need your help." She fired off, glaring at him. She snorted, taken back by such a small trick of Mana Manipulation that helped regulate her breathing. "But thanks." She whispered.

"You're the only one I saw giving it their all to keep up with me." He told her, "Even if it ensures you fail trying to keep up.." He smiled at her, observing her dazzling dual pupils. "It was well worth the effort. Especially if we are to be in the same platoon."

The young girl said nothing for a period of silence before a beautiful smile surfaced over her slender lips. "Thank you, Altair."

Finishing the last hour, Altair did not lag behind like some of the others did to talk as he raced to the medical ward after a quick shower.

"Great, you're here!" Amilia shouted, noticing him enter her ward. She waved him over to an elderly man strapped with various tubes to help him breathe and regulate blood flow. "This is Commander Sonders. He got poisoned by Earth's mysterious Red Blight twenty years ago. And he has been in a coma since."

When Altair saw the bald-headed man, his skin appeared like folds of loose fat slumping down from his body from rapid weight loss. He frowned. "My skill set doesn't involve poison." He told her, knowing Ren was responsible for that.

"It's a blight, and we've extracted all contaminated areas. The problem is the commander's body never recovered. And despite all our best doctors, boosters, and technology, we haven't been able to cure him. His body keeps rejecting all forms of treatment."

"Have you sent him to Genesis?"

Amilia shook her head. "No, but not for a lack of trying. Before Sonders lost consciousness… he… Sanders refused to leave, claiming he was born on Earth and would die on Earth. The man hated the Genesis colonies. And this right here is the consequence of his actions." She looked to Altair, to his frowning grimace. "Think you can handle this?"

"I do… but I need to know what's damaged. There needs to be an order for this." He said. "If I were to fix his nervous system first, he could die of a sudden heart attack. I need his full chart." He explained, "And a full body simulation based around my skill."

Already forgetting who was in charge, Amilia happily followed Altair's lead, becoming his assistant during this operation. It was a mild risk allowing a recruit to handle such a procedure, but the Imperial Forces had long given up on the commander's recovery, determining that even if he were to recover, he'd have limited potential.

"Altair… if you are successful. I don't need to tell you the amount of contributions you'll receive." Amilia told him, building a modular simulator on her computer. "You'll have any first choice of weapons, armor, resources, or instructor."

The prince lifted his lips with a cunning arc and thought. 'That's the only reason I'm helping this man. It's time for Ren and me to build our second circle.'