Hololive EN: The Awakening

Chapter 22: Ark

"I had a dream," Ina began.

She might as well have talked to herself, the detective from across the room unresponsive. Amelia was half covered in shadow, the cold cell the two were trapped in shrouded in darkness. From the half of her that was visible by the dim golden light that illuminated the hallway outside, Ina could tell she was disinterested. It looked like she wanted to keep to herself, her arms crossed as she looked through the metal bars confining them together in the claustrophobic space.

The priestess sat up straight, her hands folded together on her lap. Facing the detected seemed to get harder every minute. Ina was always a self-conscious person, wanting to maintain social harmony at all times. Any hint of its interruption would cause her anxiety to bloom, and her normal response would be to promptly leave when an opportunity presented itself.

The fact that exiting was not an option put the nervous Ina into distress. Coupled with the palpable tension that hung over the two, it created a recipe for disaster. Biting her lip, the priestess decided that the silence was too heavy to bear and she needed to say something, even though she knew Amelia probably wouldn't answer.

"...I dreamed I was in a different world. The sky was light purple and it stretched on across the horizon. I was walking. Every step I took rippled the thin veil of water under my feet. I looked at my own reflection. It was me, but..."

The detective was despondent. Ina wanted her to say something, anything to alleviate the invisible weight on her chest. She wanted to understand, understand what Amelia disliked about her. At least she could learn from whatever the detective had to say about her, ignoring her felt worse than telling her what she hated right to her face.

"...The girl in the water was different. Her eyes were full of wisdom far beyond my years. They were inquisitive, yet compassionate. Giant tentacles rose out from behind her. I couldn't believe that was me staring back from the water. Isn't it craz-"

"Please stop."

Ina froze, Amelia's words cutting through her own. The detective's eyes narrowed, but she never faced the priestess. Her words stung, and Ina had no idea what to do at that point. Sighing, she laid down onto the hard surface she sat on, facing away from the detective.

Ina wanted to get away from that place, to be anywhere other than here. She wanted Amelia's judgmental gaze to disappear, to be gone forever.

The detective turned to Ina as quiet set in once more.

The truth was that she hated the silence too.

Amelia stood up, grabbing the bars and peering outside. She had tried to find a way out ever since they had woken up and realized they were imprisoned. As she thought, she found nothing but an empty hallway lined with cells. The only thing she found peculiar were what seemed to be their guards, two metal men who stood beside the cell. They stared straight ahead, wielding strange weapons.

"Hey, tin cans," Amelia attempted to communicate with the unblinking machines.

"Settle down, prisoner."

"Mind telling us where we are?"

"Settle down, prisoner."

"I can't even ask a question?"

"Settle down, prisoner."

"What am I talking to, a broken record?"

"Settle down, prisoner."

Amelia sighed, plopping back into her seat in frustration. Glancing at Ina, she assumed she was asleep and began to nod off herself. They needed to find a way out, who knows where they were. The detective knew her only choice was to work with the priestess. The girl had taken too much from her, Amelia couldn't bring herself to put her trust in Ina. However, even so she couldn't help but feel guilty ignoring her. She had never given anyone the cold shoulder as much as she did to the priestess.