A True Rhombic Comes in Time

23

I left the Door and went straight to the RAC building, which was within a short walking distance.

I have been wondering long and hard if I should ask Virpal about what I saw inside the test chamber. Gomi and I have talked about this memory a few more times, but she couldn't provide me with any more information other than that it sounded familiar to her. She was now certain she was there when it happened, which made me feel more confident that Gomi was that poor girl who was burnt to death.

It made sense that I should talk to Virpal about it since she was present at the crime scene. It looked like she was being attacked by the same villains, making her a victim as well.

But several things made me hesitant about telling her what I saw.

First, I was afraid I would sound crazy.

I didn't even know how I would bring this up. And trying to explain it all...

I imagined myself begging her to believe me.

"Hey, Ms. Bansal, I saw you at a crime scene on this giant screen in the test chamber. My new weapon and baby told me that it was a piece of memory. There were black wings that went whoosh, and a girl got burnt alive. I think she was your friend. Ring a bell? I swear I saw it happen. Oh, you want to hear from the baby yourself? Umm, well you can't because she can't leave the Door. And she's invisible too. But don't worry, she's real!"

Hmm, no, I didn't think that would go very well.

On top of this, I found it odd that I could find anything about this incident. I scoured the internet, yet there were no news articles or rumors about anything resembling what I saw, which looked like a major crime involving someone with WINGS.

If no bodies could be found, there may have been no report, but Virpal was clearly alive and well.

So I wondered. Could it be that the CIO never made a report? If so, why not? Or did she make the report, but for whatever reason, this incident is being kept a secret?

Then, there was the matter of Valiant Vesper. Based on my understanding of what I saw, it looked like the villain and Valiant were attacking the CIO and her colleagues. Yet Valiant is still working actively and famously as a Rhombic. If Virpal did report him, shouldn't he be in jail?

I have been going through what I saw over and over again in my head, and unfortunately, the more I thought about it, the more I began to doubt myself. At first, I was certain I remembered the details clearly, but...

Was Virpal perhaps NOT on the good guy's side? I saw her trying to help a woman and get closer to the injured couple, but I never saw her attack the bad guys. And if I remembered correctly, she was the only one, along with the guy with the neck scar and Valiant, who was uninjured.

I was confused, to say the least, but I at least knew one thing.

When you aren't certain of something, you should just keep your trap shut.

***

"Hmm, that's incredible, Leah."

Virpal Bansal said to me quietly when I told her my Power value had gone up. For many reasons, some I understood and some I didn't, I chose not to tell her about Gomi or the specifics of what happened in the first-floor test chamber.

Basically, I just told her that I was forced into taking the test, and after I passed, I saw my Power slowly begin to rise. She seemed to accept this explanation because she replied,

"I remember hearing about several kids reporting a horde on the first floor. So that was you who save those kids."

Virpal looked at me proudly. She appeared to be genuinely impressed, and this only confused me more. My initial feeling about her during our first appointment was that she wanted to help me. But now... I wasn't sure. So I kept a bland smile on my face just like I always did when I waitressed.

I was feeling awkward about continuing this conversation. Afraid I might blurt something out that I shouldn't, I quickly changed the subject.

"Did you want to talk to me about something specific?"

"Oh, yes. That's right. I'm sure you've heard of him. His name is Ryder Reece, and I am certain he'll be a great teacher for you," Virpal replied earnestly.

"But Ms. Ba... I mean Virpal, I already told RM that I wasn't interested."

I kept wondering why Virpal was pushing this Ryder guy on me.

Was it to help me? To help him? Or to help herself? Whatever it was, I could feel that I was about to be pressured.

"Here is the thing, Leah. I am only trying to help you. I'm so glad you saw an increase in your Power, but you and I both know that it's not enough yet." Virpal tapped her fingers on her desk and continued, "As I promised, I tried to do some research on your behalf. To find any cases that were similar to your unusual situation. Unfortunately, I couldn't find anything, but I did hear about a few instances where a Support was able to become a Lead after focusing only on attack training."

She looked at me, waiting for a response. But I didn't know what to say. Where was she going with this anyway?

When all I could give her was a small nod, she seemed a little disappointed. But nonetheless, Virpal continued.

"You understand what this means, right? There are Rhombics who successfully changed their Power ratio. So I believe that with intense training, you might be able to increase your Power. And Ryder is just the guy."

Hmm, very interesting. This was definitely a fascinating piece of information. I thought, and most people did as well, that Rhombics did not have a choice when it came to their roles. I could see why Virpal looked so excited.

If she had pushed this idea on me before the first test, I would have taken it in a heartbeat. I would have been just as thrilled because I was desperate for any help I could get.

But things were different now. I had Gomi, and I was sure I was already on the way to becoming a full Rhombic. It was possible I was being unreasonably confident, but I felt strongly that I didn't need some celeb Rhombic to give me a pity lesson. I also didn't welcome the attention I was bound to receive if Ryder Reece was assigned to help me.

When I respectfully but firmly declined the offer again, Virpal gave me a motherly look. It was the same look Sofia would give me when she thought I was being a brat. So I knew how to handle this.

I kept my lips closed tightly and endured the stare like a bulldog. The key was not to feel pressured to fill the silence with your own words.

Finally, it was Virpal who broke the silence first. With a resigned sigh, she offered a compromise.

"Well, please promise me that you'll just think about it. That's all I ask, Leah. And we'll talk again later, okay?"

Hmm, she was a good negotiator. Not too pushy so that I would fight back, but just pushy enough to get something out of this meeting. Wanting to get out of her office, and realizing that she wasn't going to budge either, I nodded.

"Alright. I'll think about it."