Fighters of Dimicel: Annihilation

Chapter 7

"I've seen your mail, I will approve your request, but currently as for you yourself..."

Henry gazed with anticipation towards a man sitting behind a desk, face visibly lightened up by the monitor's blue light which revealed his tired eyes. Mainly not from not having enough sleep, but his lack of sleep, an insomniac hiding behind papers and screens, this room being his little cave hideout stocked with cigarettes and instant noodles. The whole office is a little dim with some lights here and there, mainly from the monitors. As Henry waits for Luciel to finish his words, he wonders if the man ever left the room.

However, despite an insomniac, Luciel who sat before Henry, is a council member of Eirene, the main leader who oversees the organisation, Luciel Von Caelus. A highly trusted member with eyes that does not look human, a glowing a bright menacing yellow with a slit Iris, resembling a snake's. A simple gaze will send shivers down one's spine.

"Sigh... How have you been faring?" Luciel asked, his eyes piercing deep into Henry.

Henry turned away from the intimidating gaze. "I feel fine. I want to be on duty."

"Many things have been happening. I have been picking up an increase in abnormal activities... and you have not been on break."

"I do not need them, sir. E1 needs me."

Henry's brows furrowed, eyes now facing Luciel. Silence overwhelmed the room, so silent that hearing a pin dropping is inevitable. A sharp sigh escaped Luciel's lips, leaning back against his chair.

After a long pause, Luciel's face softened.

"fine. You can go. but..." Luciel stood up. "I need you to do something for me."

●●●

Leora has been waiting outside the moment henry left, her sudden presence startling the young man. Her gaze was piercing yet blank, a thought unreadable behind those crimson eyes, hiding her own secrets as much as Henry.

"You've seen my texts, didn't you?" Henry asked.

Leora faced Henry, arms crossed. Henry gulped a small lump in his throat.

"I heard everything in there, so cut to the chase." Leora spoke, taking a small device out of her pockets, something small and round, as tiny as a adult beetle. "Use this. It's connected to our drone systems, so your Bob can help you around. I'll also keep an eye."

Henry looked at it for a while. A little bug, a chip, being able to stick to anything and be traced. A smile crept up Henry's lips, keeping the chip to himself as he walked past Leora.

"Thanks for the help." Henry waved without looking.

"Don't get cocky."

Henry later entered his office, to where his drone is safely kept charged while he was gone. His other teammates were busy on their desks to bother with Henry's new presence. Blaise analysing the contents of the vial that was brought over, Cecilion and Hannah working on finding the origins of the angelic beings Henry and Squad E2 fought the other day, in collaboration with E2's investigations.

Henry did not bother them, and so the room was silent, filled with the sounds of keyboards, whisperings, foot tapping and pencils against paper.

"Bob." Was all it took to switch the drone on, beeping as it's greeting. "Find Kevin and stick this chip to him. Be careful."

Henry slipped the bug into the drone's little storage area, then to watch the drone flew out of the office immediately. Henry let out a sigh, walking towards Hannah and Cecilion's table, curious of their progress. Before he could ask, his eyes went fixated on a few sketches of the angelic centaur-like beings, holding up a sketch close. A familiar feeling brew inside of Henry, as if he has seen these kind of creatures before. The same energy, the same heat it emits, the destruction it left behind

For a moment, he saw a kid. Himself, eyes full of tears, shaken up. The scent of fire filled his nose.

"Henry." His image called, a resounding echo. "Your memories holds a connection."

Henry jumped the moment he felt hand on his shoulder. He turned, spotting Hannah beside him with an arched brow. Henry took a deep breath, leaning back as he placed the sketches down.

"I think I've seen this things before, but I can't remember." Henry slowly shake his head. "There should be a record of them somewhere... maybe in our archives."

Cecilion's brows creased. "But why do we not know of them?"

"Because these creatures don't belong to our world. They could have been gone for so long, or was summoned by someone and reappeared again. But somehow... they seem related to my flashbacks."

"But there's nothing much to write. No weakness, no strengths, no history. It's just there in the system without much info." Cecilion replied.

Hannah tapped her pencil, causing the two young men to face her. "Alexis told me that they received reports from other areas where the sky broke into a portal, which also brought in these beings. We aren't determined of when is the next wave, but I am pretty sure this is just a warm up."

What Hannah said left a negative feeling in the room, a mix of fear and anger, with Blaise listening silently to the conversation from his own spot.

Henry picked up a sketch again, holding it tightly that the paper slightly crumpled. He gave a stare, before stomping out of the office without a word, holding the paper as thoughts, voices, raced against his mind. When he gathered his focus again, he found himself standing on the rooftop, his usual hangout spot. But this time, instead of the usual wind and silence he once enjoyed, he heard a low hum from the sky. Henry turned around, seeing a portal appearing before him. Out emerge the same angelic centaur he once fought, towering over Henry with its large size, shadows looming.

Henry held his glock towards the centaur, staring at its blank face, yet Henry can feel it's intimidating gaze.

The centaur raised its front legs and kicked Henry, causing him to let go of his gun and get thrown aback. But instead of hitting something, his whole surroundings changed to a different realm yet unknown, causing Henry to fall and roll on the ground. He looked around, seeing buildings floating around in a void that represents the light blue sky. Each floating buildings were attached to different island, each having its own gravity. There is a certain warmth too, yet the air feels heavy, as if menace was looming all over. Nothing positive, hell disguised as paradise.

"You've forgotten, haven't you?" It spoke, the voice sounding like a mix of humanity itself, cold and leaving effects of echo.

As henry stood up with confusion, the creature continued, "If you join us, we won't hurt you."

"Who are you? Why me?" Henry asked back.

"Your powers hides powerful properties, Henry. If we combine our powers together, we can birth a new world. A new era."

"What do you mean?"

The centaur circled around Henry slowly. He followed the creature's direction, eyebrows creased as he stood on guard.

"Don't play dumb. You heard me. We will be gods of a new world. We can make our own paradise. You want that, don't you?"

The last few words sounded like a whisper.

Everyone wants their own fantasy to live in. A world where their dreams come true. It sounds convincing to Henry's ears. A play of manipulation, but Henry stood his ground.

"But why the destruction?" Henry questioned.

"Because a new world cannot be born if we don't destroy the previous." The centaur approached Henry, leaning down towards him. "You have never liked this world. You lived for revenge, because you lost people closest to you."

Vague flashbacks of Henry's parents played among the flames. Blood boiled with rage, Henry summoned a lance but was kicked harshly. Henry immediately got up, taking a deep breath as he aimed the lance towards the centaur while the Centaur stood calmly.

"Don't talk like you know me." Henry hissed. "I won't let you win."

A laugh escaped the centaur. It outstretched it's arms, the blue void shifting to red as its feathery wings spread open, releasing a angelic glow.

"It's a shame, dear Henry. Very well, then we don't have much of a choice. What you have been witnessing is just the beginning."