True Potential

Chapter 2: Like a Cicada

                                                                              To Be More (2)

Dante eyes opened. He saw a white ceiling and felt the sensation of a hard mattress, coupled with binding white sheets.

"Am... in the hospital?"

Hospitals were familiar places for him. Besides visiting his mother, he had been injured so much from raids he was considered a regular. It wasn't always like that, but over the past two years he had been reckless.

He raised himself up on the bed and placed his hand on his chest. He felt a rhythmic beating, he let out a sigh of relief.

"I'm...alive. But how?"

The last thing he could remember was the naga king raising its trident to finish him off. He remembered the piercing feeling of being stabbed and the gap of emptiness losing pounds of his flesh, yet he woke up as if he was never stabbed at all.

If the holes are gone then that means...

Dante ripped off the bed sheet like melted wax on someone's skin. It was his leg! Fully attached! He wiggled his toes, raised his leg in the air, and touched it extensively to see if he had any feeling. Sure enough, there was.

How is this possible? I'm sure that those things killed me... it's not like they could have missed either. I remember being stabbed.

He felt refreshed too, as if he didnt run for his life. He remembered the nerves in his legs severing when it was sliced off. Yet, it was like it never happened. He was perfectly fine. No fatigue or scars, he was born anew.

Could this be what that Alenish-guy talked about? Did that contract give me a second chance at life?

Suddenly, an idea shot up in him like a firework. He took off his gown and got off the bed to go to the bathroom. With anticipation and hope, he hoped it wouldn't be there.

But it was. It was a scar on his back. It wasnt very big, but hard to ignore. Apparently, hard to be erased too by whatever phenomena Dante was experiencing.

Well that sucks... but at least everything else is ok. Still, it doesn't explain how I'm ali-

"Ah, you're awake. Sorry for barging in like this, but we've been waiting for some time."

Two people, a man and woman, kitted out in black business suits made themselves welcomed and approached Dante. The man was stoic looking, with slickback hair and chiseled jawline.

The woman had blue eyes and a ballerina bun, she was significantly shorter but had a much more serious aura to her. As if she was a 20-year veteran doing the usual. She handed a business card to Dante.

"Good afternoon, my name is Lillith Monroe and this is my partner Ezekiel Hughs. We are agents of the Strider Association's Surveillance Division."

The Surveillance Division was one of the three divisions in the Strider Associations and the only one with strong Striders. They have to be to keep Meta-humans in line.

"W-woah, the Surveillance Division? Did I do something wrong? I mean I was stealing complimentary don- I mean what happened?"

Lilith rolled her eyes annoyed, her associate with a noticeable Tsk

"So you're the bastard who took all the donuts. I haven't been able to get a double sprinkle donut in two weeks!"

"Ezekiel! Focus."

Like a dog he instantly followed her orders and stopped his barking.

"No, we're not here for that. Though that will be addressed later. We are here about Rift Connect, can you tell us your account of the experience?"