She was falling and moving through the air at the same time. Cars and drones crossed her vision. Her body flew back as she contemplated where things went wrong.

Maybe she hadn’t been angered enough? If her black flames had came out, she might have been able to stand some semblance of a chance. Suffocating the mana within the space. Yet, as opposed to someone like Lilias who she had no warmth for, Bianca was her creator, and the coming memories were forcing feelings upon her she neither wanted nor needed.

Why? Was a question she asked herself.

Why was this her fate?

If all she was was a vessel for someone else to be revived in, at what point of that journey was her existence required? Why had she been created? Why was she told that she was soon to die, of all things? She didn’t know the reason behind her creator’s need to flaunt her coming death to her.

Either way.

At the very least.

She decided.

“There’s no way I’ll allow myself to be wiped and replaced.”

Rose glared as her body pierced through the air. Pain shot through her and the sound of glass shattering reached her ears. Her figure slammed against ground and she skidded until she impacted a wall and air left her lungs

She sucked in a deep, hurtful, breath.

She moved and her body etched itself from the hole within the white surface.

Her eyes blinked.

“. . .where I am?”

In front, a window of glass had been shattered by her impact, shards staining the floor as the business of an outside afternoon revealed itself with vehicles flying past. To her left was a large couch in front of the counters of a kitchen, a table, a television projecting upon a wall to her right, and a man, in his robes, mouth agape as his glass cup fell from his hand and broke the momentary silence.

“. . .who the hell are you?” The person glared at her..

She looked down at her pierced abdomen, the weapon had disappeared, and her clothing was a mess. The hole was the size of a large fist, bloody and gory, but it had already begun to heal as bone grew, tissue melded, and new skin replaced the old. It would take time, but she would be good as new soon enough.

“Hey! Did you not hear me?!”

She blinked her eyes and turned to see a gun pointed at her, a finger upon its trigger, as the orb attached to it flowed with the hum of mana.

“Don’t attack me,” She said, golden eyes piercing into his, “If you do, I assure you I will kill you. I am not in the mood for another fight.”

His hand shook.

He bit his lips and she heard the sound of him swallowing his saliva.

Then he lowered his weapon.

“Get out of my apartment, please. . .” He said.

She took a step forward, then another, and another until she walked upon glass shards and found herself edged to the shattered window.

Then, through flying vehicles, above drones, and above even skyscrapers, she saw where she came from. A slew of small islands, surrounded by mana, floated above the city of Alos within this section. With data floating in her head, the trajectory of her fall, the speed she went, and instinct, Rose glared at a particular one. She could no longer see within, but she knew that was where she had fallen from.

“Wow, are you alright?” A voice called to her.

Rose looked down.

Upon a bike of sleek black that floated above glass, a figure sat, vertically, staring at her through a helmet with a glass shield. For a moment, Rose was baffled at the ridiculous sight of the person simply relaxing there as short, black, silky, hair waved below her helmet; which, she noticed, had two protruding points she assumed were for the horns of the individual.

‘A dragonian?’

She narrowed her eyes.

“I’m fine.”

The figure shook their head.

“I just saw you fly through that window, abdomen pierced, and you’re telling me you’re alright? That’s tenacity if I’ve ever seen it.” The person whistled upon their bike as if it were not a problem. Rose recognized the voice along with the body below the attire of leather as female. She, as well, felt as if she were being grinned at.

Rose released a hard breath, pain throbbing through her.

“Leave me be.” She said.

Motivating to chat with a stranger was something lost to her at the moment. While her mind was running and swimming in thoughts and her body was still healing, she simply lacked a drive for chit-chat.

“Well, I could do that, or, I could help you out of here before the police force of the city comes for you, don’t you think? You just broke into a person’s home, after all, you know?”

Rose tilted her head. “The. . .police force?”

“Stick around long enough and a swarm of androids and drones will descend on you. Defeat them and they’ll send actual people and homunculi after you. Beat even that group and you’ll find yourself faced with an Urban Reaper or two,” The person chuckled, “If you’re caught and you’re found to have committed a crime in this city, you’ll be put to sleep and thrown inside a virtual-reality prison. It’s not like the games, so I wouldn’t recommend it.”

Rose glanced back and saw that the man had already left, likely hiding. Had he called the police? She returned her gaze downward, her hair blowing as the individual below her spoke.

“You can already see them, no?” The person pointed a thumb behind themself at the air.

Indeed.

In the distance, Rose spotted white, rectangular, drones descending from the sky with what appeared to be turrets attached to them.

The individual revved their bike. It vroomed even as the wheels were not out. Essentially, it was more of a show than anything.

“So, if you need help getting out of here, let this ‘Black Rider’ help you, won’t you?” They said, reaching a hand to offer a second helmet as Rose gleamed purple eyes and a grin beneath the glass of the person’s own. “I assure you, the chase will be thrilling.”

LotsChrono

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