July 23, 4021 09:00 [Manzhouli- Processing Checkpoint to Matriarch 04]

The transport vehicle puffed along the highway, sandwiched between a row of identical transporters, chugging past miles of corroded cityscapes. Indra peered out through the back window of the ancient sputtering machine as it carried him and the other Traitless Homunculi to the Northern Border. He looked through the grimy glass for any signs of life amongst the ruins, spotting a few goats grazing on scattered patches of grass, vanishing into the horizon as the vehicle drove further away. The Homunculi had been sitting in the cramped transport rig for hours, the wardens occasionally stopping the rigs for bathroom breaks and distribution of food and water. They had been issued satin wristbands that displayed a myriad of personal information in translucent blue, including their vitals and coordinates. A few unfortunate Homunculi discovered that the wristbands housed anti-escape measures, managing to run a few meters before the band delivered a prick that promptly knocked them unconscious long enough for the wardens to drag them back to the trucks.

Indra checked his wrist, a holographic display showing his pulse pressure: SYSTOLIC PRESSURE [130 mmHg], DIASTOLIC PRESSURE [90 mmHg]. WARNING, PULSE READINGS INDICATE HIGH LEVELS OF BLOOD PRESSURE AND RESULTING HYPERTENSION. PLEASE CONSULT YOUR LOCAL PHYSICIAN AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

He sighed, looking out of the window once again, watching quietly as they edged closer to their destination. He tried to picture what the processing experience would look like, wondering how long the entire procedure would take. The sooner he was able to prove his allegiance to the company, the sooner he would be able to return to Matriarch 07. Perhaps he could even request a transfer to Matriarch 03 to help Akula and the others on the frontlines. He thought about Vivian’s words; they lingered in his mind, etching deep into his soul. Maybe he was selfish for expecting her to halt her life for him. Indra brought his knees up to his chest, hiding himself from the world. He would have to let her go. He couldn’t waste his energy worrying about things he couldn’t change. His first priority was to get through this whole ordeal.

The rig came to a halt, yanking Indra from his somber musings. The doors to the truck swung open swiftly, the wardens exiting first so they could keep a head count of their units. As the Homunculus stepped down from the transport vehicle, he observed other trucks unloading their own cargo from different Matriarchs. Indra noted that the surrounding area had turned dark, finding it peculiar since it was still early in the morning. He didn't have to wait long for an explanation, however, as the other Homunculi stepping outside the rusted metal hull of their vehicles immediately arched their heads back all the way to their spines. Opposing them, towered a monolithic opaque green gate, polished and unblemished, standing hundreds of meters tall, dwarfing the surrounding area, casting a blanket shadow. The gate was flanked by an equally impressive jade stone wall spanning the visible horizon. The Homunculi stared in awe at the structure, mouths agape. Amused by their stupor, one of the wardens chuckled at the new arrivals.

“This monument is called Wángzhě Zhī Qiáng, the Wall of the King. It stands as the barrier between the outside world and Matriarch 04. An impregnable wall that allows no intruder in and no dissident out,” the warden explained.

“How long did it take them to build this?” Indra blurted out of curiosity.

The warden chuckled again, “Them? No, him. Just one man built this gate. A testament to his will, his dedication, and his determination. Kǔ Shén cemented his very being into the stone you see before you. It yields to no one, standing firm against all, even Entropy.

Indra stared at the wall, amazed at its sheer scale. He couldn’t fathom any amount of people, let alone a single person had the resources to create such a monument. How was he able to build this all by himself? Is he a Homunculus? Even if he was, the energy required to create something of this scale would have accelerated his aging exponentially. The proteins in his body would have denatured instantly, yet he’s still alive and far from old… There must be some other way he was able to erect such a monument. Is there a device that can manipulate jade like that? I doubt it. Also, what is Entropy?

Indra shook his head, eager not to dwell on matters irrelevant to his own predicament. The Homunculi, shepherded by the wardens, shuffled single-file towards the gates. Cool sand crunched under Indra’s shoes, the soft silt giving way to his weight. At the gates, security awaited their arrival, dawning viridian shawls over white tactical gear imprinted with a viridian dragon on their shoulders. Their vests were attached to harnesses running along the height of the gate. Indra stood impatiently in line as an ample amount of time was spent scanning their wristbands and checking for any make-shift weapons. He was thankful for the gate’s bountiful shade as they stood waiting to be scanned, far removed from the burning sand and glaring sun just outside the reach of the wall’s shadow. Once cleared, the Homunculi stepped through the gates only to be met with yet another convoy of shuttles prepped and ready to drive them over more miles of desert terrain. Indra sighed fatigued from the tedium. The Homunculi slowly shuffled back into the shuttle, ragged, and plagued by monotony, the sun's heat beating down on their backs once more as they left the shade.

***

By the time the Homunculi arrived at Matriarch 04, day had darkened to night. The sporadic chirping of crickets greeted them as they exited the transfer shuttles for the final time, their melodies carried by the crisp night air. Indra jumped down from the shuttle all too happy to stretch his legs, shaking out the pins and needles creeping into his feet. The soft moss underneath his shoes caught him by surprise as he slipped, falling face-first into the ground. He was thankful that no one was around to see as most of the other Homunculi had left the shuttle, heading towards the Matriarch, dragging their feet like zombies. However, soft snickering could be heard from behind Indra; he swiveled his head around sharply, glaring. Two Homunculi sat on the edge of another shuttle watching him with mirthful grins. One had short hair the color of honeydew, and an apathetic gaze behind his pale green eyes; a man that looked to be the same age as Indra. The other had slightly longer, shoulder-length coal-black hair, flecks of blue peppering her follicles. Indra could feel her piercing sapphire eyes in his direction, dissecting his every minute action. He noticed too late his ears getting warmer. Turning away with a quick humph! he scrambled into the Matriarch to escape their gazes which seemed to pick him apart without his consent.

The Matriarch check-in went smoothly, no deliberations were made when shuffling the Homunculi through, an air of efficiency that Indra attributed to Kǔ Shén’s involvement. His wristband was scanned by a member of staff wearing yet another white uniform with a viridian dragon crest resting on her lapel. She looked at Indra with distaste, a slight crook in her tightly pursed lips. The scanner in her hand flashed green to confirm his identity to which the woman responded by providing Indra with a keycard to his room. Room 222. Great, I better head there before I run into those two again.

Indra made his way past the security checkpoint and weaved his way through a sea of Homunculi looking to find their own abode or chatting with others from their Matriarch. The air was filled with apprehension, uncertainty, and a hint of excitement. He surveyed his surroundings, a cold sterile setting into which they had been thrust. Bright light bathed the entire main lobby, a massive cathedral-like space that seemed like it could accommodate a majority of the Homunculi flooding into the Matriarch. A stark white coated the walls of the lobby giving it an almost lifeless feeling, devoid of emotion. Groups of Homunculi jostled and shoved to get to one of the lobby attendants. For once, Indra was thankful for his small frame as he slipped through minuscule openings, avoiding the crowd crush.

He arrived at the lobby’s front desk after a couple of minutes, sweat beading his brow from the heat of so many bodies. Panting, he approached an attendant just as she had checked in another person. He handed his key card to the sharply dressed woman with severe eyes. She snapped it up, wordlessly entering the card’s information into the tablet to her right, before inserting the card into a card reader to her left. The card reader took a moment to scan, before lightly beeping green. The woman took the card from the reader and discarded it in a shredder behind her.

“Wait–” Indra protested.

The woman rolled her eyes and pointed to her wrist and then pointed at Indra.

Indra looked down at his wrist, realizing that his wristband had a new notification. He opened the message which read: KEY CARD ACTIVATION SUCCESSFUL FOR [Indra Krodha], SUBJECT NUMBER [016], TRAIT [Undetermined], ROOM NUMBER [222]. Indra sighed with relief knowing he still had access to his room and thanked the attendant before quickly exiting the lobby towards the Residential District behind it. He walked out of the building into a sprawling city; rows of shops and apartments lined the paved streets as staff and citizens roamed around freely, taking in the crisp chilly air, enjoying the nightlife. Indra proceeded to walk down the streets, following the projected map on his wristband, trying to ignore the scathing looks he received as he traversed through the city. He shuffled hastily along marked pathways to the Homunculi housing units, eager to escape the gaze of the Matriarch’s residents.

By the time Indra arrived at the housing unit he had become weary, the fatigue of the journey from Matriarch 07 finally setting in. He slowly ambled into the building, not bothering to observe his surroundings, taking the stairs to the second floor before locating his room, placing his wristband in front of the scanner. The scanner blipped quietly before the door to his room slid open soundlessly. Indra stepped into the room, slipped off his clothes, and promptly flopped onto the mattress placed inside, drifting into a deep slumber almost immediately.

***

The acrid air pulled Indra back into semi-consciousness as he found himself in a muddled haze. Darkness enveloped his surroundings. He stood above an endless stygian sea, inkblots floating over the surface, peppering the atmosphere under a crimson moon, harsh against the pale red sky. This place seemed familiar… Had he been here before? he wondered. Indra checked his clothes; they were dry. His right arm glowed, the tattoo seared into his flesh opening up a fresh wave of pain. He bit his lip, sucking in shallow breaths until the stinging subsided. Suddenly, the black water bubbled underneath him, churning violently. Indra jumped back, balling his fists in apprehension, steeling his nerves to strike at the unknown entity from below the water’s surface. But what emerged was… himself? A distinct feeling of déjà vu crept into the back of Indra’s mind. He had been here before. He had seen this reflection of himself. The reflection’s eyes glowed a ghostly sapphire, standing ominously in front of him, the hideous grin never breaking from its face.

The shadow kept its gaze trained on Indra, staring wildly as it moved closer to him, the orbs of black water vibrating around them. Their instability created waves in the surrounding water. The doppelganger raised its arm, extending an inky finger towards Indra’s chest. Instinctively, Indra covered his left breast in an attempt to shield his heart. From what? He was confused, yet every cell in his body screamed against the very existence of this creature standing ominously before him. The doppelganger made a hooking motion with its extended finger as if pulling a thread. Instantly, black spindles shot out of Indra’s heart. An agonizing scream escaped his throat, a tearing pain shooting across his chest as the threads were pulled through his flesh. The creature opened its mouth, black liquid seeping out of its throat and its tear ducts. It laughed, raising a fist. The creature opened its fist still laughing with a voice like gravel. In its palm, an oceanic sapphire glistened brightly against the infinite darkness.

“I told you not to return. Per our agreement, I was to warn you the first time you stepped into the Domain of the Soul,” the creature growled still smiling.

“I don’t remember an agreement between us,” Indra replied calmly, unusually comfortable with the seemingly horrific situation he was in. “But I feel like I know you.”

“Yeeesss. That was the condition of our agreement. To save your friends, the memory of our meeting should be erased until the pact between you and I has been sealed. Although, I did sneak in that detail just as you lost consciousness,” the creature answered, seemingly entertained by its conniving tactics.

“So you tricked me?” Indra asked.

The creature shrugged its shoulders. “It was a fair agreement. Should you enter the Domain of the Soul a second time, our pact is sealed, and our souls mesh as one. You will become my host and I will aid you when your life is in imminent danger.”

“So a Siren is my Familiar? Does that mean I’ll gain powers like yours?” Indra spoke, eyeing the creature apprehensively.

“Like mine… Hmmm,” The creature scratched its chin. “How do you see me, Vessel? My aura must be vile to you, a being who would take the bloodline of the people I slaughtered. You misunderstand. You are simply a means to an end until I find a way to return to a physical state of being. I will LEND you strength when it is needed, but my power and my being is not yours to own nor will you be able to replicate it. I care not for your well-being and should you face a threat that I deem below my level of concern, I shall offer you no relief. Do I make myself clear?”

“Y-yes. Does that mean you’ll give me my memories back? Will I remember this place? And how will I be able to get in touch with you?” Indra inquired.

“You will remember the events of our previous meetings and our current discussion when you first manifest my power. In terms of contacting me, just think of my presence and I will hear you. Now, whether I answer your call is up to my discretion. Is that all? My patience is wearing thin.”

“One more question,” Indra pointed at the creature.

The creature curled its lips into a snarl. “One. More. Ask.”

“What should I call you?”

The creature’s snarl softened into a hideous grin. “I almost forgot the name myself. Call me… Usha.”