Noticing his grimace, her thoughts wandered, trying to find the right words to explain her unusual situation.
Her brows creased, and she squinted before finally saying, "My body is asleep in another space. I don't know why, but I can't wake up."
Her solemn tone caused his frown to deepen. Nothing made sense. However, before he could share his confusion again, she continued.
"That place is safe, though. I even personalized my room. Anyway, my ability makes my dreams lifelike. So, I consciously dreamed of being here, and tada! Here I am!"
"Yeah, no. I don't get it. This isn't going to work," he said, his brows twitching as he pushed himself off the comfortable chair. He had wasted his time, and the poor girl was crazier than him.
However, as he turned to leave, her teasing voice echoed again.
"In simple words, it means I'm unkillable on Earth. I can also bring someone into that space for a brief moment. So, what do you say?"
He froze on his steps, a calculative glint flashing in his eyes as the words crashed into his mind. What he dreaded the most was to see others perish around him again. If they died far away, he would pray for their souls before moving on. However, the guilt's unrelenting assault would intensify the moment he believed they were close enough for him to save them... even if he died.
He hated that guilty feeling, yet was terrorized by death even more, making these two contradictory sentiments exist in a precarious balance in his psyche. A psyche on the brink of constant collapse and the weight of solitude didn't help. So, wouldn't partnering up with an immortal fool fix the problem?
'She is pretty, too.'
This sudden thought surprised him. Why did her looks matter? Still, it subtly weighed on his decision-making process.
After three tense minutes, he turned to her, his eyes peering into hers through his chitinous mask.
"No soldiers, no mutants. The two of us only."
Her radiant smile, brighter than the sun, momentarily blinded him before her words struck him.
"I'm not too strong, but I know I can be the best scout instead! After all, I was the one who located the six of you with my ability."
He gazed at her raised nose and broad smirk, a soft smile stretching his lips for the first time in years.
"Alright, miss. By the way, how old are you?"
With her lifelike reactions and unbridled character, he expected her to be young, perhaps in her teens.
However, she shocked him again with her answer.
"Huh? I forgot to mention it! Technically, I'm three years old. Wait! Don't turn around! In reality, I'm animated by a will that is billions of years old!"
Noticing he froze again, his hands raised in confusion, she continued.
"I'm not a regular human, either..."
Then she dropped the bomb.
"My mother is Earth herself. What? Did you really think we lived on a piece of stupid rock? She has a subtle will, too! And because of the vortexes and their strange energy, she awakened a little more and created me! That's why I need time!
The longer we stall, the closer to complete awakening she will be!"
Her hands trembled as she concluded. During her birth, she felt how scarred and desperate to survive her mother was. She also knew she selflessly weakened herself four years ago to force some humans to adapt. After all, Earth was the regulator of nature, the silent judge of this planet... and she had judged this man as threatening as the creatures gnawing at her body.
Upon reaching this thought, she exhaled, waiting for his answer.
Simultaneously, the original slid his hand under the mask, massaging his throbbing forehead. He didn't know if she spoke the truth or was crazy, as he suspected. However, something was clear. Humans weren't meant to survive radiation or mutate in such a short time.
He sighed, feeling a headache accompanying the storm of bizarre information crashing into his mind.
'I'm just a regular man. I don't really care about those complex stories. All that matters is my survival,' he thought, unable to believe her wild tale. Yet, with the vortexes' appearances, he couldn't dismiss it entirely, either. His heart hammered against his chest for a moment before a weary acceptance settled in. He wouldn't break his head over it.
Earth, aliens, or whatever force was twisting their world would reveal their hands in time.
Then, he walked out of the cafe, his even voice reverberating through the bustling streets.
"Move to show me where we are stationed."
Luna's eyes lit up, and her smile broadened, shifting into an arrogant smirk.
"Hahaha. I knew I could be the best negotiator! I even convinced him!" She yelled, jumping to her feet and racing to the exit.
As they left the cafe, Adam gazed at Luna's figure, his brows creased into a frown. He didn't find her story as unbelievable as the original did since he lived in a world of magic. No. The cause of his turmoil was her familiar words.
"How did she steal my catchphrase?!" He yelled, clenching his jaws in annoyance. He could have accepted it if the original did, but why did it come from her?
However, before he could chase after them to continue his observation, reality cracked like a mirror again. Glistening shards flew around him, blinding and making him understand he had seen the most important events of this period and that he would jump into the future again.
When he recovered his sight again, he floated above an empty wall. Below, he saw the fuming carcasses of a swarm of lethal insects littering the ground and before him, the original. Luna's figure greeted his eyes, too, but surprisingly, a third individual stood with them.
"Well done, Prometheus!" Said, the green-eyed youth he had seen in the conference room. However, he was different, more mature and older. Yet his annoying smirk remained the same. Well, not entirely. He seemed to enjoy being here.
"I told you not to call me weird names!" The original barked in response, his voice filled with exasperation and a sense of defeat.
He could feel the original was older through his weary tone. Maybe around forty already? This would mean they broke Luna's estimation and maintained humanity alive for almost five years.