Chương 101: CHAPTER 99 - Grains, Colors, and Foam

"INSANE!!!! Hoku, do you see it? Look at all those colors!" Noel, hanging from the railings at the bow, waved his mechanical hand toward their destination. Growing ever larger, the island gave off its multicolored hues: the coast was broken into dark, reddish, and white patches, while the vegetation was a deep and somehow glossy green.

"Never seen such colorful sand." Hoku rested his elbows on the iron, licking his chapped lips. Maliard shielded his eyes with his palm from the warm, bright sun, offering a faint smile.

"The presence of minerals and ash must have colored the ground and also made it fertile. I need to collect a couple of samples…" Noel snorted, immediately followed by Hoku.

"Pitch black even in character… Relax a little, Maliard!" Immediately, Maliard grabbed and drowned him, who was crushing him while shaking him"I remind you we're on a mission! Don't slack off!!" Meanwhile, Jeanne and Lance sat atop the ship's cabin, swift and perfectly balanced despite the white waves it left behind. Arte was inside, steering the pale wooden helm without ever getting distracted. Her attire, a long white dress with yellowish flowers, was strangely refreshing compared to her uniform.

"Even though it's winter, it feels really good. The air is cool, but it tickles my nose…" Jeanne murmured, smiling as Lance handed her a handkerchief.

"It must be the salt. The sea releases heat in winter, and some salt crystals mix with the current. If you're not used to it, it can happen." He smiled, folding the handkerchief. He glanced at the island, now a few hundred metres away. The light illuminated the silicon shards on the beach, giving off hypnotic reflections.

"It's b-beautiful…" Lance remained staring at her in silence while she admired that spectacle. A pang struck his heart as he watched Jeanne admire the island's colours. He turned toward the clear sea, sighing. The words in Dyer's diary came to mind, bringing a bitter smile to his face.

"I will stop Changeant as soon as possible, I will save the entire Agency…" As he thought this, on the horizon, a black dot began to expand. A completely amorphous substance floated on the horizon, a stained line. Lance couldn't focus on anything, not the boat's motion, not the laughter behind him; everything began to fade.

"And now what would that be..." The horizon was dark, streaked by nothingness, by a breach leading to something grimmer than darkness itself. Beneath his shirt, Lance felt Lachesi burn like boiling oil. That line was without measure or function, terribly close yet sidereal. The sky, the sea, and the boat were part of the void. Lance kept his form, but he could barely breathe. His organs were oppressed by that macabre sensation. Suddenly, from the black vacuity, millions of red and yellow eyes.

Their capillaries pulsing with black slime resounded in the air. All the pupils were focused on him, injected with that liquid.

"We will return as one…" A distorted, ethereal, and above all malevolent voice in every aspect rose from the depths of his heart. It was not a sound in the literal sense. It had no origin outside him.

"Albedo, come back and make us one." Before him, a figure of pure tar, vaguely resembling a woman, emerged from the black sea. The hooks sprouting from her fingertips grazed his face before everything returned to normal.

"Don't you like the heat?" Lance wiped the icy sweat from his forehead, turning with a smile toward Monica. He nodded weakly, taking the leather flask from her hands. He drank greedily before setting it on the seat to his right. He shook his head, staring at his reflection vanishing in the shadow cast by the ship.

"It almost feels like we're not on a mission." Monica chuckled, nodding in agreement. She wrapped her arm around his neck, leaning her weight on him.

"Don't let Maliard hear you… Otherwise the whole atmosphere will get too heavy." She whispered in his ear, then moved away to pester poor Arte, busy steering since dawn.

"Fuck... What was that?" He was still shivering, trying to hide it while hugging the wall of the swift ship. While he brooded over the vision, two strange characters grabbed him by both shoulders. Noel and Hoku smiled mischievously while Lance lost colour from his face.

"Dearest Lance… We have a tiny favour to ask you." They were so well synchronised in tone and speech that the whole situation was beginning to take an unsettling turn.

"What do you want?" He swallowed loudly, almost stammering.

"We made a bet with Maliard to see which of you two is faster at swimming. Would you mind doing it for us?" Their entire way of speaking, now disgustingly sugary, led the reckless Lance to nod. As soon as his chin rose again, he was grabbed and lifted.

"Then let's go!" Noel shouted before throwing him into open water. He fell with all his clothes into the cobalt water of the ocean. He resurfaced, overshadowed by a humanoid shadow.

"Nobody said I was forbidden to use my ability. Very naïve of them." Maliard's figure, bare of the greenish shirt from before, floated at the water's surface. His slender physique, yet with a well-distributed muscle mass. A somewhat malevolent smile appeared on his face as his eyes gleamed.

"See you on the island, Lance. For the record, if you lose, you three will have to do cleaning and laundry shifts for two weeks." The water hurled him toward the island, commanded by Maliard himself. Lance shook his head, confused and worried at the same time.

"I KNEW THOSE TWO WERE GETTING ME INTO TROUBLE!" Lance smiled, aiming at the boat in the distance. A series of sparks heated the surrounding air, immediately followed by a yellowish glow in his eyes. He took a breath and dove. A dark reflection in the water, so the fish saw him as he cleaved through the sea. With every single stroke, he devoured the distance, beginning to see Maliard's figure from below.

"I TOLD YOU TO SET SOME RULES!" Hoku shrieked, kicking Noel in the shins. He tried to apologise, but he was too focused on Maliard, getting ever closer to the island. Suddenly, the boat swayed faintly as a stain in the water rapidly made its way forward.

"I thought it would be harder. Perhaps I stunned him with that statement." Maliard thought, a few dozen metres from the landing. Right after, the water beneath him broke, and Lance emerged with a strange silver-and-orange fish attached to his back. Both lost their balance, colliding with each other and flying into the air.

"Soooorry!" Maliard crashed a few metres from the shore, while Lance ended up directly among the palm trees. The fish fortunately fell onto the wet sand, flopping back toward its deep home. Strange wooden spheres fell from the trees, covering the boy completely. The boat docked near a natural bridge of pale rocks and sturdy stumps. The whole team laughed, seeing the seaweed tangled in Maliard's hair and Lance buried among the hard fruits. Noel and Hoku breathed a sigh of relief, running to rescue their accomplice.

He sprang up, immediately eyeing them from head to toe with sharp eyes. The two concocted excuses and compliments, even offering Lance one of those greenish-yellow wooden nuts.

"Those are tropical nuts! If you take a rock and break the shell…" Noel bent down to pick up a rock to hand to him, but he let it go in horror. Everyone stared, confused, as Lance bit the shell and tore it away. Soon after, a soft white pulp and a yellowish liquid began to run down his lips. He opened it greedily, smiling, continuing to eat the inner pulp.

"THIS IS PHENOMENAL! YOU HAVE TO TRY IT." Everyone stared at him, even more bewildered, picking up small stones from the sand.

"How does it occur to you to tear the shell open with your teeth?!" Monica laughed, giving the nut a sharp hit. She too smiled at its terribly sweet taste.

"TAKE IT, JEANNE, I'M SURE YOU'LL LIKE THIS ONE!" She pushed the fruit directly into her arms, and Jeanne hesitantly took a sip from the hole. Not a moment later, Jeanne split the nut in two, greedily tearing the pulp from the inner layer.

"Indeed, why use tools when we can simply break them with our bare hands?" Noel grabbed one with his metal hand, splitting it in two with the strength of his grip alone.

"Because we too must remember to give the appearance of humanity. Abusing our abilities daily will only make that thin boundary even thicker." Maliard set his nut on the ground, wiping his face. He tore the seaweed from his head and shook his wet hair.

"Maliard is right. It was the founder's will to make that line as thin as possible. Talents should be used to help humanity, not to take something from it." Arte joined in, holding three violet iron globes in her hand. Hoku smiled, nodding.

"I agree, but sometimes it's also right to use our abilities for ourselves… Considering how much they cost." He gently took the equipment from her hand, biting his thumb hard enough to draw a little blood. He marked the spheres with red print and threw them into a wide space on the beach.

"Is it like the boat from Operation Dawn?!" Lance asked, tossing his nut and Jeanne's onto the pile. Hoku and Maliard nodded simultaneously, both ready to explain. They exchanged a glance, and the latter snorted.

"My ability can compact anything without altering or damaging it. The point is that the object must be built first to allow the ability to 'sharpen' it… It's a play on words, but it's the best way to explain it." Lance and Jeanne exchanged a glance, then raised their thumbs.

Meanwhile, the contents of the globes had developed, decorating the beach: a circular structure of reddish wood with a dark-tiled roof expanded among the sandy clods, while in front of the entrance steps various fabrics had appeared, divided into three piles. Finally, equipment resembling a large iron umbrella had planted itself right at the edge of the vegetation. Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

"That will help us monitor the situation during these days of rest." Noel and Hoku jumped arm in arm, humming. Arte grabbed the fabric from the pile, handing it to everyone present.

"Inside there are private cabins to change. The swimsuits are made of Lambdite and integrated with a uniform-change mechanism." Lance stretched it between his hands, tilting his head at the sight of the strange insect-shaped decorations.

"I imagine these are just superficial details." Maliard stared carefully at the black feather drawn on his olive swimsuit, smiling for an instant. Noel and Hoku pointed in horror at their superior.

"Yo man... Did Maliard smile?" Lance snorted, taking off his shirt. Everyone tried to look away, but couldn't. The problem wasn't his body, but all the dark scars carved into his skin. They embedded themselves in his pale muscles like serpents, eating away the skin.

"I think they appeared when I woke up. At first they appeared occasionally, but after all the overloads, I think they're permanent. Lucas said They're a rare adaptation of my body." Maliard patted him on the shoulder, showing the dark spots on his own skin.

"Don't try to apologise. Here at NOIR, we all have our share of bad memories. Lucas had already warned us about your condition. You should have seen how worried he was!" Hoku smiled, grabbing his black-and-purple swimsuit and dragging Noel inside the house.

"And besides, Lancy… Are you sure those are what you need to worry about?" Monica smiled, chuckling as she covered her grin with her fingers. Lance immediately put his shirt back on, snorting as he tried to hide his reddened face. Jeanne stretched her lips to his ear, whispering something before vanishing into the house.

"Are yours more beautiful than mine?" Lance stroked his cheek while everyone left him under the strangely warm winter sun. Lance did not go inside, undressing in the bushes. He adjusted the swimsuit, which reached just past his knees. A breeze stirred the colourful plants emerging from the mix of damp soil and coloured sand. His gaze was drawn to the reflection of the waves. In their foam floated the red, white, and black granules, absorbing the light of the high sun in their crystals.

"Will I ever have spent time with my family in a place like this?" With his hands hidden in his pockets, he began walking toward the transparent sea. Without realising it, the icy foam submerged his soles. He looked at himself in his distorted reflection, occasionally flashing with strange features. At times, everything turned red, and the grim scent of iron besieged his nostrils. The water began to grow viscous and unhealthy. The miasma of a sea of floating bodies corrupted the air on the horizon.

"I've been calling you for a while… Do you like the view that much?" Lance turned and found the sun blocked by the familiar figure of his supervisor.

"Do you know how to fish, Lance?" Maliard smiled, swinging the thin black rod over his shoulders. Lance shook his head weakly, smiling. Maliard nodded in response, gesturing for him to come closer. As he reached for the reel, he chuckled.

"Are you particularly happy about that victory? I see you have been thinking." He tapped his forehead, but Lance couldn't stop smiling.

"No… It seems I finally found an answer to a question that was spinning in my head." Maliard sighed, grabbing his hands to bring them to the rod. He brought his fingers to the reel's bail and tied the bait to the hook.

"Bring it behind your shoulders and cast it far. You just need patience." Lance did as asked, watching silently as the silver tip flew through the air before being swallowed by the ripples dozens of metres away.

"The depth and movement are there. A more than decent result." Lance and Maliard exchanged a smile, then burst out laughing.

"You look like you've seen a ghost!" The painted feathers on his swimsuit wrinkled as he pulled it down, while the former shook his head with tears in his eyes.

"And what's wrong with you? Heatstroke?!" They took a deep breath, watching the very thin line move without any sign. Maliard shook his head, shifting his gaze.

"Fishing was one of the many small pastimes I took up after ending up here. Not everyone likes it, so I pursued it alone, but at least with you I wanted to try. Sharing one's interests is something you do with real friends, isn't it?" Lance nodded, firmly placing his hand on his shoulder.

"Then one day I'll help you improve in the kitchen, just a few little tips." He smiled, drawing Maliard's laughter.

"Got a bite already?!" The rod bent, immediately stiffening Lance's arms. The line began to move, first right and then left. Maliard nodded, satisfied, watching the ripples form on the water.

"Looks like an excellent catch." Maliard smiled while the boy pressed the sand beneath him and continued reeling in. The house door burst open, revealing Monica, intent on dragging something.

"Jeanne, come out! Nothing's going to happen!" Maliard took the rod from Lance's hands, busy understanding why Monica was pulling a leg out of the doorway.

"Go give her a hand; I wouldn't want one less agent!" He smiled, and Lance nodded, running toward the shelter. Maliard whistled, making him turn one last time. At his feet lay a tapered red fish with silver fins, the size of a human leg. He removed the hook from its gill and murmured something, then lifted it by the tail.

"Beginner's luck?" Lance shook his head, pointing at it.

"I'd say good company." He ran across the colourful sand, heading toward the woman in the dark blue swimsuit. Monica was too busy to notice him approaching.

"I don't want to!" A little cry came from inside while Monica kept pulling.

"But why?! We're all in the same boat." Lance watched the scene, silently waiting to be noticed. As she caught her breath, Monica noticed him. Her body didn't match the reputation of her role: she was a perfectly healthy woman, toned but not lacking feminine qualities either. Her face was thin and her olive skin free of any battle memory. Her swimsuit was also strange, divided into two pieces, one of which was barely visible under the knee-length trousers.

"Lance, please give me a hand! Jeanne doesn't want to come out." Now she was dragging a hand while the leg still tried to anchor itself to the doorframe.

"Come on, it's not your first time at the beach, is it? It's just us! No one can bother you." Jeanne's grip slackened, and Monica took advantage. She smiled and grabbed her with both hands, hurling her outside. She flew until she crashed onto the sand, immediately feeling the warm grains heating her skin. She lifted her red face, staring at Lance and Monica, holding a wide braided straw hat in her hands. She tried to stay in that position, failing to endure the tingling.

"P-Please give it to me…" She hopped over to take the hat from Monica's hands. Lance met her gaze, a little moist and reddened. He took a quick look at the night-black swimsuit that contrasted with her fair skin, far from the typical clothing of the archipelago: typically, women's swimsuits were a single piece covering just below the groin. Jeanne's swimsuit was shorter but decorated with various frills and colourful flowers. In the distance, among the low ripples of the sea, Noel and Hoku raised splashes and foam.

They vanished beneath the surface and reappeared, repeating the process.

"Perfect! Now I'll go check the data with Arte… You two have fun!" Monica slammed the door, leaving Jeanne and Lance outside on the warm sand. Maliard, meanwhile, had managed to weigh, catalogue, and store his catch in ice. She stared at him with curiosity until she saw Lance head toward the shoreline.

"Are they disgusting..." Only now did Lance notice the strangely dark skin, half hidden by her cleavage. Lance looked at her in the eyes, smiling.

"Of course they are not!"

"The sand here doesn't burn. You just have to run!" He smiled, watching her hop between the pools of colour. With the last jump, her foot didn't sink into the sand, making her lose her balance. Lance grabbed her hand just before her face could touch the foam.

"You could have told me it wasn't soft here…" She snorted, smiling, while the shadow of the hat veiled her pale face. Lance tilted his head, perhaps in apology. Jeanne smiled, grabbing his wrist. With all her body weight, she dragged Lance down, making them both fall into the water.

"It's freezing!" Jeanne exclaimed, shivering for a brief moment before sitting back down with her legs crossed. Lance smiled, giving her a hand to get up.

"The more you swim, the warmer you get! It's such a lovely sensation." Jeanne lowered her head, silent. She remembered the meeting and smiled. She grabbed his hand and began to lead him slowly toward deeper water. At first, she was reluctant, a little confused, but then she followed him, smiling.

"When you can no longer support yourself with your legs, let yourself go. Feel the current without thrashing, slight movements." Lance moved away from her without disturbing the water. Jeanne tried to push off, but stayed behind.

"Nothing will happen to you. You've overcome worse trials." They both laughed, and without realising it, Jeanne had already begun to swim. Lance raised his thumb, giving her a quick applause.

"It's so relaxing." The girl swam in circles around him, coming to stare straight into his face. She smiled for a brief instant before suddenly shooting out of the water, surpassing him by a few centimetres. Lance tried to stop her, but found himself underwater. In the light blue of the sea and the black of the depths, the only thing clear and not amorphous was the girl a few metres away: Jeanne was curled up, her hands on her stomach, with small bubbles escaping her lips, the only clue to her laughter.

Her hair wrapped her like a chestnut veil, darkened by the shadows of the sea. She smiled and resurfaced, while Lance stared at her as she now called him from the surface.

"Why… Why do I wish she would never stop laughing?" Lance rose quickly while something gurgled in the depths. In the silence of the abyss, masses of algae and colourful coral made their home on the iron and glass walls of a gigantic dome, set in a rocky crater. Schools of fish, like silver blades, danced in the dark. They fled, scattering at the passage of larger creatures, massive and threadlike-appendaged. Puffs of foam rose from the molluscs anchored to the oxidised metal, protagonists of their small ecosystem.

Everything lives, even in the abyssal dark, until a tremor silenced the depths. The glass trembled, and a cloud rose from the seafloor. Everything fell silent, and a violet pupil, as large as a cart, illuminated the fog on the seabed. A hiss and a storm of bubbles blinded the sea before everything fell silent again in the old darkness, now lit by the glowing veins of Lambdite.