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  “ … ”

  Hana was limping and dragging herself through the snow, the crystal white was stained by her crimson blood

  .:. I must find a way off this world. I’ll be locked up forever if I am caught. .:.

  Following from a distance, a group of Mobilizers were treading and plowing through the snow, using the foot tracks Hana had left behind. Hana was in a lot of trouble, after encountering against the only person she loved with a violent resolve – There was no way that Hana could return to the life she knew.

  “Keep following the tracks! She couldn’t have gone far!”

  A Mobilizer pointed out, if it’s true that Hana didn’t go far, the chances of getting caught are in her favor due to the lack of Soul-Residue.

  .:. Up ahead- it’s an emergency shuttle. I’ll take my chances. .:.

  Hana thought to herself, was she about to make an escape from Testharia? If she does make her escape, she can’t be tried, Testharia’s territory can only go so far. She would be wanted but only wanted by the Testharian Government. Hana was willing to make this decision because that means once she goes off world.

  There simply is no return.

  The emergency shuttle Hana went to was unattended, of course it was used in case any officials that need to travel off-world immediately without needing to wait for the traffic that surrounds Testharia. This was Hana’s perfect opportunity to escape but could she really escape?

  Leaving the world of Testharia and surviving is one thing, but leaving everything she had and stood for behind? It was an uneasy thought process, Hana had always been different like the others, she was ready to give all of that up for the sake of survival – But what led Hana to do such things? What was her motive? Did Hana see something behind the likes of Azrael and Testharia?

  Hana sensed the Mobilizers marching closely by, she approached the hatch of the shuttle and broke the handle, forcing the door to open. The shuttle isn’t special; it was functionality over vanity and Hana had the necessary tools to make it off world.

  .:. I’ll get this fired up, but where would I go? Where COULD I go? I don’t know much of what’s on the outside, but I should try anyway. .:. Hana was jumpstarting the engine of the shuttle, because it had been dormant for quite some time in the cold, some of the ice needed to break to get the cylinders to fire up.

  The engine made a sporadic sound, kicking out a lot of fumes that alerted the Mobilizers.

  “Hey!- OVER THERE!”

  The Mobilizers marched over, loosely trailing behind would be Azrael. It was too late; however, Hana got the shuttle into an airborne and there were no air units on standby that could be requested in time.

  “Your Majesty, she is getting away!” One of the Mobilizers exclaimed, worried about what their king must be thinking.

  “Head back to station, there is nothing we can do. Once she exits the air space, she is beyond our reach.”

  Azrael looked up, watching the shuttle turn into a small speck, leaving the world of Testharia.

  .:. My daughter… if this is what you want – I just hope you don’t end up regretting this. .:.

  The space security of Testharia gave a greenlight to the shuttle, since it was an emergency shuttle, it was presumed that an official had to make a quick diplomatic mission, though in truth, Hana was escaping from Testharia.

  ” Where to now… where do I- hhh.. ”

  The injuries Hana sustained finally caught up to her: the exhaustion of battle. Regardless of strength, power and persistence, all beings falter to one thing and its exhaustion, Hana experienced this and thus was starting to pass out. The shuttle had a locked route to a planet that Hana might have overlooked, entering lightspeed travel that course to that planet.

  Who knows where Hana was heading to now.

  -

  Buried in the western galaxy, a cold and desolate planet capitalized by brutal industrialism is cast into an iron core resource mining world, Minos-VIII.

  Hana would find herself in this world, but she would soon come to realize that this planet is in control of no other than the Dark Intrinium Army.

  .:. Did I pass out? Where am I? .:.

  Hana woke up, sitting up right. The shuttle was not damaged; it landed safely thanks to the autopilot feature. Though it did land somewhere Hana might not come to appreciate.

  Hana stood up, opening the hatch door and succumbing to the brazen polluted fumes of this world.

  .:. The air quality is awful. .:.

  Hana stepped out and for the first time set foot on this polluted planet. She acknowledged her environment; everything was a dull desert tan stained with black fumes from nearby factories and mining facilities she could sense in the distance.

  .:. What is this pla-. .:.

  She stood guard immediately; Hana had sensed many lifeforms approaching her. Could it be that her presence alerted something? It is a controlled planet which can mean one thing: Dark Intrinium Planetary Security.

  “There! It’s an outsider!“

  Hana shortly found herself surrounded by a Dark Intrinium Squad. It was a platoon that consisted of Ghost ranks which meant they were skilled.

  Hana didn’t respond to anything, rather she got into stance, expecting this to turn into another fight but could Hana really take on an entire platoon given her current condition and lack of fighting ability?

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  “I’m calling the commander.“

  One of the soldiers decided it is best to take Hana in, detaining her for the purposes of illegally trespassing restricted territory. The only one who could enforce such acts would be the commander that’s on-world.

  “Wait a moment, Second-Face. This one is kinda cute, don’t you think?“ A soldier had a smirk on their face.

  “Orders were to intercept the trespasser and have them detained. “The soldier who said that had a smirk on his face too, “Let’s be honest though, we certainly don’t get enough free-time, and we absolutely don’t get to enjoy ourselves.“

  Hana heard everything and she had a feeling where this was going to go, because of that, she was ready to fight back after all.

  “Don’t worry sweetheart, we won’t take you in or hurt you or anything, how about you show us - hard working men… here… a good time, yeah?“

  They lowered their ground, there were about five men surrounding her.

  .:. Disgusting. .:.

  Even if Hana lacks the ability to fight, her blessed strength can compensate for any blows she can inflict, though at the rank of a Ghost in the Dark Intrinium, there is no doubt she is up against potential Soul-Wielders.

  “Don’t make this hard, dear, it will all be over quick!“

  .:. What is that..? .:.

  .:. Did something just happen? .:.

  Hana heard several bodies fall onto the ground; it grew silent instantly. She felt something but became nervous – Did someone save her?

  “W-who’s there…?“

  Hana finally spoke out, hoping for a quick response. Nothing was more worrisome than not being able to identify who is around you at any given moment.

  “Normally, I can sense if one is a Soul-Wielder but I could not sense you. I take it you are not a Soul-Wielder. But those injuries you sustained leave behind marks of a Soul-Wielder.“

  The person who saved Hana responded, though not the answering she was hoping for.

  “A-are you going to kill me?”

  Hana remained on guard.

  “Those men proved to be no-use in the army, I truly apologize for that. I couldn’t seem to stand by and watch them seize their morbid desires onto you.” The person was still beating around the question.

  “A-answer my question; who are you?” Hana demanded her question be answered now.

  “I see, my name is Serith Arannis. A leading commander of the Dark Intrinium Army.“ Hana met a high rank. Though another question remains.

  “ Serith… I have the ability to sense if someone is a Soul-Wielder or not, yet I don’t get that feeling from you. How can you be at such a high-rank and not possess that trait?“ Growing up on Testharia, Hana understood the position of ranks in the galaxy.

  It was crucial for any government and army structure to determine a ranking position for an individual, it was led to believe that stronger Soul-Wielders should be at the top, though an unfair system it was the only way to control any said chaos.

  “I believe understand it now, you, you are much like me.“ Serith pointed, but with that in mind, Serith perhaps knew Hana lost something if they are the same.

  “ Are you-“ Hana was surprised, she never thought she would run into the same spectrum as herself in a million years.

  “What is your name?“ Serith asked.

  “ It’s- Hana, Hana Zurgen.“

  “Hana… Zurgen.“ Serith repeated, “I see, am I led to assume you came from Testharia then?“ Serith somehow knew, this puzzled Hana, but the man himself was more of a mystery.

  “Yes.“

  Hana felt a sense of ease but confusion, she barely escaped Testharia and reached a controlled planet, moreover, she finds her own kind but that isn’t the only thing that Hana had on her mind, the ultimate question for her: Who is Serith Arannis? Why is he working with Dark Intrinium?

  “Hana Zurgen, you should come with me.“ Serith requested, “I believe I can help your situation.“

  “You are not taking me in?“ Hana responded.

  “There is no meaning for that, you seemed to have undergone a battle in which your death should have engraved in, it’s clear to me that you are lacking something: a sense of freedom. Beings like you and I hold something greater than what Soul-Wielders possess and it’s in my interest to preserve that nature.“

  Serith held out his hand,

  “Do you wish for me to teach you how to embrace what you see as a curse?“

  Hana was unable to see anything nor feel anything but for the first time, she felt that she could see the truth. Serith Arannis was exactly like Hana, cursed by a force but the difference here is that Serith used it for meaning, something he would like Hana to understand as well.

  Hana reached out, took Serith’s hand.

  = = =

  A day has passed

  Deep in Minos-VIII, a small patch of the world had a healthy, vegetated environment near an abandoned cathedral.

  “ Hmph-! HA!”

  Hana was furiously trying to land a hit onto Serith, whom Serith was dodging at an elegant rate.

  “You must concentrate, if sight is what is holding you back, then use your senses, sense where your opponent will be…“

  Serith appeared behind Hana,

  “.. or you will be killed.“

  Serith drew his weapon and angled the blade close to Hana’s neck.

  “ H- . “

  .:. He seemed very fast; I didn’t realize that he was behind me the entire time making me think I was finally going to land a hit. .:.

  “How do you possess such power?“ Hana asked.

  “I was given an abnormal amount of strength. At one point in my life, I was meant to be born as a creature but the force that I have prevented that.“

  Serith WAS meant to be an alien creature, but his anatomy was humanoid, in fact, he looked as if he could go onto a modelling spree with his attracting features.

  Though, Hana wouldn’t know that.

  “Even so, I can feel my potential, yet I feel so limited. Did you have limit to overcome?“ Hana was still left clueless.

  “That is because you view your gift as a curse. Seeing it as a curse will inhibit the idea. You will never reach your true potential like that.“ Serith responded.

  “Curse, gift, idea? What idea?“ Hana had asked, what was the idea?

  “The idea that you are free.“ Serith said, his tone of expression was very calm.

  “Free? No one is ever free, not in this galaxy anyway.“ Hana grew reluctant on that idea, and it seemed sillier than anything. She didn’t take Serith for the type to say something so ambiguous.

  “Which is why I will teach you. Freedom is an application that every lifeform has though we grow the need for others to make a deciding choice for us that we see it as freedom, the Galactic Government, the Soul-Core, the Dark Intrinium Army.”

  Serith walked over to the destroyed statue that this cathedral held. He looked up at it.

  “The idea of freedom that many see imply that others of a higher standard get to choose what we are and what we become. People see freedom as a status in itself; they refuse to embody what it means because they know they have no lead if no one were to control them. They hold a key to the cage they are in…

  But freedom is not meaning, meaning creates restraint, it emphasizes a goal.

  Having a goal means you are bound by intent, a purpose, enslaved to that desire.

  Excluding that goal and all others shows that you have freedom.

  It shows that any meaning is meaningless because you don’t need to make the choice.

  A world with no meaning is freedom, no structure, no standard, no judgement.

  Why spend a lifetime dedicating and enslaving yourself to a goal that will zero out in the end?

  That is a chain, remove this chain and let go of everything, this is what freedom is.“

  Hana stood and listened to all, she herself had a lot running through her mind:

  His thought of freedom, it’s twisted, abnormal and false but I feel that he may be right, after all- I not once have experienced a freedom because of all that I held in Testharia. What Serith displays is a nihilistic outlook of freedom, to let go out of everything and become unbounded by chains of my past, I will never be free. Serith Arannis is nihilistic, he doesn’t realize that he is in his own prison. The prison he is in, however, shows that he can really do whatever he desires. He didn’t join Dark Intrinium by force, it was will. The Will of Serith Arannis showed that he has the power of freedom, he has the power to change the structure, he embodies the meaning of it all while ascertaining no meaning to himself. What Serith Arannis is…

  “…Now, for your next lesson, Hana Zurgen…“

  Serith Arannis is tragedy incarnate.