I put my arm in front of me to shield my eyes, the sun beating down relentlessly. It was an immediate contrast to the dim and foggy atmosphere I'd just left behind. I let my vision adjust slowly, squinting at the sudden brightness. Trees towered around me, their thick canopies casting dappled shadows over the mossy ground. Birds flitted between branches, the air alive with the sounds of an unfamiliar world. But more notably, there were two figures standing beside me—Barten and Agorix.
Barten stood there, his short brown hair tousled by the wind. His striped shirt clung to his frame. He looked like he was trying to shake off the exhaustion as he shifted his stance beside me.
Barten and I were typically a team when the situation was dire. This time, something was off. I couldn't place it, but I'd learned to trust my instincts by now. Why had the Higher-Ups decided to bring Agorix into this one?
Barten's voice broke my thoughts.
Barten: Great. I couldn't even finish that last one.
He turned, squinting as he finally noticed me, stepping back a bit with subtle surprise. Something was different about him—his right arm, once flesh and bone, was now entirely mechanical. It looked pristine, sleek, but... unsettling. A strange prickle of unease ran through me. Whatever had happened to him in the last few days, it was big. He hadn't had that arm when we cleared the other dimension.
Barten: Oh, Asellus! This realm's gotta have some serious issues if they're sending us here together.
Asellus: What happened to your arm? A monster finally get to you?
Barten: You really think after all this time, I'm gonna lose my arm to a damn monster?
Asellus: You're full of surprises.
Barten: Bite me.
His sharp grin faded as his eyes locked onto Agorix, who had just stepped into view. Agorix's dark hair partially covered one of his eyes, adding to his mysterious air. He wore a jacket and gloves, his stance casual but purposeful. The confusion in Barten's expression mirrored my own. Agorix's presence in this dimension didn't sit right with me.
Agorix: Yo.
Barten: Well, well. It's been a while since we last saw each other.
Agorix: If 'a while' means a few years, yeah.
Barten: Actually, the last time I saw you, me and Ase were the ones training you.
Asellus: No, no. I gave him the follow-up training. You were busy with someone else, remember?
It wasn't every day that we trained new Hoppers. I wondered where that other kid was now. Being a Dimension Hopper wasn't easy, all of us know this, even if we'd been recruited for this kind of work.
Agorix: So, uh, this gonna be round three of my training?
Asellus: I mean, you've had a couple years. You should be better by now. No reason for another session unless you've really stagnated.
Barten: Let's just get started then.
Barten was already in motion. He moved to the trees, tapping his fist against one to yank a massive root from the ground. He carried it over to me, planting it down with a grunt. Agorix wasn't far behind, lifting a smaller log and tossing it beside me.
I watched them as they went about their work, splitting the wood into usable planks. Barten's mechanical arm made the process faster, but I couldn't help but wonder how he was adjusting to it. That arm was a statement of something—something that had happened, something that had changed him.
I scanned the area, looking for the perfect spot to set up our base. The ground was relatively flat here, and it was just the right distance from the trees to offer some protection without feeling too isolated. The wind was nice, and the temperature wasn't unbearable, though the sun above was starting to beat down on me.
I shrugged off my blue coat, placing it on the workbench. As the sleeves of my shirt felt too long in the heat, I rolled them up, but I still felt the pressure of the air—like it was holding its breath.
The quiet didn't last long. A chill ran down my spine, the hairs on the back of my neck rising. I looked around, but there was nothing unusual. Just trees and animals—no signs of danger. Yet something wasn't right. I reached up to touch the dampener on my head, my mind racing. It felt the same, but the sense of unease still lingered. Had something followed us here? Or was I just still shaken from the last dimension?
The base was taking shape, but my thoughts were elsewhere. I needed materials from Barten before I could finish the design. Just as I was about to turn toward the forest, a crash echoed through the trees.
A streak of motion—too fast for my eyes to catch completely—flew past. The wind howled with such force that I was knocked back, my feet stumbling against the uneven ground as I fell flat.
As I looked up, my heart skipped a beat. The figure that had sped by was no ordinary person. He had wings—mechanical, though—they stretched wide, feathers gleaming in the sun. And there was something else... a familiar power dampener on his head.
I froze, my breath catching. A second person flew by, this one even faster than the first. Their hair was a gradient of black and white, a stark contrast to the otherwise peaceful environment. But the most striking detail was the halo, a bright and pure glow around their head.
My mind raced. An Angel. And the other? A Hopper. One of us.
Before I could process what was happening, the figure with wings crashed into a nearby tree, his body crumpling in a bloody heap.
And then, the Angel landed with the grace of someone used to commanding the skies. Her sword was still dripping with blood, the silent threat in her posture obvious.
The scene unfolding before me was more than I could handle, my thoughts scrambling. Why would one of the Higher-Ups execute a fellow Hopper? And what was she doing here in this dimension?
I moved quickly, my heart pounding in my chest. I ducked into the unfinished base, keeping low as I peeked out through the doorway. My mind was reeling, but I had to focus. I had to understand what was happening before I made a move.
The Angel spoke coldly, her voice like ice slicing through the air.
Angel: He has been terminated. He won't bother our future anymore.
I felt a tremor in the air—she was speaking of something much larger than me. They could speak across timelines. It defied all logic, but it was their power.
I tried to steady my breath, trying to make myself as invisible as possible. I closed my eyes, concentrating on the presence.
And then, the footsteps started again, closer now. But they weren't hers. This presence was different. I held my breath as I cautiously peeked around the corner.
It was Agorix, looking every bit as clueless as ever. He looked at me, his brows furrowed.
Agorix: Uh, hi?
I couldn't help but feel an immense relief mixed with confusion. What had just happened?
Asellus: What... What about the Angel lady?
Agorix: Angel lady? You okay? The Higher-Ups don't show up in these dimensions.
Asellus: But...
Agorix: Anyway, I got some gear from nearby.
I blinked, still trying to grasp at the threads of what I'd just seen, but it felt like everything was slipping through my fingers. The scene outside was fading into the back of my mind, but the feeling in my gut remained. The Hopper's body had already disappeared, no sign of what just happened remained.
I shook my head, trying to shake off the sensation. For now, there was nothing more to do but help Agorix with the supplies he'd brought. But the feeling lingered, a constant whisper at the edge of my thoughts. Something I couldn't quite place. Something I couldn't yet understand...
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