Pulling the final latch across her door, Carin locked up her apartment for the night.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH023JA5UvQ
Resting her head against the mouldy frame and with a heavy sigh, she closed her eyes and felt a bead of black grit trickle down her cheek in sweat. It has been a long exhausting day.
She knew she needed a bath but her body wanted sleep badly.
“Uhggg” she groaned as she weakly reached for the light switch. With a ping, her apartment bloomed a weak glow as the light bulb flickered.
Pop...
“....sigh....fuck....”
After rummaging for a few candles in the dark, Carin lit a few and placed them carefully in bowls of water around her apartment.
With the room decently brighter, enough for her to see where she is going at least, Carin began searching for her TV remote.
Her apartment was a complete mess, clothes littered the floor, half eaten takeaway boxes stacked into each other and bottles of soda or booze stuck in the reclining chair.
It would have taken her ages to find anything she needed in a candle lit room, but luckily she found the black remote wedged underneath a few dirty plates on her coffee table.
Flipping to a random radio channel, Carin proceeded to take off her smelly boots and tossed them towards the door.
“It is... 2 o’clock on this cold morning, hope you listeners are wrapping up warm for the upcoming winter. I know I am (chuckle), anyway the next piece is by Dr Love, it’s called “Forgotten Dreams” hope you enjoy and have a good night”.
The room filled with the sounds of smooth jazz as Carin swayed her hips gently towards the bathroom.
Humming contently to the music, Carin flicked on the Bathroom light. She was delighted to find out the light was still working, since she didn’t have any spare bulbs left and she didn’t feel like bathing by candle light. If she did she might fall asleep and drown in the tub.
Turning on both faucets full and her favourite minty tea leaf bubbles starting to form, Carin faced herself in the mirror. She was a complete wreck.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzhSOjVONXg
Her face was blackened with streaks of pale skin formed from her sweat, her hair gritty and full of dust. But at least her teeth where still pearly white.
Carin tussled her hair over the sink and watched as the Zafrite particles sprayed the white sink black. Turning on the hot water in her sink, Carin tilted her head into the bowl and thoroughly rinsed her hair washing away the pieces of gravel and dirt.
Blue dye trickled down her smooth neck as Carin Cupped hot water in her hands and splashed the warm liquid onto her face, scrubbing off as much of the coarse grit as she could.
Spitting the droplets of water off her lips Carin faced the mirror again. Rubbing away the build up of steam, she admired how much better she looked.
Streaks of blue rolled down past her small nose and light freckles, reaching her soft lips. Her soft pale cheeks started to get warm and cosy as a build up of steam wafted from the tub.
She turned off the bath tub faucets, beads of water dripped from the steel rim and rippled into the bubbly tub below as Carin began to take of her shabby shirt.
With her shirt scrunched up into a ball in her hand, Carin noticed black particles floating onto of the still bath water. Not wanting her bath water to get dirty before she even entered it, Carin faced away from the tub and began shaking the dusty fabric away from the water.
The room was filled with the sounds of tiny pattering, like many mice scurrying as dust and fragments flew off and sprayed the bathroom floor. But then a ting sound made her pause.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDMBgoWBLIV
What was that? She wondered as she combed the floor for anything odd.
On the floor nestled in the ridges of the black and white chequered tiles lay a shiny rhombus yellow crystal. It was the Spirit Stone Andy had given her yesterday.
Carin broke a small smile as she knelt down and picked up the tiny stone, remembering how kind Andy was to gift her this precious stone. But then her thoughts betrayed her as they wondered to the confrontation between Andy and the Crimson Claws.
She felt annoyed and hurt over Andy, why didn’t he stand up for us? Why didn’t he stand up for Mandy?
Pushing these nasty thoughts aside, Carin placed the Spirit stone gently on the side of the tub and continued to remove her clothes.
As the last piece of garment hit the floor, she reached her leg into the tub and dipped a toe in the soapy sweltering water. The temperature was juuuust right.
Slowly inching her way into the steamy liquid, Carin could feel the stress from her body wash away and with a pleasurable gasp she firmly planted herself into the tub. The hot water was a refreshing change on her skin from the horrid grit and dirt of the caves. 161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlQomWyf2PL
Taking in a deep breath, Carin took the time to enjoy the smell of minty tea leafs.
I don’t want to ever leave this tub... she smiled biting her lip gently.
With her arms resting comfortably on the rim of the tub, Carin remembered she had placed the Spirit stone just behind her left shoulder.
Reaching for the small stone, Carin felt a sudden chill as her exposed warm body clashed with the cold air. The room was quickly dropping in temperature.
Quickly submerging herself into the cosy warm waters, she had left just enough of her head above the water so that she could breath.
Feeling snugly and warm like being wrapped in blankets, Carin peaked her hand from the depths of the water and shinned the Spirit Stone in view of the bathroom light. The stone was beautiful and small nestled between her finger and thumb.
It’s a shame that I have to give it away to pay the rent she thought as she admired the crystal.
Suddenly the Spirit Stone gave off a faint glint and a strange but familiar feeling twinge emerged in her chest.
Carin raised her head and shoulders from the water, just enough so that she could see her chest.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnjHUzkOAjr
Her hair dripped blue down her neck and collar bone, the beads of water trickled until they reached an oval shaped stone nestled between Carin’s breasts.
It was a Core stone.
The vibrant green Core faintly glowed in response to the Spirit Stone. It was like the two crystals were talking to each other.
With her other hand, Carin gently rubbed the surface of her Core stone, it was smooth and slippery to the touch.
You’re hungry too huh she spoke warmly to her Core.
We’ll you’re not having this, I need to eat too
Carin was well aware of the fact that Spirit Stones were the power source for all Warriors. Just feed one to their Core and the magic inside the stone would be feasted upon. Giving the Warriors more strength, durability and magic to use in battle.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJnsbws2MoU
Her Core wanted to eat the Spirit Stone so badly she had to toss the stone onto the floor. The hunger emanating from her Core made her own stomach growl in response. She’d might have let it eat the stone.... but it would have been a waste.
Sinking back into the water, old long buried memories began to surface as Carin stroked her Core Stone.
For as long as she could remember, Carin had admired the Warriors seen on TV. As a child she was often glued to her parents TV screen, watching the latest news and shows about these amazing people.
They were presented like heroes and celebrities, with late night talk shows dedicated to hosting interviews with the top Rankers.
The ever fabled S- Rankers was always her favourite topic as a child.
So when she hit puberty and her Core began to manifest in her chest, Carin was ecstatic to discover she was an Awakened.
But she had to wait until her eighteenth birthday to get evaluated and become a Warrior.
When her eighteenth birthday finally arrived, Mandy drove her out to the big city “Silver Cross” to have her evaluated at the Sun Crest Guild.
One of the top Guilds in the nation and one of the top three in Silver Cross City.
Mandy knew an old pal who works there as the Guild receptionist and was able to get Carin booked for an appointment. Mandy, like Andy dotted on Carin like their own daughter and wanted the best for her.
Inside the Guild, Carin was led into the evaluation room to have her Soul level checked. Mandy waited outside and prayed Carin would get a great Rank and get scouted on the spot. Even if it was a lower Rank, she could get a reference to the smaller successful Guilds in the area.
With her fingers crossed and her heart pumping at a mile a minute, her face was filled with glee as Carin walked out of the room.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKoaEKWChES
But suddenly her face became a wash with worry as Carin crumbled into tears.
Mandy rushed over to Carin, kneeling in front of her to comfort her. But Carin kept facing away in shame and cried out in anguish.
A tall woman in a white coat exited the examination room behind them and noticed the commotion. Asking if Mandy was Carin’s guardian, she nodded and listened to the results.
“I’m sorry to inform you but her Core... her Soul level failed to meet the nation’s requirement, she can’t become a Warrior”
It took one sentence to crush Carin’s dreams in an instant “I’m a Non-Ranker.... a failure” she sobbed behind her tears....
It was half a year or so later after that incident, Carin was finally able to let go of some of her pain and accepted Andy’s job invite. She has been working as a miner ever since.
Carin still admired Warriors, to a certain extent. But she has all but given up on her dreams.
As the memories rushed through her head, Carin sank lower into the water letting the liquid eclipse her mouth, she grumbled as bubbles escaped her lips.
********************************************
Knock, knock, knock....
It was the early hours of the morning and the sun dimly shined through the grey clouds. Carin was in bed, her blankets half strewn over her body and her right arm hanging over the side.
Knock, knock, knock....
The sudden sound of knocking on her door awoke Carin from her deep sleep. Her face was buried into her pillow soaking in drool. Carin let out an annoyed groan as the series of knocks tapped again.
Knock, knock, knock....161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKKee1Isg2i
With barely any effort, Carin reached for her phone that rested on the night stand. Switching the screen on, Carin tilted her head slightly so that her weary eyes could see the screen “9:02” it read.
Who the hell is at my door this early in the morning? She moaned as she tried to ignore the constant tapping of her door.
Knock, knock, knock.... “Carin! Open up you lazy bum, your rent is due”
What was that? She thought as she yawned......
Her brain was still sleepy and her body ached, she did not want to leave her cosy bed to entertain any visitors today....
“OH SHIT, Mrs Moss”.
A feeling of urgency jolted throughout her body, Carin threw off her covers as her body hastily woke up and dashed to the door. She almost tripped on her discarded clothes and litter along the way.
Reaching the door she quickly began to unlatch the many locks across the frame “I’m coming Mrs Moss, don’t worry I got the rent today” she spoke frantically as she got to the final latch.
“Oh fuck, the Spirit Stone”
Carin suddenly realised that she had left the small crystal on her night stand and quickly sprinted over to get it, kicking her discarded boots next to the door.
“BE RIGHT THERE IN A SECOND” she called out from the bedroom.
Outside her apartment door stood an old woman wrapped in warm clothes and a fancy purple hat. The look of impatience was all over Mrs Moss’s face as she clicked her tongue in disapproval, waiting for Carin to open her door.
Deciding to knock on the door one last time before leaving, Mrs Moss reached for the wooden frame.
Suddenly the door swung open, giving Mrs Moss a fright as Carin appeared frantically breathing and shoving her hand in Mrs Moss’s face.
“Here, huff... my rent for this month, gasp”
Mrs Moss’s wrinkled eyes widened slightly as Carin opened her hand revealing the tiny yellow stone in her palm.
“Hmmm” she mused as she picked up the small crystal and examined it closely.
Mrs Moss glanced slightly back to Carin feeling annoyed, she didn’t like it when her tenants hand her Spirit Stones. There was no definitive worth to them until they get evaluated and she wasn’t going to go into town and do it.
Gently placing the stone back into Carin’s hand, Mrs Moss sighed as Carin stared back at her puzzled and worried. Carin had been late on the rent many times in the past and was worried her land lady was finally kicking her out.
Her hand was starting to shake as the Spirit Stone wobbled in her palm.
Mrs Moss chewed the inside of her lip, watching Carin almost begging in front of her.
She didn’t like Carin much, then again she didn’t like any of her tenants at all. It was seeing the desperation in their eyes when rent was due that made her feel uncomfortable, like she was the bad guy taking their hard earned money just so that they could stay sheltered for another month.
“Get that stone evaluated and exchanged within the week and come see me when you have the Units” she said trying to not look Carin in the eyes.
A sense of relief washed over Carin as Mrs Moss began to leave her front door, but before she did. Mrs Moss paused and glanced down Carin’s body.
“I would put something on if I was you, it’s a bit draughty outside” she smirked as she walked away.
Wait?... What?....
Puzzled, Carin left her doorway and entered the balcony to catch sight of Mrs Moss heading for the stair well. Maybe because she was tired or the shock that Mrs Moss let her stay in the apartment another month, but Carin couldn’t grasp the meaning of what she had said.
Suddenly Carin felt a cold draught breeze through her legs, sending shivers up her body as her skin covered in goose bumps.
A sudden realisation blew through her mind.
I’m not wearing any pants!!
Carin embarrassingly tugged her white shirt down trying to cover her pink underwear as she scuttled back into her apartment.
Just before she could slam her door and hide her shame, Carin heard a light chuckle coming from the balcony.
Oh shit! Someone saw me!
Peeking her head around the door frame to hide her lower half, Carin groaned a sigh of relief as she saw Mandy leaning on the guard rail.
She had watched the whole scene.
“Looking good kid” Mandy chuckled as she took a sip from her beer.
Carin’s cheeks turned beet red as she invited Mandy inside “you coming in or what?”
Mandy was Carin’s neighbour as well as a fellow Mining colleague, having the luck to live next to her when she first moved in was a great help in the first few months of settling in.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPskq2lVbTl
Mandy entered Carin’s apartment with her beer loosely carried in-between her fingers. As soon as she stepped in the room, she was overwhelmed at the state the apartment was in. She had almost dropped her beer in disgust.
“Tsk” she tutted as she kicked aside Carin’s boots away from the door.
“Carin, when was the last time you cleaned this place?” she asked as she walked cautiously towards the kitchen counter that separated the rooms.
Carin was already in her bedroom, having rushed in there to grab a pair of pants. With her knees on the floor scurrying around the room, she looked under her bed and searched through the piles of clothes on the floor.
“I dunno, I think maybe... last month when we had the Portal outside of Ebon Street” she replied as she had finally found a pair clean of pants... at least she hopped they were clean.
Ebon Street? That was ages ago Mandy thought as she nudged away a random bra from the kitchen counter with her bottle and leaned against it.
Carin exited her bedroom in a pair of black tracksuits and still in her white shirt.
Well now, that’s better she mused to herself.
Mandy took another swig of her bottle before placing it on the counter, her eyes staring at Carin’s clutched hand “so... I take it Andy gave you that Spirit Stone for the rent this month?”
Carin nodded nonchalantly, it didn’t matter if Mandy knew about Andy’s gift. Both Mandy and Andy had spoiled her loads over the years, Mandy had even helped pay off some of Carin’s rent once when she was sick.
Mandy smiled gently, knowing that her little girl was well looked after, but quickly grew annoyed at the thought of Andy.
“God damm it, why didn’t he let me punch that racist last night” she said fuming as she slammed her bottle on the counter.
“I don’t know, I mean... I’ve been thinking about it since last night, but maybe he was right ya know. I’ve heard about the Crimson Claws and I don’t want to lose a few teeth over racial and homophobic slurs” Carin relents. Her thoughts about the incident have been getting clearer since having some sleep.
Maybe standing up for yourself in front of a few drunken Warriors was a bad idea. At the very least it was better than getting into a fist fight with them. That would have been so much worse.
Mandy folded her arms in defiance, she didn’t want to admit it but maybe Carin was on to something. It was just a sore subject to let it go.
In past excavations in Portals, Andy would always have their backs, never backing down to the man.
Whenever things got heated he always knew what to say to diffuse the situation, even threatening to go on strike on multiple occasions.
But he has been acting strange lately maybe I should go see him and ask? She thought before dismissing the idea. He can wait.
Letting out a rough sigh Mandy reached for her bottle again and took another swig “so you want to get that Stone evaluated huh?” she asked wanting to switch topics.
“Yeah, I’m gonna head down to the Beryl Guild in a bit, the sooner I pay Mrs Moss the better” Carin replied placing the yellow stone on the counter.
Mandy took a good long look at the stone and noted how small it was “ya know you might not get a lot for one that big right?” she asked questionably.
She was worried that Carin might not have enough to pay the rent even after exchanging the stone. After all, Mandy was barely able to pay it herself when she checked her Unit count this morning.
For some reason she wasn’t payed for the work last night. It wasn’t something to stress over though, Guilds like Crimson Claws tended to pay Miners and Collectors only after making sure their Warriors were payed adequately.
Pretty sure that Waters guy must have said something to them last night though she thought annoyed.
Carin picked up the stone again and frowned at the size, she had thought it would cover the cost of the rent and maybe a bag of groceries, but now...
Mandy noticed the trouble look she had accidently given Carin, feeling a bit guilty she got off the counter and gestured towards the door “let’s go get it evaluated and prove me wrong, okay kid”.
Feeling slightly better Carin agreed to go with her, spending some time with Mandy was always a riot.
*************************************************************
Walking down the road in her grey hoodie and black tracksuit, Carin was enjoying the moment with Mandy.
The breeze was light on her light brown hair, the strands blew delicately in the air. Carin didn’t dye her hair this morning. She didn’t have much time for it and being honest with herself, she needed to get a better hair dye, one that wouldn’t wash away easily in the tub.
They had made it to Dew Park and were only a block away from the Beryl Guild. The entire journey from the apartments to the guild should have only taken them about ten to twenty minutes. It all depended on how much Mandy was slowing them down with her stories.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0MnjtwCaPh
“So then I asked Scott “why are you staring at my ass for?” do you know what he said” Mandy asked trying to hold back her laughter.
Carin shrugged as she tried not giggle too much “I don’t know”.
Mandy halted in the middle of the pavement and gestured to her behind “I wasn’t staring at it, I just couldn’t see over it” she said while trying to imitate Scott’s voice.
“That old bugger said my arse was big, do you think it looks big?” she said joking.
Carin couldn’t help but snort like a pig as Mandy kept pointing to her behind, she could barely respond to Mandy’s antics as her sides started to ache from laughter.
Making their way past the park and around the final corner Carin could finally see the Beryl Guild.
The Guild was a large old building in much need of repairs, but then again so was half of Greendenn. The hedges outside lining next to the steps into the building were leafless and dying, the windows half boarded up and cracked. Parked next to the building in the “no parking zone” was a beat up old vintage red car. It has seen better days.
Walking up towards the Guild, the pair of girls was starting to pass by a shabby bench. On the bench was a homeless man in worn torn and stitched up clothes, his face obscured by a weeks old newspaper. He appeared to be asleep.
As Mandy kept Carin away from the bench, feeling nervous about any desperate men on the street, the man suddenly spoke in a gruff voice.
“Got any change” he asked politely, barely moving an inch.
Mandy wanted to carry on walking, she wasn’t trying to be rude or anything, she just didn’t want to speak to strangers on the street. But Carin was a more naive girl.
She stopped at the end of the bench, at least an arm’s length away and responded sincerely “I’m sorry, I would if I could but-”
She paused briefly, she didn’t want to upset of disappoint the man who seemed really down on his luck.
“I only use Units... so I can’t give you anything, I’m really sorry”
Carin and Mandy were about to leave the man but stopped as they couldn’t believe their eyes.
The homeless man had reached into his pockets and pulled out an old black cracked phone. The man raised it to the side of the bench and turned it on “I have this, if it helps” he croaked.
The look on Mandy’s face was priceless as she was not expecting the man to be holding onto a phone, much less a phone that was still charged.
Mandy noticed Carin still wanted to help the man, despite her own financial difficulties and stopped Carin from reaching for her phone and instead pulled out her own.
“Here ya go, 20 Units okay old man?” she asked as she tapped her phone to the homeless mans.
She couldn’t see it but the man smiled gratefully under the newspaper “thank you kindly” he replied as he pressed the confirm button on the screen.
Mandy put her phone away and continued walking with Carin who was grinning like a child.
“You know, one day you’re going to get in trouble talking to strangers” Mandy remarked quietly so that the homeless man couldn’t hear.
Carin just placed her hands in her pockets casually “well if they I do, you can always punch them for me” she smirked.
Mandy playfully punched Carin in the shoulder for that remark but couldn’t help to find it funny.
At the stone steps outside of the Guild, Carin took notice of the old vintage parked outside. It was like one of the models that her dad liked when she was growing up.
He used to tell stories to his little girl about how his own dad used to help build them in the factories, and one time was allowed to take one for a spin.
That must have been one sweet ride in the old days huh She thought feeling disappointed seeing it in such a bad shape.
Carin’s attention soon snapped back to Mandy who was calling out for her “What are you waiting for, an invitation? Come on in” she said as she opened the door gesturing Carin inside.
The Guild was surprisingly larger on the inside, but that might be due to the lack of furniture in the room. Carin had rarely entered the Guild before, her first time was when she registered as a Miner and subsequent visits was only about little things.
Even though she had never used the system before herself, she knew where to go to get her stone evaluated.
Standing at the end of the room was a wooden counter fixture to the staircase leading up. The counter was lined with three stations, each possessing hard glass screens to protect the occupant inside.
Carin and Mandy strolled up to the only station occupied. A young fair skinned chubby woman was inside, her eyes fixated on a book in her left hand while her head rested in the other.
“I don’t think she knows we’re here” Mandy whispered to Carin as a mischievous smile formed.
Mandy got a little closer to the receptionist, trying to move quietly across the squeaky floors and without warning, she slammed both of her hands onto the counter with a thunderous smack.
“AAAAAAHHHHHH” the receptionist screamed in terror as she threw her book in the air and tripped over her chair.
“Ha, ha, ha, ha” Mandy roared with laughter as tears welled up in her eyes. Carin couldn’t help but snort loudly as well as the chubby woman climbed back into her chair unamused.
“MANDY!!” She cried out with her soft low pitched voice.
“G-Good god, why d-did you do that” she stammered as her face flushed red in embarrassment.
Mandy struggled to answer back as she tried to compose herself “(snicker) sorry Emily, I just couldn’t refuse an easy invitation”.
Emily pouted as she gently folded the page she was on and tucked her book away in her drawer “so what can I do for you meanies today”.
Carin still trying to hold back her obvious amusement stepped to the counter and presented her Spirit Stone.
“I would like to get this evaluated and exchanged for Units please”
Emily reached out for the stone and slides it over to her side, with a quick glance at the yellow tinge she noted it was a low class stone and very weak on the spectrum.
“Are you a Warrior?” she asked, wondering where Carin got the stone.
“No. I’m a Miner, I work on Andy’s team with Mandy here” she quickly replied, she felt weird being asked if she was a Warrior. She wasn’t sure if it felt nice or awkward.
Emily content with her answer slides the stone to the centre of the counter. Turning to her old model computer she proceeded to type on the keyboard with rapid and precise movement.
Her brown eyes reflecting the bright screen, Emily pulled open the account she has on Andy’s team and looked through the names.
“Your name please”
“Erm, Carin West” she replied trying to remember her own name.
Skimming through the short list, Emily clicked on Carin’s file and confirmed her identity with the picture provided.
However as she was about to close the page, Emily noticed on the bottom of the page it read “last reviewed yesterday”.
Yesterday?
Emily was one of four people in the Beryl Guild who has access to their member’s accounts and she was working yesterday’s shift as well. She didn’t open, so who did?
Closing the page for now, Emily made a mental note to ask her fellow Guild members about it. Nobody should be looking through the files without a good reason or without the Guild Masters approval.
Turning back to a slightly nervous Carin, Emily tried to hide her confusion better not worry our members she thought keeping a straight face.
“Okay... just one last thing before we start, please insert your phone into the slot to your right. Once the evaluation finishes and you’re happy with the results, I will transfer over your Units” Emily explained sounding quite professional.
Carin reached into her pants pocket and pulled out an orange phone, she inserted it as instructed into the slot until it clicked into place.
With Emily satisfied it was in, she then began the evaluation of the Spirit Stone.
Touching the wooden counter in front of her with her fingertips, Emily poured her Magic into the wood. A ring of symbols surrounded the Spirit Stone and began to lift it slowly, hovering it in the air.
On the glass pane separating the counter, a tiny blue screen appeared with complex numbers and graphs. Carin stared at it with a confused expression “whatam I supposed to read here?”
Mandy noticed how amusing Carin looked confused and decided to step in and explain things.
“That’s the evaluation page, the receptionist here uses their own Magic to determine the worth of the stone” Mandy explained before pointing to the Magic Circle.
“And that is a complex algorithm or Magic Circle, it’s that piece of Magic that reads the amount of energy inside the stone and then transmits it to the screen”.
Carin barely understood a word she said, “so... how much is it worth?”
Mandy leaned in over Carin towards the screen, she had to squint her eyes to see the writing as it was so small “it says... 214 Units”.
The Magic Circle faded as Emily released her Magic and confirmed the results “yep, 214 Units is the price the Guild is willing to pay for the Spirit Stone. It’s actually worth a little bit more but we need to make a profit as well, hope you understand” she cheerfully explained.
“So, if you’re happy with the results. Please press the confirm button on your phone and the Units will be transferred immediately”
214 Units was a huge amount for Carin to earn in a single day and she was beaming over the results. Without any hesitation Carin quickly pressed the confirmation button without a second thought.
“Bing”...
“The transaction was successful, thank you for using our services” Emily said as if she had rehearsed that line a thousand times.
Carin removed her phone from the device and quickly accessed her Bit Bank account “278 Units in total? Huh?”
That was odd, Carin should at least have another 100 Units from the job last night even with the pay cuts... where were they?
A sudden sound emanated from the next room as the telephone played its loud tune “oh! Please excuse me, I need to take this” explained Emily as she left the counter.
With her phone in hand, Carin’s grip started to tighten in distress. “Mandy?” Carin started as she showed her the screen “did we get paid last night?”
Mandy raised her hands and shook her head like she didn’t know “I checked my phone this morning and saw nothing had come through. I think maybe the Guild will pay us is the next few days, you know what it’s like with Guilds”.
Carin seemed to worry more as she held her phone tightly, she was terrified that she might not pay Mrs Moss on time.
With a hand placed on Carin shoulder and giving her a reaffirming look Mandy assured her “don’t worry kid, you’ll have the Units ready for the old lady before she needs it”.
Feeling slightly better hearing it from Mandy, Carin tucked her phone back into her pocket and gave Mandy a thank you for being here look.
Taking her arm around Carin’s shoulder, Mandy started to take her out of the Guild “I don’t know about you kid but, I could use a bite to eat. Wanna go to Oscar’s I’m buying.”
Carin’s eyes lit up like a Christmas tree, she hasn’t eaten a proper meal in forever and her belly was having a temper tantrum over it “please, I’m am soooo hungry”.
Oscar’s family owned a dinner in Greendenn called “Diner Denn” they served the most mouth watering deserts Carin has ever tasted. Just thinking about it was making her mouth drool.
But before they reached the door and head over to the diner, a quiet voice called out to them.
“Wait, wait”.
Emily hurried over to the two women trying not to trip in her black heels “sorry, huff... you’re both part of Andy’s team right, the team that worked on Portal number C-367?” she asked reaffirming what she already knew.
“C what now?” Carin blurted confused. She had never heard or even referred Portals as anything but their universal name, so hearing their designated names was new and strange.
Mandy nodded to confirm what Emily was asking, she knew what it meant “yeah that was us, why do you ask?”
Emily’s hands started to fidget a bit because what she was about to say was technically classified until further notice, but Mandy was a close and personal friend soooo.....
“W-well, you didn’t hear t-this from me” she stuttered trying not to bite her tongue “a-an investigation has just started in regards to an i-incident happening last n-night at C-367”
Last night?
Taking her arm off Carin, Mandy walked over to Emily and held both of her shoulders, trying to keep her calm “what happened Emily, what’s going on”...
*****************************************************
Trivia Section:
Awakened: a term used to describe a person who has formed a Core in their chest. There is no scientific way to determine which individual will become an Awakened until they have reached puberty. At this stage a small stone can be examined forming under the skin until it grows and naturally passes its way to the surface.
At this time the process of accelerating or forcibly triggering an Awakened has always produced zero results. The process must happen naturally or not at all.
Core/ Core Stone/ Soul Stone: one of many names to describe the strange phenomenon in the individual’s chest. Calling it a Soul Stone is the most accurate though.
The Core is comprised of the human body’s natural essence and energy. Removal or severe damage to a Core can and will lead to immediate and sudden death. Scientists have taken this result and theorised the Core is comprise of what many would call “the human Soul”, this would in theory explain why the removal of said stone will lead into certain death. 161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8It9c6xtNA
Monsters: a term used to describe any creature inside a Portal. Species vary constantly between Portals and what types are influenced by the environment the Portal provides.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp1bmDL31dG
Monsters are ranked on a number scale ranging from 7 (the lowest) to 1 (the highest). This system is not used to determine their strength as each Monster is uniquely strong and dangerous in their own way. The scale instead determines the value of the Monster, decided upon their worth in materials and type of Spirit Stone they contain.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPWqT5HyDcZ
Unlike Warriors who are tasked to slay these creatures, Monsters do not have a Core. They instead have a Spirit Stone embedded close to the heart. This is the main difference between Warriors and Monsters, even if one were to resemble a human in great detail (like a Harpy or Lamia), it would still be classified as a Monster.
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Authors notes:
Well, my chapters are getting longer and longer. Hope you guys don’t mind.
This chapter’s rant will be on Carin’s last name “West”.
I spent a better half of the day wondering what to call her last name, I originally didn’t plan on even mentioning the family name until I accidently wrote myself into it.... feels weird getting cornered by your own words.
I did want a surname that either represented something or mean something to Carin and her personality, buuut I really didn’t like the results.
So... with as little thought at the end... her name is Carin West...
Gotta admit though, I like it.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4BkpqQHsCa
Thank you for reading. 161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRFeN5fDrZ6
