Knock! Knock!
The rhythmic sounds ca from the door.
Who was that and at this ti ? Kyrie thought. If it was room service then they were definitely getting a piece of his mind.
The knock ca again but this ti more playful and teasing.
Kyrie grunted as he pulled the silk sheets over his head trying his best to ignore and maybe., just maybe, they would go away.
His wishes were left in dust as a sweet voice ca from behind the door.
"Wakey Wakey Prince charming "
Yeah... There was no escaping this one. It was Desirae who wore a revealing night gown that showed her soft skin and her perky nipples.
She was outside the door and was about to knock again when a Intently loud groan ca from inside the room.
Kyrie rubbed his hand over his eyes even as he dragged himself off the bed.
His body still ached from yesterday. He would think a new city. A different look at the Strian Republic was going to be less of an hassle but in reality, it was the other way around.
Kyrie opened the door while he was still in his shorts and his morning wood flaunting itself unapologetically.
He opened the door and there was Desirae.
Her hand on his doorway as she postures her body in a manner that made Kyrie gulp. She was sexy. He had to admit.
Desirae kept her ever flirty smile as Kyrie saw sobody at the other end of the hallway, trying her best to leave unseen.
Felicity.. Kyrie knew imdiately. He spot her disheveled black hair and the rush in her steps as she went down the staircase.
Kyrie raised an eyebrow.
Desirae followed his gaze, her smirk widened.
"Morning," she said casually.
"Sleep well?"
Kyrie snorted.
"Better than so people, apparently."
Desirae laughed softly as she pushed off the doorfra.
"Get your things, we are leaving Astria"
Kyrie blinked.
"To your ho?"
"Sothing like that" Desirae’s muffled voice answered as she entered her room to prepare.
" Go get ready, we’re leaving in 20"
...
The hotel lobby was quiet by five in the morning, it seed like the occupants were still enjoying the comfort of their rooms.
Kyrie stood by the entrance with his bags while Desirae handled the checkout.
She leaned over the counter, speaking to Felicity.
The girl’s face was still flushed, her eyes were nervously interchanging between Desirae and the ledger.
She did her best to stay professional but her rosy cheeks gave her away.
"I hope to get another taste when I visit Astria for the holidays."
Desirae spoke loud enough for Kyrie to hear.
"I... I’d like that," Felicity stamred as her voice hitched.
Desirae winked and straightened up. she turned towards Kyrie, a shaless grin on her face.
Kyrie shook his head as they walked toward the car.
"You’re shaless."
"And you’re learning,"
Desirae replied with a low chuckle.
They quickly loaded their bags and pulled out of the hotel with the engine humming rhythmically as they head out of Astria.
—--
Few minutes later....
The car blitzed forward with the city of Astria fading in the background.
Kyrie watched as everything flew past, the car was going pretty fast with the clicking sounds of the clockwork interior and pressure valve engines filling the air.
Kyrie finally broke the silence as he half turned to face Desirae. Curiosity in his eyes.
"Can I ask you sothing?"
Desirae was still focused on the road but answered.
"Yeah, you can shoot your shot "
Kyrie rolled his eyes before he spoke.
"How do you know Negan? I an, really know him."
Her eyes are still on the road. Taking her sweet ti to answer.
"We served together—," she said simply.
"-- in the army"
Kyrie’s eyebrows rose.
"The army?"
"Special forces, actually "
"We handled things that eyes didn’t want to see and no ear ever heard. The last actual potent mbers of the Protheus squad"
Kyrie leaned back into his seat as again there was new information he had to process.
"He never ntioned that."
Desirae smiled faintly.
"Typical Negan."
She spoke while tapping on the brakes before swerving past a car on the road with fluidity.
"You know we went to different dinsions together," her tone was casual.
Kyrie, who leaned back suddenly sat up again.
"Wait. What? Different dinsions?"
"You didn’t know that, too?" Desirae glanced at him again, this ti with genuine surprise.
"There are other dinsions. Other realms. The Republic has access. But not a lot is told about it to the public."
Kyrie stared at her.
Kyrie’s mind was running in circles trying to make sense of this as even though he had read web novels about things like this, dieval fantasies and what not.
This world didn’t even hint sothing like this before this mont but he shouldn’t be surprised. There was a voice in his head and he had transmigrated to beco so avatar.
This was like adding a new brick to a house of unknowns.
Kyrie exhaled slowly as he shook his head.
"Alright. So you and Negan went to other dinsions. What else?"
"He was our captain," Desirae continued.
"Led the Protheus squad through dangerous missions. The kind where a single mistake ant dinner in the afterlife."
Her grip on the wheel tightening.
"There was one mission. It was bad. And then worse"
Her voice softened, becoming shaky.
"I’m an Omni-type. You know what that ans right?"
Kyrie nodded.
"Yeah, versatile and dangerous."
"As well as highly unstable," Desirae added.
"Too many abilities and alot of pressure. Makes it easier to lose yourself."
She paused, her gaze distant.
"During that mission, I lost control of my myself. Everything just went black and I started hearing voices.
–Voices that weren’t mine. Voices that were never there before. My abilities went off randomly as I lost control of them."
Kyrie stayed quiet, letting her speak.
"We as Psions can go mad," she said, her voice firm now.
"When you have nothing to hold onto. No reason to stay grounded. You slip. And once you slip, it’s almost impossible to co back."
She glanced at him briefly.
"I was at the edge of collapse, you know."
"What happened?" Kyrie asked obviously intrigued.
"Negan pulled back."
Desirae’s voice softened again, the tone filled only with gratitude.
"Not with his powers but with trust. He stayed with . Cald down and reminded who I was. At a point where everyone else wanted to put down like a mad dog. He fought for my life. For my future."
She exhaled slowly as she took a drift along a roundabout.
"That’s why I’d die for him. And it’s not just because I owe him but because he saw the Strian in when I myself couldn’t."
Kyrie didn’t respond imdiately. He actually couldn’t.
He thought about Negan. The man who taught him so much, gave him so much.
He didn’t just do it just because. The man had compassion and was simply amazing.
Negan was "HIM" and Kyrie knew it.
"He’s really good at seeing people,"
Kyrie said.
" Yeah he is " Desirae simply answered.
Then there was silence before Desirae reverted.
"Alright, enough with that. We’re almost there."
Kyrie looked out the window.
Unknowingly to him, the landscape had changed again.
The dirt roads had beco a lot smoother and cleaner again and the houses went from sparse to non-existent.
"Where exactly are we going to?" Kyrie asked.
Desirae smirked.
"You’ll see."
—---
The road stretched ahead in one mont and in the next, there was a massive structure that lood in the distance.
A gate.
It’s fras were ford from brass and iron wood. With several gear like designs incorporated as decoration with vents that released steam on its side.
Standing in front of this gate were Sentinels.
Kyrie activated his Psyche Resonance, extending it cautiously after all Desirae had taught him a lot about it.
He couldn’t get a good feel of them as sothing pushed him back.
He looked properly to find that they were at least six.
They all wore the standard dark blue uniforms but with red armor plating across their chests and shoulders.
Kyrie’s jaw tightened.
They didn’t feel as powerful as Desirae.
But they were stronger than anyone he had faced or seen so far except maybe his father.
The car slowed as they approached, and one of the Sentinels stepped forward.
His hand raised in a halt gesture.
Desirae stopped the car with her expression calm and collected.
The Sentinel approached the driver’s side. His eyes scanned the car briefly before settling on Desirae.
"Identification and clearance docunts please"
He said.
Kyrie’s eyes widened slightly.
They were checking her?
Desirae tapped against the car’s glove compartnt, retrieving so docunts that she handed to him.
The Sentinel reviewed them carefully while another approached the passenger side, his eyes glowing as he scanned the car.
A third one stood further back, his gaze locked on Kyrie.
Kyrie felt the scan.
It wasn’t definitely breaching either of the minds but a ans to an end to see if there was any abnormalities with their presence.
The first Sentinel handed the docunts back.
"Welco back, Miss Vaughn," he said, his tone respectful but firm.
He glanced at Kyrie for a mont before stepping aside.
The gate slowly opened as massive gears could be heard turning, steam hissing loudly as the tal plates slid apart.
Beyond the gate, the road continued into emptiness. Desirae drove through without saying another word.
Kyrie looked back as the gate closed behind them.
"They checked you," he said, still surprised.
Desirae smiled faintly.
"Even I need permission here."
—--
They drove along the road that seed empty for miles.
And then Kyrie saw it.
A structure in the distance.
A pillar.
It was massive. Black. Smooth. Stretching upward so high that Kyrie couldn’t see where it ended. it looked like it pierced through the clouds.
The base of the smooth looking monochromatic pillar had brass rings that rotated slowly.
Gears clicked and turned as streams of steam seed to be erging around.
Desirae parked the car close to the pillar before coming out. Kyrie followed, his eyes scrutinizing the pillar.
"What is that?" he asked.
Desirae didn’t answer. Walking closer to the pillar. She placed a hand on it and gestured for Kyrie to co closer.
Of which he obliged.
"Hold on tight," she said as her free hand rested on Kyrie’s shoulder .
Kyrie’s eyes widened as the pillar glowed.
Energy blasted out as a faint stream of violet light surrounded them and their bodies began to feel weightless and suddenly their bodies zapped upwards.
Kyrie couldn’t feel any sensation in that mont like his mind went blank.
It lasted only seconds, but it felt like an eternity to Kyrie.
And then it stopped.
Kyrie’s feet touched solid ground as the light faded.
He blinked even as his blurred vision cleared and then he saw it.
Teknologia.
The Floating city hung in the skies defying gravity and logic.
It was massive. Maybe twice the size of Astria.
It hung in the air without any visible form of support. Only a constant humming sound in the background.
A structural marvel.
Dos rose across the city. Surfaces ornated in steel and brass with gears intricately layered on the edges and surface.
And above it all, airships filled the sky.
Hundreds of them.
Maybe thousands.
They moved in organized patterns, each with a unique pattern that seed to serve different interests and purposes.
The streets below were clean, organized and beautiful.
cha-bots patrolled the avenues as what seed like human figures made from brass, moving around purposefully.
Everything was advanced and clean.
A utopia.
Kyrie’s jaw dropped. His mind went blank.
He couldn’t process the scale of what he was witnessing.
This was a Wonder.
This was Teknologia.
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