Much of the ride was in silence. I had tried to distract Mirah from our recent engagents, but the woman's mood remained on a steady decline. Maybe it was because of Wanda, but she was far from receptive to my advances, and when we reached the school, the car coming to a stop, she shivered and turned to .
"Your services will no longer be required in this school, Mr. Lawson."
Mirah spoke precisely and steadily, showing she was trying to make a critical decision.
"Why?"
"Your presence.... i can't control myself around you."
"So, I'm being punished for your emotions."
"No. I will also be resigning from my position as Principal and eventually presenting myself to the church for punishnt.
After what I have done, I am unfit to lead anyone or be looked up to."
My expression calm, I nodded.
"You're right. Our happiness is a bad thing.
We are most especially evil for engaging in an act our God-given biology demanded from us."
"That's not how things are." Mirah had her hands clasped.
"We already talked about this.
Did you not choose to save ?
You're being selfish. What happened to the brighter future we said we'd build together?"
At that point, the doors of the school burst open and students began walking out, chatting excitedly amongst themselves.
"Seems it's already closing…" I couldn't finish my words as I froze, my expression turning pale.
"I'm going to die," the simply appeared in my head.
My heart thumped in my chest like never before, excess adrenaline released into my blood. This wasn't a fight-or-flight situation, it was strictly a flight situation but I knew it was impossible to flee.
Echo!!
Out of habit, I did a thorough scan of the area one kiloter around , while staring at what I knew to be the source of my impending death.
"I'm not kissing or touching her, so why now am I about to die.
Is it because of the sex?"
A high-pitched frequency began sounding in my ears, and while I panicked at my rapidly approaching death, Mirah was lost looking at the students.
She moved to open the door, and in a split second, I saw my only route to survival.
"You can't go out." I grabbed her hand.
"Why?" Mirah asked, a frown on her face, irritation—sothing I had never seen—building in her eyes.
"I will die."
I wanted to lie, deceive like I normally do, but the stakes were real and the sword was above my head.
My gut told to tell the truth, and I did.
I couldn't see myself, but I was sure I looked completely pathetic at the mont, all my emotions laid bare, and I hoped it would do the trick.
"You're miserable," Mirah said softly, her eyes taking on an emotion of care. Her right hand reached out to my face, stroking my cheek, her form starting to brighten with a white light in my gaze.
Knock!!
Knock!!
The sound ca from the window. Mirah turned to her right, and there she saw a bunch of kids looking at her with bright smiles, waving their hands excitedly.
Unmistaken joy flashed in her eyes as she smiled, taking her hand from my face to wave at them.
[Severing thread has been broken]
[System has failed to contain backlash]
[Attempting to redirect backlash]
[Error]
The last thing I saw before darkness consud was Mirah rapidly turning to , faith energy pouring into her form, several more children gathering around the car.
"Fuck."
...
"Fuck."
Last words I said when I was alive, and first words said when I woke up in wherever I was.
Beneath was wet, and when I stood, I found that I had been lying in water that was as high as my ankle. Dressed in the sa outfit I had been putting on previously. My entire back was soaked, but that didn't grab my attention.
Standing, I turned left and right, looking at the darkness surrounding , the stars twinkling in the distance, and the sun far but visible.
Beneath was ground flooded with water, and above and around seed to be space.
"Is that the sun?"
"Yes."
The unexpected answer ca from a voice which was feminine, soft, cheerful, and most importantly familiar. It had been a while since I heard it, just a short conversation coming from it, but the significance of the voice was too large for not to rember after thinking for a few seconds.
"I know you."
"Really?"
There was doubt in the tone. I looked around, trying to find the source, but seeing nothing.
"Yes."
"Alright, who am I?"
"You're a voice from the system, the one i talked to when i was first brought back in ti."
"Your mory is good...."
I kept silent, waiting for more information, but seconds passed and none ca.
"What happened to ?"
"Isn't it ironic that we're eting almost under the sa situation again.
You being lost, with mories that suggest sothing tragic happened to you."
"Did I die?" I asked the most important question.
"Well, you're talking with and not facing judgnt, right."
The answer took a heavy weight off my shoulders, the fears that had been in my heart abating.
"Funny. Last ti we t, you had a buried hate and only cared about yourself. Now the only thing you can think about is a bunch of won."
"I'm still selfish. I'm just loyal to the promises I make.
I don't want others suffering for my mistake."
Rembering what had happened, I thought back to Denise's plea and shook my head.
"It wasn't entirely my fault, but guess she was slightly right."
I stayed silent for so seconds, looking at the stars in the distance, getting a weird feeling from them.
"The system crashed. Does it still exist?"
"Yes, I'm working on it right now."
"What about ?"
"Your return depends on your executor."
"So, better put, I'm not yet dead."
"Yes."
"The system should have warned of the potential backlash long before it happened. It should have even stopped .
But it didn't."
"Hmm."
"It knowingly allowed this disaster to happen."
"Preserving and advancing your mission is the system's goal."
My silent question was ignored.....
"Who are you?"
"A chanic…...
Very few have seen the view you have above you, use it wisely."
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