Abyssal Awakening-Chapter 1011: Five’s Name

With the discovery of the black material, everyone was allowed an earlier break than usual.

Of course, no one complained since it meant they could avoid work for a day.

With the reveal of the black material, the atmosphere of the pit changed. There were more distortions in the air along with a myriad of sparkles.

The boss stopped shouting. Even when one of them accidentally bumped into him, he didn’t kill out of frustration. Instead, he simply chose to ignore the kid for the moment.

This decision alone was enough to tell the slaves in the pit the severity of the situation.

Whatever Five had discovered had just changed everything.

Five wanted to stay. To keep digging.

But against her will, the boy dragged her away. Pushing her luck against the boss would only cause her death rather than achieving what she wanted.

Instead, they should be using this chance to figure out what’s going on.

Five was reluctant. If it was before... she might’ve ignored him. But she knew he wanted to help her at the end of the day and chose to listen.

Leaving the pit, the slaves were ordered to wait for the boss’s return.

She sat facing the pit. Felt the wind brushing against her face.

Now that she saw the strange void, the material that came from it... It felt as though a piece of her heart was now full.

She pressed her hand against her chest, felt the excitement bubbling from deep within.

Five felt... ’complete’.

Was this what she had been waiting for? The missing piece of her life.

Her eyes were fixated on the pit, on the flashes of the strange realm.

To her, this was something far more beautiful than the sky above. Something she could touch with her own hands.

Next to her, the boy sat down.

"It’s big." She took the initiative to speak.

"It is. We can’t even put a dent in it. Who knows how far that material stretches." He shrugged.

For all they know, this material could stretch beyond the confines of this pit.

"Do you think it’s a piece of that strange place?" Five asked. It radiated the same aura with the only difference being their state of matter.

The fissures were... distortions in her vision. Something that only she could see. But this? Everyone saw this.

"Maybe. It doesn’t feel like it belongs to this place."

Five nodded in agreement. Something this beautiful definitely didn’t belong to this dull world.

It must’ve come from someplace more magical.

"I can touch it. It’s not like the stars in the sky. This one I can touch." She tilted her head back. There was an excited glimmer in her eyes as she couldn’t hold back a smile.

Revealing a slight smile, the boy glanced back at the pit.

"If we’re smart with it, we might be able to sneak a fragment away. But that depends on whether or not there are any loose pieces for us to take."

He knew Five wanted it no matter what. The question now was how to do so without drawing the ire of the boss.

"But..." Five furrowed her brows.

She wanted it. 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

Every part of her being screamed for possession of that material.

This piece of the sky... She wanted it no matter what.

There was a feral possessiveness in her gaze that the boy had never seen before.

Even with the sky, Five didn’t show a reaction like this.

The sky was out of reach. Maybe that’s why she held herself back.

But this was different.

"They’re taking what’s mine." She stared at the pit.

"It’s... not fair." He breathing started to speed up.

She never felt this way before.

Finally finding a missing piece of herself only for it to be taken by someone else.

She hated it.

As though sensing the change in her emotions, the boy patted her head before giving her a hug.

"It’ll be fine. I’ll find a way for you to get some okay?"

Five paused. She wanted more but... If the boy said he’ll get her some, then maybe it’s not so bad.

By this point, she realised something.

She had been so enraptured by the sky and now this distortion that she didn’t even know his name.

All she knew was what he looked like and never what he was called.

What number was he?

"Name. What is it?" She lifted her head, staring at him, waiting for his answer.

The boy was taken aback.

Five hardly took the initiative to talk to people never mind going as far as asking for names.

This... this was probably the first time she ever did something like this. A smile appeared on his lips.

"Noah. You can call me Noah."

"No...ah?" Five furrowed her brows. It wasn’t a number like the rest of them.

"But I suppose my ’real’ name would be Two. I’m the second one that boss bought. I don’t like that name though so I chose Noah." He chuckled, understanding Five’s confusion.

"Does it matter?" Five tilted her head.

Noah folded his arms. After a brief pause, he nodded his head.

"Of course it matters." Noah chuckled. "With numbers, we’re simply items. Tools to be used and discarded when we break. But if we have actual names, we’re people as well. Even if we’re different to others."

Blinking her eyes, Five went silent.

Humans instead of tools...

"Did you give yourself the name?" She asked.

Noah nodded his head.

"Do you think the boss would’ve given it to me?" He laughed.

Five shook her head.

Their boss was someone who wouldn’t even bat an eye to their deaths. He wasn’t the kind who would give them names.

Since Noah was the one who gave himself a name...

"Name. Can you give me one too?" Five asked, pointing at herself.

She wanted something else that belonged to her. Like that piece of the sky, she wanted a name as well.

Noah closed his eyes. A name for Five...

Someone who loves the sky along with that strange distortion. Someone who seemed to have a hidden feral side when it comes to the things that she loves.

In that case...

"Feris. Let’s call you Feris."

"Feris..." She mumbled the name.

As she repeated the name in her mind, her eyes glimmered with life as this was something that belonged to her.

A name.

"Mnm! I like it. Feris... That’s my name." She grinned.

With this name, it’s almost as though she had been reborn.

###

Floating in the Void, a single tear fell as dark tendrils of energy were connected to Feris’ body.

"Why is she crying? Is she in pain?" A girl asked, looking up at the sleeping realm ruler.

"No. Not in the pain that you’re thinking about." Nyer shook his head, picking up the girl.

"So... she’s hurting on the inside?" She tilted her head.

"Yes. A hole in her heart that she can never fill. So that’s why we give her a good dream. It’s a mercy." Nyer nodded.

"I see... I hope she can find whatever she lost in that dream. But... can her body handle it? Isn’t doing this too much?"

Around them, the Void was already starting to change as strange fog was now present on the different islands.

Like a boat that was now leaking, Nightmare energy was slowly filtering into the Void, transforming it.

"She can handle it." Nyer reassured.

Feris is a realm ruler. Her body won’t break like the other experiments.

Not like the young girl that he needed to take such good care of.

With her, a lapse in focus could cause her body to break down in ways that couldn’t be allowed.

Not at this stage of his plans.

"Once we’re done, can I finally go see Alice?" She asked, turning to Nyer.

"Please don’t tell me you’re going to say not yet again."

A helpless smile could be seen on his face as the girl thrashed her legs in frustration.

"You always tell me to keep waiting. Always not yet. Always next time. When will next time become okay?"

She already apologised and had to restrain herself after the incident before during their game of tag.

Yet even after so long, she still didn’t know when it would be allowed to see her.

"Soon okay? Things are almost done." Nyer sighed.

The girl puffed up her cheeks.

He understood that it’ll take a lot more to convince the girl this time.

Thinking about it for a moment, he decided a small meeting should be fine.

But only if he prepared for it properly. To ensure that even if they meet, a clash wouldn’t occur.

Falling silent, Nyer thought about it for a moment before glancing up at Feris.

"How about this. When your sister reaches the Capital, I’ll arrange a playdate for you. One meeting, nothing more." Nyer suggested as the Girl immediately stopped pouting.

"Okay!"

No hesitation.

"However." He stopped her before she could get carried away. "One meeting. That’s all I can give you. And if things start to go wrong, I’ll stopping the meeting immediately okay?"

"Ehh..."

"Either that or you don’t meet at all."

The girl jolted.

"F-fine... I’ll try my best to behave. But you’re not allowed to stop the meeting early!"

Nyer smiled and nodded his head.

"Only if no mistakes occur."

Clenching her fists, the girl creased her brows.

No matter what, she’ll make the meeting with her sister a success. Even if bystanders interrupt, even if enemies appear, she won’t let that get in the way of their reunion.

After all...

In this world...

They only had each other. No one else was even remotely similar to them. They were special beings created by Nyer.