Chapter 5: Apollo and Willow
Love will find ways, death won't break us apart.
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When series of shooting happened into her laboratory earlier, Xyther shielded Xael from multiple bullets with his own body thus ending his life. When Xael saw that the one who broke into the building were also down, she knew that even when her son was shot, all he could think was his mother's safety.
Xael clutched on her son's dead body before she weep cursing and regretting everything, they might not have that much of interaction but even a simple and short meeting with each other, Xael and Xyther could express their emotion comfortably.
How could fate be this cruel to me!? Xael cried helplessly.
The moment she finally finish the project she has given her life for in exchange of a complete family, her son was forcibly taken away from her. The ache when she saw how his son's life was drain in front of her was not less painful than when she woke up only to find her husband dead after saving her.
Regret was added on her list.
She lovingly clears out the strands of hair that blocked his face murmuring, "How could I take for granted the time we had together, if only… if only…" before finishing her sentence she gazed at the glass coffin and the idea just jumped into her head.
"I won't let go. The Xael I knew would always do what she want even if everything is at stake."
Carefully heaving her son's corpse, Xael mustered her best to place her son into one of the glass coffin that were designed to assist her project: Artificial Consciousness Manifestation to Virtual Reality Space 0021.
The project's main goal was not to resurrect the dead but connect his brain nerves and consciousness into the virtual world with the supporting data; 'a person's consciousness continues to work after the body has stopped showing signs of life'.
Right now, in Xael's personal lab, three glass coffins that were made from a substance much harder than a diamond was placed in line. At the right side was her husband while on the left side was her son's body. She moved to her computer and set up everything she needed before the project begin its function.
In her heart was turmoil, her research was not yet tested in terms of human cases but what could she do? This was her last straw. If this was not successful, her life was left for nothing.
After doing what she has to do, she gazed at the computer before turning on the video camera. She decided to leave some words for herself who might watch this if her research failed.
Smiling, she started, "Hi… That was pretty bland for a starter but who cares. Right now, I'm in the biggest turn of my life. If this didn't succeed…" Xael stopped for a moment as she gathered the guts she had. "Then I will still strive to get what I want until my last breathe prevented my to do so. That's why you…" she pointed at the camera, "You must not forget who you are. You are Xael, a lazy madwoman who would fight tooth and nail for anything she deems rightfully hers. Forever, my husband, Zeether, and my son, Xyther, is the biggest one of them. So let's beat the daylights out of our regrets and destroy the ending of that forever."
Xael clicked the save button before proceeding to the glass coffin in the middle, she opened the lid and entered before lying gently.
She closed her eyes uttering, "Artificial Consciousness Manifestation to Virtual Reality Space 0021, Qǐdòng*!"
Series of colorful blinding light brim her sight that was covered in darkness; it was a beauty without comparison. A few seconds later, Xael discovered that she was standing in a space with no definite horizon. Underneath her feet was a smooth glass like water, it was deep yet it gave a tranquil feeling in it.
When she tried waking, ripples started to form and her reflection was beginning to show up little by little. She was wearing a thin light purple robe that was touching the ground, it was hugging her body giving exquisite air.
What shocked her the most was that her appearance of a lady in its late 50's was nowhere to be found; in fact she looked like her 25 year old self.
She was still in daze when she heard a masculine voice followed by a female one behind her ears.
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✽Apollo: [ Welcome to Ethereal Void Space. ]
✽Willow: [ You don't have to be so wary of us, sweetcheeks. We're here to assist you. ]
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Xael turned her head but saw nothing. It was evident that the other party won't show itself to her.
"Where am I? Who are you? Wait… did I fail?" Xael was worried; this is not what she has expected to happen.
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✽Apollo: [ You are in your project : Artificial Consciousness Manifestation to Virtual Reality Space 002. We are the system : Afterlife 0021; Apollo and Willow. Right now, you, Xael Zaitsev-Wilczynski, is our host. ]
✽Willow: [ Apollo, why are you talking like that? It's too stiff! ]
✽Apollo: [ It's for formality, Willow. ]
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After things processed for a moment, Xael felt everything was beginning to sound sane. I did it! The project work!!
But then again, confusion builds up in her mind because of the exchange the system had. What in the holy hell are they talking about?
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✽Apollo: [ Host must remain calm. Right now, your project is running. Congratulations, you made it. ]
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Apollo said in a stoic voice, even so that didn't decrease the joy Xael felt in that particular moment, though her realization did. "Where's my husband? My son?"
Her questions made a piercing pain in her heart, 'To whom did I work all of this for? I… such failure.'
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✽Apollo: [ Host, if I may repeat, you have to calm down. Even if you are the only one to succeed in entering the Ethereal Void Space, there's still a back up command. The feature is that it is not free of charge. ]
✽Willow: [ Worry not, we, the system, will accompany you all the way." ]
✽Apollo: [ Even though we say that, you're still restricted from the actual battle. ]
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Xael was even more confused on what Apollo said that she didn't even noticed it when a large oak door carved with many gothic designs appeared behind her.
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✽Willow: [ Uh-huh. Sweetcheeks still haven't reached the requirement to issue the backup command. That's why you need to earn enough experience from the training session first. Even if it takes million of years, we will be assisting you on the other side. ]
✽Apollo: [ The backup command was known as "Mission : Destroy the Ending" where as you only have one thing to priority on your mind, "No happiness is given without effort and sacrifice, if you want 'your' regrets to be fulfilled, then fulfill all the regrets 'you' have". ]
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As Apollo said those words, Xael felt pressure pushed her into the world where the beginning of her journey takes place.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
Yashahime_sama
Yashahime_sama Chaper 5 is... I know...
Hahahaha~~
It's crazy... I'm getting crazy...
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