Cyberknight: One Path (original novel)

*Five years earlier, on the 12th of October 2068.

Crimson blood slowly dripped down the bedsheet while the body of a dead man remained frozen in his terrifying last moments. In the room corner, a young girl was curled up in a ball while trembling in fear. Slowly, Kadyn wiped the blood off her anti-material blade with a blank expression on her face.

[unamed girl] - "Please... don't kill me. I was here against my will. "

Whispered the girl while peeking at Kadyn.

[Kadyn] - "You'll be fine. Knowing how he was ready to rape us both, I'm sure you won't collaborate with the police to find me. "

Said Kadyn as she dropped the bloodied towel. 

Kadyn coldly slammed the room door behind her before heading downstairs. While her mission was over and it would be wise for her to retreat, she felt hesitant to do so. After all, what is there left for her at her base of operation? All that is waiting for her back there are her cold and uncomfortable bunk bed and the emotionless stare of her fellow assassins. No more are the warm welcome and the cheering laughter of her original sisters. 

Slowly, Kadyn sat at the open bar and ordered herself a light drink. The light cast her shadow alongside the shadows of the four other girls who sat around her on the floor. However, as the night went on, two of the girls left with random men while another passed out from her drunkest before being carried away. Finally, the last girl threw a drunken fit before moving out of sight as well. By the end, Kadyn's shadow was the last one remaining alongside the empty stools. 

As darkness settled in, Kadyn left the bar and stepped into the cold rainy night until a light appeared before her. Illuminated by the passing car, is the only refuge she could find within this cold and unforgiving world. 

[Mike] - "Took you quite a while. I was expecting you to finish the job earlier than this. "

Said Mike while leaning against a pillar. 

There was a shiny dark blue glow inside Mike's eyes that made him stand out amidst the crowd. As she got closer, there was no mistaking that it was Mike as his red hair drifted in the wind. Despite him dripping with rainwater, Kadyn didn't hesitate for a second before taking him in her arms. 

Later, as the two of them walked in the rain while shielded by Mike's ability, Mike slowly noticed how silent was Kadyn compared to other times when they were together. 

[Mike] - "Not very vocal today, huh? I suppose you are enjoying the moment? "

Without uttering a word, Kadyn pressed herself closer to Mike before nodding her head. 

[Mike] - "I suppose you still don't want to talk about what happened to your sisters. "

Instinctively, Kadyn started to tighten her grip around Mike's arm while her eyes drifted away. 

[Kadyn] - "I want to forget about it. There is no one left in this world who is close to me anymore besides you. So I want to spend my time with you in silence, so I can appreciate the moment and not get distracted by our mundane chatters. "

Said Kadyn calmly. 

[Mike] - "Hey, I know it's a hard time for you right now. If there's anything I can help you with, just ask me. "

[Kadyn] - "Ah, I don't ask much from you. I just want to stay with you... A little longer than usual. "

Said Kadyn with a bittersweet smile on her face. 

Spending time with each other is a luxury they can hardly afford as the both of them were separated by their duties and ranks. Most of the time, they only get to spend a single hour together a week. However, with the pain of loss still burning inside Kadyn, the moment she spent with Mike felt different from the other times. 

Just as promised, Mike and Kadyn spent their night in silence. At the restaurant, they silently ate their food while letting the gentle atmospheric jazz music do all the talking. Right after the main dish, the waiter immediately presented Kadyn with a slice of berry-flavoured ice cream cake, which was her favourite. As she looked at Mike with sparkles in her eyes, he kept their promise and simply smiled at her without saying a word. 

As soon as the cold metallic fork left her mouth, she was immediately hit with the explosion of flavour from her cake. Without the distraction of speech or thoughts, Kadyn was surprised to also taste a hint of citrus zest which complemented the berry flavouring. As the taste of her bite faded behind her tongue, she found herself craving the next bite so as to not let the sweetness disappear inside her soured heart. 

Finally, as she arrived at the last bite, she hesitated with her fork, knowing that the sweetness was reaching its end. Upon seeing Kadyn's hesitation after displaying such joy while eating her dessert, Mike quickly took the menu before patiently holding it before her. The selection of sweets was extensive as the brightly coloured pictures reflected off Kadyn's eyes. However, upon seeing Mike's comforting smile, Kadyn simply decided to put the last bite into her mouth before pushing the menu away. 

After allowing the sweetness to fade inside her mouth, Kadyn raised her finger and pointed it at Mike. The sweetness of that dessert was just a temporary feeling but Mike's company was a type of sweet that could never fade inside her mind. As Mike understood her gesture and reached forward to take her hand, she felt satiation to a hunger which cannot be filled by food. She doesn't need more cake to ease the pain, she just needs more time with Mike to heal her wound. 

The two didn't stop their little adventure inside that city to sleep as they wandered around the different attractions and enjoyed the nightlife. As their Ferris wheel cabin reached the top, Kadyn leaned against the window and admired the show of fireworks in the distance. 

[Mike] - "This is the Grand Knight speaking, what's the matter? "

Said Mike as he picked up a call from his earpiece. 

Kadyn turned around to see Mike busy on the phone with someone who seemed important enough for him to use a very formal tone when addressing to. 

[Mike] - "Seriously, I'm on a secret mission assigned by Sniper himself! Do not disturb me or you'll have to answer to the emperor himself. "

Said Mike before cutting off the call. 

[Kadyn] - "How many hours has it been? "

Said Kadyn with a concerned face. 

[Mike] - "Shhh! Didn't we agree to not speak? "

[Kadyn] - "Mike! You'll be in trouble if you stay too long outside of your duty! "

Yelled Kadyn in a panic. 

[Mike] - "Why are you worried when I'm so relaxed? I lied to that bastard, alright? I'm actually supposed to investigate some shady business involving some cyberknights but I just don't feel like it. "

Said Mike while placing his hands behind his head. 

[Kadyn] - "My sisters... Are my burden. You shouldn't put yourself in trouble just for me. "

[Mike] - "What, you don't enjoy my extended company? "

[Kadyn] - "Of course I want to be with you for as long as possible but you'll be the one receiving the punishment. I don't want you to get hurt. "

Said Kadyn as she edged her tears. 

[Mike] - "Who the hell do you think I am? I might get punished but I'm not dying or disappearing any day soon. "

Said Mike with a grin. 

[Kadyn] - "I just feel so selfish when you have to clean up after my issues. "

[Mike] - "In a storm, we all need a refuge to prevent the wind from sweeping us away. When I was growing up, I never formed any solid relationships with anyone. When I'm feeling down, I just wish Mom or Dad was there to tell me everything's alright but that's a luxury I don't possess. When I saw how pained you were over your sisters, I knew that I needed to stay as long as it took for you to heal. "

[Kadyn] - "I promise I won't take long to go back to normal. "

The two of them sat close to each other while watching a neon light show flashing in the distance. 

[Mike] - "Say, do you have anyone else left? I can help you get in touch if you need to. "

[Kadyn] - "No, just you. Even if I knew anyone, I'd rather spend every moment with you instead. "

Said Kadyn as she closed her eyes and smiled while clinging to Mike. 

[Mike] - "Same thing for me. "

Said Mike while reaching for something in his pocket.

[Mike] - "Here, I want you to have this. A little something to keep with you. "

Said Mike as he handed Kadyn a small shiny fragment of crystal.

[Kadyn] - "Is this a real piece of cyberknight crystal? "

Said Kadyn as she observed her gift in her palm. 

[Mike] - "It's a fragment from one of my crystals. Last time, remember when he fought that special crystal user? Well, I learned that he was able to break one of my crystals with his power. "

[Kadyn] - "Thank you, I'll keep it with me forever. "

Said Kadyn as she shoved it gently into her pocket. 

[Mike] - "I realized from that encounter that I should treasure the time when everything was still fine. I'm not as invincible as you think, sadly. There could be a day when I lose a battle and never come back. If that were ever the case... "

Just before Mike could finish, Kadyn abruptly interjected.

[Kadyn] - "That won't be the case! I know you'd win. You'll keep waiting for me every time there is rain. You'll be by my side as we someday raise our children. And we'll still come back to this ride together even as we both reach near 100. "

Said Kadyn with confidence in her voice. 

Mike wanted to continue his previously unfinished sentence but upon seeing Kadyn in such a good mood, he simply refrained himself from saying anything. By the time they both exited the amusement park, the distant glow of sunrise was already visible. For the next three days, Mike and Kadyn travelled and had fun like there was no tomorrow. Their laughter and their joy made them forget that they were each an assassin and a knight. For those three days, they were just two teenagers living a loving and carefree life. 

For Kadyn, it was how she managed to push the traumatic tragedy that befell her sisters in the back of her mind. Despite all the grief and hardships, she couldn't help but smile as Mike's company healed her wounded heart. Never once in her life has she felt so much joy. Although they wished to continue living that kind of life, reality eventually forced them back into their respective occupation. 

These three days were in fact the most well-documented chapter of Kadyn's life as she had them described in detail inside her diary. It's also something that she gets reminded of every time she sees that specific crystal in her chest when looking in the mirror. 

*Back in the present

Kadyn was waiting at the entrance of a hotel while the rain smashed violently against the cover above her head. Each time a figure appeared in the rain, she would get excited thinking that there could be a chance that it was Mike. However, disappointment would hit her time after time as only foreign faces would emerge from the storm. 

[Kadyn] - "Have I taken everything for granted? I'm such an idiot... "

Whispered Kadyn before she clenched her teeth. 

Even as the rain stopped, Mike never showed up to pick up Kadyn. As the sun finally cleared the sky of clouds, Kadyn finally decided to move from her spot. Despite the rain stopping, droplets of water still kept hitting the floor from Kadyn's eyes. She was extremely exhausted as the hunger that could only be satiated by Mike's presence left her famished and hurt.

[Kadyn] - "How could I have lost it? All our photos and our most precious moments are gone because I was such a dumb bitch! "

Cried Kadyn as she curled up in a ball inside a corner of her hotel room. 

The room was in a mess as if it was hit by a hurricane as a result of Kadyn's frantic search for her lost diary. 

[Kadyn] - "Even if it's one more time... I just want to relive those moments one more time. If only you could make me cheer hard enough to forget what happened to you. I need you... even if it's just for half a second. "

As Kadyn cried silently with her voice muffled by Mike's coat, Kadyn felt a caress from Mike on her head. 

[Mike] - "Here is that half-second. Now, be brave and wipe those tears off. "

Said Mike with a caring smile on his face. 

When Kadyn opened her eyes, Mike was nowhere to be found. Again, it was all just in her head and not reality. 

*A day ago

While Kadyn took a shower inside the bathroom, a dark-haired man suddenly phased through the wall into her room. With silent steps, Jagger approached Mike's coat and extracted Kadyn's diary from its pocket. As Jagger was about to leave, he took a peek through the wall into the bathroom. Upon seeing Kadyn's voluptuous body, Jagger licked his lips in anticipation. 

[Jagger] - "I didn't expect to receive such a delicious bonus for being born into this body. Manipulating her unstable mind would be easy like a game of emotional seal-clubbing. What a truly divine blessing. "

Said Jagger as he played with Kadyn's diary while exiting the room.

To be continued...