Chapter 1.1 – Truth
Jeremy Chapi
Seraphina's sudden departure caught everyone in the room off guard.
Daniel hurried after her to make sure she was alright while the rest of us made our way down from the control room. I found myself standing before the towering Celestial Ring, with President Atlas at my side.
"Tell me," he asked, his voice thoughtful, "is there any health risk in standing this close to a structure like this?"
It was a perfectly reasonable question, especially after Seraphina's abrupt reaction.
"No," I replied calmly. "I can assure you the risks are minimal. The activation process does produce a small amount of radiation, but no more than what you'd be exposed to during an ordinary flight."
A sharp twinge shot through my back, drawing an involuntary grimace from me.
"You're tampering with forces you still don't fully understand," Natali said, her sharp voice cutting through the silence. "The very least you could do is warn us before activating a machine capable of—"
She stopped herself, folded her arms, and looked away in visible frustration.
"I can confirm that there's nothing to worry about," Iris said, coming to my defense with her usual confidence. "We've installed monitoring equipment to measure radiation levels, and even the control room was specifically designed to shield us from those emissions."
Atlas nodded slowly, deep in thought.
"Well... what's done is done." He let out a quiet sigh. "I'll leave you here. Now that we're finally back and most of this affair has been settled, I believe I've earned some rest."
He turned toward me.
"Thank you for today's demonstration, Prince Chapi."
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"I wish you a pleasant evening."
Atlas walked away, with Natali following close behind. Before leaving, she gave me a respectful nod.
Beside me, Iris tilted her head ever so slightly, clearly intrigued by the title Atlas had just used.
"Have a good evening, Mr. President," I called after him, still trying to get used to that unexpected title.
"It's true, Father..." Iris said with a playful smile. "I suppose we should start calling you Prince Jeremy now."
She paused for only a heartbeat before adding, her cheeks already beginning to flush,
"Which would make me... a princess."
I couldn't help shaking my head.
"Absolutely not."
I laughed softly.
"That would be far too embarrassing. Besides, we don't even have an officially recognized territory yet. Can people really call me a prince?"
I looked at her with a gentle smile.
"And besides..."
"You've always been my little princess, long before any of this."
Her face instantly turned crimson.
Without another word, she turned away, desperately trying to hide her embarrassment.
I smiled to myself before walking toward the immense Ring. Resting my hand against its cold metallic surface, I lowered my head in quiet respect.
"Thank you...
For everything you were...
And for everything you will still become."
"Do not betray the hope I have placed in you."
The voice echoed through my mind.
Clear.
Familiar.
I spun around instinctively.
The sudden movement startled Iris, who had no idea what had just happened.
After offering the Ring one final bow, I quietly left the hangar.
My thoughts immediately returned to Seraphina.
Her pale face...
Her trembling hands...
I tried calling her, but there was no answer.
A little while later, Daniel sent me a message to reassure me. He had found her and taken her to the infirmary. She wasn't feeling well, but he was staying by her side.
Back in my workshop—the place I had come to call home, at least for now—the air was thick with the scent of heated metal and machine oil. Suspended cables intertwined overhead, while the dim lighting gave the room a strangely comforting atmosphere despite the apparent chaos.
I found myself standing once again before the central machine used to forge Cassidy-class Celestial Rings.
Compared to the colossal Ring in the hangar, these now seemed almost modest.
Around me, unfinished projects continued to pile up.
BULTIA...
The remains of the Liberty...
And countless other ideas that had been forced aside for lack of either time or resources.
...the remains of the Liberty that I still hoped to restore...
So many ideas had been pushed aside, victims of time, resources... or both.
"You really need to take care of your arm, Dad," Iris said, unable to hide the worry in her voice.
"...Yeah."
I let out a quiet sigh.
"You're right."
I made my way to the washroom.
Removing the bloodstained bandages, I carefully cleaned the wound as best I could before wrapping it in fresh ones. My arm was in terrible condition, but there was little I could do about it.
What hurt me most wasn't the injury itself.
It was the way my daughter looked at me.
Every time our eyes met, she would quickly look away, her hands clasped tightly against herself as though trying to hold back her fear.
Back in the workshop, I quietly took in everything we had accomplished so far, searching for one last spark of hope.
Nearby, Iris pretended to lose herself in one of her favorite games, though I knew she was only trying to hide how worried she truly was.
I lowered myself onto a makeshift chair built from stacked aluminum crates and looked toward the two Celestial Rings—
Adamai...
And Evangelyne.
Iris remained beside me without saying a word.
"Can you hear me..."
"Or are you both still asleep?"
"No, Big Brother."
A gentle voice answered almost immediately.
"I'm awake."
"I've been waiting for you to come back."
It was Evangelyne.
Her voice was little more than a whisper...
One that only I could hear.
A comforting warmth spread gently through my chest.
"Don't keep us in suspense, Big Brother," Adamai said, barely able to contain his excitement. "Tell us everything."
So I did.
I told them about the meeting...
The world leaders...
The gigantic Ring...
And Joan of Arc.
As the story unfolded, exhaustion gradually crept over me.
"Do you think she'll be able to keep her consciousness?" Adamai asked.
"I don't know," I admitted.
"Victor Hugo...
Jules Verne...
Guy de Maupassant...
None of them ever spoke to me again after returning."
"Big Brother..."
Evangelyne's voice interrupted me, almost cheerful.
"There's something important I need to tell you."
"I'm listening, little sister."
"I think... Seraphina can hear us."
Those words instantly caught my full attention.
"While you were away, she came here."
"I was singing, and she seemed to be searching for where my voice was coming from."
"When I stopped singing, she froze."
"I tried speaking to her directly..."
"...and then she ran away."
A chill ran down my spine.
"You didn't do anything wrong," I reassured her gently.
"If she was frightened, it's only because she didn't understand what was happening."
If what Evangelyne was saying was true...
Then I was no longer the only one capable of hearing them.
Perhaps...
I was no longer the only one able to call souls back into our world.
And if Seraphina had heard Joan of Arc as well...
That would explain why she had fled the control room so suddenly.
Those thoughts continued to whirl through my mind...
Until exhaustion finally claimed me.
A gentle touch against my back stirred me from my sleep.
"Father... you should go and rest in your bed," Iris whispered softly, gently stroking my back with one of her robotic arms.
With some effort, I pushed myself to my feet.
She stayed by my side, guiding me toward my bedroom, where only a faint twilight lingered. My arm throbbed with every step, a constant reminder that reality was never far away.
"Just a little farther," she encouraged me.
I managed a tired smile before lowering myself onto the bed, far too exhausted to think about anything else.
With infinite tenderness, she pulled the blanket over me.
"My dear..."
I looked up at her.
"I'm incredibly lucky to have you."
"I promise... I'll do everything I can so that we can experience all of this together."
"I know, Father."
"I love you."
"Now get some rest."
Her voice was barely above a whisper.
A moment later, the screen on her mobile unit slowly went dark, leaving the room wrapped in silence and shadow.
Even though doubts still lingered at the edge of my thoughts, sleep finally claimed me...
Carried by the fragile peace only my daughter could bring.