"Brand!" A man's voice was echoing in the void.
'Dad?' It couldn't be!
Twelve years ago, his dad went missing after a fire rescue mission to save people from the collapsing building. He remembered that day clearly, as that was the last time he heard his dad's voice.
"Take care of Brenda when I'm away, okay?" The man, with a tall and muscular figure, talked to him while kneeling on one leg to match his eye level.
He was still 12 years old at that time. Thinking back, his dad probably was just boosting his confidence. But he listened attentively, as he knew the danger of his job. His mother would always remind him of this and told them to treasure their time together.
Family bonds have to stay strong; this was always the motto of the Smith family. His parents would find opportunities to teach them lessons about life.
But Brand didn't think this would be the last time he listened to his father's voice.
"Remember, Brand, during tough times, very, very tough times." His father said. "You must build resilience and strengthen yourself mentally. Such strength could help you overcome adversity."
"The spirit of resilience runs through our family; remember this, okay?" His father smiled at him.
Brand looked at the scene, as if the memories were still fresh, because this was a core memory for him.
"I still remember it, Dad." He replied to the fading memories of his father. "I promise, and I'll see you on the other side someday."
***
"There are tears in your eyes?"
When Brand woke up, he saw Seraphine's face right in front of him.
"I just had a strange dream." He confessed while nodding slightly, trying to gather his thoughts.
"Hmm… How long has it been?" He asked, as he felt oddly refreshed. Could he have slept for days?
"It's only six hours. You can have more rest, no worries." Seraphine replied.
"No, I've rested enough," he replied. He had enough rest to keep his mind collected. "You still owe me explanations."
"What did the mechanical eye, Seraphim, want from me?" He pressed for the question he had asked repeatedly. He believed this held the key to returning to his world.
"We'll start talking about the chamber you stumbled into." Seraphine started her explanation. "The chamber was not something a mortal could just barge in."
Seraphine was dead serious when speaking, and Brand found it chilling. The little angel now wears a different expression.
"A human, living human being was not supposed to go into the chamber." Seraphine continued.
"But I'm clearly human, right?" Brand asked. What kind of question was he even asking now?
"Yes, and that's what's intriguing," Seraphine said. "The ancient rule did not apply to you. This indicates that you are an exception to this rule."
"Seraphim was originally waiting for an entity to claim the power from her." She continued with her story. "But that power was now injected into you, as she deemed you more fitting to wield it."
Brand pondered for a while; several thoughts and scenarios went through his mind. He paused and stumbled a bit as he made up his conclusion.
"So you mean the serum that was injected into me was this so-called 'power'?" He asked for confirmation of his theory.
"Yes, Brand. And along with the power, you've also inherited the fate." Seraphine said. "Seraphim saw something in you and deemed you to hold the same qualification as the promised entity."
"The promised time to meet Seraphim in the chamber has passed for 10 years." She continued. "That's when Seraphim reached the conclusion that fate has changed."
"This is now your destiny." She declared.
"That's just wrong!" Brand yelled. "I didn't even agree upon this!" He was not even given an explanation before being implanted with this 'GHOST.'
"Unfortunately, the manifestation time of Seraphim had come to an end, and she had to be swift in passing on the power."
"But how do you explain the torture?" He reminisces about all sorts of pain he went through in the chamber. At some point, he even thinks that the mechanical eye was doing it out of spite.
"Those were mistakes, as she thought you were the promised entity." She explained. "You see, the entity had an ethereal form."
"Time was lacking at that time, and she had to imbue 'GHOST' in you in the shortest period of time." She continued. "She took an extreme measure to prepare your body to withstand the setback of the serum."
"This was done by heightening your senses before the injection."
The thought of his life turning upside down after entering the ruin was unbearable to him.
He clenched his fist so tightly that his nails bit into his skin.
"Now comes the crucial part, Brand." Seraphine continued, with a more serious tone than before. "The destiny you were about to fulfill was to retrieve material in this world."
"The Nano-Machine." Seraphine declared.
"Retrieve the Nano-Machine in this world for Seraphim, and you'll also be able to regain your body with human flesh," Seraphine said while smirking. "You'll even be able to return to your world."