She suddenly recalled the days back at the convent. At that time, she often stood in the church bell tower, gazing down at the distant road.
Every year, on the convent's open day, a few families — carefully reviewed by Sisters Elma and Gelding — would come to the convent to adopt the children they favored. On those days, she and Marcia would sit together in the bell tower, guessing which children would be chosen that year to leave with their new families.
New parents meant a new home, a new life. That was part of the convent's charitable mission. But neither Hester nor Marcia had ever caught the eye of those adoptive families — Marcia had chosen to stay in the convent voluntarily, unwilling to leave that way, while Hester, for various reasons, was never even presented before potential adopters.
At this moment, Hester's mind drifted away from the lingering pain in her body. Her eyes were fixed on the end of the road below. Miss Chiyo's rapid, steady voice seemed to fade away with the folding-top car as it disappeared into the distance… Now she stood once again in a high place, watching the gentle elders and kind friends of her past fade from her life, one by one. She was, once again, alone.
"Don't be afraid."
Hester suddenly felt a pair of warm hands resting gently on her shoulders. She turned around and saw Diana Rowen smiling softly at her.
"I'll take you to your dormitory, alright?"
---
The dormitory for the reserve trainees was an old-fashioned four-story building. The first and second floors contained lounges, training rooms, and a small library. The third and fourth floors were the dormitories — the boys lived on the third floor, and the girls on the fourth. At each end of both floors were bathrooms and public baths.
Following Diana up the worn staircase — there wasn't even an elevator — Hester climbed slowly behind her.
"In the Third District," Diana explained with a cheerful tone, "there are just over two hundred active Mercury Needles, and here in Tanis City, we have sixty-seven reserve members. Apart from a few currently doing internships, most of them live here."
She flipped through a clipboard as they reached the fourth floor. "Your room, let's see… number 403. Oh."
Her voice stopped abruptly, and she laughed. "Your registration number ends with 403, and now your dorm room is 403 too — you really have a connection with that number, don't you?"
Her voice was warm and lighthearted as she showed Hester around — the fitness areas on the first floor and the shared lounge. It was around four in the afternoon; everyone else was still in class in another building, so the dorm was unusually quiet.
According to Diana, the others wouldn't return until after seven. They'd spend the evening in the gym or the library until about ten, then go up to the dorms to sleep. It was their daily routine.
However, as they passed by the bathrooms, both of them heard a faint sound — someone was crying.
The smile immediately faded from Diana's face, replaced by concern. She gently told Hester to wait where she was so she could check what was happening. But Hester followed quietly behind her anyway, drawn toward the sound.
The crying mixed with the faint splash of water. In the corner of the women's changing room, they soon found the source — a girl, crouched on a wooden bench by the wall. She wore a freshly changed short-sleeved shirt, her wet brown hair clinging to her face as she buried it in her arms, sobbing softly.
Diana instantly recognized her — but did not approach.
"All right, all right, Miss Hester." Diana Rowen quietly stepped away from the corner and quickly used her phone to inform her colleagues about what she had seen.
"Come on, let's go. I'll show you your room…"
Hester turned back, still a little concerned.
"Aren't we going to help that girl?"
"Someone will come for her," Diana replied gently. "But maybe right now, she just wants to be alone."
"You know her?"
"Of course." Diana smiled softly. "I know everyone here — her name is Turan. She also lives in Room 403."
Turan. Hester silently memorized the name. After a moment, she asked, "Why was she crying?"
"Well…" Diana thought carefully before answering. "I suppose it's because her time is too short — she can't yet join the front-line squads or directly take part in combat against the Chelates. She's always wanted to be one of them, just like Viken."
"Is she seriously ill?" Hester asked, puzzled.
"No," Diana looked at her with mild surprise. "Why do you ask that?"
"You said… her time was short."
"Ah…" Diana suddenly understood and let out a quiet laugh. "That's not what I meant, Miss Hester. Turan is perfectly healthy, and she trains very diligently — she'll live for a very long time. What I meant by time is something different. Every Mercury Needle has what we call Bullet Time. It determines how long they can remain in combat when facing the Chelates."
Hester slowed her steps slightly.
"What exactly… is Bullet Time?"
Diana looked at her in surprise. "Viken didn't tell you?"
Hester shook her head.
Diana nodded thoughtfully. "From the moment a Mercury Needle is discovered until they're truly ready for combat, they experience two awakenings. The first usually happens during their initial encounter with a Chelate. And Bullet Time — that's a special ability that appears after the second awakening… You've already seen a Chelate with your own eyes, haven't you?"
"Yes," Hester replied quietly.
Diana paused. "When you faced it directly, did you feel… anything unusual?"
"Something unusual…" Hester fell silent for a moment. Then the strange vision of the world slowing down flashed vividly through her mind again. "A little."
"About seventy-eight percent of Mercury Needles experience some kind of abnormal sensation during their first awakening," Diana explained softly. "Usually it's an intense heat or pain in the body. After that, they start to emit a unique aura — something that allows others like them to recognize each other."
Hester froze mid-step and glanced down at herself, subtly sniffing her clothes.
"Haha, don't worry," Diana said with a laugh. "Ordinary people can't detect it. Only some Chelates, or Mercury Needles with exceptionally sharp senses, can pick up on it. Besides, the scent is faint — and it disappears after your second awakening."
"I see…" Hester murmured under her breath.
"These are small details, nothing to worry about," Diana continued. "What really matters is the change after the second awakening — the emergence of Bullet Time. It refers to the duration during which a Mercury Needle can sustain their enhanced combat state. During that period, their speed, strength, vision, hearing — everything — increases dramatically."
"…So they become as fast as a bullet?"
"You could put it that way," Diana replied with a faint smile. "In that state, a Mercury Needle can easily catch a flying bullet with their bare hands."
(End of Chapter)