The Mark Of Rebirth

‘Bandwidth? Packet loss?’

Looking at the terminal in front of me, I stood in a daze lost in my thoughts.

‘What did it mean when it said that the target entity reached the minimum mana production rate? I’m assuming it was talking about me since it showed up in front of me, but I can’t utilize any mana… Is it saying that my Mansian actually works?’

Years of research across Entwick countries had shed light on the mysterious process of mana production. Scientists discovered that mana originated from an organ known as the Mansian, commonly found in eukaryotic organisms. Situated near the heart in most creatures, or at the base of the stem in plants

A Mansian takes in Sethnine, also referred to as raw mana, from the surroundings and converts it to a form of mana which is then able to be utilized by the organism at will. Sethnine is present throughout the entirety of the planet and is similar to dark matter in that it cannot emit, absorb, or reflect light making it impossible to identify using conventional means.

In the case of people who aren’t able to use mana from birth, they are found to still possess a Mansian. However, there do not seem to be any traces of mana being produced from their Mansians, leading researchers to believe that the Mansians that they possess are similar to vestigial organs that don’t have any functions…

If a person who can’t use mana like me still produces it, why aren’t there any traces of mana present in the slightest? Where would it be going?

It also mentioned Bandwith and packet loss. Bandwidth is the maximum amount of data that can be transferred over an internet connection. Packets are pieces of data that make up all digital files, like pictures, texts, websites, etc. which recombine at their destination to reform into the sent item. Packet loss is when some of those packets that are traveling across a network are lost during transport. The more packet loss you have, the slower and laggier your connection. These two terms are common when it comes to computer networking, but why are they showing up here on this terminal?

Without realizing it, I began to fidget with the sides of my glasses as I was lost in my thoughts.

‘I can think about this more later. For now, I should deal with those two first and talk to Nanik about having completed the mission.’

Having sorted out my thoughts, I made my way over to Kaelith and Farthington, walking over some of the splintered chunks of plywood that littered the ground. Helping each of them to their feet and bringing them back to their rooms separately to rest. Once I finished I was finally alone once more.

Exhaustion clung to me like a shadow, a relentless reminder of the past two grueling weeks. Deciding to steal a moment of reprieve, I made my way to my room, seeking solace in its familiar confines. As I stepped inside, the sight of my bedroom enveloped me in a bittersweet comfort. The walls seemed to echo with memories of countless hours spent here—my sanctuary.

My desk was a chaotic testament to my restless mind, cluttered with books, their spines cracked from fervent reading sessions. My desktop computer, a labor of love pieced together from my self-taught knowledge, hummed quietly in the corner. It was a symbol of my determination to learn, born from countless nights of poring over computer manuals.

Longing for escape, I flung myself onto the bed, sinking into the mattress as if it could absorb the weight of my burdens. The world outside blurred into insignificance, and I surrendered to the embrace of sleep, hoping it would offer me a fleeting respite from my troubles, however brief.

Kuegh—

I jolted awake, my body recoiling as if struck by an unseen force. Gasping for air, my chest heaved with each desperate breath. Tears surged forth, unbidden, streaming down my face in a torrent. The room around me dissolved, leaving me adrift in a suffocating void, a silent scream echoing in the abyss.

In the throes of panic, a sliver of awareness pierced the chaos. My hand flailed, reaching out for the sanctuary of my bedside table, grasping blindly until my fingers brushed against the cool surface of a small bottle. With trembling hands, I fumbled to open it, my vision blurred by tears. The pill slipped out, a tiny lifeline in my shaking palm.

I swallowed it with difficulty, my sobs wracking my frame as I curled into myself. Hunched over on the edge of the bed, I was a broken figure, my eyes swollen from the relentless downpour of grief. The medicine began to take hold, its familiar numbing effect dulling the edges of my anguish.

This… this hollow ritual, it was nothing new. A cruel familiarity that gnawed at my spirit, an unending cycle of despair and fleeting reprieve. In the stillness of my room, I was left alone with the echoes of my torment, clinging to the fragile hope that one day, the emptiness might finally release its hold on me.

My existence felt hollow, an empty shell adrift in a world that seemed to revel in despair. What was the point of it all? The void left by my missing memories was a gaping chasm, an ever-present reminder of my fractured identity. The emptiness gnawed at me, a haunting specter that I couldn’t ignore. In the absence of my past, I clung to the hope that uncovering my forgotten history might fill the void, offering some shred of meaning in this desolate existence.

The thought of reclaiming my past was the sole beacon in my darkness, a fragile thread of hope in the endless abyss. It consumed me, a desperate craving for answers that overshadowed all else. Every step I took, every decision I made, was driven by the relentless pursuit of my forgotten self.

‘Learning about my past takes priority over everything I do. I don’t think the panic attacks will stop otherwise…’

The resolve solidified within me, a fiery determination burning brighter than ever. I had to speak with Nanik, the only one who might hold the key to unlocking the mysteries of my existence.

‘I should call him and find out when he’s coming back.’

Shuffling off my bed, I grabbed my glasses from the bedside table. My fingers brushed against my disheveled hair, tucking the unruly strands behind my ear. As I put on the glasses, the lenses flickered to life, casting a soft glow as they powered on.

“Neuro, call Nanik for me.”

Silence. A faint buzz filled the room as I waited for a response.

“...Neuro?”

Finally, Neuro’s robotic voice came through, but there was something different about it, a subtle shift in its tone and wording.

“Yes, what do you need?”

‘I don’t recall upgrading its speech patterns…’

“Could you call Nanik?”

“Sure.”

I stood in the dim room, the glow of my glasses casting eerie shadows on the walls, waiting for the call to connect. The anticipation gnawed at me until Nanik’s familiar, upbeat voice burst through the silence, a faint smile tugging at my lips.

“Hey kid, how’ve you been?”

Indifferently, I replied, “I just got both of those anomalies back to the headquarters. To be honest, I don’t know why you’d want them here. They just seem like normal people to me.”

“Well, it shouldn’t really matter to you. What you should be thinking about is the lead about you that I just found.”

“What? You found something about me?” My heart raced, a rush of adrenaline flooding my system. I forced myself to calm down. “Ahem, just what did you find?”

“I feel this would be better to discuss in person than over the phone. Speaking of which, I’ll be back in a month’s time. Until then, I want you to prep the two anomalies for a combat mission.” His tone shifted, becoming more professional as he mentioned the new mission.

With a serious tone, I replied, “This lead better be worth waiting an entire month for.”

“I’m quite sure it will be.”

The call ended, leaving me alone with the echoes of Nanik’s words. Despite the lingering silence, the promise of a lead was a beacon of hope, lifting my spirits. But reality quickly set in— I had to train the new guys for a combat mission.

I sighed deeply, my thoughts spinning. ‘Wait a minute… I’m not even a fighter! Why do I have to train people for combat?’

A spark of realization hit me. ‘Well, it might not be all that bad. I can use this time to figure out what that floating terminal and its cryptic text meant.’

With renewed focus, I began drafting my plans for the next month, determined to make the most of the time and unravel the mysteries surrounding me.