-...Sadness says: 'Begone, pass away!' But greed seeks eternity - seeks deep, deep eternity.

BongBong: BongBong!

Charging into the resting area, I could only follow her lead like a broken doll. Many employees observed the girl with starry eyes like she was a monster and kept their distances. On my own, I looked around and saw Alter Ego sitting, watching the both of us with pure shock.

Y/N: Alter Ego!

BongBong: BongBong?

She stopped and saw who I was talking with. Finally able to fight back, it was my turn to drag her and approached the one I wanted to speak with at the end of the day.  To my surprise, she didn't struggle out of my grasp and allowed herself to be moved around.

Alter Ego: Y/N... who's that?

She asked with a feeble voice. Only then I noticed the lack of color in her face, she was livid and her legs were shaking a little.

Y/N: Are you cold?

Alter Ego: N-No, it's nothing.

Y/N: ...

Not buying her excuse, I raised my left eyebrow and showed her that I wasn't going to give up that quickly. Averting her eyes, she stumbled into her words, trying her hardest to sound as comprehensible as possible while avoiding the subject.

Y/N: ...Is it Angela?

As far as we know, she seems to be a common problem between the both of us. There was not much that we could do about it and that was the scariest part, none of us could predict her, especially now that we broke out of the 'norm'.

Alter Ego: N-No, it's-

???: She got Attachment duty with the fetus.

Turning around, the familiar silhouette of Hava slid closer and sat beside the girl, greeting me and BongBong with her wide grin. Meanwhile, Alter Ego shuddered at the mention of the fetus and winced back into her seat.

Alter Ego: Please stop... I don't like it.

Y/N: ...Fetus?

Hava: Oh right, you probably don't remember since you were panicking along with everyone else.

BongBong: BongBong.

Hava: Oh right, who's that?

Y/N: That's BongBong, she's working with me in the Central Command team. She's... unique to say the least.

BongBong: BongBong.

Hava: Oh, I remember now, she's the human pet!

Y/N: The... what?

Hava: Say, did you bring her here?

Y/N: She dragged me here, does that count?

I meekly responded, no point lying anyway. Glancing at the girl with blue hair, Hava's expression shifted from a grin to a pleased look, like she was reminiscing something. Finally, her red eyes focused back to me.

Hava: I stand by what I said, good luck taking care of your pet.

Y/N: My pet? Why ME?!

I emphasized on the 'me' while pointing at myself. First of all, I don't understand what she was talking about and then I'm told to take care of someone like they were a pet, which would be a violation of many rules if the person concerned had a little amount of morality in them.

Alter Ego: He's right. Plus, why do you call her a pet anyway?!

Exclaiming her confusion, she slammed her hands on the table and stood her grounds, taking my side on the debate that had close to no sense. BongBong, in the meantime, looked in my direction and stayed silent.

???: ...Uh, is it a bad moment for us to step in?

The one calling us was Daniel accompanied by Elis, clinging to him with anxiety written on her face. The man was holding a plate with many coffees and looking at us with a slightly worried look.

Y/N: Oh Daniel, why so many coffees?

Daniel: Well, you seemed like you all needed a boost so I prepared some. Was it a bad idea?

Y/N: I actually need something, take a seat.

He followed my advice and Elis grabbed a chair from another table to sit next to him. With them doing so, I followed suit and sat down, leaving BongBong standing, looking at everyone with a ruthless gaze.

...I quietly reached for a cup of coffee and pulled it to my side, feeling an unknown tension in the air.

Hava: I hope you brought me the strong kind, I'm gonna need it.

Daniel: Well, I didn't know your preferences so-

Hava: Just kidding, I don't care.

She grabbed herself a cup and quickly took a sip from it, coughing it up instantly afterwards. Taken aback by something, she peeked in the cup and asked a question to the man who brought the drinks.

Hava: What the hell did you put in that thing?

Daniel: Well, not much, why?

Hava: It tastes sour, did you crush some limes with that?

Daniel: Who do you think I am, why would I put that in there?

Alter Ego: ...It can't be too bad.

She softly answered, reaching for a cup as well. She slowly took a sip and was left with even more questions.

Alter Ego: It's not sour, at least not mine.

BongBong: ...

Y/N: ...You should maybe take a seat.

I suggested her to do so while pointing a nearby chair with my head. She followed where I was looking at and turned back to me. Completely ignoring what I said she stepped closer but remained still afterwards.

Y/N: You-

Suddenly, she dropped down and sat perfectly on top of my legs, blocking my vision entirely. For a moment, I could feel the blood in my body freeze and the colors on my face vanishing. Everyone at the table witnessed it and an awkward silence welcomed itself in the discussion.

Meanwhile...

Gebura: ...I just sensed something bad.

She looked at the entrance of her department but could not pinpoint the source of that discomfort. Just like her, more people felt that sensation and those people had a little less amount of kindness compared to her.

Red: ...Did that bastard finally show himself?

QoH: ...I can feel an evil presence somewhere.

Back to Y/N...

Y/N: BongBong, what are you doing?

BongBong: BongBong.

Solemnly answering with her own name, she took a sip of MY coffee without a single care in the world and leaned further onto me. Then she turned her head and moved the cup closer and pressed me to drink it.

Hava: Oh my~, finally seeing some good action.

Placing her elbows on the table, she held her hands together and placed her head on top of them, enjoying the scene much more than the ones in it.

Y/N: I-I think I'll pass on the coffee.

BongBong: ...

She grabbed the mask and lowered it with a swift motion, not taking 'no' as an answer. Moving closer, she showed the cup that she was holding to me a second time. Daniel was awestruck by the boldness of the girl and his friend sitting by his side hid his eyes with her hands.

Hava: Come on Y/N, a little sip wouldn't hu-

*Snap*

Hava: ...

The sound of something breaking resonated and all activities around the table stopped. The source of the said noise was obvious but everyone except BongBong could feel pure fear seeping through our bodies.

Alter Ego, now holding a cup with a broken handle, was smiling at BongBong with closed eyes and keeping a grip so tight around the already broken mug that it could turn into mere pieces at any moment. On the outside, she was showing a smile but the aura around her was nothing close to happiness.

Y/N: A-Alter Ego?

Alter Ego: Y/N, could you kindly give me a moment~?

She asked while still arboring that expression. Quickly shaking my head, I stood up and stepped away from the table. Most of the other employees were gone but the ones who remained behind were now witnessing a scene out of a horror movie.

Hava: H-Hey, it's fine-

For the first time, the girl that was always seen with a grin was sweating at the sight of her friend finally snapping.

Alter Ego: BongBong, right?

She asked to the girl sitting across the table. Completely ignoring the death flags rising, she nodded her head and calmly stared at the one questioning her.

Alter Ego: I'm having 'quite' the harsh day today, my patience is running REALLY low right now.

Her voice was somber but her smile was retained along with her closed eyes. Elis, completely creeped out, held Daniel with her shaky arms.

Alter Ego: Ooooh, quite the hard day but I was promised a moment of rest with the one I love, for the first time after those days of torture.

Cracks were forming around the cup but her face stayed unchanged.

Alter Ego: After so loooong, a moment to forget, all that I needed. That is all I need, a moment to forget everything.

Y/N: H-Hava?

Hava: I-I don't know what to do... i-it never happened before.

Never before? She knew more than Alter Ego and I about the past and she only answer my question with that? Is it the first time that Alter Ego ever snapped?

Y/N: I-I'll go get Gebur-

Alter Ego: You ain't going anywhere.

Finally opening her eyes, she shot me a glare of pure emotions, pinning me in place. If I tried to escape, I could expect a hit from her sword in the back, she would definitely do it in her current state.

Elis: D-Daniel, I'm scared.

Daniel: ...

Alter Ego: And then, after finally having this moment that I need, YOU decide to intersect it by forcing yourself in.

BongBong: BongBong.

Alter Ego: I'm in a really foul mood and then you do what pleases you with MY boyfriend... Kh, I'm more than angry.

Finally, the cup couldn't take the pressure and broke, letting the drink spill ontro the table. Unharmed by that action, the culprit behind this incident stood up from her seat and slammed her fists onto the table.

Alter Ego: HOW MANY OF YOU ARE GOING TO LATCH ONTO HIM?!

Y/N: P-Please calm-

Alter Ego: WHO ELSE WANTS TO FUCK MY GODDAMN BOYFRIEND?!

She screamed at the top of her lungs at the other employees. Her eyes were wide open and her legs trembling with sheer fury.

Alter Ego: SHOW YOUR FACE SO THAT I CAN KNOW IT! WHY CAN'T I HAVE A SINGLE MOMENT TO APPRECIATE WHAT I HAVE?!

Turning to the exit of the room, I saw the figure of Angela looking back at me with an expression saying "What's going on?". Silently, I began making her signs telling her to get out of here before she goes on a rampage.

Hava: Calm down-

Alter Ego: NO I WON'T, I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE! I HATE THIS, I HATE IT SO MUCH, I CAN NEVER WIN AND THEN I'M FORCED TO SEE MY OWN DEFEAT WHEN I FINALLY HAVE A CHANCE!

Y/N: Alter Ego!

I yelled back her name and grabbed her shoulder, a firm grasp that finally held her in place. Taking a closer look on her face, tears of anger and desperation were going down her face. Holding her fists, her emotions were exposed to all who remained in the room.

Alter Ego: I can't... Why do I have to be forced to remember?

Hava: ...

The one who knows better than anyone could not answer her question, even she was unaware of the reason of our own torture. Holding her, I slowly made her move away from the table in a comforting manner.

Y/N: It's fine, it's fine... let's go to bed.

Alter Ego: I can't do this... it hurts me so much.

Her anger subsiding, only sorrow remained and she bursted into tears. She was crying against her own memories that she resents and there was nothing that I could do to help. After all, I was the cause of that pain.

Y/N's mind: I really am the worst, the worst monster to exist.

Silently dragging her away to the room that we both use, her sobs were loudly echoing in my ears like a whip hitting the back of my head. Carrying both my weapon and hers, I circled her with my arms and led her through the hallways until we reached our room.

...The night was the worst part of this, hearing her cries in her sleep kept me awake until the beginning of the shift. While that was happening, I was tossing daggers at a target with my own face on it, the reason of all of this.

Y/N's mind: Would it have been better if I never existed?

...

...

Alter Ego: I'm sorry, I'm sorry for what happened yesterday!

The next day, we all witnessed her bowing in our direction with regret on her face. Remembering the words she uttered, her face was completely red from embarrassment.

Hava: You don't have to be sorry.

Daniel: Yea, even though I didn't understand what you were talking about, you seemed like you needed to vent it out.

Y/N: I'm not blaming you, I could never.

Patting her head, I responded with a smile and the one apologizing dropped her shoulders under the pressure. Her cheeks became even redder and her hands blocked her face, small noises coming from her through them.

Alter Ego: Oooo, I'm a mess.

Hava: Of course you're not, you're just you!

Y/N: The one that I love.

Alter Ego: ...

She ran away to her department and all of us exchanged a glance.

Y/N: I'm counting on you to keep an eye on her, you're working in her department.

Hava: Don't worry, wingwoman Hava at your service~!

She followed the path the captain of the Security team took and left. Daniel gave me his farewell and left with Elis catching up to him. Finally on my own, I turned around and went down to the Central Command team, where BongBong was patiently waiting.

Y/N: ...Hey.

BongBong: BongBong.

Y/N: Have you seen Tiphereth?

She shook her head. Oh well, maybe she's taking care of something right now, who knows. With nothing else to do but wait, I sat down and listened to the surroundings. The fans above our heads produced a steady amount of cold air and helped the workers to go about their days. In the distance, something like raindrops could be heard.

Y/N: Do you hear that?

BongBong: ...

She nodded and reached for her gun on the table. I did the same and loaded a magazine in its rightful place, feeling a bit of tension rising in the air. Then, the light dropped for a moment and a loud warning blared through the facility.

Intercom: Warning, unknown error, abnormality NE boxes corrupted, awaiting repair.

Y/N: The hell does that mean?

I asked to nobody in particular and the storm that seemed to come from outside grew stronger, much more stronger. Banging against the ceiling like a battering ram, it tried to seep through it but to no avail.

...Then it calmed down, leaving a heavy rain coming from somewhere and the alarm that we all learned to understand.

https://youtu.be/5hMm3ep-pZA

Y/N: This again?

BongBong: BongBong!

She jumped up to her feet and looked around in a strategic manner, asserting the situation. Still recovering from the alarm going off, I stood up a few moments after and looked everywhere, witnessing the office workers starting to fear for their own lives.

Office worker: W-What's going on?

Intercom: Pale anomaly detected, Qliphoth Meltdown required to attempt reset.

Y/N: ...Qliphoth Meltdown.

Office worker 2: I can't contact the adjacent department, what should we do?

Y/N: Uh-

Office worker 3: Where is Tiphereth, what are we supposed to do?!

Office worker 4: We're not trained for this, we're all going to die!

Y/N: Calm down everyone!

With the Sephirah not present, it was up to the captain, me, to deal with the situation and find a proper procedure. Grabbing the attention of everyone in the room, I made them gather around me and cleared my mind.

Y/N: Alright, as your captain, it's up to me to keep control of the Central Command team while Tiphereth is not present. The last thing we want to do is panic, keep your calm and assess the situation.

Snapping my fingers quickly, I pointed at one of the office workers.

Y/N: Quick, report of the facility!

Office worker 2: Welfare team is not responding to any of our attempts of communication, the other teams are still operational.

Y/N: BongBong, go check the Welfare team, make sure to look for dead bodies if we have to.

BongBong: BongBong!

Responding with a salute, she rushed to the stairs leading to the second level of the department with her gun ready. Turning back to the workers who are still waiting for my instructions, I immediately ordered them to scatter and locate any possible damages to the containment chambers.

???: What should we do?

One of the agents working under Tiphereth's guidance made her way upstairs and asked for my instructions as well. While she may be working on the second team that the department has, unlike the others, I was still the captain and I had to rely information to the second team as well.

Y/N: Right, tell the employees of the lower floor to perform an examination of the containment rooms. Also, I need a report on the current abnormalities residing in the Central Command team, we need to proceed with an ermergency plan as soon as possible.

???: Right!

Y/N: What's your name?

???: Uh, isn't it a bad time to learn that?

Y/N: It'll make communication easier.

???: True.

Standing highly, she flashed a smile in my direction and introduced herself.

???: Marisa Kirisame, level 5 employee with 5s all across the board!

Y/N: Mari, we'll go with that.

Marisa: Woah, already going to nicknames.

Y/N: Status report.

Marisa: On it!

She rushed back to the stairs and I turned to greet the office workers of my floor returning from their inspection.

Office worker: Snow Queen's containment chamber is working perfectly fine.

Office worker 2: Same for the Heart of Aspiration.

Office worker 3: Nothing There behaving normally, no malfunction to the door.

Office worker 4: Big Bird is also cleared, no anomalies found!

Y/N: Great, we just have to wait for the report of the lower floor and BongBong's return.

Turning to where she left, I saw her emerge from the door with not a single scratch on her. She walked in our direction and stopped in front of me.

Y/N: Anything?

BongBong: BongBong.

Y/N: ...That doesn't help.

BongBong: ...

She shook her arms around and tried to demonstrate something but with a lack of communication from her part, I couldn't tell what she was referring to.

Y/N: Did you see anything?

She nodded.

Y/N: Any employees?

She shook her head.

Y/N: I'll go take a look once I receive the report and issue the orders, we have no time to waste. Go to the Disciplinary team and see if they have an explanation for this mess. You know, them being part of the middle floor too.

BongBong: BongBong!

She ran back down the stairs and rushed right past Marisa who just entered the room with a pile of documents. Not wasting time, she ran to the table next to me and landed everything on it.

Marisa: That was too heavy... too heavy.

Y/N: Abnormalities?

Marisa: Laetitia, Melting Love and Knight of Depair are perfectly fine.

Y/N: What about the 4th one?

Marisa: We stumbled into an anomaly with WhiteNight's room, we cannot stabilize the Qliphoth Deterrence, going in would be extremely dangerous.

Y/N: *Sigh* No idea what that means, should have paid more attention to the manual they gave us.

Clearing my mind, I adjusted my thoughts and glanced back at the girl standing beside me.

Y/N: They say that the Qliphoth Meltdowns are needed to attempt a reset, someone must relay the information to the Manager.

Marisa: They're already on it.

Y/N: Make sure that no one goes into the containment room, we cannot predict the abnormalities in this state.

It was like when the gas began to circulate when Malkuth broke down, we just needed to complete the day to stop this disaster and complete it as fast as possible.

Marisa: But we can't sir, it goes against the codes.

Y/N: What codes?

Marisa: Here.

She handed me a document and I began reading through it in diagonal.

'Repetive attendance is necessary to contain the abnormality for it can reduce its own Qliphoth Counter, if left unattended'

Y/N: Nonetheless, it remains an Aleph, we can't allow random people to go in there.

Plus, I don't even remember that abnormality ever being in the facility, where did it come from? That question aside, Alephs are the most dangerous kind of abnormalities, we have to remain cautious at all time.

Y/N: Pale damage... who has the best Pale resistance?

Marisa: That would be Alter Ego and...

Y/N: ...And?

Marisa: I don't know, we never received her name.

Y/N: Send her to keep WhiteNight in check.

Marisa: She's in the Disciplinary team though.

Y/N: Great... exactly what we needed.

With no direct way to communicate with the higher-ups, it was up to us to complete the dangerous tasks given. With no knowledge whatsoever, I knew that it would be quite the hurdle.

Y/N: Go back and tell the others to start working on Laetitia and Knight of Despair if nobody received her blessing.

Marisa: I will!

The conversation completed, I sat down and continued searching through the files spread on the desk. Meanwhile, the clerks were running around doing their tasks of keeping the department in order.

Y/N: Don't overdue it everyone, we still have a long way to go!

Office workers: Yes captain!

Afterwards, I remembered that I promised BongBong to go check the Welfare team. Standing up, I warned everyone of my temporary departure and ran through the hallways to reach the main rooms. Above my head, the sound of rain could be heard, tapping against metal.

Y/N's mind: Time to see what she saw.

Opening the door, I stepped inside and witnessed a massive abomination looming above my small body. The thing seemed uninterested by my presence and completely ignored me, staring into nothingness.

Y/N: ...What the.

'Let my employees rest in peace'

It was talking to itself, watching the wall on the other side, staring at something invisible. Its body was slowly moving in place and felt like an illusion but a more profound investigation proved me that it was the real deal.

Y/N: ...

Unfortunately, I couldn't do much about that thing, mostly the culprit behind the disappearance of the Welfare team and so, I turned around and left, ignoring the words that it muttered. With the goal of keeping the facility in one piece, a new day in this eternal hell arose along with its new challenge.

Y/N: Let's get this over with.