NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 193: The Nest
"What happened here?" Delta muttered, surveying the partially submerged building, its recent collapse evident.
Though she didn't understand why that red-haired woman had abandoned her in these ruins, she had grown attached to the children living here.
It reminded her of her time at the orphanage. Back then, she and Liliya had been the most mischievous of the bunch, but everyone had indulged them.
Now, it was her turn to care for others.
"If Liliya were here, I…" Her voice trailed off. She shook off the melancholy. "It's alright. That woman said Liliya is safe. One day, I'll complete my mission and return to her. She'll be so surprised. She might not even recognize her awesome big sister."
Lost in thought, Delta finally reached the location Sora had described.
Signs of a recent battle were everywhere. Fortunately, she quickly located Sora's lost supplies and the small robot.
"Found it." She picked up the robot, activating its power switch. Maruku, having shut down from the impact, whirred back to life.
A smile touched Delta's lips as Maruku floated unsteadily across the square, towards the rubble of a collapsed building. There, amidst the debris, lay the white-haired girl, fast asleep.
…
"Don't go!" Kiana cried out, jolting awake. She reached out, grasping at the fading image in her dream, but her hand closed on empty air.
Her breath came in ragged gasps, a hollow ache in her chest. It took a long time for her racing heart to calm.
As her mind cleared, she took in her surroundings. She lay on a makeshift bed in a small, crudely constructed room.
Walls of sheet metal and wood, a roof of tarpaulin and corrugated iron. Faint light filtered through cracks in the wooden planks.
Following the light, she found the door. A wave of cold air greeted her as she pushed it open.
Night had fallen. The moon bathed the surrounding structures in its pale light.
It was a ramshackle shantytown, but judging by the scattered debris, it had been inhabited for some time.
Having witnessed the devastation of Nagazora firsthand, Kiana knew the official story. Schicksal claimed all survivors had been rescued. Now, she doubted that claim.
Judging by the moon's position, it was well past midnight. The shantytown was eerily silent, its inhabitants presumably asleep.
The cold night air sharpened her mind. She walked along the moonlit paths, her footsteps quiet. A figure blocked her way.
"It's late. Even if you're awake, you should stay inside." Kiana followed the voice, spotting a young girl perched atop a utility pole.
"Are you on watch?" Kiana asked.
"What else? You're in my bed. And you're a stranger. We're not exactly comfortable with that." Delta jumped down, eyeing Kiana warily.
"Thank you," Kiana murmured.
She started to speak again, but Delta held up a hand. "Don't mention it. The best thing you can do is go back to sleep and leave in the morning. If you can reach this city alone, you're clearly not ordinary. This city isn't safe. Leave while you can."
"What about you? You don't seem to be from here either. Why haven't you left?"
Delta remained silent, her gaze fixed on the small, makeshift homes. Somewhere along the way, this place had become her home too.
"I have my reasons." She sighed, leaning against a railing, her gaze distant. If she could, she would leave immediately, embark on her search for her sister. But abandoning the children of the Nest… she couldn't bring herself to do it.
"Funny. Me too." Kiana stood beside her, gazing at the flooded city.
They stood in silence, the moonlight a silent testament to their shared longing.
…
The next morning, Kiana learned that the inhabitants of the shantytown were all children, survivors left behind during the disaster, for various reasons, unable to reach Schicksal's evacuation efforts.
Fortunately, they had found a teacher, someone who had gathered them together, helping them scavenge for supplies and survive in the ruined city.
This shantytown, the Nest, had been built with their teacher's help. The children couldn't have gathered or transported the materials themselves. B
ut their teacher only appeared every few months, bringing much-needed supplies. It hadn't been long since her last visit, so even Delta hadn't seen her.
Kiana, a newcomer, hadn't earned their trust immediately. Undeterred, she used her skills to gather more supplies for them.
Within a couple of days, the initial wariness faded. They accepted her presence among them.
But Kiana had her own agenda. She was waiting for another chance to see Ren.
Based on the information he had left, Schicksal was planning an experiment in this city, an experiment that required Ren's assistance. That would be her opportunity to see him again.