Dominos: Zero Point Awakening

Chapter 31: The Distant Dreams

Captain Agatha stood before us, her face etched with the gravity of the choice she had made.

“If what Cipher says is true, then we must fight!” she declared, her voice unwavering. “Wardark was one of us. For reasons we can’t yet fathom, he’s turned his back on everything this force stands for—fighting for humanity. As your captain, I bear equal blame for not seeing this betrayal coming. He’s already taken over ten million lives, and that number climbs every second. I don’t doubt Commander Grey’s strength, but after what we witnessed on Raspberry Island, we can only imagine the fate of our soldiers if Wardak rivals that monster’s power. We know his tactics, and we’re stronger than we were yesterday. We’re the only ones who can stop him before he claims more lives. This isn’t an order—it’s a request. No one will face consequences if you choose to walk away.”

Our squad had been fractured.

Loid Anderson was dead, Drake imprisoned for his murder. Zack had vanished, and Victor had likely abducted Alessandra once again. To top it off, Diego had walked away.

Everyone was on edge, dreading what lay ahead. This mission, we knew, would be even tougher than the last, pushing us to our absolute limits.

William stepped forward, his tone firm and resolute. “I’ve stared death in the face and lived to tell the tale. I won’t run this time. I trust you, Captain. We all do. Whatever you decide, we’re with you.”

“We’re warriors, we don’t run way from battle!”

“We shall face this head-on!”

“No retreat no surrender!”

Yukio, Dmitry and Billie resolutely affirmed.

We were now a team of eight Neogens: the twins, William, Yukio, Sane, Dmitry, myself, and Captain Agatha. Even with our newly awakened abilities, we were still far away from matching the powers of threats such as Hira 125. Drawing on the known powers of Billie, Bill-board, Dmitry, William, and the Captain, we formulated a plan to confront Wardak. Hoping it give us a chance to defeat him.

Once the strategy was laid out, Captain Agatha departed to seek General Flick’s aid, leaving us to hone our abilities in line with the plan. It was a strong framework, yet riddled with gaps—too many unknowns left unaddressed.

I knew from experience that I’d be little help without 2.0’s support. So, I stepped outside the base, perched on a tree branch, and began devising a backup plan.

Meditating, I focused on awakening the Solid State, hoping to persuade 2.0 to join the fight against Wardak. That’s when a presence stirred below. Opening my eyes, I spotted Sane gazing up at me.

Her eyes sharp as a hawk

“Sane, hey. What’s up?” I called out.

Wordlessly, she scaled the tree and stood on a branch just behind me. The silence between us crackled with awkwardness.

Then she spoke, her voice pitched high in a mock-fierce tone that bordered on comical. “I heard you’re the one who saved me from the blast on the island.”

“It was nothing,” I brushed it off. “Don’t worry about it. We’re comrades—we’ve got each other’s backs.”

She was trying to push me away with that tough facade, but I saw through it. “Why didn’t you tell them?” she pressed. “That... that I’m a...”

“That you’re a girl?” I finished for her. “I figured you had your reasons for keeping it hidden. It doesn’t bother me. We all carry our own secrets.”

Abruptly, she half-drew her sword. “I don’t care what you think. If you want to keep your head on your neck, you better not go blabbing about me.”

“What are you doing?” I asked, caught off guard.

“If you know what’s good for you, heed this warning!” she snapped.

I chuckled lightly. “That’s one thing I’ve never been good at—knowing what’s best for me.”

She fully unsheathed her sword, leveling it at me.

“Calm down!” I exclaimed. “I was joking. I won’t tell a soul. Lately, I’ve felt this need to laugh as much as possible before everything changes. But no matter how hard I try, nothing’s funny anymore. When I was a kid...”

“I’m leaving,” Sane cut in. “I’ll be watching you.”

“Wait,” I caught her shoulder, halting her. Her voice, even sharp as it was, somehow lifted the weight from my shoulders, if only for a moment. I wanted to keep talking, even if it meant baring my soul. “Please, just listen. You don’t have to say anything. I need to get this off my chest—at least to one person.”

To my surprise, she sat down. “You’ve got three minutes,” she said.

“Ever since I can remember—and lately, I remember almost everything—the world’s never made sense to me. My family was judged for my father’s mistakes. My older brother Kled cut ties with our family, left home, and fell into drugs. With his cunning, he rose fast as a dealer, becoming one of the city’s most wanted. But life got even tougher for me. I was tormented at school, head down every day. I thought if I kept pushing forward, our family could hold together—that I could still protect my mom and sister. Even as a kid, I felt that burden was mine. But then they targeted my sister. I couldn’t stand by while they tore my family apart. I craved strength more than anything I’d ever wanted. So when Number One offered me those vials, claiming they’d turn anyone superhuman, I didn’t hesitate. I took nine of them to finally take down Randy, my bully. Nine vials meant to forge an army of a thousand super soldiers.”

Sane’s eyes widened. “You took nine vials? How are you still alive?”

“I don’t know,” I confessed. “Those vials could’ve created nine hundred soldiers as powerful as Victor or Wardak. And here I am, not even strong enough to beat one person. What if we lose this war? I can’t shake the feeling it’ll be my fault.”

Sane’s tone softened. “We won’t lose to anyone. And if anything, you did the right thing taking those vials. Otherwise, we’d be facing more lunatics with world-breaking power. You’re not responsible for what happens to others. We’re all just trying to survive—and happiness isn’t always the endgame.”

Her words eased the fear gnawing at me. After relentless battles and brutal choices, I’d been terrified of losing every shred of good in my life. “I don’t think happiness is possible for me in this world anymore. I’m scared I won’t be strong enough to protect the people I love.”

“If you look deep enough,” she said, “you’ll find something bigger than duty to fight for—a purpose beyond your own happiness, a sacrifice for others.”

“Something beyond my happiness?” I murmured, lost in the thought. I’d been so consumed by the war that I’d forgotten who I was. Turning to her, I asked, “What will you do after the war?”

She looked skyward. “I’ve only ever had one dream: to live with my sister on a distant island, waking to the sound of waves. Even if it’s just for a day, I want to live without a single thought weighing me down. That’s all I want.”

Her dream—to escape her burdens for even a day—hit me hard. I wanted to ask about her past, but I feared my questions would dig up the pain she wanted to bury. For now, for the mission, we both had to stay focused. But silently, I vowed to bring back the smile the world had taken from her.