Chapter 8 - Definition of Humanity

In another large room in the estate, three Argents were lounging around waiting for Lu Han to come back with Kai and the woman they heard so much about. It was a standard marble gathering room where chaises and tables were typically placed. The majority of the room was on a slight lower level with stairs connecting to the main flooring by the entrance. 

The Argent who accompanied Lu Han to the Bunshi Death Camp, Byun Baek Hyun, was sitting in one of the chaises playing with a crystal ball with a light inside. He had a chain wrapped around his right arm with an emblem shaped like an eight-point star. It was also tattooed on his right wrist, from the eagle Crux he summoned during the rescue mission with Lu Han. He had a playful and innocent look on his face as he tilted the ball in different angles to pick up some new changes of the contained light.

The second was gazing over the view of the secret society through the large window used for a wall. He was holding a wine glass of water in his hand. His other hand was his teardrop emblem hung on a chain with the same emblem marked on his exposed left collarbone. The third Argent had a laid-back expression on his face while taking a light nap on a couch across from the first Argent. He bore a ring with an emblem shaped like a phoenix. He suddenly snapped his eyes open and broke the comfortable silence.

“They’re here,” he muttered with his deep voice that contrasted his youthful face. Right on cue, Lu Han opened the door with Kai and Ja Young following him. Ja Young had trouble changing clothes with only one arm earlier so she wore simple attire. She was clad in a plain white shirt and a black cardigan. The right sleeve was empty. She wore simple black form-fitting pants and heeled ankle boots. When she got out of bed into new clothes, Kai insisted on helping her walk but she gave him a look that made him back away.

The three Argents turned their attention to Kai and Ja Young as Lu Han led them to the sitting area. The one by the window didn’t move from his position.

Everyone was still silent when the two escapees sat on the couch. “You’ve been running around causing trouble again, haven’t you?” The deep-voiced man inquired at Kai, who hung his head low.

“Guess you meant it when you wanted some freedom away from here.” The light-user commented, “But enough of that.” He turned his attention to Ja Young. “You must know by now where you are and how you got here.”

“I know that this is the secret society of the Argents but no one elaborated on this to me. There has to be more behind this.” Ja Young replied.

“This is not just a secret society. This dimension, Lotis, was built by the first Argents many years ago during the first century of Shugo's rebirth. In the society, there are numerous groups called Factions, with a specific number in charge of one duty to serve. We are Faction Twenty Four, but we are still lacking members. Our duty is to find and recruit young and hopeful Argents that could notably serve the society. Kai left the group for a short while until he met you and your sister. Some of our own members are still searching outside Lotis, aware that they would be more in danger that way."

"The Daemens were created after three peaceful centuries as a small clan. We, Argents, were deceived until a hundred years ago when the clan grew to a large colony gearing to wipe our population from existence.” Lu Han explained. “I am not sure whether you know this but at the camp, the two of you just escaped from, they were trying to extract information on how to get here.”

“The more Daemens kill the Argents, the more powerful they will become. When Argents die, their life force would leave the body and the remants of the Daemen energy that kill them will replace the life force and turn them into Daemens themselves. Our race is steadily dying and Daemens will never stop hunting until we are eliminated,” the Argent by the window spoke up when he came to join the conversation.

“Su Ho,” the light-user warned.

“If this society is doing what it can to save our race, then why weren’t we rescued from that Death Camp earlier‽ I understand the war between Argents and Daemens but my twin sister is still there! I can’t sit here and watch others take their time to make things better for Shugo!” Ja Young raised her voice.

The one sitting on the couch beside her took her left arm and set her down. “If you go, then you will surely die without accomplishing anything.” His tone changed to a serious one.

“Chan Yeol’s right. Human-born Argents are more valuable to risk losing.” Lu Han added.

“Her sister is also Human-born. She’s just as important as Ja Young.” Kai took her side of the debate. “That Death Camp will continue to kill Argents every minute; every second. If we can’t stop it before all of them are dead, they won’t be beaten. Hye Young's ability is too powerful for her body to contain and the longer she is kept as hostage, the quicker she'll die of her own ability, or even worse: her own Crux will have a good chance of showing up and it will kill her.” The last sentence made Ja Young's throat run dry, hoping that his hypothesis wouldn't be true.

“The both of you have to realize that the Daemen Lord is not as cowardly as you think. He wouldn’t even lift a finger to kill you because it is that easy. Once he finds out about her, he will not hesitate to kill her and take her ability as his own,” Baek Hyun said. "The Cruxes are the same. Once the Daemens take hold of a fallen Argent's ability, the Cruxes will also be obtained but they will be tainted in darkness and their power would also lose their purity. All they would bring would not be justice, but rather calamity."

“Baek Hyun, there isn’t any time left. The Solar Eclipse will be coming. It’s sooner than many of us thought. It’s our deadline to stay alive.” Kai reasoned. Another moment of silence sifted across the room as the Argents were speechless from the inevitable truth.

“Ja Young can help us, Lu Han. All she needs is an arm.” Kai turned to the delicate telekinetic-user. Lu Han motioned for her to hold out her arm. He held it in his palms, pressed his fingers against her pulse, closed his eyes and tried to measure her life force. When he managed to get a glimpse of one stream, he let out a small yelp as he stumbled back a bit. ‘She’s too strong for me to figure out. In fact, she is too strong for a Human-born Argent,’ he thought. ‘Only one android arm can hopefully match her.’

Lu Han and Baek Hyun led Kai and Ja Young to a hidden corridor of the estate. As they were walking, Ja Young thought about the information she learned from Lu Han. It made her uneasy. She touched the end of her remaining arm in anxiety. Kai saw her nervous expression and worriedly, but hesitantly grasped her shoulder. She turned her head. He gave her a lopsided smile, telling her that it’ll be okay.

Ja Young didn’t realize how a smile suited his once impish face. She tried to suppress her blush and shyly smiled back, only just the slightest. She moved her hand away from her arm and turned her attention to the chamber in front of them.

“Baek Hyun, stay here with Kai. I’ll be right back.” The light-user nodded and stepped back. Lu Han opened the door and motioned Ja Young to follow. She turned around to Kai for a second before going in.

“Could I ask why the scientists keep android arms?” Ja Young quietly asked.

“They belonged to one of the first Argents who built this society. He sacrificed his arm to conduct experiments that involve with the natural power of Shugo. However, I suggest you shouldn’t get too ambitious about that because that was why the power of the strongest arm killed him.” Lu Han gravely answered. Ja Young breath hitched in at the consequence. 

“You’re too strong, Ja Young, but you have enough control in order to face your first obstacle out of many that have yet to come.”

"If I am too strong, then could none of these arms carry my ability?"

"That will depend on this. The only one I could see the potential within you is the one that killed the creator. That means that there is a chance that it could kill you too."

He stopped at the last chamber at the back of the room. “You have to go on by yourself. We are forbidden to be in the presence of the android arm by itself.” Ja Young took off her cardigan and gave it to Lu Han. “What do I have to do?” 

“You just have to touch it and attach it, but I have to warn you. It will try to resist you unless you release your life force into the arm.” Lu Han patted her shoulder and lightly pushed her forward. She opened the door and went inside.

Locking the door behind her, she walked up to the pedestal and gazed at the arm resting on the hands of the statue. The metal that was used to construct it was a silvery color with a bit of opal’s runes. The palm was facing upwards with a space shaped like an oval. There were lines drawn on the forearm. 

Ja Young ed three buttons of her shirt and pulled it off her right shoulder to expose her bandaged arm. She unraveled the cloth and set it on the floor beside her. Her remaining arm was cleaned and the skin was starting to reform on the severed end. 

She reached out her hand to the arm but sparks made her react and repel. She took out her leather glove and with much difficulty, she slipped it on. Taking a deep breath, she tried again. When the sparks appeared again, she didn’t pull away but she continued to reach out for it. The electricity was starting to sting but she managed to grab onto it. She closed her eyes and imagined some of her life energy flowing from her hand to the arm. The electricity spread from her hand to her entire body as she struggled against the pain. She never felt so much resistance in her life that she wanted to drop the arm and walk away. She led the end of the android arm to hers and an astonishing sight occurred. The android arm started to deform and resist against her.

There was a series of images flashing before her eyes. She caught glimpses of different symbols she had never seen before and a place that looked like ruins. She also saw a large tree that briefly flourished in peacefulness, but suddenly withered and was divided in half. There was also a choral song singing in her mind that sounded so sad, mysterious and dark. She saw the sun and the moon slowly disappearing from the sky and a scenery that looked like the apocalypse was destroying the setting around her. Ja Young was then pulled out of the premonition and back to the chamber where her arm was so close to attaching the metal.

Seconds later, a transparent flow of green energy leaked from her stump to the end of the machine. The energy manipulated the deformation and attached to Ja Young. She let out a grunt of pain as she felt the cool metal flow in her bone and bicep muscle. The sparks started to lessen and fade as she began to feel connected. She felt the mechanical muscles of the arm pulsing in synchronicity of her heart that she nearly fell over. The shape shrunk to match the same size of her left arm, accepting Ja Young as the new owner.

Ja Young stood there, frozen and slightly traumatized to realize that she managed to attach the most powerful android arm every created. It couldn't be possible, but it was as if she did achieve the impossible. She dared to move the joint connecting the forearm to the upper arm. 

It moved.

She tried to make a fist.

It twitched at first but it followed her brain. She squeezed it tighter and it obeyed. 

Meanwhile, Kai began to pace outside the room in concern and impatience when he felt a strong force coming from the room. Baek Hyun had the same reaction and opened the door. They ran towards the source of power when Lu Han stopped them. He gave them a look saying that Ja Young was attempting to attach it. After a few minutes, the three members of Faction Twenty Four felt a strong pulse in the midst of the wave. Was she successful? 

Lu Han opened the door and gasped at the sight. 

Ja Young’s half exposed back was facing towards the three men. Her partial didn’t stop them from being astounded by the machine connected to her. There was a pulse again coming from the arm as she turned her head behind them. She outstretched the arm, flexed the artifical hand and clenched it into a tight fist. There was an odd feeling, as if she was slowly getting further and further away from feeling human, but rather a machine or a soldier instead.