Project Seraphina [LitRPG, Magitech, GL]

I had expected my first day of teaching to go so well. A nice set of lectures to ease myself into the start of my new life as a responsible member of society or whatever bullshit it is that’s prim and proper and right by the tenets of the mainstream ethos. At the very least, it was supposed to be a chance to relax and take a few days— months, preferably— to not be constantly throwing my life on the line. Sit down, do some research, advance my knowledge of [Glyphcasting].

But no, joke’s on me for expecting things to actually go swimmingly for a change. Now I have to, once again, clean up other people’s problems, no thanks to you, Miss Bennett.

“So, what happens now?”

“For now? Nothing. I will be in contact with you again when I have additional information. Until then–”

“I’m going to need a little bit more to go on other than just ‘okay, keep in touch, see you later’. If you want my help, you’re going to have to loop me in with what’s going on.”

Clara takes the pictures and secrets them back away into her [Inventory]. “I apologize, Miss Mortensen. Even if I were authorized to give you that information, there’s the matter that I simply don’t have that information to give you in the first place.”

I try to protest, but she continues before I can get a word in edgewise.

“And before you accuse me of lying, please understand that the handling of classified information works on a principle of compartmentalization and need-to-know. I was judged not to need to know what sort of plans are going on beyond what I needed to know to interview you.”

“Then I’ll see you and your handler when you’re ready to start working with me rather than barking orders as though you and your organization have any sort of power over me.”

“Indeed. Then I shall take my leave.”

Clara leaves without another word, her poise and posture still so unflappable even after being properly told off. I guess she did basically get everything she wanted, and was probably accustomed to dealing with far less savory individuals than a young woman with three chips on her shoulders. Damned cops.

The auditorium is long cleared out, with only about thirty syllabi remaining out of the original six hundred. Jeremy departed a long time ago, thankfully before my little display with Clara— still pissed about that. I want to go back to my office and just disappear for the next hour, but I should— No, I should go back there. If someone is looking for me, that would be the most logical place to look. At least there’s no homework today that I need to start grading.

I can breathe a small sigh of relief at that bit of good fortune. With the immediate threat gone and no further need to posture against a potentially hostile agent, I stow Filia back into my [Inventory] along with the remaining syllabi before departing the now empty auditorium.

I don’t get more than three steps outside the auditorium before I’m stopped by another individual, a man who seems a bit old to be a student but doesn’t have the look of a faculty member. Judging by the clean-shaven face and his posture, I’m assuming he’s military, and if that’s the case, the only explanation is that the good Major wants a word or three with me at some point.

“Miss Mortensen,” he says. “I carry an urgent missive for you.”

He pulls a sealed note out of his [Inventory] and presents it to me. Before I get a chance to open it, he speaks again.

“Please open that note somewhere secure and destroy it when you are done reading it.” His eyes look up for a brief moment. “We cannot be aware of who might be listening in, or watching. Now then, I must take my leave.”

He runs off in a blur, even before I stash the note away. It would shock me if he didn’t have some sort of [Courier] class, given how fast he was, with additional Skills to allow him to move faster. Fortunately, he didn’t appear hostile; speedsters are definitely among the most annoying enemies to fight, and I wouldn’t be confident in my ability to fight him without a lot of collateral damage best left avoided.

I make my way back to my office, thankfully with a hundred percent less paparazzi fanfare trying to accost me with my every step. Once I’m in my office, I lock the door, sit at my desk, and sigh. No rest for the weary, indeed.

The letter isn’t postmarked or signed in any capacity. I worry briefly about the potential for foul play, especially just after my conversation with Clara, but that doesn’t make much sense to me. I hadn’t outright rejected Clara, and I didn’t think the U.S. government was going to send an assassin after me so soon. I could wait for Chloe, just in case. Might be better, but after how stressful today has already been, I really don’t want the added stress of yet another unknown hanging over my shoulders.

I read the note.

To my lovely daughters,

I trust that this letter will make its way into your hands. I want to apologize once again that I have still been unable to find the time to see you ever since the arrival of the System, but circumstances beyond my control have continued to demand my attention. Please know that it hurts more than I can express in words to go so long without you, the twin stars in my life.

Sera, I trust that either have or soon will learn about another you working on behalf of the Legion. I have vouched for your integrity and worldly compassion again and again to my coworkers, and will speak wholeheartedly as to your innocence regarding the recent tragedies, to all who will listen. However, I know that there are many individuals who will choose to believe otherwise, who will not be convinced by your words, not knowing the truth.

You, my daughters, have been wronged many times before. I wish and pray desperately I could protect you from the consequences of my own mistakes, but I am too feeble to intercede, in body and heart alike. I know that you will face a heavy responsibility, one which ought never to have been placed on ones so young.

I do not ask that you forgive me for what I’ve done. Lord knows that I do not deserve it. I will ask only that you forgive me that I have not been forthright with you both, about a great many things. Rules about operational security and confidentiality have prevented me from giving you the information about yourself that you have long needed to know. However, recent circumstances have dictated that blindly abiding by such conventions for their own sake is no longer in the nation’s, world’s, or indeed, the entire universe’s best interest.

It is time for the truth of Project Seraphina to come to light, and for you both to learn exactly why I did what I did, twenty years ago.

I store the note away in my [Inventory]. Silly me, thinking that reading that note was going to actually answer some questions, rather than leading me down a rabbit hole of dozens more.

I already knew from Theo— after everything, I still can’t bear to call him my father— that Chloe’s father was intimately involved with whatever happened with my rebirth. But now, he’s mentioned ‘both of us’. But there was no Chloe that I have memories of from that past life. Maybe she was someone I met on Arbarra beyond the point where my memories stop, although that begs the question of how she became involved with what was a secret project by Drs. Mazerie and Chotono to impart my original self with power separate from and in opposition to the System.

What’s just as odd is that this is the second such note I’ve gotten from him in just the past week. First, he’s saying that he’s going to be gone for an indefinite period of time for reasons he still refuses to elaborate upon, and now he says it’s time to reveal his involvement in whatever is going on here. Is that because of the other Seraphina? It’s the only explanation my mind can surmise.

I know that I still don’t know a lot of things, and that lack of knowledge is going to drive me crazy for the next two years. Deep breaths, Seraphina. Let’s not completely unwind ourselves. A quick flight over the city? I could call Chloe, but I’d rather not talk about this via phone; can’t be sure who’s listening in. I’d dare not hope for such a thing and ruin the tenuous peace we currently enjoy, but if there were someone or something causing trouble that I could take some stress out on…

More deep breaths. For now, I–

A knock on my door. Time to set my sources of stress aside and deal with the current problem, begging the good goddess above that this isn’t going to be yet more deep shit coming to bite me in the ass.

It’s Amalia. I invite her in and the two of us sit back down on opposite sides of my desk.

“Is everything alright?” I ask.

“I feel like I should be asking you the same, Miss– er, Seraphina. Sorry, I know you don’t want to be so formal with me, but it’s difficult to unlearn ingrained habits.”

This actually elicits a chuckle. “I understand and can relate. A lot more than you think.”

“Oh? How so?”

“I mean, can’t everyone? Six months ago, I was some nobody, a random girl in high school hoping to get enough scholarship funding to be able to go to college at all. Now, here I am, considered one of the foremost authorities on Ethertech research and glyphs analysis, lecturing about the arrival of a magical System to an audience of hundreds in person and probably thousands more online. Oh, and fighting giant kaiju straight out of a cheap Japanese B-movie. That too.”

“Okay, yeah, I guess I see your point. Anyway, I just wanted to see if you needed anything else after your meeting with that one woman.”

“No, I– Actually,” I think after a moment, “I may need some help with logistical matters. I’m likely to have to leave for a few days in early September, and I’m not sure what I’ll need to do to make sure the classes still go on.”

“I don’t think anyone is going to mind if you have to cancel a couple of classes. Trust me, you might think it’s such a big shame to be absent even one lecture, but I’ve been a student long enough to know that no one will complain if a lecture or assignment gets canceled.”

I nod. Not that high school classes were ever canceled; they just hired a substitute to serve as a glorified babysitter.

Amalia continues. “Though you should still make sure you let your department heads know. I know it’s not a big deal; plenty of professors leave for a few days to present at conferences and such.”

I shudder, thinking about having to present for faculty again after last time. “I will make sure to get in contact with them. Anyway, I just wanted to say that I appreciate your stopping by, although I think I’m going to head out for a little bit and clear my head a bit before my next class.”

“I’m glad I could help. And, just to make sure I haven’t forgotten, your Ethertech class is tomorrow afternoon, right?”

“2:00 to 3:15, Tuesday and Thursday, unless something has changed.” I pull out one of those syllabi and hand it to Amalia. “I guess I can check my e-mail tonight and get back to you again tomorrow, just in case things have changed.”

“Sounds good. I’ll meet with you before class. See you then.”

We shake hands as we depart, Amalia heading off to her next class while I head back up to the ground floor and from there outside and up into the skies.

It always feels so calm and relaxing high above it all. Just an opportunity to think and enjoy the relative quiet away from everyone else, to take deep breaths and push the many, many troubles until later. Preferably once I’m done with classes for the day and–

“Sera?”

“Chloe?” I ask, my mood instantly brightening at the sound of my girlfriend’s words entering my mind. “Is something up?”

“Nope! Just saw you flying up here and wanted to make sure you were okay.”

“A lot on my mind right now; I just needed to get away for a few minutes.”

Chloe giggles. “I get it. Sometimes I have to step away as well to clear my own mind.”

“Yeah, I’m sure it’s bad when you’re constantly working in the ER.”

“They even have a term for it. Secondary trauma.”

“Anyway, uh, I got a letter from your father a little while ago. I think you should take a look as soon as you can. Nothing bad. Just a lot to think about.”

“Alright, I’ll be there in just a few.”