How To Survive A Calamity

Ceres' reasoning was quite simple; she didn't entirely trust the Lie Detector in this case, but if there was even a slight, remote chance that Victor wasn't also from Garden like she was, then he had to be from somewhere, obviously.

Calling him an Irregular might have been a stretch, maybe... Those guys were Singularities among the Awakened, and only a handful of them had ever appeared throughout history. Common sense or standards did not apply to them, and their very nature and existence made a point to constantly rebrand and redefine their fates and destinies as Awakeneds.

Ceres would know; she had extensive knowledge about Singularities and Awakeneds classified as Irregulars implanted in her from a very tender age, after all. That was the entire point of her existence.

Although it was hard to say with full certainty that Victor was definitely one, Ceres had observed him display certain traits and qualities from afar in the inconsistency between the way the Academy viewed him and how he really was.

The question was, if Victor was truly an Irregular, then why did he need to hide?

Or was he truly hiding, though? What were the chances that the Academy was actually aware of his true nature but also agreed, or decided, to cover it up and play along?

That would explain why Aegis, known to be ruthlessly practical when it came to their prospects, would still allow Victor, whose Talent Evaluation came as Null, to continue as a Cadet.

If right from the get-go he really had no hope as an Awakened or Hero, why would Aegis Academy spend or waste resources in training him alongside other, more advanced prospects like herself?

Unless they secretly saw an underlying value in him as an asset... something like waiting for him to bloom to his real potential.

The more she thought about it, Ceres thought it made sense. It could. These were mere assumptions made from limited observation and facts available, rather than a full-blown detective deduction.

It was like a conspiracy theory at best right now. And oftentimes, those could be wrong, or at the very least, extreme.

But if it was the latter, then she could fall back on her second, likely assumption:

The mysterious backing behind Victor Bright.

A power, or force — something or someone strong enough to raise a prospect like Victor while also managing to keep him a secret. Maybe an organization like Garden. It could even be a rival organization.

How did Ceres come to this assumption? The answer was herself.

Using herself as an example — a mysterious girl out of 'nowhere' with frightening talent at 17; no background, no explanation. Just skill, power, and potential.

What if Victor was just like her?

He deadpanned dryly at her.

"Pardon me, but I don't think I follow."

Was he going to feign ignorance until the end? Or was he really not... an Irregular?

No... If he was, why would he just openly admit it even if she accused him of being one? As far as Victor knew, Ceres hadn't presented any substantial evidence or reasoning beyond assumptions and intuition to back up her claim.

Plus, it was a lot harder to cooperate with someone who had just tried to kill you in an ambush.

In other words... it was a lack of proper communication and proper approach. But Ceres, who had little understanding when it came to sympathizing with certain emotions and feelings of others, had no idea.

Instead, she interpreted Victor's denial as a lack of proper incentive to prompt him.

"You're really crazy if you think you can ambush me in my room and try to accuse me of a bunch of meaningless things. You still haven't even explained why you're here." Meanwhile, Victor was still, rightly, throwing a hissy fit.

Ceres lingered for a few seconds, letting the awkward and tense silence between them fill with the sounds of their breath. Then she spoke, her voice low and slow.

"Eden," she said.

Victor frowned. "...What?"

"You said you don't know it," she continued flatly. "I'll assume you're telling the truth."

"Yeah, no shit—"

"It's an orphanage."

Victor blinked.

"...An orphanage?"

'Oh we're talking about Orphanages now', Victor thought.

Ceres nodded once.

"To the public, it's a global organisation. They take in abandoned children...." She looked at him. " Raise them. Educate them. Give them a place to belong."

She paused for a second.

"People think it's a good place."

Victor narrowed his eyes slightly. "And I'm guessing it's not."

Ceres' gaze didn't change.

"It's not."

Silence hung between them for a brief moment.

Victor shifted a little, wincing as pain shot through his side. "...So what, they treat kids badly or something?"

"No."

That answer came too quickly.

"They treat them well," Ceres continued. "Better than most places, actually."

Victor frowned deeper. "Then what's the problem?"

Ceres looked at him directly this time.

"It's not a home."

Her voice was calm.

"It's a filter." she added, " A funnel."

Victor didn't say anything.

"Eden watches the children it takes in," she went on. "Their behavior. Their growth. Their bodies. Their minds."

Her eyes dimmed slightly.

"They're looking for something."

Victor paused for a brief second, taking her words in the silence. Ceres couldn't tell what he was thinking, but she didn't mind.

If she was going to get Victor to explain himself, she had to as well. That was the conclusion her mind came to.

His grip tightened a bit around his ribs. "...And when they find it?"

Ceres answered without hesitation, but not rushed.

"They take you."

"...huh?"

A short pause.

"Some children get moved," she said. "No explanation. No goodbye. They just disappear."

Victor's expression changed oddly, then slowly hardened. "...And?"

"They're sent somewhere else."

"Where?"

Ceres' lips parted slightly.

Then—

"The Garden."

The name felt heavier when she said it.

Garden... Victor let out a quiet breath.

"...Sounds like a nice place."

"It's not."

Her reply was immediate.

"Eden 'raises' Children. The Garden doesn't."

She shook her head slowly, somberly.

"It's where they raise weapons."

That made Victor go still.

"Children are trained there," Ceres continued. "From a young age. Controlled environment. Strict routines. No freedom."

Her voice didn't shake.

"Everything is designed to shape them into something specific."

Victor stared at her. "Woah, woah, woah. Hold on, you mean... Like soldiers?"

"No."

Ceres shook her head slightly.

"Something more."