Chapter 12: Bullet Time

She suddenly recalled her time at the convent, where she would often stand in the church bell tower, gazing out at the distant highway.

Every year, on the convent's open house day, families vetted by Sisters Elma and Gerding would be allowed inside to adopt the children they had their eyes on. Back then, she and Boheng would wait together in the bell tower, guessing which children would be chosen that year to leave with their new families.

New parents meant a new home and a new life. While this was part of the convent’s charitable mission, she and Boheng had never caught the eye of any prospective parents—Boheng had chosen to stay, refusing to leave in such a manner, while Hesta, for various reasons, had never been presented to the public.

At this moment, Hesta’s focus shifted away from her physical pain. She peered toward the end of the road, where Miss Chiba’s rapid-fire words had vanished along with the hatchback. Standing once again in a high place, she realized that the gentle elders and kind friends of her past were all gone; she remained as solitary as ever.

"Don't be afraid."

Hesta suddenly felt a pair of hands rest on her shoulders. She turned to see Valenti looking at her with a smile.

"Shall I take you to your dormitory?"

...

The dormitory building for the reservists was a retro, four-story structure. The first and second floors housed lounge areas, training rooms, and a small library. The third and fourth floors were the living quarters, with boys on the third and girls on the fourth, each floor equipped with restrooms and communal showers at either end.

Hesta followed Valenti, treading slowly up the old staircase—there was not even an elevator.

"There are over two hundred active Mercury Needles in the Third District, and sixty-seven reservists here in Tan-yi City. Except for a few currently out on internships, most of them live here," Valenti said with a smile. "Let’s see, your room... ah, it’s 403."

Valenti’s voice trailed off, and she suddenly chuckled. "Your ID number ends in 403, and you've been assigned to room 403. You really do have a connection with that number."

Valenti’s voice was gentle and cheerful as she showed Hesta the fitness areas and the communal lounge on the first floor. It was around four in the afternoon, and with everyone else in another building for classes, the dormitory felt empty.

According to Valenti, the residents would start returning after seven in the evening. They would spend their time in the gym or the library until ten before heading up to the third or fourth floors to sleep—a routine that repeated every day.

However, as they passed the communal showers, they both heard the faint sound of sobbing.

Valenti’s smile vanished almost instantly, replaced by a look of concern. She asked Hesta to wait while she went to see what was wrong, but Hesta followed close behind to find the source of the crying.

The sound of sobbing mingled with the splashing of water. In a corner of the women’s changing room, they found a girl curled up on a wooden bench against the wall. She was wearing a freshly changed short-sleeved shirt, her face buried in her arms, her damp brown hair obscuring most of her features.

Valenti recognized her immediately but did not approach.

"All right, all right, Miss Hesta." Valenti stepped away quietly and quickly used her phone to notify a colleague. "Let's go. I’ll take you to see your room..."

Hesta looked back, feeling uneasy. "Shouldn't we check on her?"

"Someone will come for her, but perhaps she prefers to be alone right now."

"Do you know her?"

"Of course," Valenti smiled. "I know everyone here. Her name is Turan, and she also lives in 403."

Turan. Hesta committed the name to memory. After a moment, she asked, "Why was she crying?"

"Well," Valenti pondered for a moment, "I believe it’s because her time is too short to join the front-line teams and participate in combat against the Chelate-Organisms. She has always hoped to be one of them, just like Masaki."

"Is she suffering from a serious illness?"

"No," Valenti looked at Hesta with mild surprise. "Why do you ask?"

"You said her time was too short..."

"Ah," Valenti realized, then smiled. "That’s not what I meant, Miss Hesta. Miss Turan is quite healthy and diligent in her training; she will surely live for a very long time. By 'time,' I meant the 'Bullet Time' of every Mercury Needle. It determines how long they can stay on the battlefield when fighting the Chelate-Organisms."

Hesta slowed her pace. "What is... Bullet Time?"

Valenti looked surprised. "Masaki didn't tell you?"

Hesta shook her head.

Valenti explained, "From the moment a Mercury Needle is discovered until they can truly enter combat, they typically undergo two awakenings. The first usually occurs during their initial encounter with a Chelate-Organism. Bullet Time is a talent that all Mercury Needles possess after their 'second awakening'... You’ve seen a Chelate-Organism with your own eyes, haven't you?"

"Yes."

Valenti paused. "When you were face-to-face with the Chelate-Organism, did you feel anything unusual?"

"Anything unusual..." Hesta fell silent for a moment. The strange sight of everything slowing down flashed through her mind. "A little."

"About 78 percent of Mercury Needles experience something strange during their first awakening, usually a burning sensation or pain in their body," Valenti said softly. "After the first awakening, a Mercury Needle emits a unique scent that allows others of their kind to recognize them."

Hesta hesitated, looking down to sniff her own clothes with concern.

Valenti laughed. "Don't worry, ordinary people cannot smell it. Only a small number of Chelate-Organisms and certain Mercury Needles with keen senses can detect it—besides, the scent is very faint and disappears after your second awakening."

"I see..." Hesta murmured.

"These are minor matters, nothing to worry about," Valenti continued. "After the second awakening, the emergence of 'Bullet Time' is the most significant change. It refers to the duration a Mercury Needle can maintain their combat state. During this period, our speed, strength, vision, and hearing are all significantly enhanced."

"...Does it make you as fast as a bullet?"

"You could put it that way," Valenti answered. "A Mercury Needle in this state can easily catch a bullet in flight."