The Dream Shifter

Chapter 266

It was always the same. It played out the same way. It never changed. It was his life. Cast in a darkness worn as a cloak. The only clothes he knew. They made him ache.

"Good job, Miltiades!" replied a voice, with a firm pat on the shoulder. "They'll probably promote you soon with the success record you have for captures. How many does this make?"

Miltiades' dead face looked back at the older man. The man was only a few years older than him, but still treated him friendly enough. It was an odd behavior, he discovered. "Fourteen." No one did anything in the Omega Division without a motive and no one used them without one as well.

"Fourteen, damn! Your first year here and that many already." The man grinned a little appearing proud of his achievement. He was Miltiades' senior and mentor within the organization. His name was Iordanes, a man who seemed to have no ambition other than to push others up. A strange man made out of place. "I thought it was a little odd sending someone so new to retrieve emerged ones, but you have a talent for it. I'm sure you'll be receiving higher ranked missions soon enough."

"Thank you, sir," replied Miltiades. There was no warmth in his voice. His answer came as reflex. It barely seemed as though he was alive.

Iordanes patted Miltiades once more before starting to depart. He paused looked back at him with his eyes narrowed a little. "You've done me proud. You're the best junior anyone could ask for. Be proud."

Miltiades remained silent, but a little light returned to his eyes. He walked off into the halls of the Omega Division. Small words were the only thing he found he could live for. The reality was nothing like he dreamed. He thought he found a great honor in his selection for the Omega Division, but only kept finding it not to be like what he envisioned.

The halls of the Omega Division were always crowded and tight, even on inactive days. People gathered around trying to get the last scoop. "Rumors say a request came in from the Scylla family."

"Scylla!? That's huge if it is true."

"I've already got my junior investigating."

"What already? Damn you, how'd you hear about it?"

"I have my ways."

"We'll see about that. You're not the only one that wants the connections the Scylla family holds."

Miltiades continued on ignoring the conversation further. He wanted nothing to do with the politics. It was the part of the Omega Division he hated more than anything else. Everyone used everyone else for their own needs. 'There's nowhere else for me…I just have to keep down and not do anything…this is my life…' He repeated such words on a daily basis to convince himself.

It worked for him, for a while. However, it all changed eventually. Another mission came to him, but not like the others. Iordanes told him his years of service paid off. He received a higher ranked mission made available and Iordanes selected him for it.

The mission was unlike the ones he was used to in the past. He received a file with the details, but was told not to read them until at the mission location. It took him into the capital underground. A place most avoided due to the poverty and danger.

Miltiades held the sealed file in his hands. An unsettling feeling still hung in his stomach from the moment he accepted the mission. He did not know why, but it was already too late for him to turn away. His thoughts went back to the last words Iordanes gave him.

'You complete this mission and you'll seal your position in the Omega Division. This will open many doors for you. This is a very important mission, more than the ones you've carried out before. A mistake or failure here will mean more than just a bad mark.' Iornades never said it, but Miltiades felt as though the situation he was in was far graver than he originally considered. Unfortunately, he was already so deep in he could not back out. It would be failure as well. He heard rumors of what happened to those that failed and he preferred they stayed rumors in his mind.

He opened his field to erase the seal on the file and remove it safely to be read. The uncomfortable dread grew inside him. 'It's just a mission. I complete it and then I just go back to accepting regular missions. This isn't for me.' Miltiades slid a finger into the file and spread the contents open.

Only two papers and a photo rested inside. A simple mission by appearance he thought. Nothing he should to be concerned over. 'Another capture mission, huh?' He saw the photo and quickly made the eap. 'Must be someone powerful if he talked me up that much. What's the intel…' Miltiades found most of it be as he expected, but he found something that disturbed him. His eyes widened and the air in his lungs escaped leaving him almost gasping.

His fingers tightened around the file wrinkling the paper. He could not believe it. Reading it ten times changed nothing in the contents. 'This can't be right! How can this be? Did he know the mission?' The grave look from Iordanes told him he understood. He sent him on the mission knowing. 'He expects me to do this?! Why? I can't…'

'A mistake or failure here will mean more than just a bad mark.'

Miltiades fell back against a column. Every part of him was shaking. He remembered how Iordanes looked when he spoke to him. 'It was a warning! If I don't this is…if I don't…' A weight crushed his shoulders dropping him to the hard stone street. His mind kept going over it all in his mind repeatedly.

Escape was not possible.

He returned to Iordanes with a face even more dead than usual. Miltiades handed over the file and started to leave. A question stopped him. "The mission?"

"Complete," Miltiades answered, unable to turn around.

"Very good. You did well. I'm proud of you."

The words sounded empty to him for the first time. Miltiades glanced over his shoulder back at Iordanes. He saw a different expression in his eyes that he never noticed before. A dark aura seemed to completely envelop him. It suited him, somehow. "Thank you, sir." He turned away and left his office. 'How did I never see it before?'

Reality surfaced for Miltiades quickly to confirm his suspensions. Iornades received a big promotion from the mission Miltiades completed. A mission of death executed by his hand for a reason he did not even understand. He just followed orders and Iornades advanced. Iornades always advanced, linked with Miltiades successes.

Miltiades made his decision shortly after he learned the outcome. He stood before Iornades again. "I request a transfer to the Barrier Division."

Iornades' eyebrows lifted a little at the strange request. "Why? You've just started to make it here."

"I haven't done my tour of duty that is tradition. I skipped it because of my placement in Omega Division. I wish to do my patriotic duty to protect our people."

A narrowed expression came across his face. "You're sure? This will set you back and cut off many of the bridges you've made in your time." Miltiades simply nodded to him. "Very well, I can't convince someone with their heart set."

As much as Iordanes tried to hide it, Miltiades saw the hints of relief. He acted for his own reasons, but they helped Iordanes as well. He knew Iordanes saw the doubt and conflict in him. Plans were made already Miltiades assumed to deal with him, but Miltiades made his move first. It simplified matters. Miltiades hated the thought it only helped Iordanes more, but he needed to leave.

Miltiades snapped back to reality. He pushed the memories away. What he did now was different from his past. He protected people and his country. A life in obscurity was enough for him. 'I have to find her. I need to put an end to this fighting. Once this is all over my peaceful life will return.'

Chiharu resurfaced in the shadow realm after her little stunt. Her kunai and his wave of needles gave her all of the distraction needed to use her powers to slip out of sight without him knowing. It gave her time to rethink her strategy. 'This is going to be difficult. I'm already getting weaker and his new ability…' Images of the attack washed through her mind looking for weak points.

'It's here again…' She bent over picking up her tanto. It slid back into her sheath. Chiharu discovered another aspect of her power earlier after the last fight. All of her weapons appeared back in the dimension between somehow. They were never lost. 'This won't be enough, but to be able to produce so many…he must be getting exhausted as well. If I just hold out…'

An image popped up in her windows distracting her. Her eyes widened a bit and it drew her close. 'The i***t, what's he think he's doing!?' Chiharu slipped out the closest window to Seiji appearing behind him. She reached out for him to stop him. "What the hell are you doing here?"

Seiji spun back around slapping away Chiharu's hand. He breathed heavily from the brief act. His eyes had the look of wanting a fight until he realized it was Chiharu. "Oh, the brat…what are…you doing…here?"

Chiharu crossed her arms staring at Seiji. "I asked first. If you think you're here for a rematch, this is my fight."

"Huh? Rematch? Fight?" Seiji stared deeply at Chiharu. However, he quickly looked around seeing the forest that surrounded them. "Where the hell…am I?"

"In the middle of my fight."

"Eh?" He examined Chiharu a little closer in the weak light starting to break through the coming dawn. Needles laid scattered over her body and blood covered most of her. He c****d his eye a little at the sight. "Fight? Looks like you're losing."

Her arms tightened a little around her chest. "You've got no room to speak given your state and the fact that you lost again."

Seiji shot out his talisman bandaged arm with his fist closed tightly. "I protected someone…that's all that matters…"

Chiharu brushed past him, no longer interested. She also realized that Miltiades discovered their position. The leaves chattered again. "Just leave this to me. You're in no shape to fight."

He stretched out his hand and grabbed her wrist to stop her. He saw enough to know how she was doing. "You're no better than me. You can't keep going in your state."

Trying to rip her arm free, Chiharu noticed her strength weakening again. She stiffened her stance unwilling to give up. "I know my body. I'll end this by myself."

Seiji's hand tightened around her wrist. He pulled on her dragging her back to face him. His head leaned down to stare at her. "You don't have to do this alone. When you stand together with those you trust you never lose!"

"Trust?" she questioned, giving him a glare back.

A weak grin popped on Seiji's face. "Well, we can work on that part. The rest is still true."

"And what are you suggesting?" Seiji leaned over to Chiharu and whispered his plan to her. The expression on her face changed a couple times in the course of his explanation. After he finished, she pulled back. "That's stupid."

"You got another idea?"

Chiharu had no reply for him. The trees lost their needles once more and the green wave swarmed to their direction. She had nothing. They had to act quickly and it was at least a plan. A sigh escaped her lips as she considered it. "…fine…"

A few moments later, they were in position. Seiji tensed up holding Chiharu in his hand looking like he was ready for a human shot put. Chiharu held her tanto in her hand and stared up at the imminent attack. "Don't tell anyone about this," she said, with a little red bleeding into her cheeks through the blood.

"Right!" Seiji shouted, with his arm released a moment later. Using all of his strength, he launched Chiharu into the air against Miltiades for their final attack.