All my senses were thrown into disarray for a moment before I regained control.
Instinctively, I opened my eyes and found myself face to face with the two Executors.
It was the woman who spoke first:
"Congratulations on overcoming the Awakening. In the name of the Order, we welcome you among the ranks of the Executors."
I heard her speak, but I paid no attention to her words. Instead, I was trying to understand what had just happened to me.
The first thing I noticed was my surroundings. I was no longer in that laboratory—there were no more capsules. They had all disappeared, even the one I was supposed to be in. Instead, I found myself lying on a hospital bed. There was no longer the sensation of that greenish liquid on my skin, but rather fresh air.
This is really strange. Had I been hallucinating all this time?
No, that's impossible. I'm not that stupid—I'm certain it was a high-tech laboratory with capsules and tubes, and my eye color had changed.
Thinking about it… I should try using that.
I focused on my eyes—or rather, on the mental image I had of their color. Immediately, it appeared in my mind: irises shimmering like a rainbow.
My vision suddenly expanded. I could see everything again, as if I had a full 360-degree view.
As if by magic, the laboratory reappeared before me. I was still inside that capsule, my body submerged in that greenish liquid. And yet, I no longer felt the water against my skin. Instead, I felt fresh air and the smell of antiseptics.
I stopped focusing, and the hospital room returned to my field of vision.
My eyes shifted back to the rainbow hues, and once again, the laboratory took form.
Is this an illusion? It's so realistic.
Aside from that, what are those colors I see above their heads? What do they mean?
Well, let's gather more information before jumping to conclusions.
With a weak and timid voice—one that matched the image of a martyr they had of me—I said:
"Thank you. You must be very busy, yet you took the time to wait for me. I hope I haven't inconvenienced you?"
The man hastily stammered:
"N-No, don't worry about it. It's just a coincidence that we were standing by the door when you woke up."
Shhhrk
The moment he spoke, his image distorted slightly, and instinctively, I knew—he was lying.
He's lying about it being a coincidence. They came here because they sensed I was about to awaken.
Do these eyes allow me to detect lies?
Heh… I'm going to be unbeatable at poker with this.
Let's spice things up a little.
"Where are we? Before I died, I remember being in a park with someone by my side."
"We're in a hospital, repurposed to accommodate those who undergo the Awakening. As for the person you mentioned, they should be in another room—if they're not dead yet."
No distortion. He's telling the truth.
"And this room? What about all the tubes running through it? And why was I in a capsule?"
He looked surprised before asking, visibly concerned:
"What are you talking about? There's nothing like that here."
No distortion. He's telling the truth again.
So they can't see the laboratory.
"Ah, sorry. I think I'm still a bit disoriented from the fatigue."
"That's understandable. A hospital room isn't the best place for a discussion," the woman said.
She gestured for the man to step away. Only when he was no longer visible did she open my capsule and hand me a white uniform to get dressed.
How did she do that if she couldn't see the capsules? Unless…
After changing, we gathered in a small, makeshift meeting room.
"First, allow me to introduce myself. I am Captain Grégoire. Once again, congratulations on becoming an Initiate. I know it couldn't have been easy. If you ever feel the need to talk about what you went through or require help coping with these memories, we can provide you with one of our psychologists specialized in post-Awakening trauma."
He paused, making sure his words sank in.
"No, I'm fine, thank you."
"Are you sure? We're here to help you."
How persistent.
It was only after repeatedly assuring him that I was fine that he finally let it go.
"Can you tell us about the Resonance you acquired?" the woman asked.
"No, I don't really know how it works yet. It's still unclear in my mind."
"That's normal. While rare, some people need time to discover and understand it. So there's no need to worry," Grégoire reassured me.
"Thank you very much."
It took quite some time to answer all their questions before I was finally free to leave.
"Do you have a place to stay? We can provide you with accommodations if needed."
"No, I'll manage. Thank you for your kindness."
After making sure I was far enough away, I took a deep breath and started organizing my thoughts.
I'm being manipulated—or more precisely, my senses are under the control of that parasite in my brain.
And I'm not the only one—even those Executors are being manipulated without realizing it.
It's so realistic and natural that it's nearly impossible to notice on your own.
I stared at the reflection of my eyes in a window. Without them, I would still be in the dark.
These rainbow-hued irises… and those colors that seem alive… What power do they truly hold?
The only thing I know about them is their name:
Soul's Eyes.