The human was a girl—a woman. She looks like a doctor, but she has a weird green coat. There is even a leaning hat on her head, with the shape of a knight shield. She looked tough as if she was here to save me or to hurt me. Either way, she wouldn't hurt me with that hollow bamboo in her hand.
"W-who...are...you?"
"That question can wait. Come on, we have something to do here..."
"W-what? W-we...? Where...? My...human parents..."
The woman carried me away on her shoulder before we both went away from the coast and further into the unknown. My human parents weren't aware of my position, and I couldn't even see well with this weak dough I had. My body submitted as easily as a Joyling could fall in love.
"I've got the subject alive and well. Set the carriage on as soon as possible."
"Go, go, go!"
More of these green-coated doctors surrounded me as I headed somewhere in a green tent. They looked displeased yet awed as if they were waiting for me. If this is a party, then Doorwell would've expected a cake on the plate.
"Where's...cake...?"
"What is happening to her? Why is she...pale?"
"Check the vital. Maybe she has been swept by sand or deteriorating. We can't let that happen."
"Got it! Screensquare's on!"
The humans are noisy. Not even Doorwell can lie in peace while they are yelling at each other. Oh, what a world full of hate and only one Joyling to save them. So many green humans working hard and hateful on the bench, tinkering with machines and walking out. But they let Doorwell rest on a bed.
"What's the status? Is the subject, okay?"
"Yep. All clear. She was just losing her skin, but nothing negative coming out of her right now."
"Good. Get me the jab! We need to wake her up now!"
They shine so much light on my eye, pulling some colourful vines around my body and flashing me with a screen shutter. They then mentioned my pale skin as a mean word. But they were worried I was sick, so they wanted to check on me. That was a kind gesture for a stranger.
Suddenly, the doctors were coming up with a new tool. They were holding a weird, flat-faced gripper in their hand. It looks small but dangerous, especially since I have no idea why and what Doorwell would be on it. All they did was take it out of the box as if it were a package boiled in steam.
"Alright, on the count of three, two, one..."
"Now!"
Jab! I felt a sudden shock coming out of my chest as I regained my strength. The humans were giving me a conscience only to look at them being pleased with my presence. For a moment, I remembered that I couldn't trust these strangers and immediately hid my face behind my wings.
To my surprise, these humans ignore me. Not even a sight of question or a prayer for love and admiration? It's only a silence. I wasn't sad or disappointed, but these humans left me a gap I couldn't answer on my own. And so I had to call them back.
"W-what is happening here? W-who are you, and why are you taking me here?"
"Oh, she's asking us. Can someone tell her? Because I'm busy!"
"Young lady, please have a seat. We didn't want to risk you here..."
—————————————————————————————————
I was far from my human parents without a reason, and I didn't like being far from them. I didn't know where to go, but the humans convinced me that they weren't here to harm me but for something else good. They had their green coat signify kindness and trustworthiness when I met them.
I'm still in the green tent, but the humans gave me several treats on the table to make up for the mean thing they did to me. I couldn't refuse such treats, after all! So I munched as much as I could while my parents didn't look for me.
"Ms Valentine." The woman was reading something in that book. She mentioned a name I didn't know.
"Ms. Dorriel Valentine, I hope you don't mind our bad introduction there."
"It's okay! I forgive you...because of these candies!"
The woman talks a lot before my ears while I'm trying to distract myself with the candies. I could never be satisfied enough with these candies, so I ended up munching all the way through her words.
"My name is Athena, and this is my associate working with me—Helios and Artemis. We're the Bureau of Service Against Anomalies standing 30 years longer before the Institute you were sent into."
"We're here because we needed your help to take down overdue trash on the South Asian of Thrimland. We believe you were the only one who could have helped us."
'"The Sweet Sustenance Association, the one company that helps make those candies you were eating is still out there, trying to run from the crime scene and vanished without a trace."
As I finished the plate, I finally found content in myself. Happiness surged, and all my pain went away in the dust. But remorse came to me as I realized I had undone Dr Volcker's medication. Yet the woman still talks to me about something.
"The BSAA have been working for 15 years trying to take down the SSA since, but we have no evidence and power to topple their corrupt presence for long."
"SSA is a corrupt drug company disguised as food research that was trying to utilize several anomalous forms of edibles in this world to invest more extreme and expensive culinary. They've been shipping thousands of food to many countries and restaurants without a safety warning nor have they even being honest with their production."
"But they are so strong and influential that we failed to even capture their members. They were immune and strong...and they were protected by laws. Most of our men resign or died for this mission..."
"We were about to close the case, at last. We were so close to finally starting a new one. But then...THAT happens."
"Just as Sebastian Chrome was detained and murdered in his own studio, we finally put SSA at a weak spot, because the public now found their relationship with that studio through their financial statements and records. However, they still have no idea of their scheme..."
"Now, SSA is under attack by many monarchs, kings and dukes, and we found a gap where we could start again. We just need to have an evidence that SSA are using dangerous substances to make YOU."
"Yes, you! You are the evidence that SSA were in this. We need you to help us show the world what they have done. Are you willing to take out these people for us?"
I finished my candy, and I liked it so much. But I didn't seem to understand what the woman was saying more than a bunch of words and chatter. My eyes could only look into a sweet eye as I waited for her to watch. But I made sure I cleaned the plate off so she knew how much I appreciated her.
"Athena, do you even consider that you were talking to a child?" Said a man. I think he called himself Helios.
"What? I don't want this mission to be slow. If she was our only hope, then we need to be swift with it."
"Maybe you should let a professional deal with this."
The green man came to me in a more calming tone as he took the woman's place. I doubt it, but I feel like he would never have seen a bloom one in his life. But maybe if he was kind enough, he could change that fate in no time.
"Hey, little one. I hope you like your candy, because you seems enjoying it so much."
"I do! It was the only thing I ate in the studio! Candies! Hahaha!"
"The only thing? What did you...oh...oh, Fire Son..."
"Anyway, uhm...do you mind helping us adults here with some chores? Promise we won't make it as deadly as you are hungry without a candy."
"Actually, it didn't kill me...but it does hurt a lot! Doorwell didn't like that kind of pain!" I squirmed at the thought of no candy. It was not the type of Doorwell I would ever be.
The humans gathered around me, just like my parents when I was found in the Institute. I remember that they loved my wings, so I pulled them out like they wanted. But they didn't want it. The humans only wanted my assistance for their duty. Doorwell knows how hard duty could be, but not this type of duty.
This 'Helios' human was so nice to me. I felt an instinct to trust him, but he was sitting around the hateful humans. This green tent was the only place I could ever be around with these people, which made me nervous. But the humans kept begging for me. Denying a request isn't always a Doorwell thing.
"Right, so are you going to help us?"
"But I shouldn't trust stranger! Sebastian's stranger, and stranger lied to me. Also, how can Doorwell help humans through something that isn't about love?"
"Well, you don't have to do much. We only needed you to be here, and we'll get things done! Then you can go. How's that?"
"Not really. We'll have you flying around from land to land if we need you to. This whole mission won't be so easy as grabbing a candy from a baby."
"Oh, that's not true! Picking candy from a baby is difficult. But, why would Doorwell left her family when she was supposed to be with them?"
"I believe they could wait for that, Doorwell."
That voice. Somehow, I recognize that voice even without looking at the man. He was somewhere, shy as the ghost and watching me from close. But when I thought it might be the passing wind of my past, I was shocked to see his face coming out of the darkness.
"Hello, Doorwell. I hope I'm not late to see you..."
I can't believe it! It was Dr Volcker! Was he here with them? Looks like the doctors wanted to have more check-ups with Doorwell. Although, he would've been a better doctor in the Institute than to be here with these green-coated people who were being to me.
Doorwell felt so happy to see Dr Volcker here, but when she realized she was leaving an empty candy and his eyes were looking the same, she was frozen in fear. Of course, Dr Volcker didn't like it when I was filling myself with sweets I shouldn't be eating.
"Did you just give her a candy...? A sweet I told you not to feed her?"
"What? We told you we needed a negotiation tool here."
"Aagh! 2-months course of substance therapy goes to waste now." He pointed at me as he snatched my candy.
"*Gulp* I...I can start fasting by now..."
The encounter was joyous, and my new friends were talking about me while I gazed at all these unfamiliar human tools. Most of them are mechanical, a device I wouldn't say I have knowledge of. But I couldn't hold the urge to touch one, especially when I was lyre-less and bow-less.
Mr Volcker was here, too! It was amazing knowing I wouldn't be too alone here with these humans. He has always been so loving to me, especially when he tried to keep me alive from my 'addiction', which I still don't see why it is bad.
"I didn't go into that Institute and earn the job just so I could see her feasting on an edible and returned to her triggering life. Do you even know how it feels to carry a feral angel in a pile of sweets?" Dr Volcker was carrying crates. I find it funny because he never did that in the Institute before.
"I don't know. I don't work there. You tell me..."
"That better be the last sweet in this place because I need her sterile from anything sweet. That is SSA's property, and it endangers her."
I remembered how busy Dr Volcker had always been. Ever since I was brought into the Institute as a young Joyling, he was the first man to catch my eyes and put me into great care. I mean, humans do care for me, but no one has ever been so close as Volcker when I was lost in the taste of sweet.
He still is, but more questionable than I remembered. The last time I've eaten a candy this much, he would've been so angry! Ugh, I didn't like being yelled at. It scares me a lot to hear him calling at me right after I ate my candy as if he was ready to yell at me.
"Ap! Ap! Ap! Stay put, Doorwell..." His arms were patting on my shoulder as I was about to fly. Hearing that voice made me know I had to sit down and stop moving.
"Sorry..."
"Alright, then. Shall we settle the plan to work now?"
"Yeah! Let's settle the plan!" I gave a cheer as my human friends were ready to go.
"What's the plan, anyway?"
—————————————————————————————————
Me and the humans get along so well, but my parents are still out there looking for me. It was a sad thought to imagine they would get lost without knowing I was here under a green tent. Moreover, I'm starting to wonder about my brother, who was not happy with me far from them.
"What do you mean you don't know where is she?"
"Darren, she was running so fast chasing up a candy! We've lost her!"
'We shouldn't lose her! Don't you know what happened if she was gone?"
"We know, but I'm sure she's not far from here. She couldn't ran that far out of desperation."
"Well now, she did! And we've lost her!"
"Darren. Please be patient, son..."
"I'm not going to be patient. My sister is out there and I couldn't let him go..."
"I...can't let her go again...not anymore..."
"Aww, you're so caring. But I think you were caring so much for someone you just yelled at."
"Darren? Are you okay, son?"
"He just left. Not even a word?"
"I guess he just wanted to help his sister. Who are we to stop him? We should've followed him, too."
"I don't know, honey. Darren never get used to be this...emotional. Not since Dorriel was gone...do you think he felt guilty not helping her back there?"
"Definitely. What else would bring him to guilt? It's not like he made her like that."
—————————————————————————————————
[Darren's Journal #3]
Dorriel.
No longer my sister.
No longer alive.
May they forget you.
May you never return.
You should have stayed away.
Sister never stayed away.
Now you stayed away.
Thank you.
Brother had a girlfriend.
Mom and dad are happy.
Brother had a future.
Mom and dad are happy.
Sister is gone.
Mom and dad aren't happy.
You are not good.
Please never return.