Mei stood at foot behind Sunny's bedroom door, her downcast eyes staring at the floor beneath her feet with troubling thoughts playing in her mind. She was aware of the young man's crimes ever since she heard him vaguely confess about them.
But now, after seeing all the evidence Singularity had shown her, it is for the best that she herself is going through this plan of theirs to imprison him for the sake of not only her family but everyone who is living in the Ark themselves.
It's not just about her; it's about all of them.
With a breathy sigh, she gently knocked on the door, her knuckles making soft tapping sounds against the wooden surface. "Sunny, I need to talk to you," she said softly, her voice barely audible to the one on the other side of the partition. "There is something I wish to show you."
Mei wanted to curse herself for betraying his trust by luring him into an undisclosed location to temporarily dampen his mysterious Esper powers before having to personally take him out cold for the others to lock him up secretly.
It leaves a bad taste in her mouth to be part of that icy decision, but she knows that it's for the greater good of their community and the people she loves.
"Are you there?" She asked, hoping for some kind of response as she bit her lips nervously at what she was planning to do. "Sunny?!" She shouted a little louder when no reply came back to her.
While being under deep anxiety at the anticipation of her consequences in this decision she had made for herself in tricking a person who she considers someone special.
Grinding her teeth, she knocked once more; this time, louder than before, "If you won't open the door, I'm going in," she warned loudly, her voice trembling slightly from the coming consequences she knew would befall her after this, "Okay, I'm coming in now!"
Announced the eager Mei, placing her hand onto the door knob with a gentle twist, she was prepared to enter his sanctuary within moment's notice. But before she does, a sudden feeling interrupts her thoughts, leaving her having almost forgotten something important.
"How could I forget?" Mei swiftly let go of the knob and took a step back, having to first wash away her ached mind. "The dog needs to be fed and taken for a walk."
She couldn't leave the poor animal alone to fend for itself, especially during these trying times when she is about to do something that could change their lives forever. And so she turned and went off to the kitchen to prepare the canine's food, her heart beating faster from the important task in hand hanging in the air.
Taking out a silver bowl from one of the kitchen cabinets, she later poured a generous amount of farm food into it after opening a dog can with just her bare fingers, making sure that the dog will have a full belly before she takes him outside for a lovely walk in the park.
The smell of the food attracted bubbles across the room like a moth to a flame, causing the happy mutt to wag its tail excitedly at the smell of its scrumptious meal as he immediately awoke from his small bed before rushing to his food bowl to start devouring the delicious food, leaving Mei to smile gently at the sight of their beloved companion eating happily.
Getting another bowl, she then poured water from the running facet into a separate container, letting the tap run for a couple of seconds to ensure that the canine would have a nice drink to keep him hydrated for the long walk they were about to take together.
Flowing current of water cascaded down the metal spout created a soothing melody in her ears, helping her calm her nerves a bit more as she prepared for the difficult task of imprisoning her family member that she had grown to care for.
But something else was amiss when she continued holding the water bowl already being filled up rapidly, her mind swirling from the merciless worries of the future and the consequences making her lose track of time.
"What if Nelson finds out?"
The worst scenario she could think of in her head is that the man whom Mei had a crush on will forever hate her for betraying his trust by turning in Sunny for the mass deaths he caused, despite having seen the proof of the young man's actions in committing such heinous crimes.
As Mei's mind raced with the weight of her impending decision, her awareness of the physical world around her began to fade.
Her body grew heavy, as though she were sinking into a thick fog, separating her from the tangible reality she once so effortlessly navigated. Colors dulled, sounds muffled, and the chatter of the bustling world outside her mind receded, replaced by an echoing silence.
In this state, Mei became a passive observer of her own world, mentally adrift in a sea of uncertainty and self-recrimination. Her fake heartbeat drummed in her ears, mirroring the frantic rhythm of her racing thoughts.
Her eyes, once focused on the mundane task at hand, now glazed over as visions of the future danced before her, horrific and self inducing anxiety.
The consequences of her actions loomed large, casting a shadow over the once-bright relationship she shared with Sunny and his father.
It was as if the tendrils themselves snaked their way through her veins, freezing her nonexistent soul and clouding her judgment. With the warm sunlight streaming through the kitchen windows, it seemed distant, a foreign concept in this boring reality she found herself in.
However, her occupied mind eventually returned to the present moment when she heard Bubble's whining, causing Mei to snap out of her trance-like state.
She quickly refocused her attention on the task at hand, turning over to her and seeing him looking up at her with anticipation in his little eyes.
"Sorry," Mei apologized, smiling down at the dog before walking past him as she picked up the bowls to wash them on the sink. Cleaning them thoroughly with a soapy sponge and running tap water.
While she continued to wash them, the sudden whining and barking of the canine caught her attention again, making her turn back to see Bubbles desperately wanting to say something that she couldn't put a finger on what his desperate barks and whines meant.
"What is it?" She asked softly, confused in his odd behavior, "do you need to go outside?" Mei inquired, trying to understand the meaning behind his agitated state. Again and again, he continued, this time louder and more insistent.
His barks were filled with urgency, causing Mei to look around in the kitchen for any clues that she might have missed before. "Bubbles, please calm down," she whispered, trying to quieten him down, but the dog's cries only grew louder in response.
Before long, he swiftly turned around and headed out of the kitchen, causing Mei to stop in her tracks with a worried expression plastering over her face. "What is it that you want me to see?" With her heart pounding in her chest, she quickly stopped and turned off the facet, following after the canine with interest while leaving the dishes on the sink unattended.
Walking out of the kitchen and across the rooms, she continued approaching towards the sound of their pet's desperate barks. It wasn't until she reached the door of Sunny's bedroom that she said, "You want to see him?" She asked, watching the little guy scratch the wooden door relentlessly.
Giggling softly, she found the scene rather amusing, seeing how much their dog truly loved his masters. "Okay, we'll go inside," she agreed, opening the door and gently pushing Bubbles inside. The dog then immediately ran towards the young man's bed, jumping up on it and starting to bark even louder.
"Hm...?"
She was confused at the sight. "Sunny?!" Looking around, Mei found not a single ounce of life in the room, making her heart skip a beat from the sudden panic that washed over her.
"What is it you are trying to tell me?!" Her worrying tone was now becoming more urgent as she looked at the dog, who continued to bark frantically. "Where is he!?" She cried out fearfully, scanning the empty room for any possible clue to the young man's whereabouts, only to receive nothing in response.
Has he left without telling them? That's the first thought that came to her mind; it was an easy answer, but she couldn't shake the feeling that the cute little dog was trying to warn her of something that she needed to know right away.
"I don't understand," she said, frowning concernedly at the frantic dog. "What are you—" Noticing a folded letter on top of Sunny's pillow, Mei walked towards it, picking it up with a curious gaze. Unfolding the paper slowly, her eyes scanned the words written upon it, and her entire body sank as the truth revealed itself.
"NO!"
Covering her mouth from the shock, tears welled up in her eyes, Mei's knees buckled, and the world around her began to spin.
The sudden weight of betrayal was crushing her, and the realization that the one person she trusted most in the world would leave them like this, in the wake of his own selfish decision, "I have to go!" Standing up quickly, she turned and sped away to report this to Singularity and her fellow sisters; an emergency that requires their immediate attention.
Leaving in haste, she didn't even notice Bubbles nuzzling the empty pillow, shedding silent tears for the loss of his master and best friend.
