Endless Evolution: Last Star

"That's it."

Refesa threw one leg over the other as Silvana's silhouette lowered its head. They both passed out, which meant the Gene Diffusion had begun.

After pausing for a moment, Stina lowered her gaze downward.

"Ms. Refesa, do you think they can handle it? As far as I know, the higher-ups at the Citadel speak favorably of Adam as a Phantom."

"Well, it all depends on them. And yes, Adam actually has potential. If you do your research, the public doesn't like him because he puts his goals and his people above everything else."

"But..."

The corners of her lips went up, forming a sly smirk.

"Who cares what they think? The opinion of those who don't know what power is, who have never been in the Dead Lands, is irrelevant."

"Hmm..." Stina mused thoughtfully, "What about Silvana? Is she of any particular value?"

Without delay, Refesa shrugged.

"Nah, for that matter, so are all Operators. It's not that they're useless or vice versa, it's that it's only after the Gene Diffusion that it becomes possible to determine their potential."

Refesa continued:

"Until then, the Phantom and the Operator either work together or they mismatched personalities and split up early on. Nothing that goes beyond a simple human relationship. But, after Gene Diffusion, it becomes clear whether or not the Operator is worthy of the Phantom."

Stopping her gaze on Adam's silhouette, Stina narrowed her eyes.

"You make it sound like only Operators have problems. Doesn't it depend on the Phantoms?"

Refesa chuckled briefly before replying:

"Hahaha, good point, but as I said earlier, it's a rare case. And... I think you noticed that there's no doubt in Adam's gaze."

There was no reply, but Stina bit her lip.

...

Adam and Silvana fell asleep, they passed out for different reasons, some from exhaustion and some to begin the journey.

Soon, one of them opened its eyes.

'Agh... Where am I?' Silvana thought, glancing around.

Darkness, only thick darkness surrounded her, enveloping her like an ominous fog.

There was no panic or fear on her face, but Silvana needed answers. She didn't understand what was happening, for the last thing she remembered was Adam's exhausted look.

Soon, the darkness dissipated due to a bright light catching Silvana's attention.

The light was faint, just a few bits of it trying to break through the dense darkness, but soon enough, Silvana had to squeeze her eyes shut and cover herself with her hand from the flash.

"That's..."

Shock reflected on Silvana's face, her eyes went wide, and within her raged various emotions led by awe.

What for some had at one point become routine, a simple everyday occurrence and part of life, for others like Silvana, was a unique thing they only heard of but never saw.

A massive, mountain-sized snow-white tree towered over Silvana like a silent giant welcoming a lost guest.

It was Adam's Evolution Tree, which was clearly visible by the genes, a single purple root and two sturdy branches at the top covered in elaborate runes.

[You... We've finally met...]

What did Silvana say?

Well, what could she say?

Her mouth was gaped in shock. A multitude of thoughts filled her mind, trying to convince her that this was real.

[Silence...? There's nothing wrong with silence... But... But... I'm afraid we can't go any further if I don't get answers...]

The Evolution Tree was patient. It had plenty of time, both of them.

Soon, Silvana realized that action had to be taken. There was only her and the great tree, which she was not supposed to see since she was not a Phantom.

Clenching her fists tightly, and gulping, Silvana raised her gaze to Evolution Tree's crown.

"Why am I here? What answers do you want from me and... why isn't Adam here?"

Her voice was confident and her tone firm, yet, it wasn't hard for Evolution Tree to understand what Silvana was feeling.

It wasn't her heartbeat, facial expressions, or other small actions, but the slight, almost imperceptible ripples of energy wavering around her.

[Adam...? Oh... If you want to move on, you should forget about him... now... he can't help you].

Silvana gritted her teeth, listening to Evolution Tree carefully.

[You don't know me... so you should understand that I know as much as Adam... Everything he has heard is no secret to me...]

Then, the Evolution Tree fell silent. The silence was long, too long, showing that now it was Silvana's turn.

Glancing around once more, looking for any clues but finding only solid-colored darkness, Silvana put her palm to her chest.

"I see... I'm glad to see where Adam's power comes from. Ask your questions. I will answer any question you have and any number of them."

The Evolution Tree shuddered slightly.

[What confidence... It's neither good nor bad...].@@novelbin@@

An unusual yet pleasant voice filled Silvana's ears.

[I will start... but... I must warn you... I will sense that you are lying and then I will expel you...]

Silvana's heart began to race, she couldn't afford to fail in front of Adam's Evolution Tree.

"And... What will happen in that case?"

After thinking for a bit, the Evolution Tree replied:

[As that female scientist said... It will be the first option to fail... There will be no mortal danger for you, but... you will no longer be Adam's Operator.]

Stay tuned with My Virtual Library Empire

As if expecting such a response, Silvana nodded deeply.

"I see."

Her eyes filled with confidence.

"Ask your questions."

...

Unknown how much time had passed, Silvana no longer remembered how many questions she had answered. This was much different from her expectations.

It was more like an interrogation or interview than a conversation with the great entity that every Phantom depended on.

However, that didn't mean Silvana relaxed.

She answered every question in as much detail as possible and most importantly - honestly. No matter how personal, strange, or simple the question was.

[Not a bad start... Indeed... Luck played its part since you became his Operator... But... This is just the beginning...]

Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.

The Evolution Tree trembled slightly, sending waves of powerful aura towards Silvana.

[Before moving on to more... substantial matters... I'll ask you one last question...]

Whooooooooooooooosh.

In a heartbeat, the branches of the tree became much longer heading towards Silvana like deadly thorns.

Her instincts told her to run or dodge, but she was able to overpower herself and stay in her spot. She realized that this was quite possibly the most important day of the last few years of her life.

[You didn't run away...? I wouldn't judge you... but... that's a good thing...]

With a heavy wheeze like an old man, the Evolution Tree asked its last question.

[Silvana Desio... Young Lady... Operator... Are you willing to die for your Phantom? Are you ready to die for Adam Vinter?]