Lorelei

ㅤ Jade walked through the corridors of a well-equipped laboratory—a considerable amount of money had been invested in it. Frighteningly influential people were definitely involved. However, Jade wouldn't be surprised if the Order itself was trying to regain its former glory by investing everything in this dubious undertaking. Evil rumors had long circulated: a group of pious enthusiasts was working to bring Lorelei back to the mortal world and continue his Score. Life without destiny still seemed unbearable to many… Jade had no idea how exactly this group of extremists intended to carry out their plan. The idea that someone would use his cloning technology had never occurred to him. After all, Lorelei… was a being of another level. How surprised Jade was to see the central laboratory… and the boy in the capsule so reminiscent of the Lorelei described in ancient texts. 'They… really did it.' Jade didn't know whether to feel admiration or horror. And he had no time to think: while fleeing, one of the scientists had activated the capsule—it was about to open. Kill or pardon? Destruction was the surest choice, but… Jade didn't have time to decide: the boy looked him in the eye. Jade was in no hurry to attack, unsure of what this supposedly formidable opponent was capable of. If the child still couldn't control his powers, then frightening him with a surprise attack was the last thing he wanted. However, the original Lorelei was intelligent. So there remained hope that this boy, too, wouldn't seek to subjugate humanity. The boy looked at Jade. Studying. Understanding. Not confused, like ordinary, barely awakened replicas. 'Does he have Lorelei's memories?' Jade ventured a bold guess. 'Or is this not his first awakening?' "They gave you a name?" Jade asked coldly. "Yes," the boy replied calmly. "But I rejected it. I've studied the history of this world," he continued, reading the question in Jade's gaze, "and I'm not what they need. Lorelei left this world for a reason. And I'm not him, to continue his work, voluntarily locking myself in a cage." "So what are you going to do?" Jade tried to determine the danger of a "god" replica. "Nothing," the boy continued calmly. "I'm not Lorelei. And I can't go to the same place he did." The boy looked sadly at his hand. "This body is incomplete; it will soon disintegrate into phonons. And all I can do is wander the world as incorporeal sound." 'So killing him is pointless,' Jade concluded. Even if he destroyed his body, the entity would continue to exist. But that also meant the clot of formless fonons could easily inhabit someone else's body. 'If Luke had known about that possibility, he would have probably offered himself as a "brother" vessel,' Jade chuckled. "I can work on a body for you." "Why?" the boy asked, surprised. Those people had seen him as hope, their god. Jade, however, clearly wasn't interested, as evidenced by his stern gaze when they met and the tight grip he had on his spear. "Loneliness drives crazy. And we don't need a crazy, invisible, restless superbeing. And since we're planning a partnership, and you refused the proposed name, what should we call you?" "Anything, just not his name." "Okay, Lambda, as you say," Jade smiled, seemingly carefree and relaxed, though more sly and promising. "Then let's get to work…" ㅤ