Phantom Sonic - Let the Voice Resonate Through the World!: EP-03

EP-03: The Sound of Awakening

The outer walls of the workshop looked a bit more weathered than the other buildings in the city.
However, as she drew closer, Mina realized it wasn't just simple decay. The metal of the outer walls had been carefully repaired, with layers of weld marks running along the seams. It looked like a medal of honor, carving out a history of having survived the fires of war time and again, yet still being protected by its owner.

...So this is Livi Chen's workshop.
As she caught her breath, faint laughter and the dry sound of metal being struck drifted out from behind the door.

The moment she pushed the door open, air mixed with warm humidity and the scent of metal brushed against her cheeks.
Inside, several apprentices were facing workbenches, operating their respective tools. Every time sparks flew, shadows danced across the floor and walls.

In the center of the workshop, a large pot was slowly steaming.
Next to it, Livi, wearing an apron, held a wooden spatula and stirred the contents of the pot. Her arm movements were fluid, and the sound of the spatula scraping the bottom of the pot harmonized strangely with the metallic sounds echoing from the workshop in the back.

Are you a customer?
Livi turned around, wearing a cheerful smile that belied her age. Her eyes were sharp, yet they held a warmth.
...I'm Mina Kawase. I've been looking for you.
At Mina's voice, Livi gave a short nod and, without stopping her hands, gestured with her chin toward a bench in the back.

As Mina sat down, the surroundings came into clearer view.
In one corner, a young female apprentice dismantling a metal arm continued her work diligently, even as she nearly burned her fingertips from time to time.
In another, an old model drone was being disassembled, its parts being carefully polished.

This is a place no one can touch.
Livi said as she pulled the wooden spatula from the pot and washed her hands at a sink by the wall.
A long time ago, someone risked their life to protect this place. Thanks to that, this workshop is registered as a 'non-combat zone' even among machines with a will of their own.

At those words, Mina suddenly remembered the scars on the outer wall she had felt before passing through the door. Those were records of battle.
...Why would something like that happen?
There are many reasons. But the biggest one is... affection.
Livi said this, scooped a ladle of soup from the large pot, and poured it into a small bowl.
The aroma rising from the offered soup was the scent of home, the exact opposite of mechanical coldness.

First, have this. We'll talk after.
The moment she brought the spoon to her mouth, a gentle flavor spread across her tongue, and the tension in Mina's shoulders began to melt away.
The laughter of the apprentices, the metallic sounds echoing in the distance, the steam from the large pot—a different kind of time flowed here, unlike the devastation of the outside world.

Before long, Mina gently placed the case on her lap.
Livi's gaze shifted to it.
...Is that the thing?
Yes. I found it in an old facility. When I try to move it, it reacts... it reacts to sound.
Livi's eyebrows twitched slightly. Her gaze was a mix of curiosity and caution.

Let me see.
When she opened the lid of the case placed on the workbench, Amaryllis's silver-white outer shell appeared.
The apprentices stopped what they were doing, and for a moment, the entire workshop fell silent.
Livi reached out cautiously and traced the outer shell with her fingertips.
...It's the real thing. I can't believe it's been preserved in this condition.

Mina's heart raced. This person would surely understand Amaryllis—understand Phonon.

Livi lifted Amaryllis and carried it to the center of the workbench.
That was a special corner of the workshop, surrounded by thick soundproof walls and multi-layered detection barriers. Several old-style lighting fixtures lined the ceiling, and the light spread softly through the reflection of the metal.

This table has always been the place where I lay down 'important patients'.
As Livi carefully detached the joints of the outer shell, pale blue cooling lines were exposed from within.
Mina held her breath and watched her hands. Even though she was dealing with metal, her touch was as gentle as if she were touching human skin.

One of the apprentices approached with a toolbox.
Master, is this really...?
That's right. But don't speak of it. This place runs on that kind of promise.
Livi's voice was calm, but there was an unwavering core behind her words.

Several faded photographs were displayed on the workshop walls.
In an old group photo that seemed to be from shortly after the war, a woman who looked like a young Livi stood alongside an unfamiliar machine.
'What's that?' Mina asked, pointing, and Livi stopped her hands and narrowed her eyes for just a moment.
...My ancestor. A long time ago, they risked their life to protect a certain person. That person was someone who would change this world.

Mina nodded, imagining the rest of the story in her heart.
In the midst of war, people and machines mingled, and trust and betrayal were repeated. In such an era—there was a life protected at the risk of danger.
That memory is still being passed down today in the form of a 'non-combat zone'.

Mina, this isn't just a repair shop. It's also a place where someone can return to.
Livi's words seemed as if they were also directed at Amaryllis.

In a corner of the workshop, a broken machine with a will of its own was undergoing maintenance. It was said to be a machine that worked as Livi's assistant, still missing one arm.
When the assistant noticed Mina, it bowed slightly and used its metal fingers to lift the lid of the pot to check the temperature.
It says that even machines feel like they get hungry sometimes.
When Livi laughed, cooling water leaked slightly from the assistant's joints, and the sight of it hurriedly wiping it off with a cloth was heartwarming.

Mina watched the faint light pulsing through Amaryllis's outer shell and realized that the depths of her own chest were beating to the same rhythm.
It was safe and warm here. But to hold onto this warmth, she would surely have to step out into the cold world outside once again.

Livi muttered to herself as she continued her work.
“Machines don't break just because of their parts. When they lose their emotional anchor, the processing system itself falters. ...Humans are the same.”
Those words pierced deep into Mina's heart.

The laughter of the apprentices, the steam from the large pot, the neatly arranged tools.
Each element of this place quietly connected the awakening of Amaryllis to her own future.

“Livi... please, take care of her.”
When Mina bowed her head deeply, Livi gave a short nod.
“Leave it to me. Though, I’ll be putting your resolve to the test as well.”

“Do you know what a phonon is?”
Livi asked as she attached a connection cable to Amaryllis's core.
Mina shook her head.
“Isn't it a metallic sound?”
“No. It's neither a physical sound wave nor a data signal. ...Simply put, it's a medium that directly links emotion and movement.”

Livi activated an old terminal beside the workbench.
A circular UI appeared, and complex waveforms emerged on it.
“This wave can't be detected by ordinary sensors. It only exists in the ‘layer of intent’ between the brain and the body.”
She traced the waveform with her fingertip, changing its hue from pale green to gold.
“The color changed...”
“I just mixed in a little of my own emotion.”

Mina's eyes widened at those words.
“Emotions... can they be turned into data?”
“They can. But to be precise, they appear as ‘shapes’ rather than numerical values. The shape and sound differ from person to person.”

Livi continued the operation, shifting to the next mode.
“Welcome to the Sync Studio.”
A stage of light rose within the space. There were no seats or background, just an infinite floor and ceiling that rippled in response to sound.
Mina gasped involuntarily.
“This is...”
“A virtual laboratory that only phonon-qualified individuals can enter. We use this place to train in linking emotions with movement.”

A hologram of Amaryllis stood in the center of the stage. Her eyes were still closed, but her outline was faintly glowing.
“When you speak, your reaction is visualized here.”
As Livi explained, a small ripple appeared at Mina's feet.
“...Did something just transmit?”
“Yes. Your ‘intent’ caused the space to vibrate.”

Mina tried whispering “Good morning” as a test.
The ripple turned a pale blue, and Amaryllis's chest brightened for just a moment.
“...It reacted a little.”
“Try changing the tone of your voice.”
Mina consciously made her voice softer and said “Good morning” again.
Then, the shape of the ripple spread like a flower, and streaks of light ran across Amaryllis's cheeks.

“This is a phonon. The more synchronization progresses, the more directly words and actions connect.”
Livi's voice resonated as if she were telling a story rather than giving a technical explanation.
“However, if you force your emotions, the waveform will become distorted. That can sometimes become a blade to the other person.”
Mina felt a cold sensation run down her spine.
“In other words... if I speak with the wrong emotions, could I hurt Amaryllis?”
“Exactly. That is why those who are qualified must be careful.”

Mina stared at the ripples at her feet, searching for the emotions she was currently holding.
Fear, anxiety, excitement, anticipation—they were all swirling together.
All of them would reach the other person through this stage.

“...Can I do it?”
“It's not a question of whether you can. You will.”
Livi's words were quiet but carried conviction.
“This child is still asleep. But with your voice—she might just wake up.”

The space of the Sync Studio trembled slightly.
Deep in Mina's chest, a sound like a small heartbeat echoed.
Was it the sound of her own heart, or a sign of Amaryllis's awakening—she couldn't tell.

The scene of the Sync Studio suddenly faded to black, and Mina was pulled back to reality.
The air in the workshop suddenly felt heavy.
Amaryllis's body, placed on the workbench, remained asleep, but the static-like presence drifting around it brushed against her skin.

“...The diagnostic results are in.”
Livi looked away from the terminal and stared straight at Mina.
“I'll give you the conclusion. You are a phonon-qualified individual.”
Even though it was a short sentence, it felt as if the air in the workshop had stopped for a moment.

“Me...?”
Mina instinctively placed a hand on her chest.
“But, why?”
“The connection between your emotions and your intent to move is abnormally strong. Moreover, you've started synchronizing unconsciously. That's a reaction that usually takes months of training to achieve.”

The flower-like ripples that appeared in the Sync Studio flashed through Mina's mind.
—That hadn't been a coincidence.

Livi set down her tools and wore a serious expression.
“However, being qualified isn't something to just be happy about.”
“...What do you mean?”
“The phonon activation test places an emotional load directly onto the core. If it fails—this child will never wake up again.”

The weight of those words sank in.
The core embedded in Amaryllis's chest, its faint glow, looked as if it were breathing.
“Does that mean... she'll break?”
“To be precise, it's ‘wear and tear.’ Even if it doesn't lead to a complete shutdown, if her reactions slow down or she stops responding to emotions—then she will no longer be her true self.”

Mina bites her lip.
This isn't a realm one should touch out of mere curiosity.
But, if I could awaken it with my own voice—

Liv continues, as if seeing right through Mina's inner thoughts.
“The choice is yours. Keep it stored here, where no one can touch it. Or take the risk and try.”
From the back of the workshop, the sounds of the apprentices working echo faintly.
The rhythm of metal being struck—clink, clink—felt strangely distant.

“...I'll do it.”
Mina's voice was small, but it did not waver.
Liv nods briefly and walks toward the wall where the tools are lined up.
“Then, we'll begin the preparations. All you need is to not lie about your own emotions—that's all.”

Those words were both a warning and a form of permission.
Mina takes a deep breath and gently reaches out toward the Amaryllis core.
The slight heat radiating from its surface seemed to seep deep into her chest.

Liv removes her dust goggles and quickly clears the desk.
The clear sound of tools touching the metal surface tightens the air in the workshop.

“—Are you ready?”
Mina gasps at the short question.

In the back of the workshop, steam from a large pot rises quietly.
The scent of soup, the smell of oil, and the faint aroma of burnt welding metal mingle together.
It was a space where the mundane and the extraordinary seemed to be simmering in the same pot.

The Amaryllis core pulses with a faint light.
Its glow was like the heartbeat of something waiting to be called.

“Once you go in, there's no turning back.”
Liv states this directly.
Her tone was less of a warning and more like a declaration announcing the start of a ritual.

Mina does not take her eyes off the Amaryllis.
“...It's okay. I'm going.”

As she takes a deep breath, the scent of the workshop permeates her lungs.
The sounds of the apprentices working continue in the distance, layered over by the sound of Liv's terminal starting up.
The connection gate to the Sync Studio glows faintly, and a soft circle of light spreads across the floor.

Mina takes a step forward.
The sensation of her soles pressing into the light felt soft, yet had a definite resistance.
Crossing a boundary must feel exactly like this.

Looking back, Liv nods with her bare hands, holding no tools.
Her gaze says 'I believe in you' and 'I will see this through' at the same time.

Mina's figure was slowly swallowed into the light.
The warmth of the everyday and the cold contours of the extraordinary she was about to touch overlapped in that moment.

#postwar
#sliceoflife
#soundscape
#sharedtable
#urbanpeace
#machinecoexistence
#memorypreservation
#workshopstory
#quietaftermath
#voiceliveson

written not to own,
but to be consumed by thought.

origin: 0x3A0a6a529A99DeE147f80437657228f8205C8f1a