Adopted Soldier

Emily was really regretting what she did. She wasn't expecting that kind of effect on Oliver. The moment everyone else seem to be hallucinating about the ghost girl Alice, Emily noticed that something was wrong with Oliver.

Oliver was having a different reaction than everyone, he didn't look like someone was talking to him. Also his eyes were open, but they were unfocused. He was also sweating a great amount.

Emily couldn't understand what was happening to Oliver. So she took one of the gas mask she hidden in the bag she brought and put it on Oliver. The effects of the hallucinogen, from the candle she switched should be wearing off after a few seconds, since it wasn't that strong to begin with.

Yet even after a few seconds pass, Oliver didn't wake up from his hallucinations. Emily at this time started to panic for a bit. She knew the contents of the hallucinogen and was sure that there was nothing in there that could harm the body. This was the first time in a long time, Emily didn't know what to do.

While she was confused as to what to do, the first person Emily thought of that could help her was her brother. Then she remembered that he was doing a mission, so the next person she thought of, was right beside her. Emily took another gas mask and put it on Alex. She then proceeded to put out the candle. After which Emily proceeded to put a gas mask on everyone else.

...

After a few seconds Alex was finally released from his hallucinations. When he woke up from the hallucination the first thing he noticed was the gas mask. He then surveyed the area and saw everyone else was wearing a gas mask. Alex also saw that Oliver was sweating profusely while Emily look like she was panicking.

The moment Alex saw this, he figured out what had happened. The reason why he was hearing voices of a little girl, the reason why he couldn't pin point the location of the voice. Everything was a hallucination, Emily most probably used an hallucinogen alongside the power of suggestion she was able to make everyone present hear the voice of a little girl. She was the one answering the questions, using the hallucinogen she was able to trick even Alex's senses.

'The moment it started speaking in the end without the echo, was most probably the moment the hallucinogen was taking full effect within our bodies.'

While Alex was analyzing what had happened Emily noticed that he was awake. She jumped into Alex's side, looking like she was about to cry.

"Alex help me, something is wrong with Oliver." When Alex heard what Emily said, he hurried to Oliver's side and checked his condition. Aside from the sweating nothing seems physically wrong with him.

"Emily tell me what ingredients did you use in making that hallucinogen." Emily quickly told Alex, every ingredient she used. Hearing the list of ingredients used to make the hallucinogen, Alex was confused. The ingredients Emily used to make the hallucinogen shouldn't have this kind of effect on Oliver.

There must be something going on with Oliver that he didn't know about.

'Oliver is a mercenary just like me... He might have some sort of mental trauma and the hallucinogen is doing something about it... Or he could be injected with something that is trying to counteract the effects of the hallucinogen... That can't be it.... It could be-' Alex couldn't make heads or tails with what was happening. He had a few guesses but with the information he has, they were all useless guesses.

While Alex was thinking about what to do, the other members started to wake up from there hallucinations as well. Emily who was feeling guilty about the whole thing, seeing what happened to Oliver, quickly apologized to everyone present.

Still confused as to what had happened the group asked Emily to explain why she was apologizing. Emily then started to explain everything from the start, about how she switched the candles with a candle that smokes out a drug that makes one hallucinate. She explained the whole trick she used, which was similar to what Alex thought she did.

Emily then further explained that something was happening to Oliver that she and Alex couldn't understand. Though some of the members were a little pissed in what Emily had done, they pushed that aside because they were worried about Oliver, who was sweating so much it was like he took a bath.

None of them had any knowledge in this field except for Alex, but his knowledge was more within the range of first aid. Rachel then suggested to bring Oliver to a hospital, yet the moment she suggested this something happened to Oliver, he started to speak.

"I am James Oliver H. Bourne, remember that name. For that is my gift to you, for surviving me." They couldn't understand what he was saying all they knew was that Oliver was waking up. Seeing this Emily started calling Oliver's name, and the others did the same and called to Oliver.

After a few seconds of calling his name, Oliver finally woke up from his hallucinations. He looked around confused as to what was happening. Emily who saw him finally wake up, went in front of him and bowed her head.

She asked for forgiveness, and this time she really meant it. Unlike other times, what happened now wasn't something she was expecting. Hearing what happened from Alex, Oliver got the gist of what was going on.

'So that was a hallucination?... Was it really? It felt like it was real... Alex did say I had a weird reaction to the hallucinogen. Maybe that hallucinogen was a catalyst for remembering...' While Oliver was thinking about the visions he just saw, Emily was still bowing waiting for a response.

Oliver who saw the usual confident girl bowing while trembling and actually apologizing, could only sigh.

"Do not worry comrade Emily, I wasn't hurt. Also I think what you did, might've been something good for me. So there is no need to apologize, I forgive you, actually I should thank you. So thank you for that comrade Emily, thank you for making this sleepover a little bit more fun and exciting, as well as opening up a new path for me."

When the others heard what Oliver said, they couldn't understand it. The only thing they knew was that Oliver had forgiven Emily.

Hearing that Oliver had forgiven her, Emily then bowed to the other members and apologized to them again. When they saw Emily do this, some of them had mixed emotions. These some being Evangeline and Kei, they didn't like the idea Emily used a hallucinogen on them, but seeing how sincere she was in apologizing and seeing how no one was hurt. It felt like getting too angry was a waste.

"You got to learn how to limit your pranks Emily... For now I will forgive you, but the next time I might not ... Understand?" Evangeline looked at the bowing Emily with a sigh.

"Thank you Evangeline, I understand... This will not happen again. Thank you for forgiving me."

After Evangeline forgave Emily, all the others did so as well. To Rachel this was something she was used too, she had even experienced something worse from Sayaka. Alex wasn't really that bothered by what Emily did. What bothered him was he was affected by a low level hallucinogen. He was also bothered that he wasn't able to detect the hallucinogen.

'It seem like not only the Harimas need to train more, I do too.'

Seeing as everyone forgave her, Emily sighed in relief. Still up to now she was wondering what had happened to Oliver. Also after he woke up, Emily noticed there was something different in Oliver's demeanour, it was subtle difference, but because her main use as a merc was doing recon she was sensitive to these kinds of things, so she noticed the change no matter how subtle.

"So what do we do now?" Rachel asked the others.

"How about we just go to sleep?" Evangeline suggested, in which everyone nodded their heads in agreement.

...

As everyone lay in their futons, they couldn't sleep because of various thoughts going through their head. Rachel was wondering if what the Alice in her mind was saying was actually her questioning herself. Seeing as it was a hallucinogen and not a real ghost, that question must be from her, which she hidden deep in her subconscious mind.

'Does Alex really love me? Or was that my misunderstanding?'

Evangeline and Kei were also having similar problems. The voice in their head was obviously not a ghost it was them thinking it.

....

Emily was also having trouble sleeping. She knew and understood that this time she went too far, and almost got hated by everyone. If it were any other group, she would already been kicked out of it. Normally Emily wouldn't care about being kicked out of a group, but these people were special and Emily really liked them, so she was glad that she wasn't kicked out.

That was one thing that was on her mind, and the other thing was the changes happening to Oliver. She just couldn't understand what happened, also she couldn't quite pin point what changed with Oliver.

....

Alex on the other hand was trying to figure out, how he could retrain himself while protecting Rachel. He could let three of the butlers and maids at home protect her, but she might get really uncomfortable with that.

'I guess I need to ask for help.'

...

Yet the person who was having the most difficulty sleeping was none other than Oliver. Even now he was in a state of confusion.

'That boy, those scenes, everyone of them felt so familiar at the same time not.'

He wasn't sure what was real or what was fake anymore, but he knew that there was something going on with his memories. At the moment he has four different realities battling in his head.. He wasn't sure which one was the real one, but he was going to find out one way or another.