《R.A.M.》


 Prologue | Chapter 1 - His name is Rosetta

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    A dark figure towers over the knights, its back facing them. The knights are alert and forms a defensive formation. One of them, a woman, huddles close to her companions. Her right hand is missing as it was sliced off. Grimacing from her lost hand, she tightens her grip of her other hand on a glowing sword. In front of the figure, a man lie motionless on the floor, his eyes slowing losing its shine of life. His body has suffered a slash wound across his chest, which bled a fatal amount of blood onto the floor. The dark figure finally speaks. A female voice.


    "I''m sorry..."


    The dark figure grips a shortsword dripping with blood. Her figure starts distorting as black mist envelopes her whole body. It forms a flowing shroud that seemingly moves not to the wind which has been stilled, but from the heavy aura emanating from her. A bleached skull of a ram slowly materializes over her head.


    "I have to do this."


    With her transformation complete, she turns towards the terrified knights. With an appearance of an unearthly demon, she says those equally terrifying words.


    "I will end everything."


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    "Mngah..."


    A man shakes up from his sleep. He sits up and stares into the dark, empty space in his cabin. The sound of the train rattling across the tracks can be heard outside in the night.


    [That dream... I haven''t had that one in a while¡­]


    He sighs and turns his view to the cabin window. The dark scenery of paddy fields in the night slides by as the train carries on to its destination through the night.


    [You are proving yourself a hard child to find. I''m worried that I could not find you in time.]


    He looks at the cabin''s clock. 3.37 am in the morning. The time does not matter to him, but the date does. Eight years have passed since he started looking for the child. Eight years since the time he believed the child was born.


    [I''m anxious to meet your parents. I want us to get along.]


    He turns down his gaze.


    [I hope they will understand.]


    [Well then, I suppose I could contact somebody.]


    He reaches for his luggage, a big metal case large enough to fit a small adult inside. The case boasts its long history with many scratches on its surface and dark gray patches where the aluminum metal surface has oxidized. From the opened case, he pulls out a smaller case, this one housing a computer. He turns it on and waits for the machine to start up. Even after it turns on, he waited a bit more. Securing a connection safe from spying takes time after all. As he stares at the screen, he thinks about the people he''s hiding from.


    Traitors. Now powerful with the backing of organizations and nations worldwide, they scour the earth, hell bent on foiling his life mission. He and his companions are now scattered across the world escaping their grasp while pursuing the same mission.


    The last one. The child is the last one. Not only the last one. The most important. To him, the child weighs more than the world.


    As he reaffirms that, the computer is ready. A black screen with a green text input. Very retro. Like the ones that first began as a tool of the old war. A lot of the computer''s processing is dedicated to encryption and secrecy. In this case, function precedes aesthetics after all.


    He types in the command to connect to the recipient. ''Center'' was the recipient.


    [The old man begs at the door.]


    That is the first message sent.


    [The library welcomes the old man.]The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    That is the reply he received. He feels relieved and happy that the recipient is still there and more importantly, safe. With this exchange of messages, he can resume normal conversation.


    Rosetta: [Center? It has been months, hasn''t it? How are you? Has the world been treating you well?]


    Center: [What is this? Rosetta, you talk like an old man meeting his grandchild. I''m fine. They cannot find me no matter how much technology or magic they have under their wing. I am the master of my own space. You blessed me with this gift after all. ]


    Rosetta: [I still regret what they did. It is unforgivable and I could have done something to prevent it. I''m sorry.]


    It has been 23 years since that time. A few of his companions betrayed everyone, killed their allies, and created an opposing faction for their own selfish cause to secure and monopolize power.


    A long pause. Certainly the scars of the incident still remain. Then Center quickly changes the topic.


    Center: [Anyway, I have completed the analysis of the blood samples collected in the UK since two months ago. I''ve been meaning to contact you, but their net cast on you was too fine for me to pass through.]


    Rosetta: [Oh? How was it? Do you have a lead? Judging from the situation, I guess you have not found her.]


    Center: [Correct. I could not find anything in regards to her. Not in the UK. Not in Germany or France. If she is to be believed to be in the time frame you suggested, she is not in the EU.]


    Rosetta: [No sign of her, huh. Thank you so much for your work.]


    Center: [I''ll keep tabs on any new babies born in all the areas I''ve covered so far. So the ones left are countries with a less than optimal registry.]


    Rosetta: [I''ve already started on Vietnam. I should be done with Southeast Asia. Then perhaps I should move on to the biggest population in China next.]


    Center: [This has been such a laborious task. Aside from China, there''s India, the African and South American continents, and the Arab countries to look into. Eight years. If it takes this long to find her to this extent, it''s going to take four more.]


    Rosetta: [It has been tough, wasn''t it? She is the hardest to find so far. The last one we sent was six years ago.]


    Center: [That one was a bit pathetic, wasn''t he? He was very arrogant for a 25 year old unemployed man with no skills. I can''t believe you kept watch over him for twelve years before you finally approached him. Do you really need to wait that long for him to be ready?]


    Rosetta: [He needs to be ready for the sake of the other world. The only way for that to happen is to have him experience life in this one. Experience and ideals take time to create and can''t be rushed. It has been the same for all of them that I sent through.]


    Center: [Fair point. But if that''s the case, why do we need to find this girl this early? You¡¯re seriously sending a child over?]


    Rosetta: [A cruel choice, at first glance. But it will be for her best interest. She is strong enough to survive in the other world. As for her time left in this world, it will be used to prepare her for her new one. All resources will be focused on her preparation and her safety. Nothing will be spared. That¡¯s why we need to find her as fast as possible.]


    Center: [I¡¯m still not all in on this. There will be questions after the girl is found. We want answers.]


    Rosetta: [I know. I have prepared answers for all of you. I won¡¯t send her until your minds are at ease.]


    Center: [Understood. Going all in, huh? She is the last one after all. And she¡¯s that important. I would like to meet her before she is sent off.]


    Rosetta: [Thank you for bearing with my unreasonable requests. I''ll see to it that you meet her when she is found.]


    Center: [I''ll impart my skills and knowledge to her when that time comes. So, do you know what kind of person she is? I suspect that you would even know her personally given your mythical nature.]


    Rosetta: [Come now. There¡¯s nothing mythical about me. I¡¯m merely a magician. But if I would simply describe what I expect her to be. She would-]


    As he is typing his message, he notices the green interface showed a slight tinge of yellow. An indicator that the traitors are closing in on the conversation. Even though it is likely that they haven''t noticed that they are on the right path in finding this conversation, he isn¡¯t going to give them a chance. He quickly adds [Bye.] to his interrupted message and quickly disconnected.


    The sound of the train continued as he stares at the blank computer screen. He turns the machine over and takes out its hardware. Empty. The canister containing the magically charged particles that help mask the signals has been spent. Also, the magically charged wire weave mesh that prevents an external force from infiltrating the machine has been turned into a tangled mess. Brute force magic. The culprit''s actions are similar to one of the traitors'', now most likely retired and passed the gift to another to continue the work. Center should be safe but his position could very likely be compromised. Even if he can replenish his methods on contacting Center easily, throwing more crumbs when they are already on his scent would not be a smart move.


    They already know that he is currently residing in Vietnam after that extravagant stunt he pulled in Thailand few days ago. Fortunately, he managed to escape without being discovered so he could search in Vietnam a little longer. However, the entire country had turned into a police state overnight since that stunt and he can feel the agents of that organization moving into the country, closing his routes of escape.


    Rosetta places the machine back into his luggage bag. He reminds himself to refill the canister and fix the wire weave mesh so he can contact the others again. Especially at such an important time.


    Everything is staked on finding her and preparing her before sending her over to the other world. Even the enemy knew. Their actions mirror their intentions as they are staking everything on their side. He must find them before they do. The enemy finding her. The thought of her being captured by them. War. An all-out one. Rosetta prepared himself for this very real possibility. War is his least desired option but nonetheless one he will not hesitate to take. Rosetta takes a more relaxed position and ushers himself to sleep. With nothing that can be done at this time, he waits for the train to arrive at his destination.


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 Prologue | Chapter 2 - Good Morning Japan

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    -Beep- ¡°Good morning everyone. It is 6 am in the morning, good morning. Today will be a bright sunny day with the weather forecast predicting clear skies with the cool winds in the evening welcoming the approach of autumn."


    The radio broadcasts the radio talk show host''s morning routine in a dark room. The sun emerging from the skyline casts its rays from the window into the room, illuminating it. Next to window sits a dark skinned woman with long, black, glistening hair. She wears a thick sweater and black pants as well as wool socks to keep her protected from the frigid temperatures in the room. She grips her chair and pulls it forward. Her adjusted position allowed the sun¡¯s rays to illuminate her face. Her sharp, black eyes gives a look of unparalleled focus which contradicts her fatigued face. She''s wide awake and has been for the past hour. Her work is laid out on a table in front of her. Documents are piled up in a stack next to a laptop computer.


    The woman glances at the document she is holding. Her breath clouds her vision as mornings in Japan were quite cold due to the incoming autumn season. Sighing, she puts down the document and continues typing her report on her computer.


    ¡°Today, on this fine morning, we have a special guest,¡± -Tick- ¡°Professor Neil Denierre Tyler, star host of~¡°


    A sound. Drowned out by the radio. As if she heard the impossible sound, the woman stops her work and gets up from her seat. She walks over to the pantry where an electric coffee pot could barely be seen in the dark room save for its glowing red light. Upon reaching the coffee pot, the light flickers green, indicating that the coffee is ready. Without glancing at the machine, she swipes the coffee pot from the machine and pours her coffee into a mug. Blowing over the hot coffee, she takes a sip of her much needed beverage.


    ¡°So, Professor. About your¡± ¨CTick- ¡°show, will it~¡±


    She hears it again. The woman quickly places her drink on the pantry and glances at her computer. In a split second, she reaches for the nearby power plug at the pantry and pulls it out of the power socket. The computer that the power cord is attached to flickers off. Letting out a sigh, she quickly walks to her computer and closes it. She holds her position, hand still placed on top of the computer, as if anticipating something to happen.


    ¡°The show will be a discussion of science and technology in pop culture¡­¡± ¨CStatic-


    Static interrupts the radio broadcast and begins to turn louder. As if someone is tuning an old radio, the static goes on at maximum volume. The woman has no reaction to it and simply kept still.


    -Static- ¡°-sure to check out Professor Neil¡¯s fourth talk show episode on¡­¡±


    After a few seconds, the static subsides as suddenly as it came and the usual radio broadcast continues on its original volume. Sensing that the ordeal is over, the woman returns to her cup of coffee. Sipping her drink, she stares at her computer while pondering on how much of her work is left unfinished. Because of the strange static earlier, she can¡¯t continue her work without risking detection and capture. With her work interrupted, there is no reason for her to continue staying here. She removes a memory card from her computer. It contained the encrypted information of her work. She can at least submit what she has completed so far.


    Woman: ¡°Hmm¡­ The results¡­ They are¡­ Here.¡±


    She flips through the stack of documents and removes a smaller stack from the bigger stack. These are documents that were completed and will be destroyed. She walks over to the bathroom while tearing the papers in half. As she stands in front of the toilet, she keeps tearing the documents into smaller pieces and spreads them in the toilet bowl. Grabbing a bottle of bleach, she pours a generous amount of its contents over the torn papers. Washing hers hands of the deed, she returns to her workstation to finish her coffee.


    Downing the entire drink, she begins to pack her work into her bag. Holding the documents, the computer, and various other items, the bag bulges into an uncomfortable shape. A slight frown appears on her face. If that incident didn¡¯t happen, she would have continued processing the documents instead of cramming it all into her bag. Thinking that, she shakes her bag to settle the items in the bag so she can barely zip the bag closed.


    Tugging hard on the zipper to seal the bag, she reaches out for her coat that is laid over the chair. A dark brown trench coat. It shows its years as the cloth looked frayed under the morning sunlight. Using both arms, she lifts the coat from the chair, hugging it close to her. She carefully slips her arm into the coat¡¯s corresponding sleeves up to her shoulder and lifts the coat onto her back. With her back slightly lowered, she slips her other arm into the remaining sleeve and straightens her back, letting the coat rest on her shoulders. The coat is long, reaching past her knees halfway down her calves. Finally using her hands and fingers, she buttons up her coat and fastens its belt. Up till now, she has not handled the coat with her fingers, and was worn with care as if the coat itself weighed significantly.


    She slips her feet into a pair of work shoes and sits on the bed to fasten them. The bed creaks in response to the weight, but she paid it no mind. Having fully dressed in her attire, she squats down on the floor and reached for the backpack propped up against the bed. Positioning her arm in a way that the weight on the back pack is transferred from her wrist onto her elbow, she slowly lifts the backpack with her whole body and slowly slips it over her shoulder before quickly slipping the other arm under the shoulder strap. The backpack rests over her shoulders with a heavy sounding thud.


    Letting out a deep breath, she walks into the bathroom, letting out heavy footsteps. She approaches the toilet and peers into the bowl. The papers have broken up properly and the water is black from the released ink. Flushing the toilet and while making sure all of the contents are flushed, she fumbles through her coat pockets. Gripping something in her hands, she leaves the bathroom, picks up the room key and left the room.


    As she walks down the hallway, she holds out a round tile with strange markings on it. She traces her finger across the markings as she walks slowly across the hallway. The tile activates its magic and befuddles the camera in the hallway and eliminates her presence from the record. As she enters the lobby, she returns the room key to the receptionist. The sleepy receptionist merely receives it without any response. This was the tile''s doing as well, as it exhausts people and causes them to forget the user''s characteristics and actions, working especially well on tired people. As she walks on one the side of the street, residents starting their day crowd the streets. With many people wandering around, she pockets the tile and blends right into the crowded background.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


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    The woman reappears later near the city transit station. Standing near the entrance, she looks over the crowd leaving the entrance. As more people leave the entrance, she slips into the crowd. As she skillfully navigates through the crowd, she carefully scans the surrounding people.


    -Tick-


    She makes a move, walking quickly and dodging the early commuters. She slows her pace when she approaches a male youth walking nonchalantly. She carefully directs her hand towards the youth¡¯s coat pocket.


    -Tick-


    She quickly withdraws her hand, lowers her head, and slows her walking pace to a crawl. A split second later, the youth turns his head around, looking around at the billboards and signs. She quickly shifts her shoulder forward to avoid a man jogging behind her and uses her boot to grip the side of the man¡¯s shoes. The man stumbles and fall against the youth.


    Youth: ¡°Omph..¡±


    The youth got annoyed. The woman quickly picks up her pace and walks past the two. Her hand flashes for an instant.


    Man: ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Please excuse me¡±


    Youth: ¡°Watch your step, shitty geezer.¡±


    Leaving the scene, she walks off to the other side of the moving crowd. With a smartphone wrapped in a handkerchief in her hand, she briskly walks away from the area.


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    Sitting on a park bench in a nearby park, the woman focuses on her next action which involves the stolen smartphone taken from earlier.


    *No traces*, she reminds herself.


    She removes a pair of cloth gloves and slips them over her hands. She pulls off the casing of the smartphone and takes out the battery and the memory card. She then rummages through her backpack that she had set down next to her and pulls out a strange handheld device. She plugs in a wire extending from the device into the smart phone¡¯s memory card slot and inserts her own memory card into a slot on her device. She attaches a few more wires onto the smartphone''s power terminal and data port and presses a switch on the strange device.


    The strange device whirs to life, a black canister with a white glow is faintly seen within. The smart phone starts up, showing a black screen with a white text input with a corresponding keyboard. She types in her username ¡®Clock¡¯ and enters the command to access her memory card and upload it to its destination. With the command in place, the smartphone and the device begins its task. The particles suspended in the canister begin to glow. A simple empty bar is displayed on the screen to indicate its progress. The woman sighs deeply. She knows that there is no time to relax. In fact, a distressing ordeal has just begun.


    That phenomenon back in the hotel room, it is some sort of brute force magic. That annoying magic scans the information of electronics, looking for clues on her whereabouts. It doesn¡¯t help that the magic is stronger in modern areas like Japan''s urban setting or that this city had just been its current focal point. But at this moment, she can do nothing. Everything is hanging onto the device and the smartphone it is attached to. So in the time where it is most stressful and at the point where she can¡¯t do anything, she closes her eyes for a few moments of respite.


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    -Tick-


    It did not take long. The woman called Clock wakes up from her nap and is on full alert. She takes a look at the progress bar. It¡¯s a fifth of the way done. The device is holding up well. The particles in the canister are still present but an underlying layer of wire mesh is now exposed. The woman rummages through her bag once more. And as she takes out something that looks like a glue gun¡­


    Civilian Man: ¡°Huh? What is going on? I can¡¯t access the internet now. Did my phone data maxed out?¡±


    Civilian Woman: ¡°Hello? Hello? Saki-chan?¡±


    Civilian Youth: ¡°What the hell is this? My wifi got cut? Did they find out? Did they see my history?¡±


    The worst situation has presented itself. The brute force magic from earlier had doubled back and is now focused on this area. The magic device she''s using to conceal her presence is showing signs of failing. The particles in the canister are getting drained fast. She curses her situation of having to face such a powerful organization. She inserts the glue gun shaped device into a port on the device and squeezes the trigger. The ¡®glue gun¡¯ grips a greyish rod with unknown signs written on it in repetition and presses the rod through its body into the port. Particles then flow into the canister replacing the ones that are disappearing fast. She repeatedly squeezes the trigger as hard as she can to force more particles into the canister to offset the loss caused by the brute force magic.


    Woman: ¡°Goddamnit¡­ It¡¯s not enough.¡±


    Despite trying her best to inject more particles into the canister, it is not enough to offset the amount of particles disappearing to the magic. In the end, it is still a net loss and she is merely delaying the inevitable. The woman¡¯s face creases as she starts to get angry at this persistent magic. She glances at the smartphone¡¯s screen. The bar is barely a third of the way. But she keeps going.


    In hindsight, she could have just broke of the connection and submit her data at a safer time in a safer place. But her plans for the day had been shelved due to her circumstances and she wanted to generate some form of completion by submitting at least part of the data. And the enemy, they have interrupted her once today and she is determined to interrupt their search for her and elude their grasp. A petty action, but one she had honed into an instinct in her years of service.


    Woman: ¡°Kh¡­¡± [It¡¯s about time to cut off.]


    The canister is nearly out of particles and the white mesh is full exposed. While holding down her injector on the device, she grabs the smartphone that has barely even completed its task and removes the wires attached to it. The smartphone shuts off immediately and the device with the canister turns silent.She flips the smartphone to its back and removed the memory card.


    Woman: ¡°Haaa¡­¡±


    She falls back on the bench. Tired and fatigued, she feels frustrated at the disappointing result of her confrontation with the enemy.


    Woman: ¡°That accursed magic. Rosetta said that it is a damn old man. Go and die already¡­¡±


    Cursing the source of her current anguish, she straightens herself and quickly puts away the device and injector. Grabbing her bag, she gets up from the park bench and lowers her stature to pull her backpack onto her back. Bracing for the heavy thud, she stand up straight and walks out of the park. Nearing the exit, she takes out the smartphone from her coat pocket. She flicks her hand holding the smartphone in the direction of the exit¡¯s dustbin with the intention of throwing it away.


    -Tick-


    Her fingers that are loosening their grip on the smartphone suddenly tighten but the low friction of the gloves allows the smartphone to slip out of her fingers. Losing most of its momentum, the smartphone falls short of the dustbin and towards the ground. She quickly extends her leg and kicks the smartphone back towards her hand again.


    Woman: ¡°So stupid¡­¡±


    Lamenting on her foolishness, she returns the smartphone to her pocket and quickens her pace away from the park. She is reminded of the fact that the enemy can track her down from this blunder alone. The enemy will know at least her approximate location in the city and leaving the smartphone in such a hot zone will do nothing but put a noose around her neck. With a little bit of guesswork and searching in surveillance footage, her identity can be exposed and will be easily hunted down. Reprimanding herself, she continues her pace and shrinks her shoulders from the cold autumn wind.


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    Eight blocks from her last location, she stands in the middle of a group of pedestrians waiting to cross the street. As she stares at the traffic light, she wonders if she managed to escape from the enemy¡¯s drawing net. She feels that there is no doubt that the local authorities were called to action to find and apprehend her. And as if complementing that, two police vans zooms past with sirens blaring. They both are heading in the direction towards the park. More sirens could also be heard in the background. From the numerous of sirens that could be heard, it seems like the entire police force is deployed in collaboration with them. No doubt the police are under a tight vice courtesy of their higher ups.


    She now has to evade the police. The smartphone has already been slipped into a nearby pedestrian¡¯s pocket the moment she squeezed into the crowd. As the traffic light turns green, she steadies herself as the crowd stepped into the street. This city is done. It will be a few years later that she have to set foot in it again. But now, she will leave it and continue her mission in another place, away from the grasp of the enemy.


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 Prologue | Chapter 3 - Helen

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    Night had descended on California in America. It¡¯s 7 pm and the cities had lit up, illuminating its surroundings, looking like a glowing hive viewed from the sky. Across the entire state, hundreds of hospital had turned off some of their lights, save for the populated patient dorms and the nurse stations.


    In one particular hospital, a nurse switches off the lights in a corridor and strolls towards the nurse station. Dressed in green medical scrubs with a ¡®Helen¡¯ name tag and holding a file folder on her side, she hums a happy tune. She raises her hand to let loose her hair that had been clipped into a bun. Her jet black hair spills out, reaching past her shoulders. She brushes her fingers through her hair and enjoys the cool air in contact with the back of her head.


    Helen: ¡°Huuuuu~¡±


    Feeling refreshed, she adds a spring to her step. It has been quite a hectic day. The number of patients had skyrocketed and the hospital staffs were overwhelmed with the amount of work. Rising to the occasion, she worked harder in full vigor and managed to reign in control among the disarray. That incident happened throughout the day shift, yet she is working in the evening shift with no loss of her vigor as if the backbreaking work did not happen hours before.


    Helen: ¡°Hm? Hmm¡­¡±


    She heard noises from the female nurse locker room. Someone is changing in the locker room. Knowing the culprit, Helen enters the locker room silently and approaches the source of the noise. A woman is just about to finish dressing into evening attire fit for the night out. Helen sighs internally as she watches over her friend and colleague.


    Helen: [Dianne¡­ At the last minute?]


    Not missing the chance, Helen mimics the stern head nurse of the evening shift with a sharp rap on the folder she was holding.


    Dianne: ¡°Gihii!¡±


    Dianne jolts from the sound and lets out a little squeal. Turning her head and catching Helen¡¯s smirk from the corner of her eye, Dianne loses her tension, unstiffens her body and takes an annoyed pose, hands on her waist and her torso angled forward.


    Helen: ¡°You¡¯re running late, aren¡¯t you, Dianne?¡±


    Dianne: ¡°Helen! Stop it! You know if Bonnie finds out-¡°


    Enjoying Dianne¡¯s reaction, Helen gave a playful shrug.


    Helen: ¡°Cat¡¯s out of the bag, Dianne. Bonnie knows.¡±


    In a moment, Dianne loses her air of calm and freezes in place. Helen, uncomfortable with her friend¡¯s reaction, places both her hands on Dianne¡¯s shoulders.


    Helen: ¡°It¡¯s fine, Dianne. I¡¯ve talked it over with Bonnie. She¡¯s okay with it.¡±


    Dianne: ¡°Helen?¡±


    Helen returns Dianne¡¯s insecurity with a firmer grip on her shoulders.


    Helen: ¡°Dianne. It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ve talk with Bonnie. She will overlook this. No strings attached. It¡¯s better than her finding out later and punishing you tomorrow.¡±


    With Helen¡¯s assurance, Dianne¡¯s eyes shines with hope once more. Helen releases her grip and smiles widely.


    Helen: ¡°You¡¯ve worked extra hard today. You earned this time off for your date.¡±


    Dianne, knowing Helen¡¯s nature, accepts this. But nonetheless, she has to ask.


    Dianne: "Are you sure you''re fine with this, Helen? You''ve been working the whole day shift too."


    Helen: "I''m still full of energy even after all that. I also wanted this anyway. There''s nothing for me to do at night either. So get out there. You¡¯re going to be late for your date.¡±


    Dianne¡¯s face lights up.


    Dianne: "Thank you so much. I''m sorry for having you do this."


    Helen: "Tsk. Tsk. Kindness doesn¡¯t come cheap. Remember our deal."


    Dianne: ¡°Yes. Yes. I''ll buy you a bottle of wine when we both get a day off.¡±


    As her friend gratefully takes her leave, Helen continues with her nursing duties. She left the locker room and walks over to her station overseeing the maternity ward. A middle aged woman is present at the station. Her feet are placed on the counter and a show is airing on her tablet nearby. Helen walks over to the woman and pinches her foot.


    Helen: ¡°Bonnie. We¡¯ve been over this. Feet off the counter. Use a chair.¡±


    Bonnie huffs in indifference and moves her feet to a nearby chair. She pauses her show and looks at Helen as she leans against the counter.


    Bonnie: "How many times are you going to take over the nurses¡¯ evening and night shifts? This time is Dianne again. Is she going out with Fitz? I¡¯ll overlook this because of today¡¯s workload but that''s the third date this week. Is she hoping to start a family that young?"


    Helen: "Aw, come on, Bonnie. You always liked me more. Isn''t this for the better? Plus, I wanted this. I''d rather stay in this ward than do nothing at home."


    Bonnie shoots a skeptical look at Helen.


    Bonnie: "You could rest or sleep, you know. You''ve been working all day. I''ve seen you working for three days straight but filling all this hours can''t be good for your health."


    Helen: "I''m fine. I can pull of long hours without getting tired. Maybe it''s my young, beautiful body~¡±


    Helen straightens up and twirls around with one arm straight in the air and the other pointing downwards as if mimicking a ballerina. Bonnie snorts in response to Helen¡¯s showy dance.


    Bonnie: ¡°Mmhmm. Keep that up and you¡¯ll look like an old hag soon enough.¡±


    Helen: ¡°Huhaha~ Aw, Bonnie. I¡¯ll be fine~ I¡¯ve been working like this since graduating high school. As long as I have some time under the sun and drink my juices and wine, I won''t get tired. I won¡¯t turn into a hag just yet."


    Bonnie: "You¡¯re getting wine from this, aren¡¯t you? You drunk."


    Helen: "Ahaha~ I''ll be sure to share a glass with you. But only one glass. The rest is mine."


    Bonnie: ¡°Mmhmm.¡±


    Helen forces a greedy smile. Bonnie, satisfied with the conversation continues watching her show. Helen walks over to the window looking into a room in which glass cribs are arranged into rows. A great number of the cribs house a sleeping newborn baby.


    Helen: ¡±Huuu¡­¡±


    She lifts herself on the tip of her feet to closely watch over each baby starting from the furthest in the back. Her face slowly turns into an open smile with her tongue touching the upper teeth. One by one, she watches over each baby who is sleeping silently and moving the limbs now and then.


    It was a hectic day. Thirty seven babies born today, more that the average of the mid twenties that this hospital usually gets. Helen is glad the babies were delivered safely. She still remembers the tired but blissful faces of the parents as their baby was presented to them. Safely delivering the baby and watching over the parents as they receive their child is always a joyful moment for her.


    Bonnie: "Is someone visiting at this hour? Visiting hours should be closed."


    Helen: "Hmm? Why do you say that?"


    Bonnie: "I smell fresh flowers. Oh! Is it Fitz?! The hell?! Are they having their date here?"A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    Bonnie is getting alarmed. Flowers that usually signify the presence of hospital visitors shouldn''t be present at this time and the blame will easily fall on Dianne and Fitz. Fooling around in the hospital is frowned upon and bringing flowers to a maternity ward where the pollen might affect the babies is very dangerous.


    Helen: [Oh dear.]


    Helen quickly turned to Bonnie to defuse the situation.


    Helen: "Bonnie, Dianne already left. Fitz did not come here. They were going to meet up at their date place."


    Bonnie: ¡°Then where did the smell of flowers come from?¡±


    Helen quickly thought of a lie.


    Helen: ¡°Flower smell. Flower¡­ Oh! Maybe it¡¯s my body wash? I took a quick shower before I got here.¡±


    Bonnie: ¡°Huh? Why did I start smelling them now?¡±


    Helen: [Bonnie¡­ You ask too much¡­]


    Helen racks her mind for a follow-up to her lie.


    Helen: ¡°I used a mild one. I don¡¯t want a strong smell bothering the babies. I guess you caught a whiff of it.]


    Helen smiled as Bonnie looks around to catch another whiff of the scent.


    Bonnie: "¡­Alright then... "


    As Bonnie settles down and continues with her show, Helen places her hand over her chest and calms herself.


    Helen: *Alright. Calm down¡­ Calm down...*


    Whispering to herself, Helen knows what caused the flower smell. The source of the smell¡­ It¡¯s Helen herself. It¡¯s very embarrassing, but when she feels heartfelt happiness from watching over the babies, her body will emit a fragrant smell of flowers. No perfumes or scented beauty products. This scent is released from the pores of her skin.


    Calling her special is a light way to put it. She has a completely different lineage than that of other humans. This bloodline first transpired from her mother who received a blessing from the mysterious magician Rosetta. It is no surprise that Helen inherited her mother¡¯s blessing, genetically unhindered and strong.


    Due to her lineage, she inherited abilities and characteristics that do not exist in humans. She is able to fully enjoy all 24 hours of the day as she does not require sleep. Although she had to sleep when she was young due to her body needing rest from growing, when she reached adult size, she has not slept since. As long as she consumes some food for energy, there is no need for her to rest or sleep.


    However, her lineage does not always bring advantages to her daily life. Her lineage had caused her to be able unable to digest meat and only digest small amounts of oils and fats. Nonetheless, she enjoyed a vegetarian life with her favourite being fresh sweet fruits.


    Lastly, she has stowed away another blessing. One granted by the mysterious magician Rosetta when she sworn into Rosetta''s alliance. Along with her blessing, she is also bestowed a task which is¡­


    Helen: "Right. Today''s report. Hmmm¡­ Seventeen girls."


    Helen recalls the number of girls born today and grips the file she is holding. She walks over to Bonnie who has returned her feet to the top of the counter again. Helen pokes her foot to get her attention.


    Helen: "Bonnie, feet. Also, I''ll be making my rounds. Ring me if anything happens."


    Bonnie, focused on her show, nodded in response and removes her feet once again. As Helen walks away from the nurse station, her view drops to the file she is holding. Helen opens her file and looked through its contents. There are documents which contain the DNA test results for any genetic illnesses in the baby girls.


    Helen: ¡°Isabelle¡­ Bella¡­ Belle¡­ Bella¡­ Catniss¡­¡±


    Helen lists every baby girl¡¯s names as she carefully reads through the test results. Walking a route so familiar to her that she needs not pay attention to what¡¯s in front, she evaluates the health of every single baby girl.


    Helen: ¡°¡­Penelope¡­ Huuu~h¡­¡±


    Finished with evaluating the health of the last baby girl, Helen stops her pace and casts a long sigh. None of the baby girls showed any problems and are in their pink of health. Relief and gratefulness envelopes her heart. Shutting the folder closed, Helen holds it tightly to her chest and closed her eyes in silent prayer.


    Helen: "Please. Please. Please. Let none of them be her."


    Focusing hard on her prayer, she hopes for none of the baby girls to be the fated girl the Rosetta searched across the world for. She had prayed for this outcome every time on a daily basis. Even though she is loyal to Rosetta, she will never agree to let Rosetta send a young defenseless girl over to a strange world far away from her family with no guarantee for her safety.


    Helen: [What a reckless decision. This is crazy, even for you, Rosetta.]


    She had voiced her complaints to Center who also shares her sentiment, but to no avail. Rosetta had finalized the decision and had placed this search as top priority. This is very unnatural for the wise and powerful Rosetta. It is as if he is possessed. Finding this girl seems to be the most important thing for him. Helen opens her eyes, feeling sorrow and frustration at the turn of events.


    Helen: ¡°This girl¡­¡±


    The poor girl has been commended by Rosetta as the last one. The most important one. Helen shakes off those disturbing thoughts and continues walking. She arrives at the end of the wing and approaches a window. Checking her surroundings for any people, she opens the window to reveal a tree with its branches grown closely to the window. The tree itself has grown in a strange manner, with its trunk grown twisted towards the building with its branches reaching for the window. As she reaches out to the branches, the branches and leaves reach out as well and curl around her hands.


    Nature magic. This is her blessing from Rosetta. She had joined Rosetta''s alliance many years ago when she reached adulthood. Despite being an adult and passing the human age window for magic and mana training, due to her lineage, she is still able to learn and practice magic. It is upsetting that her mother intervened in protest and as a result, got the same blessing of learning nature magic. Her blessing was made less unique but she shouldn''t complain since she inherited everything from her mother¡¯s blood.


    Helen: [Alright. Connection made.]


    She gently grasps the twigs and closed her eyes. Her hair slowly flutters as if air is blowing through them in slow motion and the surrounding air around her hair grew dark as if a dark aura has enveloped her hair. Her hand grips harder on the file and green pulses ripple from the edges and converges to her hand many times at great frequency, causing a green flickering glow. Her other hand entwined in the leaves and twigs release a similar green pulse, this time from her hand to the twigs and leaves. The pulses travel from the leaves and twigs towards the tree; its glow fading as the branch thickens nearer to the trunk.


    This is how the scene appears but of its significance is that her magic copies and converts information from the documents in the folder into magic signals compatible to plants and sends them to the tree. The documents and the folder which are originally from plant materials also help in facilitating the conversion. The tree will store and spread the information throughout the ¡®plant network¡¯. This ¡®plant network¡¯ is a network of plants and trees that transfer and receive information in a form of magic signal undetectable to most forms of magic. This network is a culmination of decades of work by Helen and her mother which has established itself across most of the North Americas.


    Helen let go of the leaves and twigs and breathed a sigh of relief. This information will be dispersed throughout nature across the states to be collected by Center at her leisure. She has finished with her task for today without incident. Had she been spotted by someone, she won¡¯t know what to do. That incident. The only incident that happened a year ago is still fresh in her mind.


    An old man who was a patient in the hospital was going on a night stroll to sneak a peek at his newborn grandson and saw the scene. He caused a ruckus, calling Helen a demon and cursing her to the point that Helen was nearly in tears. The real heavy blow happened on the next morning when the old man demanded that Helen be kept far away from his grandchild. He even appealed to his family in putting a restraining order against her. Thankfully the hospital and the family were skeptical of the case and the restraining order was never filed, but the baby in question was placed in the care of other nurses.


    Having done her task, she held on to the leaves some more. This time she will draw information from the tree. The information drawn, the information of babies born in the states today. This information has been collected by Center and surveillance plants in the network near all the hospitals in the country.


    Helen: [A healthy number of a little more than eleven thousand. Roughly five thousand girls, huh¡­]


    An uneasy feeling grips her heart. Five thousand is still a large number even if it pales to the actual population of the country. Every new girl is a chance that she could be the one. Helen draws more information, this time the comparison results of all the baby girls born yesterday to the fated girl completed by Center.


    Helen: [None.]


    Helen lets go of the leaves and breathes a sigh of relief. None of them matched the fated girl. But the relief seems only temporary. The next day would spell the same burden of worries. This seems trivial compared to Center, who has been repeating this ordeal every day for years.


    As Helen withdraws her hand and closes the window, she looks at the tree with admiration. She knows of the magic of the enemy that forcefully finds Rosetta and his companions through the use of electronics. In a modern urban environment, one can even say that the magic is comparable to the omnipresent eyes of God. However, for a network of plants established through extensive research and utilization of nature magic, this network entirely made of nature magic may have very well been on another plane. There was no need to use magic tools to fool their magic as nature magic is beyond their detection. Furthermore, with a huge area of the country populated by nature, the network mimics the internet in terms of connectivity. Truly a remarkable feat by her and her mother.


    In spite of this, only a select few of Rosetta¡¯s alliance are able to use the network as most members do not have a degree of skill in nature magic aside from the usual group of Helen and her mother, Center and Rosetta. Nonetheless, an intelligence network with no threat from prying eyes is crucial in finding the girl. If it is not for this miracle network, the task of searching the North America will be impossible because the entire continent falls under enemy territory. Center, who is somewhere in the United States, will also be in danger.


    Helen leaves the hospital wing and returns to her normal patrol route. She glances again at the folder of documents detailing the DNA test results. She has to return them to their proper places in the medical archive but a discernible detail has been bugging her mind.


    Helen: [How did Rosetta get the data on the girl?]


    The girl¡¯s data. The identification data that had been prepared by Rosetta. How he managed to obtain the data when he never found her in the first place seems to go beyond reason. Nonetheless, this matter will be added to the list of questions she will personally confront Rosetta with when he revealed himself upon finding the fated girl. She is sure even Center will side her on this one.


    Rosetta has been too suspicious on the topic of the fated girl. No doubt it will cause rifts in the alliance. Eventually, someone will betray again. Helen wasn''t involved in the incident 23 years ago because she hasn''t sworn in yet. But she still remembers how her mother held her tightly when the incident broke out. Being a young child, even fear can be understood. Emotions went wild and everyone feared for their lives when it happened.


    Helen: [If that happens again. Rosetta, I¡¯m sorry but I will not support you anymore. My mother and I will disappear from everyone.]


    Helen reminds herself of this conviction and replaces her solemn mood with a happy one. With everything put away for when the time comes, she continues with her patrol around the hospital wing.


    __________________________________

 Prologue | Chapter 4 – Preparation for the storm

    __________________________________


    The loud whistle of the train echoes throughout the station as the large train pulls to a stop in front of the train platform. The station officers come forward and open the train doors, directing the impatient train passengers rushing to the designated exit. A man stumbles out of the train as the morning rush pushes him from the back. He tries to leave the crowd from the side but is dragged along by the sheer amount of people. A station officer who sees this scene blows his whistle and move into the crowd, grabs the man and pulls him out of the crowd.


    Officer: "Are you okay? Is any of your belongings damaged?"


    Rosetta: "I''m fine, thank you. Go and tend to your duties."


    Rosetta gratefully waves to the officer, hoists his large luggage on his back, and proceeds to leave the station. Looking at the bustling scene of the city, Rosetta stands there for a moment to take in the scene. A bustling street with pedestrians and vehicles. Peddlers and street performers at the community space. Advertisements and banners on aged shopping districts. This is a scene of a Vietnamese city.


    Rosetta lifts his hand to signal a taxi. A driver picks up his gesture and drives to him.


    Driver: ¡°Good day, Sir. Where do you want to go?¡±


    Rosetta: ¡°I want to go out of the city. To the countryside. In¡­ That direction. Take me as far as you can.¡±


    Rosetta takes a second to get his bearings and points at the general direction of his destination. The driver looks at the direction his gesture and nods.


    Driver: ¡°Okay. Please put your luggage in the back.¡±


    Rosetta stuffs his luggage into the popped trunk and enters the taxi. The taxi sinks a little as he sits down in the middle.


    Driver: ¡°Hmm¡­ Bringing a lot of luggage, sir?¡±


    Rosetta: ¡°Ah, yes. It is heavy equipment. Quite heavy.¡±


    Wearing a puzzled look, the driver flips on the taxi meter and drives off to Rosetta¡¯s destination. Throughout the journey, Rosetta keeps his eyes peering at the scenery passing by from the taxi¡¯s window. The urban scenery slowly turns into the outskirts where the buildings are smaller and more worn down.


    Driver: ¡°Is this far enough from the city?¡±


    Rosetta: ¡°No. Much further. Is this the farthest you can go?¡±


    Driver: ¡°Yes, This is farthest I go.¡±


    Rosetta: ¡°Alright¡­ I¡¯ll get off here. How much is the taxi fare?¡±


    Driver: ¡°450 000 dong.¡±


    Rosetta reaches into his pocket and pulls out some money. He hands out 5 ¡®100 000 dong¡¯ notes. The driver struggles to find the correct change for the payment. Rosetta lifts his hand to urge the driver to keep the change. The driver thanks him and left. Rosetta pulls his luggage over his back and surveys the area he is in.


    The outskirts of the city. The road seems to be the only structure that is relatively new as the buildings consists of old brick houses and shanties. The presence of nature is more pronounced here than the city. Rosetta looks around and even glances at the sky. Having decided on the direction, Rosetta steps off the road and walks without stopping.


    __________________________________


    Hours has passed by since his arrival in the city. Rosetta¡¯s view of the surroundings has changed from the outskirts in the day to the open fields in the evening before turning into forests at night. The sounds of the forest are all around Rosetta. He can see nothing in the darkness. There¡¯s no moon to shed its light. The only thing can be seen are the stars in the sky, shining just enough light to be seen but not enough to illuminate anything.


    The sound of rustling leaves and breaking twigs ceases. The magician has stopped his walking. In the pitch black darkness, he senses a forest clearing around him.


    Rosetta: ¡°This is a good place.¡±


    He begins to set down his luggage.


    -ssquueetch-


    His feet sunk deep into the ground and water from the surrounding soil pools and drenches his feet. Rosetta merely chuckles.


    Rosetta: ¡°Huhuhuhmhm. Such a lively place. It is such a shame.¡±


    The plants around him begin to part. The wet and soft peat soil begins to part as well and stones start to group under Rosetta¡¯s feet.


    -krakakrakarak-


    The stones crunch together and eventually fuse together into one solid stone slab. The slab slowly rises to ground level. The forest plants are squeezed together around the edges of the stone. Rosetta taps his feet on the stone platform. The stone is uneven and rough to the touch.


    Rosetta: ¡°Hmm¡­¡±


    He lifts his foot and stamps on the platform.


    -krshkoom-


    The stone platform immediately levels itself out, producing a smooth flat surface. Rosetta sweeps his feet around to confirm his work and nods.


    Rosetta: ¡°Oh?¡±


    Rosetta notices that his form is of a man¡¯s. He had cast an illusion spell to hide his appearance which is now not needed when he is alone.A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    Rosetta: [How foolish. I¡¯ve forgotten to dispel this form.]


    He slams his fist on his chest and the spell breaks, releasing a cloud of sparkling dust. When the dust disappears, Rosetta¡¯s true form is revealed. A giant person towering over 2 and a half meters high. A giant cloak covers Rosetta''s body and on his head, he wears a gas mask with a set of ram horns on it. Under the cloak, he wears simple clothing which is covered with belts and pouches holding various kinds of tools and trinkets. He wears large heavy gloves on his hands and large boots caked with mud from his walk earlier. At first glance, he is no doubt an image of the devil but he is not bothered by it. In fact, he is rather proud of his appearance.


    Satisfied with the comfort of his current form, Rosetta faces the forest around him.


    Rosetta: ¡°O forest, I request your aid. But the company I keep will no doubt end your reign.¡±


    Rosetta positions his luggage behind him and sits on it.


    Rosetta: ¡°This mission is very important to me. I cannot leave. I¡¯m sorry. I can at the very most assure you a future. For now, let me grant you a champion.¡±


    Standing back up again, he raises his hands and focuses his mind on a magic chant. The forest rustles in response to his magic. The peat soil around the platform begins to move and gather into a large mass in front of him. Vines, plants, rocks and dead trees are dragged from the forest onto the platform. They wrap around the soil mass and the whole pile starts to mold itself into a new form. A huge mass is formed in a shape of a strong, long body. The bark of the dead trees spreads across the surface like armor plates. The vines and twigs weave and bundle together into green muscle and sinew. The rocks break into fragments and fused to the limbs to be made into claws. Large branches spring out from the body¡¯s back which became the framework of wings made from weaving vines and leaves. From the long protrusion that resembles a neck, a tree stump attaches to it. A crack opens in the stump and split open like a mouth, forming a terrifying maw of splinters. Rock shards embed themselves along the edges of the maw, mimicking teeth. The roots of the stump twist into horns, completing the transformation.


    A dragon. A strong fearsome creature made entirely from the forest. Standing in a strong posture and its wings spread out as far as it can, the dragon faces Rosetta. Revealing its terrifying maw, the dragon growls softly in acknowledgement of its creator. Rosetta caresses its head.


    Rosetta: "Good dragon. You''re quite strong, aren''t you? I need you to fend off evil people and give me time to find her. I¡¯m relying on you. Try your best, okay?"


    The dragon grunts in agreement. It turns around and enters the forest. Rosetta checked the time on his watch. It will be hours until the sun will rise and hours more for the sun to reach its peek at noon. With the amount of energy present as sunlight, harnessing that energy will be enough to fuel his magic spell.


    Rosetta: *That should be enough mana spent. Goodness, my stinginess has been affecting the way I operate.*


    Without the energy, his magic spell will not function. Coincidentally, he could fuel the magic spell with his own mana by himself but the large of mana consumption has deterred him from doing so. If this spell is for naught, then all the expended mana will be wasted and he can''t allow that. The main reason for this mindset is because of the limitations of his true body. All these spells that are deployed in order to search for the girl consume massive amounts of energy.


    [What if I ran out of mana before I found her?]


    [What if I do not have enough mana to send her over?]


    [What if I ran out of mana protecting her from them?]


    These questions have plagued his mind every time he deploys a massive spell. He must have enough magic. Enough to find her, prepare her and send her off to the other world. Rosetta glances down and wondered about what to what end will he have to meet to find her.


    Rosetta: [The last one. The most important one.]


    Rosetta reminds himself for the umpteenth time before positioning himself in the center of the stone platform. He takes out one of his items hanging from his belt. It is a long clear crystal with a thin chain attached to one end. It looks exactly like a dousing crystal. He channels mana into it and the crystal starts to move. Runes that were once invisible on the crystal¡¯s surface glow bright red. Then a bright beam shoots out from the crystal¡¯s end and cut into the stone platform like a blow torch. The crystal swings around at an amazing speed. It directs the beam to carve out shapes and signs on the rock. The beam flickers quickly to space them apart. Like a high speed printer, the crystal carved the runes of the magic spell on the rock surface. The runes shimmering red from the melted rock.


    __________________________________


    The sun has reached its peak in the Vietnamese sky. With the clear blue sky, the temperature has soared. The farmers has stopped their work in the fields and taken refuge under the shades of nearby trees. No one seems to notice the forest nearby has swelled into great green domes.


    Inside one of the domes is Rosetta, sitting on a stone platform carved with concentric circles of runes. The concentric circles continue outwards onto the trunks of trees that has tightly packed their trunks together, curving the trunks to form a spherical space with the stone platform in the center. Rays of light is filtered from the tropical canopy shines in from above.


    Rosetta stands at the end of one side of the circle of trees carving the last of the runes of his spell. The dragon can be heard circling the area from the outside. The sound of its heavy footsteps and the long intervals in between gave a telling sign that the dragon has no doubt grew bigger since the time it was created. This is all according to plan. With the rising of the sun, the runes he carved out at first drew in sunlight to nourish the forest and shape the trees into its current formation. The dragon also benefited from it as the energy absorbed is also used for its growth. All this is due to the mysterious nature magic Rosetta has conjured.


    Rosetta: [Done.]


    Swinging around the white hot crystal to cool it, Rosetta does a final check on his work on the runes. With the power of these runes, Rosetta is able to conjure the highest form of nature magic, going further than the capabilities of plants. The photosynthesis of the forest plants has been going wild since sunrise. Rosetta longs to breathe in the fresh air now rich in oxygen.


    Rosetta: [What''s lost is lost.]


    He nodded in affirmation. The rune circle is perfect and will be performing efficiently.


    Rosetta: [Now then. For the final piece.]


    Rosetta put his hand under his shirt. He reaches in deep into the center of his chest and carefully retrieves a clear crystal ball. The crystal ball is very old, as many scratches have scarred the smooth surface. Rune circles can be seen etched inside the glass surrounding a small empty space. In that empty space rests a lock of hair. Rosetta grips the glass ball firmly and revises his actions from here on.


    Rosetta: [This spell will draw attention from everyone, including the enemy. There''s no need to be stealthy on this. I should force the spell as hard as I can before the enemy gets to me.]


    He sits down near the center of the stone platform. He places the crystal ball near the center of the rune circle. The ball jumps from his hand and floats in midair at a fixed position. Rosetta runs his finger across a circle of runes. The runes starts to shine white and causes a cascade of the other runes shining. He has started his grand spell. His surroundings becomes bright as if he is in a completely white space. The scene looks peaceful and beautiful, but a different scene unfolds outside. The sky darkens into pitch black and the bright sun now shimmers into a dim spot in the sky.


    Farmer 1: ¡°(What?! The sky! It turned black!)¡±


    Farmer 2: ¡°(Is this an ¡®eclipse¡¯? Everything is so dark!)¡±


    Farmer 3: ¡°(I can¡¯t see the fields! I need to get home to check on the family!)¡±


    The farmers are alarmed at the sudden change of the sky. One assumes that an eclipse is happening while some doubts the assumption, pointing at the sun in the sky. The dark sky expands over the land as Rosetta''s spell claims the light from its surroundings to fuel its true function, to translate every human''s DNA in its range into its corresponding mana signature and compare it to the mana signature stored in the single lock of hair. Rosetta gathers his mana in his hand and releases it into the runes to trigger the spell¡¯s function. The runes shine brighter for a second and releases a blinding wave from it center. The wave travelled outwards in the ground, fading out as it get bigger. Across the fields, cities and settlements. Across the land. Rosetta¡¯s search has begun.


    __________________________________

 Prologue | Chapter 5 - Clock and Center

    __________________________________


    A forest of Japan is caught in view. Some of the trees displayed a bright orange crown. The color of autumn. However, the majestic view of the change of seasons is marred by a small column of smoke rising from between the trees. Following the trail of smoke reveals¡­


    -Crack Crackle-


    A small fire is slowly dying out atop a pile of ashes. The fire is met with a shower of soil, suffocating it and putting it out. The person that put it out, a dark skin woman.


    Woman: ¡°Finally. It is done.¡±


    She stomps on the ashes one more time to put out the any hidden embers. She then picks up a nearby contraption. The same strange device with the canister now attached to a different smartphone. She checks the screen for fourth time.


    [Transfer complete]


    Satisfied, she stretches her arms and body. Her shoulders feel lighter now that her job is done. She lifted her heavy back pack over her shoulders once again and the momentary relief is lost. She drags her feet towards the direction she came from. From outside the forest, at its edge a good distance away, a bus station, a pit stop between the two cities. It¡¯s a long trek, all for the sake of not rousing any suspicion.


    __________________________________


    The woman browses the food isle in the supermarket at the bus station. She tosses a few food items into her shopping basket and proceeds to pay at the counter. She turns over to look at the group of people lining up to get into a bus. It is the bus that she took when leaving the city.


    Woman: [I¡¯ve spent a long time in the forest. I¡¯ll eat on the bus.]


    She picks up her purchase and jogs over to the bus.


    -Tick-


    She suddenly stops her steps and quickly turns away from the bus.


    Woman: [Are you kidding me? They reached this far?]


    She walks further away from the bus and enters the supermarket once more. Keeping watch over the bus, she rearranges her thoughts.


    Woman: [It doesn¡¯t seem to be anyone hunting for me on that bus. So there is a trap set in the city I¡¯m going¡­ Other buses are out of the question. The bus station might be locked down. So the only way into the city is through a taxi-]


    -Tick-


    Woman: [The taxis are compromised? No¡­ Roadblocks around the city. Okay. Use a taxi and go on foot when near the city. But for a taxi, I need a lot of money.]


    Taking a taxi to the city will incur a huge taxi fare. She will have to request additional funds from Center. How shameful. She takes out the smartphone still attached to the canister device. Turning it on, she keys in the following words.


    [The Clock needs its work papers.]


    Sent. She turns the device off and walks off to the last location where she saw an ATM machine. It is near the supermarket¡¯s checkout counter. She stands in front of the machine and glances at the camera overlooking it. She shifts her gaze to the security camera at the checkout counter.


    Clerk: ¡°Excuse me, ma¡¯am. Do you need assistance?¡±


    The clerk got suspicious of her actions and offered the woman her assistance. The woman is taken aback.


    Woman: ¡°Sorry. I am a bit wary about people stealing my card information. You know. Hidden cameras and card skimmers.¡±


    Clerk: ¡°Ma¡¯am. I can assure you that security here is pretty safe and the ATM machine has not been tampered with. There is no need to worry.¡±


    The woman nodded to the clerk. She stepped closer to the machine to not rouse more suspicion.


    Woman: [Anne¡­ What is taking so long?]


    Center, or rather Anne, has always been fast in responding to her requests.


    Woman: [Is it because of the location? This is- Oh¡­]


    The ATM machine screen flickers and the machine whirs. A stack of Yen notes is deposited out of its note dispenser. The woman takes the stack and counts the notes.


    Woman: [60¡­ 70¡­ Hmm?]


    The ATM machine prints out a rather long receipt. On the receipt, written in full caps¡­


    [PAPERS FOR THE MEATHEADED NILA MARIE | READ UNDERNEATH]


    The woman named Nila snatches the receipt and glanced underneath. Then she crumples it in her fist. Annoyed at the prank, she mumbles her complaints


    Nila: *I¡¯ll fix it when I get there. But, don¡¯t go printing my name, sheltered hermit.*


    Nila stuffs the stack of money into her bag. She waves politely at the bowing clerk while glancing at the security camera. Exiting the supermarket, she turns to the parked taxis awaiting customers. When she approaches one of the taxis, its driver welcomes her.


    Driver: ¡°Welcome. Where do you like to go?¡±


    Nila: ¡°Tokyo City. Are you able to go there?¡±


    Driver: ¡°Yes. I am able to go there.¡±


    Nila: ¡°Okay. My actual destination is outside the city. So I want to be dropped off before entering the city.¡±


    Driver: ¡°Yes, I understand. Ma¡¯am, I would like you to know that the taxi fare will be roughly 50 000 to 60 000 yen. Will you be taking this taxi?


    Nila: ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll be in your care.¡±


    Driver: ¡°Thank you very much. Please put your luggage in the back.¡±


    Nila puts in her luggage in the taxi¡¯s trunk and gets on to the back passenger seat. The taxi driver gives a bow before entering the driver¡¯s seat. The taxi starts up and leaves the pits stop. Nila took out the stolen smartphone and gave it a thorough wipe. She puts the smartphone into the back seat pocket.


    -Tick-


    Her hand retracts and pockets the smartphone.


    Nila: [I still need it? Make sense. I won¡¯t be getting another one until I reach Tokyo.]


    She stretches a herself a bit and lies her back on the seat.


    Nila: [There is that message from Anne. More stuff to do¡­ Get off before the road block. Hike all the way into the city. Then¡­]


    Nila¡¯s thoughts drift into silence as she falls asleep.


    __________________________________


    The place is black. However, this place is sparkling at the same time. Countless lights flicker and sparkle. With its large numbers, they spread across the place looking like the stars captured by a telescope on a cloudless night. With such a magnificent sight, one will expect a loud booming sound droning in the background, but there is no sound that can be heard. Like true space itself, silent.


    -Rustle-


    Interrupting the silence, a woman is standing in the middle of the space where there was nothing before. The woman looks mature, age in the mid-forties. Her attire is a bit mismatched. She has dark brown hair that is long and straight but at the same time it gave a disheveled look. Her pale white skin looks unhealthy. It is as if she has lived for years without sunlight. In contrast, her body looks healthy while her face showed a lively expression of a normal person.


    Woman: ¡°Back to work.¡±


    Responding to her words, the lights flicker brighter and start to move into their positions. The whole view changed dramatically. Like a beautiful two dimensional picture becoming a glorious three dimensional one. The woman floats up in the space leisurely. It is as if gravity in the space is an outright lie.


    She closes her eyes and focused. Then something spectacular happened to the space. The lights start to move in a pattern, leaving a light trail that follows its path. Up and down, left to right, front to back, and vice versa. In spite of the various directions the light nodes take, they all ultimately move in the flow of a round circle loop. With the woman as the center, the lights move around her, creating a spectacular view like a three dimensional long exposure star trail photo. She lifts a hand and a giant screen that wraps around in a circle appears around her. On the screen, computer text welcomes her.


    [Welcome, ---- Anne]


    A notification window seems to be blocking her first name. The woman surnamed Anne looks closely at the notification window.


    Anne: [It¡¯s Nila. That idiot. She finally sent over the rest of it.]


    Anne frowns at the rest of documents that Nila has transferred over. She still remembers the time Nila sent it incomplete transfers which resulted in severe fragmentation of the last few documents that squeezed through. How angry and upset Anne was at the time.This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Anne: [Stop playing chicken with those things. I have to go through a lot of shit to patch up your security.]


    ¡®Those things¡¯. Anne thought of the enemy that way. She still harbors hatred towards them. After what they did. After what ¡®he¡¯ did. But now is not the time for brooding. Anne scans through the documents.


    Anne: ¡°Everything seems to be in order.¡± [The fragmented ones are all here along with a few redundant copies]


    With this, Anne begins her work. Focusing on the task in her mind, the light trails respond accordingly. As the light trails pass by the virtual documents, the identity and genetic data are extracted from them. The genetic data is turned into a blueprint and the entire human body is reconstructed in a virtual body. Anne watches as each virtual body is lined up on the screen in front of her. She then proceeds with the next process.


    The virtual bodies are placed into a simulation and exposed to various artificial environments. The parameters of the bodies is recorded as data which is processed further to generate the result that Anne has been looking for. The individual mana signature. Unique to each person, the mana signatures are compared to a single mana signature record. The mana signature of the fated girl. Anne looks on as the screen shows the results of the comparison.


    Anne: ¡°All negative!¡±


    Anne throws her arms up in the air and twists her body sideways to do a twirl.


    Anne: ¡°Same as it has always been!¡±


    This has been indeed true. In the space of trailing lights, the nodes are reporting the same result for all the genetic data of children and newborn babies. No match at all. The fated girl continues to evade her grasp. Anne folds her arms in thought.


    Anne: [Does this girl even exist? Up until now I¡¯ve yet to see any evidence for that. Rosetta has her mana signature and even that lock of hair. But he could have fabricated all of it with his powers anyway. Even if all of this is true, how does that even make sense? Where did that hair even come from?]


    Anne flashed these same questions countless times before. She had the leisure of thoroughly analyzing the hair but was only able to glean the unique mana signature from it. And for the mana signature, the only thing it matched is the same mana signature that Rosetta provided in the first place. Yet at the time, she felt something was off about the hair. She figured it out shortly after.


    Anne: ¡°Why does the hair not have any DNA?¡±


    The hair for one thing does not have any DNA on it. It would be much easier if the DNA is present as a lot of information could be derived from the DNA alone. The girl¡¯s race, lineage, even lifestyle obtained from the DNA would have narrowed the search scope by a wide margin.


    Anne: ¡°What an unbelievable circumstance. It thanks to this that we¡¯re stuck-¡°


    Anne¡¯s thoughts are interrupted by a recent development. A user has entered her space and has been fumbling around with the data centers. Anne looks at the user¡¯s presence which is a small green glow bouncing between the light trails in her space.


    Anne: [It must be the start of her evening shift.]


    Anne recognizes the user and narrows her eyes at the greenish glow. It seems to be hovering round and round aimlessly.


    Anne: ¡°Helen¡­ What are you doing getting lost in my network? Today¡¯s results registry is here, where it¡¯s always been.¡±


    Anne redirected Helen¡¯s presence to the node containing the registry database. Helen¡¯s presence hovered over the node for a few moments before disappearing. In its place, data of a virtual note is left behind.


    [Dear Anne. Thank you for your hard work! Today¡¯s records will reach you soon! Much love, Helen.]


    Anne: [You¡¯re welcome, Helen. Be sure to back me up when the time comes.]


    Anne puts the note away. Helen is with Anne in opposition to the circumstances of Rosetta¡¯s mission. Of all the people who were sent over by Rosetta, all were willing adults. Their terms were negotiated and they were sent to the other world after much training and preparation. None of them. None of them were underage and ill-prepared. But this girl. Rosetta plans to send her over as soon as possible. Anne is having none of it. She will cooperate due to the ever present threat of the enemy finding the girl. But when the girl is found, she will be hidden. Helen will protect her. Then Anne herself will confront Rosetta.


    It didn¡¯t have to come to this. But this insane decision forced her hand. Another similar circumstance happened before. There was that one boy that Rosetta had granted power upon. To quell the opposition, Rosetta affirmed that the boy was fated to be sent over when he grew up. Then it happened. ¡®His¡¯ betrayal. Followed by the betrayal by the others. Everyone lost something that day, including Rosetta. The boy on the other hand ran away to safety and the traitors never came across him to realize his identity. The boy has grown up well over the years. Rosetta and Anne still keep tabs on him. Rosetta will come around to send him over soon. But only after the girl is found.


    Anne: ¡°There it is¡­¡±


    One by one, the DNA records from Helen¡¯s hospital is slowly loaded in front of Anne. Having to travel through a plant based network and then encoded into a data based one will take time, no matter how skilled Anne is. Anne flicks each of the records into the processing line when they finished loading. Moments later, ¡®No Match¡¯ results pop up one after the other.


    Anne: [No surprise¡­]


    Anne glances over to the surveillance of the world outside her space. The world moves on with its daily life. But Anne ignores all of that. What she is looking for are traces. Traces of the enemy. People who act under ¡®his¡¯ orders.


    Anne: [As usual, Rosetta and Nila stirring up the waters that I can¡¯t find anything else.]


    The enemy has placed all their attention on Rosetta. Enemy agents have already been detected going into Vietnam many days ago. Despite having masked their identity with various means, including magic, they can¡¯t fool Anne, whose potential has already surpassed the powerful Rosetta. Currently, these agents have seized control of the Vietnam¡¯s police and military. They are mounting an offensive against Rosetta who has demonstrated quite a light show in search for the girl.


    Anne: ¡°Whoa¡­ Light siphoning photosynthesis? You¡¯re no longer holding back, Rosetta?¡±


    Anne can do nothing but sigh at the picture taken by the enemy scouts. An incredible shot of a massive mass of darkness in the middle of the forest. To a layman¡¯s view, it is as if a black hole has appeared on Earth.


    Anne: [And then there¡¯s the queen of idiots.]


    Anne shifts her attention to the enemy chatter in Japan who has mobilized the country¡¯s police force to capture Nila who couldn¡¯t help but play chicken with the enemy¡¯s intelligence sweeper. The police are establishing roadblocks on all roads leading to Tokyo, the next city Nila will moving to.


    Anne: [Looks like I need to prepare some currency when she gets to an ATM. Hmm¡­ She found out about her situation, huh?]


    Anne watches Nila retreat from the bus into the supermarket through the security camera. She opens a ghost bank account and deposits a generous amount of money. She hijacks the ATM machine in the supermarket and waits for Nila to approach it. As she watches Nila from the security camera, a notification appears in her mind.


    Anne: [Huh? What?]


    She detects an error in one of the her nodes. One of the equipment collecting genetic information from medical research institutions has malfunctioned. She brings the error into view.


    Anne: [This is¡­ In Tokyo city?]


    Anne troubleshoots the malfunctioning equipment to identify the problem. One by one, each equipment component reporting back as functioning properly.


    Anne: [The equipment is working fine] ¡°What is going on?¡±


    She rebooted each component. The error is still there. She troubleshoots the problem again and rebooted every component at once. The same error. She rewrites all the software and algorithms in the machine and restarted the machine, overseeing its every process. Nothing changed. This annoys Anne. If going this far with her skills bears no fruit, then it is impossible to fix. Now the only thing left for Anne is by means that borders on the insane.


    Anne: ¡°Alright.¡±


    At her words, a great number of the light nodes stop in their tracks, losing their light trails as it caught up to them. Anne puts her hands above the targeted, the node with the persistent error, and focus. In an instant, the motionless light nodes move towards the targeted node at an incredible speed that streaks of light could only be seen in a moment. The targeted node becomes blindingly bright. The whole space is illuminated in a bright white light.


    After a few seconds, Anne releases her posture and the bright light dissipated. The target node returns to normal and the other nodes that raced towards it earlier scatter in all directions. Looking at the node, the same error could still be felt.


    Anne: ¡°Why?! What¡¯s going on?!¡±


    Her frustration is an all-time high. What she did earlier was her focusing her energy and mana from her reserves in the space and venting it at the ¡®broken¡¯ equipment through the target node. With all that energy and mana, she forged a virtual spell and through immense data processing and calculations, deconstructed the faulty equipment into basic elements and reconstructed the entire thing from scratch. Matter reconstruction remotely through a virtual space. Despite all that, the brand new equipment reports the same error in mockery of her efforts. In response, Anne is in a state of panic.


    Anne: [Is the machine forced in this state by an outside force? The enemy? ¡®Him¡¯? But there is no way ¡®he¡¯ could have interfered without me finding out!]


    All the light nodes stop in their tracks. Added with the silence from Anne, it looks like time has stopped. Anne becomes rigid, her eye seething with hatred and her hands gripped into fists.


    Anne: ¡°Where are you? Where are you, you son of a bitch?¡±


    The light nodes shine brightly and begin their movement once more. This time in a more erratic path and at a high speed. She wants to find ¡®him¡¯. She wants revenge on that traitor. She will hijack the entire city and bring it down ¡®him¡¯. She uses all her power to figure out the cause of this problem. If it is ¡®him¡¯. Find ¡®him¡¯. Hunt him ¡®down¡¯.


    However, with all her power centered on computation, what was concluded is not what she expected.


    **********************************


    Woman: ¡°You¡¯re too uptight, ---anne. Come on. Smile. Smile.¡±


    A woman wearing a red scarf waving her index fingers side to side to form a smile. Her own smile showed true happiness and warmth.


    **********************************


    A memory. This memory resurfaced during Anne¡¯s mental turmoil. In an instant, her hatred is forgotten. All the light nodes calm their pace. Anne¡¯s eyes opens wide in recollection of that memory.


    Anne: [No way.]


    Somewhere in her thoughts, she figured out what has been causing the error as well as who it belonged to. All the lights nodes begin to shine. Anne will attempt to troubleshoot the error once more. However, this time, she will be using her full power and her agenda is a lot more different than before.


    Anne: [Please.]


    She has that desperate thought before going full force on the target node. The entire space lights up as all the light nodes fly towards the target node. Everything. The whole space is covered is blinding white light.


    Anne: ¡°If¡­ It is really you. I want you to know that I am not trying to stop you. All I want is¡­ You- For you to show yourself.¡±


    Anne starts to talk. Her voice is shaky from anxiety and desperation.


    Anne: ¡°I just want to see you. Please¡­ Come out."


    No response. Anne desperately cries out.


    Anne: ¡°Please! Akari!¡±


    A response. Sensing that, Anne forces her spell harder before finally¡­


    Anne: -!!!-


    Anne kills her spell. The white light dissipates once more and a view of scattering lights is shown around Anne. Anne brings her hands for a closer inspection. Placed in between her hands, a single red string hangs listlessly.


    Anne: ¡°Ukh¡­ Gh¡­¡±


    She starts to sob at the sight of the red string. Tears drip down from her eyes as she clutches the red thread and brings it close to her chest.


    Anne: ¡°Akari¡­ It¡¯s¡­ It¡¯s really you¡­ You¡¯re still here¡­¡±


    Anne cries for a little while as she brings the red string to her view. The red string. Belonging to the woman Akari. Akari who was dear and precious to Anne.


    Anne: ¡°Gh¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­ I am alright now.¡±


    Anne pulls herself together and wipes the tears from her face. She looks at the red string in determination.


    Anne: ¡°Alright. Whatever you wish for. I¡¯ll do it for you.¡±


    Anne glances at the node still reporting the error.


    Anne: ¡°You don¡¯t want the machine fixed. No, you want someone to fix it personally.¡±


    Anne sees Nila¡¯s message. Nila who is waiting for Anne should be wondering what¡¯s wrong by now.


    Anne: ¡°Right¡­ Nila.¡±


    She concludes that she can have Nila investigate the equipment there. She emptied the contents of the ghost bank account through the ATM machine for Nila. She then have the ATM print her orders on a receipt.


    Anne: [I¡¯ll add a little message for Nila to keep her hot-bloodedness under control.]


    Anne leans back after the job is done. The light nodes all around her are returning to their initial pattern as Anne reorganizes and recover any lost work caused by the debacle from earlier.


    Anne: [The equipment in question is in the HQ of a medical research company. It helps gather data from the HQ and its branches.]


    Nila from the security feed gave a fleeting annoyed glance. However, Anne¡¯s attention is not on it. She looks at the red string in her hands. Her finger gently rubs it across her hand.


    Anne: ¡°The fated girl? Akari¡­ Are you saying that she will be found there?¡±


    Anne looks around her. A significant number of the lights nodes are dedicated to finding the girl.


    Anne: ¡°Should I stop looking for her then?¡±


    Anne looks at the red string once more. She is not sure whether the fated girl will be found there.


    Anne: ¡°You used to be so playful and whimsical¡­ I might be wrong about this whole thing.¡±


    Anne ties the string into a knot and puts it in her pocket. She gives herself a stretch and leans forward towards the screen.


    Anne: [I can afford to keep going. I have the power and mana for it. For now, I have to play the role of support.]


    Anne brings up multiple feeds that provide all the information on the incidents surrounding Rosetta. The opposing forces have begun their operations.


    Anne: ¡°Rosetta¡¯s theater of war is about to begin.¡±


    __________________________________

 Prologue | Chapter 6 – Knowing the enemy’s hand

    __________________________________


    A few hours have passed and the range of the spell has encompassed the top half of Vietnam. Rosetta glances hopefully at the crystal ball but it has not shown any signs of pointing to a specific direction. He spins the floating ball and no response can be discerned as the ball spins aimlessly in midair.


    Rosetta: [Darn. I don¡¯t think she will be in this country. I have to search further.]


    He has to expand his search to beyond Vietnam and towards the neighboring countries. It will take a large amount of energy, but he could just take in more sunlight which is available throughout the country at this time. He draws in more energy, expanding the dark expanse of sky further.


    From the outside, streams of light start to form around the edges of the dark sky. With an appearance similar to auroras, they all converge into the darkness. The streams of light gather at the forest dome where Rosetta resides.


    Rosetta: ¡°So this is what happens when you overexert a spell. It might be easier to get found.¡±


    It is as Rosetta feared. The streams will help the enemy figure out his approximate action. Most of the decoys he set around the forest are rendered useless now. In spite of this, he shrugs it off.


    Rosetta: [It¡¯s not a problem. The priority now is to find her. I¡¯ve set up other measures to meet the enemy as well.]


    He decides that it is best for him to continue forcing the spell. It is a rare occasion where he is set up properly, protected and unhindered. With a near limitless supply of energy, he can search for the girl untethered by his miserly management of his magic. Plus, with a dragon made from nature magic tapped into the limitless energy supply, even the enemy''s full force will have a hard time reaching him.


    Rosetta: "Come on. Come on. Where are you?"


    He''s getting restless. From the increasingly tedious search, his shrinking mana storage, and the incoming pressure from the enemy, he is at his wit''s end. With a new leeway of energy supply, he forces his spell westwards towards the neighboring countries.


    __________________________________


    -Thump Thump Thump-


    The sound of boots stomping the floor can be heard as heavily armed police are rushing to prepare for dispatch. Armed with guns and armor, they are packed into trucks to be driven to the outskirts of the city. The city is in an uproar as the residents are alarmed at the surge of activity from the police. Long lines of trucks leaving the city have caused traffic congestions angering the motorists. In tandem with the police trucks, fire trucks packed with firemen are also slowly following the road straight out of the city. Traffic police on motorbikes are everywhere, assisting in clearing traffic for clear passage for the trucks.


    A similar situation is seen at the police headquarters; as the police are packing an entire arsenal of weapons into armored trucks. On the top floor of the main building, at a window overlooking the scene, a Caucasian man stands overlooking the policemen. The man stands at an intimidating height well over two meters. In spite of his tall stature, his body is of average built. He has a face of a youth with black short hair. Wearing black tactical gear, he gives a belittling look at the men getting packed into the trucks. He senses a person approaching him and turns around. It is the police captain his senior lieutenant. They come up to him and greet him.


    Han Trang: "Agent Alan Moralles, I am Police Captain Han Trang and this Police Senior Lieutenant Au Khan.¡±


    Au Khan: ¡°Nice to meet you, sir.¡±


    The two keep silent for a moment. Alan, sensing their expectation of a response, lazily gives a reply.


    Alan: ¡°Hi.¡±


    The two officers are taken aback at the rudeness of the agent. Nonetheless they ignore it and continue the conversation.


    Han Trang: ¡°I¡¯m required to inform you that the police teams will be ready within the hour. But we, along with many others, have some concerns."


    Upon hearing that, Alan walks closer to the two men and cast a glare. With his tall form, the men shrink from the intimidation.


    Alan: "Haven¡¯t you been debriefed by the Police General? The briefing should have been enough to convince you.¡±


    Captain: ¡°We are concern about the scale of this operation. So many has been recruited that it has affected the city. The citizens are getting angry.¡±


    Alan: ¡°It is no concern of mine. Handling this should be on your end. My concern is only the success of this operation.¡±


    Alan gives a careless shrug. The captain is appalled at Alan¡¯s response and is at a loss for words. The lieutenant cuts into the conversation.


    Au Khan: ¡°But is it really necessary to bring the whole arsenal, the whole police force to engage this enemy?¡±


    Alan gives the lieutenant a look of disdain.


    Alan: ¡°I''m sure that it is pretty clear that you are debriefed that the dark patch of sky is due to the enemy¡¯s action.¡±


    Alan points at the dark patch of sky in the distance. It looks like a giant black hole expanding across the blue sky. Auroras are forming from the edges and converging onto an area on the ground. The officers look at the faraway scene with looks of fear and worry. They know about it as they were debriefed by the commissioner along with the rest of the policemen.


    Alan: ¡°Your entire force could not reach him. Only I and a special group of people are actually handling the enemy directly. At most, you are just labor to make this operation go smoothly.¡±


    Alan¡¯s statements have belittled them. The police captain gets angry at the remarks but is nudged by the senior lieutenant before he can lash out at Alan.


    Au Khan: "¡­ What sort of enemy will we be facing?"


    Alan: "To put it simply, We.¡±


    Alan gestures at himself.


    Alan: ¡°Will be fighting a monster. As to who or what that monster is, that''s none of you concern. Your duty is to follow your orders and for your sake, keep yourselves alive.¡±


    The police captain steps forward, looking livid as if he is challenged.


    Han Trang: ¡°You¡¯re saying you have the power to fight this enemy?¡±


    Alan does not answer the police captain¡¯s provocation. He gives a smirk, relaxes his posture and leans back against the window. The window pane cracked behind him but he paid no attention. Both of the police officers are startled at his bold action but are silent with significant anguish. This pleases Alan.


    Alan: *Heh. At least these people respect the chain of command.* ¡°I trust that you and everyone else know that this operation should be kept confidential. Things like public witnesses and news from the media and press should be handled by you but only on our orders. I don¡¯t need you making martyrs.¡±


    This infuriates the police captain.


    Han Trang: ¡°What do you mean by that?!¡±


    Alan: ¡°The way your country censors information is obsolete. Primitive and stupid. Accept that and learn how to handle modern opinion and media.¡±


    Au Khan: ¡°That¡¯s enough captain. Let¡¯s leave.¡±


    The senior lieutenant is holding the police captain¡¯s shoulder. The police captain understands his intentions and only balls his fists in anger.


    Alan: ¡°If you don¡¯t like our supervision, you can always opt out. It might be unbecoming of a high ranking officer like you but that¡¯s your own risk to wager. We''ve given you ample time to agree to those terms. Those that didn''t will stay behind and help us leave the city. The gag orders are still in effect regardless if you are in or out."


    Being fed up with the conversation, the officers storm off. Alan turns and watches over the troops. In spite of the unknown nature of the operation, a larger number of them still opt to participate in it. This is likely due to various reasons, like the thrill of a covert operation, the huge payment upon participation by a US organization, patriotic spirit of defending the country against an unknown threat, or just plain curiosity about the strange phenomenon with the sky.


    Nonetheless, the ones that refused are extremely vocal, voicing their distrust of the organization, mentioning various theories like the operation¡¯s purpose is to secure something that will monopolize power or to cover up a manmade accident that the organization might have caused. They also accused the organization of using the Vietnamese forces as sacrificial pawns to forward their goals.


    Alan: *Well, it''s not like it is entirely untrue.*


    They have every intention to use the Vietnamese forces to defeat that monstrous magician. However, it should only be the agents of the organization that will be dealing the blow to the magician. The Vietnamese forces will only serve to remove the clutter and mess the magician might have conjured. Nonetheless, they have to handle the incident with proper care and ensure the wellbeing of the Vietnamese troops. This alliance among nations is crucial to their organization in their mission. So their actions on the allied troops will be heavily scrutinized.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    Alan: [How vexing. I have to babysit these weaklings while I¡¯m hunting. Whatever. As long as a few of them survive, I can still report it as collateral damage.]


    Alan shrugs off those thoughts. For now, he should focus on the task ahead. He recalls the information that has been sent to him by the intelligence team.


    Alan: [Hmm¡­ There¡¯s not much to work on.]


    Satellite images have turned up empty as the light absorption from Rosetta¡¯s spell caused black patches to obscure the images. Previous images from days before Rosetta¡¯s spell show that a lush tropical forest covered the whole area.


    Alan: [This is still a good lead¡­]


    With the abundance of nature around him, the magician is most likely using nature magic. Using the environment to his advantage, the forest can be used at his disposal. Alan grins at the possibility.


    Alan: [If that''s the case, I might have an advantage in this. I¡¯m getting thrilled.]


    If the opponent is using nature magic, Alan¡¯s power is suited to overpower it. In fact, his own power is nature magic as well but with a much sinister nature. He obtained the ability from the organization, not from Rosetta, but the magic was originally from him. The organization managed to get a treasure trove of magic when they struck hard against the magician 23 years ago. The magician has turned elusive since then, and the organization has grown exponentially, striving to capture the magician for good.


    Alan lets out a huge breath. He is excited. To have chance of confronting the great magician himself, to pit his magic against him, he is exhilarated at the thought. His vile magic will no doubt do a number on Rosetta. If he manages to take Rosetta down completely, he will be celebrated by the organization and by the world.


    - bata bata bata-


    The sound of a propeller engine interrupts Alan''s thoughts and he glances upwards to see a military helicopter circling the police compound and descending on a clearing prepared by the police. Alan gets up from the window, dusts himself off and quickly walks towards the building''s exit. A military helicopter comes into view as he leaves the building. The compartment door opens to welcome Alan in.


    Another agent is present in the compartment. Wearing a similar getup like Alan¡¯s, the man is of average height and muscularly built. His medium slicked back hair is squashed by the headphones used for communications over the loud helicopter engine.


    Alan: "Agent Johannes Scarl! It''s a fine day to hunt, isn''t it?!"


    Johannes: "Get in! We need to be updated with the latest information and prepare for the mission!"


    Yelling over the helicopter engines, Johannes hands Alan another set of headphones. Alan takes the headphones and climbs into the compartment before slamming the door shut. Johannes signal to the pilot to take off and the helicopter takes off in the direction of the black sky. Adjusting the headphones on his head, Alan begins the conversation.


    Alan: "So how did it go with the People''s Army of Vietnam? Did they chicken out? I don''t see any military presence in the area."


    Johannes: "They are in full cooperation. However, they can only supply troops and air support. The land vehicles will not reach here in time. Rosetta will escape before then."


    Alan: "Tsk. Even when we had the whole country is on military alert since last week. These people can get their shit together?¡±


    Johannes: ¡°Get a grip on the situation. The military alert was issued when Rosetta is in Thailand. They never expected him to be in the heart of Vietnam.¡±


    Alan: ¡°Whatever. Rosetta anticipated this. The bastard is out of the range of shore bombardments from the US Navy. We don¡¯t even have air clearance to fly fighters. Do we at least have the clearance for launching ballistic missiles?"


    Johannes: "We do. We''re allowed to launch five of them. Any more will attract attention and balloon the costs of the operation."


    Alan:"Cheh- Why are we still worrying over costs when we''re up against Rosetta?!"


    Johannes: "Money is money. Even you still complain about your pay. That''s not the real issue though. The real issue is this. We¡¯ve done some scout operations in there."


    Johannes opens the compartment window, revealing a clearer view of the pitch black void that reaches towards the sky. Nothing could be seen from the inside, not even the unaffected scenery from the other side. Like a gigantic cloud of darkness. Auroras form from the edge of the void but they faded into the darkness as they went further in. The surroundings have been affected with the scenery now darkened as if the weather had cast a stormy day.


    Johannes: ¡°Rosetta is gathering energy from the sun. The energy is very likely used to power his spell looking for someone. For such a magic to create this¡­¡±


    Johannes casts another glance at the black void. Alan opens the compartment window and put out his hand to feel the air outside.


    Alan: ¡°The air is cool and damp. As if the whole area is experiencing night. Have you confirmed my theory? Because this feels like what I have been saying. If Rosetta had used physics based magic, the surroundings would have dropped down to extremely cold temperatures.¡±


    Johannes: "Yes. It seems so. The scouts have reported that the area in the void does not have extreme cold temperatures. Furthermore, they also reported that the growth of the forest have been increased exponentially. You are right. Rosetta¡¯s spell is based on nature magic. Pilot, on the way to the destination, set a flight course that brings us closer to the void.¡±


    Pilot: ¡°Yes sir. I have to warn you that we will be retreating if the air currents get rougher.¡±


    Johannes: ¡°Acknowledged. Get us closer.¡±


    The pilot sets his flight course that will fly pass closer to the massive void. As the helicopter flies across the side of the void, its size is tiny in comparison. The helicopter¡¯s navigation lights make the huge vehicle look like a firefly flying across the night sky. Alan peers into the black void, takes out a flashlight and points its light into the void.


    Alan: ¡°Nothing. The light is totally taken away. We aren''t sure if the spell will drain energy from machines and electronics, correct?"


    Alan furrows his brows as the void towers above him. He hates the spell, the biggest obstacle between him and the taking down mankind''s greatest threat. Capturing him will not be easy without light to aid him. To his words, Johannes interjects.


    Johannes: ¡°We¡¯ve just confirmed it from the scout team¡¯s report. The spell only takes light energy from light sources. All their equipment works fine but peripherals like night vision and visual electronics could not be used at all. Rosetta''s spell for gathering energy seems to serve as another layer of protection for him.¡±


    Alan: ¡°You can¡¯t even see the light from a screen?! Hah! Just what is this nature magic?! Hahahah!¡±


    Johannes: "Yes. Within the void, it is pitch black and all sources of light are rendered useless. Because of that, the missiles will likely be rendered useless along with vehicle transport. The Vietnamese forces will be tied down as well."


    Pilot: "Agent Scarl and Agent Moralles. We¡¯ve reach our destination."


    The pilot lowers the helicopter¡¯s altitude to descend in a clearing next to a military outpost. The police, firemen and military troops have set up the base of operations a short distance from the void. Alan gets up, opens the compartment door and looks around at the state of the base. He turns to Johannes.


    Alan: ¡°Well, if we can¡¯t catch the fox, burn its den to the ground, right?¡±


    When the helicopter hovers closer to the ground, Alan jumps off and lands on the ground with a thud. He straightens up and walks towards the awaiting officer. The officer salutes and greets him.


    Officer: ¡°Welcome, Agent Moralles. Agent Strauss is waiting for you in the briefing room.¡±


    Alan: "Good. Guide me to him."


    The officer nods and guides him towards the tent the farthest away from the void. Inside the tent are many Vietnamese and United States captains debriefing with another agent with a familiar face. A Caucasian with a tanned skin color and dark brown hair. The hair on the sides of his hair is shaved, but the top of his hair is long and braided into locks. Agent Indiana Strauss.


    Alan: "India. I''m here. John will be joining us shortly. What have you got so far?"


    Indianna: "Agent Moralles? We''ve already gone through the troop formations and their orders. You just have to look through the formations and plan your actions from there. Given the difficult nature of Rosetta''s magic, the native troops are unable to march into the spell''s effective area. Our soldier fared no better. With the fast growing vegetation, it will be tough to reach Rosetta."


    Indianna indicates the position of the troops on the map. The Vietnamese are stationed at points around the spell area. They are positioned near the edge of the void where visibility is still possible albeit impaired. Small squads of US troops are scattered around the Vietnamese troops with some elite squads stationed inside the spell¡¯s area. Alan glances over the formations and plans his course of action: forge a path straight to Rosetta.


    Johannes: "Good afternoon, Indianna. Is Alan updated with your attack positions?"


    Indianna: "Yes. Thanks for picking him up."


    Johannes enters the tent and shakes Indianna¡¯s hand. Alan calls Indianna as he mulls over the map.


    Alan: "India, any intel on Rosetta''s location?"


    Indianna: "Yes. The locations are here, here, here, and here."


    Indianna points at several points on the map that is positioned in the center of the void.


    Indianna: ¡°These are locations Rosetta will likely be in. We¡¯ve looked at earlier satellite images and there are these growths that bulge out in the forest shortly before the sky turned pitch black.¡±


    Indianna hands over some pictures to Alan. The picture shows a satellite¡¯s view of the forest. In random locations in the forest, green bulges can be seen towering over the tree canopy. A red circle is drawn on the forest putting these locations cluttered in the center. A glint briefly appears in Alan¡¯s eyes before he turns to Indianna for further clarification.


    Alan: "How reliable is this information?"


    Indianna: "Very. These are the exact locations that showed abnormal growths in the forest in comparison with satellite images a few days ago."


    Alan flips through the pictures, burning the locations into his mind. His face twists into a wide sinister smile. This is it. This could be his chance to sink his teeth into Rosetta. Still focused on the pictures, he sends Indianna another question.


    Alan: "Aside from knowing that it is nature magic, what else did you get from the scouting mission?"


    Alan¡¯s voice trembles slightly. It is subtle enough to overlook but both Indianna and Johannes picked up on it.


    Indianna: "Nothing else. The scouts were faced with a wall of hard vegetation that grow rapidly even after repeated attempts to cut them down. Aside from this defensive wall, we speculate that there will more surprises if we force it hard enough."


    Alan: "Yes¡­ And no doubt whatever opposition Rosetta will throw at us, he will use nature magic."


    Alan is getting more excited. Things cannot get any better than this. How everything seems to be served to him on a silver plate.


    Alan: [With my magic, I will devour everything.]


    Johannes grabs Indianna¡¯s shoulder.


    Johannes: "Indianna. I need to talk to you about something."


    Indianna nods and follows Johannes to an isolated part of the tent.


    Indianna: ¡°Is this about the balistic missiles?¡±


    Johannes: ¡°Yes. Since I cannot see into the void, I will not know which target to hit. You¡¯ve isolated various locations that might hide Rosetta. So, I¡¯m giving you the authority to decide where I launch my missiles.¡±


    Indianna: ¡°Y-You¡¯re giving me authority to launch a missile strike?¡±


    Indianna faces away to handle the weight of the new orders given to him. He turns to Johannes and nods.


    Indianna: ¡°Okay. What do I have to work with?¡±


    Johannes: ¡°I have only five missiles. You¡¯ve listed 11 locations. I need you to narrow it down.¡±


    Johannes: ¡°¡­ Alright. I¡¯ll do my best with it.¡±


    Both of them nod to each other. Having done with their conversation, they walk back to the others who are waiting for them.


    Alan: "Anything I should know about?"


    Johannes: ¡°Just new orders for Strauss. Organization agents only.¡±


    Alan, realizing that they are in the presence of US and Vietnamese men, nods his head.


    Alan: ¡°Alright¡­¡±


    Indianna stands in front of the captains who stand in attention.


    Indiannaa: ¡°We are beginning the operation. Prepare your troops for the assault!¡±


    Captains: ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    The captains salute and march out of the tent. Johannes heads towards the telecommunications station to establish contact with the US Navy. Indianna turns Alan.


    Indianna: "Alan, the troops will be ready in 1500 hours, 20 minutes from now. Be prepared by then. When it starts, we-¡±


    Alan: ¡°We will strike down Rosetta!¡±


    Alan exclaims his proclamation with blood thirst in his eyes.


    __________________________________

 Prologue | Chapter 7 – Clash of Two Armies

    __________________________________


    Indianna: [This is tricky¡­]


    Laid in front of Agent Strauss are the satellite images of the operation site. The tropical forest that Rosetta currently hides in. The black void has proven a formidable obstacle preventing him from pinpointing Rosetta¡¯s exact location. Even if Indianna had access to satellite images hours before Rosetta spell went off, Rosetta isn¡¯t so ignorant to be ill-prepared. He had deployed a few tricks to throw off their pursuit.


    Indianna: [The void may be circular, but the forest growth is irregular by itself. I can¡¯t tell where the true center is.]


    The scouts have reported their survey inside the void. The abnormal wall of vegetation is marked inside the void, creating an irregular shape on the map. And the true center. The core of Rosetta¡¯s spell. Indianna guessed that the spell of this scale could only be done with the use of runes. Even if Rosetta can carry the strain of the spell by himself, using the runes would spare him from the burden and increase the efficiency of the spell significantly. Thus, the spell¡¯s effective area facilitated by runes will inevitably take the shape of a¡­


    Indianna: [Sphere¡­ Circle¡­ I can¡¯t see it¡­ It¡¯s not a circle that just barely fits in the middle¡­]


    He had eliminated that possibility by overlapping the image of the void and the image of the forest hours before. None of the dome growths¡¯ position in the forest will put it as the true center.


    Indianna: [The spell¡¯s area is a lot smaller. Rosetta forced the growth of the forest into an irregular shape and made a fake area of the spell¡­ Fuck.]


    Indianna looks at the report file fresh from the latest scouting mission. He had anticipated Rosetta¡¯s tricks and has sent drones equipped with sonar technology into the void to map out the terrain inside. However, before the drone could obtain any significant information, they were simultaneously taken down and destroyed. Rosetta is merciless. Exercising more caution, drones that were flown at a higher altitude was deployed but they were destroyed midair one by one. He has air superiority as well.


    It is frustrating. Nothing can be done to achieve a preemptive hit at Rosetta. He has packed his defenses too carefully. Pursuing an ideal strike is impossible and the possible course of action is to confront it head on. Indianna grips the pictures in silent anger as he approach Agent Johannes Scarl.


    Indianna: ¡°Johannes.¡±


    Johannes: ¡°Yes. Have you pinpointed Rosetta¡¯s location?¡±


    Johannes turns to Indianna with expectation. Indianna regretfully shakes his head.


    Indianna: ¡°No. The forest growth is irregular and I could not determine the spell area. Rosetta is too well-hidden.¡±


    Johannes: ¡°Alright¡­ What do you propose we do?¡±


    Indianna: ¡°We have no choice but to find the spell area through force. The strike forces will be clearing the forest soon. We have to wait until they cut the forest down to size.¡±


    Johannes: ¡°It¡¯s risky. Dragging a battle against Rosetta. It¡¯s because of it that Rosetta is able to find time to escape.¡±


    Johannes is referring to the recent incident in Thailand. Rosetta bewitched a major population of monkeys and elephants to populate an area that he hid in. This got the Thailand government to put a hardline on the agents stationed in Thailand in protection of the animals; especially their nation¡¯s sacred animal, the elephant.


    Indianna: ¡°Ugh¡­ I read the report. What a mess.¡±


    The agents ignored the warnings and attacked Rosetta¡¯s hideout killing the animals indiscriminately. This led to a mess of events as the agents were confronted on two sides. One side the animals and the other the government¡¯s arresting forces. Rosetta even took the chance in the chaos to take down the agents and rob them of their magic. The agents are now in custody and the senior executives are currently in negotiations to repair ties with the Thailand government and appeal for the agents¡¯ release.


    Johannes: ¡°I¡¯ll inform the main force on new orders to focus on deforestation around the spell¡¯s perimeter.¡±


    Indianna: ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll continue on finding Rosetta.¡±


    Johannes turns over to the nearby radio equipment. Indianna responds similarly and walks off to relay orders to his scout team.


    __________________________________


    Rosetta: "They are really active, aren''t they? They are surrounding this place.¡±


    He turns he focus from his spell to his surroundings. He senses the army from beyond the forest. The troopers are getting into formations, poised for the offensive.


    Rosetta: ¡°Filled with such malice¡­ I''m sorry I''ve dragged you into this."


    Rosetta pets the ground and the trees around him. The land has served him well in aiding him with his search spell. Currently, the glass ball with the lock of hair is still floating aimlessly in the air. The search spell has spanned across many countries, but to no avail, the girl was not found. Instead, an army has appeared to in response to his gaudy spell. The land will be trampled, burned down, and be scarred for years to come.


    Rosetta: ¡°I¡¯ve already made preparations for you. Rest assured, there will be a future for this land.¡±


    Rosetta had expected that this land will be desolated after the battle and had sown a little insurance for the land. Seeds, saplings, and spores are buried deep underground, far from the destruction that will be wrought by the incoming attack. Sealed by earth magic and filled in abundance of nature magic, the forest''s livelihood will be protected for the future. After a few months from now, the earth magic will expire and the seeds, saplings and spores will sprout from the ground and flourish with the abundant supply of nature magic as nourishment. With time and luck, the forest will return to its original splendor in two years.


    Rosetta: [I hope the land is barren of animals and insects¡­ I have confidence in my wards but I am not a master of fate.]


    Rosetta cannot prepare the same magical insurance for the fauna of the forest. The best he could do is to ward them from the area with the runes he made the night before. The forest creatures should at least be out of the battlefield by now.


    Rosetta looks at the glass ball once more. No response. A surge of despair engulfs him.


    Rosetta: [Will this attempt be yet another one in vain?]


    Rosetta slumps down on the ground and lets himself sink into hopelessness and despair. This has become a routine for him. Wallowing in his own thoughts, thinking what went wrong, what he could have done, how much if this search is left. For a brief moment, he wants to feel like he fell rock bottom so he can climb back to reality once again feeling refreshed, even if it is a little bit.


    Rosetta: [I¡¯m tired¡­ I want this to be over. Where are you, little girl?]


    Suddenly, Rosetta receives alarm notifications in his head. He snaps back from his stupor and deployed his senses outwards. The forest is being attacked.


    Rosetta: "Kh... They started burning the forest.¡±


    He senses fires raging through the forest all around the spell¡¯s perimeter. The enemy has started their offensive. Rosetta knows the intention of their actions.


    Rosetta: [They are trying to find me by burning down the forest. As if I¡¯d let that.]


    Rosetta gathers the mana from his spell and distributes it over the forest. The forest becomes very active, rumbling, rustling and crackling.


    Rosetta: [You¡¯ve got your army. I have mine.]


    __________________________________


    -Crack Crackle-


    Red flames licked the trunk of a tree, reaching out to its branches. A sea of flames spreads out across the tropical vegetation. The bark of the trees peels off. The vines and bushes shrivel up. The fresh earthy smells of the tropical forest disappear and the acrid smell of burning petrol and smoke takes over the air. The culprits of this devastation, Vietnamese troopers marching away from the heat of the flames. The captain shouts his orders to his men.


    Captain: "You! Watch our surroundings! Watch the fire or it will catch up to us before we know it! The next point is across this hill 500 meters away. Don¡¯t spill the fuel!¡±


    The troopers hike in full vigor, carrying their equipment and containers filled with fuel. One of the troopers looks back to check on the fire that they started.


    Trooper: ¡°Whoa¡­¡±


    The fire had grown massive. The flames tower over the trees that it is consuming. However, there is something peculiar about the scene. The trooper next to him points it out.


    Solider: ¡°Everything is still dark. It will be hard to see the fires coming at us.¡±


    -Crackle Crack Pop-


    Aside from the flames glowing an amazing red, the surroundings are dim, indistinguishable shadows dancing in the sparse light. It seems that Rosetta¡¯s spell is still in effect, drawing light emitted from the fires. Like a blue flame, the red flame merely glows. In spite of this, the fire roars and consumes the plants unhindered. The troopers reach the top of the hill and cast a glance at the wide view of the forests. The glow of red flames can be seen at various locations. The troopers are starting fires around the perimeter of the void, burning the natural defense surrounding it.


    Fireman: ¡°Control the fire! Watch out for those flying embers! Keep them from spreading!¡±


    A little distance away from the fires, a trail of fire could also be seen. The firemen are active in creating a fire line to prevent the fire from spreading outwards and putting out fires that spread too far.


    - bata bata bata-


    As the smoke and ash colors the sky, helicopters flies over the firemen and troopers, moving closer to the void. Each of the helicopters is equipped with a manned hose turret attached to its compartment. The trooper looks through his binoculars to confirm his position and his approximate target in the void. The trooper signals the pilot and the helicopter increases its altitude as it flies around the void¡¯s perimeter.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Nearing their intended target, the troopers aim the hose and let out a stream of thick viscous substance straight into the void. Shortly after that, the stream is ignited, bursting into red hot streams of flames. Napalm. A noxious mixture of petrol and gel which persistently sticks to any surface and burns intensely for extended periods of time. The stream of fire disappeared into the void, causing devastating fires unseen due to Rosetta¡¯s spell. The ground forces have finished setting fire to the surroundings and are retreating into battle formations a good distance from the fires to engage any enemy that will emerge from the burning forest.


    The scene is like a vision of hell. The fires have gone massive and swallowed the forest in a wall of fire. The smoke and ash released into the air blocks the dim light of the sun, making the dark sky even darker.


    -kraka krooo boom-


    Loud sounds drown out the noise of the fires. The ground shook and heavy rumbling can be heard inside the void. Tremors can be felt by the troopers.


    Trooper: ¡°It¡¯s an earthquake! What is going on?!¡±


    -Kroom Kraaa-


    A huge landslide spills out from the void, knocking down the burning trees and smothering the fires under tons of soil, sand and plants. The landslide crashes outwards all around the void as if its origin is from the center. The troopers are recoil in surprise and broke their formation running.


    Trooper: "The land moved by itself!"


    Trooper: "It''s angry! The spirit of the land is angry!"


    Captain: "Fall back! Fall back! Retreat and maintain formation!"


    The captain barks orders at his troopers until they fall in line. They maintain their formation retreat in unison. As they keep watch over the landslide site, they see some of the fires that were started are put out, smothered by the sand and soil.


    Trooper: ¡°Sir! New orders are in! We are to maintain our positions while the helicopters regroup for another run!¡±


    - bata bata bata-


    A helicopter swoops overhead joining the rest of the fleet in preparation of their next run. They fly into formation and direct their course around the void. Nearing their target, the streams of napalm rain down upon the forest once more.


    Captain: ¡°Okay. The helicopters will take over from here. We don¡¯t have much use of the petrol anymore. Men, switch to your guns and incendiary munitions! We still have work to do!¡±


    -Kroooo Kraaashhhk-


    Trooper: ¡°Aaah!¡±


    Trooper: ¡°A tree! A tree flew here!¡±


    While the troops are restocking on their incendiary munitions, a burning tree flies out from inside the void and crashes into the surprised troops.


    Trooper: "It''s the evil spirit of the forest! We have angered it!"


    Captain: "Shoot it! Shoot it! Fire!"


    -Dakka Dakka Dakka-


    The troops open fire into the void. The storm of bullets tears through the burning forest, hitting everything in it way.


    -Crack krssh dsh-


    The bullets strike the trees splitting off chunks off the trunks and tears though the vegetation like paper.


    -Dakka Dakka Dak Click Clack-


    As the bullets loaded in their guns run out, the troops kept pulling the trigger in panic. Realizing that they spent their ammunition, the troops furiously reload their weapons as they watch over the void.


    "HOOOOOOOOO!"


    Soldier: ¡°AAAAH!¡± -Dakka Dakka Dakka-


    A hollow roar burst out from the void, startling the troops and causing some to fire their guns in panic. The captain shouts at them.


    Captain: ¡°Don¡¯t waste your bullets! Notify the command center! Call for reinforcements!¡±


    Trooper: ¡°Yes sir!¡±


    __________________________________


    Alan: ¡°Hahaha¡­ They are terrified.¡±


    Standing a little off the firefighter¡¯s fire line, Alan grins at the panic the troops has shown over the radio. Armed with an assault rifle, a handgun, and grenades, he has enough on him to arm a strike team.


    Alan: ¡°Looks like Rosetta playing his cards. It¡¯s about time I jump into the fray.¡±


    He breaks into the run past the fire line towards the void where the battle is unfolding.


    __________________________________


    Trooper: ¡°Something¡¯s coming!¡±


    -Toom Toom Toom-


    The troopers tense up as heavy footsteps can be heard approaching them. Emerging from the darkness into the glow of the fires is a large creature with an appearance of a tall tree. A treant. Standing at 5 meters tall, covered in vegetation, with branches intertwined into arms and legs, it sizes up the troops who were petrified by the strange creature before them. The treants opens its maw and releases a low and hollow roar.


    Treant: ¡°HOOOOOOOOOOO!¡±


    The air shakes from the roar and more roars reverberates throughout the burning forest and the cores of the troops. The captain, at his wit¡¯s end, shouts his order.


    Captain: ¡°FIRE!¡±


    -Dakka Dakka Dakka-


    Everyone release a storm of bullets at the treant. Gunfire can be heard in other locations as confrontation with other treants has started. The treants seems unfazed as the gunfire shredded its vegetation coating. The treant plants its arms deep into the burning ground and grips the ground from underneath. The troops realize its actions and scramble away to escape.


    Treant: "HrrrOOH!"


    The treant grunts loudly, lifting a large clump of the burning soil overhead, and flings it at the troops. The soil crashes into the troops, burying one under burning soil and ash. The troops nearby frantically try to dig their comrade out while the rest of them opened fire at the treant.


    Captain: ¡°Toss your grenades and retreat! Grab the injured! Go! Go! Go!¡±


    The treant plunges its arms into the soil once more. Grenades fly towards the treant, landing in its vicinity. Before the treant could throw another attack, the grenades exploded.


    -BOOM BOOM BOOM-


    Treant: ¡°HRROOO!¡±


    The explosions knock the treant around and the treant falls on its back in an angry roar. The troops retreat back while keeping an eye on the treant. Suddenly, someone runs past the troops in the direction of the treant.


    Alan: ¡°You¡¯ve done well for some Vietnamese troops!¡±


    Captain: ¡°Agent Moralles! We can assist-¡°


    Alan: ¡°I don¡¯t need your help! Go help the teams fighting the monsters! This one is mine!¡±


    The captain is about to respond to Alan¡¯s insane statement when one of the troops interrupted him to relay a message from the radio. After receiving the message, the captain made a bewildered expression at Alan before ordering his troops.


    Captain: ¡°New orders! We resupply back at base and join the other teams in combat! Move out!¡±


    The troops retreat in full vigor, bringing a grin to Alan¡¯s face. The treant is back on its feet and is chasing after the retreating troops. Alan¡¯s radio turns on as it receives a transmission.


    Johannes: ¡°Alan. I¡¯ve called for a retreat of all the troops in the area. You¡¯re free to not hold back.¡±


    Alan¡¯s grin got wider, showing his gritted teeth. He grabs the radio to answer Johannes.


    Alan: ¡°Acknowledged, Johannes! Thank you!¡±


    Alan tosses the radio away and runs after the treant. With its attention focused on the retreating troops, its back is fully exposed. Alan grabs a grenade, pulls the pin, and throws it as hard as he can at the treant¡¯s back. The grenade hits the treant¡¯s back and wedges itself in the vegetation.


    -BOOM-


    Treant: "GROOOO!"


    The treant falls forward from the blast. Alan quickly arms three more grenades and throws them at the fallen treant. Alan arches back and fills his lung to shout.


    Alan: ¡°ROSETTA!! I¡¯M!! RIGHT!! HERE!!¡±


    -BOOM BOOM BOOM-


    The blasts punch into the treant, sending wood and debris flying in all direction. The treant¡¯s body is gouged in places where the grenades blew up. Alan does not miss the chance. He sprints towards the treant and climbs on its body. He pulls out a blood packet from his vest and tears off the top.


    Alan: ¡°Time to eat, boys! Spare nothing!¡±


    He swings the blood packet around, splashing blood over the treant. When the blood packet empties, he tears it open and tosses it on the treant before stamping on it.


    Alan: ¡°Every one of you. Get on it. Hm?!¡±


    Suddenly, Alan jumps of the treant and lunges toward the ground. Shortly after that, a tree crashes into the treant, its thick trunk breaking in two. Alan scrambles to get up on his feet. Another treant has come to join in the battle.


    Alan: [One more? No, Two.]


    Another treant, the real culprit who threw the tree is standing a far distance away. It seems determined to hold its ground and fling debris at Alan while the other attacks him up front. Alan is facing an impossible battle, but the look on his face is one of pure excitement and adrenaline.


    Alan: ¡°KAHAHAHAHA! I LIKE THIS! ROSETTA, YOU AIN¡¯T BITCHING ABOUT ANYMORE!¡±


    Alan brushes over the grenades on his belt to count them.


    Alan: ¡°COME AT ME!¡±


    The treant lunges forward with its arms raised up high. It smashes both its arms down on Alan with a thundering crash.


    -Krshhhkooom-


    Alan: ¡°Hah!¡±


    Alan lands on the treant¡¯s shoulder, slamming his feet on a slab of bark. He had lunged to the side to narrowly avoid the treant¡¯s attack and quickly scaled the treant¡¯s arm. Alan draws his assault rifle and begins firing at the treant¡¯s head.


    -Dakka Dakka Dakka-


    Treant: ¡°GROOOOH!¡±


    The bullets tear through its head, and the treant roars angrily at the attack. It shakes violently, causing Alan to kneel down to gain balance. Then suddenly ¡­


    Alan: ¡°Hu-ah!¡±


    -Krraash-


    Alan leaps down in time to avoid a giant rock crashing into the treant¡¯s back. The treant in the distance roars in anger at his escape. Rolling from the landing, Alan gets up to see his prey.


    Alan: ¡°Is it still there?¡±


    -BOOM-


    Alan: ¡°YES! Hahahahaha!¡±


    The grenade managed to stay lodged on the treant¡¯s back despite getting hit by the giant rock. It exploded; ripping the treant¡¯s back nearly all the way through. Suffering massive damage, the treant drags it arms to face Alan. It cannot stand upright due to its destroyed back. Alan chuckles as he attaches a new magazine to his gun.


    Alan: [The head and the back. It¡¯s still alive. That¡¯s nature magic done right.]


    Alan pulls out another blood packet. It¡¯s his last one. The treant swings its body sideways in a wide arc with its arm extended. The wide sweep is too much for Alan. He stands his ground and braces.


    Alan: ¡°Shit.¡±


    Alan is hit for the first time and is flung several meters into the air. He crashes into the ground, rolling a few more meters. He braces himself up before lunging himself forward. A burnt tree strikes the ground where he once was and gouges a hole before tumbling and rolling away. Alan plucks one more grenade from his belt. He stands up, full of anger, facing the treant with the broken back.


    Alan: ¡°RAAAAH!¡±


    He bursts into a sprint towards the treant. The treant repeats its sweeping attack. Before the attack get to him, Alan throws a cooked grenade at the treat¡¯s front.


    -BOOM-


    The grenade exploded in front of the treant, staggering it. Seizing the chance, Alan slips through the attack and runs towards to treant and leaps on its back. He throws the blood packet into the broken back and shoots it with his gun.


    -Dakka Dakka Dakka-


    Alan: ¡°WOOOHOOO!¡±


    Puncturing the bag and splattering blood on the treant¡¯s back, Alan is done fighting with it. He jumps down and sprints towards the last treant attacking him. He brushes his belt. Only two grenades left. The treant digs the ground to heave a huge clump of soil. This attack might catch him even if he tries to escape. He seizes a grenade and pulls its pin. He pushes his sprint to gain momentum and throws the grenade at the treant. The treant, astute to his actions, turns around and runs to the side with its clump of soil in hand.


    -BOOM-


    The treant is safe from the explosion, as the grenade blew up near the location where the treant once was. The treant responds by throwing the huge mass of soil at Alan. The soil spreads apart in the air and falls over a large area.


    Alan: [That was a stupid gamble.]


    -Kroomssh- -Toom Toom Toom-


    Alan: ¡°Hr-AH! Grrr-AH!¡±


    The soil hits him and buries him under a foot of soil. This only stops him momentarily. Alan struggles angrily as he crawls out from the soil. The treant quickly runs over to finish its adversary off.


    Treant: ¡°Hrr-OH!¡±


    Alan: ¡°AAAAAAH!¡±


    The treant lifts its foot and stomps hard on Alan. Alan scrambled to his feet and sprinted in one direction to escape. Alan turns around to face his foe. The treant sweeps its arm at Alan. He holds out his gun as a brace and takes the attack directly. He is flung into the air one more time.


    Alan: ¡°HAAAA!!¡±


    Scrambling to his feet, he sprints towards the treant shouting. He tosses the broken gun aside and grabs his final grenade. He pounced on the treant¡¯s leg and shoves the grenade arm deep into the branches and vines of the treant''s leg.


    -Krakkassh-


    The branches and vines twist and turn around Alan''s arm with intent to crush it. Amongst the crackling of the branches, Alan''s arm is crushed with a crunching sound.


    Alan: ¡°GAHA-!¡±


    Alan flinches from the pain but the excitement in his twisted smile has not diminished one bit. He slams his other arm on the treants leg and pulls his body away from the treant''s leg.


    Alan: "RRAAAAAAAAAA!"


    He pulls as hard as he can. The branches and vines twist harder, crushing his arm further with a loud muffled snap. Alan continues his pull and tugs harder.


    -Krsssh-


    The branches and vines quickly wraps around Alan''s other hand but Alan reflexively whips his arm back to escape. He tugs at his destroyed arm once more.


    Alan: "Come on¡­¡±


    Treant: ¡°Gr-OH!¡±


    Alan: ¡°AA-gh!¡±


    The treant slams Alan down on the ground with its arm. Alan''s destroyed arm is ripped from his torso and Alan''s body is pressed down into the ground by the treant''s strength.


    Alan: "TOO LATE!"


    -BOOM-


    Alan had managed to pull the grenade¡¯s pin from inside the treant¡¯s leg. The grenade explodes, blasting through the treants leg. The treant is blown backwards from the explosion. The branches and vines are blown apart and strewn everywhere. The remains of the treants leg is splattered red with the disintegrated remains of Alan''s left arm.


    Treant: "HROOOOOOOOOO!"


    The treant roars loudly at the damage it has taken. The branches rattles from the loud roar as it echoes throughout the battlefield. In response to the roar, a cackling laughter erupts from Alan.


    Alan: "Hehehehehe.. Hahahahaha. HAHAHAHAHA!"


    Alan is sprawled on the ground, bleeding from his shoulder and his torso in places where shrapnel from the explosion has struck. Upon discovering that Alan has survived, the treant crawls slowly over to Alan. As it did that, the branches and vines from the destroyed leg starts behaving strangely. The branches and vines covered in blood twist around and wrap themselves around the treant''s lower half.


    Alan: "HAHAHAHAHA!"


    Alan continues his laughter as he watches the treant''s branches and vines start to entangle themselves around the treant. With its movements tightly restricted, the treant reaches Alan''s location and raised its arms high overhead. Alan smiles at the incoming crushing attack.


    Alan: "I got you."


    The treant''s arms slams down on Alan, crushing him and splattering blood everywhere.


    __________________________________

 Prologue | Chapter 8 – Turning the tides of battle

    __________________________________


    Treant: ¡°HOOOOOH!¡±


    (US) Captain: ¡°Frontline! Evade! Side flanks! Focus fire! Aim for the joints!¡±


    -Dakka Dakka Dakka-


    The frontline troops flees from the treant¡¯s reach and the ones on its flanks shoots at the treant¡¯s arm joints. The bullets tear through the vines that serve as the treant¡¯s muscles, cutting down the power in its attack. As a result, the treant¡¯s overhead smash lost its momentum and lands on the bare ground instead of the troops.


    (US) Trooper: ¡°Soil overhead!¡±


    -Kroomssh-


    (US) Trooper: ¡°Augh!¡±


    (US) Captain: ¡°Shake it off! Move!¡±


    Clumps of soil rain down on the troops. The attacker, another treant a good distance away has joined the battle. The troops reorganize into a defensive position.


    (US) Captain: ¡°Where the fuck is air support?!¡±


    (US) Trooper: ¡°I don¡¯t see them!¡±


    (US) Captain: ¡°Is the mortar ready?!¡±


    (US) Trooper: ¡°Not yet, Captain!¡±


    (US) Captain: ¡°Fuck! I need heavy fire support NOW!!¡±


    -Fwssssh BOOM-


    Treant: ¡°HrOOOH!¡±


    An RPG warhead flies at the back of the treant engaging the troops and explodes. The treant collapses, its arm breaking off from its body. Reinforcements have arrived. But not the one the US troops expected. The Vietnamese troops rush in and the Vietnamese captain approaches the US captain.


    (VN) Captain: ¡°(We¡¯re here to back you up!)¡±


    (US) Captain: ¡°Shit! English! English!¡±


    (VN) Captain: ¡°We¡¯re here to help!¡±


    (US) Captain: ¡°Alright! You lead your team, I lead mine! You take on the monster at the back!¡±


    He gestures at both treants at the VN captain. Understanding their objectives, both teams separate and confront the treants separately. The US troops are preparing to finish of the treant while the VN troops are rushing to engage the other treant at the back. The treant got up from the ground with its severed arm in hand and swings it down on the US troops. The men scramble away to avoid the attack.


    (US) Captain: ¡°Fire!¡±


    -Dakka Dakka Dakka-


    The troops fire at the treant, focusing on the shoulder of its good arm. The treant catches on to their tactic and puts its severed arm in the way to shield its shoulder. In amidst of the fighting, a trooper receives a transmission from his radio and calls out to his captain.


    (US) Trooper: ¡°Sir! The mortar team is ready!¡±


    (US) Captain: ¡°Don¡¯t wait on my orders! Shoot that thing before it gets near us!¡±


    Treant: ¡°HOOOH!


    The treant steps forward to do a closer sweep. The captain shouts at his troops gesturing them to maintain their distance from the treant. A few moments later, the troops hear a faint whistling.


    (US) Captain: ¡°Get down!¡±


    -BOOM-


    Treant: ¡°KwOOH!¡±


    -Krrkash-


    A mortar grenade had flown over the troops and struck the treant in its torso and exploded. The explosion staggers the treant sending it crashing to the ground once more. Then more faint whistling can be heard.


    -BOOM-


    -Shhuuuu BOOM-


    Two mortar grenades one after the other struck the treants. The explosions blow up its body, breaking its legs and destroying its torso. Having most of its body destroyed, the treant finally stays down. The troops cheer at their victory over the treant. The captain picks up the radio from his trooper to talk to his mortar team.


    Captain: ¡°Well done, mortar team. Prepare to move your gear. We¡¯re going to engage the other one.¡±


    He tosses the radio back and shouts at his team.


    (US) Captain: ¡°Men! Reload your weapons and march! We are taking on the other one down!¡±


    The troops prepare their weapons and start their march. As they march pass the fallen treant, a rattling growl is heard.


    -Krrrrrrrr-


    Trooper: ¡°This thing is still alive?¡±


    Trooper: ¡°Damn. What a monster..¡±


    Treant: ¡°Gr-AOH!¡±


    (US) Captain: ¡°Shit! Engage! Engage! Storm in!¡±


    The scene that is revealed to them; the Vietnamese troops pushed to a corner, hiding among the burnt debris, and two angry treants throwing rocks and soil at them. The US troops open fire, focusing solely on the treant closer to them. Noticing the US troops, the treant roars angrily at their presence. It storms off towards the US troops while the other one marches closer to the VN troops for a direct assault.


    Captain: ¡°We¡¯ve drawn one out! Where are the fucking choppers?!¡±


    Trooper: ¡°They are enroute now!¡±


    Captain: ¡°Men! Our objective is to not taking down the enemy! Hold position and defend! Stay alive! You! Go and check on the Viets!¡±


    He points at a group of his men and directs them to the direction of the VN troops. They receive their orders and sprint towards the VN troops away from the approaching treant. The rest of the troops take cover behind burnt debris and in ashen trenches. The hail of bullets is unleashed once more.


    __________________________________


    - Bata Bata Bata-


    The engines of two helicopters roar as they fly through the scarred battlefield. The landscape is dyed in all shades of white, black and grey. One of the helicopters has the same setup as before; a napalm turret with hundreds of gallons of napalm fuel. The other had a different turret, a chaingun turret with thousands of rounds packed into ammunition cases. Within the compartment of these heavy machines, the atmosphere is tense with the silence of the personnel focused on their mission. One of them breaks the silence with idle conversation in hopes of stemming the anxiety.


    Gunner: ¡°How much fuel is left in this bird?¡±


    Pilot: ¡°We¡¯re down to half. Enough for two attack runs before refueling. What about your napalm fuel?¡±


    Gunner: ¡°Barely even a third is used. We stop burning the forest after refueling so not much is used.¡±


    Co-Pilot: ¡°Those things still light up like matches.¡±


    Gunner: ¡°Yeah. Are those treants? I thought those are only in fantasy stories.¡±


    Pilot: ¡°Treants? The tree things? Yeah, well, I heard that the culprit behind all this is a wizard.¡±


    Gunner: ¡°Are you serious? This world is a fantasy movie right now?¡±


    Pilot: ¡°Yup, debriefed by my flight commander about that fucker.¡±


    Co-pilot: ¡°Avoid. On. Sight.¡±


    Gunner: ¡°Holy shit¡­ How is the army going to take that down?¡±


    Pilot: ¡°He¡¯s not invincible. We lit those trees like it¡¯s nothing. The guys from the other chopper shredded them easily after.¡±


    Co-pilot: ¡°That¡¯s modern war tech for ya. You don¡¯t see that in movies or story books.¡±


    Pilot: ¡°Not only that. I think we have wizards on our own.¡±


    Gunner: ¡°Really? Who do you think it is?¡±


    Co-pilot: ¡°It¡¯s those agents, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Pilot: ¡°Yup. They are the ones spearheading this operation. And they always work alone. Heck, one of them is somewhere in this hellhole fighting those things by himself! They must be packing some serious magic heat.¡±


    Co-pilot: ¡°Agent Moralles, right?¡±


    Gunner: ¡°Man, that guy? He¡¯s raring to tear shit up.¡±


    Pilot: ¡°Hold up. ¡­ I see them. Two of them. Those men are under pressure.¡±


    Co-pilot: ¡°Contacting our helo partner. We¡¯re moving in to engage. Gunner, warm that thing up.¡±


    __________________________________


    (US) Trooper: ¡°Choppers inbound!¡±


    (US) Captain: ¡°Alright! Retreat to defense positions! The choppers will clean this up!¡±


    - Bata Bata Bata-


    Two helicopters flies over the retreating troops towards the treants. They swerve around to circle the treants. One helicopter circles closer. It lets out a stream of burning napalm at a treant, setting it alight. The gunner hoses more napalm on the treant as if he has fuel to spare.If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Treant: ¡°HOOOOH!!¡±


    The treant roars angrily at the helicopter as its partner is set ablaze. It rears back and jumps upward to swipe down the helicopter. Anticipating the incoming attack, the helicopter swerves out of its way, rising to a higher altitude beyond the treant¡¯s reach. The gunner directs the turret at the attacking treant, bathing it in burning fuel.


    -Fwoom Krakassh-


    Treant: ¡°KrOOOOH!¡±


    -Dakkoom Dakkoom Dakkoom-


    The helicopter circling further away fires at the treants, its heavy machine gun turret punching holes into them.


    -Trssh Krak Prak-


    Bark, wood, and stone. Everything is shattered by the stream of bullets. The treants are powerless against immense firepower and fires ravaging their bodies.


    (US) Troops: ¡°YEAH! HAHAHA!¡±


    (VN) Troops: ¡°WHOOO~¡±


    The troops cheer and shout in vigor as their adversaries are set alight and shredded by heavy gun fire. Punching their fists into the air and firing what remains in their loaded guns at the treants, they relish the sight of the formidable treants staggering from the burning flames and heavy bullets.


    -Trssh Kraka Toom-


    After a mere few minutes of continuous attack, the treants crumble and fall to the ground, their limbs still struggling in their death throes.


    - Bata Bata Bata-


    The engines roars. The troops gets up on their feet and hail hurrah. They wave their arms at the helicopters as they fly off to their next battle.


    __________________________________


    Officer: ¡°Heli team 3 has successfully neutralize the threat. Proceed to the next conflict point.¡±


    News of the victory has been received by the mission control room at the base camp. This has stirred the attention of many officers in the room, including an agent from the organization.


    Indiana: [Another battle won. That¡¯s 15. So far this operation has been running in our favor. But¡­]


    Despite, the unexpected appearance of the tree monsters, Rosetta''s resistance is anticipated and the allied forces are repelling the attack successfully. Indiana turns his attention to his work laid out in front of him. Satellite pictures are arranged on a light table, showing the latest view of the battlefield from above.


    Indiana: [The offensive is showing signs of success.]


    Reports by the scouts indicated that the streams of light from the edges of the void has dissipated, suggesting the loss of strength of Rosetta¡¯s magic spell. Indiana picks up another picture laid on the side and holds it over the light table. The picture is pitch black with various spots showing colors from the infrared range.


    Indiana: [Some of the infrared radiation from the fires can still be seen despite Rosetta¡¯s spell. But, this tells a different story that I expected.]


    The image shows red hot spots where fires are rampaging unobstructed. However, the number of hot spots are few and far between. Despite efforts done by the helicopters to set the forest on fire, the fires have not made far into the void.


    Indiana: [Something is putting out the fires and it¡¯s not Rosetta.]


    Rosetta is preoccupied with his spell; the latest transmission from the organization headquarters has informed him that the spell is still active. The napalm has been setting fires deep into the void, but all of them are smothered by another ally of Rosetta.


    Indiana: [I don¡¯t know who or what it is hiding in there. It will turn up when we put pressure on Rosetta. This is strange. This isn''t how Rosetta reacts.]


    Anger and anxiety builds up in Indiana. Indiana has been puzzled at recent events that unfolded. Rosetta is usually not keen in causing serious harm or casualties. He will normally conjure obstacles or alter the terrain to impede their progress and escape in the confusion. His tactics are always defensive in nature and he will avoid causing any casualties as much as he can.


    Indiana: [Ever since those tree monsters appeared from the void, reports on casualties have been coming in.]


    Even if the operation has gone in their favor, the number of casualties cannot be ignored. The tree monsters created by Rosetta have been attacking the troops with an intent to kill. Deaths have been reported and even more reports are filed in regards to troops retreating due to crippling injury.


    Indiana: [There is a high turnout of participants from the native authorities due to us promising a low danger risk operation. At this point, this has become an outright lie.]


    After the operation, the despair and grief over the lost lives and crippling injuries will spur the Vietnamese government to demand compensation for crippling their forces. This will put rifts in the alliance and put the whole organization under scrutiny by the leaders of the international community.


    Indiana: [Some heads would roll for this.]


    However, this is not the only concern. Rosetta''s new strategy of fighting might be a grave sign of what his current mission entails.


    Indiana: [This can be desperation. He has something to protect now. I''ll should bring this up to Mr. Gibson, but not right now. My turn will be coming soon.]


    Indiana shifts his focus towards his computer. It is linked to a satellite in space and is currently downloading the latest set of images of the battlefield taken when the satellite pass over in orbit. He looks at the images as they are loaded in, comparing them with previous images in hand. Glancing between them, his eyes glint in delight and his face breaks into a grin.


    Indiana: [I still can¡¯t use the normal photographs. But the infrared pictures is enough.]


    The normal photographs are useless as the smoke from the fires have spread across the sky, blocking the battlefield from view. Nonetheless, images in infrared provides a clear image of the burning forest.


    Indiana: ¡°Haha! The spell area has shrunk!¡±


    Indiana voices out his thoughts out of elation. The void has retreated, shrinking its radius and revealing burning forests and ashen wasteland caused by the napalm attack. Burning down the forest has definitely impaired the extreme nature magic spell and impede Rosetta''s mission.


    Indiana: ¡°This will be where I will find you.¡±


    Indiana has been closely observing the deterioration of the void. Using the satellite data and live reports from the battlefield, he will extrapolate Rosetta''s likely location for an accurate missile strike. Based on satellite images from before Rosetta started his spell, he is determined that one of the giant swells in the forest is hiding Rosetta and he has to figure out which. Thus, the offensive effort to burn the forest will deteriorate Rosetta¡¯s spell area. The deterioration of the void is used as an indicator.


    Indiana: [Nature magic has a unique characteristic to replenish and self-repair, so if we push hard enough, we can force the spell into revealing the center.]


    However, the data has proven that is not the case. Upon closer inspection, one could see that the spells area is constantly changing, resulting in irregular shapes. Indiana, on the contrary, sees it clear as day.


    Indiana: [Sly. You¡¯ve made it so that the spell area can be moved by your will.]


    Indiana is thrilled. To see through Rosetta¡¯s tricks in this game of cat and mouse, he feels that all the time training under the organization has honed him into a fine agent.


    Indiana: [The center of the spell is not a point¡­ but a circle.]


    He draws a circle on the map. With it, he superimposes the forest swell locations over it. Two of them sit within the circle. His analysis has filtered out two possible locations of Rosetta''s shelter.


    Indiana: [Rosetta. In the end you still have it on your terms, huh? A 50-50 chance.]


    Should he pick one, or the other? His decision is not hard at all.


    Indiana: [Johannes has more than enough missiles to strike you.]


    He will attack both locations. Rosetta is more worth than a risk of a meager 50-50 chance. Agent Gibson has made sure that point is abundantly clear. Thus, right now the person he has to contact is¡­


    Indiana: ¡°Telecoms, patch me through to Agent Johannes Scarl¡±


    Indiana jogs over to the telecommunications desk and orders the telecommunications officer to establish a radio contact with Johannes. When the officer confirms the contact and passes a pair of headphones to Indiana.


    Indiana: "Agent Scarl?"


    Johannes: "Speaking. I assume your call means that you¡¯ve successfully determined Rosetta''s location?"


    Indiana: "Yes. I have narrowed the locations down to two."


    Johannes: "Two? Two targets? So one missile will not hit Rosetta? Can you not narrow it down to one?"


    Indiana: "I cannot. Rosetta has played his tricks to the very end. 50-50."


    Johannes: "Argh... A missile is a lot of money and effort on my part.¡±


    Indiana: "Considering who we are facing, it is worth it. Agent Gibson would launch fifty missiles instead of the allowed five."


    Johannes: "Yes, he would. Alright. I authorize it. Relay the coordinates to me. I¡¯ll establish a connection to the naval fleet. They will launch the missile and I''ll use my magic to guide the missiles to a perfect strike."


    Indiana: "I''ll get on it right away.¡±


    Hearing the order, Indiana returns to his station to send the coordinates. Suddenly, a recent report causes a commotion in the command center.


    Intel Officer: ¡°New report! Scouts have discovered a new type of enemy!¡±


    Everybody, including Indiana, stop in their tracks. They pay full attention to the distressed officer¡¯s following words.


    Intel Officer: ¡°The enemy is a giant version of the tree monsters! At least twice the size! Its appearance is similar to the tree monsters but with a blood red appearance!¡±


    At the intel officer¡¯s description, Indiana is hit with a revelation.


    Indiana: [Is that-]


    Officer: ¡°Is it covered in blood?! It killed people already?! Call the- Hey!¡±


    Indiana: ¡°Have the scouts observe this new monster and its behavior. Also, put out orders to everyone to avoid and not engage it.¡±


    Indiana pushes the officer away as he interrupts him. The rest of the officers are bewildered at his suggestion.


    Officer: ¡°Agent Strauss, what are you even saying?!¡±


    Indiana: ¡°I have reason to believe that this new monster will not be an enemy.¡±


    Officer: ¡°What reason do you have to risk the lives of the troops?!¡±


    The officer shouts in rage and the others nod in agreement. Indiana is unfazed and continues his explanation.


    Indiana: ¡°I never said to ignore it completely. Observe and avoid.¡±


    Officer: ¡°You think this monster is an ally?! Are you crazy?! That thing isn¡¯t human.¡±


    Indiana: ¡°We are fighting a different battle than the ones you usually have with the common human.¡±


    Indiana glares at the outspoken officer before shifting his glare to the others.


    Indiana: ¡°My organization is well prepared to handle these kinds of threats. We have our own monsters. Tell me. Do any of you know what happened to Agent Alan Moralles?¡±


    __________________________________


    -Crrrraakkssshh-


    A mangled body of a treant crashes onto the ground. Countless wounds from gunfire scar its body and flames from incendiary fire licks the branches, slowly turning it into ash. Triumphant cheers roar from the victors of the battle. Drunk on the euphoria of victory, they are thrilled that they felled such a tremendous beast. Unfortunately, their celebration is short-lived. The team captain quickly berates them to stay on guard.


    Captain: ¡°Get your asses back in line! We need to-¡°


    *Thoom Thoom Thoom*


    Trooper: ¡°Enemy incoming!¡±


    The sound of heavy foots steps alerts the men. The troops ready their weapons and point them in the sound''s direction. Due to the ever-present smoke in the air, a silhouette of the treant can be seen approaching at an alarming speed.


    Trooper: ¡°My god, it¡¯s huge¡­ Wait! Captain! Is it-¡±


    Captain: ¡°It is! Do not engage! Do NOT engage!¡±


    The captain urges his troop to retreat from the monster¡¯s path. As it through the smoke, its form slowly comes into view. Its size is massive. At over 10 meters, it is a monster similar the ones the troops are fighting except that it dwarfs them and sports a bulkier body build. Its appearance can only be described as terrifying. Blood red branches and vines entwine its entire body and broken branches jut out from its body like spiked armor.


    *Thoom Thoom Thoom*


    Trooper: ¡°Ghh¡­¡±


    Its speed is tremendous. Despite its size and bulky form, the strange monster storms pass the troops in quick strides at speeds similar to speeding vehicles on asphalt roads. The troops can do nothing but cower from the monster¡¯s sight. Then, it slows down to a stop in front of the defeated treant from earlier.


    Giant Treant: ¡°Grrrk.¡±


    -Kraksskraka-


    Releasing a grunt, the giant lifts its leg and stamps the ruined treant. The troops watch in horror as the body snaps and cracks into pieces.


    Treant: ¡°GrOOOH!!¡±


    Giant Treant: ¡°KSRA! HA! HA! HA! HA!¡±


    A lone treant roars angrily at the giant treant. It races towards the giant to attack it. The giant breaks into a loud slow laughter. It swipes the treant in its hand. The treant is helpless as its body creaks and cracks from the giant¡¯s grip.


    -FwooTHOOM krshssh-


    Trooper: ¡°Fucking shit!¡±


    It bents its body and smashes the treant into the ground. The ground is flung into the air as it shakes violently from the force. The tremors reach the troops, shattering their stance and morale.


    -Srssh susssh-


    The giant treant¡¯s arm gripping its victim convulses suddenly. The branches and vegetation moves around erratically for a few moments before the giant lifts its arm from the ground. It gets up and breaks into a run in search for more prey.


    Trooper: ¡°That thing just took out a monster. What the fuck¡­¡±


    Captain: ¡°Men, we retreat. Let¡¯s get the hell out of-¡°


    Trooper: ¡°Captain! That thing is still alive!¡±


    Everyone turn to look at the crater the giant treant left behind. The treant crushed by the giant treant emerges from it. Its body twisted and broken, red vines and branches crawl all over itself. The treant contorts and snaps its body into shape, the red vegetation now a permanent feature.


    Treant: ¡°Krro! Ho! Ho! Ho! Ho!¡±


    The treant releases a hollow laughter similar to the giant treant before running off. The troops are silent and motionless. Having watched plenty of horror films in their free time, they know exactly what has taken place. The captain walks to the front and faces his troops. In a low and solemn, voice he said¡­


    Captain: ¡°Men, We¡¯re done. Send a field report to intelligence. We retreat and we are done. We will not come back here again.¡±


    __________________________________


    Indiana: [That¡¯s Alan.]


    Indiana has that thought as the intel officer reads the latest report in a hoarse voice. The other officers are petrified in fear. Indiana feels indifferent to the atmosphere and voices his orders to them.


    Indiana: ¡°Recall all forces. From now on, this operation will be conducted by the organization agents. Me, Johannes Scarl and Alan Moralles.¡±


    Officer: ¡°W-Wait. You¡¯re taking over?¡±


    Indiana: ¡°Yes. This battle will escalate further. All field forces are to evacuate the area immediately. This is no longer a fight for humans.¡± [It¡¯s time the titans join the fray]


    As Indiana ended the conversation, he walks over to his station and pulls out an aluminum briefcase. He opens it to reveal a telecommunications computer. He turns it on and proceeds to establish a connection to the organization.


    Indiana: [Alan will be the army. Johannes will be the assassin. My only job left is to report to Agent Gibson.]


    The connection to the organization is established and Indiana puts on the headphones and speaks into the receiver.


    Indiana: "This is Agent Indiana Strauss. Identification number India-Tango-Romeo-Sierra-Hotel 35043. Connect me to Special Agent Gibson."


    __________________________________

 Prologue | Chapter 9 – Battle of the Titans

    __________________________________


    Miles off the coastal seas Vietnam, a stationary US Destroyer is preparing for battle. Its entire crew are on full alert as they scramble to prepare their most powerful weapon on the ship. The ballistic missile. The target is a forest in Vietnam too far inland for the nearby naval bombardments to reach.


    Kept is metal canisters aboard the ship, these missiles are deadly and comes with a hefty price tag of millions of dollars in tax payers¡¯ money. They have a simple shape. A round headed body of half a meter in diameter and 6 meters long; wings to allow maneuverability in the mid-section and at the end, its jet engine powerful enough to carry the missile and its half ton high explosive warhead 2500 kilometers to its target. The whole missile is painted grey and more peculiarly, scrubbed of any country affiliation.


    These missiles are by far no ordinary missiles. Like the other three missiles in the stockpile, these missiles are marked by a strange magic from by an agent of the organization. The agent in question is currently in contact with the ship¡¯s captain.


    Johannes: "How are the preparations for the missile launch? I''m ready to receive and guide the missiles to the target."


    Captain: ¡°We have encountered some technical difficulties stemming from one of the missiles.¡±


    Johannes: ¡°Oh? What happen to it?¡±


    Upon asking that, Johannes¡¯ voice turns sour.


    Captain: ¡°The missile¡¯s GPS guidance system is unresponsive or uncooperative at best.¡±


    Johannes: ¡°Will it be able to reach here?¡±


    Captain: ¡°Yes, but the CEP of the missile will be too big to be considered useful. Forget hitting the target, it will miss by a few hundred yards.¡±


    Johannes: ¡°I see¡­ What about the other missiles?¡±


    Captain: ¡°Only two of the missiles are confirmed operational. We are currently inspecting the other two.¡±


    Johannes: ¡°Alright, captain. Prepare the two missiles for launch immediately. I need the rest of the missiles ready for launch as soon as possible. Make sure the last missile is launch ready as well.¡±


    Captain: ¡°Excuse me? Sir, are you planning to use the malfunctioning missile to attack?¡±


    Johannes: ¡°Yes. I will be using the other two missiles for a follow up strike or a corrected one. The last missile will be set as a reserve and be made ready to launch on my command.¡±


    Captain: ¡°Will all due respect, Sir. I am not launching a defective missile into foreign soil.¡±


    Johannes: ¡°Captain, I order you to get that missile ready for launch. I don¡¯t care if the missile cannot hit the target. As long as it gets in the battlefield, it is acceptable for me.¡±


    Captain: ¡°Sir, I cannot agree to wasting such an expensive-¡°


    Johannes: ¡°Whatever I or any agent of the organization use at our disposal is not a concern of yours. I need all my missiles ready for launch. Are my orders made clear?¡±


    Captain: ¡°¡­Yes, sir. I¡¯ll have them ready as soon as possible.¡±


    Johannes: ¡°Thank you, captain. I appreciate your cooperation. Leave this channel open. I need updates on the missile launch and have them launch on my order.¡±


    Captain: ¡°Affirmative¡±


    Johannes eases his tension after leaving the conversation. His face has a bitter expression and his mood is foul. He is frustrated at the recent malfunction of one of his assigned missiles. He has a lot of pride in his work, as he invested a large amount of energy and concentration to integrate his magic into the massive armaments. It took him roughly a week to integrate one of the five missiles.


    Johannes: [If only I got this power when I was in my prime.]


    The inefficiency of his magic is due to Johannes poor mana capacity and ability in magic. Unlike Alan''s magic that draws energy from other life forms upon contact, Johannes'' magic is purely from his own. Johannes laments at the fact that he obtained this power after a long service in the organization. If he had gotten the power much sooner, his body will have a mana capacity and mastery of his magic at a level he can be proud of.


    Johannes shakes his mind off the defective missile and focuses his attention on another problem, the ship captain. The captain responded coldly to his order to prepare the defective missile for launch. Even if the captain was debriefed on the magical abilities of Agent Johannes Scarl, he did not comply to his orders. The captain believes it to be a tremendous waste to launch a defective missile. However, he is not going to oppose the chain of command. The captain has settled for dodging the consequences if the launch failed and having Johannes take responsibility for his actions. Johannes is aware of the captain¡¯s stance but he is not going to waste time convincing a skeptic as long as his orders are followed to the letter. The success of the operation is on the line.


    Johannes stands up and fixes his gear. After putting on his helmet and radio, he leaves the command center. A US soldier welcomes him and direct him towards a waiting helicopter.


    - Bata Bata Bata-


    Johannes climbs into the helicopter, followed by the US soldier. The engine roars and the blades slice the air as the helicopter rise up from the ground and flies towards the battlefield overshadowed by the massive black void.


    __________________________________


    Treant: ¡°Grrrreeh¡­¡±


    The treant lets out a strangled growl as it struggles to escape the grip of its adversary, a treant double its size and colored blood red. The red vines have invaded the treant¡¯s body, signaling the end of the treant as it tightens its grip on the treant¡¯s head. Sensing the loss of resistance from the treant, the giant treant tosses it aside. It straightens its neck and surveys the area. Right in front of it, the void of Rosetta¡¯s spell, ever so dark and imposing.


    ¡°Looks like the place is empty.¡±


    Its voice, even though it is hollow menacing, has some semblance to a human voice. Hearing this voice, filled with bloodthirst and disappointment for the lack of prey, there is no doubt on the identity of this monster.


    Alan: ¡°Did the monsters stop coming because of the army¡¯s retreat or is it because of me?¡±


    Alan shifts his senses towards the treants under his control. He senses a few treants still alive and kicking but they have already engaged the controlled treants. These treants will share his blood soon enough. Alan hunches his massive body forward, gazing longingly at the void.


    Alan: ¡°I wish you keep sending them my way¡­¡±


    In an instant, Alan lunges forward, gouging the ground under him.


    Alan: ¡°BECAUSE I HAVEN¡¯T HAD ENOUGH, ROSETTA!!!¡±


    Alan¡¯s body flies into the void and crashes into what seems to be a wall of vegetation. Not hesitating one bit, Alan buries his body into the vegetation and activates his magic.


    -Krssshkrakkasshsssh-


    Unseen under the cover of darkness, Alan¡¯s magic travel across the red vines and invaded the vegetation. It engulfs the mana in the vegetation and distorts it to Alan¡¯s will. Like a malignant cancer, Alan devours the vegetation to add more mass to his body.


    -Boom Krsssh Krakkoom


    Alan: ¡°Grah!¡±


    The whole forest quaked and Alan is wrapped in vegetation and flung out of the void. Alan crashes into the ground in a tangled heap. The vegetation that is thrown with him struggle to retrain him as it is slowly being devoured by Alan¡¯s magic.


    Alan: ¡°ROSETTA!!! DON¡¯T GO SOFT ON ME!!! ALL YOU ARE DOING IS JUST FEEDING ME!!!¡±


    Alan stands straight up in an imposing pose in front of the void. The vegetation he absorbed rustles insides his body, making it grow bigger than it was before.


    Alan: ¡°YOU AND I NEED TO HAVE A PROPER FIGHT!¡±


    Zombified Treant: ¡°Krakha! Kha! Kha! Kha!¡±


    He grabs one of his minions from around him. The minion start cackling menacingly.


    Alan: ¡°GET OUT HERE!!!¡±


    Alan roars loudly as he throws the minion overhead in the direction of the void. Still cackling, the treant realigns his position to land and crashes deep inside the void. Alan goes to grab more of his minions. The blood red treants crowd around his arm, scrambling to get a good grip on it.You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    Alan: ¡°GRAH!!¡±


    Alan swings his arm across. His minion flies off his arm into the void. Alan gets into a battle stance. He spreads his thoughts to his minions and they responded in uproar. With the roaring of his minions mixed with his own, Alan charges forward in full speed towards the void, leading his army of zombified treants behind him.


    __________________________________


    - Bata Bata Bata-


    A helicopter flies at top speed circling the void. The compartment door is opened and a man peers at the scene unfolding on the ground below.


    Johannes: [Alan is letting his magic go wild. Just look at how many of the monsters he has taken.]


    Littered all over the ground are red colored treants, zombified treants created from Alan¡¯s magic. Every one of them are restless to fight.


    Johannes: [Impressive army. But he can¡¯t reach Rosetta at this rate.]


    He scans through the treants as the helicopter flies over them.


    Johannes: [I need to find Alan. These are just his offshoots. Look for the big one from the reports.]


    Johannes withdraws into the helicopter. In actuality, all of these zombified treants are all Alan. They all have his consciousness. In spite of this, they only respond to the signals given by Alan as the giant treant. Like hive mind, they are all Alan¡¯s limbs. It is only when the giant treant is destroyed that a random treant becomes the core of the hive mind and take over. This is the nature of Alan¡¯s magic. Parasitic and malignant like a cancerous infection.


    Pilot: ¡°Incoming transmission from the navy!¡±


    Johannes: ¡°The channel is clear!¡±


    -Boom Krakkassh-


    When Johannes receives his transmission, a loud sound reverberates as the whole area quakes. Startled by the loud noise, the pilot pulls the helicopter upwards in an effort to get to safety. The men are pulled back into their seats. Johannes grips tightly on his seat as he receives his transmission.


    -Fwoom-


    Large objects fly out from the darkness of the void at great heights before crashing into the ground. At a closer look, the red color of these objects shows that these are Alan¡¯s treants and something tossed them into the air like it¡¯s nothing.


    Co-Pilot: ¡°Holy shit, look!¡±


    Everyone shifts their gaze towards the void. For a split second, a giant wall of vegetation is seen extending out from the void 50 meters in the air before retreating into the darkness. The troops can only look in disbelief. This kind of force is possible for him. A show of Rosetta¡¯s awesome strength. Johannes opens the compartment door and gaze down on the carnage below. The treants that were thrown into the ground are starting to form themselves back together. At one spot where the ground is gouged a good length, a treant multitudes in size than the others is piecing its body together.


    Johannes: [There he is.] ¡°Pilot! Slow down and circle around that giant monster! I need to talk to him!¡±


    Pilot: ¡°Yes, sir. Lowering hovering position.¡±


    The pilot has a skeptical look but brushes it off and descends the helicopter towards the giant treant.


    Johannes: ¡°Get me on the speakers!¡±


    Pilot: ¡°You¡¯re patched to the speakers now.¡±


    Johannes: ¡°Alan!¡±


    Johannes voice is amplified in the speakers and directed at the giant treant. Hearing Johannes¡¯s voice, it pauses for a moment and looks upwards at the helicopter.


    Alan: ¡°JOHANNES!!¡±


    Johannes: ¡°Alan! Listen to me! I am calling a missile strike to take out Rosetta¡¯s spell! You have to stand down!¡±


    Alan: ¡°ALRIGHT! GET ON WITH IT!!¡±


    ¡°ROOOOOOAAAAAR!!!¡±


    Out of nowhere, an ear splitting roar explodes from the void, sending a shock to everyone.


    Johannes: ¡°Get us up high! NOW!!¡±


    The helicopter jerks upwards. Alan stands up and braces his arms. A huge blast erupts from the void like a jet. High pressure air and mist strikes Alan at high velocity.


    -Trak Krsh Psh Pak Grak Tssk-


    Alan: ¡°GUH-AH!!¡±


    Hidden by the mist, hundreds of large wooden stakes 1 to 2 meters long flies at high speed with the blast and hit everything in sight. Alan grimaces as he takes the splintered ends head on. His arms are impaled many times. Some strike through his arms and impale his body. Some are powerful enough to punch right through everything of him. High above Alan, the helicopter twist and turn in the air with its alarms blaring as it struggles from the updraft from the blast.


    Pilot: ¡°SHIT! SHIT! SHIT!¡±


    Johannes: ¡°BRING OUT THE CHAIN GUN!! SHOOT!! SHOOT!!¡±


    Gunner: ¡°I CAN¡¯T SHOOT ANYTHING LIKE THIS!!¡±


    Johannes: ¡°I DON¡¯T CARE!! YOU JUST HAVE TO SHOOT!!¡±


    The devastating jet has not stopped. It moves upwards and catches the helicopter inside it. The helicopter is tossed around by the air velocity and the wooden stakes flies straight at the helpless aircraft.


    -Dakkoom Dakkoom Dakkoom-


    The gunner fires the chain gun turret. As the bullets leave the barrel, they dance in the air. They swerve around the helicopter which has turned sideways from the blast.


    -Prak Chssk Grak Krsh Ftsh Ptak -


    They struck the incoming wooden stakes head on. They struck from the side to change their trajectory. They struck the body to shatter it to pieces. They struck the pieces some more to pulverize them. The storm of a few hundred bullets crushes the onslaught of wooden stakes. What has reached the helicopter is a storm of wet splinters and sawdust. Bending any projectile to his will. Capable of manipulating bullets to shred wooden stakes at high speed. This¡­ This is the magic bestowed upon Johannes Scarl.


    The jet dissipates, leaving a large column of mist lingering where it once was. The aftermath, the land scarred by wooden stakes gouging the ground. Under the cover of the mist, it looks like an ancient burial site; the wooden stakes like markers for graves. In the middle of this grim scene, a silhouette of the giant treant standing upright with menacing stakes protruding from its arms and body. High overhead, a helicopter spins out of control. The occupants are bracing themselves while the pilots struggle to reign in control. One of the occupants decides to land a hand.


    Johannes: ¡°Gh¡­ Ngh! GRAAAAH!!!¡±


    Gripping the hand supports as hard as he can, Johannes forces his mana into the compartment. He activates his magic and strain as hard as he can. The whole vehicle jumps for a moment as if something struck hard on it. Slowly, little by little, the vehicle stops its uncontrollable spin and the pilot pulls the helicopter away from its crash course. Hovering 20 to 30 meters above the ground, everyone in the helicopter relaxes in relief. One of them is first to react.


    Johannes: ¡°FUCK! Get this helicopter high in the air right now! We are going back!¡±


    Pilot: ¡°Y-Yes, sir.¡±


    The pilot, given little time for respite, responds weakly. He grasps the helicopter controls and pulls the aircraft up into the sky.


    Johannes: ¡°Maintain a high altitude and mobility from now on.¡±


    Johannes turns to stare at the void. He clasps the microphone on his helmet.


    Johannes: ¡°Launch the missiles now.¡±


    __________________________________


    Back in the US destroyer, the captain receives the orders from Agent Johannes. He stands upright as the crew looks at him for his orders.


    Captain: ¡°Sound the alarm. Launch the missiles.¡±


    The crew responds immediately, locking down the target coordinates and preparing the missile for launch. The target coordinates are relayed to the missiles inside the vertical launch system and armed.


    Officer: ¡°Missile launch in¡­ 10¡­ 9¡­ 8¡­¡±


    The ship captain watches the surveillance feed showing the missile launch system. The type of missile they are launching. The country they are launching it at. The kind of enemy that will face the missile head on. All of these circumstances bring the captain¡¯s thoughts to its conclusion.


    Captain: [God help us all.]


    Officer: ¡°4¡­ 3¡­ 2¡­ 1¡­ Launch.¡±


    -BWOOSHAAAA-


    The missile¡¯s rocket booster ignites, unleashing a jet of fire and propelling the missile upwards. A wall of fire shoots up from the exhaust and the missile flies out of the silo up high into the air. The booster keeps going. The missile flies higher and faster. Once spent, the booster detaches itself and falls to the sea. The missile activates its jet engine and spread its wings from its body. Triangulating its position with GPS and radar, the missile speeds through the skies to its target.


    -BWOOSHAAAA-


    Another missile has left for the skies shortly after its predecessor. Ditching its rocket booster, it starts its jet engine and flies in the same direction of the first missile. Both missiles streak across the sky. Over forests, grasslands, roads and cities. The humans below does not suspect a thing. Many of them ignore the missile as their daily activities takes priority.


    Reaching the target¡¯s vicinity does not take long. Within minutes after their launch, the missiles have reached the battlefield wasteland. Awaiting them is Agent Johannes Scarl in a helicopter flying at high altitude. He concentrates on his magic and activates his magic stored within the missiles. The magic takes control of the missiles. They synchronize with Johannes¡¯s consciousness and become an extension of his own will.


    Johannes: [Alright. I have control. Just¡­]


    Johannes casts his gaze on the darkness below. The shrouded forest has become alive. Massive masses of vegetation can be seen moving in the darkness. Twisting around and failing, as if it is trying to intercept the missiles.


    Johannes: ¡°Kh¡­¡±


    Without hesitation, he sends the missiles into the void. He senses the missile flying into the void and senses the forest trying to stop it. The missiles whip around the giant masses. They dance away from their swipes. Darting here and there, even doubling back, the missiles twist through the forest. Within those crucial seconds, one of the missiles flies near its target¡¯s vicinity.


    Johannes: [Strike!]


    -FTBOOOOM-


    It happened in a split second. One missile strikes its target and explodes, unleashing the warhead¡¯s fullest potential. The ground shakes and for a moment, the whole forest stops moving.


    Johannes: [Weak! Get punished!]


    Not missing an opportunity, Johannes sends the other missile speeding towards its target. It zooms past the masses and strikes the target before they can react.


    -KSHTHOOOOM-


    Johannes: [Yes! Both missiles on target!]


    The effects are quick. Sunlight slowly illuminates the forest. Johannes has struck Rosetta and broke his spell. With the spell broken, the energy gathering nature magic ceases allowing light to shine upon the forest once more. The darkness is disappearing.


    Gunner: ¡°Whoa¡­¡±


    Co-Pilot: ¡°The darkness is fading away!¡±


    Johannes stands triumphantly in the helicopter as the forest slowly fade into view.


    Pilot: ¡°Jesus Christ¡­¡±


    Co-Pilot: ¡°What the- What the hell?!¡±


    Johannes: ¡°¡­¡±


    Johannes can only remain silent. Stripped of the spell¡¯s protection, the forest is now exposed in full view. Except, it does not look like a forest. More like, it has turned into a monster. 100¡­ 200¡­ 300 meters high. Huge pillars of vegetation more than 300m high reach for the sky from the ground. Their width is roughly 50 meters across. At their tip, a head that resembles a dragon with hollow eyes and a gaping maw. More that 30 of them move independently and every one of them are moving around angrily.


    Gunner: ¡°How the hell are we taking that down? Missiles are not going to take that down fast enough.¡±


    Co-Pilot: ¡°Damn. This is impossible. We should retre-¡°


    Johannes: ¡°Shut the fuck up! Our target isn¡¯t that monster! It¡¯s the monster hiding in it! Get above it!¡±


    Johannes silences the men. He turns to focus on assessing the damage done by the missiles. Where is Rosetta? Did he get injured? These questions plague his mind. He uses his binoculars to survey the area damaged by the missiles. Right in one of the destroyed target zones, nature magic is concentrated on regenerating vegetation in order to cover up something. The sign flares his suspicions.


    Johannes: [I see it!] ¡°Maintain high altitude and reach the center!¡±


    Not missing a chance, Johannes barks his orders at the pilot. He grabs the transmitter on his helmet and establishes contact with the US Destroyer.


    Johannes: ¡°This is Johannes Scarl! We have a strike! I repeat, we have a strike! Launch two more missiles!¡±


    As the pilot reluctantly swerves the helicopter towards the forest, down below, Alan and his minions are roaring in excitement. Multiple pillars of vegetation resembling dragon heads, Alan gleefully calls it for its appearance.


    Alan: ¡°GRAAHAHAHAHA!! A HYDRA!! THIS IS WHAT I AM TALKING ABOUT!!¡±


    Alan and the treants charges at the forest. A hydra head bends forward and smashes its body on the ground.


    -FWHTHOOOOM KRSHOOO-


    It drags its body across the ground, sweeping the treants under its mass. Many treants jump on the side of the massive body and activate Alan¡¯s magic. The head lifts its body once more and smashes into the ground again. More hydra heads do the same and send earthquakes throughout the region. Alan feels the ground shaking under his feet and his heart dances. Rosetta has finally revealed his true power and unleashed chaos. And he will confront it with his own.


    Beings crafted from magic against hunters sent from an organization. The forest, now transformed into a fearsome Hydra. Alan Moralles, matching it with his own tenacity and his terrifying magic. Johannes Scarl, in his helicopter weaving through the fray on the hunt for the greatest bounty, the magician Rosetta. The actors on the stage of battle are ready. The final act has begun.


    __________________________________

 Prologue | Chapter 10 - The Battles Climax

    __________________________________


    Anne: ¡°Fuck!¡±


    Anne swears out of frustration. She has just witnessed the enemy¡¯s missile strike on Rosetta. The surveillance footage has shown the massive spell failing and revealing the massive forest hydra within. Given her situation, there is nothing she can do to aid Rosetta. Anne slams both hands against her head in anger.


    Anne: [Goddammit. I didn¡¯t do enough¡­]


    Anne has not been silently watching the battle. Since the operation started, she has actively participated in the operation as a saboteur, delaying radio responses of the troops to delay their calls for support. She has tried to interfere with the satellite reconnaissance to prevent information gathering but her efforts were thwarted.


    Anne: [Coiner. That old shitbag should die already.]


    Elias Coiner. He is one of the founders of the organization and one of the traitors who attacked Rosetta and his allies 23 years ago. His magic is technological infiltration and detection. Using the 4000 satellites in orbit around Earth, including many of the 3000 satellites that were ¡®decommissioned¡¯ and abandoned as space debris, he scours the Earth in search for any leads on Rosetta.


    Anne: [To think that he will play ¡®squatter¡¯ in those satellites. Not only that¡­]


    In spite of Elias¡¯s interference with the satellites, he is not the main cause of her anguish. The source of her anguish is in fact her foiled attempts to disable the US Destroyer and its magic missiles. She has infiltrated the ship and disabled it with none of the crew noticing. When the ship is to continue with its patrol route after the operation, they will be in for a devastating revelation. Anne has worked her way to the missiles and discovered the magic stored inside. However, after much effort to disable one missile, she was suddenly forced away from the ship. A huge blast of energy broke off her connection and undid some of her work in sabotaging the ship. That blast of energy. From it, Anne has sensed mana driving it. Only one conclusion can be drawn from that.


    Anne: [There is an enemy agent armed with magic on the ship.]


    Anne has placed her focus on the new enemy. It is vital to identify the agent¡¯s magic, for knowing this information will prevent any ally from being blindsided by an unknown magic.


    Anne: [The magic burnt my connection. It¡¯s not an EMP when the ship is still intact after that. So it¡¯s barrier magic?]


    Anne notes the magic¡¯s nature and braces herself once more.


    Anne: [I wish I had runes installed on that ship. No matter. You¡¯ll get your battle of wits, punk.]


    Anne swirls the massive pools of mana around her. Once more, she will attempt to sabotage the operation. Her primary targets, the two missiles in flight towards the battlefield. Without the interference of the enemy agent, Anne is confident that she can take those missiles down. Anne locks on the missiles and prepares her angle of attack.


    __________________________________


    Treant (Z): ¡°Krassha! Khak! Ksha! Kha!¡±


    The zombified treant is soaring at high speed into the air. It flies in a big arc towards one of the hydra heads. Nearing its prey, the treant flails its limbs wide and slams into the side of the hydra head.


    -Thrsh Krash Fwsh-


    Upon landing on the hydra¡¯s head, the treant suddenly deforms. Its body is spread apart as the red plant mass spreads out as thinly as possible. Covering as much area as it can, the plant mass activated its magic to invade the hydra.


    Hydra: ¡°GRUUUU!!¡±


    The hydra head twists and turns to shake off the parasite. It slams its head on the ground sending shockwaves through the loose earth.


    -FTOOOM SHRSHOOOM-


    The hydra drags its head across the ground, gouging it and tossing debris everywhere.


    Alan: ¡°KH-HAHAHAHA!! YOU CAN¡¯T SCRAPE ME OFF THAT EASILY!¡±


    At the moment when the hydra head has stopped moving and is about to raise its head, the giant treant jumps on top of its head. The hydra head rises, Alan the treant braces to unleash his magic. Suddenly, before he can make his move a large shadow descends upon him.


    -KRAASHH-


    Alan: ¡°F-UK!!¡±


    -Boom Krskrshshsh-


    Another hydra head has swooped over to aid its brethren and slams Alan off the hydra head. Alan flew off and crashed into the ground, creating a gaping hole. Yet, despite that devastating attack, Alan crawled out of the hole without losing any of his tenacity.


    - KRKRSSH THOOM-


    Alan: ¡°AAARH-!!¡±


    -Fswoosh Toom-


    A different hydra head sweeps the earth, and smashes Alan in full force. Alan¡¯s massive body is sent whizzing through the air. He crashes into the ground, bouncing a few times before stopping well over 400 meters away. Nevertheless, the hydra did not let it end there.


    Alan: ¡°GRRRAAAAH!!¡±


    -THOOM THOOM-


    Two more hydra heads attacked Alan, one head slamming into him before moving for the other to deliver a similar crushing blow. Not letting Alan gain any ground, the hydra heads give no breaks in crushing him. His body battered and bruised, Alan is merely frustrated by the fact.


    Alan: ¡°COME ON!! YOU CAN¡¯T STOP ALL OF ME!! I¡¯LL-¡±


    -THOOM THOOM-


    At 500 meters in the air, the helicopter hovers over the hydra forest. The hydra heads in the middle snaps and snarls at the helicopter. The helicopter crew watches the forest carefully, anticipating the sweeping jet blast that endangered them before. Agent Johannes on the other hand is furious. The captain from the US Destroyer has just reported to him that the two missiles that were launched mere minutes ago have gone missing.


    Johannes: ¡°You lost contact with the missiles?! What the fuck happened?! You said that the missiles are fine!¡±


    Captain: ¡°We¡¯ve already checked them! They were fully operational on the way towards Vietnam! We¡¯ve lost contact with them near the shoreline!¡±


    Johannes: ¡°You¡¯re telling me some Vietnamese fishermen took down two state of the art American missiles flying at 550 miles per hour?! What the fuck!¡±


    Captain: ¡°With all due respect, SIR, we aren¡¯t- Hey! WHAT-¡±


    Johannes hears some background chatter about the captain arguing.


    Johannes: ¡°Captain?! Captain!¡±


    Johannes calls for the captain, but another man¡¯s voice has answered his call.


    Agent: ¡°Agent Scarl. The captain away to cool off.¡±


    Johannes: ¡°What is he- Who are you?!¡±


    Agent: ¡°I am an agent on orders from the Director. I¡¯m here to assist you in your operation.¡±


    Johannes: ¡°A-An Agent? Do you know what has happened to the missiles?


    Agent: ¡°No I do not. But I have reason to believe that the missiles were intercepted mid-flight.¡±


    Johannes: ¡°Another one of Rosetta¡¯s allies?¡±


    Agent: ¡°Yes. The culprit¡¯s identity is classified from non-organization people, but I do believe that you will recognize who is responsible. She has remotely disabled one of your missiles.¡±


    Johannes: ¡°¡­ I understand. Looks like I do not have the firepower I need.¡±


    Agent: ¡°I have failed in protecting the missiles and I am truly sorry. I understand that you are still able to use the last missile?¡±


    Johannes: ¡°Yes. Are you able to protect this missile in flight?¡±


    Agent: ¡°¡­ Yes, I can, but it requires some preparation. You have to seek out other measures before it¡¯s ready.¡±


    Johannes: ¡°Alright. Notify me when you¡¯re done.¡±


    Johannes turns off the receiver and looks down on the forest below. The area ruined by the first missile strike has been covered up in protective vegetation. The hydra heads have moved across it and are staring down the helicopter. The chance has been ruined. Johannes lost his second strike against Rosetta. He lies back on his seat and punches the compartment wall in anger.


    Johannes: [That Tech Witch¡­] ¡°FUCK!¡±


    Co-pilot: ¡°Sir, I¡¯ve received a transmission from Agent Strauss.¡±


    Johannes: ¡°Patch me through. Hello, Indiana. This is Johannes.¡±


    Indiana: ¡°What¡¯s happening on the battlefield? I see that Rosetta¡¯s spell has been taken down.¡±


    Johannes: ¡°Yes. It¡¯s thanks to your information. The missiles have struck down Rosetta¡¯s spell and quite possibly injure Rosetta.¡±


    Indiana: ¡°That¡¯s great news. Are you able to confirm the current state of Rosetta?¡±


    Johannes: ¡°Unfortunately, I cannot. Nature magic is immediately casted to protect him. My second missile strike was compromised. I¡¯ve lost two missiles mid-flight.¡±


    Indiana: ¡°Damn. Someone interfered?¡±


    Johannes: ¡°Yes. One of Rosetta¡¯s close allies. I¡¯m currently working with an agent under the Director to launch the last missile.¡±


    Indiana: ¡°Oh? Another agent? Anyway, I got some advice from Agent Gibson. ¡®If you do not take down Rosetta immediately, give up on Rosetta.¡±


    Johannes: ¡°Excuse me?!¡±


    Indiana: ¡°¡¯Give up on Rosetta. If he is compromised, he will escape immediately.¡¯¡±


    Those words bite through Johannes¡¯s heart. Gibson¡¯s words hold ground. Rosetta would have escaped after the spell was destroyed. He will tunnel deep into the ground far from anyone¡¯s reach. Anger and frustration flares inside Johannes. The mission to capture Rosetta has failed.


    Johannes: [If only those two missiles made it here¡­]


    Indiana: ¡°Johannes?¡±


    Johannes: ¡°Yeah, sorry. Mission failed, huh? I still think we should keep going. If Rosetta is truly gone, then must be some things he left behind we can use.¡±


    Indiana: ¡°Agreed. Agent Gibson suggested something similar.¡±This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    Johannes: ¡°What is his message?¡±


    Indiana: ¡°There¡¯s no need for it. You got the gist of it.¡±


    Johannes: ¡°I see¡­¡±


    Now that there Rosetta has most likely escaped, the magic forest will have no reason to rampage. Since it is the contrary, it means that Rosetta have left something behind. Johannes leers down at the rampaging forest.


    Johannes: ¡°This monster need to be taken care of quickly.¡±


    __________________________________


    Hydra: ¡°GRRRRRRR!!¡±


    A hydra head flails about in agony. Its body is mottled with blood red masses which devours the plant mass that makes up its body. A similar situation can be discerned from the other hydra heads. The ground is now covered in the red plant mass, constantly moving and slithering like a sea of snakes. The taunts from Alan has ceased long ago. Alan has taken a new form to devour the hydra. Instead of relying on the treants to take the hydra down, he broke down the large treant bodies into simple plant matter that will latch on to the hydra upon contact. After that, taking down is a simple matter of predation by Alan¡¯s parasitic magic.


    Hydra: ¡°GRRUU-U-U-UU!¡±


    -THOOM KRSSSSSH-


    The hydra head falls to the ground and thrashes around. The red mass has devoured a significant part of its neck to the point that the hydra head could no longer support its weight any longer.


    ¡°ROOOOOOAAAAAR!!!¡±


    -FWOOOOMSSSH-


    The huge jet blast erupted from the middle of the forest. It blasts through the hydra heads and struck the base of the collapsed hydra head. The high pressure blast and the flying stakes shreds through the plant matter and severed the hydra head from the base. The severed hydra head writhes and twitches as the red mass turns alive and spreads faster than before.


    ¡°GROOOOOOOOH!!!¡±


    -FSSHOOOOMRSSSK THOOM-


    Another jet blast erupts and another ailing hydra head is severed. The massive and heavy body falls to the ground, causing another tremor and shaking up dust and debris into the air.


    -pht slf fst sw fst-


    Silent from the noise of the chaos, a storm of bullets cuts through the air in an arranged formation. They bend and curve around the snarling hydra heads and descend upon their destination. The protective plant mass where the jet blast erupted from. The bullets punch through the plant mass and scatter in many directions. They lose none of their speed as Johannes magic propels them continuously to destroy whatever is hiding in the plant mass.


    ¡°GRRROOOOOR!!!¡±


    The protective plant mass explodes. A high pressure blast rips through the mass and scatters it instantly. Moments later, a large body flies out from the ruins. Basking in the sunlight, the creature flies above the forest to reveal its true form. A giant body and tail well over fifty meters long. An incredible wingspan over two hundred meters. A giant head with a long neck extending over twenty meters. A creature entirely made of plants and earth. But its appearance can only warrants Johannes¡¯s response:


    Johannes: ¡°Dragon.¡±


    The dragon faces the helicopter¡¯s direction and draws back his head. Catching on its intention, Johannes yells at the pilot.


    Johannes: ¡°DOWN! GET US DOWN NOW!¡±


    Dragon: ¡°ROOOOOOOOOAR!!!¡±


    Its powerful breath takes the form of the jet and sweeps the sky. The helicopter nosedives towards the snarling hydra heads, avoiding the dragon¡¯s breath. It swerves to regain balance and flies away from the dragon. The dragon flaps its massive wings and circles the forest under siege by Alan¡¯s parasitic magic.


    Dragon: ¡°GROOOOOAAR!!¡±


    The dragon¡¯s breath tears through the frontlines, the red mass from the base of the hydra. The dragon forces its breath at the hydra heads. It shears off more infected hydra heads, sparing the main body from an agonizing death. Flying on a path of retreat, Johannes spits in vexation at the turn of events.


    Johannes: [Shit. I stirred the hornet¡¯s nest. I need that missile now!] ¡°Get back in there! Get back in there and shoot that thing down!¡±


    Pilot: ¡°Sir, it¡¯s a flying dragon! High altitudes will not work like before! We should call for reinforceme-¡±


    Johannes: ¡°Damn that to hell! It will tear those choppers down on sight! I¡¯m the one keeping this bird in the air against that thing! So fly this helicopter or I will take it over!¡±


    Pilot: ¡°FUUUUCK!!¡±


    -KROOOOOM BOOOOOM-


    A loud noise rumbles through the air, drowning the sounds of battle. The co-pilot shouts something at Johannes but the loud noise deadens his voice. Nonetheless, Johannes understands his intentions and glances down at the frontlines. The ground near the forest begins to crack and ripple. The loud noise comes from the earth as it rips itself apart. Moreover, another scene unfolds amidst the chaos. In the red twisting sea of Alan¡¯s parasitic mass, the severed hydra heads begin to show signs of life. One¡­ Two¡­ Three¡­ Four¡­ Five¡­ With their body complete taken over by Alan¡¯s magic, they slowly rise up and pointed their maws at the forest hydra.


    Dragon: ¡°ROOOOOAAAR!!¡±


    The dragon¡¯s roar can barely be heard cut through the loud earthquakes and its breath strikes the red hydra heads head on. The hydra heads flail back from the force but are lightly injured from the attack and returned with furious animosity. However, those moments of distraction are ample time for the forest hydra.


    -KRAKTOOOOM TRSSHKRA-OOOOOM-


    The earth rises. In fact, a whole stretch of land a kilometer long and 200 meters across rises from its position. Facing this unbelievable spectacle is the red sea of Alan¡¯s parasitic mass. The land mass rises higher and higher before it broke off into a tilt. Underneath the massive land mass are roughly twenty hydra heads lifting its titanic weight. Johannes can only gape at the scale of land mass now tilted vertically, poised to crush the red parasitic mass.


    Hydra (Z): ¡°GRUUUUUU!!¡±


    Alan¡¯s red hydra can do nothing to stop the attack as it smashes its head against the land mass in futile attempt. Johannes¡¯s helicopter rises high into the air in order to gain altitude to avoid the air blast from the land mass crashing down. The forest hydra gives its last push and send the land mass over its tipping point.


    -GROOOOUUU THOOOOOM KRASSSSHOOOM-


    It is as if a megaton bomb has exploded. The land mass falls over and crashes down on the red mass. The sound shreds through the air as loud as if it can be heard from across the country. The air blast hits the surroundings like a typhoon sending dust and debris everywhere, blanketing the area in a giant greyish cloud. When it is all over the dead silence takes over.


    - Bata Bata Bata-


    The engines of the helicopter can finally be heard as it becomes a tiny speck hovering high above a giant cloud on the ground. The occupants of the vehicle peers down at the surreal scene, their senses and beliefs shattered and scattered.


    Gunner: ¡°My¡­ God¡­¡±


    Co-pilot: ¡°This is insane¡­¡±


    Johannes: ¡°It¡¯s not over. Keeping running evasive maneuvers!¡±


    -Fsh Wsh Shuu-


    Clumps of dirt and rock fly in the direction of the helicopter. The helicopter swerves around to avoid them. As the clouds slowly clears, the forest hydra is revealed, scraping debris from the ground and flinging it at the helicopter.


    Johannes: [Pesky things. Looks like Alan is out of the battle for now. The main problem is¡­ That.]


    Under the helicopter, the dragon circles the forest hydra, its sight set on the helicopter. The dragon spreads it wings to stall in midair and rears its head.


    Co-Pilot: ¡°That thing is gonna roar!¡±


    Dragon: ¡°ROOOOOAAAR!!¡±


    The helicopter dives out of the air as the blast rushes through the space where they were before.


    Johannes: ¡°Get close to the dragon!¡±


    The pilot whips his head back in disbelief.


    Pilot: ¡°What?!¡±


    Johannes: ¡°Fly in close distance to the dragon! This is an animal we¡¯re talking about! If we make sharp turns around this thing, its blast attack will not reach us!¡±


    Pilot: ¡°GRRAAAH!¡±


    The pilot, against his own instincts, pulls the helicopter around towards the dragon¡¯s direction. The dragon rears its head once more and unleashes its breath.


    Dragon: ¡°rruurROOOOOAAAR!!¡±


    The helicopter flies to one side of the dragon, out of the reach of the blast. The gunner mans the gun turret and fires.


    -Dakkoom Dakkoom Dakkoom-


    Bullets storm through the air and bends to Johannes¡¯s command. The bullets whip across one of the dragon¡¯s wings, shearing off bits of bark.


    -Suu Sfprak Trsk Dsh Krak-


    Johannes: [Hitting the body directly is a waste. Break the wings!]


    Johannes bends the bullets once more; this time, they expend their energy on hitting the dragon¡¯s wings head on. The bullets punch through the wings perforating and tearing its membrane.


    Dragon: ¡°Grrrruuu!¡±


    The dragon stumbles in the air due to its injured wing. It growls in anger and twists its body to face the helicopter. The helicopter dives down and get around the dragon¡¯s back.


    Johannes: [Now!]


    -Dakkoom Dakkoom Dakkoom-


    Johannes takes hold on the fired bullets and drive them into the base of the dragon¡¯s wing.


    -Srak Krsk Trask Prsk Dsk-


    Bark and splinters fly into the air. The base of the dragon¡¯s right wing broke. Losing it main structural support the wings swings around aimlessly.


    Dragon: ¡°GRRROOOOOAAAAARR!!¡±


    The dragon falls from the sky. Its body tumbles and twists in the air as its left wing flaps repeatedly to gain control. With tenacity and vigor, it fires its breath in an effort to take down the helicopter. The helicopter raises its altitude and veers away from the breath¡¯s range. Johannes watches the dragon fall down into the shade of the forest below.


    Johannes: ¡°What the¡­¡±


    Johannes wonders what is casting a huge shadow over the forest but his second glance catches a significant change in the forest. The hydra heads have all disappeared. What remains is a giant coil made of plant mass. The coil unravels and its end stretched upwards into the sky. An incredible length. Possibly long enough to reach¡­


    Johannes: ¡°Get us up higher!¡±


    The helicopter jerks upwards and being to ascend higher into the sky. The giant body has a diameter of 200 meters but its height stretches well over 1500 meters. The tip of the body is blunt and flat. Flying at almost 2000 meters in the air, the helicopter has reach its maximum height.


    Pilot: ¡°We¡¯re at the height limit. But I think we¡¯re out of reach.¡±


    Gunner: ¡°There¡¯s no fucking way we¡¯re going to take down that!¡±


    Johannes: ¡°We¡¯re not.¡±


    Gunner: ¡°Huh?¡±


    Johannes: ¡°We¡¯re not the cavalry! The real cavalry is currently burrowing through a billion tons of rock and earth! We distract these monsters! At best, we take down the dragon! Now, be on guard! There¡¯s more to this thing!¡±


    Everyone watches the giant green pillar swaying in the wind as the helicopter completes a circle around it.


    -Traksssssh-


    The pillar attacks first. A green hydra heads with girths of 6 meters shot out from the top of the pillar. They lunge at the helicopter, covering huge distances to reach it. The helicopter rears back to avoid them. The heads hiss and snarl at the helicopter before the they fall down due to their overstretched necks. Johannes watches them as they fell against the pillar and assimilate into it.


    Johannes: [So this is their plan.]


    Another group of hydra heads erupts from the pillars top once more. 500¡­ 600¡­ They stretched their reach to snap at the helicopter. A tall creature with squirming tentacles at its top. Its form is like the marine animal, hydra which grows over a centimeter long.


    In the battle up high in the sky, unbeknownst to anyone, a sinister creature plots its comeback. From an under an ungodly amount of rock and soil, Alan has burrowed through the cracks and loose soil and broke free of its earthly prison. From many, many openings, the red mass pushes through. The red turbulent sea returns one more in full form.


    -Srsh Krsh Drrskask-


    The red mass swirled together. Twisting. Turning. Churning. It forms together into a giant mass and stretches its form. 400¡­ 500¡­ 600¡­ The body stretches further into a tail. The head forms into a reptilian head. Alan¡¯s form. A giant serpent.


    -KISHAAA-


    The giant serpent lunges at the green pillar. At breakneck speed, it strikes the green pillar, staggering its precarious posture. Not losing any of its momentum, the serpent wraps its body around the greed pillar and climbs up its body. At the other end of the serpent, the tail bursts into many tentacles that pierces the side of the green pillar. The red mass then devours the plant matter, replacing it, growing over it. The serpent steadily climbs up the green pillar leaving red carnage in its trail.


    -KRSSHHHOOM KRAKSSSSSSH FSHHHHHRAAAKSSH-


    The massive green pillar twists and flails in agony. Its attacks on the helicopters has stopped and the helicopter¡¯s crew are watching the surreal scene before them.


    Johannes: ¡°Haaaaaa¡­ Rest easy boys¡­ The battle is won. Good job, everyone.¡±


    Johannes claps his hands together for the helicopter crew. Finally grasping on the situation, they begin to whoop and cheer.


    Gunner: ¡°WOOOOHOOOO!¡±


    Pilot: ¡°THAT WAS FUCKING CRAZY!¡±


    Co-pilot: ¡°WE DID IT! WE DID IT! YEAAA!¡±


    As the helicopter crew celebrates, Johannes senses flare up.


    Johannes: ¡°Hmm?¡±


    Another ally has joined the battle even after the battle is nearly won. Flying at 550 miles per hour at high altitude, the last ballistic missile is approaching the battlefield after its long delay.


    Johannes: [You¡¯re so fucking late¡­ Hmm?]


    As his senses reconnects with the missile, he noticed its battered state. Its outer shell looks burnt with black soot covering its side which has an impressive rainbow color due to the metal changing color from the heat. Sparks dance around missile, its origin not from the missile but from the air around it.


    Johannes: [That must be what¡¯s left of the barrier. I see. You had your own battles too, huh?]


    Johannes raises his arms to the direction of the missile and concentrates.


    Johannes: [I wonder if I can still¡­]


    A subtle response. The missile swerves slight but maintains its trajectory.


    Johannes: [At this rate, it will just fly past the battlefield.] ¡°Hrngh!¡±


    Johannes concentrates more. Pooling his mana at his palms and releasing them as pulses in the direction of the missile. The missile pitch and yaw violently before fixing its flight course and turning back to the battlefield. It flies upwards into the air straight up the sky.


    Johannes: [There. I¡¯ll send it back to the sea so the destroyer can-]


    Dragon: ¡°GRROOOOOAAR!!¡±


    Johannes turns in surprise at the direction of the giant pillar. The dragon has recovered its wing and fired its breath at the red serpent. The serpent recoils from the force, stopping its ascent up the pillar.


    Pilot: ¡°Oh, shit!


    Gunner: ¡°That dragon¡¯s not dead!¡±


    Co-pilot: ¡°God damn it! Are we going to deal with that thing?!¡±


    Johannes: ¡°No.¡±


    Johannes¡¯s answer silences the helicopter crew. Johannes cast a cold look at the dragon firing its breath once more at Alan.


    Johannes: ¡°We¡¯re done. This thing is dead.¡±


    -FSSSSHOOOUUUU-


    The missile descends towards the dragon at full speed. Against a creature which fly with its wings, the outcome is inevitable.


    -FSSTHOOOOM-


    Dragon: ¡°GRU-U-U-U!¡±


    The missile strikes the dragon¡¯s side and explodes. The dragon growls in pain and lost its energy. Its wings fail and the dragon falls.


    -Fwooo KRSSH-


    Right into the jaws of the serpent. The serpent crushed the dragon¡¯s side before smashing it against the side of the green pillar. The green pillar shakes and tumbles. With its lower body taken over by Alan¡¯s red mass, the pillar loses it support and falls down.


    -KRSSSHH KRST TSSK-


    The body crumples on itself as the massive creature falls straight down to the ground.


    -KSHTHOOOM BOOM THOOOM-


    The fall shakes the earth one last time and another cloud of dust as and debris burst into the air.


    __________________________________


    ¡°WHOOOOA!!¡±


    ¡°WHOOOOOO!!¡±


    ¡°Look at that! Damn, that is one heck of a show!¡±


    ¡°The scouts have probably shat themselves from watching that close!¡±


    Everyone is elated that the enemy is declared dead. Many of the troopers are celebrating and congratulating one another. Other look solemn at the chain of events, still in disbelief that such a thing existed in the world. Overall, the mood has a cheery note. Cheers and music begins to drown the atmosphere.


    Anne: ¡°Kh!¡±


    The image on her side disappears from her view. Even though the live feed is gone, everything is still recorded on the off chance a new development occurs. Anne¡¯s posture slumps in mid air. Her gaze fixed of the scouts¡¯ live feed of the battlefield.


    Anne: [What a horrid sight.]


    The live feed shows a menacing red mass which towers over the scouts, twitching and twisting like worms.


    Anne: [Looks like our loss. Rosetta is deep in the Earth¡¯s crust and¡­]


    Anne clasps her hands together and stretched her body.


    Anne: [In the end, we only found out that she is not in South East Asia] ¡°Fwaah¡­¡±


    The lights around Anne flicker brighter. Her work is not over. Anne brushes the live feeds into recording state and immerses herself in her information network. The search for girl carries on.


    __________________________________

 Prologue | Chapter 10.5 Through the eyes of the public

    __________________________________


    A newscaster is sitting at a news desk. He is well dressed, fitted with an expensive suit and tie. The rest of the newsroom crew scrambles into position. The program director signals to the crew to begin. The newscaster clears his throat and looks straight into the camera.


    James: ¡°This is the world news report on CAB News. I am James Forrester. Your voice for the morning news. The highlight of today; chaos in Vietnam as the country is struck by forest fires and earthquakes.¡±


    A picture depicting a scene of panicked Vietnamese people and the Vietnamese flag in the background is shown on a screen behind the newscaster.


    James: ¡°Earlier today at 1pm Vietnamese time, approximately 2000 policemen, firemen, and military personnel flooded the streets of the Son La capital in an effort to get out of the city. Take a look.¡±


    The screen transitions to a video clip of a city street packed with vehicles. Large trucks lined the streets and traffic police struggle to move the vehicle to ease up the traffic.


    James: ¡°This is the mobile footage of the commotion uploaded on social media. Police vans, fire trucks, and military trucks jammed the streets. All of them heading in one direction. Due west outside the city.¡±


    The screen changes back to the newscaster and the screen behind him displays a slideshow of pictures of smoke seen from the forest.


    James: ¡°A few hours later, residents saw what was smoke rising a few kilometers away from the city. The official report is that a forest fire has started deep in the forest and is reported to have grown to massive size.¡±


    The screen switches to a more direct view of the newscaster. The screen behind him is changed to an in-picture display showing various informative pictures.


    James: ¡°The forest fire was extinguished at 5.45 later that evening but this is by far no ordinary forest fire. There have been numerous reports of earthquakes felt throughout the Son La province. Panic has gripped the Vietnamese people as fears from the 2004 earthquake and tsunami disaster resurfaces. Officials from the coast of Vietnam have reported of no tremors felt along the coastline and the Vietnamese coastguard made the decision to withhold the order for a tsunami alert. Coastguard representative, Thao Kim.¡±The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    The clip of the interview is displayed. As the man speaks in Vietnamese, an English speaker speaks over him.


    Kim: ¡°Even if the earthquakes are strong and can be felt in multiple cities in Son La, the earthquakes are too far inland to cause a tsunami incident. Thus, it is a great relief that there is no need for the coastguard to put up a tsunami alert.¡±


    The screen returns to the newscaster with the screen behind him.


    James: ¡°The Chairman of the Son La Province, Hue Kha, held an emergency press conference to address the public on the situation. He has confirmed that the exodus of law enforcement, fire and military personnel is in response to the forest fire. He stated that although the forest fire is put out at a quick pace, 37 members of the task force have lost their lives. Chairman Kha at the press conference.¡±


    The video of the Chairman Kha¡¯s conference is displayed. He wears a solemn face as the flashes of cameras flashes on him.


    Kha: ¡°At approximately 10 am in the morning, a forest fire has been spotted 20 kilometers from the city. the forest fire is so massive in size that over 2000 police, firemen and soldiers took apart in an operation to put out this forest fire.¡±


    The chairman glances down on the document in his hands and faces the crowd once more.


    Kha: ¡°While putting out the forest fire, a big earthquake struck the Son La province, frightening the people of the city and complicating the operation. It is¡­ With great sadness, I have to declare that 37 brave heroes have died during the operation. Any... loss of life is still too much. We should thank the brave people that fought for the safety of everybody. We should also remember the brave heroes who sacrificed their lives to protect everyone.¡±


    The screen switches to the newscaster with the in picture screen.


    James: ¡°That is Chairman Hue Kha. The area affected by the forest fire has been cordoned off by local authorities. The public has been advised to report any damage infrastructure and be wary of flash floods and landslides.¡±


    The newscaster flips through his scripts and the in picture screen displays a picture of a US Destroyer.


    James: ¡°In unrelated news, a US Destroyer is stranded in the coastal waters of Vietnam while conducting a routine patrol route. The Arleigh Burke class USS Mustin was patrolling the waters at the Gulf of Tonking when the ship suffered multiple technical failures, effectively stranding it at the sea. Multiple skilled technicians have been sent to fix the ship but it is uncertain when the destroyer will be operational again.¡±


    The in picture switches images to an infographic explaining the claim disputes over the South China Sea.


    James: ¡°The destroyer Mustin has been stationed near Taiwan¡¯s waters in response to increased tensions between Taiwan and China and China''s bold assertion on laying claim over the South China Sea. The move has been lauded by the Philippine government who has strained ties with china due to china asserted claim of Philippines¡¯s coastal archipelagos and the harassment of Philippine fishermen by Chinese fishing boats.¡±


    The screen transition to the newsdesk with the back screen displaying the news studio logo.


    James: ¡°We will be taking a short break before breaking into the national news. This is James Forrester on the world news on CAB news. Stay tuned.¡±


    __________________________________

 Prologue | Chapter 11 – Salvage and Maintenance

    __________________________________


    The sky overlooking the Vietnamese land is dyed orange. In the Son La province, a giant stretch of land is barren unlike the green forests that surround it. Brown upturned soil. Greyish white rocks and ash. Black soot and charred ground. All of these bathed in a warm orange glow of the sunset. However, in the middle, a massive forest dyed red stands, twisting and churning its vegetation. Against the orange light, its red color now sports a darker crimson, akin to the color of congealed blood.


    -Vroom Vrrrrrr-


    Heading in the direction of the red forest, a truck convoy rumbles and rocks through the barren landscape. The trucks cautiously maneuver through the crumbling earth and rocks. Deep valleys in the earth. Large fractures on bedrock. The trucks leave a dusted trail behind them as they approach the forest. As the sun disappears from the horizon, the sky darkens and the headlights of the trucks now take over in lighting the way. Two agents sit in the first truck of the convoy, their eyes dead set on the monstrous forest ahead. The agent sitting in the passenger seat nudges backwards to speak with the other agent sitting in the back.


    Indiana: ¡°What a horrifying view. It is crazy to think that all of this is Alan. To think I sat next to the man on the flight to Vietnam.¡±


    Johannes: ¡°You have been part of this team for years already. You should have been used to it by now.¡±


    Indiana: ¡°I am. Just not on this¡­ Scale¡­¡±


    Indiana stops his words as he bends forward to shift his look upwards from the windscreen. The truck has pulled to a stop right in front of the red forest. Unseen from the trucks¡¯ headlights, the red wall towers over them. Indiana pulls down the side window, pushes his torso out through it, and poses a megaphone in front of his mouth.


    Indiana: ¡°Alan! Clear a path for the trucks! We need to get to the salvage site!¡±


    -Tsuu Krsssh Rsssh-


    At Indiana¡¯s words, the red wall flinches and twitch. The vines and vegetation twist and turn away from the trucks¡¯ lights. The wall splits away and a big tunnel into the forest is formed in front of them.


    -Vrrroom Vrrrrrr-


    The trucks rev their engines and push into the tunnel. The big trucks barely fit through the tunnel, so the walls of the forest are merely a few feet away from the sides of the trucks.


    -Grekekeke Kssssss Khhh-


    The tunnel walls sprout reptilian heads that snarl and hiss at the trucks as they pass by. Indiana and Johannes ignore the snarls of the reptilian head but the troops in the trucks are cowering in fear. Shortly after, Indiana receives a distress call from the troops in the back.


    Indiana: ¡°This is Agent Strauss.¡±


    Trooper: ¡°Sir, these creatures are getting hostile. Do we retreat or-¡±


    Indiana: ¡°Calm down. Do not engage. This is just a salvage mission.¡±


    Indiana shuts off the receiver and closely watches the hissing walls.


    Indiana: ¡°Alan is pretty big. Or rather, Rosetta¡¯s defenses are¡­¡±


    Johannes: ¡°Well, when the spell went down, it¡¯s much bigger than it is now. Now that the battle is over, Alan is consolidating all that power into a more manageable size.¡±


    Indiana: ¡°It¡¯s not every day we engage Rosetta. Just winning this battle gives us this massive bounty.¡±


    Johannes frowns at Indiana¡¯s statement.


    Johannes: ¡°¡­ We didn¡¯t win the battle.¡±


    Indiana: ¡°¡­ Right Rosetta got away. Our mission now is to salvage what he has dropped in his escape.¡±


    The trucks come out of the tunnel into a clearing. In the complete darkness, nothing can be discerned save for the ground around the trucks. The trucks park to the side and the troops exit the trucks. Indiana and Johannes exit theirs and watch the troops unload the equipment from the trucks. Digging equipment, floodlights, diesel generators, and large military cases. Equipment well fitted for an excavation mission. The flashlights are taken out to illuminate the surroundings. All around the clearing, Alan¡¯s red mass is twisting and twitching. Squinting into the distance Indiana spots a vague silhouette of a ruin.


    Indiana: ¡°Right there! Get those floodlights out!¡±


    Trooper: ¡°Yes, Sir!¡±


    The men drag the floodlights and generators towards the ruin. Laying down the wiring, the floodlights are connected to the generators. The lights burst from the floodlights, bathing the ruins in light.


    Johannes: ¡°It looks much less cluttered now that Alan cleared the area.¡±


    Johannes gestures at the ruins in the middle. There are various stone fragments of what was once a rune circle. Broken pieces of bark that bear rune markings also littered the ground. Indiana picks up one of the pieces and look at the runes closely.


    Indiana: ¡°This looks unsalvageable.¡±


    Johannes: ¡°It¡¯s not our call to judge what is not salvageable.¡±


    Indiana: ¡°Men! Pick everything up! Nothing should be left behind!¡±


    Trooper: ¡°Ye-¡±


    ¡°GROOOOOAAAR!!¡±


    Troopers: ¡°UWAAAAH!¡±


    A loud roar reverberates throughout the area. The men scramble for cover and whip out their guns, scanning the darkness above for the enemy.


    Indiana: ¡°STAND DOWN! STAND DOWN! DO NOT ATTACK! IT¡¯S AN ALLY!¡±


    Indiana jumps in front of the men and waves his arms at them angrily. Heeding the orders from their commander, the men slowly put away their weapons. Sensing that the momentary crisis is over. Indiana throws a dirty look above.


    -Fwoom Thrsssh-


    Four giant claws dig deep into the ground as the large creature sends its momentum into the ground. Its giant body made of twisting red vines. Wings that covers the entire clearing. The dragon twists its neck to face its terrifying head at the cowering men.


    Indiana: ¡°I¡¯d rather you stop provoking my men!¡±


    Alan: ¡°Don¡¯t blame me over the incompetence of your men.¡±


    Johannes: ¡°Alan, stop it. You were snarling and hissing at them on the way here. You are supposed to consolidate at this power. The pace that I am seeing is too slow for you. We need to hurry in securing these ruins for analysis.¡±


    Alan: ¡°Hahaha...¡±


    -Nsss Ssss-


    Hearing the rustling at their feet, Indiana and Johannes shoots a look at their feet. Slithering on the ground towards them is a red snake. It approaches it raises its head at both of them and speaks in a low voice.


    Alan: *I don¡¯t think these ruins are that important at the moment. Rather, I''ve got something important to share with you. In private.*


    Johannes and Indiana look at each other. They also feel the intense stares of the troops watching intently from their defense positions. Indiana leaves the conversation and faces the men.


    Indiana: ¡°Alright! Back to work! No more fooling around!¡±


    Indiana barks his orders at the troops to begin transporting the ruin fragments into the containers. The men warily leave their defense positions and begin working in moving the rubble. Indiana gestures at the other men with cameras and recording equipment on standby and they immediately get to work making records. When Johannes is satisfied with everyone out of earshot, he faces Alan''s snake form.


    Johannes: *So what is it that can only be shared between us agents? What have you found?*


    -Kss Kss Kss-


    Alan hisses in excitement.


    Alan: *When that missile struck Rosetta, it struck him hard. Hard enough to knock some of him off.*


    At those words, Johannes face light up in surprise. Struggling to keep his voice down, he confirms again.


    Johannes: *W-wait... You don''t mean...*


    Alan: *After the missile struck, this dragon did not try to take you down immediately. In fact, it wasn''t after a long while that it starts to join in the battle.*


    The snake turns its head towards the dragon. The dragon turns and brings its head in front of Johannes.


    Alan: *This fucker has been busy gathering them for safekeeping. I''ll bring some of them out.*


    -Krosh Rsssh-


    The dragon rattles its throat for a bit and the items in question roll out onto the dragon''s giant maw. Johannes eyes shine with glee and his face broke into a restrained smile as he beholds the items before him. This treasure. He must get it to Agent Gibson as soon as possible.


    Johannes: *That''s right¡­ Indiana needs to see this.*


    Remembering his partner¡¯s contribution to the mission, Johannes fumbles through his gear to find his radio. Feeling euphoric at the sudden revelation, he briefly forgets his gear setup. Grasping the radio with his trembling fingers, he contacts Indiana.


    Johannes: ¡°Indiana, are you done seeing over the operation?¡±Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    Indiana: ¡°Not yet. But they should be fine without me after a bit.¡±


    Johannes: ¡°Well, hurry up. It''s urgent.¡±


    As soon as Johannes hangs up, he quickly steps closer to the dragon''s maw.


    Johannes: ¡°There''s six here. How many are they in total?¡±


    Alan: ¡°I haven''t counted them myself, but I can feel up to 30 in the gut.¡±


    Johannes is taken aback for a moment. He then touches and fumbles the items around. This feeling that the items give off is nostalgic to him.


    Johannes: [It feels exactly as I remembered it. And also¡­] *Thirty...* ¡°Hehehe... Hahahahaha!¡±


    Alan: ¡°Grrohohoho!¡±


    Unable to contain his excitement, Johannes breaks into a laugh. The dragon follows suit and begins laughing on its own.


    Indiana: ¡°Hey, calm down! You are making a scene!¡±


    The festive atmosphere cools down a little when Indiana jogs over to join the conversation. Johannes walks over to him, pats him on his back and wraps his arm around his shoulders.


    Johannes: ¡°We did it! Rosetta may be on the loose but this mission is still a resounding success! It''s all thanks to you that we got the strike on Rosetta!¡±


    Johannes rocks Indiana back and forth.


    Indiana: ¡°Whoa, hey! Keep it down! What is going on?¡±


    Johannes: *Here.*


    Johannes walks over to the dragon''s mouth, grabs one of the items and tosses it into Indiana''s open hands. Indiana feels a pressure from his hands, as if the air is pushing against his palm. Indiana''s eyes light up from the item''s dim glow.


    Indiana: *This is...*


    Floating on the top on his hands is a ball pitch black in color. In fact, it is so black that its shape is indiscernible. Dancing on the ball''s surface are various runes colored grey and giving off a weak glow. In Indiana''s eyes, it looks like a pitch black screen with greyish runes moving over it.


    Johannes: ¡°This is the biggest bounty since the organization¡¯s founding.¡±


    Johannes puts on a wide grin.


    Johannes: ¡°Contact Agent Gibson. We''ve hit the jackpot.¡±


    __________________________________


    A woman stands before the gates to an impressive medical institute. Sporting various specialized buildings and hospitals, it is one of the top medical institutions in Tokyo. Carrying a big, heavy backpack, she easily stands out from the crowd. Catching the passing gazes of the people around her, she casts a disgruntled sigh, slips on black work gloves, and marches towards the hospital building.


    Patient: *Uoh! What a strange person!*


    Child: ¡°Daddy, that person has dark skin¡±


    Father: *Kouta, don¡¯t point.*


    Nurse (1): *Hey, who is that person?*


    Nurse (2): *Shh. Don¡¯t talk about her.*


    The hospitals staff and civilians begin to watch and whisper among themselves. With her appearance of a dark skinned foreigner with a big backpack slung across her shoulders, she is an unusual sight to the everyday civilian. She has tried to go out of her way to avoid the crowd, but it has made her more conspicuous than before.


    Nila: [I hate this. I hate this so much. How am I supposed to lay low like this?]


    **********************************


    Hours after Nila¡¯s arrival in Tokyo


    **********************************


    Nila is at a transport terminal standing in front of an open locker in the storage locker area. Her head is tilted forwards into the open locker and passersby look curiously at the woman talking with her head in a locker. From Nila¡¯s perspective, she is facing a lone machine with a speaker emitting Anne¡¯s voice.


    Anne: ¡°I need you to infiltrate this place.¡±


    Nila: ¡°This is¡­ A medical research facility? Didn¡¯t you have one of those machines that gather all sorts of information?¡±


    Anne: ¡°I¡¯ve encountered some rough technical pitfalls, so they are offline. Don¡¯t worry about the data of the newborn babies, the machines will gather them again once they start back up. I just need you there to look for anything I¡¯ve missed.¡±


    Nila: ¡°How long do I have to be in there?¡±


    Anne: ¡°A short in and out. You¡¯ll be making a delivery for cover. Make sure to say that it¡¯s for Hideo Mashima.¡±


    Nila: ¡°Parcel? Hideo Mashima¡­ So he¡¯s a real person?¡±


    Anne: ¡°Yeah. Be sure to get a signature. It¡¯s for appearance¡¯s sake so just toss it afterwards. I¡¯ll make a call to the facility using voice fabrication.¡±


    Nila looks around the locker and sees a parcel with a clipboard on the upper half of the locker. A closer look at the clipboard shows that there are many delivery receipts complete with delivery addresses clipped on to it.


    Nila: [To create things with this amount of detail¡­ Even the receipts are worn and folded in the corners.]


    Nila picks up the parcel and feel about its weight.


    Nila: [This is about 7 kilos¡­] ¡°Center, what¡¯s inside?¡±


    Anne: ¡°A BDSM starter kit. I had to create it according the online store¡¯s catalog.¡±


    Nila: ¡°Gh!¡±


    Hearing Anne¡¯s response, Nila holds the parcel at arms¡¯ length.


    Nila: ¡°Why did you choose such a person?!¡±


    Anne: ¡°Now, calm down. It¡¯s clean. And he¡¯s the only one who can get you in without fuss.¡±


    Nila: ¡°Kh¡­¡±


    Nila thought of crushing the parcel with her hands but she decides against it.


    Anne: ¡°Hey, Nila¡­¡±


    Anne: ¡°I really appreciate your help. Thank you.¡±


    Nila: ¡°¡­ It¡¯s fine¡­¡±


    **********************************


    Nila: [It¡¯s definitely not fine!]


    When she reached the corridor connecting the hospital wings to the medical research facility, a nurse immediately stops her. Nila glances at her name tag that reads ¡®SAGARI¡¯ before looking at the nurse nervously stepping in front of her.


    Sagari: ¡°He-¡­ Hello¡­ Miss¡­ Me-ii¡­ Aye¡­¡±


    The nurse nervously pieces together English words before Nila raises her hand to stop her.


    Nila: ¡°I can speak Japanese.¡±


    Those words brought some relief to the nurse and she continues her question in Japanese.


    Sagari: ¡°Excuse me. May I know your purpose of coming here?¡±


    Nila: ¡°¡­ I¡¯m here to deliver a parcel.¡±


    Sagari: ¡°The institution has a postal office on the first floor Building B. Please leave the parcel there.¡±


    Nila: ¡°I have to deliver the parcel directly.¡±


    Sagari bows her head.


    Sagari: ¡°I¡¯m very sorry. You are not allowed to go into this area. Please drop it off at the post office.¡±


    Nila: ¡°It¡¯s for Hideo Mashi- Sorry. Mashima Hideo-san.¡±


    Sagari¡¯s face twitches for a moment. The nurses within earshot start to whisper among themselves.


    Nurse (3): *Hey, Hey. She meant that admin staff Mashima-san, right?*


    Nurse (4): *It¡¯s very likely. It makes sense why he wants it delivered directly.*


    Nurse (5): *Eh? What is in the parcel?*


    Nurse (4): *It¡¯s better you don¡¯t ask¡­*


    Hearing the nurses whisper, it is simple to understand Hideo Mashima¡¯s reputation among the nurses. Sighing internally, Nila continues at takes the parcel out from her backpack and shows the parcel to the nurse. The nurse catches a glimpse of the parcel¡¯s details and starts to panic.


    Nila: [She knows it¡¯s some perverted stuff.] ¡°Mashima-san wishes to have this parcel delivered directly to his office. I request your permission to let me pass.¡±


    Sagari: ¡°Eh? Ah¡­ Awawawawa¡­ ¡°


    Nurse (6): ¡°Sagari-chan.¡±


    Sagari: ¡°Y-Yes?!¡±


    The nurse from the counter gestures her to come over.


    Sagari: ¡°Please excuse me for a moment.¡±


    Sagari approaches the nurse and she hands her a visitor¡¯s pass.


    Nurse (6): *Pass this to the woman and let her through.*


    Sagari: *B-But, Leader¡­*


    Nurse (6): *I got a call from Mashima-san earlier. Just let her through. Nobody wants to sit through any of his rants.*


    The nurse shoos Sagari towards Nila. Sagari nervously passes the visitor¡¯s pass to Nila.


    Sagari: ¡°Mashima-san will not be here until evening. You can leave the parcel at his office on the 3<sup>rd</sup> floor, office number 4.¡±


    Nila: ¡°Okay. Thank you for your help. I¡¯m sorry for the inconvenience.¡±


    Sagari: ¡°N-No. It¡¯s fine¡­¡±


    Nila waves at the bowing Sagari before walking quickly into the elevator. Once in the elevator, she quickly presses the 3<sup>rd</sup> floor button and fumbles in her pocket. When the doors close, she thinks of her next actions for her mission.


    Nila: [Just in and out? So do I just look around the offices?]


    The elevator opens to the third floor and Nila exits the elevator looking around for the room to drop the parcel in.


    Man: ¡°May I know why you are here?¡±


    A man dressed in a professor¡¯s coat standing near her suddenly asks. He is alarmed at the strange woman emerging from the elevator. Behind him is a middle-aged woman in office attire. Nila presents her visitor¡¯s pass to the man.


    Nila: ¡°I¡¯m sent here to deliver a parcel to Mashima Hideo-san. May I know where his office is?¡±


    The man casts a doubtful gaze. Agitated, Nila shoves the parcel close to his face.


    Nila: ¡°Mashima-san expects this parcel.¡±


    Man: ¡°Paramilitary cospl- Okay! Okay! Mashima-san¡¯s office is to the right, third office.¡±


    The man uncomfortably pushes the parcel back. Nila then turns in a huff to the direction the man pointed. The man sighs and both him and the woman continue their way in the same direction Nila is walking.


    Woman: ¡°Umm¡­ Dr. Kimura¡­ About the test results.¡±


    Kimura: ¡°Ah yes! We should discuss this in private. Could we wait a bit until we reach the office?¡±


    Woman: ¡°Yes. I understand.¡±


    Nila: [I¡¯m being a bother, huh?]


    The man opens the door to his office and invited the woman in. Nila continues walking and stops in front of Mashima¡¯s office two rooms away. The office is empty and the door is electronically locked by keycard access.


    Nila: [Do I just drop it here and look around the offices?]


    As Nila drops the parcel next to the door and walks down the row of offices.


    *Tick*


    Nila: ¡°Hm?¡±


    Nila stops in her tracks and looks around the area. Her hand brushes the side of her neck, revealing a black choker.


    Nila: [Did it tick? So, the other way?]


    Confused, she brushes the red string off her neck and continues in her new direction. As she walks by Kimura¡¯s office, she overhears him talking.


    Kimura: ¡°It seems the results are promising. Congratulations, you¡¯re pregnant.¡±


    Nila: [Pregnant?]


    Hearing a word that pertains to her mission, Nila keeps walking past the office. She finds the nearest sofa bench to sit on and packs mana into her ears to enhance her hearing.


    Woman: ¡°Y-yes. Thank you¡­ Very much¡­¡±


    Kimura: ¡°Jiang-san, you shouldn¡¯t be so nervous. Even if this DNA treatment is still in its testing stages, we have thoroughly tested the hormone therapy. You being pregnant is proof that the DNA treatment is a success. All that is left is the hormone therapy. This is as you can say a victory lap.¡±


    Jiang: ¡°Haa¡­ Okay¡­¡±


    The woman¡¯s voice is breaking. Nila can imagine the woman trembling in joy.


    Kimura: ¡°Here¡¯s the tissue.¡±


    Jiang: ¡°Yes¡­ Thank you.¡±


    Kimura: ¡°Now¡­ I understand that you will be returning to your home in Aomori prefecture?¡±


    Jiang: ¡°Y-yes. In Hirosaki city.¡±


    Kimura: ¡°Jiang-san, I want to assure you that there is nothing to worry about. You are free to return to your home. We have alumnis working in the city who will be willing to carry out the hormone therapy for you. What we need is to follow your daily diet and stay away from strenuous exercises.¡±


    Jiang: ¡°Yes¡­ Thank you very much.¡±


    Kimura: ¡°The pleasure is all mine. Thank you for participating in this program. In nine months, you will have your child. Now, let¡¯s go to the pharmacy to get your dietary supplements for your trip.¡±


    -Tick-


    Nila: [Right. Got to get out of sight.]


    Nila jumps on her feet and walks around the office floor. Circling the whole floor, she comes across Kimura¡¯s office again.


    Nila: [A treatment program assisting women to conceive a child? Is this what Anne means by something she missed?]


    Nila puts her hand into her backpack and pulls out the phone and the encryption device. She taps a few commands into the phone and flashes it across the keycard access.


    -Kachak-


    The electronic lock disengages and Nila quietly enters Kimura¡¯s office. She detaches the encryption device from her phone and connects it to Kimura¡¯s office computer.


    Nila: *Alright. Let¡¯s see what these program is about. *


    Nila searches through the computer files and servers. She brushes off a red string on the screen and clicks on the icon under it.


    Nila: *DNA repair treatments on the women with extensive hormone therapies. Wow¡­ The volunteer list is¡­*


    She scrolls through lists. Hundreds of volunteers with links to their data all listed on these files. Glancing at each of the names, she ponders on her next action to take.


    Nila: [Even if we come across the babies born from this program eventually, if we get the genetic data from the mothers, Anne can find out if any of them will give birth to the fated girl. It¡¯s better to know now than months down the line.]


    She takes out a storage disk, plugs it into the computer and made copies of the files. Copying a massive amount of data, the computer displays the time needed to complete the process.


    Nila: [Half an hour¡­ Optimize the computer for this one task.]


    She tweaks the encryption device and the computer flickers off. The hum of the CPU turns louder as the machine¡¯s processing power is focused on the task of copying the data. Nila slips her hand in the collar of her coat and caresses the choker on the side of her neck. Sewn on the choker and positioned on the side of her neck is a small ornate clock. Carefully running her fingers across the clock¡¯s face, she breathes out a small prayer.


    Nila: *Please don¡¯t make it hard for me¡­*


    After a few minutes, the computer screen flickers on. Nila pulls of the storage disk and the encryption device and stuffs them into her backpack. She checks the surroundings before exiting the office and breathing a sigh of relief.


    Nila: [This is it then¡­ I¡¯ll upload the data to Anne later. For now, I need to get out of here.]


    Not taking the elevator this time, she exits the floor through the fire escape. After coming to the corridor entrance where she entered from, she approaches the nurse Sagari standing next to the desk and returns her visitor¡¯s pass.


    Sagari: ¡°Welcome back. You took quite a long time.¡±


    Nila: ¡°I got lost and then got questioned by the floor staff.¡±


    Sagari: ¡°W-Well, we usually do not allow exceptions like this.¡±


    Nila: ¡°Yes, thank you for letting me through. Now, there is the matter of the receiver¡¯s signature. Can you sign it?¡± [Even though it¡¯s just an act.]


    Nila holds out a crumpled clipboard in front of the nurse. Sagari¡¯s smile twitches for a moment.


    Sagari: ¡°E-Eh?¡±


    __________________________________


    Anne watches the security feed of the facility. Her face shows a somber mood. Nila is currently urging the nurse to sign the documents.


    Anne: ¡°Hey, is this enough, Akari?¡±


    She pulls out the data feed from the malfunctioning equipment. Or rather, previously malfunctioning equipment. The feedback shows that the machines are running smoothly and whatever influence that has affected them has now disappeared. Seeing the well-tuned performance of the machine, Anne unconsciously places her hand in her pocket.


    Anne: ¡°Akari?¡±


    Anne searches her pocket once more. She frantically checks her other pockets. Empty.


    __________________________________

 Prologue | Chapter 12 – Breakthrough

    __________________________________


    It has been well over a day before Anne receives the data cache from Nila. With the data cache finally in her hands, Anne opens it in anticipation but is promptly disappointed.


    Anne: ¡°This is it? This fertility program?¡±


    Anne scans through the data files once more. She screens through data cache and pulls out the information she needs at this time. The list of participants in the program. Putting all of the names in view on a large window, Anne stares at it looking puzzled.


    Anne: ¡°778 participants total, 104 drop outs. That¡¯s it? Akari, is this it?¡±


    She waved her finger across and small windows displaying personal information of the each of the participants begin popping out.


    Anne: [Akari, why did you draw me to this? I¡¯ve would have come across this eventually anyway.]


    The lights around Anne flickers off. The air around her becomes full of energy. Once more, Anne devote most of the energy resources and focuses them on the data cache. The windows glow blindingly bright as the energy surges through the data cache. The air starts to shake violently. She closes her eyes tight and put more focus on her other senses. As if searching for something.


    Anne: ¡°Damn.¡±


    Almost immediately after it started, the energy dissipated and the windows returned to normal. Anne scans through the data once more before showing a downcast, disappointed face.


    Anne: [You¡¯re not here. Even though I just found you¡­]


    Struck by a wave of despair, Anne¡¯s eyes glazed over and her mind is driven to a memory of her best friend.


    **********************************


    Akari: ¡°Cheater!¡±


    Anne: ¡°What?! After I go out of my way to play this stupid board game with you?!¡±


    Annes retorts at her best friend from across the room. Her brown wavy hair that reaches past her shoulders is hidden by a red scarf loosely wrapped around her neck. The rest of her is hidden in a cardboard box with ¡®Think Tank¡¯ scribbled haphazardly on its side. Her head pokes out from under the covers to leer at Anne.


    Akari: ¡°It¡¯s not stupid! This is battleship! My rule of changing the ships¡¯ position every 3 turns makes it more realistic! A game fit for the wits of generals!¡±


    Anne: ¡°A general should not call another a cheat! Accept responsibility!¡±


    Akari: ¡°Gwah!¡±


    Akari retreats back into the cardboard box. The cardboard box rustles and shakes for a bit before her heads pokes out from the box again.


    Akari: ¡°How vexing¡­ How did you manage to sink my ships with a few shots without missing?¡±


    Anne: ¡°You¡¯re easy to read.¡±


    Akari: ¡°Muu¡­ You¡¯re making fun of me.¡±


    Anne: ¡°I¡¯m not. I have been watching you all this time. Since you¡¯re unpredictable.¡±


    Akari cast a doubtful gaze while tilting her head.


    Akari: ¡°Eh?~ Even though you¡¯re winning the game.¡±


    Anne: ¡°It¡¯s your fault for locking yourself down with the rules of this game. When you are free, you become¡­ Whimsical.¡±


    Akari: ¡°Fuumm¡­¡±


    Akari ponders on Anne¡¯s words and her face lights up with determination.


    Akari: ¡°Then I¡¯ll be just as I am. Huhuhu~ Be prepared. I can get pretty mysterious.¡±


    Anne: ¡°Fine by me. Have you rearranged your ships? I mean ship?¡±


    Akari: ¡°Grr¡­ You¡¯re mean. I¡¯ll sink your ship soon enough.¡±


    Anne: ¡°Okay, good luck. I¡¯ve arranged all my ships on one side for you. I¡¯m rooting for you.¡±


    Akari: ¡°Wha- Eeeh?~¡±


    Anne: ¡°Don¡¯t hit the other three sides I¡¯m not on, okay?¡±


    Akari: ¡°Uuuu¡­¡±


    **********************************


    Anne: ¡°Hehe¡­ Ah.¡±


    Anne laughs softly before she realizes that her mind had wandered. Immediately after that, a feeling of shame washes over her.


    Anne: [So childish. I can¡¯t stay like this.]


    The lights around Anne flickers on once more and return to their original path. Anne pinches herself and look at the list once more. Glancing at each of the names she brings up the corresponding genetic data from the data cache.


    Anne: [Hmm¡­ Most of the genetic data is sequenced properly. Should I run them through the simulation?]


    She pulls all the genetic data along with their identities and puts them through the virtual simulation process. She then shifts the windows to her side and browses through her older databases.


    Anne: [I have to look for the results on the experiment I did on hereditary mana. I don¡¯t think my own genetic data or Helen¡¯s will work. I might have to start from-]


    -WEEEEEOOOOEEE-


    Anne: ¡°WAH!¡±


    Anne jolts in shock as a loud alarm sounds throughout her space. Anne looks around in confusion.


    Anne: [Enemy attack? When did I-] ¡°Ah!¡±


    Anne flicks up a program window with her finger. The program is old, with a dated task window. This program is something that she made many years ago. Something so simple and insignificant that she never bothered to update it. Anne turns the program off and the loud alarm is silenced.


    Anne: ¡°Haa¡­ Haa¡­¡±


    Anne stares wide eyed at the program in front of her. It is a program that she has created on a whim. An alarm system that triggers on one thing. On the program window, the text flashes red and blue.


    [VIP User Found.]


    Anne is dazed. Breathing heavily, she slowly turns around to look at the cluster of windows at the side. The virtual simulation has yet to complete its task of processing hundreds of individual mothers to be. When her train of thought finally catches up to her, Anne¡¯s dumbfounded look turns into a joyous one.


    Anne: ¡°Akari! You little schemer, you! You found her!¡±


    She lunges forward at the program window and pulls out the comparison results. From the many mana signatures that were compared, the first one showed the first positive results ever since the search started.


    Anne: ¡°The first one?! Oh, bless you Akari! You¡¯ve really help so much¡­¡±


    She pulls out the personal information of the woman from the data cache.


    Anne: ¡°Ho~ She is pretty enthusiastic in the program. She has one of the most DNA checks in the program. No wonder her genetic data is first on the list. To think Rosetta will take the child away from her¡­ Don¡¯t worry; I¡¯m on your side on this front!¡±


    She scrolls through the data file while humming a happy tune. She then retrieves the mana signature results and takes a closer look at it.


    Anne: ¡°Hm~ Hm~¡± [I can do the hereditary test with this. But is there really a need-] ¡°Hm?¡±


    Her eyes widens again as she read through the data.


    Anne: ¡°Oh no. Nonononono!¡±


    She sits upright and runs the simulation again with different parameters.


    Anne: [This can¡¯t be happening. This can¡¯t be happening!]


    __________________________________


    It is midday but the sky is darkened by rain clouds. Light rain peppers the runways of an airbase.


    -Kiiiiiiuuuuu Screeeee-


    The sound of jet engines and tires screeching on the tarmac alerts the hangar crew who were on standby. Donning bright orange jackets and bracing the cold air and the light rain, they get on the hangar equipment to move into position for the plane which is taxiing on the runway. The plane slowly parks following the aircraft marshal¡¯s signals and pull to a stop. The door at the rear end of the plane descends and forms a ramp. Inside the cargo compartment are five large military cases along with thirty armed personnel.


    -Whirrrr-


    As the hangar crew drives in with a forklift, one of the personnel marching off the plane abandons the group and jumps onto a puddle. He stomps on the puddle some more and throws his arms up in the air.


    Alan: ¡°AMERICAAA! I am back and it feels GREAT!¡±This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Alan Moralles takes a deep breath and stretches his body. Heavy footstep approaches Alan from behind.


    Woman: ¡°Welcome back and congrats on the big haul.¡±


    Alan turns around and sees a dark skinned Indian woman towering over him. At seven feet tall, she is a very tall woman. Her size is massive as well with her body size stretching over four feet across. Her big hands and feet are dwarfed by the sheer girth of her limbs. Her neck is hidden under a second chin of fat and her black hair is braided into a bun. She wears black clothes made with stretchable fabric that peeks from under armor panels that covers her front, back and limbs.


    Alan: ¡°Tammy Schuti. Ho. Ly. Shit. You packed the whole armory in you.¡±


    Alan taps Tammy¡¯s front armor panel gleefully. Tammy laughs and smiles widely.


    Tammy: ¡°Haha! Yup! I have to guard this big haul until it reaches HQ.¡±


    Alan: ¡°No shit. There is a whole army behind you.¡±


    Alan side steps to see the black armored trucks ready to transport the military cases and military convoys on guard nearby. Alan turns back to look at Tammy before whispering a question.


    Alan: *So, how much rocket fuel are you packing in your gut?*


    Tammy: *Roughly a hundred pounds.*


    Alan: ¡°Impressive. Hey, Indiana! Tammy is here.¡±


    Indiana shoots a glance at Alan and Tammy before putting on a raincoat handed to him by the hangar crew. He then jogs over to group looking sullen and tired.


    Tammy: ¡°You look under the weather.¡±


    Indiana: ¡°Yea¡­ I need some rest. I did not sleep a wink since those things are packed in those cases. I can¡¯t wait to crash in HQ¡­¡±


    Tammy: ¡°Where¡¯s Johannes?¡±


    Alan: ¡°He¡¯s dead tired and passed out. If I¡¯m not wrong, out of mana? He used all of it during the battle in Vietnam.¡±


    Indiana: ¡°Well, there he is. He just woke up.¡±


    Indiana points at Johannes who is hunched over and dragging his feet over to the trucks.


    Tammy: ¡°Johannes! Congrats on your good work.¡±


    Johannes heard Tammy¡¯s words and weakly nods. Alan the chimes in.


    Alan: ¡°Hey! Are you going to hug a missile while you sleep?!¡±


    Johannes stops for a moment and raises his middle finger in Alan¡¯s direction before climbing into the truck¡¯s passenger seat.


    Tammy: ¡°You sure haven¡¯t lost your energy, Alan. Compared to your team.¡±


    Indiana: ¡°That¡¯s because he is wallowing in his food the whole time we are working. Where¡¯s the rest of your team?¡±


    Tammy points at the military convoy behind her.


    Tammy: ¡°Ron and Tabby are in there. And it¡¯s not only us. Gibson sent out Clementine. She is sweeping the area as we speak.¡±


    Indiana and Alan raise their eyebrows in surprise. To have Clementine Greeves roaming around to guard the cases, Agent Gibson will not spare any chance in losing those cases. Alan cracks an excited smile.


    Alan: ¡°That¡­ That robot junkie?¡±


    Indiana: ¡°I was wondering who will have the balls to go up against Tammy and Gibson have to throw in Greeves? Good God¡­¡±


    Tammy: ¡°Hahahaha! Oh?¡±


    Tammy receives a transmission from her ear piece. She tips the full helmet attached on her back over her head and locks it in place.


    Tammy: ¡°The cases are loaded into the trucks. We¡¯re ready to leave. Let¡¯s get going. My truck will lead.¡±


    Tammy turns around and heads over to the last empty truck. Alan jogs to her side and keeps up with her wide strides. Indiana follows suit at a slow and tired pace.


    Alan: ¡°I¡¯ll help you guard those cases.¡±


    Tammy: ¡°No problem with more security. Just don¡¯t sweep allies up in your magic.¡±


    Alan: ¡°Oh, sure, sure. More importantly, you still have that fire stick?¡±


    Tammy: ¡°I always have it. It¡¯s on my back. Packed and loaded.¡±


    Tammy points at a two handed sword slung on her back. Despite its size, the sword looks ill-fitting for her broad back.


    Alan: ¡°Listen, when we reach HQ. How about letting that thing loose?¡±


    Tammy: ¡°Hah! Hahaha! A duel? Sorry, but I don¡¯t want to get eaten.¡±


    Tammy arrives to the back of the truck and hops on. The truck sinks to the sudden weight before recovering. Alan walks up to the truck to continue his conversation.


    Alan: ¡°Don¡¯t have be a duel. If this trip is quiet, let¡¯s fire that thing off in a field.¡±


    Tammy smiles widely before letting out another guffaw.


    Tammy: ¡°Hahaha! We¡¯ll see.¡±


    The rear doors of the truck shuts and Alan climbs into the passenger seat as all the trucks rev their engines and leave the hangar.


    __________________________________


    The trucks have been driving for many hours already. The rainy midday has turned into the cold and dark night. The scenery has also changed. The grass fields that surround the airbase have turned into a mountainous region, the vehicles easily obscured by trees.


    The trucks pull to a stop in front of a fenced area. Deeper into the area is a concrete tunnel built into the mountain and guardhouses set up next to it. Soldier guards emerge from the guardhouses and approach the truck. After a brief talk with the truck¡¯s occupants, the guards rush to open the fence gate. The trucks drive into the tunnel which leads down under the mountain.


    -Vrrroooooo-


    The tunnel opens up to a vehicle warehouse in an underground base. The trucks pull over to the side in line and the passengers exits the vehicle. Alan exits his truck and stretches his body. The truck jolts as Tammy drops from the rear.


    Alan: ¡°No one¡­ All the way.¡±


    Tammy: ¡°Yeah¡­ The route is completely secure. I can¡¯t wait to deploy out of the states. Maybe join the national cause?¡±


    Alan: ¡°Not sure if Gibson would like it. I myself have been banned from any human conflicts.¡±


    Tammy: ¡°Hah! Haha! Well, your magic is pretty tenacious.¡±


    Alan: ¡°It¡¯s not my magic that¡¯s tenacious, it¡¯s me.¡±


    Alan looks at the people unloading the cases.


    Alan: ¡°I¡¯m going to check on Indiana and Johannes. See you in a bit when you light that firestick.¡±


    Tammy: ¡°Alright.¡±


    Alan jogs over Indiana and Johannes who are keeping a close eye on the military cases.


    Indiana: ¡°Hello, Alan. Have you finished your report?¡±


    Alan: ¡°Yea. Is Johannes rested?¡±


    Johannes: ¡°No. I tired and starving. Mana depletion is crippling.¡±


    Indiana: ¡°Well, everyone put on a tough front. Gibson is coming.¡±


    Everyone straighten up as one of the founders of the organization enters the vehicle warehouse. Jeroth Gibson. A man in his mid-forties with his dark brown hair greying at the sides. He has a stern looking face and his eyes are worn with wisdom and experience. As he calmly walks over to them, the everyone feels the atmosphere becoming tense.


    Jeroth: ¡°At ease.¡±


    He approaches the military cases and the armed men unlock the cases and pull them open. Floating in two rows of six on top of the case padding are the black spheres that were found in Vietnam. The man bends over for a closer look. The ghostly runes that shimmer on the spheres¡¯ surface is reflected in his eyes.


    Johannes: ¡°We¡¯ve recovered a total of 157, sir.¡±


    Jeroth: ¡°Did you make sure not to miss any?¡±


    Jeroth straightens up and looks at the three agents. Johannes steps up and passes him a report.


    Johannes: ¡°Yes, sir. We¡¯ve found 78 of them and excavated the rest. This is all of them.¡±


    Jeroth scans through the document, carefully flipping through the pages.


    Jeroth: ¡°I understand that Alan Moralles have successfully assimilated a creature made by Rosetta?¡±


    Alan: ¡°Yes, sir. I¡¯ve consolidated all the energy from the enemy into an egg. Since its size is too massive for transport, another agent was sent to manage-¡°


    Man: ¡°Damn straight. It is too massive.¡±


    Everyone except Jeroth turn to the direction of the angry voice. A black man in a suit has entered and is walking towards them. He is in the mid-forties and sports a military crew cut and a moustache. He had a disapproving look as he stands beside Jeroth. He is the other founder of the organization, Devon Lance.


    Devon: ¡°Over two hundred tons. A giant egg four stories high. Too massive to take back to American soil without having the Vietnamese declaring war on us!¡±


    Alan, realizing his mistake casts his gaze downwards and stays silent.


    Devon: ¡°I have already received the report from Miss Ginn. It may be a small drop compared to these black balls but that small drop registered energy levels of double the energy output of uranium of the same mass! The Vietnamese are drooling over that thing! Had you put them in smaller sizes, we would not be in negotiation talks with the Vietnamese! What do you have to say for yourself?!¡±


    Alan: ¡°¡­I apologize for my mistake¡­ Should I return to Vietnam and fix the situation?¡±


    Devon: ¡°No need. They are not letting anyone near that thing. If any good news can be gleaned from this, I¡¯d say it distracted them from a bigger prize right here.¡±


    Devon places his hand on top of the foam padding holding the black spheres. Jeroth, who has finished reading the reports approaches Devon and pats him on the back.


    Jeroth: ¡°Thank you, Director Lance. I appreciate you being lenient over the mistakes of my men.¡±


    Devon: ¡°They are your men, Gibson. Any action taken on them are your responsibility. I¡¯ll handle the negotiations with the Vietnamese. You continue the hunt.¡±


    Jeroth: ¡°Thank you, Director Lance.¡±


    Devon turns away to leave to his awaiting staff waiting at the exit. Jeroth closes the reports and stands before Johannes, Alan and Indiana.


    Jeroth: ¡°Moralles, Scarl, Strauss. Well done. The mission is a failure but I am happy with the result.¡±


    Johannes, Alan and Indiana: ¡°Thank you, sir!¡±


    Jeroth: ¡°And Agent Strauss, I read that you have played a crucial roles in locating Rosetta¡¯s position?¡±


    Indiana: ¡°Yes, sir. I¡¯ve narrowed them down to two possible targets. It is unfortunate that the confrontation only resulted in one successful hit on Rosetta.¡±


    Jeroth: ¡°I¡¯d say you¡¯re pretty lucky. Rosetta is usually no this bold in looking for these ¡®chosen ones¡¯. It means that this one is very important. Important enough that we should pay attention. You¡¯ve perform exceptionally to take advantage of that.¡±


    Indiana: ¡°¡­Thank you, sir.¡±


    Jeroth turns around and walks over to the open cases.


    Jeroth: ¡°The situation has escalated due to that magician¡¯s actions. From now on, more conflicts with Rosetta and his allies will be imminent and for that, we need to bolster our forces.¡±


    Jeroth picks up one of the black spheres and holds it up for a closer look.


    Jeroth: ¡°Strauss, I am giving you access to your own magic. You will receive consultation on how to handle these spheres and create your own magic.¡±


    He looks at the shocked face of Indiana and holds up his hand with the black sphere floating on his palm.


    Jeroth: ¡°Congratulations, Agent Strauss. Be sure to think hard on what magic you wish to create with this.¡±


    __________________________________


    The sun is seting over the horizon and the day is just about to end for the Shaanxi province of China. Deep within the forests far from any trace of human civilization a small rumble can be heard.


    -Grurururu-


    The ground swells and tears apart into a gaping hole. Then a black figure begins to crawl out of the hole. Or rather slide out of the hole. The entire figure is black. Extremely black. With no discernable volume and its constantly changing shape, it looks like a 2 dimensional black shape against the forest background. The figure keels over, its entire mass floating slightly above the ground. Its identity is finally revealed when Rosetta¡¯s shattered mask emerges from within. The broken mask hangs off, revealing bleached and cracked bone underneath.


    Rosetta: ¡°No¡­¡±


    Black limbs form and cover the ram¡¯s skull, as if cowering from shame.


    Rosetta: ¡°NOOOOOOOOO!!!¡±


    His cry is ear splittingly loud. The surrounding forest shakes from the shockwave and the frightened cries of animals and birds echoes through the forest. The sun has already disappeared into the horizon and its rays could no longer reach the forest. Rosetta shakes and cowers as the darkness of night envelops him.


    Rosetta: [I¡¯m sorry¡­ I¡¯m so sorry¡­ I failed.]


    Rosetta reflects over his actions back in Vietnam. His hopeful gaze at the glass ball before the immediate terror as the missile tears through into his vicinity before exploding. His only option was too dive into the ground before another strike happens. Tunneling deeper and deeper without looking back.


    Rosetta: ¡°Grk¡­ Kh!¡±


    The glass ball. The one that contained that lock of hair. The countless runes that is carved into stone and wood. His worst fears has come true. His worst enemy now has a leg on the race to find the fated girl.


    Rosetta: [Okay¡­ I have no choice. This is¡­ China¡­ All your plants, earth and water¡­ I¡¯m going to claim it from you.]


    -Kzzt Bzzt Kzzzz-


    Rosetta¡¯s black figure remains motionless for a moment. Then something large emerges from inside him and drops on the ground with a loud crash. The small sparks from inside it give enough light to discern that it is the large aluminum case that Rosetta frequently carries. Except that it is mangled and twisted beyond repair. Rosetta fumbles through the wreckage to take out the source of the sparks. It is the laptop computer as well as the encryption machine, now broken and sparking.


    Rosetta: [Anne?]


    -KRZZZZZZZ PrAk KrAk-


    Arcs of electricity forms between the laptop and the encryption machine, flooding the area with flickering bright light. Little by little the broken parts fuse together as they were before and new ones appear in places where they are missing. As if time reversed with a flashy show of electricity, the laptop and encryption machine return to their normal state.


    Anne: ¡°Rosetta! Are you there?!¡±


    Anne¡¯s voice echoes through the laptop speakers. It¡¯s light illuminates the bleach and cracked ram skull. Rosetta responds weakly.


    Rosetta: ¡°Anne¡­ I failed¡­ They found-¡±


    Anne: ¡°Nevermind that! Rosetta! I found her!¡±


    Anne¡¯s words paralyzes Rosetta¡¯s mind for a moment. Her next words jog his mind back to life.


    Anne: ¡°I found the girl!¡±


    His mind is muddled with excitement and hundreds of questions. Rosetta squeezes a few questions out in a loud surprised voice.


    Rosetta: ¡°You found her?! Where?! What¡¯s her name?!¡±


    Anne: ¡°Her name¡­ Is Jiang Shuu Ren. She is a Chinese woman in her 40s living in Japan.¡±


    Rosetta: ¡°Jiang Shuu Ren¡­¡±


    He repeats the name many times in his head and thinks of his next course of actions.


    Rosetta: ¡°I have to see her! Set up a conference with everybody!¡±


    Rosetta¡¯s figure twist and turns and his head bobs back and forth.


    Anne: ¡°¡­ Rosetta¡­¡±


    Rosetta: ¡°We have to set up a protective network around her! Jiang Shuu Ren¡­ She is the mother, isn¡¯t she?¡±


    Anne: ¡°Rosetta¡­¡±


    Anne¡¯s heavy tone stops Rosetta is his tracks. Paying full attention to her, Rosetta asks.


    Rosetta: ¡°What is it?¡±


    Anne: ¡°We¡¯ve got a problem.¡±


    __________________________________

 Prologue | Chapter 12.5 – To stand among superpowers

    __________________________________


    Indiana: ¡°Hmm¡­¡±


    Indiana is deep in thought. The whole place is dark and a computer screen is glowing before him, illuminating a small area in front of his face. The screen displays a website to a superhero fan website. He scrolls through the list of superpowers. Next to him is a notepad lit up by a desk lamp. Written on it is an elaborate list of pro and cons of each superpower that Indiana find interest in. After a long thought, he lies back on his chair and heaves a long sigh.


    Indiana: ¡°Fuu~ck¡­¡± [There are so many choices but they are impractical.]


    His opinion on comic super heroes has sunk since his first started his research. Many of them have superpowers too grand to create or ones that require an individual exception to the laws of physics. A select few caught his attention but the risks and difficulties he has to accommodate has made him hesistate.


    Indiana: ¡°I have to really pull in some research if I¡¯m going to get something I won¡¯t regret.¡±


    The light flickers on and surprised Indiana. Standing near the light switch is a petite female agent decked out in metallic armor that resembles an exoskeleton suit. Her name, Clementine Greeves, is engraved on an iron plate welded on to the left breast of her chest armor. She walks over to the cold storage and takes out a frozen dinner. Placing it on timer in a microwave, she sits across from Indiana.


    Indiana: ¡°Hello, Clementine. You just came back?¡±


    Clementine: ¡°I came in just after the transport team. I¡¯m just free now because I have beem performing maintenance of my machine. I heard that you are slated to get your own magic. Congrats.¡±


    Indiana: ¡°T-Thanks¡­¡±


    Clementine notices the scribbled notes made my Indiana.


    Clementine: ¡°Have you decide on your magic yet?¡±


    Indiana: ¡°Not yet¡­ If you have any advice for me, I¡¯d appreciate it.¡±


    Clementine: ¡°Hmm¡­¡±


    Clementine closes her eyes in thought before facing Indiana directly.


    Clementine: ¡°You must know the concept of the entire magic by heart.¡±


    Indiana: ¡°By heart? Is it related to feelings?¡±Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    Clementine: ¡°No, no. Magic reacts in correspondence to the body. It¡¯s the body that reacts to feelings.¡±


    Indiana: ¡°O-Oh, right. Like active memory and muscle memory?¡±


    Clementine: ¡°Hmm¡­ Yes, like that. A better picture will be¡­ Like¡­ A professional baseball player. Knowing everything about the game and still able to go further and beyond.¡±


    She adjusts her seat closer to the table.


    Clementine: ¡°You see, the people from this ¡®other¡¯ world are born with ¡®mana¡¯ around them.¡±


    She puts her hands close together as if cradling the floating black sphere in her hands.


    Clementine: ¡°They have it different. They grow up with it so they can adapt and adjust in using it and making their own way of magic. We, on the other hand, are given this potential immediately at the cost of enduring harsh training to actually use it properly. Our only luxury is that we get to choose any kind of magic to suit ourselves.¡±


    Indiana: ¡°I get it¡­ The problem is I don¡¯t get any of these powers.¡±


    Indiana begrudgingly taps the notepad.


    Indiana: ¡°All these superheroes get these powers and they use it like it is in their nature. No explanation on the technicalities or execution!¡±


    Clementine: ¡°Well, these things are for entertainment. There are detailed explanations of them made by the fandom but you have to dig REALLY deep into the internet to get it.¡±


    -Ting-


    Clementine: ¡°Excuse me.¡±


    The microwave rings its alarm to indicate Clementine¡¯s dinner is ready. She rises up from her seat and picks up her dinner from the microwave.


    Clementine: ¡°There¡¯s one more advice I can give you.¡±


    Indiana turns in his seat to face Clementine.


    Clementine: ¡°Create a magic that compliments your character. In fact, pick one that synergizes with it. You can disconnect the magic from yourself as you like, but if you have it tailored to your character¡­¡±


    She puts her arm out and the armor around her arm starts to move and rattle. Segments of the armor extends from the base and form into an edge. It then reassemble to form a gun barrel before returning to its gauntlet form.


    Clementine: ¡°You gain better control and versatility. Take your teammates for example. Johannes likes taking the leadership roles, which is why his magic to ¡®lead¡¯ projectiles is so on point. He also trusts his decisions the most which is why he imparts his own will, like a part of himself, into those that he controls with magic.¡±


    Indiana: ¡°So¡­ Johannes is a bit self-centered?¡±


    Clementine gives a little snort and shakes her head.


    Clementine: ¡°More like ¡®first to take initiative and responsibility¡¯ kind of person. On the other hand, Agent Moralles.¡±


    Upon mentioning Alan¡¯s name, her voice turns cold and her mood changes to one of disgust.


    Clementine: ¡°The man thrives in the pursuit of the predator role of hunting. Wanting the upper hand in every confrontation and a petty evaluation on lives, his parasitic magic enables him to face any enemy and victim as a predator regardless of the gaps in power between them.¡±


    Sensing the end of the conversation, Indiana turns his whole body to face her.


    Indiana: ¡°Thank you for your advice. I¡¯ve narrowed down my choices because of it. Really. Thank you very much.¡±


    Clementine¡¯s demeanor softens a little and she gives a weak smile.


    Clementine: ¡°Good luck, Indiana. May you find what you¡¯re looking for.¡±


    Indiana: ¡°I will. Thank you.¡±


    Indiana gently waves at Clementine as she leaves with her dinner. He then turns to his computer and notepad. Deep in thought, he slowly crosses out the powers on his list.


    Indiana: ¡°I am inquisitive, willing to seek out my target¡­¡± [I prefer to do my work alone.]


    He opens up the list of superpowers on the website. Skimming through the list, he assesses his thoughts on each of them based on one criteria.


    Indiana: [Lone wolf, stealth, and intelligence¡­]


    His eyes glinting at any superpower of interest, the day he is granted his own magic power became more vivid in his mind.


    __________________________________

 Prologue | Chapter 13 – Her name is Jiang Shuu Ren

    __________________________________


    The autumn weather is cold and humid. A layer of clouds has covered the sky as far the eye can see. The clouds from the east are dyed with a brighter shade of grey as the sun begins to rise, signaling the break of dawn. The sunlight, dimmed by the filter of clouds, swept through the buildings and past a bedroom window. The sunlight enters the room through the narrow spaces where the window curtain did not reach. In the room now illuminated with a dim glow, a person is asleep on the bed, curled up in many layers of sheets to escape the cold of last night.


    -BeeBeep BeeBeep BeeBeep-


    The clock¡¯s alarm on the bedside table blares throughout the small bedroom. A person from underneath the sheets begins to stir from deep slumber. The bed sheets retract to reveal a woman¡¯s sleepy face. Her arm reaches out for the alarm and taps the snooze button with a finger. Soon after the alarm stops, her arm droops down on the bed once more.


    Cat: ¡°Mew.¡±


    -pfpfpfpf-


    Cat: ¡°Mew.¡±


    The sound of soft patting can be heard outside the bedroom door followed by the gentle meow of a cat. The doorknob rattles and the door becomes slightly ajar.


    Cat: ¡°Mew.¡±


    A female black cat peeks into the bedroom and silently walked in. Her eyes are light blue and her black fur coat is soft and glossy. Worn around her neck is a black velvet collar with a round metal plate of polished metal. Etched on the front of the metal plate is the cat¡¯s name Yozora written in both Japanese romaji and katakana. The cat Yozora approaches the bed and sat in front of it.


    Yozora: ¡°Meeooww.¡±


    Woman: ¡°Mnh¡­¡±


    The cat meows loudly but receives a weak response from the woman. She jumps on the bed and gets closer to the woman.


    Yozora: ¡°Meeeooww. Meeeooww. Prrrrrr~¡±


    Woman: ¡°Mng-¡±


    Meowing again, the cat purrs and presses her paw against the woman¡¯s cheek. The woman turns her head to the side and continues to sleep.


    Yozora: ¡°Meeoowwoooww.¡±


    Yozora nudges both her paws on the woman¡¯s cheeks. No response. She has fallen deeper into slumber. Yozora climbs onto the woman¡¯s head and lies down on her ear.


    Yozora: ¡°Prrrrrrrrr~ Meeeeeeeeeooooowww¡­ Prrrrrrrrrrr~¡±


    The cat lying on top of the woman¡¯s ear lets out a long and loud meow. Finally unable to stand the onslaught, the woman finally wakes up.


    Woman: ¡°Mngh- Yozora. I¡¯m up.¡±


    Gently slapping Yozora¡¯s side, the cat hops off to the side for the woman to rise up from bed. Sitting up on the bed, she lets out a sigh as she resolves to face the day ahead. She glances to the side and sees her cat purring and licking its paws.


    Woman: [Little menace. I¡¯ll ruffle your fur¡­]


    Yozora: ¡°Mew.¡±


    Sensing the woman¡¯s intent as her hand slowly reaches for her, Yozora jumps off the bed and continues purring and grooming herself.


    Woman: [Clever girl¡­] ¡°Fwaah~¡±


    Finished with the morning shenanigans, the woman lets out a sigh and does her morning stretch. Feeling relieved, she hunches over and plans out the start of her day.


    Woman: [Pills. Feed Yozora. Breakfast and shower. No coffee.] ¡°Right! Come on, Yozora~¡±


    Yozora: ¡°Meow.¡±


    She slips into her slippers and stands up straight. With her cat walking next to her, the woman starts her morning unaware of the fate bestowed upon her. Her name is Jiang Shuu Ren.


    __________________________________


    Shuu Ren: ¡°Hmm¡­¡±


    She checks the time on her wristwatch that she has just put on. She wears a warm winter office attire with a cotton sweater over her office shirt, black leggings and a long skirt. Slipping into her office shoes, Shuu Ren turns around as she holds open the door.


    Shuu Ren: ¡°Yozora, I¡¯m leaving for work. I¡¯ll be back in the evening.¡±


    Yozora: ¡°Meow.¡±


    -Kacha-


    Yozora: ¡°Mew.¡±


    Shuu Ren closes the door and Yozora turns around and hops on the furniture. She jumps up to a high window and nudges the window lever with her paws. The window opens to the apartment balcony.


    Yozora: ¡°Mew.¡±


    She squeezes through the window into the apartment balcony. She jumps on top of the balcony ledge and jumps off to start her walk around the neighborhood.


    __________________________________


    The office is rife with employees frantically working at a hurried pace. Shuu Ren sits at her desk as she flips through the morning reports. She glances at her wrist watch for the fourth time since she arrived in the office.


    Shuu Ren: [Okay. Two more hours until the meeting. I¡¯m making great time.]


    She leaves her desk and walks over to the large room where the meeting will be held. Standing outside the room, an employee busy reading through a script. The man is nervous and keeps adjusting his glasses that slips on his sweaty ears.


    Shuu Ren: ¡°Good morning, Kiyoshita-san.¡±


    The man jerks his head upwards to look up. His glasses, finally free of his eyes, drops on his flailing open hand. The man¡¯s composure relaxes from relief when he recognizes his manager in front of him.


    Kiyoshita: ¡°Good morning¡­ Manager-san.¡±


    Shuu Ren: ¡°Today is the day for the meeting with the executives of the Apple Ame Group. Have you prepared the project presentations to show during the meeting?¡±


    He wears his glasses once more and showed the script to Shuu Ren.


    Kiyoshita: ¡°Yes. The presentation has been approved by President Aoi. The presentation team are doing a short rehearsal right now.¡±


    Shuu Ren flips through the scripts before giving a small nod of approval.


    Shuu Ren: ¡°Good work. Please attend the rehearsals as the audience. You will be able to catch any misses from the audience¡¯s perspective. Make the adjustments if there is a need to and have a summary given our executives 10 minutes before the meeting and report to me 15 minutes before the meeting.¡±


    Kiyoshita straightens his posture and puts on a brave face.


    Kiyoshita: ¡°Y-Yes!¡±


    Shuu Ren: ¡°Please take note, Kiyoshita-san. Autumn is the harvest season for apples. The executives of Apple Ame will be swamped with work during this time.¡±


    Kiyoshita: ¡°Okay¡­¡±


    Shuu Ren: ¡°Tempers will be on a short fuse. The contract will be dropped if they think we are wasting their time. Do not let anything slip.¡±


    Kiyoshita: ¡°Ah- Yes!¡±


    The man quickly gives a bow and enters the room. Shuu Ren looks at her wrist watch before looking around the offices.


    Shuu Ren: *Where is Chihiro?*


    Chihiro: ¡°Shuu-chan~!¡±


    A cheerful call is heard behind her. Shuu Ren turns around to see her junior cheerfully walking towards her. The woman is in her early 20s and she has a pretty face with smooth fair skin much like a model¡¯s and silky smooth brown hair that reach past her shoulders. This shining beauty is off putting wearing normal office wear and even more so in a dreary bustling office.


    Shuu Ren: *There she is.* [For goodness sake.]


    Chihiro: ¡°Good! Morning! Shuu-ch- Muniiiiiii!¡±


    The moment Chihiro is within her reach. Shuu Ren¡¯ arm goes straight for Chihiro¡¯s face and firmly pinches her cheek. Chihiro can only flinch mid-sentence and gently grips Shuu Ren¡¯s pinching with her hand while tapping Shuu Ren¡¯s wrist with the other.


    Shuu Ren: ¡°Chihiro. Do not address me like that in the office.¡±


    Chihiro: ¡°Hyesh~ Swowee~¡±


    Shuu Ren quickly releases Chihiro¡¯s cheek. Chihiro rubs her sore cheek before returning to her merry smile once more.


    Shuu Ren: ¡°Good morning, Chihiro. Have you prepared the food for the meeting?¡±


    Chihiro: ¡°Yes, Manager! The catering service has done a splendid job! It¡¯s already in the company fridge! I¡¯ve also written a warning notice for unsuspecting staff!¡±


    Chihiro answers in a cheery tone and does a cutesy salute. Hearing her accomplishment and seeing the charming sight, Shuu Ren breaks into a warm smile.


    Shuu Ren: ¡°Oh~ Good work, Chihiro.¡±


    Shuu Ren raises her hand and pats Chihiro¡¯s shoulder. Chihiro tilts her head in the direction of Shuu Ren¡¯s hand but ultimately settles for a pat on her shoulder. Smiling at Shuu Ren, her face is beaming with happiness.


    Chihiro: ¡°Thank you very much!¡±


    Shuu Ren returns her smile and notices Chihiro¡¯s expression. Her face has shifted to an expression of anticipation for Shuu Ren¡¯s reaction. Sensing some mischief afoot, Shuu Ren entertains Chihiro¡¯s anticipation with a whisper.


    Shuu Ren: *Chihiro¡­ Did you take any of the food?*


    Chihiro makes a quick glance around the office to make sure that no one is in earshot. She then bends forward with an accomplished expression and with her hand covering the side of her mouth, she whispers her answer.


    Chihiro: *Enough for the both of u-¡±


    -tok-


    Chihiro: *Ow- Munininini!*


    Shuu Ren¡¯s retribution is swift with a light chop on Chihiro¡¯s head and immediately followed by her hands pinching both her cheeks. Chihiro¡¯s hands which are raised to massage her sore crown of her head now pulls on Shuu Ren¡¯s wrist to prevent her cheek from getting pulled any further.


    Shuu Ren: *Chi! Hi! Ro! What are you doing?! Don¡¯t jeopardize the meeting!*


    Chihiro: *Swowee! I wan chu hev lunch wif youu!*


    Shuu Ren releases Chihiro¡¯s cheeks once more and folds her arm in disapproval. Chihiro is rubbing her cheeks while playfully avoiding Shuu Ren¡¯s gaze like a child who hasn¡¯t learnt her lesson. Shuu Ren looks and her wristwatch and heaved a long sigh.


    Shuu Ren: [I still have time.] *I have to inspect the food now.*


    Shuu Ren places her hand on top of her junior¡¯s head. The surprised Chihiro straightens her posture and puts on a stiff smile.


    Shuu Ren: ¡°Chihiro, follow me.¡±


    Chihiro: ¡°Y-Yes!¡±


    She followed Shuu Ren to the company pantry. Walking next to Shuu Ren¡¯s side, Chihiro looked at her manager nervously.


    Chihiro: *Don¡¯t worry, Manager. I¡¯ve arrange the food so that it looks like nothing is missing.*Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    Shuu Ren shoots an annoyed glance at Chihiro and sighs.


    Shuu Ren: *If this is minor, I¡¯ll let it slide. But I won¡¯t spare you next time.*


    Chihiro¡¯s cheerful mood recovers and she hops along for a moment.


    Chihiro: *Thank you, Manager~*


    Glad that Chihiro is back to normal, Shuu Ren notices something about the food.


    Shuu Ren: ¡°Chihiro, the food is sushi and sashimi, isn¡¯t it? I can¡¯t eat those.¡±


    Chihiro: ¡°Eh?!¡±


    Her words surprises Chihiro. She hops forward and makes a difficult face at Shuu Ren. Seeing her face, Shuu Ren stops to explain.


    Shuu Ren: ¡°I¡¯m pregnant, so I¡¯m cannot eat raw food.¡±


    Grasping on the situation, Chihiro realizes her mistake and tries to recall the types of sushi made in the order.


    Chihiro: ¡°Ah- T-Then you can still eat the cooked sushi right? The egg omelette, tempura shrimp, smoke salmon and grilled eel. I¡¯ll eat the raw ones.¡±


    Chihiro¡¯s eyes are brimming with hope. Convinced by Chihiro¡¯s words, Shuu Ren agrees and continues her walk to the pantry.


    Shuu Ren: ¡°Alright. We¡¯ll eat lunch together.¡±


    Chihiro: ¡°Yay!¡±


    Chihiro follows Shuu Ren¡¯s pace with a spring in her step.


    __________________________________


    It¡¯s 5pm. The day is almost over and the crowd flooded the trains to commute back to their homes. A packed train arrives at the station and a great number of commuters come out and crowds the exits. Among the ones that spread to the walkway, two women are walking together and one of them retained her vibrant energy despite a day of work.


    Chihiro: ¡°Shuu-chan. Shuu-chan. Isn¡¯t it great that the meeting concluded without a hitch? The executives really liked the choice of food prepared for lunch!¡±


    Shuu Ren: ¡°Yes. Yes. You did well in choosing the caterer. Despite some mischief on your part.¡±


    Chihiro: ¡°Nya~¡±


    Shuu Ren reaches over to pinch Chihiro¡¯s cheek. Chihiro dodges while mimicking a cat.


    Chihiro: ¡°With this, the pressure from the president is finally off you isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Remembering the unpleasant incident, Shuu Ren makes a difficult face while warming her cold fingers under her scarf.


    Shuu Ren: ¡°Yes, the president isn¡¯t too keen with my absence for a trip to Tokyo.¡±


    Chihiro: ¡°President Aoi is too uptight. When Shuu-chan left for the trip, she has it out for you! Moving the meeting earlier from winter into the harvest season! The Apple Ame company was livid!¡±


    Shuu Ren: ¡°Yes. Kiyoshita did well salvaging the meeting from the ground.¡±


    Chihiro leans forward and nudges Shuu Ren with her shoulders.


    Chihiro: ¡°Anyone else?¡±


    Shuu Ren: ¡°Okay. Okay. The food you ordered lifted the mood during lunch.¡±


    Chihiro: ¡°Hehe~ You¡¯re welcome.¡±


    Both of them stop at the fork at the road. Shuu Ren looks to the right where her home is and Chihiro looks to the left where her home is further down the road.


    Shuu Ren: ¡°This is where we go separate ways.¡±


    Chihiro: ¡°Un.¡±


    Shuu Ren: ¡°Goodbye, Chihiro.¡±


    Shuu Ren waves goodbye to Chihiro. Chihiro skips backwards while waving her arms.


    Chihiro: ¡°Shuu-chan! Bye! Bye!¡±


    Chihiro turns away and jogs in the direction of her home. Shuu Ren turns around and is greeted by an unpleasant sight.


    Man: ¡°Whoa! That girl is pretty!¡±


    Sitting on a bench in the park near her apartment complex is a young man and an old man in his fifties. The young man is looking in Chihiro¡¯s direction and shaking his fist energetically. Sensing trouble brewing for her junior, Shuu Ren frowns and lashes out at the young man.


    Shuu Ren: ¡°Shut up, shitty intern. Control you intern, Professor Taro.¡±


    Shuu Ren turns to the old man who is smiling widely as if to hold back his hearty laughter. He is Taro Nakamura, a university professor on wildlife biology. The young man who is embarrassed that someone witnessed his shameful behavior is Yoshirou Matsuoka, the professor¡¯s intern studying wildlife photography.


    Nakamura: ¡°Sorry, Jiang-san. Matsuo is young, so please overlook it.¡±


    Shuu Ren: ¡°I¡¯ll overlook it for now. Good evening, Professor.¡±


    Shuu Ren bows her head at the professor. Realizing that he had forgotten his greetings, he smiled widely and bows his.


    Nakamura: ¡°Ah- Good evening.¡±


    Shuu Ren: ¡°Are you done with your work?¡±


    Nakamura: ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve taken some good pictures and notes on Ama-chan today.¡±


    Shuu Ren: ¡°That¡¯s good. I hope you get good data for your research. Oh! Before I forget, I have to tell you that I will be hanging my laundry out to dry tomorrow.¡±


    The professor is surprised and laughs loudly. He removes his winter hat to brush his head which sports thinning hair.¡±


    Nakamura: ¡°Hahaha~ Aaaah~ Why of all times.¡±


    Matsuoka suddenly jumps into the conversation, his left arm up high to draw attention.


    Matsuoka: ¡°Jiang-san! Is it possible for you to do your laundry at another time? Or if possible, use the laundry mat!¡±


    The professor and Shuu Ren are startled at the his sudden and loud words. The first to respond is Shuu Ren with an angry mark on her cheek.


    Shuu Ren: ¡°What did you say?¡±


    -Whap-


    The professor slaps his intern in the lower back. The intern, sensing his mistake drops his shoulders and bows apologetically. The professor smiles at Shuu Ren once more.


    Nakamura: ¡°Now, now. Jiang-san has allowed us to document Eagle-san within the vicinity of her home. We shouldn¡¯t impose on any more of her privacy. Now apologize, Matsuo.¡±


    Matsuoka: ¡°I apologize for my statement earlier.¡±


    Hoping to leave the awkward atmosphere, Shuu Ren sighs and overlooks the young man¡¯s rude remarks.


    Shuu Ren: ¡°I¡¯ll let this go for now. Professor, please discipline your intern.¡±


    Nakamura: ¡°Thank you, Jiang-san. Matsuo will reflect on his words. I will respect your wishes and will be back on the day after tomorrow.¡±


    Shuu Ren: ¡°Thank you. Have a good day, Professor.¡±


    Shuu Ren bows her head at the professor before turning towards her apartment. The professor bows in kind.


    Nakamura: ¡°You too, Jiang-san.¡±


    When Shuu Ren is a few paces away, the intern starts to whisper his concerns to the professor.


    Matsuoka: *How unfortunate. Why does Jiang-san have to pick tomorrow to dry her laundry?*


    Nakamura: *You¡¯re still thinking that, Matsuo? Foolish brat. It is not Jiang-san¡¯s intention to interfere. Ama-chan is a very clever bird who took advantage of Jiang-san¡¯s schedule.*


    Matsuoka: *¡­ Sorry¡­ My wrongful comments aside, Ama-san is a magnificent bird. Is it really a domesticated golden eagle?*


    Nakamura: *That¡¯s right. It just swooped in Jiang-san¡¯s apartment and started living there. Like it chose to be domesticated. In all my years studying golden eagles, it¡¯s the first. Ama-chan is special.*


    Matsuoka: *Jiang-san has a lot on her plate, huh? Ama-san even flew in with a big fish too¡­*


    Shuu Ren: [Big fish?!]


    Unbeknownst to the professor and his intern, Shuu Ren caught wind of their conversation with her sharp ears and the coincidental wind blowing their conversation in her direction. Hearing the intern¡¯s last statement puts her mind in confusion.


    Shuu Ren: [Big fish? Where is Ama-san? I don¡¯t see her anywhere. Did she get in?]


    Arriving at her doorstep, Shuu Ren nervously unlocks the door and peeks inside.


    Shuu Ren: ¡°Yozora~ How are you?¡±


    Yozora: ¡°Meow~¡±


    As usual, Yozora meows at her, welcoming her home. Shuu Ren narrows her eyes in suspicion, bends forward and slowly reach for Yozora.


    Shuu Ren: ¡°Did you let Ama-san in? Come here.¡±


    Yozora: ¡°Mew.¡±


    Before Shuu Ren can catch her, Yozora darts away from Shuu Ren and runs into her living room. Annoyed that she failed to catch the culprit, Shuu Ren sighs and straightens up her posture.


    Shuu Ren: [Mischievous cat¡­ So Ama-san is here.]


    Shutting the door behind her, Shuu Ren removes her shoes and walks to her living room where Yozora is.


    Ama: ¡°Kiu. Kiu. Kiu.¡±


    Shuu Ren: ¡°Wah! Ama-san.¡±


    A soft high pitch peep like a puppy¡¯s startles Shuu Ren. Perched on the kitchen table is an adult female golden eagle. The feathers on her body are dark brown in color and golden colored features lined the back of her head and neck. She has an impressive tail with light greyish feathers with a black tip. Smooth feathers that shows a streamlined body, slender and sharp beak, and sharp and seemingly polished talon, she is truly a beautiful bird.


    Shuu Ren: ¡°Hmm¡­¡±


    Shuu Ren reaches for a nearby drawer and pulled out a pair of thick falconry gloves that reach all the way to the elbow. She puts one over her left arm and slowly positions the glove in front of the eagle. She calls out to the eagle in a soft voice.


    Shuu Ren: ¡°Ama~ Ama~¡±


    The eagle hops on to the glove. Seeming happy about it, she rocks up and down with her talons gripping the glove. Shuu Ren tries to keep her shaking arm still as she walked over to a big wooden perch made from a log with a large branch.


    Shuu Ren: ¡°There you go¡­¡±


    Shuu Ren lifts her arm towards the branch. The eagle hops onto the branch and continues her silly dance, rocking up and down. The funny sight brings a snicker out of Shuu Ren as she steps back to behold the bird¡¯s beauty.


    Shuu Ren: ¡°Uh¡­ Welcome back, Ama-san. The last time I¡¯ve seen you was before my trip to Tokyo. Professor Nakamura told me that he hasn¡¯t seen you for a while so he got worried. I hope you have been eating well.¡±


    Ama: ¡°Kiu. Kiu. Kiu.¡±


    Shuu Ren: ¡°You look healthy and energetic but I¡¯ll have to send you to the center for a health checkup.¡± [Since you escaped from there when I left you in their care before my trip.]


    **********************************


    It was the spring season, the a few months after Shuu Ren has adopted the kitten she named Yozora. Having a companion in her apartment, Shuu Ren always looked forward to coming home from work.


    Shuu Ren: ¡°Hello, Yozora! I¡¯m back early!¡±


    Yozora: ¡°Meow~¡±


    Shuu Ren kneels down to welcome her juvenile black cat into her arms.


    Shuu Ren: ¡°Hehe~ Did you mi-¡±


    Eagle: ¡°Kiu. Kiu. Kiu.¡±


    Shuu Ren: ¡°Waaah! Yozora! Come here!¡±


    A peeping sound of a bird is heard and Shuu Ren looks up to see a juvenile golden eagle perched on the shoe rack. She quickly scoops up Yozora, runs outside and shuts the door.


    Shuu Ren: *Who should I call?! Who should I call?!*


    Yozora: ¡°Meow~¡±


    Shuu Ren whips out her phone and is caught in a daze on who to call in this situation while Yozora is hanging listlessly in her other hand. After consultation with the emergency line, her situation is relayed to the wildlife center.


    Suzume: ¡°Good afternoon! I am Hisakawa Suzume from the wildlife center. You called in regards to an eagle in your home?¡±


    The cheery wildlife caretaker Suzume arrives to aid Shuu Ren. After a few minutes, golden eagle is safely in a cage to be transported to the wildlife center. Happy with the ease of the capture, she decides to show the eagle to Shuu Ren.


    Suzume: ¡°How fortunate, Jiang-san! This eagle is very docile! This is a big juvenile, so it must be a girl! Isn¡¯t she cute, Jiang-san?¡±


    Excited about the eagle, Suzume pushes the cage nearer to Shuu Ren for a closer look.


    Shuu Ren: ¡°Wah! Y-Yeah, she is a pretty bird¡­¡±


    Eagle: ¡°Kiu. Kiu. Kiu.¡±


    Suzume: ¡°W-Whoa! I¡¯ll put her in the van to calm her down.¡±


    The eagle suddenly peeps in excitement, flapping it wings. Suzume quickly puts a firm grip on the cage and turn around to the van.


    Suzume: ¡°Thank you so much for calling us.¡±


    Shuu Ren: ¡°N-No, thank you for handling the situation in my home.¡±


    Shuu Ren waves at the gleeful caretaker as the van pulls away from the apartment porch. Shuu Ren is finally relieved that the strange incident is over. However, later in the evening, she receives a call from the wildlife center.


    Suzume: ¡°Good evening, Jiang-san!¡±


    Shuu Ren: ¡°Good evening¡­ How is the eagle doing?¡±


    Suzume: ¡°We had a medical checkup on her earlier. She is a perfectly healthy bird!¡±


    Shuu Ren: ¡°That¡¯s good news.¡±


    Suzume: ¡°Yes, it seems so¡­ But we¡¯ve encountered a huge problem. The eagle has escaped from her cage and we could not find her. Has the eagle by any chance returned to your home?¡±


    Shuu Ren: ¡°Eh? No. I have not seen the-¡°


    -fwup fwup fwup-


    A sound of flapping wings alerted Shuu Ren from behind. She turns around and sees a golden eagle perched on top of her chair.


    Eagle: ¡°Kiu. Kiu. Kiu.¡±


    Shuu Ren: ¡°EAGLE!¡±


    Suzume: ¡°Hah?¡±


    Shuu Ren: ¡°It¡¯s here! Eagle!¡±


    Suzume: ¡°Eh?! Okay, Jiang-san. Calm down and don¡¯t startle her. I¡¯ll come over to retrieve her!¡±


    Shuu Ren: ¡°Eeh?!¡±


    __________________________________


    At the next morning, Shuu Ren receives another call from Suzume.¡±


    Suzume: ¡°Good afternoon, Jiang-san. I am calling to ask you regarding the eagle.¡±


    Shuu Ren: ¡°Has it escaped again?¡±


    Suzume: ¡°No, no, no. She¡¯s still here in our facility. I just want to ask you something. Have you fed her human food?¡±


    Shuu Ren: ¡°No. I have not. I waited outside my home until you arrive.¡±


    Suzume: ¡°That¡¯s strange¡­¡±


    Shuu Ren: ¡°What is going on?¡±


    Suzume: ¡°The eagle has not been eating any of the food we¡¯ve given to it. In fact, she only started eating when we give human food to it.]


    Shuu Ren: ¡°Human food? N-No, I haven¡¯t fed it anything nor did it eat anything at my home.¡±


    Suzume: ¡°This is problematic. She might be domesticated already. It might take some time to reintroduce her into the wild.¡±


    __________________________________


    Late that evening, as she was returning from work.


    Eagle: ¡°Kiu. Kiu. Kiu.¡±


    Shuu Ren: ¡°Waah!¡±


    Shuu Ren stumbles and falls down on her bottom. The eagle is perched on the shoe rack once more, peeping at her.


    Shuu Ren: *Yozora!* ¡°Yozora! Yozora!¡±


    Yozora: ¡°Mew. Prrrrr¡­¡±


    Suddenly remembering her cat, she calls out her name, hoping nothing horrible had happen to her cat. Answering her prayers, Yozora emerges from one of the rooms, jumps on her lap and starts purring. Shuu Ren sits there in disbelief as she gratefully strokes her cat and stares at the golden eagle which is doing a curious dance on the shoe rack.


    The caretaker Suzume is sent over once more to Shuu Ren¡¯s apartment. Upon arrival, the caretaker is clearly tired and agitated.


    Suzume: ¡°Jiang-san. By any chance, is this eagle your pet?¡±


    Shuu Ren: ¡°Don¡¯t joke with me, Hisakawa-san. I do not know how to train a golden eagle. Is there any way you can solve this situation for good?¡±


    Suzume: ¡°Uh¡­ I am at a loss¡­¡±


    Shuu Ren: ¡°¡­ For now, could you retrieve the eagle from my home?¡±


    This ordeal continued for two months. The eagle would mysteriously break out of its restraints and escape, only to be found at Shuu Ren¡¯s home. The golden eagle became famous around the city and even appeared once on television. In spite of this, the wildlife center and the city council were in an uproar due to the golden eagle¡¯s breakouts. Suspicion over their ability to handle a bird that has been nationally recognized as endangered had been brewing in the public¡¯s opinion. After much consideration, they have come to a consensus.


    Suzume: ¡°Welcome, Jiang-san. I¡¯ve prepared a special course for you on how to take care of a golden eagle.¡±


    Shuu Ren: ¡°Uu-uuuu¡­¡±


    Suzume: ¡°Please pay proper attention.¡±


    To salvage their reputation and to prevent any more wasting of public funds on handling the bird, Shuu Ren is made an affiliate of the wildlife center and given a license to adopt the troublesome bird.


    **********************************


    The entire experience hit her in one blow. Shuu Ren slumps her shoulders thinking of how helpless she was, being dragged into a maelstrom of debate, unwanted publicity and stress with Ama as it center


    Shuu Ren: [Now¡­]


    Shuu Ren turns over to the object that she has been purposely escaping reality from. A big fish 40 centimeters long is lying on the table before her.


    Shuu Ren: [W-What to do with this?]


    Shuu Ren reluctantly takes a closer look at the fish. The slick silver skin, two closely spaced dorsal fins on its back, finlets running from dorsal fin to the tail. It is without a doubt, a tuna fish.


    Shuu Ren: [T-This is a tuna, right? Why is a tuna all the way here in Hirosaki? The ocean is quite far away.]


    How did Ama-san catch a fish like this? The tuna that swims at high speed and can only be found in far out in the ocean? These thoughts bounce around in her head.


    Shuu Ren: [Did Ama-san carry this all the way from the ocean? Or did she¡­]


    Shuu Ren turns to look at Ama.


    Shuu Ren: [Steal from a fish market?]


    Ama: ¡°Kiu. Kiu. Kiu.¡±


    Shuu Ren: [Most likely the latter.]


    She lets out a sigh and picks up the tuna. It looks fresh and unscathed save for the talon marks made by Ama when she carried it. Feeling its weight, the tuna is too much for one eagle, even for a week. Shuu Ren looks down at Yozora who is brushing against her leg while purring.


    Shuu Ren: ¡°Yozora~ Do you like fish for dinner?¡±


    Yozora: ¡°Meow~¡±


    Sensing Yozora¡¯s approval, Shuu Ren holds up the tuna with both her hands and looked at it uneasily.


    Shuu Ren: ¡°How do I prepare this?¡±


    __________________________________


    Shuu Ren: ¡°Alright! Is everyone settled?¡±


    There is no response from the two animals next to her. Yozora is happily biting down on a slice of baked tuna ignoring Shuu Ren¡¯s call.


    -Klaka Klak-


    Standing on top of a tray on the kitchen table, Ama is also biting down on her baked tuna. Hopping around the tray to nip at the fish, she is enjoying her meal in full vigor.


    Shuu Ren: ¡°¡­ Hmph.¡±


    Fed up with getting ignored, Shuu Ren eats a spoonful of rice from her dinner. Steamed chicken and vegetables with a bowl of rice and a tray of assorted condiments in bottles. She grabs the remote and switches the television to her preferred channel, a foreign channel from the US.


    Shuu Ren: ¡°Ooh! It¡¯s starting!¡±


    Shuu Ren¡¯s words, said in fluent English contained no traces of the Japanese language that she uses daily. Her eyes shine brightly as the program she eagerly waits for every week cuts to a black man in a suit standing in a planetarium filled with spectators.


    Neil: ¡°From the American Museum of Natural History in New York City and broadcast across the globe and space. This~ is Cosmic Conversation, where science, technology, and modern cultures collide. I¡¯m your host Neil Denierre Tyler.¡±


    Shuu Ren bends closer to the television. The professor gestures off stage to welcome his guest for his show.


    Neil: ¡°On this episode we have invited Mr. Dijon Monque to talk with us to day. Let welcome him with an applause.¡±


    The spectators give a loud applause as a French man in an expensive suit walks in while waving at the crowd. Shuu Ren on the other hand gives a snort at the man.


    Shuu Ren: ¡°That shady business man. Hopefully Neil and some engineers will confront him about the technicalities of VacuTrack.¡±


    She watches the television attentively, ignoring her dinner that is slowly turning cold.


    __________________________________

 Prologue | Chapter 13.5 – A New Storm Brews

    __________________________________


    -Clink Clink-


    The two whiskey glasses clink together in Devon¡¯s hand while he holds a bottle of whiskey in his other. He stands before a giant metal door and nods at the security guard in his station. The guard salutes and initiates the lock release mechanism.


    -Gang Ka Klang Kang-


    The heavy lock unlocks and the metal door 2 feet thick slowly slides to the side. A long concrete corridor lays before him. As he walks through the metal door, it slowly slides back into place and its lock reengages. He calmly walks down the corridor giving a quick glance at the security camera mounted into the wall. He stops before a similar metal door and faces the camera overlooking it.


    -Gagaga Ka Klang Kang-


    The metal door opens to a white room filled with various kinds of equipment. On closer inspection, they are top of the line supercomputers line up in a row. Devon walks into the room and the metal door closes behinds him. As he walks through the room, the rows of super computers end at a glass room filled with medical equipment. In the middle of the room, a lone man is sitting on a medical recliner. He is an old man in his 70s who is dressed in medical garbs. He is unconscious but the medical equipment around him show that he is in good condition. In spite of his condition, he is well maintained; his hair is neatly trimmed and his beard cleanly shaven. Devon sighs as he approaches the old man. He turns to the other man watching over him.


    Devon: ¡°Good evening, Jerry.¡±


    Jeroth: ¡°Hello, Devon. Here for the same reason?¡±


    Devon: ¡°I¡¯m here to have a drink with Elias. What are you doing here?¡±


    Devon sets down the two glasses and the whiskey bottle on the table next to the recliner. He grabs a nearby chair and sets it down next to the table.


    Jeroth: ¡°It¡¯s his birthday. So I¡¯m taking the liberty of checking up on him.¡±


    Devon: ¡°Well don¡¯t mind me.¡±


    Devon sits down on his chair and pours a shot of whiskey in both of the glasses. He sets one glass next to Elias and raises his own.


    Devon: ¡°Happy Birthday, Elias. Johnnie Walker Blue Scotch Whiskey. Your favourite.¡±


    He clinks his glass against the other and sips his drink. Cradling the drink in his hands, he looks at Elias. The old man¡¯s face had no expression but the thick wires attached to the back of his head from the top of the neck looks very painful.


    Devon: ¡°You did very well watching over the world from the sky. You¡¯ve helped us so much. Thank you.¡±


    Devon pats Elias¡¯s shoulder lightly. He takes a sip from his drink and casts a long look in Jeroth¡¯s direction.


    Devon: ¡°How is he doing, Jerry?¡±


    Jeroth: ¡°He is looking¡­ Good so far. He still got a long road ahead.¡±If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    Devon: ¡°Long road ahead, huh?¡±


    Devon looks into his glass and swirls the remaining dregs of the whiskey.


    Devon: ¡°It has been 23 years, hasn¡¯t it? What a Long¡­ Wild¡­ Ride. It is a shame you have to leave halfway.¡±


    Jeroth: ¡°Elias isn¡¯t gone. He repurposed himself for the cause. Our only way of gratitude is to take care of him till the end.¡±


    Jeroth chimes him while keeping his view focused on the computer screen. Devon finishes his drink before pouring another shot in his glass.


    Devon: ¡°The suffering he had. To have your mind chipped away little by little.¡±


    He pours another shot in Elias¡¯s glass.


    Devon: ¡°It is dying any way I look at it.¡±


    Jeroth: ¡°That is the danger of obtaining magic instantaneously. Only one time to make it right.¡±


    Devon: ¡°One time¡­ One time or you lose your life over some consequence you failed to foresee.¡±


    Jeroth glances at Devon¡¯s bitter face and Elias¡¯s sleeping one. He then turns around to check on the medical equipment.


    Jeroth: ¡°His sacrifice is not in vain. We now know rules that we haven¡¯t before. Everyone else after that is able to gain magic without consequence. You even have Kenny Balmer sporting magic similar to Elias who is safe and sound.¡±


    Devon: ¡°He¡¯s not the only one. Rupert¡­ Deidre¡­ Callista was the first.¡±


    He lists the names of the other founders of the organization. Rupert Vespasian. Deidre Nadia. Callista Cherise. Those that has passed away since its founding. Elias is the only one who is still alive albeit in a comatose state. Jeroth¡¯s face turn solemn. He brushes his hand over the top of the machine.


    Jeroth: ¡°His body is responding properly. His vital signs are normal. He seems to be holding up just fine. Elias is all set until next month.¡±


    Devon: ¡°Jerry, I¡¯m sorry for bringing them up.¡±


    Jeroth: ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. We need to remember them and their sacrifice for the cause. We¡¯ll get him. Rosetta will go down.¡±


    Devon: ¡°Well¡­¡±


    He pours a shot of whiskey into his empty glass and hands it to Jeroth. Jeroth accepts the glass with a smile.


    Devon: ¡°I wish you all the best in your endeavors. Lead the charge and I¡¯ll watch your back.¡±


    Jeroth: ¡°Cheers.¡±


    Jeroth lifts the glass in Devon¡¯s direction and bends over to clink the glass next to Elias. He takes a long sip of the whiskeys and exhales in relief.


    Jeroth: ¡°This is good alcohol.¡±


    Devon: ¡°Johnnie Walker Blue Scotch Whiskey. It is rich with a fine touch of smoke-¡±


    -BeeBeep BeeBeep-


    Elias: ¡°Ghuwaa!¡±


    The machine suddenly starts beeping and Elias suddenly opens his eyes and exhales. Devon and Jeroth stand up is surprise at the sudden surprise.


    Devon: ¡°Elias!¡±


    Elias¡¯s eyes rolls up and he slowly sinks back into unconsciousness. However, his movement did not stop as his body suddenly jolts and convulses. His limbs are twitching and his body begins to sweat. His face showed signs of fatigue and anger. Devon walks back in bewilderment, almost tripping over his chair and knocking it over. Jeroth, on the other hand, closely watches Elias¡¯s reaction with eyes that has calmed down moments ago.


    Devon: ¡°What in the hell is going on?! Jeroth!¡±


    Devon yells at Jeroth but he calmly lifts his hand at Devon.


    Jeroth: ¡°Calm down. It¡¯s okay. It means Elias found something big.¡±


    Devon: ¡°A big discovery doesn¡¯t mean shit if he is shaking like that! Help him!¡±


    Jeroth: ¡°I can put him to sleep but that will disconnect him from the system.¡±


    Devon: ¡°Jeroth!¡±


    Jeroth put up his hands in surrender and nods his head. He walks over to the medical cabinet and takes out a syringe and a vial. He withdraws the liquid from the vial into the syringe. He stabs the syringe into the IV tubing and injects its contents. Jeroth steps back and sits down on his chair.


    Elias: ¡°Hngh¡­ Mnhm¡­¡±


    Elias slowly drifts off to sleep and the convulsions ceases. Devon, relieved that the crisis has been resolved for now picks up his chair and sits down. Between the three men, no words are spoken for a long pause.


    -Tulululululu Tulululululu-


    A nearby phone rings. Jeroth gets up and puts the phone on loud speaker.


    Jeroth: ¡°This is Agent Gibson. You¡¯re on speaker.¡±


    Kenny: ¡°Agent Gibson, this is Balmer from Intelligence, is Director Lance present?¡±


    Devon: ¡°I¡¯m here, Kenny. What is it?¡±


    Kenny: ¡°We¡¯ve recently installed the new equipment for detection and Agent Coiner has encountered a huge energy spike a few moments ago.¡±


    Devon: ¡°Are you able to find out more about this?¡±


    Kenny: ¡°My team is currently processing the data right now. Preliminary tests show that it is raw energy but what is more interesting is where it is coming from right now.¡±


    Devon: ¡°Where is it coming from?¡±


    Kenny: ¡°Everywhere, sir. All across the states¡­ Hundreds of thousands of locations all over North and South America. The entire American continent is blasting energy straight up into the upper atmosphere.¡±


    __________________________________

 Prologue | Chapter 13.9 – The Neighborhood Guardian

    __________________________________


    Shuu Ren: ¡°There we go.¡±


    Shuu Ren steps back to look at the freshly washed laundry hung neatly on the clothes rack. She huffs in satisfaction and looks at the eastern part of the sky near the horizon. The sun has just emerged from the horizon, signaling the start of the Saturday morning. Blinded by the sun¡¯s rays, Shuu Ren closes her eyes and does her morning stretch.


    Shuu Ren: ¡°What a good morning for laundry day.¡±


    The early morning news at 5am has announced that the humidity for the day. Shuu Ren pulls in a deep breath through her nose and slowly breaths out while running her nose.


    Shuu Ren: [The weather news is right. The air is so dry that the inside of my nose is bone dry. My nose is going to bleed at this rate.] ¡°My laundry will be dry in¡­ Fuuuuu¡­¡±


    She quickly rubs her hands together to warm them. The warmth of the sun that she was waiting for did nothing to alleviate the biting cold she has been enduring since she hung the laundry up to dry. She skips into the warmth of her apartment and closes the balcony door behind her.


    __________________________________


    Shuu Ren: ¡°Okay, we¡¯re ready.¡±


    Ama: ¡°Kiu. Kiu. Kiu.¡±


    She lightly taps the wire cage surrounding the female golden eagle, Ama. The eagle peeps energetically, its eye trailing behind Shuu Ren¡¯s finger. Shuu Ren gently smiles and pulls her winter coat over her shoulders.


    Shuu Ren: ¡°Okay, second check.¡±


    She opens her bag and checks her contents. Her falconry gloves are there. And more importantly, her prescribed nutritional supplements are there. Satisfied, she puts her bag on her shoulders and walks up to the balcony door.


    -Klakka Klakka-


    She rattles the door to check if it is firmly closed and tugs at the lock to see if it is secured properly. She then reaches up high to grip the window over the balcony. She tugs the lever in place and twists the keys in the lock with her other hand.


    Yozora: ¡°Mureeeoow¡­¡±


    Shuu Ren turns around and sees her cat sitting on the furniture next to her. Her eyes darts between Shuu Ren and the now locked window.


    Shuu Ren: ¡°Yozora, the weather forecast says that today is a bit colder than normal, so I¡¯m locking the exits out of the apartment. I know it¡¯s boring, but is for your own safety, okay?¡±


    Yozora: ¡°Meeeooowuwuwu¡­¡±


    Yozora draws out her cry a bit longer than usual. Shuu Ren gets the gist that her cat is upset. She snickers and brushes her cat¡¯s head.


    Shuu Ren: ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡±


    Yozora extends her paw and taps the keys in Shuu Ren¡¯s hand. Shuu Ren lets out a snicker before pocketing her keys. She brushes Yozora¡¯s head one more time and walks over to the birdcage.


    Shuu Ren: ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s get you to the veterinary hospital to get you checked up. Hisakawa-san is waiting.¡± [I have to apologize to her for you breakout during my Tokyo trip.]


    Ama: ¡°Kiu. Kiu. Kiu.¡±


    Shuu Ren carries the cage and makes her way to the door.


    Yozora: ¡°Mew.¡±


    The cat darts towards the door and sits down in front of it. She turns her head towards Shuu Ren, expecting her to open the door. Shuu Ren casts an annoyed look at Yozora.


    Shuu Ren: ¡°Yozora. Stay.¡±


    Yozora stares at her and twitches her ear. Shuu Ren walks backwards against the door while watching over Yozora and slowly opens it. Seeing the sunlight pouring through the door crack, Yozora pounces forward.


    Shuu Ren: ¡°Yozo- Wait- No!¡±


    Shuu Ren scoops up the cat with her foot. Lifting the cat with one foot, she hops out the door with the other. She places Ama to the side and picks up Shuu Ren in her arms.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    Shuu Ren: ¡°Yozora, stay in the house for today.¡±


    Yozora: ¡°Meow.¡±


    Shuu Ren: ¡°Now¡­ There you go.¡±


    She bends down and gently tosses Yozora inside. Landing on her feet, Yozora turns around and darts at the closing door.¡±


    Shuu Ren: ¡°No, Yozora.¡±


    The cat is stopped by Shuu Ren¡¯s finger extended from the door crack. She nudges Yozora on the nose.


    Shuu Ren: ¡°I¡¯ll be back soon.¡±


    She retracts her finger and closes the door shut. The keys jingle on the other side of the door and the lock engages. Yozora grooms herself in front of the door before darting across the living room.


    __________________________________


    A small creature scurries through the tall grass. Its brown and grey fur is ruffled and battered. Its limbs are screaming in pain due to heavy injury but it refuses to slow down for a monster has set it up as its prey. It speeds through the tall grass hoping to shake off the monster but the noise of the rustling tall grass has hidden the approach of an impending doom.


    -Whap-


    Mouse: ¡°Kichi!¡±


    The mouse flies up over the tall grass. A black paw has swiped at its side and sent it flailing in the air. As the mouse falls down to the tall grass, two paws with black fur emerge from the under the tall grass and catch the mouse in midair.


    -Whap-


    Mouse: ¡°Chi-!¡±


    The paws swing down with the mouse in their clutches onto the ground. The mouse cries out upon impact and lies motionless on the spot. The paws step forward to reveal their owner, a black cat with a velvet pet collar with a metal tag that reads ¡®Yozora¡¯.


    Yozora: ¡°Mew.¡±


    -Df Df Df-


    Yozora stomps on the mouse with its paws. She uses her weight to stomp harder on the mouse. Sensing that the mouse is already dead, she swipes the body to the side and walks back through the tall grass.


    Yozora: ¡°Mew.¡±


    Yozora jumps onto the concrete wall and lay down to rest. The mouse has been a worthwhile prey. Having lasted for nearly an hour of chasing and smacking the poor mouse, she felt that she had a good exercise. She huffs at the its unfortunate luck. The foolish mouse had been sniffing around near the apartments. To stumble across it just as she managed to escape from her owner¡¯s home, she decided to punish the rodent for approaching her home. Its original intention of scavenging food and shelter from the cold, Yozora gave it an ironic death of exhaustion in the cold.


    Fully rested from the chase earlier, Yozora stands up and continues her patrol around the neighborhood. She reminds herself to jump into a hot bath before her owner comes back. The Taneshima household will do. She will hop in after the woman of the Taneshima family leaves and before the live-in university student comes in to drink the bath water.


    Her ears perk up. Someone is making a lot of noise in the neighborhood. It is the daughter of the Kawaguchi household, Sumiko. Noticing something else, Yozora runs in full sprint in the woman¡¯s direction.


    __________________________________


    Sumiko: ¡°Ah, those idiots!¡±


    The college freshman cries out in anguish. She checks the time on her phone and continues her running.


    Sumiko: ¡°What the hell are you doing, Kouda?! I was told that I would be picked up from my place but everyone is meeting up at the campus entrance!¡±


    She frowns in anger. She opens her phone to check her location.


    Sumiko: [This neighborhood is a maze! Even though the college is near, getting to it is a pain!]


    She glances at the street signs and returns her attention to her phone.


    Sumiko: [¡­ This turn up ahead and a straight shot to the colleg-] ¡°Uwah!¡±


    She stumbles over her high heel and catches herself from falling. Her face frowns once more over the predicament she is in. She steadies herself and jogs around the turn into a main street. Seeing the college in the distance, Sumiko feels that her little ordeal is over. She then turns on the phone selfie camera and uses it as a mirror to adjust her disheveled look.


    Yozora: ¡°Meeoow!¡±


    Sumiko: ¡°Wha-? Ah! It¡¯s that old lady¡¯s cat!¡±


    A cat cry alerts Sumiko of her surroundings and she sees Yozora running next to her right flank. She ignores the cat and returns her attention to her phone.


    Yozora: ¡°Meeoow!¡±


    Sumiko: ¡°You¡¯re being noisy! Go away!¡±


    Yozora runs closer to Sumiko¡¯s legs and knocks her leg for a moment.


    Sumiko: ¡°Wa~Ah! You, stupid cat! Shoo!¡±


    She tries to swipe at Yozora with her feet but the cat dodges out of the way and keeps pace with Sumiko¡¯s running. Getting vexed, Sumiko is about to say something when her phone rings. It is a message from her group. Its contents enrages her.


    Sumiko: ¡°I don¡¯t want to heard that shit from you, Kouda!!¡±


    She approaches the street crossing. The pedestrian traffic light is still glowing green.


    Sumiko: [Looks like I can make it.]


    Yozora: ¡°Meeoow!¡±


    Sumiko: ¡°Shoo!¡±


    At her wits end, Sumiko is irritated at the constant pestering of the cat. Yozora, on the other hand, is fed up as well and jumps in between Sumiko¡¯s legs.


    Sumiko: ¡°What the- AAH!¡±


    Her legs entangled with the cat, she lost her balance and falls to the ground. She stops her fall with both her hands and drops on her side right before the pedestrian crossing. Her hands are hurting, her appearance is ruined, and she is lying on the street. Sumiko snaps and got up.


    Sumiko: ¡°WHAT IS WRONG WITH YO-!!¡±


    -FWOOOOM-


    A large truck zooms past her at high speed. The wind generated from the truck hits her face and wind toss her hair upwards. Sumiko lean backwards in a heavy breath. She glances up at the pedestrian traffic light. The light that is green has just turned red the moment she looked at it. The driver of the truck must have been speeding and brazenly ignored the traffic light due to the empty street void of people.


    Yozora: ¡°Mew.¡±


    Yozora gets up from between Sumiko¡¯s legs and sat in front in front of her feeling proud of herself.


    Sumiko: [Had I not fallen¡­]


    Sumiko is stunned by the sudden brush with death. She slowly gets on her feet while trying to take in the spectacle from before.


    Yozora: ¡°Mew.¡±


    The cat watches the woman closely as she gets up. Filled with anticipation for praise and gratitude Yozora sits proudly in front of the woman. However, something interrupted Yozora¡¯s senses. She quickly turns around, sniffing the air and turning her ears. Her fur begins to rise and her breath turns into a growl.


    Yozora: "Graaoouu..."


    Sumiko: ¡°Ah! Wait!¡±


    Yozora sprints back to the neighborhood. Sumiko, surprised at the sudden departure of her savior, calls out to her. However, Yozora ignores her. She senses a strange person within the vicinity of her home. She picks up her speed, faster and faster until her form becomes a blur.


    __________________________________

 Prologue | Chapter 14 – The Ghost City

    __________________________________


    -Pon~-


    The indicator sign lights up, telling its passengers that the bus has reached its station.


    Announcer: "We have arrived at Station Number 7. Please check your belongings before exiting the bus. Thank you for patronage. Have a nice day."


    The passengers quickly exit the bus and scatter to other bus lines and station exits. One passenger is the still on board the bus. Carrying her coat in arms and her backpack haphazardly slung over her shoulder, Nila steps of the bus and walks over to a nearby bench.


    Nila: "Guh..."


    -Glatatata-


    She drops her coat on the bench armrest and her backpack on the bench itself. The bench''s metal frame rattles from the weight. Steadying the frame with her hand, she sits down on the bench and relaxes her posture.


    Nila: *Ow...*


    She massages her shoulders. They have become sore and painful, having accumulated during the bus trip. Holding on to a heavy coat and backpack has put her body frame under significant stress.


    Nila: [This will take a whole day to recover. But...]


    She releases her mana reserves and floods her circulatory system with mana. A warm feeling washes over her. Having a surplus of energy at its disposal, her body goes to work in healing and repair.


    Nila: *Ooh~*


    Nila sighs in comfort as her extremities turns warm from being rigid and cold. With her ailment tended to, she shifts her focus to her surroundings.


    Nila: "Hm?"


    In a high window, far in the distance, a mountain with a white snowy peak can barely be seen. Nila picks up a travel brochure from her coat and skims through it.


    Nila: "Mount Iwaki..."


    She sees Hirosaki''s famed monument in full view in the brochure. Alongside the mountain, pictures of apple orchards and an ancient castle decorated the brochure.


    Nila: "Hirosaki huh..." [What a calm city.]


    She checks her shoulders. The sore feeling has disappeared. They have healed completely.


    Nila: "Now, to look for her."


    She recalls the details of her task. Find the woman, Jiang Shuu Ren, and scout the site of her home.


    Nila: [Jiang Shuu Ren. I think she was that woman back in the medical facilty. Of all the coincidences. Still she is this city. I have to-]


    "How are you doing, Ama-san? You''ve turned quiet."


    Hearing the familiar voice, Nila turns in surprise. Lo and behold, the woman she is looking for is standing a short distance away, talking into a cage covered by a cloth.


    Nila: [Wha the- She''s right there!]


    Nila quickly retrieves her coat and back pack. She slowly approaches the woman.


    Nila: [Should I make contact? Or should I leave and just scout her home?]


    -Tick-


    Nila becomes wary in an instant. She stops in her tracks and puts her attention to her surroundings.


    Nila: [This is weird. There¡¯s nothing.]


    Shuu Ren: ¡°Eh?¡±


    Shuu Ren continues her path and sees Nila in front of her. Recognizing her from the medical institute in Tokyo, she unconsciously let out a puzzled reaction.


    Nila: [Shit. Okay. I¡¯ll talk to her. I have to start a conversation.]


    Sensing that her cover is blown, Nila calms herself. She readies herself to talk to the woman. Stringing sentences together, making up a faux background for herself. She is ready.


    -Tick-


    Nila: [!!!]


    In an instant, she freezes.


    -Tick-


    Again, her mind is thrown into confusion. A storm of anxiety churns her thoughts. What should she do? How will she confront this? What lies ahead?


    -Tick-


    Just like that, her world is stuck. Before she can decide her next action, be it a halfhearted one or one made in the spur of the moment, the next one merciless cuts it away.


    Shuu Ren: ¡°Hello?¡±


    Nila: ¡°Uehheh?¡±


    The woman Nila is supposed to keep an eye on approached her. Her greeting pushes her mind off the blank and still world and her sense fall back to reality once more.


    Shuu Ren ¡°Are you alright? You looked like you wanted to talk to me. So¡­¡±


    Nila: ¡°A-ah¡­ Sorry. I was dazed for a moment.¡±


    Nila recalls her thoughts. Her crafted script that had scattered across her mind. Salvaging what is left, she nervously let out her words.


    Nila: ¡°We¡¯ve met before, right? In Tokyo.¡±


    Shuu Ren: ¡°So it really is you. The delivery person?¡±


    Nila: ¡°Yes. I already quit though.¡±


    Shuu Ren:  *Eeeh?*


    Ignoring Shuu Ren¡¯s muffled surprise, Nila extends her left hand towards her.


    Nila: ¡°Nila-¡±


    -Tick-


    Her stomach lurches. Her breath seizes up and her body freezes once more. Her mind turns darker and darker.


    Shuu Ren: ¡°Jiang Shuu Ren.¡±


    Shuu Ren grabs Nila¡¯s hand and shakes it. At the moment of her touch, Nila is free once more and gasps for air.


    Nila: ¡°Ni-Nila Marie.¡±


    Shuu Ren: ¡°Marie is your surname is it?¡±


    Nila: ¡°Yes.¡±


    Shuu Ren: ¡°Then, Marie-san, nice to meet you.¡±


    Nila: ¡°Nice to meet you, Jiang-san.¡±


    After the exchange of greetings, Shuu Ren subtly checks the time on her watch. In spite of this, Nila catches upon it immediately.


    Nila: [Her bus is coming up soon. I must get something out of this. But¡­ How?]


    Noticing the bird cage Shuu Ren is holding, Nila points to it and asks.


    Nila: "What is-"


    -Tick-


    Shuu Ren: "Hmm?¡± [Is she nervous?]


    Shuu Ren is puzzled at the woman before her. She follows the direction of her finger pointing and realizes her intention.


    Shuu Ren: ¡°Oh?"


    She smiles and gentle lifts the cage higher. Her chest swells with pride as she lifts one side of the cloth covering the cage.


    Shuu Ren: "This is a golden eagle. Her name is Amaterasu."


    Nila peers into the cage and sees the bird within. Her body is brought as low as possible with her head arched back as if she about to lunge forward. Her tail is pointed upwards as if ready to fan downwards for propulsion. Her eyes fixed on Nila and her beak is left slightly agape. The appearance of the golden eagle shows Nila her intentions. Nila unconsciously retreats a step back.


    Nila: "She''s a pretty bird."


    Nila looks at the bird. Her incredible animosity. Nila could only wonder. Is this bird the cause of it all?


    Shuu Ren: "She is, isn''t she? She is usually is very active but now she quiet. I thought she might be stressed from bustling people at the station so I covered her cage."


    Shuu Ren talks some more about her bird while Nila feels that she must escape from here.


    Nila: [I could take a picture of her. I can at least do that before I get out of here.]


    She slowly reaches for a phone in her coat pocket. The golden eagle twitches and her focus turns towards Nila¡¯s creeping hand.


    -Tick-


    Nila: [Guh!]


    That same experience. The feeling of helplessness and the futility of trying. Nila stops her hand from moving any further.


    Nila: [I must ask for her approval. Then maybe¡­]


    Nila breaks eye contact and looks directly at Shuu Ren. At the same time, her heart jumps, expecting the horrible experience to strike her once again.


    Nila: "Can I take a picture of you with the bird?"


    Shuu Ren: ¡°O-Of course.¡±


    Shuu Ren adjusts the cloth covering to show more of the bird. Nila takes a few steps back. The added distance between her and the bird never felt so liberating. Shuu Ren straightens up her posture and holds up the cage. Nila reaches for her coat pocket and takes out a phone. Nothing happened this time. Setting up the phone¡¯s camera, she holds the phone in Shuu Ren¡¯s direction.


    Nila: "Smile."


    Shuu Ren puts on an earnest smile and brings her head closer to the cage. The golden eagle reads the situation and eases slightly by lowering its tail.


    -Kichik-


    Nila checks the photo and pockets her phone. Shuu Ren pulls the cloth over the cage once more and lowers it to her side.


    Nila: "Thank you."


    Shuu Ren: "You''re welcome."


    With her task completed, Nila retreats a bit further. She realizes her tactless action and calls out to Shuu Ren.


    Nila: "I have somewhere to go. And your bus will be here soon.¡±


    Shuu Ren glances at her wristwatch and nods. Before parting ways, she waves at Nila.


    Shuu Ren: "Okay. Have a nice day."


    As they walk their separate ways, Nila increase her walking speed. Once outside the station, she breaks into a run.


    -Fwooooo-


    Her mana reserves are released and her body cuts through the air. The end of the pedestrian walkway before the street a few blocks away reaches her within seconds.


    -PTHAK-


    Her feet slams into the concrete and her body soars into the air. In one desperate leap, she flies across the street and hit the top edge of a two-storey building.


    Nila: "Gahaa!"


    She scrambles up the top of the building and lies down on the flat roof. In her heavy heaves for breath, her thoughts finally caught up to her.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    Nila: [What the fuck! What was that?!]


    She replays all of her memories of that encounter. The eagle that made her froze in fear and helplessness. Nila clenches her fists in frustration. This feeling of helplessness and futility. For her to experience it again despite the strength she has obtained. To feel vulnerable and weak.


    Nila: [What will I find at her home?]


    That thought stabs fear into her heart. What lays waiting at Jiang Shuu Ren¡¯s home if a bird she brought along reduced her to a wreck?


    __________________________________


    Nila: [The university is in that direction. Her home is near here.]


    She casts a side-glance at the street leading to the university and continues her path towards the apartments.


    Nila: [I wonder what her home looks like.]


    **********************************


    Her body is brought as low as possible with her head arched back as if she about to lunge forward. Her tail is pointed upwards as if ready to fan downwards for propulsion. Her eyes fixed on Nila and her beak is left slightly agape. The appearance of the golden eagle shows Nila her intentions.


    **********************************


    She stops in her tracks. Her experience in her first direct encounter with Shuu Ren is barely half an hour ago. She laid still on that roof before mustering up enough courage to continue one. Her fear freshly planted in her pulse in anxiety of what she might encounter at the woman¡¯s home.


    Nila: ¡°It¡¯s here.¡±


    She looks up at the three-storey apartment block in front of her. On the second floor, the fifth apartment from the left is the home of Jiang Shuu Ren. Nila places her hand over her cotton choker. No one is at home. Not sensing any reaction, her confidence grows a little more.


    Nila: ¡°Hup.¡±


    In a short leap, she jumps to the second floor and hops over the railing. Walking past the apartments, she takes a closer look at the doors.


    Nila: [Standard lock. No problem for me.]


    She stops in front of the fifth apartment from the left. Shuu Ren¡¯s apartment. Nila places her hand on the door and checks it closely.


    Nila: [If I break into her home and plant some electronics, Anne can-]


    -Tick-


    Nila: ¡°AH!¡±


    She recoils backwards. Her back slams against the railing. Completely different from ones she was used to. Just as similar to those at the bus station.


    Nila: [NO!]


    She looks around in panic. Nothing. Not a soul around her.


    Nila: [I can still-]


    She reaches for the zipper on her backpack.


    -Tick-


    Her mind turns dark. The lowest point she experience before Shuu Ren snapped her out of it. Nila is brought down to this point once more.


    Nila: *HIIGUH!*


    Almost instantly, she lost her will to stand her ground. She must escape, no matter what. Her eyes dart at the buildings near her.


    Nila: [I need to get away from here.]


    -Tick¡­ Tick¡­ Tick¡­-


    It has become a pattern. Something unheard of. For a few to cause so much confusion and uncertainty, a continuous pattern is too much. She gasps in unbridled fear.


    Nila: *No...*


    -Tick¡­ Tick¡­ Tick¡­-


    Her mind turns darker and darker. So much that her vision begins to darken as well. Nila looks around in desperation. She dare not move. Because she knows that it will result in her death.


    -Tick¡­ Tick¡­ Tick¡­-


    Nila: "No!" [My escape!]


    She cries out in desperation. She can¡¯t see any more. Even though her eyes can technically see, her mind has shut off her senses. She can¡¯t see. She can¡¯t hear. She can¡¯t tell what is up or down. The only thing that feels stronger is the looming presence of death.


    -Tick¡­ Tick¡­ Tick¡­-


    Nila: "Let me go!"


    Tears welling up in her eyes, Nila throws out a desperate plea. And then, something from the reality that is separated from her responds back.


    Cat: "Mreeooow!"


    Nila: "Haagh!"


    Nila falls backwards and lands on her bottom. Her senses returns to her and she quickly looks around. She places her hand against her cotton choker. It has stopped. Gasping for breath, her eyes catch sight of a black cat in front of her.


    Nila: "The cat?"


    Her suspicions are on point. Her black fur is standing on end. Her body is arched low to the floor. Her light blue eyes wide and a low growl can be heard from her. Like the golden eagle, the black cat is showing Nila the utmost peak of hatred.


    Cat: "Mrrreeooww."


    The cat slowly walks forward.


    -Tick Tick Tick Tick Tick Tick-


    Nila: [No!]


    She retreats as quickly as she can. Her hands push back against the floor and her heels scrape over it. She tries to puts as much distance between her and the cat. Her senses are lost again. But the cat. The cat is clear as ever in contrast to the background of indescribable nothingness.


    Nila: [Eh?]


    She realizes that her distance from the cat has not increased for a while now. Only then, she notices the dull pain from the back of her head. She has back herself against the wall. But if she has hit the wall, then¡­


    Nila: [The stairs!]


    She turns for a split second to look for the stairs near her.


    Cat: "MROOOOWWww."


    In an instant, the cat which was a few meters away appears before Nila in an instant, her fangs bared and growling.


    -TickTickTickTickTickTickTick-


    Nila: ¡°A-aAAH!!¡±


    Nothing. There¡¯s nothing she can do now. She has been fighting against that fact from the beginning. Finally accepting her fate, she curls herself up as small as possible and sobs.


    Nila: "Please¡­ Let me go."


    -TickTickTickTickTickTickTick-


    -TickTickTickTickTickTickTick-


    -TickTickTickTickTick-


    ¡­ Silence. Nila who is cowering realizes that it has stopped. Slowly unclenching her body, she cautiously takes a peek. Everything seems to be normal. Her senses has returned. And the cat is¡­


    Nila: ¡°Haagh!¡±


    She presses her back against the wall. The cat is still in front of her, sitting up straight and watching her intently. Nila lock her eyes with the cat¡¯s. Her arm slowly inch towards the stairs. The cat notices it but keeps sitting down.


    Nila: ¡°Hoomph!¡±


    She lunge sideways and down the stairs. She lands at the bottom and scrambles to get up.


    -PRAKK-


    The moment she has a foot firm on the ground, she stamps hard with all her might and launches her body into the air.


    -Krrsssh-


    She lands on the roof of a building and runs in full sprint. She jumps to the next roof and the next. Building to building, she runs further away from the apartment complex that caused her much grief.


    __________________________________


    -Huuuu~-


    The wind howls as it dances around the tall buildings that are built together side by side. The buildings are massive, spanning twenty odd storeys, and multi-lane roads surround their sides and stretch across the landscape. It is a big city sprawl capable of housing a population in the hundreds of thousands. Yet in spite of that, the buildings, the streets, they are all empty. As the darkness of night envelops the city, the buildings are dark and hollow, emitting a silent and eerie atmosphere. The only sources of light are the brightly lit rooftops to warn any unsuspecting aircraft, the street lamps that line the street and the cluster of auroras spread across the sky. Save for a few cars driving around, the city is pretty much lifeless. A ghost city. A product of rich Chinese firms investing their money in a gamble for a chance to reap profits when the empty city flourishes into a bustling one.


    In one of the buildings, one of the elevator is rising through the floors with one occupant. Stopping at the last of the few floors from the top, the elevator doors opens. A large figure steps out. A bleached ram skull. Long shreds of what is left of a cloak. A big body blacker than the dark corridors around him. The elevator doors close and the darkness creeps over the space once more.


    Rosetta: "Hoooo..."


    Rosetta heaves a sigh and continues his walk through the corridors. He slowly approaches a door halfway through the corridor. A single light overhead illuminates its surroundings. As he step into the light, a clearer view of his figure can be seen. His head hung low and his demeanor is visibly dispirited. He stares at the door before him. The door is different from the others. It is colored warm yellow and is mysteriously worn by many years of use. He reaches for the doorknob. His hand passes through it.


    Rosetta: "Hmm..." [An open mind. Letting it all in...]


    He slowly grasps the doorknob and opens the door. A bright light emerges from the door. As the light dissipates, what is before Rosetta is an old-fashioned room. The furniture is old and simple. The old Chinese music of a woman singing in a high-pitched voice is playing on an old-fashioned record player. The room is illuminated by the warm yellow glow, like bright sunny day seen through an old yellow filter.


    Woman: "My goodness... You look like what death will look like to this frightened old woman."


    Rocking on an armchair next to a marble round table, an old woman speaks to Rosetta in Chinese. Grey hair neatly combed into a bun and wearing old Chinese robes, the old woman is well past her 90s. Feeble, wrinkled and weak, her warm presence blends in with the rest of the room. Rosetta stands before her motionless and silent. For a moment, the powerful being, possessor of a massive throve of knowledge and magic, is enthralled by the graceful old woman before him.


    Woman: "Are you one of those ''Rosetta''?"


    The woman asks him in Chinese. Rosetta answers in kind.


    Rosetta: "Yes, I am Rosetta."


    The old woman smiles gently and asks another question.


    Woman: "Do you know who I am?"


    Rosetta: "Yes¡­ Chun Xin Yi."


    The woman nods and gestures him to come over.


    Xin Yi: "No need for formalities. Just call me Xin Yi. Come, come. Have a seat. And shut the door behind you."


    Rosetta: "Thank you¡­"


    Rosetta turns around to shut the door. The warm, welcoming atmosphere is a sharp contrast to the cold and industrial grey colour of the empty corridors. Rosetta closes the door and walks over to the woman, careful to not knock any of the furniture over. Xin Yi gestures over to a marble stool. Rosetta sat down. His figure towers over the woman despite his sitting position.


    Xin Yi: "How is your journey here? I hope it was not rough on you."


    Rosetta: "No, I''m fine."


    Xin Yi: "Do you want tea?"


    Rosetta noticed a cup of tea on the table in front of him where there was nothing before. Unfortunately, he can only stare at it.


    Rosetta: "I am... Unable to drink the tea..."


    Xin Yi chuckles and waves her hand. The tea disappears as suddenly as it appeared.


    Rosetta: "Xin Yi, how are you?"


    Xin Yi: "I''m alive, if that is what you are wondering. More importantly, I am happy."


    Rosetta: "I see¡­ I am happy for you."


    Xin Yi turns her gaze upwards.


    Xin Yi: "This sky, is it the work of a girl from the Anne family?"


    Rosetta: "Yes. The enemy has stepped up their efforts. She stormed the skies as an emergency measure to protect everyone."


    Xin Yi: "She''s such a strong girl. This storm is spread out as far as the eye can see. How big is it?"


    Rosetta: "It only covers the top half of the world."


    Xin Yi: "One half of the world... Goodness, I hope she does not keep this up for too long."


    Rosetta: "No. She will recuperate every few days so she doesn''t lose energy. Does the sky being like this inconvenience you?"


    Xin Yi shakes her head and raises her hands in front of her.


    Xin Yi: "No, no. I''m just worried about her wellbeing. I know first-hand the consequences of using magic without rest. Tell her to not hurt herself for me, alright?"


    Rosetta: "I''ll pass on the message as soon as I meet her."


    The old woman lowers her head.


    Xin Yi: "Thank you."


    As she raises her head, she looks upon her hands clasped together in front if her. They are old and wrinkled. Her fingers looks fragile and her skin is thin and glassy like wax paper.


    Xin Yi: "Honestly¡­ It''s thanks to her that I am able to meet you like this... This body has grown weary and tired. Her storm that floods the air with energy has given enough life to this old woman to get out of bed."


    She starts laughing happily. Rosetta is silent, unsure of what to say. Letting her laughter die down to a chuckle, she sips from her cup of tea.


    Rosetta: "... Xin Yi, do you know why I am here?"


    Xin Yi smiles and nods.


    Xin Yi: "I do. You''re asking for my help, aren''t you?"


    Rosetta: "... Yes. Will you help me?"


    Xin Yi chuckles as Rosetta''s question.


    Xin Yi: "If I had refused, there won''t be a meeting like this, will it? Yes. I will help you. However I can."


    Xin Yi sets aside her tea cup and faces Rosetta.


    Xin Yi: "So, how can I help you?"


    Rosetta struggles to put his word together. Alas, he decided ti start from the proot of the problem.


    Rosetta: "I have accumulated a lot of enemies over the years. The followers they draw is increasing year by year."


    Xin Yi lights up and jokingly gestures at Rosetta.


    Xin Yi: "Oh? That''s one common ground we both stand on, isn''t it? Ahahahaha~"


    Rosetta: "Y-Yes... We do share that common trait... Anyway, they had recently dealt a heavy blow and gained an advantageous capability to find me. In the near future, I will be holding a meeting with my closest allies and my presence there will only draw in my enemies and bring harm and chaos."


    He extends his left hand towards Xin Yi.


    Rosetta: "I need your help in fending off these people for the duration of the meeting."


    Xin Yi: "Hoho. I am an old weak lady but I think I can handle them. With everybody''s help, I believe I''ll do just fine."


    She reaches over and shakes his hand. She then lightly taps his hand while maintaining the handshake.


    Xin Yin: "Don''t worry. No one will reach your place. I''ll protect you."


    Rosetta: "That''s good. Thank you."


    He retrieves his hand from the handshake and she retracts hers. Xin Yi looks at her hand that held the magician''s hand. Her skin feels cold but is slowly taken over by her warmth.


    Xin Yi: [This is how he is presented to the world. How unfortunate.]


    This feeling flashes through her mind as she watches her trembling hands before her.


    Rosetta: "Is there anything you need to get off your chest?"


    Xin Yi looks up to Rosetta and smiles wryly.


    Xin Yi: "I''m certain that you know of my circumstances. I''m afraid that this will be the last time I am able to help you. That''s why I''ll try my best for this one time. Until the end."


    No one spoke for a few moments after that. Rosetta stares down on the marble table while Xin Yi maintains her gentle smile and reaches her tea. The first to speak is Rosetta.


    Rosetta: "Xin Yi. If you wish it, I can grant it to you. I have the luxury to do so."


    Xin Yi raises her eyebrows in surprise. Her eyes quiver for a moment but she casts her gaze down and shakes her head while smiling. Rosetta''s figure slumps further in disappointment. Xin Yi places her hands on her knees and bows slightly before rising up again.


    Xin Yi: "I am sincerely sorry. I can''t accept your gift. His gift has given me so much happiness and fulfillment. No amount of gratitude is enough to repay his deed."


    Rosetta: "If you feel that strongly about it, won''t you want to accept another? What about your loved ones? Let me help you. Please..."


    Xin Yi shakes her head once more.


    Xin Yi: "I am satisfied with his one gift. To accept another from you is conceited of me. Thank you for your generous offer."


    Rosetta: "... I understand... But what about the others?"


    Xin Yi: "I''ve already done everything in preparation for it. Everyone, on both sides, made their peace. I am at peace."


    Rosetta: "I see... It is sad to see you go."


    Xin Yi: "On the contrary, I am glad that I am able to help you. Grateful to repay his deed... One... More... Time..."


    Rosetta: "Then..."


    He extends his arm made of dark matter towards Xin Yi. Black threads emerge from his hand and they converge in front of his hand. They reform into a sphere that keeps growing size. Ghostly white runes that dances across its surface. A sphere darker than the dark lifeless corridors outside. A mana sphere.


    Rosetta: "I''ll give you this."


    Xin Yi draws closer to gaze at the floating sphere before her. Her eyes shows admiration and fear towards it.


    Xin Yi: "This is... A gift?"


    She straightens up and looks at Rosetta with an inquiring look.


    Xin Yi: "What do I do with this?"


    Rosetta: "This is to aid you. You will be fending of strong enemies who fashioned their own magic to attack me. They are more than what you can handle in your current state."


    Rosetta bends closer with the mana sphere in hand. Xin Yi keeps her eyes fixed on it and draws back.


    Rosetta: "You need not rely on the storm to provide you with energy. You can draw as much as you need from this."


    He places the floating sphere before her. Xin Yi, whose back is pressed against her chair, can''t withdraw any further. Rosetta returns to his sitting position and takes a deep bow.


    Rosetta: "Please do not hold back and use it however you wish."


    Xin Yi realizes her reaction is appalling and relaxes her posture. She cautiously reach out with her hand close to the dark sphere. The way her hand is ever so slightly pushed when she got near is all too familiar for her.


    Xin Yi: "This is bigger than the gift I was given. Isn''t this too much? Or are the people looking for you very formidable?"


    Rosetta: "I am giving you a generous amount. I have reached the final milestone in my journey. I am fine parting with this much."


    Xin Yi: "The final milestone... You mean you''re finally done with your life mission? The last person is found?"


    Rosetta: "Yes... Yes, she is."


    Rosetta''s mood changes. He feels happy but conflicted at the same time. Xin Yi notices this and smiles. She bends forward and inquires some more.


    Xin Yi: "Is this person special? Someone more than her role as the last person in your journey?"


    Rosetta: "... Yes."


    He casts his gaze down. The conflicted feelings in him takes over and his mild cheery mood changes to a dreary miserable one. Xin Yi draws back and sips her tea. She understands that this is as far as she can tactfully inquire.


    Xin Yi: "Then I''ll take this and use it to aid you in fending off your enemies."


    She slowly reaches under the mana sphere and scoops it up with her hands.


    Xin Yi: "I will pray for the success of your final mission. Stay strong. You''re doing for more that yourself, aren''t you?


    Rosetta nods and starts to rise from his seat.


    Rosetta: "I am taking my leave now. Thank you again for your help."


    Xin Yi: "Think nothing of it. I''m doing this for the Rosetta I used to know after all."


    Rosetta leaves the table and walks to the door exit. He opens the door, spilling the warm yellow light on the cold, dark corridors outside. When he steps out, Xin Yi calls out to him.


    Xin Yi: "Hey."


    Rosetta: "Yes? What is it?"


    Xin Yi: "When you finish your final mission, what is left for you?"


    Rosetta looks at her and stands there in deep thought.


    Rosetta: "The end, I guess¡­"


    Xin Yi gently smiles upon his answer.


    Xin Yi: "I suppose that is another common ground we both share."


    Rosetta steps outside the door. He pauses when he grabs the doorknob.


    Rosetta: "Yes¡­ I suppose we do¡­"


    He closes the door and the corridor turns dark once more.


    __________________________________

 Prologue | Chapter 14.5 – Starstruck Podcast Featuring Neil Denierre Tyler

    __________________________________


    A dark skinned man sits in a soundproof studio. He wears an expensive headphones over his buzzcut hair. He attire is composed of a casual collared shirt and a pair of jeans complete with expensive branded sneakers. Laid in front of him are computer screens surrounded by various recording and broadcasting equipment. Hanging above him is a monitor screen showing an elaborate title display with the words ''Starstuck with DJ Picus"


    Picus: "Ahem. Hum."


    The DJ known as Picus clears his throat and adjusts his microphone stand. A trendy techno song has been playing for the last few minutes and is approaching its end. In the song''s last few seconds, he turns on his microphone and let iut his crisp, deep voice.


    Picus: "Hello, hello. Welcome back to Starstruck. The podcast where stars come to shine and make an impact. I am your host, Picus."


    Picus checks the screen displaying the song and the volume of his broadcast.


    Picus: "That was ''Waiting for Suncreen'' by well-renowned DJ ''A Beachie''. Such a good song. If you haven''t watched the video of this song, get on it after this show. Go on their Potatube channel ABeachieBEBO and watch it. A dog running with a tube of sunscreen to its master at the beach. Riveting stuff."


    Picus gestures to the staff outside the soundproof room. They give the ''Okay'' sign and jogs away.


    Picus: "Now, I know all of you have been waiting for this, but for those who are uninformed, I have a special star coming tonight."


    The studio staff return and gestures Picus about someone waiting outside. Picus nods and readjusts his seat.


    Picus: "He is an astrophysicist who has taken the world of science and modern culture by storm. The star host of Cosmic Conversation. The ONE, the ONLY. Professor! Neil Denierre Tyler!"


    The DJ plays the cheering and applause sound bite and turns to the door. Neil steps in beaming and waves his hands around. Picus claps as the professor sits down on a chair next to him. The staff adjusts his seat and microphone for him. They give a thumbs up and left the room.


    Neil: "Thank you, Picus. Thank you for having me here."


    Picus: "Naw, thank you for coming. Our listeners have anticipating your arrival."


    Picus reaches over to shake Neil''s hand. Neil receives his hand and shakes it. Both men laugh happily.


    Picus: "Now, I''m not sure if you''ve done, but have you looked up at the sky recently?"


    Neil: "Picus, need I remind you, I am an astrophysicist."


    Picus: "Keh-hahahaha!"


    Neil: "A-hahahaha! Looking at the sky is my job. So I know what you mean."


    Picus: "Hehehe, yea. To sum it up, two days ago, the night sky changed spectacularly."


    Neil: "The night sky is covered in auroras. As far as the eye can see."


    Neil extends his arms outward to express his description. Picus nods in approval and brings up some pictures on his screen.


    Picus: "I looking at some picyures posted online and look at this."


    He turns the monitor to Neil''s direction.


    Picus: "Auroras. Seen above Los Angeles. And here. More of them. All over New York. All across the states. All across the world."


    Neil: "Truly, a unique sight to behold. So unique, you will very likely never see this happen ever again."


    Picus: "So alright, Professor. I have been waiting for it. Everyone has been waiting waiting for it. What is it? How did this happen?"


    Neil: "Well, I''ll say the same thing all the scientists around the world has been saying. I don''t know."


    Picus: "You don''t know?"


    Neil: "I don''t know. But, me and the scientific community have come to a consensus on two theories of how the auroras has spread across the sky."


    Picus: "Two theories?"


    Neil: "Yes, two. Take note that these are just theories, so take it with a hint of skepticism."


    Picus: "Okay. So what are these theories?"


    Neil: "First, let''s start with how auroras happen. The air in the thermosphere gets ionized by the Sun''s energy that converge at the poles. This is due to the Earth''s magnetic field."


    Neil moves his hands in a circle.


    Neil: "It protects the Earth from the harmful radiation and channels it around the Earth. Some of it gets caught in the poles and that''s why there are auroras at the poles."This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Picus: "Okay. So auroras around the poles are just the Earth''s magnetic field doing it job in protecting us from the Sun''s radiation."


    Neil: "That''s right."


    Picus: "So what does it mean when this happen? The entire night sky full of auroras. What does it mean?"


    Neil: "It means a whole lot of radiation is packed into the thermosphere. So much so that auroras begin to form in places far away from the poles."


    Picus: "How much radiation are we talking about?"


    Neil: "A WHOLE lot of energy. You see, these auroras has been going for more than two days. That''s two days, non stop. The auroras doesn''t only show up at night. They are still there, even during the day. It''s just that they are outshined by the rays of our Sun."


    Picus: "Wow... That''s a lot of energy. So how much is it? Give us a number."


    Neil: "Oh, Picus... I don''t know. Gahahaha~ I don''t know. We have always compared large amounts of energy to the nuclear bomb. The Hiroshima bomb. But for something of this scale, I don''t think the Tzar Bomba is big enough for a comparison!"


    Picus: "So much energy that the Tzar Bomba can''t measure up to it. That is... WOW."


    Neil: "It''s scary isn''t it? But don''t let the numbers scare you. It''s true that the amount of energy is unheard of. But this energy is spread out all across the Earth''s thermosphere that it''s basically harmless to us. It just goes to show how big our home planet really is."


    Picus: "I see. I see. So there''s no cause for worry. Lets enjoy the light show while it lasts. Thank you, professor. I''m sure some of our listeners are finally at ease."


    Neil: "I''m glad I could help."


    Picus: "Okay. Now that we know what auroras are and what causes them, how about it, Neil? What is the two theories behind the auroras in the sky?"


    Neil: "Yes. It is without a doubt that the auroras is a space phenomenon and their cause originate from outer space. Both theories support that."


    Picus: "So it''s not about how they happen but where they come from?"


    Neil: "Oh, we know how it happened. We are looking for where the energy came from. Now, the first theory. Is our Sun flaring up and releasing energy and radiation which struck the Earth''s magnetic field."


    Picus: "The Sun? Do you mean a solar flare? Or one of those- Uh... S... ME?"


    Neil: "CME or Corona Mass Ejection."


    Picus: "Yea! Yea! One if those. Is that it?"


    Neil: "Well, no, Picus. Nothing as dangerous as that. What we are seeing is something very powerful and also quite harmless. We believe that the Sun released a burst of pure energy and radiation right at Earth. Thankfully, the Earth has a strong magnetic field, so we are given a spectacular light show instead of death and doom from above."


    Picus: "Awesome. Now, from what I understand, this is can be quite unusual for the Sun."


    Neil: "Oh, yes, it is pretty unusual. We''ve only been in this world for a few thousand years, so who knows what the Sun or space itself have in store for us. We are still learning about what the Sun can do, so pay attention to what we might discover next."


    Picus: "That is a pretty solid theory. I have to say that I am impressed."


    Neil: "Well, it''s only a theory. I can''t wait to see someone debunk this theory in a few hours on Potatube. Gahahaha!"


    Picus: "Keh-hahahaha! Let''s see them debunk two theories then. Tell us about the second theory, Professor."


    Neil: "Right. Personally, I believe that the second theory is much more sound than the first one."


    Picus: "Really? This next one has Professor Neil Denierre Tyler''s stamp of approval? This ought to be good."


    Neil: "Oh, it''s really good. I wholeheartedly support it. So. The second theory. Is a gamma ray burst. A gamma ray burst struck the Earth''s atmosphere and caused the auroras."


    Picus: "Gamma ray burst? Well, that certainly escalated. Isn''t that one of the most powerful forces in the universe?"


    Neil: "It certainly is."


    Picus: "Then how in the world is Earth still in one piece right now?"


    Neil: "Gahahaha! You are well informed about gamma ray burst, aren''t you?"


    Picus: "Kehehehe~ I have watched a few documentaries, Professor."


    Neil: "Hehehe~ You are absolutely right. Gamma ray bursts are one of the most powerful energy beams in the universe. Except this gamma ray burst in this theory is significantly weakened."


    Picus: "Weakened? Can one of the most powerful things in the universe get weakened like that?"


    Neil: "Yes. In fact, we have encountered many gamma ray bursts since we start paying attention to the space around us. The first one we encountered is GRB 670702, a gamma ray burst found by the Cold War satellite, VELA 4. There have been many of them recorded since then and it¡¯s safe to say that we are pretty unaffected by it.¡±


    Picus: ¡°So how do these burst get so weak?¡±


    Neil: ¡°A large contributor is space, or more specifically, space-time. It''s what scientists call the ''redshift''. Redshift happens when energy waves gets spread out as they travel through the vast cosmos. Blue light starts to shift to red light. High energy wave spreads out into a thin one. That''s redshift. These burst happened so long ago in a place so far away that when they finally reach Earth, their energy levels are a shadow of their real selves."


    Picus: "So as energy, light, radiation and all that, travel for a long time through the universe, they get spread out more and get weaker? That''s what happen to the gamma ray burst?"


    Neil: "Yes. This theory does suggest that this happens to the gamma ray burst."


    Picus: "So how far. Does a gamma ray burst have to travel to be weakened until it can be stopped by the Earth''s magnetic field?"


    Neil: "VERY far. So far, we think it came from a distant galaxy far, far away. In fact, all gamma ray bursts that we¡¯ve seen are from distant celestial bodies long gone billions of years ago."


    Picus: "Billions of years¡­ Now, that¡¯s old."


    Neil: "Yes, very old. Think of how lucky we are. If the gamma ray burst is a bit more closer, forget about the auroras, the atmosphere will be blasted away."


    Picus: "Phew! I hope I don''t experience a nearby gamma ray burst in my time. I am done playing russian roulette with the universe. Oh Lord, spare me from that."


    Neil: "Gahahahaha! Don''t worry. The chances of a gamma ray burst happening near Earth are incredibly small. But nonetheless we have a lot to learn from this auroras. Who knows? Next time these two theories will be disproven and a real conclusion will come out."


    Picus: "Yes. So everyone, enjoy the lightshow, whereever you are. Take a selfie, video or make sweet love with your partner under the aurora sky. Thank you all for tuning in and thank you once again, professor, for this insightful talk."


    Neil: "Thank you. I''m glad to be here to share my thoughts with you and the audience."


    Picus: "Let''s give it up for Professor Neil Denierre Tyler!"


    Picus presses a button on his soundboard and the sound of applause plays. As the sound bite ends, Picus begins talking.


    Picus: "Now that the professor has presented his view, it''s time to extend this conversation to you, listeners. A conversation is only a conversation when the other party gets to express their opinion and ask questions. Don''t you agree, professor?"


    Neil: "Absolutely. I am welcome to answer any questions and criticism on the two theories on the auroras."


    Picus: "We will be taking a break after this. Your phone calls will be taken during this break and we will be putting your questions on a list. We will pick the best ones for the professor to answer. Thank you for tuning to Starstruck, hosted by me, DJ Picus, and featuring guest star, Professor Neil Denierre Tyler."


    Neil: "Hello world."


    Picus: "We will be back. Up next, some music and a word from our sponsors."


    __________________________________

 Prologue | Chapter 14.9 – The Present and Future under an Aurora Sky

    __________________________________


    It is late in the evening. The sun has sunk into the horizon and the sky is slowly losing its orange glow. The city of Hirosaki is slowly transitioning to its night life with lights turning on in homes, buildings, and streets. High above the city and all over the sky are the famous auroras that mesmerized the whole world. With the sun and its bright rays out leaving the stage, the auroras now have a chance to embrace the city with its beautiful glow. In a neighborhood playground, standing on top of the children¡¯s slide, a woman tries to take a picture of the aurora sky.


    Chihiro: ¡°Hmm¡­ Mnnn¡­¡±


    She stands on the tip of her feet as she holds her phone as high as she can. She flips through various filters and squints at the phone display. Making a disappointed face, she lowers a phone and bends over to face another woman standing next to the slide.


    Chihiro: ¡°Shuu~ Chan~ I can¡¯t get a good picture. They are still too faint!¡±


    Shuu Ren: ¡°Then we can wait until it gets darker! For now, get down from there!¡±


    Chihiro sits down on the slide and extends her arms out to Shuu Ren.


    Chihiro: ¡°Shuu-chan! Catch me!¡±


    Shuu Ren: ¡°No. Stop being childish.¡±


    Chihira: ¡°Myaa~¡±


    She crosses her arms and slides down the slide. Shuu Ren sighs and holds out her hand to help her up. Chihiro beams as she takes her hand.


    Chihiro: ¡°Hehe~¡±


    Shuu Ren: ¡°You are full of energy even when it¡¯s late in the day. Didn¡¯t you say you were pretty full with food from company party dinner? You¡¯re hurting yourself if you run around like that.¡±


    Chihiro: ¡°Muu¡­ I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m a full-grown woman.¡±


    Shuu Ren: ¡°Hmm¡­ But you are the one asking me to pamper you?¡±


    Chihiro: ¡°Nuh-¡±


    Chihiro jolts in realization and pouts.


    Chihiro: ¡°Then! Then! It¡¯s my turn to worry over you, Shuu-chan!¡±


    Shuu Ren: ¡°Chihiro¡­ Stop being-¡°


    Chihiro grabs Shuu Ren¡¯s arms.


    Chihiro: ¡°Shuu-chan! Why did you reject the promotion?¡±


    Shuu Ren: ¡°Eh? Ah.¡±


    During the dinner earlier, President Aoi had personal meetings with all the employees who played major roles in securing the Apple Ame contract. She had evaluated their skills and offered a job promotion to them. Shuu Ren was one of those selected by her but she turned the offer down.


    Chihiro: ¡°We will find a place to talk!¡±


    She marches over to the playground swings and taps it with her hand.


    Chihiro: ¡°Over here. We will have a talk here.¡±


    Shuu Ren: ¡°You don¡¯t have to make a big deal out of this¡­¡±


    Chihiro runs behind Shuu Ren and nudges her repeatedly.


    Chihiro: ¡°Go! Go!¡±


    Shuu Ren: ¡°Wha- Chihiro!¡±


    Shuu Ren reluctantly sits down on the swing and Chihiro sits down next to her. After giving a huff, Chihiro turns to Shuu Ren.


    Chihiro: "So, why did you reject the job promotion?"


    Shuu Ren withdraws reflexively before throwing a question to change the subject.


    Shuu Ren: "You rejected your own job promotion too. What is your reason for doing that?"


    Chihiro: "Muu... Don''t change the subject!"


    She puffs her cheeks in protest. Shuu Ren makes a disgruntled look and sighs.


    Shuu Ren: "Rejecting a promotion offer is no big deal for an old woman like me but you are a young woman with a bright future. Why did you throw away that opportunity?"


    Chihiro: "Mu!"


    Chihiro puffs her cheek even more. Having to handle such a difficult situation, Shuu Ren makes a troubled face. She closes her eyes to arrange her thoughts and after a few moments, she faces Chihiro with determination.


    Shuu Ren: "Alright, Chihiro, I''ll go first, but I have to hear you reason next."


    Chihiro stops pouting and listened to Shuu Ren with her eyes beaming.


    Shuu Ren: "Stop it with those eyes. My reason is nothing special. I''m just too old."


    Chihiro: "Bu! That''s ridiculous! You''re pretty energetic!"


    She huffs and starts swinging her seat.


    Shuu Ren: "No, no. I''m in my mid forties. I can''t keep up with any of the youths these days. Besides..."


    She holds up her hand and begins counting with her fingers.


    Shuu Ren: "The job I''m offered requires me to be more proactive. More travelling between the company branches. More staff to handle. More meetings, now with branch executives. Having to prepare many reports from the branches to the executives. This old body cannot cope with this much work."


    One by one she lists the tasks of the job by lifting her fingers. She then closes her hand and puts it down.


    Shuu Ren: "Plus, the higher I climb the corporate ladder, the more muddy the office politics become."


    Her voice turns solemn and serious. Chihiro, taken aback by the sudden change in tone, calls out to her.


    Chihiro: "Shuu-chan?"


    Shuu Ren: "When power and salary gets big, competition can get a bit ruthless. Behaviors get unsavory and watching your back becomes a useful habit. These kinds of things are for the youth with determination and tenacity or the old with wisdom, experience, and deep pockets. No place for an old woman who has mellowed over the years."


    -Kriik Kriik-


    Chihiro sits there and swings quietly. Shuu Ren realizes that she has brought down the mood with her serious tone and quickly talks in a more light-hearted tone.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    Shuu Ren: "That''s the not only reason, Chihiro. I have many things that I need to tend to. My home and more importantly, my cat, Yozora. The golden eagle, Ama-san, which is my responsibility. I''m also worried about you too, Chihiro."


    After counting them with her fingers, she looks at Chihiro. She is make a difficult face that is stuck between worry and elation.


    Chihiro: "T-Then, I can help too! I can take care of Yozora when you''re out of town."


    Shuu Ren: "It''s not as simple as my trip to Tokyo. It will be very troublesome for you and I''ll be a bad, selfish person for making you do that. Plus, if I neglect taking care of Yozora, she will hate me."


    Chihiro: *Yozora would never...*


    Chihiro looks away and whispered something inaudible. Shuu Ren grips the chains of her seat and arches her body backwards to check on the sky.


    Shuu Ren: "Anyway, that''s not the main point. I''m old. A job like that will put my health at risk. Forgive me for saying this, but I am still not accepting that job. Because... I have my own plans for my future."


    She gently pats her stomach. Her stomach that now bears another life.


    Shuu Ren: "I''m sorry, Chihiro. My mind has been made up."


    See the gentle response, Chihiro lost her vigor and returns a big smile.


    Chihiro: "I see. Aah~ I forgot about about that."


    Chihiro returns to her swing and rocks back and forth.


    Chihiro: "I see... In a few months, a baby will be born. Your schedule will be too much if you take the new job."


    Chihiro turns to Shuu Ren with a bright happy face.


    Chihiro: "Alright. I support your decision. Rejecting the job is the right call."


    Shuu Ren: "Thank you, Chihiro. It means a lot."


    Chihiro: "Huhu~ Then make me the godmother of your child. I won''t accept anything else. I want to a godchild!"


    Chihiro looks expectantly at Shuu Ren who responds with a wry smile.


    Shuu Ren: "Ah- Okay. I''ll rely on you when the time comes."


    Chihiro: "Yay!"


    Chihiro throws her arm up in the air in celebration. Shuu Ren watches her intently and decides to continue their conversation.


    Shuu Ren: "Hey, Chihiro."


    Chihiro: "Hm?"


    Shuu Ren: "Let''s continue the conversation from earlier."


    Chihiro: "S-Sure."


    Knowing the direction of the conversation, she lowers her arms to her knees and straightens up.


    Shuu Ren: "Chihiro, why did you reject you promotion?"


    Shuu Ren looks directly at Chihiro. Chihiro''s eyes dart to one side and her head turns sideways to avoid eye contact.


    Chihiro: "Why did I reject it, right? Hahahaha~"


    She brushes her hair nervously.


    Shuu Ren: "From the four years I have been working with you, I know that you are a very capable person. I wish for you to put that energy and enthusiam into something for your sake."


    Chihiro: "You''re exaggerating, Shuu-chan."


    Shuu Ren: "I''m not. Take the Apple Ame contract for example. When President Aoi moved the meeting into their harvest season, you manage to negotiate cooperation from them in my place while I was in Tokyo. I am truly thankful for that."


    Shuu Ren clasps her hands together and bows her head and torso. Surprised at her bowing, Chihiro anxiously raises Shuu Ren by the shoulders.


    Chihiro: "Please raise your head! I am just doing my job. Don''t be so humble!"


    Shuu Ren straightens her neck and continues her speech.


    Shuu Ren: "It also shows how capable you are. You''ve held your position long enough. Why not strive for higher?"


    Chihiro nervously scratches her cheek while looking away. She then faces Shuu Ren and closes her eyes to think.


    Chihiro: "Hmm... How do I put this?"


    Finally settled on an answer, Chihiro opens her eyes and answers earnestly.


    Chihiro: "I rejected the promotion because I am scared of the job and the competition that comes with it."


    An unexpected answer. Shuu Ren is speechless for a moment. Chihiro returns her gaze forward and starts swinging.


    Chihiro: "It''s just as you said, the higher you go up the corporate ladder, the more cutthroat the competition is."


    She stops swinging and begins tapping her legs together.


    Chihiro: "I may be young and competent but I''m no different than the others that made it up there as well. What is that saying again? A prodigy at a young age..."


    Chihiro struggles to remember the phrase correctly. Wanting to continue the conversation, Shuu Ren chimes in.


    Shuu Ren: "A prodigy as a child, a genius as a teenager, an average person as an adult."


    Happy with her answer, Chihiro smiles brightly and makes an ''O'' sign with one hand.


    Chihiro: "That one! Yes, that''s right... I''ll be just the same as the others, waiting to be triumphed over by those who are ruthless and merciless."


    Chihiro settles down and makes a downcast look before looking at Shuu Ren.


    Chihiro: "Shuu-chan, when I was a kid, I was one of those quiet girls who like to keep her head low. I had an average appearance since I started school and since I didn''t draw attention, I am alone for both my middle and high school period."


    Faced with new information about her colleague, Shuu Ren is not sure what to say.


    Shuu Ren: "That is... Terrible."


    Chihiro: "Oh, it wasn''t bad. In fact, I was never lonely. I focused on my study and I also had many other things to learn."


    Shuu Ren: "Were you alienated by you classmates?"


    Chihiro shakes her head.


    Chihiro: "No... You probably don''t like this about me, but I was the person who watches everyone from a distance. I guess it''s more like spying. I spied on all sorts of people and draw anything I could learn from their interactions. Bullying, lying, betrayal, friendship, teamwork, puppy love. I learned all sorts of things from the people around me as they interact with one another."


    Shuu Ren: "..."


    She keeps quiet and let Chihiro continue.


    Chihiro: "I thought that if I learn any of these I would be well prepared for the situation if it pops up. I hate the saying, ''Life is unexpected and you are always not prepared for it.'' I would say ''Screw that, I can prepare for those mistakes by learning about them through watching others!''"


    She shakes her fist in the air before settling down.


    Chihiro: "But you know, that saying rings true and I can''t help but feel that I am not prepared at all... Those feelings truly hit me when I finished high school. There was truly nothing I can learn from the adults because they keep to themselves and I''ll just get in their way."


    She turns to Shuu Ren and smiles gently.


    Chihiro: "But then, I met you. At first, you were one of those capable adults I fear, but you reached out to me and helped me. Teaching me, nurturing my growth. More than that, you became my best friend. In a way, you saved me from a path of uncertainty. I am very grateful for that."


    Shuu Ren: "... Chihiro..."


    Chihiro: "So if I am to take on a better job, I¡¯ll be leaving your care."


    Chihiro puts on a wry smile.


    Chihiro: "It¡¯s kind of scary. So let me stay like this for a bit longer."


    Shuu Ren: "¡­ I can''t in good conscience let you waste your life like that."


    Chihiro: "It''s not a waste. I will go off on my own and find my own path. I promise you, I will ¡®spread my wings¡¯, so to say. But for now, I want to stay with you and mature a bit."


    Shuu Ren looks at Chihiro. It hurts to see her head lowered and her body hunched over. However, her face shows bright determination and it puts her heart at ease. Shuu Ren puts on a warm smile.


    Shuu Ren: ¡°Alright. Don¡¯t take too long, Chihiro. Do your best. I¡¯ll support you all the way.¡±


    Chihiro smiles brightly, her eyes wet with tears.


    Chihiro: ¡°I will! Watch me!¡±


    Shuu Ren: ¡°Don¡¯t cry! Here, wipe your eyes.¡±


    She passes Chihiro some tissue paper. Chihiro gladly takes some and gently dabs the tissue paper on her eyes.


    Chihiro: ¡°So, do you need to talk to Kinoshita, Hamasaki, and Maeda about their life choices?¡±


    Shuu Ren: ¡°They all took their promotions on the spot. Suzuki and Tanaka also accepted theirs. I expect you to prepare a small congratulatory gift for each of them before they take their leave. I¡¯ll present them my own as well.¡±


    Chihiro: ¡°Haha~¡±


    Chihiro stands up from her seat and stretches her arms.


    Chihiro: "Oh? The auroras have finally come out! Look! Don''t they look amazing?"


    Chihiro looks up at the sky and notices the dark sky that contrasts the bright colours of the auroras. The dark neighborhood gives off minimal background light which allowed the stars to stay visible in the night sky.


    Chihiro: "Hey, take a picture of me with the auroras! I''ll stand on the slide!"


    Shuu Ren: "O-Okay."


    Chihiro points towards the slide and pulls out her phone. She hands Shuu Ren her phone and runs to the slide to climb it.


    Shuu Ren: "Chihiro, be careful!"


    Chihiro: "Okay!"


    Chihiro answers as her head pokes over the top of her slide smiling.


    Shuu Ren: [Goodness, she''s like a child sometimes...]


    As Chihiro reaches the top of the slide, a gust if wind catches her hair and tosses it in the air.


    Chihiro: "Ah! My hair!"


    Distressed over her messy hair, she takes out a handheld mirror from her bag and tidies her hair with it. Shuu Ren walks to the front of the slide and prepares the phone camera. After looking at the picture displayed on the screen, she takes a few steps back to get a better shot.


    Shuu Ren: "I''m ready over here. Are you ready?"


    Chihiro: "Oh- I''m ready!"


    Satisfied with the look of her hair, she stands up at the top of the slide. The gust of wind catches her hair once more and she places her hand on the side of her head to hold down her hair.


    Shuu Ren: [Oh~]


    In that instant, Shuu Ren holds her breath. The view of Chihiro with her hair dancing in the wind with the dark starry night and the soft glow of the auroras. Chihiro has always been a pretty woman, but she is even more prettier now. So much so that it moves Shuu Ren''s heart.


    Chihiro: "Is the shot good?"


    The wind calms down and Chihiro calls out to Shuu Ren. Shuu Ren shakes off her trance and answers.


    Shuu Ren: "It''s good." [So pretty... I''m jealous.]


    Chihiro: "Don''t take the picture with the slide in it, okay?"


    Shuu Ren: "Yes, yes. I won''t."


    Chihiro: "How is my look?"


    Shuu Ren: "You look pretty. I''m going to take the picture, okay?"


    Chihiro: "Okay~"


    Chihiro spreads her arms up high in the air.


    Shuu Ren: "On three. One. Two. Three."


    As Shuu Ren is about the take the picture, Chihiro shouts in glee.


    Chihiro: "TAMAYAA!~"


    __________________________________

 Prologue | Chapter 15 – The Ghost City Visitors

    __________________________________


    -Chikchikchikchik-


    A spanner clicks in place as the nut it is turning is sufficiently tightened. The man retrieves the spanner and returns it to the toolbox. He readjusts his glasses that has slipped down the bridge of his nose due to his sweaty face. He stands upright and observes his work. A scrawny tall man with unkempt black hair that was neatly combed before. This man is Kenny Balmer, the intelligence officer operating directly with Elias Coiner.


    Kenny: "Right... With this, Elias won''t be having seizures every time he goes online."


    He pats the machine in front of him. The brand new supercomputer whirs loudly in synch with its kin around it. Feeling satisfied with his work, his thoughts wander towards the culprit behind the recent attempt at harming Elias.


    Kenny: "Whoever did this has to be pretty twisted. You''re safe for now, Elias."


    He checks the time and sighs in relief. He is just in time. He picks up his nearby laptop and walks toward the exit.


    Kenny: [She should be waiting there by now.]


    Sure enough, his partner and girlfriend, Alexa Ginn, is waiting at the giant vault door. Squatting next to the vault door, she is holding up her laptop and scrolling through data on the screen. She wears a formal suit that is covered by a long sleeved lab coat. Her long dyed brown hair is clipped into a bundle on the back of her head. A pair of glasses similar to Kenny''s is hung on her breast pocket. Kenny smiles and approaches her.


    Kenny: "I''m done, Alex. Have you been waiting long?"


    Alexa: "Mnh? No. I just settled down..."


    Alexa uncomfortably straightens herself up. Kenny closes in on her and gives her a peck on her forehead. She gently pushes him away.


    Alexa: *Not in front of the camera.*


    Kenny glances over to the security camera over the door and smiles wryly.


    Kenny: *Sorry.*


    Alexa gestures at the camera to open the vault door. A few moments later, the heavy machinery disengages the lock.


    -Gagaga Ka Klang Kang-


    Kenny stands closely to Alexa and gently presses his hand on her back. He then moves his hand downwards across her back. She responds with a sharp nudge to his side.


    Alexa: *Let''s talk about work.*


    She skips into the corridor. Kenny sighs and walks to her side.


    Kenny: *Alright... How is the old man doing?*


    Alexa: *Mr. Elias is fine. I performed three minor procedures to return him to peak condition.*


    Kenny: *Good job. At least there are no more worries for Director Lance.*


    Alexa: *I''m more worried about Agent Gibson. He was absolutely livid during the meeting.*


    Kenny: *Relax, Alexa. Political shit tends to happen in our line of work*


    Alexa: *That disaster that is Vietnam could have been handled better! Because of Alan, we''re stuck in this political storm!*


    Both of them stop in front of the second vault door. Kenny waves at the camera and puts his other arm around Alexa.


    Kenny: *Don''t sweat it. This stuff doesn''t involve you. Your performance is what matters here. Director Lance has commended your work. I even asked you out.*


    She pushes his arm away and gives him a sarcastic look.


    Alexa: *Thank you. I''ll keep that in mind.*


    The vault door finally opens. Both of them proceed to exit through the door but are stopped by a large body standing in front of the door.


    Tammy: "Hi Alexa, Kenny."


    Kenny: "Hey, Tammy."


    Alexa: "Tammy? What are you doing here?"


    Tammy: "I''m here to see you. How about lunch with me?"


    Alexa: "Sorry, Tammy. There is a top priority mission about to start and I don''t know when it will end."


    Tammy lowers her shoulders in dejection.


    Tammy: "Oh, okay. Let me escort you there then. Mission Op, right?"


    Alexa: "Yes."


    Kenny: "Thanks, Tammy."


    Tammy walks ahead while Alexa and Kenny follow closely behind.


    Tammy: "So, how is Indiana doing?"


    Alexa: "He is still under remote suicide watch and I''m still the only one that can approach him."


    Tammy: "I hope he is getting better."


    Kenny: "Yea, even though he was prepared for it, he still took it hard."


    The shock of receiving a new magic is still intense even if one is prepared for it. Receiving shock from one''s own magic is a special rite to those who created their own magic. The ordeal of one''s own shock is a personal hell on its own.


    Alexa: "Kenny, stop scratching."


    Alexa reaches behind Kenny and grabs his wrist.


    Kenny: "Wha?"


    Unbeknownst to him, his hand has been scratching the scar on the back of his neck. The scar is huge and covers the whole back of his neck.


    Kenny: "Oh..."


    Alexa releases his hand and he immediately returns it to his side.


    Alexa: "Are you remembering your shock when you received your magic?"


    Kenny: "Y-Yea... Thinking about Indiana brought it back."


    Alexa: "The shock happens only once when you first receive your magic. It''s better to not relive those memories."


    Kenny: "You''re right. Sorry."


    Tammy: "Is it the time when you nearly dug out your own spine?"


    Alexa: "Tammy!"


    Alexa shoots Tammy an angry look. Tammy shrugs off her warning.


    Kenny: "It''s fine. It''s in the past now."


    Tammy: "I, myself was hit pretty hard by the shock. Struck by an unbearable hunger, I even started eating my arm. I felt like dying."The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    Alexa: "Even if you are fine sharing your own hellish experience, nobody wants to hear it or chip in their own."


    Kenny: "Alright settle down. We are near the Mission Op room."


    As they approach the doors, the air becomes tense like it has been electrified.


    Alexa: *... There is mana packed into the air. Agent Gibson isn''t happy...*


    Alexa whispers quietly, hoping to be out of earshot of the people in the room.


    Kenny: *No wonder. He intended to join this excursion.*


    Tammy turns around and waves to them.


    Tammy: *Well, I''ll be ditching this burning train here. See ya.*


    Alexa: *Shut up!*


    Alexa hisses at Tammy, fearing the people inside will catch wind of their conversation. As Tammy heads of to the cafeteria, Alexa faces the door with Kenny.


    Kenny: "Ready, Alexa?"


    Alexa: "Yes."


    Kenny: "Here we go."


    He opens the door and they both walk inside. The feeling that strikes when they walk in is immediate. Like many springs breaking from tension all around them. Wrapping around them. The feeling of getting tangled. And the fear of breaking like the springs around them.


    Devon: "Kenny, Alexa. Glad you are here."


    Their director''s voice catches their attention. Their focus no longer wandering, the atmosphere from before is faint but still ever present.


    Devon: "Get to you positions. We''re going to start."


    Kenny and Alexa: "Yes, sir"


    They head down the aisle of rows of computers and equipment, each manned by a person, to the front of a giant monitor screen. The screen shows various windows displaying information and data. The largest window in the middle displays live feeds from satellites and active drones, all focused on a city in China, void of residents. Alexa turns to peek behind her as she walks down the aisle. Sure enough, Agent Gibson is there with his head resting against his hands propped up on the table. A voice calls out to Alexa.


    Officer: "Agent Ginn, the machine is ready. Just set up your equipment and you''re good to go."


    Alexa: "Oh. Thank you."


    Officer: "Agent Balmer, the machine is readily accepting the data. The data is ready for processing.¡±


    A female officer offers the seat at the computer station and Alexa takes it before setting up her equipment. The officer then directs Kenny towards the back to his own station. Right before he leaves, Kenny calls out to Alexa.


    Kenny: "I''ll see you in a bit."


    Alexa, still focused on her work, waves in his direction. The couple separates, both taking on their roles in the mission.


    __________________________________


    Devon: "How are you doing, Jerry? Have you calmed down?"


    Jeroth: "No."


    He points at the large screen in front showing the live feed of the Chinese apartment building.


    Jeroth: "I should be there."


    Devon sighs and nods in agreement.


    Devon: "Yeah. I know. We started off great after Vietnam. How did it get so bad?"


    The organization has fallen in standing in its alliance with the other nations around the world. All of the nations are now wary and distrustful of the organization and are considering drafting some laws and regulations to reign in control over the organization.


    Jeroth: "We''ve over promised on our sales pitch, didn''t we?"


    Devon: "Yes, the new terms are more robust but the damage has been done."


    In order to convince the nations in creating an alliance, the organization had claimed that no loss of men would befall onto any cooperating nation because the organization''s agents will be confronting the danger directly. A bold claim. Not because of arrogance by their own power, but because of their priorities set on quickly capturing any magic or artifacts upon encountering Rosetta. Furthermore, their objective that trumps above all others, to capture the magician and gain access to his vast reserves of mana, the organization is not going to allow any interference of a foreign nation.


    The organization had echoed the threat of the magician to all the nations in cooperation. The nations knew nothing of the bounty of magic, mana and artifacts under the magician''s possession. All that changed completely. It started with the battle against Rosetta in Vietnam. The landscape in Son La was changed completely and a few soldiers and police officers had lost their lives. The Vietnamese government demanded reparations for the damage and loss of life the country had suffered. They soon discovered the giant egg that contained energy levels unprecedented in human history. The Vietnamese wanted to secure this power but the organization tried to smuggle it out of the country.


    This was the end. The Vietnamese government fought with the organization in court under the observation of the other nations in the alliance. The organization seceded the egg to the Vietnamese and their reputation is in tatters. Their standing in the alliance has fallen and new agreements had been drafted with the nations, their sights now set on capturing the power of Rosetta for themselves.


    Devon: "I''m sorry, Jerry. I didn''t pull through."


    Jeroth: "How many times are you going to apologize? It''s not your fault. What could anyone do against the wrath of the representatives of all the nations in the alliance? It is inevitable."


    Devon: "Then it''s also not Agent Moralles''s fault as well. He may have screwed up over the egg, but it is because of him that we got everything else."


    Jeroth: "I know. Moralles is mulling over his blunder too. He will not screw up again."


    Officer: "Excuse me, Agent Gibson."


    An officer walks up to Jeroth. He hands him a file of documents and leaves shortly after. Jeroth scans through the documents in his hands. They contain the transcripts of the organization''s recent appeal to the Chinese government.


    Jeroth: "Those cursed Chinese... They are in over their heads."


    Jeroth throws the documents onto the table in vexation. Like the many times before, the Chinese has stonewalled their appeal completely. Jeroth massages his eyes with his fingers.


    Jeroth: "It has to be China... It has to be fucking China...¡±


    China. One of the strongest nations in the alliance. Due to their strong military power as well as agents with magic specially trained by the organization, they have gain confidence that they are not a nation that will fold to the threat of the mystical magician. Had Rosetta appeared in a nation with weaker forces, perhaps they would broker a deal with the organization.


    Jeroth: ¡°Is this new mana detection system worth it?"


    Despite the political turmoil, the organization had its own breakthrough. Due to the efforts of Kenny Balmer and Alexa Ginn, a new system of detecting sources of mana is created from the runes salvaged from Vietnam. However, in order to use this technology properly, a new satellite has to be launched into orbit. They could not launch such a satellite without attracting attention and ire from the alliance nations. As a result, the organization had to negotiate with the nations in order to launch the satellite without political incident. In the end, they were able to launch the satellite in exchange for transparency.


    Devon: "I believe it''s worth it. But it is unfortunate that the Chinese government had to use underhanded tactics like that."


    Upon learning that Rosetta is currently hiding in China, the country has restricted anyone from the organization from stepping on Chinese soil. In addition to that, the country has cut of all border access from the United States and has imposed restrictions on all Americans entering the country. With this restriction, the Chinese intends to fight the magician in hopes of getting a mystical bounty before the other nations take action. As a result, the organization is forced to observe the situation from afar.


    Devon: "They have dispatched two teams to confront Rosetta. Based on how only one of our teams managed to strike him, they are expecting a better boon with two."


    Jeroth: "At least they didn''t gamble with all three teams. They are smart enough to hold back."


    Devon: "So, has your own strike team reached their objective?"


    Jeroth: "Yes, they are on standby and battle ready."


    Devon: "What if they succeed? The Chinese, I mean."


    Jeroth scoffs at the notion.


    Jeroth: "They will never take him down. They will probably put a few hits in but they will not take him down. Not them. Not even us. The best we can do is to shave him away bit by bit."


    He bends forward, eyes focused on the large screen.


    Jeroth: "And when there is little of him left... When he is weaker than me..."


    He presses down on the table with both hands and stands up.


    Jeroth: "I will take him down on my own."


    __________________________________


    "Bu-hek!"


    The middle-aged policeman Bao coughs loudly as the coffee he was drinking trickled into his wind pipe. Bending over from the wheezing coughs, he tries desperately to keep the can of coffee in his hand upright. His partner Luo next to him looks on with a slight tinge of disgust.


    Luo: "What''s with you?"


    Bao: "Nothing."


    He straightens up and looks around him. All of his colleagues are standing next to their patrol cars wearing the same expression. Anxiety and fear. He sighs and leans on the side of his patrol car and drinks his coffee.


    In front of him are armored vehicles bearing the initials ''SWAT''. Their occupants has disappeared inside the giant apartment building bearing guns and shields.


    Parked behind the police cars are military vehicles. Armored cars equipped with heavy weapons, armed personnel carriers carrying armed soldiers and tanks with their barrels aimed straight at the building. Bao watches the soldiers arm themselves and erect sturdy barriers and shrugs in disbelief.


    Bao: [What in God''s name is going on?]


    This question has been repeated many times already. Out of nowhere the police were ordered to set a perimeter around this apartment city. Then suddenly, the SWAT teams were dispatched to the same spot and all the military equipment and personnel from the nearest military base was deploy there soon after. The chiefs from each faction grouped together to orchestrate a plan to storm the building. The military and SWAT will sweep through the building while reserve forces from both factions cooperate with the police to maintain a secure perimeter around the building.


    Bao: [What is in this building that needs all this?!]


    His heart quakes in terror at the possibility of a monster hiding between the walls of this large apartment building. And what''s more...


    Luo: "Is your nephew going to be alright? He''s one of the officers securing the lower floors, right?"


    Bao: "Shut up! Don''t talk ill of my nephew!"


    Luo: "I just worried for him. Look at how crazy this situation is. This is like war."


    Bao: "He will be fine! He is a fine cop! Way better than you! That''s why he is in there!"


    Luo: "Cheh."


    Luo scoffs and looks away. Bao returns his focus to the building in front of him. He chants a prayer in his heart in hopes that nothing horrible will happen from hereon out.


    "WAAAAAAAH!!!"


    Suddenly a loud wail startles everyone outside. The policemen hide behing their patrol car and whip out their pistols. The SWAT officers and the soldiers quickly retreat behind their barricades and point their guns at the building, armed and ready. However, one policeman shows a different reaction.


    Bao: "ZHI HAO!!"


    Screaming his nephew''s name upon hearing his wail, Bao sprints past the safety of his patrol car towards the building entrance pistol in hand.


    __________________________________

 Prologue | Chapter 15.5 – Tang Zhi Hao

    __________________________________


    On the third floor of the giant apartment building, a barricade has been set up at every stairs on the floor. Similar barricades are propped up in front of the elevator doors. The elevators are grounded on the ground floor and disabled for the night. The policemen are stationed at the barricades, ready to confront anything that emerge from the stairs. The situation is the same on the floors below. All the way to the ground floor, the policemen are observing the exits from behind the barricades. The SWAT teams have already ascended the floors to the middle of the building. Slowly backed up by military soldiers, they sweep through the entire floor before going up another floor.


    At one of the barricades on the third floor, a policeman is acting strangely. Tang Zhi Hao, a skilled officer in the group is glancing at the rooms around him. The sight of him looking around nervously catches the concern of the other officers. One of his colleagues, Tai, questions him.


    Tai: "Hey Zhi Hao, what''s wrong with you?"


    Zhi Hao: "Don''t you feel it? The air feels different than before."


    When he first came in here, the air feels stagnant and heavy. It was the same feeling he remembered when he was at the cemetery 3 months ago. This feeling grips his heart as painful memories begin to resurface even after he had returned from mourning. But now, the air has changed. A warm, welcoming feeling. As if someone was cooking food over a stove all afternoon. That is Zhi Hao''s impression despite the absence of the aroma of food. But above all else, he keeps feeling that someone is calling him. His ears heard nothing yet he feels that his name is being called and looks around in confusion.


    This sudden change has put Zhi Hao''s senses on alert. He looks around at the apartment rooms behind him.


    Zhi Hao: "Are you sure we checked all the rooms?"


    Tai: "Yes. We already sweep through all of them before setting up a barricade. Why?"


    Zhi Hao: "I think someone is in one of these rooms."


    Tai: "That''s impossible. No one is able to hide in these rooms. They are all empty. No furniture inside."


    Zhi Hao: "I know. I know. I''m just going to check a bit."


    Tai: "O~ I''ll team up with you. Oi, we¡¯re going to CO."


    He gets up from his position and walk towards his commanding officer. Tai and his two other teammates, Da and Chen, leave their stations and follow him. Going towards one of the occupied apartment rooms he finds the man he is looking for. A gruff man in his thirties. With a face that looks constantly angry and vulgar, his name is Zheng.


    Zhi Hao: "Captain, I want to look through the rooms again. I think someone is in one of the rooms."


    Zheng: "We have already done a complete sweep on the rooms."


    Zhi Hao: "I know, but I want a second look at them."


    Zheng: "You are getting restless, aren''t you? Okay, just get back to your position afterwards."


    The officer waves his hand at Zhi Hao, shooing him away. Zhi Hao gives a quick salute and leaves the room. He gives a gesture to his teammates and they follow him to check the rooms. They approach the first apartment and take out their guns.


    Zhi Hao: *On three. One... Two...*


    -creeeeaak-


    He quickly opens the door and peers inside. The light from the corridor pours into the apartment. Nothing. Not a soul present. Zhi Hao eases his tension and notices the shadows cast by his teammates. He turns around looking bewildered.


    Zhi Hao: *Put down your gun! What if you shoot a civilian?! The chief will have your ass and mine!*


    Tai: *O-Oh. Sorry.*


    Tai and his teammates lower their guns immediately. Zhi Hao gestures to the other rooms in the apartment. Tai and the others nod and head over to check the rooms. Their lights flash on before they carefully check the rooms. Zhi Hao turns on his light and shines it to the dark corners of the living room.


    Zhi Hao: [Nothing.]


    Despite thinking that, his senses are telling another story. All around him, he feels like he is being watched. Like pairs of eyes that can be faintly seen in the darkness with his naked eye. He shines light all around but only sees the concrete walls and the tiled floors. Fear and anxiety creeps up from the pit of his stomach, slowly reaching his heart. Zhi Hao brushes his neck out of discomfort. It is wet from cold sweat.


    Tai: *Zhi Hao, there''s... nothing here...*


    Tai and the others return empty handed. But something was different. Zhi Hao notices the fear their eyes, darting from side to side. Da has his face drenched in sweat. Zhi Hao has no doubt. They are all experiencing the same terror his is going through right now.


    Chen: *Hey, let''s-... Let''s get out of here.*


    Zhi Hao: *O. Let''s go.*


    Tai steps forward and asks in a shaking voice. Zhi Hao agrees with his suggestion. None of them wants to speak in a loud voice. Whispering is as far they will take it. Like there is something they badly want not disturbed. Careful to not make the sound of footsteps, they slowly exit the room. Zhi Hao reaches for the door and closes it.


    Zhi Hao: [!!!]


    In a fraction of a second, just as the door us about to close, something shows itself. A white human face. With eyes wide open and the iris and pupils colored a solid black. Like a bold black and white painting, the human face stares straight at Zhi Hao when the door closes.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    -kachak-


    Zhi Hao is motionless. His body is frozen but his hand grips on the doorknob with all his strength. He holds his stance, hoping what he just seen was a trick of the eye. Slowly loosening his grip, he braces himself, fearing that the door will open once again. He lets go of the doorknob and stands back, hand tightly gripping his gun.


    Tai: "Are you okay?"


    His question breaks Zhi Hao''s trance. Letting out his breath, he turns over to his teammate.


    Zhi Hao: "Yes. I''m okay."


    There is a small part of him that wants him to open the door to confirm his suspicions. But an overwhelming part of him warns him against it and opening the door a second time will be a different situation compared to the first. Ultimately, Zhi Hao decides to retreat.


    Zhi Hao: "Let''s check out the next room."


    The faces of the officers show a hint of reluctance but they followed him nonetheless. They approach the next apartment. Zhi Hao hesitates when he reaches for the door. The fear and anxiety from before still hovers over him. He braces himself before opening the door as wide as he can.


    The light from the corridor shines into the apartment like the previous one. Zhi Hao and his teammates steps into the living room slowly and carefully. After looking around for a moment, Zhi Hao sighs in relief. There is no presence in the darkness nor is his feeling of being watched. To him, this room is truly empty compared to the previous one.


    Zhi Hao: "This room looks fine. Go check the rooms."


    He turns to his team and urges them to go. Sensing the same relief as Zhi Hao, they gain more confidence and proceed to check the rooms. After a while, they return with the ''all clear'' sign. Zhi Hao nods and the team leaves the apartment.


    Zhi Hao: [It seems that the first one has something bad hidden in it. I''d better notify the others to seal that door when I report back.]


    Zhi Hao makes a mental note about the apartment. For now, that ''thing'' doesn''t seem to be leaving the apartment and there is no immediate danger of the other policemen wandering into the apartment. He will report to Zheng after checking the whole floor. As he follows his team to the next apartment, his mind wanders about the warm and welcoming feeling he had felt before.


    Zhi Hao: [Is it gone?] "The next room then..."


    He resolves himself to continue his sweep through the apartments. He will come across it eventually. He has to. Zhi Hao shakes his head to remove the hint of desperation in his mind.


    Zhi Hao: [I''m fine. I''m fine.]


    The next few apartments are the same as the previous one. Empty. Cold. Dark. Despite the jarring scenery, the policemen have not felt any dread. Every time, the policemen breathe a sigh of relief. Zhi Hao on the other hand shows indifference but in his heart, a tinge of disappointment cuts through. That feeling of someone calling to him, he fears that he has missed his chance.


    Da: "Zhi Hao."


    He tugs at Zhi Hao''s shoulder.


    Da: "The apartments have been empty so far. Let''s stop. We''re wasting time."


    Zhi Hao turns to look as his team. His teammates, now complacent to the lack of incidents, asks Zhi Hao to end his sweep of the apartments.


    Zhi Hao: "What about the first apartment? Are you sure that apartment is empty?"


    Da: "That-"


    Zhi Hao: "You felt something in there, didn''t you?"


    Da makes a difficult face and looks at his teammates. They all have a nervous expression as they remember their experience. Then Da looks at Zhi Hao.


    Da: "No. I don''t know what you are talking about."


    A bold-faced lie. Both Zhi Hao and Da know that. Without replying, Zhi Hao turns around to reach for the door of the next apartment.


    Zhi Hao: "!!!"


    When he grips the doorknob, a strange feeling strikes him. Like electricity, it courses through his body and freezes him on the spot. From the other side of the door, he can sense a small crowd. Standing together side by side, every one of them faces the door. As he tries to make sense of it, he hears their faint whispers.


    *These rude men. We should teach them some manners.*


    *They dare ignore our presence? Show some respect.*


    *I going to drag that lying one across the floor.*


    Zhi Hao: "Guh!"


    He quickly withdraws his hands from the doorknob. Taking a step back, Zhi Hao notices the atmosphere has changed dramatically. The stagnant air from before has change to a cold and electrifying one. As if the air transformed into knives, teeth and nails. He looks at the apartments around him. They all give a similar atmosphere. All of them, including the ones they have checked through before, has a crowd of people bustling around inside.


    Tai: * Amit¨¡bha. Amit¨¡bha. Amit¨¡bha.*


    Da: *I''m sorry. Please forgive my rudeness.*


    His teammates are cowering and praying. Da is bent over, begging for forgives. They must have had a similar experience to him. It finally dawned on them that these are...


    Zhi Hao: *Spirits of the underworld!*


    He isn''t strongly superstitious, but this phenomenon has no common sense backing it. Spirits has risen from the underworld and has set their sights on the police, no, everyone inside the building.


    Chen: "Let''s get out of here!"


    Tai: "Zhi Hao. Let''s warn the others and run!"


    Zhi Hao: "O-Okay."


    They tug at Zhi Hao to move. Zhi Hao is about to move with his team to the police when he sense something else besides the cold hostile atmosphere. The same warm and welcoming feeling.


    -thump thump thump thump-


    Tai: "Wha- Zhi Hao! Come back!"


    Zhi Hao runs into a sprint. Past his teammates. Past the apartments. The spirits hiding in the apartments sneer and hiss at him as he races past. He ignores them. He has no time for them. What lies at the end is what matters to him now.


    Zhi Hao: [There!]


    He skips to a stop. He then bends over to catch his breath as the fatigue finally catches up to him.


    -thump thump thump thump-


    Tai: "Zhi Hao! Why did you run this way?!"


    Chen: "Let''s get out of here! Come on!"


    His teammates catches up to him. Da is missing. He must have run away. The remaining team members pull Zhi Hao back and shake his shoulders, unnerved by his sudden departure. However, Zhi Hao ignores them and pushes them aside.


    Zhi Hao: "Let me go! I''m looking for someone."


    He stands facing the apartment doors lined up in a row. His heavy breaths can be heard throughtout the corridor. His teammates are behind him, bewildered at his behavior. He closes his eyes and put all his focus on his senses. Searching. For someone dear to his heart. Zhi Hao opens his eyes and slowly steps forward.


    Zhi Hao: [Can it be? Is it you?]


    As he thinks that, his chest tightens. His heart trembles. His breath gets heavier. In his being, lies a tiny ray of hope pushing back a torrent of despair. He walks past an apartment door. Then another one. And another.


    Zhi Hao: "..."


    He then stops before an apartment door. His teammates who are following stop behind him too.


    Tai: "Zhi Hao. Let''s stop and go back."


    He places his hand on Zhi Hao''s shoulder but he violently shakes it off. Zhi Hao approach the door. He reaches for the doorknob but hesitates. Instead, he gently knocks the door.


    -tok tok tok-


    "Ah Zhi? Ah Zhi, ah!"


    The voice of an old woman is heard. The policemen are surprised at the presence of a civilian. Zhi Hao on the other hand is wide eyed and speechless. The feelings of doubt, fear and anxiety are all blown away. His mind is clear. So clear that nothing can resurface. What remains is one thing. The person who calls with that nickname. The one that he recognizes and holds dear to his heart. His tears well up in his eyes. His heavy breaths turn into sobs. Zhi Hao calls out a name in a trembling voice.


    Zhi Hao: "... A... Amah..."


    Old woman: "Ah Zhi! Come in! Come in! I need to speak to you!"


    Recognizing Zhi Hao¡¯s voice, the woman calls out to him with more urgency in her voice.


    -Koom-


    Zhi Hao quickly grabs the doorknob and put his weight against the door.


    Zhi Hao: "AMAH!"


    Bursting through the door, Zhi Hao shouts her name once more. In the apartment, standing before him, an old woman wearing traditional Chinese clothes. Her gray hair is medium length and tucked behind her ear. Her head is hunched over. Her face is wrinkled but has a gentle expression.


    Old woman: "Don''t shout! Stop crying!"


    His vision is blurred by tears. But there is no doubt. Standing before him is his grandmother, Tang Jia Hao, who was laid to rest 3 months ago.


    __________________________________

 Prologue | Chapter 15.6 – Tang Jia Hao

    __________________________________


    Tai: "We are the police! You are not supposed to be here!"


    Tai lifts his gun and points it at the old woman. Zhi Hao quickly grabs Tai by the wrists and pulled the gun away from her direction.


    Zhi Hao: "STOP!! PUT AWAY YOUR GUN! SHE IS MY GRANDMOTHER!!"


    Tai: "Your grandmother?! But, Zhi Hao! She''s-"


    Zhi Hao: "Shut up! SHUT UP!"


    Zhi Hao waves his fist angrily in the air, baring his teeth.


    Zhi Hao: [That''s right... Amah should not be here. Because she is...]


    Zhi Hao steps forward, leaving his teammates behind. Before they can say anything, he turns around and shoos them away.


    Zhi Hao: "Leave if you want. I¡¯ll stay here."


    -Pap-


    A sharp slap lands on Zhi Hao''s back. Zhi Hao turns in surprise and sees his grandmother behind him wearing an angry expression.


    Jia Hao: "Is this how you treat your friends?! Learn to shut that dirty mouth!"


    Zhi Hao: "Amah..."


    Jia Hao: ¡°What happened to living up to your name?! Are you back to being that naughty brat?!¡±


    Zhi Hao drops to his knees and hugs his grandmother. He grasps her legs tightly and begins to sob.


    Zhi Hao: "Amah! Amah! It¡¯s you, Amah!"


    For a moment Jia Hao is surprised at the pitiful state of her grandson, but her face soften into a gentle smile. She gently pats his head as a tear runs down her face.


    Jia Hao: ¡°Ah Zhi.. I¡¯m sorry for leaving. Please forgive Amah.¡±


    Zhi Hao shakes his head vigorously.


    Zhi Hao: ¡°No! No! I¡¯m the one who is sorry! I should have come home! I should have¡­¡±


    Zhi Hao begins sobbing again. Tai and Chen who wear morbid faces can only look away so he can get a bit of privacy. Jia Hao bends over to release Zhi Hao¡¯s grasp. She holds his rough, strong hands with her small wrinkled ones. Zhi Hao raises his head to look at her.


    Jia Hao: "Ah Zhi, listen properly. I know that you have a lot to tell me, but I don¡¯t have much time left. Ah Zhi, you must leave the building at once! Run as fast as you can!¡±


    Zhi Hao: ¡°Amah?¡±


    Jia Hao: ¡°Bad people are using the police to hurt people. They sent everyone into this building to catch them!"


    She pulls at Zhi Hao¡¯s hand feebly. Understanding the gesture, Zhi Hao stands up on his two feet.


    Jia Hao: ¡°However, the people who are hunted have called for the help of the spirits of the underworld. They are not happy with the people in the building and will punish all of them! The spirits are here to punish everyone!"


    At her words, Tai and Chen turn around alarmed.


    Tai: ¡°I-Is that true?¡±


    Chen: ¡°Then we have to get out of here!¡±


    Zhi Hao: ¡°But¡­ Amah..¡±


    Jia Hao pets his hand.


    Jia Hao: "Ah Zhi, you are a good man. I don''t want to see you suffer. I have begged the spirits to let you go so you have some time to get out. You can go tell the others to get out but you must get out yourself! Don''t waste time, ah!"


    And yet, despite her warning, Zhi Hao stands there.


    Jia Hao: "Do you still remember what I taught you?"


    Zhi Hao nods while sobbing. Jia Hao gives him a wide smile.


    Jia Hao: "You should keep learning from whatever life give you. Find a good girl. Start a family. Bear children and raise them properly. Don''t do it all the time but beat them when they do wrong! Children only learn when you beat them!"


    Zhi Hao nods at her every sentence. He will keep her words close to his heart. Jia Hao pet his shoulder firmly.


    Jia Hao: "Zhi Hao, you have grown into a very strong and good man. I am so happy to see you grow so big."


    She leads Zhi Hao around to face his teammates waiting at the door.


    Jia Hao: "Live a good, happy life. You are a policeman, so lead and protect the people. But don''t throw your life away. Be careful!"


    She stands beside him and nudge him to go.


    Jia Hao: "I have to leave soon. And so should you! Run as fast as you can! Get out of the building!"


    Zhi Hao: ¡°A¡­ Amah¡­¡±


    Jia Hao: "Don''t just stand there! Go! Go!"


    -Pap Pap-


    Pushing him one last time, Jia Hao slaps his lower back as she has done many times before. Zhi Hao lunges forward and sprints out the door. His grief overwhelms him and he lets out a cry at the top of his lungs.


    Zhi Hao: "AAAAH!!"


    Tai and Chen: "Zhi Hao!"


    Tai and Chen chase after him as he sprints towards the stairs without looking back.


    __________________________________


    Tai and Chen are running down the hallway leading to the stairs. The other officers gathered around the barricade are bewildered as Zhi Hao has jumped over the barricade and sprinted towards the stairs.


    Tai: "Spirits! Ghosts!"


    Chen: "They are going to punish us! Run!"


    They both shout their warnings at the top of their lungs, sending the officers into confusion. A look of shock and fear reflected across their faces as the two officers kick down the barricade and continue running. The more fearful ones begin to follow suit and run after them. Suddenly a large hand is shoved across Tai and Chen, stopping them in their tracks. Captain Zheng steps out, his face twisted in anger.


    Zheng: "WHAT ARE YOU DOING!? ZHI HAO, COME BACK HERE!!"


    It is too late. Zhi Hao has disappeared down the stairs. Zheng turns to Tai and Chen, his eyes bloodshot and his face swelling red.


    Tai: "Captain! Spirits and ghosts are hiding in the apartments!"


    Chen: "They are going to attack! Tell everyone to get out!"


    Their warnings are shrugged off by an angry swipe of Zheng¡¯s arm.


    Zheng: "What shit are you talking about? Get Zhi Hao back! I''m going to hang him!"


    Chen: ¡°Captain, you have to listen! There are really ghosts and they are going to attack us!¡±


    Tai: ¡°A ghost, Zhi Hao¡¯s-¡°


    Zheng: ¡°SHUUUUUT UUUUP!!¡±


    The captain shouts at the top of his lungs and shakes his fists around.


    Zheng: ¡°THERE ARE NO GHOST! YOU ARE NOT STUPID CHILDREN!¡±


    -BAM-


    He storms over to a nearby apartment door and punches it.


    Zheng: ¡°YOU THINK I WILL BELIEVE THESE LIES!! AFTER THIS IS OVER, I¡¯LL HANG YOU AND ZHI HAO! YOU ALL BACK TO YOUR STATIONS!¡±


    However, Tai and Chen are preoccupied. Something else has caught their attention.


    -bsk bsk shhh-


    The sound of whispering followed by a shushing sound. Zheng is too angry to hear it while Tai and Chen as well as some officers heard it.


    Tai: "RUN AWAY!"


    Tai is first to run. He sidesteps Zheng and runs to the exit. Chen and the other officers quickly follows suit. Zheng whips his arm around and grabs Chen by the shoulder.


    Zheng: "OI! GET BACK HERE!"


    Chen: "GET OFF!"


    Having enough of Zheng¡¯s inteference, Chen clenches his fist and punches Zheng straight in the face. Zheng recoils from the sudden attack and tumbles over. Chen seizes the chance and sprints towards the stairs.


    -klak klak klak-


    Before Zheng can make sense of what happened, the officers have disappeared. He gets up and looks around him. A select few has stayed behind, watching him nervously.


    Zheng: "I''LL HANG ALL OF YOU! GET BACK HERE! YOU WILL PAY FOR THIS!"


    Zheng yells in the direction of the runaway officers. He turns around to face the ones left behind.


    Zheng: "ANYONE WHO LEAVES THIS BUILDING WILL BE HAVE THEIR POSITIONS HUNG! DON''T BELIEVE THIS SHIT!"


    He points at each of them, giving everyone a good stare.


    Zheng: "FUCKING SHIT!"


    He storms down the stairs to the next floor. A sight of disarray greets him. Police officers have left their positions. A good number of them as disappeared and the rest are standing, looking puzzled and afraid.If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    Zheng: "GET BACK TO YOUR STATIONS!"


    Zheng waves his fist angrily at them.


    Zheng: ¡°I¡¯LL HANG ALL OF YOU IF YOU EVER TRY TO DISOBEY ME!!¡±


    The officers meekly disperse and return to their positions. Zheng pants heavily as he racks his brain for his next action.


    Zheng: "FUCKING IDIOTS!"


    Having planned out his actions, he swears in frustration before turning to the stronger men.


    Zheng: "VOON! PENG! FOLLOW ME!"


    He picks two men that made an impression on him to follow him. With them in tow, he proceeds to descend to the building lobby.


    Zheng: *I¡¯ll hang those idiots. Especially Zhi Hao and his team. I¡¯m going to kill Chen¡­*


    He mumbles his threats as the two officers follow him. Reaching the glass door that opens into the lobby, Zheng angrily grips the door handle and turns it.


    -kachak chk chk-


    Zheng: "What the-"


    The door seems to be locked. Zheng looks at the door in confusion. The lock is inwards, facing him. He toggles the lock before turning it again.


    -chkchkchkchk-


    No response. The door stays firm. Zheng looks outside beyond the glass door and turns to the two men behind him.


    Zheng: ¡°Kick it down.¡±


    The two men nod and step forward. One of them suddenly lunges forward and kicks the door.


    -Thoom-


    A loud sound, but the door is still standing. Immediately after that¡­


    -Thoom-


    The other man kicks the door. The glass door is unfazed. Not even a footprint of a shoe.


    Peng: ¡°Ch¡­¡±


    -Thoom Thoom Thoom Thoom-


    Both of them start kicking the order one after each other. The repeated kicks rattle the door but it refuses to budge. After a while, Voon loses his footing and falls over, ending the onslaught of kicks against the door. As the two of them catch their breath, Zheng approaches the door. He casts a dumbfounded look and knocks the glass door with his knuckles.


    -tung tung tung tung-


    Zheng: ¡°THIS IS JUST GLASS!¡±


    He turns to look at his tired men and turns again to look at the glass door.


    -Bam-


    He slams his fist against the glass in confusion.


    Zheng: ¡°WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?!¡±


    __________________________________


    Zhi Hao: "Hahhuu! Hahhuu! Hahhuu!"


    [I heave heavily as I sprint across the corridors and down the stairs. Tai and Chen are nowhere behind me. They probably can''t catch up. However, I can still hear their shouts warning the others to run as well. That''s no good... I should be warning everyone too.]


    Zhi Hao: "Grh! Hahhuu! Hahhuu!"


    [No good. I''m too out of breath to shout. I''m even jumping through the flights of stairs. I must keep running. I must get out. I mustn''t... Break down.]


    **********************************


    Jia Hao: "Ah Zhi! "


    [I knew Amah from when I was little. I was a naughty brat. Like any Chinese parent, mom and dad will yell and shout at me. However, the physical discipline was always carried out by Amah. If I ever caused mischief, she would catch me when I come home.]


    Jia Hao: "You went and stole sweets from the grocery shop, didn''t you?"


    [She would grab me by the collar or the shoulder and spank my bottom.]


    Jia Hao: "You naughty boy! Stop stealing and stop shaming your name!"


    [She would always bring up my name. My name means ''ambition'' and ''bravery''. And because of my name, she expected me to live up to it.]


    Jia Hao: "Ah Zhi!


    [Being a brat that I am, I never understood her and had an unpleasant protest towards the expectations placed upon me.]


    **********************************


    [I grew up into a rowdy teenager. I was prone to fights and even had my own posse for causing mischief. I didn''t steal or break anything anymore. Amah has diligently spanked me over the years to prevent that.]


    Jia Hao: "Ah Zhi! You skipped school again! You need to study properly to live a good life!"


    Jia Hao: "Ah Zhi! You were rude to Mr. Cheong yesterday! He was so mad! Don''t start fights because someone looked at you the wrong way!"


    Jia Hao: "Ah Zhi! You failed your midterm tests! This is what happens when you don''t study and skip school! Get yourself together!"


    [However, her scolding did not change over the years.]


    [Everything changed one day when I came across a scene. A group of young men hanging around an alley near my usual hangout. They were plotting to rob a business man called Mr. Zhao in his home after he had collected his monthly profits from his shops. They caught sight of me and chased me down, furious that a witness had foiled their plan. A nearby policeman heard the scuffle and arrested all of us.]


    [As we were all minors, our guardians were called to the police station. My dad, Tang Chen Yan came to the station as well as Amah, who came in my mother¡¯s place.]


    "It''s his doing! He suddenly attacked our group!"


    "We were hanging around the back alley when he suddenly jump on us!"


    "That''s right! He started the fight, not us!"


    [Lies. These boys blamed me in order to escape punishment.]


    Zhi Hao: ¡°They are planning to rob Mr. Zhao when he collects his monthly profits! I just happened to come by and they attacked me!¡±


    [So I told everyone about their plan. The boys were terrified but luckily, one of them had a rich and powerful father.]


    Alvin: "I am Mister Alvin Yeo. This is a very serious accusation your son has put upon mine."


    [I remember the man talking in English to my father. At that time, English is a luxury that could only be learned in positions of power and wealth. And with those words, my father convinced himself that I was lying.]


    Chen Yan: ¡°Ah Zhi! Don¡¯t make horrible lies about people to cover up you mischief!¡±


    [I would protest the claims but I was slapped in the head in response. I had to apologize to the boys and their parents through gritted teeth. The walk home with my father and grandmother was excruciating and suffocating.]


    Jia Hao: ¡°Ah Zhi! Come here.¡±


    [Amah came to my room an hour later. She asked me to come out my and grabbed my hand.]


    Jia Hao: ¡°Let¡¯s go out to eat.¡±


    [And we walked along the street, Amah talked to me.]


    Jia Hao: "Ah Zhi, you did nothing wrong. You did a good thing."


    [Even though I knew that I was innocent, Amah¡¯s words caught me off guard.]


    Jia Hao: ¡°Your Papa also knows this. He is very sorry and ashamed that he cannot bear to look at you. He gave me a lot of money so you can eat anything you want for dinner. He will also increase your allowance as well.¡±


    [All the while, she held my hand, her warm gentle touch guiding me as we walked.]


    Jia Hao: ¡°You stopped those no-good boys from committing a crime. You have been living up to your name. I am so proud of you.¡±


    [Her happy and kind words. They shook me so much that I doubted myself.]


    Zhi Hao: ¡°I did something good?¡±


    [Amah stopped walking and pat me on the back. The same spot where she would spank me for my mischief.]


    Jia Hao: ¡°You did very good. You did amazing. You helped someone who was in danger. You saved Mr. Zhao.¡±


    [I cried. I felt I was saved by her words. Even though I was saved after I was punished, Amah saved me.]


    Zhao: ¡°Welcome!¡±


    [We arrived at a seafood restaurant. It turns out the Mr. Zhao was the owner. Amah told him about my actions and he invited me to his restaurant for a feast.]


    Zhao: ¡°Thank you for stopping them, boy! I¡¯ll learn from this and improve my security. I¡¯ll immediate go to the bank right away from now on!¡±


    [Fried chicken, steamed fish, stir fried crabs and deep fried pork. I ate all of it while crying in between.]


    Jia Hao: ¡°Ah Zhi, keep these good values to your heart. Be strong. Be kind. Walk on the right path. Keep moving forward, okay?¡±


    [I nodded as I stuffed my crying face with food. I stumbled into this incident by accident. I was still the mischievous naughty child. I felt I never deserve this reward.]


    Zhi Hao: ¡°Amah, I promise I will do better.¡±


    [I resolved myself to be a better person, to live my life on the straight and narrow. Amah just smiled and patted me on my back.]


    Jia Hao: ¡°Good. I¡¯ll be watching you.¡±


    [From that point on, I straighten myself out. I disbanded my posse and attended study sessions to improve my grades. My name means ''ambition'' and ''bravery''. It¡¯s about time I live up to it.]


    **********************************


    [I enrolled into the police academy and passed it in flying colors. I got enlisted into the police force and slowly climbed the ranks. The work is tough but I was persevered.]


    Chen Yan: ¡°Is that the new uniform? Wow! That is amazing! I¡¯m so proud of you! Your mom is cooking up a feast for your promotion! Quickly, go and call Amah]


    [I attained ¡®Police Rank 1¡¯ in a relatively short amount of time. My chest would puff up with happy pride as I lived my name and made my family proud. Made my parents proud. Made Amah proud.]


    **********************************


    Jia Hao: ¡°Ah Zhi, Chen Yan! Welcome! Welcome!


    [The last time I saw Amah was during Chinese New Year. Amah had become frail over the years. Her hands were always shaking. Her back was bent over and hurting. And yet she smiled broadly without showing any signs of pain or fatigue.]


    Zhi Hao: ¡°Amah! You don¡¯t need to go out to greet us! Take care of yourself.¡±


    Jia Hao: ¡°I¡¯m fine! I¡¯m fine! Come in! There¡¯s food and drinks!¡±


    [Amah¡­ I¡¯m sorry.]


    **********************************


    Zheng: ¡°Listen, Zhi Hao! Be vigilant! We are going to take him down.¡±


    [The man is a mobster kingpin called Jesus Ming. He had a Chinese name, but he changed it to the name of the Christian prophet. He did it out of sheer arrogance because he had consistently escape indictment due to lack of evidence or witnesses of his crimes. But that all changed. I had become one of three key witnesses. There was more than enough to confirm an indictment, but the prosecutors wanted the mobster tried to the fullest extent.]


    Zheng: ¡°Remember to keep your claims straight! His lawyers are sharks that pick at any little detail!¡±


    Zhi Hao: ¡°I got it, captain.¡±


    [It was important for everyone. I played my role responsibly. And after a grueling six months of trials and stubborn appeals, Jesus Ming was finally found guilty and sentenced to prison. It was a hard fought victory and everyone celebrated the result.]


    **********************************


    [But¡­ Do I really need to be there?]


    Bao: "Ah Zhi..."


    [I received the news from my uncle who is a police superintendent.]


    Bao: "Amah has passed away..."


    [I felt like my heart was chewed to pieces. Amah¡­ Amah is¡­]


    Bao: "She collapsed three months ago and was hospitalized. She passed away peacefully. The family had put together a lot of money to see a medium. We had made our peace."


    [I was kept out of the loop. I was not told about her condition.]


    Bao: "When Amah is hospitalized, all of the family members had a discussion. We decided to not tell you about Amah''s passing."


    [Why did you do that? Why did you decide for me?]


    Bao: "We are sorry for doing that. You had an important case to focus on. Jesus Ming needs to be locked away. We decided that it is for the best. You did a good job in court."


    [WHY?!! THERE WERE TWO MORE WITNESSES!! WHY WAS I NEEDED?!!]


    Bao: "Now that the case is closed, we all agree that you should know about Amah. Her funeral will be held one week from now."


    [For that GUY?! THAT SCUM?! You kept me from Amah because YOU NEED ME IN COURT?!!]


    Bao: "I''m really sorry. It''s for the best. Nobody wants to interfere with your work."


    [Screw you.]


    -Bam-


    Bao: "What the-"


    [I did not care about the cost of these things. I can always pay it later.]


    -Kraassh Boom Bam-


    Bao: "Stop! Zhi Hao!"


    [I did not care about my rank. I could get demoted to hell and I won¡¯t feel a bit of regret. I can always climb back up anyway.]


    -Krssh Klak Bam Bam Bam-


    [But Amah... She''s gone. I won''t see her again. SHE¡¯S NOT COMING BACK!!]


    Bao: "Zhi Hao! Stop th-"


    [SCREW YOU!! WHO ARE YOU TO DECIDE FOR ME?!! WHO IS ANYONE TO DECIDE FOR ME?!! YOU CHOSE A MOBSTER OVER AMAH!!]


    Zhi Hao: "Go to hell..."


    [It took a lot of people to stop me. I would flail and thrash around to break free. I would punch and them when they try to confront me. When I was finally stopped, I was crying, pressed down on the floor.]


    **********************************


    ¡°I heard that he went wild when he found out about her death.¡±


    ¡°He was nearly kicked out of the police force. Luckily his uncle stepped in for him.¡±


    ¡°He is in despair but doing that is just too much.¡±


    [I heard many whispers like these as I attended Amah¡¯s funeral. I ignored them. How could they understand how I feel? The unfairness. The betrayal. And above all, Amah¡¯s death.]


    **********************************


    -Beep-


    Chen Yan: ¡°Ah Zhi, it¡¯s your father. How are you doing? Your mother is coming over to check on you. Open the door for her, okay?¡±


    [Despair. Depression. I felt that those words are not enough to describe how I was. I wanted to die. The two things stopping me is my love for my parents¡­ And how Amah would feel if I killed myself.]


    **********************************


    Zheng: ¡°Welcome back, Zhi Hao. I hope you already sort out your business. You may be ¡®Rank 3¡¯ now but you¡¯ll catch up soon enough.¡±


    [Coming back never felt like coming back. Climbing the ranks? Sure, I¡¯ll do it for the sake of my family. But don¡¯t expect great things from me.]


    **********************************


    Zheng: ¡°Police General Lao is speaking!¡±


    Lao: ¡°Officers! Superintendents! Supervisors! The government has requested our aid! A crisis has emerged in our city and all armed forces are called into action!¡±


    [One day, the whole police force got swept up in some huge national operation. I heard that even the Chinese military has been mobilized for this operation in some big apartment building.]


    __________________________________


    [But in that building, I met you, Amah. You came back from the dead to tell me to escape.]


    Zhi Hao: "WAAAAAAAH!!!"


    [Even though we didn¡¯t talk much. Even though I didn¡¯t say anything. Amah did something that saved me.]


    Bao: "ZHI HAO!!"


    -Boom-


    Zhi Hao bursts through the front doors, surprising Bao. Finally reaching the outside of the building, he collapses and pants heavily.


    -Boom Thump Thump Thump Thump-


    Shortly after him, Tai and Chen bursts through the front doors followed by a big group of police officers.


    Tai: ¡°We escaped¡­ WE ESCAPED!!¡±


    The men stop to catch their breath. Some begin to commend each other. Bao, confused at the situation, puts away his gun and runs to his nephew.


    Bao: ¡°What¡¯s going on?! Zhi Hao! Are you okay?! What happened in there?!¡±


    Zhi Hao: ¡°Amah..¡±


    Zhi Hao begins to sob again. Pressing his forehead hard against the ground, he pants heavily as tears drip from his eyes.


    [You tried to save me from those spirits. But you words of encouragement. Your last words to me. They truly saved me. Amah, even though you are gone, you came back and saved me.]


    Letting out all his emotions, Zhi Hao cries out at the top of his lungs.


    Zhi Hao: ¡°AMAAAAAH!!!¡±


    [I love you, Amah. Thank you.]


    **********************************


    Zhi Hao: ¡°So my name means ''ambition'' and ''bravery'', right?¡±


    Jia Hao: ¡°Yes. That means you have to work hard and keep facing challenges. Aim for the top!¡±


    Zhi Hao: ¡°Then I should be a policeman! I can protect people and be the top police!¡±


    Jia Hao: ¡°Hahahaha~ Okay, but you have to study hard first.¡±


    Zhi Hao: ¡°Amah?¡±


    Jia Hao: ¡°Yes?¡±


    Zhi Hao: ¡°If my name means ''ambition'' and ''bravery'', what does your name mean?¡±


    Jia Hao: ¡°Eh? You don¡¯t know?¡±


    Zhi Hao: ¡°That¡¯s because I keep calling you Amah.¡±


    Jia Hao: ¡°Well, my name is Jia Hao. It means ¡®family¡¯ and ¡®bravery¡¯.


    Zhi Hao: ¡°¡­ Un. Then you are definitely living up to your name!¡±


    Jia Hao: ¡°Hahaha~ Of course I am! I am the one keeping this family together!¡±


    __________________________________

 Prologue | Chapter 16 – Underworldly Welcoming

    __________________________________


    -Bata bata bata bata-


    Two black SWAT helicopters hovers over the apartment building, shining their floodlights on the roof. One of the helicopters lowers itself until it is a few meters over the roof.


    -Kssss fuump-


    A rappel rope drops from the helicopter''s side onto the concrete roof. A heavily armed man emerges from the helicopter and rappels down.


    -Kssss thump-


    He quickly detaches from the rope and moves away for another heavily armed man to rappel down.


    -Kssss thump-


    One man lands on his feet. Then another. And another. The last one completes the five man SWAT team. With the entire team assembled, the team leader waves at the helicopter overhead and the rappel rope is retracted. The helicopter turns and flies out of the way to make room for the next helicopter to drop its own SWAT team.


    Team Leader (1): "Weapons armed! Be careful of allies in the building! Remember! There are military, SWAT, and even police in there!"


    Officers: "SIR, YES SIR!"


    The team rushes towards the roof access door that leads inside. One man aims his weapon and holds an angle on the door. Another man holds his sidearm ready and opens the door.


    -kuchk kuchk-


    Locked. The man braces his shoulder and slams his body against the door.


    -thmp-


    Officer: "What?"


    The door has not budged and the man slumps against it in confusion. He steps backwards and braces himself once more.


    Officer: "HAA!!"


    He lunges forward and kicks the door at its lock region with all his might.


    -thmp-


    Officer: "Gah!"


    The door did not budge. The force of his kick pushed his body backwards and he falls on his bottom. He stares angrily at the door.


    Team Leader (1): "Stop! Get the battery ram! Knock it down!"


    The team leader gestures towards the others. The man holding an angle on the door switches with another teammate and joins the others in carrying a heavy battery ram. The ruffled man gets up and joins them as well. With four officers manning the ram, they position it in front of the door. As they swing the ram, the second SWAT team is on standby, ready to barge in the second the door is broken open.


    Team Leader (1): "On two! One! TWO!"


    Officers: "HAA!"


    -thmp-


    They pull all their strength in driving the ram against the door. It hit the door right in the middle with a tremendous blunt force.


    -thmp-


    The door is unaffected, letting out a soft thud when the ram strike it. The men are dumbfounded, wondering why a ram hitting the door would produce such a soft sound.


    Team Leader (1): "Again! Hit it again!"


    The leader, unperturbed by the door''s strength, orders his team to ram the door again. They draw back a step and swing the ram at the door again.


    Officers: "RAAA!"


    -thmp-


    One more, the door holds steady, letting out the same, almost mocking, soft thud.


    Officer: "What the hell is this door?!"


    The team puts away the battery ram and stares in disbelieve at the spotless door. The leader of the other team approach them and pulls out his firearm.


    Team Leader (2): "Let me try! I''m going to shoot it in the lock!"


    The leader nods his head and gestures to his team.


    Team Leader (1): "Fall back! He is going to shoot the door! Beware of bullet ricochet or flying shrapnel!"


    The team draws back as the second team leader takes aim at the door.


    Team Leader (2): "Firing!"


    -BAM-


    Team Leader (2): "No scratches. No dent."


    He looks at the other team leader and nods. He gestures at the explosives specialists on both teams.


    Team Leader (1): "Use the breach charge! Four times the firepower!"


    Officer: "Yes, sir!"


    The officers from both SWAT teams runs towards the door to set the charges. The rest of the men prop up riot shields and gather behind them. Explosive charges are fastened onto the doorknob and more charges are piled on soon after. Four times as much.


    Officer: "Explosive is set!"


    Having finished setting up the explosives, one of the officers calls out to the teams and both men return to their men behind the shields.


    Officer: "Arming explosive!"


    He flips a switch on his console and looks toward the team leader for confirmation. The team leader nods his head and gestures ¡®Go¡¯.


    Officer: "Detonating!"


    -bt THOOOM-


    The explosive explodes with an ear-splitting blast. The men recoil behind their shield as a storm of dust rages on the roof. Soon enough the dust settles and the men looks on at their work.


    Officers: "What the hell..."


    Everyone let down their weapons and emerge from cover as they stare in disbelief at the door standing firm and unscathed.


    __________________________________


    The inside of the apartment building is in complete darkness. Accompanying this darkness is a deathly silence. The air is still and has cooled down to match the cold of the night. The corridors of the lower floors are void of any human being despite it being packed with police officers half an hour ago.


    -Bam Bam Bam Bam-


    However, signs of life broke the silence as a struggle can be heard from the lobby on the ground floor.


    Zheng: ¡°Fuck! Fuck! FUCK!¡±


    Police Captain Zheng punches the glass door in desperation. Yet despite getting hit with all his might, the glass door will not open.


    -Bam Bam Bam-


    Zheng: ¡°PLEEEASE! LET ME OUT!!¡±


    He desperately hit the door with the butt of his gun. The revolver is now a useless club as all of its ammunition has been spent on shooting the door. Zheng turns around and presses his back against the glass door. His face reflects raw emotions of desperation and terror.


    Zheng: ¡°PENG! KEEP THAT THING AWAY! DON¡¯T LET IT COME NEAR!¡±


    Peng: ¡°I¡¯M TRYING!!¡±


    Zheng¡¯s subordinate, Peng replies with a similar feeling of terror. While Zheng is cowering against the door, Peng has been waving a chair in an effort to keep it at a safe distance. The thing that has terrified the two men.


    ¡°Bububu¡±


    Is a toddler. He stands at bare naked a safe distance away from the chair¡¯s reach. He is of short stature and has a typical Chinese bowl haircut commonly seen on young kids. But the most jarring feature is the boy¡¯s skin. It is dark blue, similar to a corpse drained of blood. His eyes are completely pitch black. Like a rodent¡¯s eyes, it shines black in the light from Peng¡¯s flashlight. The boy turns from side to side as he plays with his lips, making raspberry noises.


    Zheng: ¡°H-HOW DO I GET OUT OF THIS?! HELP ME, PENG!¡±


    He grabs Peng¡¯s shoulder and shakes it.


    Peng: ¡°I DON¡¯T KNOW WHAT TO DO?! I¡¯M NOT GOING DOWN LIKE VOON! YOU GET OUT OF THIS YOURSELF!!¡±


    Voon is another of Zheng¡¯ subordinates as well as Peng¡¯s colleague. He was with Peng and Zheng when the lights turned dark. The flashlights were turned and Voon was the first to see the boy standing before them. Zheng and Peng were taken aback by the child¡¯s appearance while Voon approached the boy to investigate. As soon as he stepped close, the child lunged and grabbed him. Immediately after that, many blue skinned arms reached from the darkness and grabbed Voon. They dragged his screaming and struggling body into the darkness. After that, everything turned silent and the boy emerged again under the light of Peng¡¯s flashlight.


    Zheng: ¡°DON¡¯T LET IT TOUCH ME!¡±


    Zheng kicks Peng forward, urging him to deal with the boy. Peng turns around, his face lit with anger.


    Peng: ¡°DO THAT AGAIN AND I WILL BREAK YOUR NECK!!¡±


    Zheng: ¡°WATCH HIM! WATCH HIM!¡±


    Zheng frantically points at the boy who is amused at the situation. He playfully hops back and forth, startling Peng who begins waving the chair once more.


    Boy: ¡°Hahaha!¡±


    -tap tap tap-


    Peng & Zheng: ¡°AAAAAAAAAH!!!¡±


    The boy laughs and runs towards them. Peng scrambles back while Zheng scrambles to hide behind Peng. Both men scream in terror as the flashlight flicker, showing flashes of a hundred arms reaching out to them.


    __________________________________


    In the pitch black darkness, something stirs. Behind one of the barricades set up by the police, a hand emerges with a flashlight and shines the light around it surroundings. Receiving no reaction from the surroundings, police officer Da crawls out from behind the barricade.


    Da: [No one.]


    He keeps a crouched position and walks slowly towards the stairs. Trying his best not to make a sound, he holds his breath every time he moves. Holding his gun at arm¡¯s length, he sweeps around to watch his surroundings.


    Da: [Shit! Shit! Shit!]


    His heart is beating so hard that his ears feel like it¡¯s going to pop. The adrenaline has coursed through his body, making him frantic. He clears the flight of stairs and stops to catch his breath.


    Da: [Everything is still dark. The ground floor is just below]


    Da: *Fuck*


    He swore under his breath. He was one of the first officers to realize the spirits in the building. So when he broke off from his teammates, he sprinted towards the stairs to exit the building. However, the spirits played him. The hallways became endless and stretched for city blocks. Soon after that, the lights flicker off, basking the building in complete darkness. Then the screams of men and ghostly wails started.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    Da: [Please spare me. Please spare me. Please spare me.]


    -ksss-


    Something brushes past his head. It feels like hair. Smooth and fragrant but icy cold.


    Da: ¡°Grgh!¡±


    He tumbles backwards and shines his light upwards. Attached to the ceiling is a torso of a woman hunched over against the ceiling. Her long hair trails down, glossy and smooth. The woman gets up and straightens her torso and looks down straight at him.


    Da: *Hah*


    The woman''s face is beautiful. Her face is almond shaped and her skin is white as porcelain. Her eyes, however, is all white except for her pupils that are black.


    Woman: "GYAAAAA!!"


    Da: "AAAAAH!!"


    The woman screams and swipes at him. Her hair becomes alive as it flails and twirls around gracefully. Extending her torso down from the ceiling, she descends on the terrified officer. Da tries to scramble backwards but her hair wraps itself around his body.


    Da: "GET OFF ME!"


    -Click-


    He aims his gun at the woman and pulls the trigger. The gun clicks uselessly as her hair has entangled the gun, preventing the striking firing pin from hitting the bullet''s primer. The woman sneers as her hands grips the sides of his torso. Her long hair entangles his body and limbs even further. She has him in her grasp.


    Da: "AAAAAAH!! HELP ME!! HEELP!! AAAAHAAAHAAA!! HELP ME!!"


    Knowing that he is trapped, Da begins to scream and struggle in order to break free. Her hair, firmly wrapped around the officer, begin to tug at the officer and lift him upwards.


    Woman: "HAAHAHAHAHA!! AAHAHAHAHA!!"


    Da: "NOO!! LET ME G-!! HEELP!! HEEEELP!!"


    The woman laughs hysterically and begins to beat him down with her fists. He struggles even more in response. The flashlight on his chest swing around in random directions, illuminating the frightening scene. His screams and the woman''s laughter are heard by no one as his flailing body steadily rises up towards the ceiling.


    __________________________________


    -Thump Thump Thump Thump-


    Heavy boots pound the floor as a team of SWAT officers runs down the hallway. Their breaths are heavy and frantic, as if they had gone through a terrifying ordeal. They stop by a corner to reorganize and recollect themselves. The team leader, Jianhong, starts his roll call.


    Jianhong: ¡°Xun.¡±


    Xun: ¡°Here.¡±


    Jianhong: ¡°Yijun.¡±


    Yijun: ¡°Here.¡±


    Jianhong: ¡°Zhong.¡±


    No response. The other officers look at each other with and shake their heads in regret.


    Jianhong: ¡°Huan Zhong.¡±


    He looks at his teammates once more. Receiving the same response once more, he sighs and continues his roll call.


    Jianhong: ¡°Hui.¡±


    Everyone: ¡°¡­¡±


    Jianhong: ¡°Lao Hui.¡±


    Everyone: ¡°¡­¡±


    Jianhong: ¡°Shit.¡±


    He punches the floor in frustration. He lost two men. Two men to those ghosts. No matter how much firepower they put out, they just disappear and come back. But there¡¯s no time to waste. He must ensure the safety of the rest of his team.


    Jianhong: ¡°You.¡±


    He quickly draws his gun at the fourth man who did not answer. The other officers are shocked at this sudden event. They draw back from the him, raising their guard.


    Man: ¡°Wait! Wait! Wait! Wait!¡±


    The man raises both his hands in surrender.


    Jianhong: ¡°Who are you?¡±


    Chin: ¡°I am Wu Chin. I¡¯m from Team Charlie. You guys are from Team Foxtrot, right? I¡¯m removing my helmet.¡±


    He slowly moves his hand and removes his helmet to reveal his face.


    Chin: ¡°I got separated from the team when those monsters attack. I came across you guys running and followed.¡±


    Jianhong holds his gun steady and gestures to his teammates with his chin.


    Jianhong: ¡°Any of you guys know Chin from Team Charlie?¡±


    The officers look at each other when one raises his hand.


    Jianhong: ¡°Yujin.¡±


    Yijun: ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve seen him before. He always tag behind Captain Ping who is the leader of Team Charlie.¡±


    Jianhong pauses and stares at Chin before lowering his gun.


    Jianhong: ¡°Alright. That¡¯s good. If you are here, then Zhong and Hui could be fine.¡±


    After hearing that statement, the morale of the officers is lifted and they look at each other reassuringly.


    Jianhong: ¡°Chin, you will follow us. I¡¯m going to get all of you down. Get ready.¡±


    The officers begin checking their equipment and counting their ammunition. When they are done, they gesture towards their leader who nods in response.


    Jianhong: ¡°Alright. The stairs down is around the next corner. Don¡¯t fall behind.¡±


    He checks around the corner to survey ahead before turning to his team.


    Jianhong: ¡°Go!¡±


    The team rounds the corner, gun aimed and ready. They jog in unison down the hallway. Their lights illuminate the path ahead. One is jogging backwards to guard the rear while another is holding him steady with his arm.


    Jianhong: ¡°Here!¡±


    He runs around the corner and immediately stops in his tracks. His teammates scramble forwards and cast their lights in front of them.


    ¡°Un.. Guuuuh¡­¡±


    A large head of a round face man is seen on the stairs. Its huge size takes up the entire width of the stairs leaving no gaps large enough to pass through. It made a difficult face as it pushes its head up the stairs. The head presses its cheek on the floor and squints in the direction of the light.


    Head: "UUEHEHE¡­"


    The head''s face frowns in disgust as it sees the men before him. The frown turns into a wide toothy smile as the head stands upright and laughs at them in a low, inhuman voice.


    Head: ¡°GAHAHAHAHA!¡±


    Jianhong: "What the hell?"


    Xun: "SHOOT IT DOWN!"


    -Bam Bam Bam Bam-


    The SWAT officers open fire on the head. The head recoils and closes its eyes as the bullets strikes it. Turning on one side, the head lunges forward at the retreating men.


    Head: "NGAAUUU!!"


    Chin: "AAAAH!"


    Yijun: ¡°It¡¯s not fazed by our bullets!¡±


    Xun: ¡°It¡¯s that fucking skull! Must be very thick!¡±


    Chin: "IT''S BLOCKING THE STAIRS! HOW ARE WE GOING TO GET DOWN!"


    They are backed up against the wall. The only way is back to where they came from. The men flee back down the corridor. The head presses against the entrance but is too big to get through.


    -Kum Kum Kum-


    Frustrated at their escape the head gnashes its teeth and peers into the corridor at them.


    Xun: ¡°Shit. What are we going to do, Captain?¡±


    Xun turns around but only sees Yijun and Chin. He whips around to check behind them.


    Chin: ¡°He¡¯s not here.¡±


    Xun: ¡°Captain?!¡±


    Head: ¡°GUHAHAHAHA¡­¡±


    The head sneers and begins laughing. A SWAT officer emerges from the corridor entrance from beside the head.


    Jianhong?: ¡°You escape? You are the last ones. Why do you need to make it hard for us?¡±


    The men are shocked at the officer who bears resemblance to their team leader. They take aim at him in anger.


    Jianhong?: ¡°I told you before, right?¡±


    Yijun: ¡°YOU! WHEN DID YOU?!¡±


    Jianhong?: ¡°I¡¯m going to get ALL of you down.¡±


    ¡°GYAAAAA!!!¡±


    ¡°KYAAAAA!!!¡±


    ¡°KIIIIII!!!¡±


    Screams suddenly appear behind the men. Chin turns around in sheer terror.


    Chin: ¡°IT¡¯S THEM!!¡±


    At the other end of the dark corridor, balls of light can be seen.


    Xun: ¡°What?¡±


    The balls of light turns out to be face of women, contorted to be ugly and demonic. They open their crooked mouth and let out their harrowing scream.


    ¡°GUYAAAA!!!¡±


    ¡°BUOOOOO!!!¡±


    ¡°HIGIGIGIGIGI!!!¡±


    Chin: ¡°AAAAAAHH!!¡±


    Chin begins firing at them. The flashes light up the corridor, revealing the bodies of the demonic women. White cloths cover their body but two feet long curly fingernails can be seen protruding from their long sleeves. They flail their arms in the air as they close in on the men.


    Chin: ¡°NOOOOO!!!¡±


    Xun: ¡°GAAAAAH!!!¡±


    Yijun: ¡°UWAAAAH!!!¡±


    -Bam Bam Bam Bam Bam Bam-


    The three men fire their rounds screaming in terror as the demonic women do their final lunge at them.


    __________________________________


    Tao: *What have I gotten myself into?*


    Veteran soldier Xue Tao crouches in a corner at the end of two corridors. He hugs his gun and takes slow and deep breaths to calm him down.


    Tao: *This is crazy. How am I supposed to fight these monsters? How am I supposed to survive?¡±


    He thought it would be a simple deployment. Serve as intimidating muscle for the government. He thought he would be confronting some immigrants or some traitors making deals with foreign intelligence.


    Tao: *I¡¯m just a fucking pawn, is it?*


    It was a hopeless battle. The second the lights turned off, the soldiers were ambushed. Screams, guns firing, and inhuman wails. Their firepower did nothing to them. Those monsters were inhuman, intelligent and evil. Trained soldiers lost their composure and became like rats, scattering in terror.


    Tao: *Shit¡­*


    Tao grips his gun tightly. A lot of comrades fell victim to the monsters and a lot more scattered, their fates unknown. Tao prays in his heart to survive and escape and hopes to see his comrades waiting for him.


    Tao: [!!!]


    He aims his gun at one corridor. And then the other. Something in his gut is telling him to get moving. He begins sniffing the air, desperately praying for his instincts to be wrong.


    Tao: *Oh no.*


    His worst fear is true. He smells something. Something that he recognizes and remembers when it attacked the soldiers. That musty smell of wet rotting wood. Tao begins to watch both corridors, switching between them erratically.


    Tao: [It''s here! But where is it coming from?!]


    And then he sees it. Way in the distance at the end of the left corridor. A cold cloud of darkness lazily floats its way towards him. Despite in total darkness, the cloud has another feature that can be seen through the darkness. It glows a pale blue light. The glow reveals it position, but it better assisted it in looking for prey. Tao lies prone on the ground.


    Tao: *Shit¡­ I¡¯ve got to get out of here.*


    "Uuuuh..."


    "Help..."


    "No.. Noo..."


    "Uhuhuhu..."


    Tao: *What the hell¡­*


    As the cloud starts its path down the corridor, Tao can see its new appearance. Faces. Faces with a dim blue glow are embedded into the cloud. They convulse and turn in agony as tears stream down their faces. Their murmurs of their pleas for help are very pitiful for Tao to hear.


    Tao: [Shit! Shit! That¡¯s what happened to them!]


    Tao recognizes these voices. The cloud¡¯s horrible nature has been revealed. The faces belong to the soldiers who were present in the building with Tao. They had fell victim to the cloud and their tortured faces are displayed as its trophies. The glow of the faces illuminated a small area of the cloud''s path. As the cloud''s black vapors pass over the faces, they toss and turn in order to shake off the vapor.


    "Don''t come any closer!"


    "I can''t breathe..."


    "So disgusting."


    -kss kss ksshss-


    Tao begins crawling down the opposite corridor. His movements are desperate but well-minded to not make a sound. His heartbeat is pounding his ears and his limbs feel numb as they drag his body across the floor.


    Tao: [Don''t find me. Please don''t find me¡­]


    The musty smell has grown stronger. Tao feels that the cloud is nearly upon him. He picks up his pace, hoping to put some distance between him and the cloud.


    "Hey! Please help me!"


    Tao jolts in surprise. He quickly turns around to see the blue glow upon him. A human face is floating over him, his eyes focused on Tao in pitiful desperation. Dark vapors illuminated by the blue glow float downwards to the floor.


    Tao: [HOW DID-]


    Tao scrambles backward away from the human face. The human face sees him running away and contorts in despair.


    ¡°Don¡¯t go! Please, help me!¡±


    "Pull me out, please!"


    Following the first face, second face emerges from the wall and calls out to Tao. Just from that scene, Tao understood. The cloud and the soldiers¡¯ faces can pass through the walls. Furthermore, their cries for help alert the cloud of the presence of new prey.


    "Get me out! Save me!"


    A third face squeezes out from the wall and shouts at Tao. At this point, the cloud vapors dwarves the blue glow and fills the entire height of the corridor.


    Tao: *Shit!*


    Tao punches the floor as hard as he can. The sharp pain shocks his body from its fearful stupor. He can move again. He scrambles to his feet and sprints away from the cloud.


    "No! Don''t run away!"


    "Don''t leave me alone!"


    ¡°Nooo! Please!¡±


    The faces call out to him but Tao ignores them. The adrenaline has kicked in and his fatigue clears immediately. Everything in Tao¡¯s mind and body is focused on escaping that dreadful cloud. Tao reaches the end of the corridor and rounds the corridor.


    Tao: [I¡¯ve climbed down 6 floors from the 10th floor! I can¡¯t die here!!]


    "You there! You have to help me!"


    Another face comes out in front of him. His expression shows anguish and frustration. Tao dives forward and slid across the floor. He slips under the cloud¡¯s vapors and scrambles to his feet. Planting one foot firmly on the floor, he pushes hard on it and swings his body forward into a running position.


    Tao: ¡°rRAARGH!¡±


    He stomps his feet into a sprint.


    Tao: [The stairs is around here. Please, let it be clear!]


    Hope flickers in his heart as he had done so much to survive. He emerges from the stairs entrance, determined to dive down the stairs.


    "Please... I can''t breathe.."


    ¡°Someone help me¡­¡±


    ¡°Anyone¡­ Anyone¡­¡±


    A despairing scene greets him. The entrance to the stairs glows blue as many faces lined the floor. Tao stops in his tracks and sees a sea of black vapors at his feet. The faces notice his presence and begins calling out to him in vigor.


    ¡°Hey! Get over here and help me!¡±


    ¡°Pull me out, man!¡±


    ¡°Help me! Help me!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m here! Save me!¡±


    ¡°Over here! Over here!¡±


    Tao: [Shit!]


    Tao turns around to backtrack. However, he can see the blue glow in the distance steadily approaching him. His escape route is cut off.


    Tao: [I''m trapped!]


    He feels his feet sinking. Like standing knee deep in mud, he finds it hard to pull his leg free. The faces slowly inches towards him, hoping for salvation.


    ¡°I¡¯m right here! Pull me out!


    ¡°Over here! Please!¡±


    ¡°Help me out! Look here!¡±


    Tao: "STAY AWAY!!"


    He flails desperately. His composure lost, his heart stricken with panic, he is no different than a trapped animal. Tao pulls hard on his leg to get free. He grips the entrance wall and pulls as hard as he can. His desperate effort bears fruit as he feels his leg inches free.


    Tao: [It¡¯s getting free! Please hurry!]


    A flicker of hope shines in his eyes. The chance of escaping is dancing out right in front of him, just out of his grasp. Tao braces for another strong push to¡­


    ¡°KEHIHIHIHI!¡±


    A heavy weight lands on his side. Tao glances to the side and is greeted with a glowing white face of a woman, twisted beyond humanly possible. She pulls him downwards cackling maniacally.


    Tao: "NO!! LET GO!!"


    The demonic woman shrugs of his plea and tugs hard at his elbows. His fingers give way and he fall flat on the floor.


    Tao: ¡°Ooff! NO!¡±


    He tries to pull himself up but it is too late. The cloud has engulfed his limbs and locked him in place. His limbs feel numb and cold and his torso sinks further into the vapors.


    Tao: "HELP!! HELP!! SOMEBODY HELP!!"


    Woman: ¡°HEHEHE! HIHIHIHI!!¡±


    He cries for help but no one could respond to them. The faces in the cloud has already ignored him and begin murmuring their pleas for help. The woman stands over him and cackles in his face.


    Tao: "MNNGH! HMPHGH!!"


    Tao tries to shake off the vapors as only the top of his head is left. His eyes dart around in fear as the vapor swallows him completely.


    Woman: ¡°Uhuhuhuhu¡­¡±


    "Is anyone there? Please help.."


    ¡°Make it stop¡­¡±


    "Uhuhuhu.. I don''t want to die."


    Tao is gone. Another victim to the ominous black cloud. All that remains is the demonic woman chuckling as she basks in the dim blue glow of the victims¡¯ faces murmuring for help.


    __________________________________


    -Whoosh-


    The strong winds dance around the top floors of the apartment building. On the tops floors, a few floors shy of the roof, the large form of the mythical magician stands at a veranda undisturbed. He has been peeing downwards, observing the chaos that has unfolded in the floor below.


    Rosetta: ¡°Xin Yi¡­ It is amazing what the human imagination is capable of.¡±


    He straightens his posture and peers over the wide empty streets below him.


    Rosetta: ¡°Thank you. That is impressive work.¡±


    He looks up at the sky and his demeanor changes to a cold one.


    Rosetta: ¡°I see you up there. Your proxies. You are tenacious, Jeroth.¡±


    He casts his senses behind him. The magic from the Chinese agents can be strongly felt from his position.


    Rosetta: ¡°Don¡¯t get in my way. Especially with her.¡±


    -Krk Krk-


    Rosetta: "I... Am prepared for war."


    His figure grows bigger. His back cracks and crackles as his 8 foot body stretches another 2 feet. His proportions turn bizarre as his limbs increase in length while his torso decreases in size. The tattered cloak that previously covered half of his back now covers his tiny torso completely while his limb extend from it like the long legs of a spider. His transformation is complete. Rosetta bend over to walk into the exit from the veranda.


    Rosetta: ¡°Preparations seems to be ready.¡±


    He sits down on the floor, crossing his legs facing the veranda.


    Rosetta: ¡°Time to go.¡±


    He swings his long arm overhead towards the veranda.


    -fst-


    Across the street at another high-rise apartment building, a black mist appears in one of the top floors. The mist floats towards the center of the floor and comes across a gathering of mists. White, green, red; they all sport a unique color. Then, Rosetta¡¯s voice emits from the black mist.


    Rosetta: ¡°Cemter. I¡¯m here.¡±


    The white mist in the middle of the group responds with Anne¡¯s voice.


    Anne: ¡°Okay. Most of us are here. Let¡¯s begin.¡±


    __________________________________

 Prologue | Chapter 16.1 – Superstitions

    __________________________________


    Foo: *Looks like we are alone.*


    Hong: *That¡¯s good. I feel like I broke my back running.*


    Police officer Foo Choo peers out from the door of an apartment with bated breath. His colleague Hong Shia, who is a middle-aged man, is resting against the wall next to him. His big belly swells and deflates as he pulls in his breaths like a fish out of water. Having determined that nothing has trailed them, Foo closes the apartment door and locks it before slumping against the wall next to Hong.


    Hong: *Uhuuguu¡­*


    With the sense of security finally returning to them, Hong begins to sob as the tension in him finally releases. Foo glances over to his side and looks away while patting his colleague on the back. It is a contrived attempt to calm someone down after a ridiculous event.


    Hong: *What the hell is going? Why did that happen?*


    Hong voices his questions through gritted teeth. Foo can¡¯t answer. Hong¡¯s frustration is justified. The events that happened is so ridiculous that it only makes sense in the realm of the supernatural.


    Foo: *Looks like ghosts exists¡­ Ch.*


    He can¡¯t help but scoff at what he just said. Literal ghosts appearing in this day and age. Hands and limbs bursting out of the walls. The human faces emerging from behind them, all contorted and disfigured like the ghost portrayed in horror movies. The men stood no chance. Each of them were swarmed and no one could fire their gun without hitting their own. And when they grasped the situation, it was so dire that the only logical action was to run and escape.


    Hong: ¡°Please! Please! Foo!¡±


    Hong grabs his shoulder and shakes him. The apartment is in complete darkness but Foo can make out Hong¡¯s desperate sobbing face.


    Hong: ¡°I can''t die here! I have a family! I have a wife!¡±


    Foo: *Hong! Be quiet!*


    Hong: ¡°I have a son! He''s still in college!¡±


    Foo: *Shut up! Those things will hear you! Keep it down!*


    He slams his hands against Hong''s mouth and locks his desperate eyes with Hong''s. This forces Hong to realize the situation and swallow his words. When Foo lets him go, he returns to his cowering position, rubbing his hands together in prayer.You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    Foo: *For now, we are safe in here. The ghosts do not know where we are. So making noise isn''t going to help.*


    Foo quietly gets up. He squints to look around the apartment around him.


    Foo: *Hong, I¡¯m going to check to rooms. Can you watch my back?*


    Hong: ¡°¡­¡±


    No response from his colleague. Foo can make out the shape of Hong repeatedly bowing and murmuring prayer.


    Foo: *Alright. You keep watch here. Stay vigilant* [He will be nearby. It will be fine.]


    He whips out his pistol and his flashlight before slowly sweeping the rooms. As he carefully checks the rooms, his mind begins to formulate their next course of actions.


    Foo: [Those things are still out there. Hunting. If we come out of hiding, they will find us and we will be screwed. So the best option is to stay put for now. I¡¯ll secure an escape out of the apartment just in case.]


    He racks his brain for anything he can remember about ghosts, spirits and superstitions.


    Foo: [Hopefully I can recognize anything supernatural when I see it. I¡¯d better get back to Hong. We could share information about ghosts and superstitions.]


    Done with checking the rooms, Foo hurries back to the main apartment room where Hong resides. He casts his flashlight at where he last saw Hong.


    Foo: [Huh?]


    Hong is not there. Foo turns his flashlight around the whole room. No one. He is alone in the room.


    Foo: *Hong?*


    He turns his back towards the door exit and slowly walk backwards towards it. His heart begins to pick up the pace and cold sweat starts pouring out of his skin.


    Foo: *Hong! Where are you?*


    "Hong is over here!"


    Foo: [?!]


    -Click-


    Upon hearing the stranger¡¯s voice, he immediately ducks down, making himself as low as possible. He turns off his flashlight and begins inching towards the door as quietly as possible. He remembers his gun but is sure that it will prove useless in this situation.


    "Hong is waiting here for you! Come over here!"


    The stranger¡¯s voice calls out to him once more. Foo is not responding and keeps focusing on his slow creep towards the door.


    Foo: [This... I know what this is...]


    He is not going to respond to the voice. He knows what the voice is doing. He has been told about it many times since he was a child. An old superstition from the countryside.


    Foo: [Never shout a name in the forest or something will call back using that name. To think that I experience this.]


    "Are you there? Hong is waiting for you!"


    -Thmp-


    Foo feels it behind him. He has reached the door. The stranger is still calling out to him, seemingly unaware of Foo. In spite of that, Foo does not feel that is the case.


    Foo: [It¡¯s all an act. If I turn my back, I¡¯ll be done for.¡±


    He takes note of the position of the doorknob and plans his flight path once he burst through the door. Then another thought resurfaces in his mind. One reminding him about his missing colleague. Guilt and regret grip his heart.


    Foo: [Hong¡­ I¡¯m so sorry, Hong.]


    Based on what has happened so far, Foo can only deduce that Hong cannot be rescued and can even be dead. How is he going to face Hong¡¯s family? Why did he think it is a good idea to leave him there? These questions plague his mind and cuts away at hi heart. Foo holds back his emotions and crushes them in his heart. The first thing above all is to survive this encounter.


    "Are you coming?!"


    Foo: [I need to get out of here¡­ For me and for Hong.]


    -Kachak-


    He quickly grabs the doorknob and pulls open the door. Keeping his front facing in the direction of the stranger¡¯s voice, he lunges backwards through the doorway. Sensing that he got out of the apartment, Foo slams his feet on the ground, twists his body and sprints to the side down the hallway.


    "Hey! Where are you going?! Come back!"


    The voice frantically calls out to Foo. Yet he ignores the voice and keeps running. Keeping his head focused ahead, he runs further away from the apartment in total darkness.


    *Ch...*


    As Foo¡¯s footstep echoes softer and softer, the voice spits in vexation for losing its prey.


    __________________________________

 Prologue | Chapter 17 – The Six Warriors | Reunion for the Final Mission

    __________________________________


    Spirit: ¡°Gegegegegege!¡±


    Faceless and a body like a mannequin draped in white cloth. Floating in the air with limbs twisting and turning at odd angles. All of them converge to a light source in the pitch black darkness. A lone ball of fire floats in the air. A group of six men gathered in a small area illuminated by the fireball. The spirits confronts the men, cackling at their resistance. One of the men, Wen Hou, stands boldly in front of the group. His mana flares around his arms, mimicking his anger.


    Hou: "You damn spirits. Don''t play around with me!"


    Hou thrusts his fist at his pursuers. His mana flashes through his knuckles, making them glow red.


    -Fwoom-


    Fist sized fireballs fly out from his knuckles straight through the air at high speed. One of them goes right through one of the spirits.


    Spirits: ¡°Gyahaha-¡°


    The spirit laughs for a split second before dispersing into vapors. The fireball continues its flight path in parallel with the other three and struck the floor in the middle of the spirits.


    -ft-BOOM-


    Yuen: ¡°Gahak- You fool! Be careful!¡±


    The explosion blasts dust into the air. The cloud of dust engulfs the men, obscuring their vision. Guo Yuen who calls out Hou¡¯s mistake and braces himself while he warns the other men.


    Spirits: ¡°WOOOOOO!!¡±


    Yuen: ¡°HA!¡±


    A spirit emerges from the floor with its arm wide open to grab him. Yuen is ready for that. He immediately pulses his mana through his muscles and slams his palm against the spirit¡¯s chest.


    -Doom-


    A shockwave blasts through the spirits body blowing away the dust behind it. The spirits fly in the air and crashes, skidding a good distance away. Yuen brings his palm back to its striking position.


    Spirit: ¡°KSHA-¡°


    His second strike is just as quick. A second spirit lunges out from the floor with its hands aimed at his neck and he chops across the side of its head because its protruding nails could reach him. The spirit spins sideways in the air and lands head first on the floor.


    -Ching Clink- -Boom Thoom-


    Close behind Yuen is Jingyi Rong Hou. Wrapped around his arms are thick metal chains and on the other end, two spirits entangled by the chains. The chains whip around, smashing the spirits against the floor and ceiling.


    Rong Hou: ¡°HAAA!!¡±


    -Chik Krikikiki-


    He swings his chain to the side with all his strength. The chains fling the two spirits and send them crashing in the darkness beyond.


    Rong Hou: ¡°These spirits are so weak. I¡¯m angry that I have to deal with them while looking for the magician.¡±


    Yuen: ¡°They are weak because we have magic. If we are just normal people, the-¡°


    -Kshshshshsh-


    The spirits before Yuen begin to twist and convulse. Then like a snake, their bodies quickly slither like snakes into the darkness. Yuen retreats a little while making a disgusted face.


    Yuen: ¡°Accursed spirits!¡±


    ¡°Guo, look out!¡±


    Yuen turns to Yun Hong Hsu¡¯s direction and is instantly greeted with many things sliding past his feet. They are severed limbs. Convulsing and twisting like snakes. Yuen recoils in surprise as they slither past him.


    Hong Hsu: ¡°Disgusting¡­¡±


    -swsh swsh swsh-


    Hong Hsu steps forward, brandishing his sword at the escaping limbs. His strikes are superhumanly quick. His sword cuts the air so fast that the sound that it emits are quick and sharp like the blade itself. The floor around him is scarred with long and thin cuts, courtesy of his sword. It is obvious as to what happened. The spirits attempted to attack Hong Hsu with their limbs through the floor but were foiled by his high-speed swordplay.


    Yuen: ¡°Zheng! How are you faring?¡±


    Yuen turns his attention towards Bao Zheng. The fireball¡¯s light dances on his back. Zheng is silent and his front faces the rear direction of the group. He tilts his head in their direction, not wanting to break sight of the group¡¯s rear.


    Zheng: ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    -Shing Clink Clink-


    A few of Zheng¡¯s weapons come into view. Chinese swords, spears and polearms. They swirl around Zheng, shimmering from the fireball¡¯s light.


    Hong Hsu: ¡°Oi, Hou! The fire is going out.¡±


    Hou: *To use my magic like this¡­*


    Hou storms over grumbling. He smashes his fist together and slowly brings them apart.


    -ssshoooo-


    A fireball forms in the space between his fists. Its light is much brighter than the first one. Hou nudges the fireball upwards and it floats upwards to join its dimmer counterpart.


    Rong Hou: ¡°We need your fire to make light. Or else the spirits with overpower us.¡±


    Hou: ¡°I better have enough energy to fight that magician! Zhao, can¡¯t you seal them away with your magic?"


    Chen Zhao faces Hou with utter bewilderment.


    Zhao: "I already tried! Walls don''t work on them! They just walk pass through!"


    Rong Hou: ¡°Everyone else seems to be able to handle them though.¡±


    Zhao: ¡°You all use things that are personal to you! I use this building¡¯s concrete!¡±


    Hong Hsu: ¡°Ch¡­ You are one of the strong ones too.¡±


    Zhao: ¡°When we find that magician, I¡¯ll show you how strong I can get!¡±


    Yuen: ¡°That said, how are we going to find that magician? Ever since the lights gone out and these spirits attacked, the magician¡¯s energy has disappeared.¡±


    All six men look at the ceiling. In one of the floors above, their target lies in wait. Before the lights went out, they could sense the magician¡¯s large energy with no effort. Now, the magician¡¯s energy has disappeared and they have no way of knowing his exact location.


    Rong Hou: ¡°Let¡¯s think for a bit. The magician¡¯s position has not moved the entire time we came here. There¡¯s a chance he has not moved yet.¡±


    Hou: ¡°So we just keep going up?¡±


    Hong Hsu: ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s get going. Zhao, make use a path.¡±


    Zhao: ¡°Right.¡±


    Zhao extends his arms upwards and concentrated hard on his hands.


    -Grkkkk-


    The concrete ceiling begins to move. Like soft clay, it peels off and descends downwards until it touches the floor. The concrete fuses to the floor making a ramp to the next floor through the ceiling.


    Hou: ¡°Let¡¯s go! Search this floor and go up to the next.


    Hou jogs up the ramp in full vigor while the other men follow suit while making an annoyed face at the chore that is to come.


    __________________________________


    White, green, red, blue, brown, purple, grey, yellow, orange, and black. Small balls of mist of these colors gathered together in a dark room. The black one speaks in Rosetta¡¯s voice.


    Rosetta: ¡°I recall meeting more people than this¡­ Who is present?¡±


    The white mist chimes in.


    Center: ¡°We have Matryoshka, Amazon, Oak, Sandman, Clock, Giant, Zookeeper, and Conductor. Blizzard, Seafarer and the others are lying low.¡±


    Rosetta: ¡°..Oh¡­¡±


    Matryoshka: ¡°Do you even remember any of us?¡±


    The red mist lashes out at Rosetta. Her spite is clear but held back. Rosetta clears his throat in response.


    Rosetta: ¡°Yes, I know all of you. More than your aliases, I assure you.¡±


    Upon his answer, the white mist begins the meeting before anyone else can chime in.


    Center: "First and foremost, I need to address the current state of affairs. The situation right now is dire.¡±


    Vapors extend out from the white mist and forms into a large image for all to see. The image displays a diagram of Earth with multiple satellites in orbit.


    Center: ¡°The enemy organization, spear headed by Jeroth Gibson, has gained the capability to scan for mana."


    A subtle tone can be derived from her words. One born from hatred.


    Giant: ¡°They still don¡¯t have a name?¡±


    The purple mist voices his concern. Center decides to address it.


    Center: ¡°I reckon they don¡¯t need it. Why attach a name to unaccounted funds of a group of countries?¡±


    Giant: ¡°Mhm..¡±


    Center: "They have launched a satellite with mana detecting capability into orbit. From there the satellite is able to pinpoint the location of any person with mana anywhere in the world.¡±


    The orange mist exclaims in alarm.


    Zookeeper: ¡°So these people can find us?!¡±


    Center: "Fortunately, I was able to counter that with a temporary solution.¡±


    The hovering image changes to another one. A picture of the Earth covered in auroras.


    Center: ¡°With the help of Oak and Amazon, I pumped mana into the upper atmosphere, blocking the satellite''s view. As of now, the organization can only pinpoint the location of large concentrations of mana. So any powerful magic can be detected. Be wary of that."


    Zookeeper: ¡°Ah- So that¡¯s why the sky is like that.¡±


    The grey mist happily chimes in.


    Amazon: ¡°Yup, what a beautiful view! Enjoy it while it last!¡±


    Center: ¡°Yes¡­ Although, I am not going to leave this as it is. The current solution is a temporary one. The layer of will only last for another three to four days before it is completely destroyed by the Sun¡¯s radiation. I¡¯m currently working on a spell to lock the mana in the upper atmosphere. This one will cover the entire Earth.¡±


    Zookeeper: "Will it cause the aurora in the sky like now?"


    Towards her innocent question, Center answers, her voice clearly vexed.


    Center: ¡°No, I will be converting the mana to its inert form so it will not cause the aurora in the sky anymore. Until then, restrict your use of magic and if you release large amount of mana, evacuate your region immediately."


    The brown mist speaks.The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Sandman: ¡°How long until your spell is up?¡±


    Center: "It will take around a week. After that, everyone will be protected from detection. It is a different case for Rosetta though.¡±


    All attention shift towards the black mist who is silent.


    Center: ¡°Rosetta''s vast reserves of mana could not be hidden by a simple cloud of mana."


    Upon her statement, Rosetta speaks out to explain his circumstances.


    Rosetta: ¡°My mana is large enough to be detected by normal mana users from a few kilometers away. Normally, this is not a problem on a world so large and the enemy agents spread few and far apart. Up till now, I have always escaped underground when they surround me as a thick layer of rock is enough to hide mana my mana and I will reappear on a different part of the world.¡±


    Center: ¡°So, now that they have mana detecting satellites orbiting the Earth, it is impossible for Rosetta to escape. They might not detect his mana if he is underground but they can locate him the moment he resurfaces. That¡¯s why I propose a new tactic for Rosetta.¡±


    Rosetta: ¡°I will be travelling to the bottom of the ocean. Even if the ocean cannot hide my mana, they could not challenge me at that depth.¡±


    Zookeeper: ¡°But how are you going to continue the mission if you¡¯re stuck on the ocean floor?¡±


    Center: ¡°There is a second part to this.¡±


    Rosetta: ¡°Proxies. I will be sending proxies to aid everyone in the mission.¡±


    Amazon: ¡°Proxies?¡±


    Rosetta: ¡°Offshoots of myself. They will retain my consciousness and a fair bit of my mana. These proxies will be scattered around the world in order for me to see this trough.¡±


    The blue mist speaks.


    Conductor: ¡°What about the final step? Transferring the person to the other world?¡±


    Rosetta: ¡°Regrettably, I have to conduct the spell directly with my real self. I¡¯ll be there when everything is ready to go.¡±


    Center: ¡°There is nothing else planned after Rosetta escapes to the ocean and scatters his proxies. Further planning hinges on the fated¡­ Girl..¡±


    Center ends her sentence with an awkward pause. No one else notice except for Rosetta who is quiet. Then Matryoshka breaks the silence with an annoyed voice.


    Matryoshka: ¡°Then let¡¯s get to the crux of the issue. The girl?¡±


    Finally approaching a topic of interest, green mist chimes in.


    Oak: ¡°Is there a breakthrough? There¡¯s still some issues we wish to discuss.¡±


    Her voice is aimed towards Center who approves.


    Center: ¡°Mhm. We have a breakthrough. The girl we have been looking for. She has been found.¡±


    There is a moment of silence as the others perk up to the new information. Amazon claps her hands together and exclaims.


    Amazon: ¡°That¡¯s great! Have anyone made contact with her?¡±


    Oak: ¡°Hang on. We shouldn¡¯t approach a young girl out of the blue. Take great care in the next step.¡±


    Center: ¡°Yes¡­ The next step has to be taken with the utmost care¡­ Mostly due to some circumstances that arose around her.¡±


    Zookeeper: ¡°Circumstances?¡±


    Center: ¡°For now, here is the new information on her.¡±


    The floating image disappears and a photo takes its place. It shows Jiang Shuu Ren smiling while holding out a caged bird.


    Center: ¡°This is Jiang Shuu Ren.¡±


    The first to respond is Amazon.


    Amazon: ¡°Oh! She looks so pleased!¡±


    Zookeeper is next, but her concern is focused on the caged eagle.


    Zookeeper: ¡°That eagle is pretty upset¡­¡±


    The rest follow suit.


    Giant: ¡°I-Is that Japan?¡±


    Conductor: ¡°I think congratulations are in order.¡±


    Oak: ¡°Where¡¯s the girl?¡±


    As the others take in the picture, Rosetta is conflicted at the sight. Having found an end to a struggle, his thoughts and feelings churns within him. One feeling finally surfaces. Humility. To this photo, this proof of the possibility of the end, Rosetta can only¡­


    Rosetta: ¡°Oh¡­¡±


    Whimper. No one catch wind of it. Except for Center who proceeded to introduce Jiang Shuu Ren.


    Center: ¡°Forty four years old. Originally from Jingdezhen in the Jiangxi province of China, she now lives in Hirosaki and has worked as a salary woman in a company for the past sixteen years.¡±


    Giant: ¡°So¡­ She really has been in Japan the whole time? I live in Tokyo though.¡±


    Center: ¡°Yes. Clock chanced upon her in a hospital in Tokyo and I confirmed her identity through her medical records.¡±


    Her words disturb Oak, prompting her to ask for clarification.


    Oak: ¡°What is she doing in the hospital?¡±


    Center: ¡°She was having a health checkup. She has enrolled in a fertility program and is pregnant with a child.¡±


    Upon those words, Oak bursts into a flurry of questions.


    Oak: ¡°Pregnant?! Then that means her child is the fated girl?! The girl isn¡¯t born yet?!¡±


    Center: ¡°Oak, calm down. Unfortunately, that does not seem to be the case.¡±


    Oak: ¡°What do you mean? She is a relative of the fated girl?¡±


    Upon her query, Center takes a deep breath before continuing.


    Center: ¡°No. We found the fated girl. The fated girl IS Jiang Shuu Ren.¡±


    The yellow mist that has been quiet all this time finally speaks.


    Clock: ¡°What?¡±


    Center: ¡°I¡¯ve compared her mana profile with the mana profile we have. The result is a match percentage of over forty percent.¡±


    Amazon: ¡°Forty percent¡­ Isn¡¯t that a little low for a confirmed match? That kind of result seems to point to her being a relative of the girl.¡±


    Center: ¡°Mana works a little differently compared to DNA. Mana is energetic in nature and thus much more diverse in storing information of a person than DNA, which is restricted to four nucleotides. A mana profile can provide-¡°


    -Bam-


    A loud noise like a table being hit cuts off Center¡¯s words. Everyone turns to the culprit, Matryoshka.


    Matryoshka: ¡°Pay attention to the time some of us have to be awake at! Get to the point!¡±


    -Bam-


    She strikes the table once more before turning silent. Center, who waited for her to finish, continues her explanation.


    Center: ¡°To keep things brief, mana profiles are hardly similar to each other. The most similarity between a mother and her daughter in terms of mana is when the daughter is a newborn. That similarity stretches up to thirty percent. But as the daughter grows older and deviates from the mother, that percentage drops down to around ten percent. This ten percent similarity is as far as genetics can contribute.¡±


    Amazon: ¡°But this is is¡­¡±


    Center: ¡°No way around it. Forty percent. The only way there is this high of a percentage is for Jiang Shuu Ren to be the fated girl.¡±


    The reality of the development begins to sink in. Jiang Shuu Ren, a woman in her forties, is the fated girl that was supposed to be found when she was a child. Too late. Decades too late. Not wanting to give in, Amazon gleams something from Center¡¯s explanation.


    Amazon: ¡°But you said that the percentage can reach as high as thirty percent. It¡¯s not that far off. Maybe this is a special case, since the girl is supposed to be fated or destined.¡±


    Center cannot answer. She has exhausted that possibility after completing hundreds of parallel testing only to receive the same result. As she struggles to find her words, Rosetta fills in for her.


    Rosetta: ¡°Sorry. That is not the case. Center has done enough to eliminate any possibility of an outlier result.¡±


    The listlessness of his voice. Everyone know how demoralized the magician is.


    Rosetta: ¡°The mana profile of the fated girl is extracted from a lock of hair. That lock of hair was taken when the girl was an adult. So no matter how special the case is¡­¡±


    His voice trails off and Center picks up his slack.


    Center: ¡°We found the fated girl and she is Jiang Shuu Ren.¡±


    Then there is silence. No one is able to make the situation better.


    Matryoshka: ¡°Alright. I¡¯m leaving.¡±


    Oak: ¡°Wha- Wait! The meeting is not finished!¡±


    Matryoshka: ¡°Rosetta¡¯s final mission is screwed, right? Then there¡¯s nothing left to do.¡±


    -Shuuu-


    And with that sound, the red mist evaporates. Her presence no longer felt around them.


    Center: ¡°Should I reach out to her and get her back?¡±


    Rosetta: ¡°There¡¯s no need. Let her sleep. If there is anything that needs her attention, it can be addressed to her later. Let¡¯s continue.¡±


    Sandman: ¡°Alright. So¡­ What now, Rosetta?


    Conductor: ¡°Is your mission even possible at this point?¡±


    Center: ¡°Yes. When Jiang was found, Clock was sent to observe her and her daily routine to eventually get in contact with her. However, Clock had stumbled on a more complex situation that anyone could anticipate.¡±


    Oak: ¡°What happen? Did ¡®those people¡¯ get to her?¡±


    Center: ¡°No. Clock got in contact with her but Clock was confronted by two beings in close contact with Jiang.¡±


    Zookeeper: ¡°Beings¡­ Something you don¡¯t know and are not human?¡±


    Center: ¡°Yes. I managed to identify traces of two unique mana signature after the encounter. Turns out, during the encounter, they force their mana presence on Clock, freezing her body up. For them to overpower Clock so much that staying still is the only best action to take, these beings are exceptionally powerful.¡±


    Clock: ¡°Kh..¡±


    In response to her words, Clock clicks her tongue in anger. It is humiliating to recall that event, in the presence of others.


    Zookeeper: ¡°What other information do you have on them?¡±


    Center: ¡°Only one of the beings¡¯ identity. Take a look at the picture again. For your information, Clock obtained this during the encounter. See the eagle in the picture? That¡¯s one of them.¡±


    Amazon: ¡°The eagle?!¡±


    Zookeeper: ¡°That¡¯s so aweso- Sorry. But it is a surprise.¡±


    Amazon is surprised at the information. Zookeeper is ecstatic but her excitement is quickly quelled when she felt Clock¡¯s angry glance.


    Conductor: ¡°Where is the other one?¡±


    Center: ¡°Most likely hidden on Jiang¡¯s person. It is very likely it is taking the form of one of Jiang¡¯s belongings.¡±


    Zookeeper: ¡°Center, you sure you can¡¯t get any more info on them?¡±


    Center: ¡°My extent of knowledge about them is that they harbored massive levels of mana and could potentially use devastating magic. What¡¯s even more impressive is that they can hide their mana. The only reason I was able to gauge it was because they unleashed it upon Clock as a show of force.¡±


    Oak: ¡°How much mana are you talking about?¡±


    Center: ¡°Though not as large as Rosetta¡¯s, Amazon¡¯s or mine, their mana outclass the rest multiple times.¡±


    Zookeeper: ¡°Wow. So, they are hostile?¡±


    Amazon: ¡°Or just protective. Do they know about the ¡®organization¡¯?¡±


    Center: ¡°That is interesting. What makes you say that?¡±


    Amazon: ¡°Well, it¡¯s because of their behavior, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Amazon: ¡°They hid their mana and the eagle¡­¡±


    They return their attention to the picture, their focus on the eagle in the cage. Its feathers are flaring and the bird looks like it is rearing for an attack.


    Amazon: ¡°It looks like it is on guard.¡±


    Center: ¡°Yes¡­ We could even be mistaken as one of ¡®them¡¯.¡±


    Giant: ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I want to be kept away from this. I can¡¯t stand fighting.¡±


    Conductor: ¡°My thoughts exactly. We should work around these beings.¡±


    To their proposals, Center sighs.


    Center: ¡°That will be hard if not, impossible.¡±


    Amazon: ¡°Why? Is it because they are always in contact with her? Or¡­ There are more of them?¡±


    Center: ¡°Yes. When Clock is investigating Jiang¡¯s residence-¡°


    Clock: ¡°Center.¡±


    Clock interrupts Center as she is explaining the events that happened. Noticing Clock¡¯s intent to leave the events of her retreat unspoken, Center omits them.


    Center: ¡°The encounter was short but my analysis after the encounter manage to identify seven more mana signatures. All of them with a caliber similar to the first two.¡±


    Zookeeper: ¡°Seven?! ¡±


    Oak: ¡°Clock, are you alright? You¡¯re not-¡±


    Clock: ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    Oak turns to ask Clock of her condition, but Clock cuts her off with a quick answer. Amazon presses on to the main issue.


    Amazon: ¡°Are you able to identify any of them?¡±


    Center: ¡°Only one. A cat that is likely to be Jiang¡¯s pet. It was the only one that directly approached Clock. The other six seem to reside in Jiang¡¯s home.¡±


    Amazon: ¡°That¡¯s not much information to go on, is it?¡±


    Clock: ¡°Rosetta. You have been quiet for a while now. Do you know anything?¡±


    Realizing that he has just been listening the entire time, Rosetta chips in with his observation.


    Rosetta: ¡°¡­ From my experience, I believe that these ¡®beings¡¯are wisps.¡±


    Wisps. The term seems insignificant to them except for Center who exclaims out loud.


    Center: ¡°Wait- Wisps?!¡±


    Zookeeper: ¡°What?What? Wisps?¡±


    Conductor: ¡°Those are wisps? The eagle? And cat?¡±


    Amazon: ¡°What do you know of wisps?¡±


    Surprised at Center¡¯s reaction, they requested for an explanation.


    Center: ¡°Uh¡­ From what I know, wisps are mythical beings that exist in scarce numbers even in the other world.¡±


    Center puts together a brief explanation before questioning Rosetta.


    Center: ¡°Rosetta, how could they exist here? This world has no mana!¡±


    Rosetta: ¡°I don¡¯t know. But this does not change the fact that they are gathered around Jiang Shuu Ren.¡±


    Center: ¡°Even I don¡¯t even know much about wisps. What are they? What can they do?¡±


    Rosetta: ¡°Give me a moment. I am recalling what I know.¡±


    The black mist becomes silent for a bit before speaking.


    Rosetta: ¡°Okay. Wisps begin¡­ As beings made entirely out of mana. As for capability, they can produce any form of magic within their mana capacity.¡±


    Center: ¡°Beings made from mana¡­ So exactly like you.¡±


    No one responded to her observation. The true weight of the matter finally hits them. The wisps are in the same class as Rosetta.


    Rosetta: ¡°Yes. The form I have is their most basic form. So in order to create their own bodies, they take in matter to form them or just possess and take control of something. The body in turn becomes framework to house their unique magic. Their body can take the shape of anything, be it an inanimate object or a living thing.¡±


    Zookeeper: ¡°Damn¡­¡±


    Amazon: ¡°Sounds like the wisps can be masquerading as normal household items in Miss Jiang¡¯s home.¡±


    Conductor: ¡°Miss Jiang is certainly living up to her title as fated girl.¡±


    Clock: ¡°So, what are we going to do?¡±


    Center: ¡°I guess ¡®Try and make friendly contact with the wisps.¡¯ is a good start. What is your suggestion, Rosetta?¡±


    No response. Center looks at the hovering black mist.


    Center: ¡°Rosetta?!¡±


    Rosetta: ¡°Y-Yes?¡±


    Clock: ¡°Our. Next. Step?¡±


    Clock spaces out each word, displaying her displeasure of Rosetta¡¯s inattentiveness.


    Center: ¡°My suggestion is to make friendly contact with the wisps. What is your opinion?¡±


    Rosetta: ¡°O-Oh¡­ Yes, that¡¯s a good way to start. After that should be the usual procedure. Establish contact with Jiang Shuu Ren. Persuade her to transfer to the other world. Get her to the location for interdimensional transfer and send her off. All the while, protecting her from the enemy.¡±


    Sandman: ¡°Where is this ¡®transfer location¡¯?¡±


    Rosetta: ¡°Hmm¡­ Somewhere around the north part of the Atlantic Ocean.¡±


    Conductor: ¡°Looks like I am needed in getting her there.¡±


    As they ponder their roles, the black mist retreats.


    Rosetta: ¡°Alright. I have to take my leave now. My time is up.¡±


    Oak: ¡°Wha- Wait! I still have some things to address!¡±


    Rosetta: ¡°I¡¯m sorry. The situation on my end has become dire. I need to be there. Don¡¯t worry, when I scatter my proxies, we can have a talk. Center, please handle this from here.¡±


    Center: ¡°Alright. Take care on your end.¡±


    Rosetta: ¡°You too. Everyone, take care. I wish you well.¡±


    -fst-


    __________________________________


    Rosetta: ¡°Haa¡­¡±


    His consciousness clears up. The view from his real body becomes his main focus.


    -thud-


    As he tries to stand up, the horns of his mask strikes the concrete ceiling.


    Rosetta: ¡°Oh..¡±


    He has forgotten about his tall form. The form that he chose to confront those who hunted him. Brushing the top of his mask, he focuses his attention to the mana around him.


    Rosetta: [Xin Yi... I heard you calling me.]


    He raises his hands and tiny orbs begin to glow around his hand. Like fireflies hovering around his pitch black hand.


    Rosetta: [I''m sorry. You must be really tired.]


    He bends forward to have a closer look at the glowing orbs. They glow meekly, barely illuminating his face.


    Rosetta: [Chun Xin Yi. You have supported me this whole time. Thank you. I''ll take over from here. I will finish my mission.]


    The orbs sparkles. Then suddenly the entire floor is flooded with a blinding yellow light. Rosetta feels a strong wind blowing from under him.


    "Woooooo!"


    "Hahahaha!"


    "Weeheeheehee!"


    Cries of joy and laughter. The people that passed. Those who stayed behind to aid Xin Yi. They have passed on with bliss in their hearts. Hearing their laughter, Rosetta can feel some of the happiness brushing of him.


    Rosetta: [Even among strangers, you are loved.]


    The voices of the people faded and darkness returns to the floor once more. The only source of light left is the tiny glowing orbs flowing around his hand.


    Rosetta: [Thank you, Xin Yi. Farewell.]


    The tiny orbs disappears and the presence of the kind old woman along with it.


    Rosetta: [Now. For these men.]


    -ziuum-


    A pulse emits from his body. Rosetta¡¯s attention is towards the group of men staring at him through the floor.


    -BTOOOM-


    The floor exploded. Or rather, the floor bursts like a bubble on a water¡¯s surface.


    -ftKRSH-


    The concrete smashes into Rosetta¡¯s body, wrapping around him like soft clay. In the next moment the concrete turns solid. Rosetta¡¯s movements are restrained.


    -Cssh Clink Clink-


    Chains. And not only that. Swords, spears, and daggers. All of them flying at high speed at Rosetta.


    -KiSHAA-


    The chain strikes his body heavily and wraps around him, tightening and crushing him. The weapons slash, cut and impale his body.


    Rosetta: ¡°Gh!¡±


    Rosetta grunts in surprise as a sword pierces his back and out his neck. But before he can look at the person behind him, another man lunges at his front.


    "HAAA!!"


    -Fwoom-


    The man strikes him in the head with his fist. A blast of mana erupts from his fist and into Rosetta¡¯s head. The blast spreads outwards creating a small shockwave through the air.


    Hou: ¡°Finally found the bastard!¡±


    Hou climbs up from the hole in the floor and balls of fire follow him, floating up and illuminating the whole area. Yuen jumps backwards and the Hong Hsu¡¯s sword quickly withdraws, but not without twisting on its way out. The men gather around Rosetta, ready for battle.


    Guo Yen: ¡°Hold him steady!¡±


    Rong Hou: ¡°Focus on yourself! I can handle myself!¡±


    Rosetta casts his gaze across the cautious bickering men.


    Rosetta: ¡°You... Are not from Gibson''s organization. But your magic...¡±


    His voice turns deep, sending the men into a silent vigilant state.


    Rosetta: ¡°It is my stolen property.¡±


    -krshkrkk-


    The concrete binding him cracks as he begins to break free.


    Rosetta: ¡°I need to right that wrong.¡±


    __________________________________

 Prologue | Chapter 17.5 – Watchers On The Sidelines

    __________________________________


    -Brrrrr-


    The engines of the transport plane roars as it cuts across the night sky above the Chinese City. Its view of the city below is clear but marred by a few low lying clouds. Otherwise, the dark buildings and the empty streets is visible from 50 000 feet in the air.


    -Fwoom-


    A pair of fighter jets flies to the plane¡¯s side. Their job is to escort the transport plane and protect it from any intercepting Chinese aircraft. They are in forbidden airspace after all.


    Jet Pilot: ¡°Carrier One, this is Eagle One. I have returned from refueling. Please acknowledge, Carrier One.¡±


    The pilot from one of the jets gestures at the pilot of the transport plane. The jet has just returned from air refueling. The transport plane pilot gestures back, acknowledging his escorts return.


    Transport Pilot: ¡°Acknowledged, Eagle One. Resume escort.¡±


    Both of the jets fly to the front and continue their escort. All three aircraft circle around the city, never deviating from their route two hours ago. Aside from the pilots in the transport plane, there is an agent from the organization residing in the cargo hold. Nathan Terrozzo sits uncomfortably as he braces against the mild turbulence.


    Nathan: ¡°Guh¡­¡±


    He looks at his giant companion in the cargo hold. A huge machine encased with a metal casing. The machine is carrying out its purpose, its whirring drowned out by the plane¡¯s engines. Its sole purpose is to locate and pinpoint any source of mana from its location.


    Nathan: ¡°Hm¡­¡±


    He presses his boot against the side panel of the machine. The panel is depressed but returns to form when his boot is drawn back. Light weight and durable material made for space orbit. This spectacular machine, destined for low orbit around the Earth, was created in mere weeks after salvaging the magic from the conflict in Vietnam. An impossible feat completed by a team of four agents under Director Vance commanding over a few hundred scientists, mechanics and engineers. Five machines have been produced and slated to be launched into orbit. Two of them were successfully launched, but the celebration was abruptly cut off when extraordinary amounts of mana is released into the atmosphere, rendering the two machines in space as useful as space junk. And thus, the remaining three are reengineered to be used in an aircraft.


    -Brrreep Brrreep-


    A call from control center. And based on the caller ID, it is one of the machine¡¯s creators. Nathan puts on his full face helmet. The surrounding noise is dampened and the call is let through.


    Kenny: ¡°This is Kenny Balmer from HQ. Do you hear me clearly, Nathan Terrozzo?¡±


    Nathan: ¡°Yes, I hear you. Is this a private line?¡±


    Kenny: ¡°Well, we are the only ones on this call but it is being recor-¡°


    Nathan: ¡°Then drop the formalities. I¡¯m tired and I don¡¯t need any more stress piling on while on this mission.¡±


    Kenny: ¡°Alright. How is the machine¡¯s performance?¡±


    Nathan: ¡°The machine.. Looks fine.¡±


    Kenny: ¡°Any noise? Clunking? Sparks? Bursts of mana?¡±


    Nathan: ¡°No. Why are you asking?¡±


    Kenny: ¡°Just standard checkup. We still don¡¯t know its range of performance after all.¡±


    Nathan: ¡°So. How is its performance? You are the ones receiving the results after all.¡±


    Kenny: ¡°It¡¯s good. I¡¯m getting overwhelmed but it¡¯s good.¡±


    Nathan: ¡°Really? I thought your type of magic is the type that should not be overwhelmed by information.¡±


    Kenny: ¡°It¡¯s just a lot of noise in the data. But it¡¯s being sorted out.¡±


    Nathan: ¡°Are you getting anything useful from this?¡±


    Kenny: "Yes. We¡¯ve learned a lot in the last hour.¡±If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Nathan: ¡°What of the Chinese agents?¡±


    Kenny: ¡°We received their mana reactions clearly. They are fighting using their own magic."


    Nathan: ¡°Clearly eh? Clear as day?¡±


    Kenny: "Yes. With equipment of the high sensitivity and designed specifically for satellite use, it is performing spectacularly at fifty thousand feet in the air."


    Nathan: "Except that the two that were launched has become duds and we have to put this one on a plane, fly it around, seeing only a tiny portion of what could have been."


    Kenny: "Hey. Tell that to the bitch that fucked up the sky."


    Kenny¡¯s voice turns into a scathing tone. The sudden snap is certainly warranted, as his hard work has been thwarted. Nathan shrugs it off and asks another question.


    Nathan: ¡°How is the overall situation?¡±


    Kenny: "The situation is hectic. The Chinese are giving all they''ve got. But even the agents are nowhere near Rosetta."


    Nathan: ¡°So how about we prove our worth in bagging that magician.¡±


    Kenny: ¡°That is inadvisable. We should stay put and observe the situation.¡±


    Nathan: ¡°Why is that?¡±


    Kenny: ¡°That¡¯s the main reason we¡¯re talking. The building that Rosetta is residing in is under a grand illusion spell.¡±


    Nathan: ¡°Illusion spell?¡±


    Nathan moves over one seat and peers through the window to look at the building. His effort is meaningless though, as his view from the plane is too high to distinguish the building among many grouped together in the city.


    Nathan: ¡°Is there any way in?¡±


    Kenny: ¡°No. The entire Chinese force in the building are trapped in the illusions. Magic agents included. Even the SWAT team that landed on the roof is stuck there in confusion.¡±


    Nathan: ¡°The SWAT that dropped on the roof, they are incapacitated?¡¯


    Kenny: "Yes. The spell stops them from entering the building. It''s also the same for those on the ground. Anyone that attempted to enter the building is hit by the spell. To sum it up, the entire building is enveloped in the illusion spell. It is magic on an impressive scale. "


    Nathan: "So? It is a pretty grand spell. But what''s so special about it? After the chaos in Vietnam, this is relatively tame."


    Kenny: "That''s not all there is. There is something else about the spell. While the entire spell covers the entire building, there are many mana signatures inside the building. Besides the Chinese agents, there are about thirty others."


    Nathan: "Thirty mana users?!"


    That fact surprises him. A small army of thirty protecting Rosetta. Their numbers far surpasses their own. A flurry of thoughts churn in his mind.


    Nathan: *What kind of magic are they wielding? Has Rosetta really amassed such a large group of mana users? How are we going to take them on?¡±


    Kenny: "Not exactly. These readings... These people do not feel real."


    Kenny¡¯s words derail his train of thought. With this information, Nathan follows up with a question.


    Nathan: "They aren''t real? So they are part of the illusion?"


    Kenny: "I guess so. The mana signatures look weak, like it''s just enough to maintain their form. In spite of this, they are giving the Chinese forces hell."


    Nathan feels relief. Now that their threat seems less viable, he shifts his focus to the main target of the mission.


    Nathan: "What about Rosetta?"


    Kenny: "He''s still on the top floors. He''s not moving. As usual, his mana is crazy. I can''t pinpoint his exact location but I can see him from the fucking moon."


    Nathan: "Yeah.. I''ve even seen the pictures taken with the mana probe."


    He knows what Kenny is getting at. Right before boarding the plane, he is debriefed on Rosetta¡¯s location. He recalls picture received from the mana probe shown to him.


    Nathan: "That... It looks like a black hole."


    A literal black hole. Rosetta¡¯s mana is so concentrated that his surroundings could not be measured by the probe.


    Kenny: "The machine could not measure it and sent back a lot of junk data. After screening for the useful data, I get that monstrosity."


    Nathan: "I guess tracking him down will be a lot more easier now, won''t it?"


    Kenny: "I don''t think so. Rosetta is not going take that lying down. He will push back with some magic spell of his own."


    Nathan: "Well, if he is going to hide all that mana, then it is going to take a while."


    Kenny: "Right. Until then we should strike him as hard as we can. As many times as possible."


    Nathan: "Now we¡¯re talking. So, how do we get in to face Rosetta?"


    Kenny: "You can''t. You will get caught in the illusion spell. Rosetta is unreachable at this point. The most we can do us observe the situation and wait for an opportunity. Best play it safe because you guys are all we have"


    Nathan: ¡°Okay. I got it. We¡¯re the only ones that can reach Rosetta. When China blocks us, they REALLY block us.¡±


    Freezing all flights bound to China from the States, as well as holding anyone that looks vaguely American entering the country. Beefed up security on transport and shipping routes. Like ancient China with the Great Wall of China, the country literally locked itself away from the world.


    Kenny: "So, that reminds me, how is Miss Greeves doing?"


    Nathan: "She is doing fine so far.¡±


    Nathan opens his jacket flap and looks inside. The inside of the jacket shows nothing but pitch black darkness.


    Nathan: ¡°She has not touched the panic button at all. In fact, she¡¯s very quiet."


    Kenny: "She''s such a tough soldier isn''t she? Reclusive too. Like a pure maiden-Ow!"


    -Krok kk-


    Kenny¡¯s sentence is cut off and the audio pops for a moment.


    Nathan: "Is that Miss Ginn? Send my greetings to her."


    Kenny: "Will do. And for the record, she is just upset that I¡¯m taking my time talking. New data has just rushed in."


    Nathan: ¡°Sure.¡±


    Kenny: ¡°I will need to relay information to Greeves. Be sure to keep your magic open to communications.¡±


    Nathan: ¡°Acknowledged. End of discussion?¡±


    Kenny: ¡°End of discussion.¡±


    Upon Kenny¡¯s confirmation, the call ends. Nathan lies back and peers down to the Chinese city below. He sighs as the unpopulated city lights the night with its empty streets.


    Nathan: ¡°It will be our turn soon enough.¡±


    He lifts his jacket flap and peers inside.


    Nathan: ¡°Greeves. You will be debriefed on the current situation. The time to attack is near. Stay vigilant.¡±


    Deep in the darkness, a big machine is floating listlessly.


    -Vrrm-


    The machine flashes its lights and revs it powerful engine in confirmation to Nathan¡¯s words. A huge armored vehicle that looks like a cross between a tank and a sports car. Its grayish armor lined with black runes and huge weapon canisters on its back. This is the weapon piloted by Clementine Greeves.


    __________________________________

 Prologue | Chapter 18 – Six Warriors and A Monster

    __________________________________


    Yuen: ¡°Kh!¡±


    Yuen shakes his fists vigorously. The detestable feeling that he felt when he punched the magician. Akin to a curious child splashing the waters or a bottomless lake. He glances around him. His teammates all held similar sentiments.


    Yuen: [I am in way over my head.]


    -Kissh Krshttt-


    Zheng¡¯s weapons retracted from Rosetta¡¯s body and gather around their master.


    Zhao: ¡°Hmph!¡±


    -Grkkkk-


    Zhao slams his hands on the floor and the concrete begins to churn like liquid. He tosses his arms into the air at Rosetta¡¯s direction. The concrete surges forwards at the restrained magician.


    Zhao: ¡°GET BURIED!!¡±


    -Fwooommkrkshsh-


    The greyish wave smashes into Rosetta and swirls around him. The vortex of liquefied concrete piles on him and collects into a giant lump. The head of Rosetta which remained untouched shoots a cold look at Zhao as the heavy mass of concrete compresses his body.


    -Kishshishi-


    The shimmering ends of Rong Hou¡¯s chains burst from the top of the concrete prison. In a fraction of a second, they loop around Rosetta¡¯s neck and flies upwards, burying itself deep into the ceiling above. And in the next fraction of a second¡­


    Rosetta: ¡°Keh!¡±


    -BOOMKrsskkk-


    Gravity finally acted upon the concrete mass and it plummets towards the gaping hole where the floors have melted away. The chains tightened around his neck with the entire weight of the concrete pulling on it. Chunks of the ceiling begin to fall off. The ceiling buckles and fractures from the immense weight.


    -Fwssh-


    Through the view tilted by the chains crushing his neck, Rosetta spots the glimmer of metal flying straight at him.


    Rosetta: ¡°Kh!¡±


    -BOOOM-


    The concrete mass explodes. Dust and debris bloom outwards. The light from the fireballs is smothered for mere moments but Rosetta¡¯s menacing silhouette is clearly shown. His long arms are extended outwards, having done pulverizing it concrete prison with an explosive amount of strength.


    Rosetta: ¡°Ch..¡± [That one with the sword. He is sly enough to cut my neck while I broke my restraints.]


    The cut is deep. The culprit even managed to slide the blade between the chains. The cut is fatal but for a being like Rosetta, it slowly closes itself up. He shifts his attention to the chains.


    Rosetta: ¡°Gak-¡°


    The chains whips\ his head backwards, tilting in an impossible manner. Rosetta crashes onto the side of the broken floor. He slams his foot on the floor and sinks his weight into it.


    -Ksss sssh shhh-


    A patter of footsteps behind him. Then, Yuen rushes at his back with his fists raised.


    Yuen: ¡°HA!¡±


    -Fwooom-


    He slams both fists into Rosetta¡¯s back. The air around them become electrified and a blast erupted from the impact. The dust and debris that has just begun to settle storms once more, coloring both parties with a greyish tint.


    Yuen: ¡°Fuck!¡±


    Yuen scrambles backwards to escape. Rosetta¡¯s long arm whips around towards him.


    -Sh twok-


    The momentum of Rosetta¡¯s arm is stopped as a figure streaks past at breakneck speed. The wrist is cut halfway through. Rosetta casts his senses behind him. The man that punched him has escaped beyond his reach.


    Rosetta: "You are pretty confident in facing me. Is it because of your magic?"


    -KiSHANG-


    Rosetta¡¯s neck exploded in size. Like a black swollen balloon, it expanded against the chains holding it. They resisted for only a moment before shattering spectacularly. He swipes his other arm to his left flank; his forearm to his outstretched fingers glowing red.


    -Swsh Fsh Swsh-


    The weapons that were flying at his direction quickly change their trajectory, fleeing the glowing arm. The arm itself manages to snag an axe midflight.


    -FWOOsshh KSSSSSH-


    The arm tears through the axe like paper. Its handle flashes into ash and the axe head breaks apart into melted chunks. The arm is not stopping and continues its path in a sideways arc. It strikes the concrete wall and parted it like butter. A large gash is formed from its trail. The glowing concrete cools to a black melted char. His neck deflates and returns to normal. Rosetta stands up straight, his tall height unhindered by the broken ceiling.


    Rosetta: ¡°I see¡­¡±


    He is being enclosed from the sides. He can sense the man¡¯s mana molding the concrete around him.


    Rosetta: ¡°If that¡¯s what it takes to show yourself, I¡¯ll take you on.¡±


    He directed his challenge to the lone man far in front of him. Hou trembles as he holds his fists together. His forearms is glowing red; packed with so much of his magic that he is struggling to control it. The light emitting from his arms lights up his surroundings brightly. A small distant flicker from Rosetta¡¯s position.


    Hou: ¡°Hmph.¡±


    -Fwoosh Sssh-


    Hou draws his fist back to his sides. A little bit of his magic leaks from his arms and forms flare trails as his arm moves. He casts a cold stare down the corridor. The black magician has not moved at all. Hou did not hear Rosetta¡¯s challenge. Yet the magician¡¯s inaction stirs up anger within him.


    Hou: ¡°TAKE THIS, MONSTER!!¡±


    -FTOOOOOOM-


    Hou punches his fists forward. His arms glow white before the entire floor shines white. The debris and rubble casts a faint shadow in the midst of the white hot flash. But even those shadows disappear. Walls, tiles, doors and wiring. All of them are vaporized by a hot jet invisible in the white surroundings.


    -BOOOOOOOM-


    The side of the building explodes and a jet of fire emerges from its origin. The fiery spectacle reaches over a hundred meters in length. The forces below are thrown into a panic. They begin to force through to building to rescue the trapped forces within. As the sirens blare below, the fire has dissipated.


    -Krak Ssss Krak-


    The scenery inside is a picture of hell. The carnage lit up by the glow of melted concrete. Small fires flare up as the molten ooze reacts with the air sucked up from the other floors. In spite of this, a large figure stands unfazed.


    Rosetta: ¡°Fuhaaaaa¡­¡±


    He lets out an exasperated sigh. He is shins deep in molten concrete. His current position is further back from his original one. The explosion has only pushed him back that much.


    Rosetta: ¡°That is an impressive spell. I¡¯m almost outside the building. Thank goodness this made it safely.¡±


    He touches the sheep skull adorned on his head. The bleached bone has turned charred black. The magician is no longer clothed. The rags that once cling to his body have been incinerated completely. The magician¡¯s appearance is as if a long cast shadow has taken a ghastly form in the realm of the living.


    Rosetta: ¡°Thank goodness. That attack was powerful. Many parts of me have been blown away.¡±


    -Swuu Shuuu Swsh-


    They finally returned. Pitch black spheres lined with white glowing runes. From all directions, a significant number of them gather and float around Rosetta.


    Rosetta: ¡°These are what you wanted, aren¡¯t they? Too bad you¡¯ve made them are unreachable at this point.¡±


    His hellish surroundings prove his point. The fiery blast has scorched and burnt the place to extreme temperatures. The spheres are hovering in close proximity but none of the agents can take them due to the extreme heat. Scoffing at their direction, the magician raises his arm in the air.


    -Swshshsh-


    The sphere¡¯s movements become frantic. They converge on the magician and collide with his body. Like a droplet on the water¡¯s surface, the spheres fuse to his body and disappear, leaving no trace of its runes behind. Rosetta feels the hateful stares of the agents around him. They have not noticed, so he springs his trap.


    Hou: ¡°AH!!¡±


    -Krsssh-


    Rosetta pulls his arm from the molten floor. The whole arm is extended to an impressive length. The arm reaches all the way to the other end of the building and in its grasp is Hou who is desperately prying his restraints apart.


    Rosetta: ¡°A common mistake for those who performs a grand attack. They always get tired, stay in the same spot, and lower their guard. Vigilance. Always practice that in the presence of an enemy.¡±A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    Rosetta¡¯s grip on Hou tightens and he is slowly dragged towards the magician. Hou, fearing his fate, thrashes around and screams at the top of his lungs.


    Hou: ¡°HELP ME!!! HELP ME ESCAPE!!!¡±


    Rosetta: ¡°Don¡¯t struggle I¡¯m not going to hurt you.¡±


    -Krasshhkkk-


    Concrete rubble crashes through the molten ceiling onto Rosetta¡¯s stretched arm. It quickly liquefy and solidify around his arm, pinning it down. On Hou¡¯s side, Hong Hsu appears beside him almost immediately.


    -ShtokShtokShtok-


    His sword arm turns into a blur. The high speed sword hacks at the giant wrist repeatedly. In mere moments, the large hand is severed. Hong Hsu speeds of with Hou sprinting behind.


    Rosetta: [The trap is set.]


    -Fwoosh-


    As Rosetta withdraws his damaged arm, his other arm whips across the floor. Like a snake, it slides across the floor into the shadows where the agents hid.


    ¡°Agh!¡±


    -KRASSHH-


    The extended arm thrashes around when it caught its prey. The surrounding walls begin to break and fracture. Rosetta reels in his arm. The concrete rubble converges on him in a hailstorm of concrete and rebar. The magician is unfazed and takes them head on.


    -Bam Krash Thoom-


    Rosetta: ¡°Stop throwing your magic around! This building will come crashing down!¡±


    -FWOOOOM-


    A huge blast of air storms through the building. The blast snuffs out the fires the molten concrete darkens. The entire place descends into pitch-black darkness. The air that has calmed down becomes freezing cold as ice begins to form on the walls and floor. Rosetta approaches a place where the concrete rubble has piled up into a heap. The end of his arm and his quarry resides inside.


    Rosetta: ¡°Hmph.¡±


    -FTOOOM Krsh Bsh-


    He flicks his arm and the heap of rubble and ice exploded into pieces. White glowing runes begin to form on his arm. Rosetta steps over the rubble to peer down.


    Zhao: ¡°Hagh.. Gah..¡±


    The white runes gives meek illumination, revealing the black mass that is spread out on the floor. Entangled in this mass is Zhao, who is shivering and covered in a light dusting of ice. He recoils in fear at the tall figure of Rosetta towering over him.


    Zhao: ¡°D-Don¡¯t kill me.¡±


    Rosetta scoffs at his plea.


    Rosetta: ¡°I won¡¯t kill you but that is pretty presumptuous of you to ask me for mercy when you have been aiming for my life all this time.¡±


    -Kishshishi-


    A glimmer is caught by Rosetta¡¯s eye. However, it is too late. Thick chains bind his body as well as his arm that is holding down Zhao. Rong Hou steps forwards, holding the ends of the chains.


    Rong Hou: ¡°H-NNGH¡­¡±


    He pulls on the chains while channeling his mana through them. The chains shimmer and glow as they constrict Rosetta¡¯s body even further. The runes that once decorated the magician¡¯s arm disperse and fade away.


    Rosetta: ¡°Fuh¡­ Since I overpowered your sealing magic the first time, you figured you should do it personally this time.¡±


    -Shing Tchok-


    As if answering Rosetta¡¯s statement, a flurry of weapons flies into Rosetta¡¯s side. The chains respond in kind, entangling themselves with the weapons. Twisting and tearing through Rosetta¡¯s body, the weapons serve as additional restraints on him.


    -Shuuun-


    Rosetta: ¡°?! To use the weapons as conduits to inject your sealing magic into my-¡°


    -Ftoooom-


    Rosetta turns to address Rong Hou but another figure darts across him. He grabs the spear impaling Rosetta¡¯s body and drives it in further. Then, a blast of mana erupts from the spear and rampages throughout the magician¡¯s body. Yuen wastes no time and rushes over to Zhao to free him.


    Yuen: ¡°How do I break his grip?!¡±


    Zhao: ¡°Get me out! I can¡¯t use my magic!¡±


    Rong Hou: ¡°This has turned disastrous!¡±


    Lamenting the deterioration of their situation and moral, Rong Hou pulls his chains as hard as he can. The chains tighten their grip on Rosetta and drag the embedded weapons even further.


    Rosetta: ¡°No. I¡¯m not letting you go.¡±


    -Kzzt Ssst ZZ KSSSS-


    White runes appear all over his body. And then more runes appear. And some more. They shimmer and flicker erratically. His entire body looks like white noise and sound similar too.


    Rong Hou: ¡°GET OUT OF THERE!!¡±


    Yuen: ¡°SHIT!!¡±


    -Thoom-


    Rong Hou quickly tosses his chains away and breaks into a run. The chains continue their purpose of restraining the magician. Yuen put power in his legs and darts past Rosetta but not before punching him on the side on the way past. A shockwave comes out from Rosetta¡¯s opposite side and when the dust settles, only Zhao is left.


    Zhao: ¡°RRRGH!! NOOOO!!!¡±


    -KSSSSZZZZZ-


    The trapped agent struggles relentlessly. The weapons that impaled Rosetta start to droop and fall off as their blades in his body melted away. The chains held on for longer but ultimately broke to pieces from the heat and force.


    Rosetta: "Among your teammates, your magic is truly troublesome. You are first."


    Zhao: ¡°NONONONO!! LET ME GO!!¡±


    Rosetta returns his attention to Zhao who freeze in place, fearing his fate. The arm that has been retraining him begins to contort and spread out.


    -Ton Krak Kssss-


    The rubble is pushed away, forming a large flat space for a large black circle on the floor. Zhao is at its center, still struggling to get out.


    Rosetta: "Ugh. How vexing it is to spend more mana to purge the mana stolen from me. I am still at a loss either way.¡±


    -Fwuum-


    Bright concentric circle of runes appear from the center. Then the runes extend outwards to 7 branches at random angles. They glow brightly in sharp contrast to the pitch black circle.


    Zhao: ¡°AAAAAAH!!!¡±


    The agent screams at the top of his lungs as he senses a change in him. He feels his mana struggling within him in order to resist it. However, it is all in vain.


    -Shuuuu-


    Zhao: ¡°No¡­ No No No¡­¡±


    One of the branches of runes slowly becomes dim and disappears. At that moment Zhao feels the mana in him fades. The next branch of runes begins to fade. Tears begin to flow down his face. His proud magic is being robbed by the monster before him. He grits his teeth and stares at Rosetta with intense hatred before letting out a primal shout.


    Zhao: ¡°RAAAAAAAAGH!!!¡±


    Rosetta looks around him and looks down on Zhao. He places his free hand on his arm.


    Rosetta: ¡°I shall have you use your magic for one last time.¡±


    Zhao: ¡°GRAAAAAAGH!¡±


    -Krakakka THOOOM-


    Zhao feels something give way and forces his entire being to push back. Rosetta releases his hand and waves it around him. The walls all around suddenly liquefy and withdraws like water after an explosion. The concrete spreads across the entire floor. It climbs up the support pillars and spreads across the ceiling. It collides with the outer wall and smothers it completely.


    Rosetta: ¡°Very well done.¡±


    Rosetta surveys his surroundings before looking down on Zhao. The branches of runes have disappeared, leaving the circle of runes behind. Done with destroying Zhao¡¯s magic, the black circle retracts and reforms into his arm.


    Zhao: ¡°Khak- Gak..¡±


    Rosetta: "Rest easy. You are not dead. But your magic is gone."


    Having freed from his restraints, Zhao gets up and breaks into a run. Rosetta turns his back on him.


    Rosetta: ¡°One taken care of. Five more.¡±


    Yuen: *Damn it all!*


    The walls of the entire floor has been cleared by Zhao¡¯s last burst of magic. The outer walls and support pillars are left. All openings; holes in the ceiling, windows, doors and stairwells, are sealed with concrete. Even the gaping hole create by Hou¡¯s fire spell has disappeared. Yuen presses his back against the pillar tries to make his presence as small as possible.


    Hou: *Someone help me get it off! It¡¯s not coming off!*


    Hou¡¯s cries out for help from behind another pillar. He is still trapped in the black mass that was cut off by Hong Hsu.


    -Klak Clik-


    Rosetta: ¡°Oh?¡±


    Something stirs behind him. The remains of Zheng¡¯s weapons begin to float in the air. Despite losing their blades and edges, Rosetta doubts that is the case.


    Rosetta: [Weapons out of mana-]


    -FtTHOOM-


    A heavy mass strikes Rosetta¡¯s back. He bends forward and glimpse of a coil of chains flying in the darkness. The damage is negligible but it created a lapse in his attention.


    -Shing BAM-


    Zheng¡¯s weapons strike his body. The invisible blades bury themselves into Rosetta¡¯s body, violently thrashing and twisting at the same time.


    Rosetta: ¡°I thought that you¡¯d figure out that mana based attacks do not work on me by now.¡±


    -Fwoossssh-


    A silent pulse erupts from his body. The weapon remains are brushed aside. Free of the minor inconvenience, he swings his arm at a wide angle. The arm increases in length, spanning well over ten meters. When his arm makes contact with a pillar, it passes right through it, leaving it undamaged.


    Zheng: ¡°AAH!¡±


    Zheng cries out when the black arm passes through a pillar. The black mass from the arm engulfs his torso and sticks him to the pillar. Yuen sprints away from behind another pillar. Rong Hou follows suit and darts in another direction. Rosetta puts more force into his arm to swing his arm faster.


    -BAM-


    Rosetta: ¡°Kh!¡±


    The coil of chains smashes him from the side. His arm¡¯s trajectory is changed and it slides across the floor. His hand clamps shut on thin air, a foot short of Yuen¡¯s legs. Spitting in vexation, Rosetta plants his feet firm on the floor lunges forwards.


    Rong Hou: ¡°GAH!¡±


    His effort paid off as a tip of his finger passes through one of Rong Hou¡¯s ankle. As his foot touches the ground, it sticks firmly to the ground. Rong Hou falls forward as his trapped foot pulls him to the ground. He tugs hard at his foot and shifts his eyes to the magician behind him.


    Rong Hou: ¡°Haa¡­¡±


    Bracing for the worst, Rong Hou calls his chains towards him. They fly closer, spinning faster and faster.


    Rosetta: ¡°Please stop that.¡±


    -Chik Krsh-


    Rong Hou: ¡°NO!¡±


    Rosetta¡¯s large hand traps the chains in its grip. It crushes the chain and the palm starts glowing red. Moments later, it turns black and a coating of ice forms around it. The hand opens its grip and drops a chunk of metal on the floor.


    -Thunk krakak-


    As the metal chunk falls to its side, Rong Hou realizes his hopeless situation. Recovering his chains like before is impossible. He looks up at the magician approaching him. He is now at his mercy.


    Rosetta: ¡°You have unsettling determination. Your magic was originally stolen from me. Don¡¯t risk amputation for that.¡±


    Zheng: ¡°Gr.. Ngh..¡±


    Rosetta drags the captured Zheng with him. He drops him on top of Rong Hou and the black mass that is restraining Zheng expands to envelope Rong Hou.


    Rosetta: ¡°Two of you are still free and one-¡°


    -Shing Ksak-


    He is interrupted once more as Hong Hsu slashed at his back.


    -Ksk Tchsk-


    Hong Hsu: ¡°Wha- Ooof!¡±


    Hong Hsu falls forward a few feet from Rosetta. He gets up in confusion and saw his feet wrapped in black mass. He tried to remove his shoes but the magician strikes him with his hand and sticks him to the floor.


    Rosetta: ¡°I¡¯m used to your attack patterns. Laying a trap where you will cross is a matter of inevitability.¡±


    -BOOM-


    A loud explosion tears through the outer wall behind Rosetta. He turns his attention there and sees Yuen exiting carrying Hou scrambling to exit through the hole.


    Rosetta: "I will not let you."


    Yuen: ¡°Hou! You-¡°


    Hou: ¡°Damn it!¡±


    Rosetta goes ahead and triggers his trap. The black mass that has been weighing down Hou suddenly comes to life and engulfed both the agents. Yuen who still has his two feet on the floor channels mana to them for a powerful lunge out of the hole.


    Yuen: ¡°Hrgh- NO!¡±


    As Yuen and Hou fly out of the hole, they freeze in midair before floating back inside.


    Rosetta: ¡°Complete capture.¡±


    He displays an air of satisfaction. The five agents are lined up in front of him. Yuen is first to address the magician.


    Yuen: ¡°Hey. Let¡¯s talk. Surely, we can come to an agreement.¡±


    Rosetta pauses at his proposal.


    Rosetta: "You''re quick to change your tone when the tides have turned against you. However-"


    He grabs Hou and retrain him on the floor. The black circle expands below him and the rune circle appears at its center.


    Hou: ¡°NOOO!! LET ME GO!! LET ME GO!!¡±


    Five branches of runes extends from the rune circle. Hou thrashes around to no avail as the branches slowly fade away. The other agents paid no attention to him and struggle their hardest to break free.


    Hou: ¡°HNNNGGGGHH!!!¡±


    Hou grits his teeth and forces his will against Rosetta¡¯s spell. Sparks flare from his body and his torso begins to glow red. Rosetta intervenes by channeling more runes from his arm into the rune circle.


    Rosetta: ¡°Stop! You will kill yourself as well as your teammates around you! Don¡¯t be foolish!¡±


    Hou: ¡°NGAHA-AAAAAAH!!¡±


    A jet of fire bursts out from his mouth and the air shiver as the dispersed mana radiates through it. The last branch of runes disappears and the jet of fire dies out. Hou is released from his prison and he collapses in exhaustion, panting heavily and sweating profusely. Rosetta turns to the four remaining agents who freeze under his gaze.


    Rosetta: "Now you all look like lambs before a wolf. I''m not evil."


    Hong Hsu: ¡°No, please! STAY AWAY!¡±


    He reaches for the next one in line, Hong Hsu. As he is hoisted up, something broke free.


    Rosetta: "Gah!"


    The magician recoils as Hong Hsu¡¯s sword arm breaks free and slashes at Rosetta¡¯s neck. The grip on his sword is broken and the sword lay embedded deep in the neck.


    Hong Hsu: ¡°You cursed monster! Why are you unaffected by our attacks?! We threw everything at you!!¡±


    -Krkkkkk Ssssh-


    Rosetta ponders Hong Hsu¡¯s frustrated cry as he pulls out the sword. Blinding white lines travel from his fingertips across the sword and cuts the sword to pieces. He places Hong Hsu down and faces the man¡¯s face twisted with hated at the destruction of his weapon.


    Rosetta: "It¡¯s because I am a monster. A monster that you can''t defeat."


    Hong Hsu: ¡°RRRAARGH!¡±


    The black mass spread outwards from Hong Hsu¡¯s body. The rune circle appears and nine branches of runes emerge.


    Rosetta: "There is no mistake. Your magic is strong, but I¡¯m not human. I am a being made of mana, something you have no experience fighting.¡±


    Hong Hsu: ¡°HNNGH! RRRGH!¡±


    Hong Hsu struggles at hard as he can. He even recite prayers many times in his heart. The others have also stopped struggling and are not silent is desperate prayer.


    Rosetta: ¡°Hm?¡±


    Be it an answer to their prayers or just mere coincidence, something has distracted Rosetta and perhaps delayed their fate.


    -Boom krakakaka-


    A huge silhouette smashes through the hole that is far too small for it. Floodlights from its front turn on and illuminated the entire empty floor.


    -Vrrrrrrrrrr-


    Its engine growls at Rosetta. The machine is massive, akin to a medium sized tank. Rosetta walks forward and stands in front of the Chinese agents, as if protecting them.


    Rosetta: "A stronger one has come."


    -Fssh Fssh Fssh Fssh-


    A compartment in the machine opens and four missiles fly out at high speed.


    Rosetta: ¡°Are you serious?!¡±


    He lunges forward to face the projectiles head on. His body swells in size and welcomes the missiles.


    -BOOOOOOM-


    __________________________________

 Prologue | Chapter 18.5 – Confession Before The Battle

    __________________________________


    The void is dark and silent, like the dark vacuum of space. However, it holds many objects within its depths. Huge shipment containers. Large metal cases. Even small briefcases. All of them suspended in place.


    -Vrrrrrr-


    One of the large objects is a large armored vehicle. The entire vehicle is covered in the thick gray armor.The black runes that lined its surface shimmer and twitch in one place. Across the whole vehicle, there are no windows nor anything resembling a door. Residing in the cockpit is a young woman. Clementine Greeves, the sole pilot of the armored vehicle. Her small stature makes her easily mistaken for a teenager. She sports a shoulder length bob hair style and wears a typical flight suit, complete with a full face visor helmet which she has laid down on her lap.


    Clementine: *Okay...*


    Her hands are busy typing on the console with an elaborate array of controls. Three large screens are fixed in front, displaying a live feed of the void outside. Clementine browses through the data on the screen in front of her.


    Clementine: *Everything should be ready. Everything should be ready.*


    She closes the data windows and lies back on her seat. She closes her eyes and recites her mission objectives in her head.


    Clementine: "In and out. Quick. Destroy and leave. Quick. Quick. Quic-"


    Something bright shines into her closed eyes. Clementine opens her eyes in surprise and sees that the screen before her has switched to a screen saver. It shows a brilliant picture of a view in space overlooking a blue ocean planet.


    Clementine: *Right.*


    She had recently set the screen saver to turn on after a short time of inactivity. She knows that having that setting on is very foolish especially on the surveillance feed of a war machine. Yet, she is confident that she had set it so it does not appear during times of importance. Plus, she feels that the soothing screen saver was what she needed back then. However, the screen saver did little to abate her anxiety this time.


    Clementine: *Kh..."


    Clementine snorts in indifference. She still feels that twisted feeling at the pit of her stomach. And that awful feeling of something gnawing at her heart. They have been acting up again. Stirred up by her burden of carrying out a major mission for the organization. Clementine sits upright on her seat. There is another way to curb her uneasiness in this situation. She clasps her hand together and closes her eyes in prayer.


    Clementine: *G-od...*


    She stumbled on her words. The sense of guilt creeps up on her as she struggles to address her prayer.


    Clementine: *My humble lord... I appear before you bearing sins. I have failed your expectations. Please forgive me.*


    Her grip tightens.


    Clementine: *Another one of my kin has fallen to the temptations of demons...*


    Her thoughts deviate towards another organization agent, Indiana Strauss. He has successfully created his own magic. And the concept behind it is...


    [Evil. Abominable. Abhorrent. Magic akin to the Devil''s.]


    That was the first thing Clementine thought when he described its nature. The other agents had different opinions. Some thought that it is useful. Others find it lacking. Gibson himself approved of it.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    Clementine: *¡­ It¡¯s my fault. My sin. I have done what I shouldn''t have. I have steered him towards a steep path and left him on his own accord.*


    She recollects her memory of their conversation. Indiana was having trouble deciding what his magic should be. She chimed in with some pointers on tailoring a magic that best fit him and left him to his devices.


    Clementine: *Had I stayed with him and advised him more. Perhaps he would have chosen a different path?*


    She shakes those thoughts from her mind. They proved no use at this time. She must see to the present and advance forward.


    Clementine: "I beseech upon you. Watch over the lost soul. May he never stray from the narrow path he set himself upon.¡±


    She releases her hands and lies back on her seat. Reveling at the serene beauty of the screen saver, she heaves a long sigh.


    Clementine: *Good.*


    Her anxiety has been sorted out. While she no longer held strongly to religion, the small ritual from her zealous childhood has always brought her calm and security.


    -Poon-


    The screen saver fades away and a window appeared on the screen. It is a call from Nathan Terrozzo.


    Nathan: "Greeves? Miss Greeves?"


    Clementine: "Ah- Yes?! Am I deploying?"


    Nathan: "Not yet. Have you read through the most recent surveillance data?"


    Clementine: "Yes. Has the situation changed since then?"


    Nathan: "Yes. The grand spell that has been protecting Rosetta just disappeared. Fortunately, his location has not changed. He is currently in battle with the Chinese agents."


    Then it suddenly dawns on her. In a short time, she will confront and fight with Rosetta.


    Nathan: "We are given an ''all clear'' to enter the fray. Deployment on my mark. Get ready."


    Clementine: "Uh-Okay."


    Nathan cuts off the call. The cock pit is silent. Clementine bends forward and brushes her hand across the control panel.


    Clementine: *Rosetta.*


    The magician Rosetta. The sole target of the organization and the being where all magic originate from. Clementine grips the joystick as hard as she can. Her anxiety that has dissipated before returns once more.


    __________________________________


    -Clink Clink-


    Nathan tugs on the cable lifeline securing him to the plane''s cargo hold. He checks the airflow of his breathing apparatus. He then reaches behind to check on his emergency parachute. It is his second lifeline should anything goes wrong. Finally, he turns to check the massive probe.


    Nathan: [Such a huge machine. Don''t break off and hit me as you fall out.]


    He gives it a nudge with his boot before walking off to the cargo door. He grabs a nearby hanging console and opens the cargo door.


    -Beep Beep Beep PSHAAAA-


    The alarm blares as the plane''s cargo doors slowly open to the turbulent air outside. He tosses the console aside and checks the tension of his lifeline. He slowly walks to the edge of the lowered door. The city is below him. A plume of smoke is seen rising from the building Rosetta resides in. Nathan turns on his communicator.


    Nathan: "Greeves! Do you hear me?"


    Clementine: "Loud and clear."


    Nathan: "Okay! I will activate my spell! The target is in the building with smoke coming out from it! I will maintain surveillance over the area. Everything else is in your hands. Good luck!"


    Nathan puts his hands over his chest. A rune circle appears over it and he digs into it with his fingers.


    Nathan: ¡°Hmph!¡±


    He pulls on the rune circle. The circle expands and a black hole opens in its center. It keeps expanding until it covers his entire chest.


    Nathan: "YOU ARE CLEAR!! GO GO GO!!"


    -VRRRRRRR-


    Then, from within, a small grey vehicle emerge from the hole. It explodes in size, becoming the size of a tank. Flying out of the plane¡¯s cargo hold, it falls to the city below.


    -VRRRAAAA-


    Jets on the side of the machine fires and turns its direction towards the smoking building. It circles the building, looking for an opening.


    Clementine: [There.]


    On the building¡¯s side, a gaping hole is open, punched open by one of the Chinese agents. She pulls a lever and toggle the pedal.


    -Fthoo Thoo Thoo Thoo-


    The jets direct themselves downwards, releasing short thrusts to slow down the machine¡¯s descent. Large metal limbs extend from the machine¡¯s front and grabs on to the building¡¯s side.


    -KRAASH-


    The concrete crumbles, unable to support the machine¡¯s weight at it slides down the building. The machine crashes into the gaping hole on the side of the building. Upon entering the building, Clementine¡¯s heart jumps. Expecting an ambush, she wastes no time turning on the flood lights.


    -Dmmmm-


    The floor turns white from the blinding light. Clementine scans the surroundings, inching closer to the screen.


    Clementine: *Haa!*


    She lets out a gasp. There he is, a fair distance away. A pitch black body so black that it looks two dimensional. Tall body. Long limbs. A charred skull of a ram. A twisting black mass staring her down. Such a terrifying appearance. To the little pious child within, he is a being with enough power to stand close to God. And with that despicable appearance, she finds no doubt that he is the Devil himself.


    Clementine: "Kh!"


    She steels herself and grips her console tightly. Her objective is clear as day. Take down the lone monster before her. Her face frown into a focused state as the targeting system locks on to the magician.


    -Tt Thm-


    The feed of the cockpit screen jolts as two pairs of missiles streak across the air towards the black twisted being she labeled the Devil.


    __________________________________

 Prologue | Chapter 19 – Urban Battle

    __________________________________


    -BOOOOOM-


    A large explosion tears through the building. Smoke and debris falls out from the building down to the Chinese forces below.


    Officer: ¡°AAAH!¡±


    Soldier: ¡°What the hell?!¡±


    -Thnk Bamkrsh-


    Bao: ¡°WATCH OUT ABOVE! GET BACK! GETBACK!¡±


    Large debris crashes into the ground in front of them. Police officer Bao waves his arms and shouts at the alarmed soldiers and officers.


    -Vrrroooom Vroom-


    The tanks at the back reverse into the grass lawn, tearing and gouging the grass apart. The transport vehicles and police car follow suit, careful to avoid the rush of the soldiers and police. As soon as the chaos subsided, all attention is focused on the top floors of the building.


    Bao: ¡°SHIT!¡±


    Bao remerge from his cover behind the police car and stomps the ground in anger.


    Bao: ¡°What the hell is that?¡±


    __________________________________


    -Krakatatata-


    The silhouette of the magician Rosetta in the dust cloud is a solid black under the light from the machine. He looks behind to check on the Chinese agents. There are no sign of them. Only a giant hole where the floor has caved in.


    Rosetta: "Tch." [Escaped.]


    He turns towards the machine and pulses mana through his eyes. He sees the machine up close. Its thick grey armor. The menacing weapon canisters on its back. The letters R,A, and G printed on its side and the name ¡®SAMAEL¡¯ written under them in black marker.


    Rosetta: "A machine... Golem?"


    -Brrrr Dakkoom Dakkoom Dakkoom-


    The machine SAMAEL revs its machine gun and shoots Rosetta. The bullets tears through the concrete and strikes the magician. He lifts his arm to shield his ram skull from the storm of bullets.


    Rosetta: "Kh!¡±


    -FOOM Vrrrrrrr-


    Rosetta extends his arm at the golem. Before it can reach it, the jets on the golem¡¯s front fire and propel the machine backwards out the hole. As it disappears from view, Rosetta releases a pulse from his body.


    Rosetta: [Huh.]


    He intends to detect the golem¡¯s presence but receives a different signal instead. Down at the lower floors of the building, armed soldiers are storming the building. They are climbing up the floors while tending to the confused and panicked men. He can sense them clearly, yet his intend target shows a different story. Rosetta races after the golem.


    Rosetta: [No response. It escaped mana based detection? Is it because of the ru-]


    -BOOM-


    -Datatatatata-


    Upon emerging from the hole, an explosive shell strikes him followed by a hail of bullets. The Chinese forces spots Rosetta from below and begins to unload their ammunition at his direction. He ignored their attacks and puts power into his legs.


    -Krsshthoom-


    Crushing the floor beneath him, he leaps out of the building. He cuts through the air, faster than the Chinese forces can aim with their weapons.


    Rosetta: [Things has escalated. Gibson¡¯s forces are now the biggest threat. Should I engage them and gauge their strength for Anne and the others? Or should I escape before they could act?]


    As he ponders that thought, something appears in his senses. Up above on the roof of the building he just leapt from, a presence like the golem before.


    Rosetta: [Looks like I¡¯m just given the former option.]


    -Bsh Fssh-


    The silhouette of the machine flashes for a moment and a missile cut through the air straight at him.


    Rosetta: [This one has much more power!]


    -KrsBam-


    His arm whips around, increasing its length as it swung. His claws struck against a nearby building and tears of a chunk of concrete.


    Rosetta: ¡°Hmph!¡±


    His arm retracts almost instantaneously and flings the concrete straight at the missile¡¯s flight path. The missile tip crumples upon striking it.


    -BTOOOM-


    -KRSHSHSHSH-


    Rosetta: ¡°Kh!¡±


    The explosion shakes the entire city block. The windows of nearby buildings shatter and pour broken glass onto the streets. Rosetta is caught by the shockwave and thrown to the ground. Landing on his feet, he focuses his sight on his attacker.


    Rosetta: [?!]


    He catches a glimpse as the golem speeds out of view but that is enough. The golem has a different shape. It has a slimmer design and carries far larger weapon canisters on its back. Scribbled on its side below the ¡®R.A.G¡¯ label are letters that spell ¡®RAMIEL¡¯.


    Rosetta: [A different golem?! Curse those stealth runes! Where is the-]


    -VRRRRAAAAAA-


    Rosetta turns in surprise to face the large machine speeding at him. He recognizes it as the first golem he encountered. The golem SAMAEL easily ploughs through the road dividers with its speed. He leaps sideways to avoid its charge.


    Rosetta: ¡°Gah!¡±


    Just as he leaps out of its way, a large clawed arm extended from its side. The claw slams into him and tighten its grip on his body. Almost immediately, Rosetta is slammed into the road.


    -BAAMKRAKAKAKAKA-


    Rosetta: ¡°GRRRRRGH!!¡±


    The SAMAEL¡¯s charge did not stop. The road wrinkles and cracks as the magician is pushed through it. Rosetta retaliates by swinging his arm at its cockpit.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    Rosetta: ¡°What?!¡±


    When he struck the golem, he sensed something within. Or rather, without.


    Rosetta: [No pilot?!]


    -PSHAA FWOOOO-


    SAMAEL lifts his body up from the road. Its jets blast at full power and the massive machine¡¯s speed skyrockets. The golem streaks through the road, its entire mass already floating from the thrust of the jets. Just as it reached its top speed, it swings Rosetta back down into the road.


    -FBOOOOOM-


    The claw is pushed back from the sheer force .The front of the golem takes the charge and rams the magician¡¯s body head on.


    -Fwoooo-


    Finally, a breakthrough. In the torrent of broken concrete and gouged earth, black spheres fly out. Rosetta¡¯s defenses have been overcome. He has taken enough force for these spheres to be ripped from his body.


    -KRSHSHSH-


    The blow pulled both of them to an abrupt stop. Rosetta is crushed against a mass of earth and asphalt built up from the tearing the road.


    -VRRRR-


    Rosetta: ¡°Shit!¡±


    He hears an ominous hum coming from the golem. Sensing a large amount of energy built up in the machine, Rosetta smashes his fists on the front of the golem to knock it out of the way.


    -BAASHZOOO-


    It happens in a fraction of a second. The air snaps and a loud explosive sound reverberates through the city blocks. Everything in front of the golem is blown away.


    Rosetta: ¡°HAgh-GAH!


    Rosetta is forced flying backwards. His large body is torn apart as a hole in his middle opens up and expands, tearing open his right flank. Scattered among the storm of dust and debris, black spheres of varying sizes, torn from his body when the deadly projectile of pure tungsten passed through it.


    -FtTHOOOM-


    The projectile punches through a far building and buries itself in its concrete foundation. Soon after that, Rosetta crashes among the debris several meters away from the golem.


    Rosetta: ¡°Hegk-Kegh-¡° [That was¡­ A railgun! Damn! A lot of them have been torn off me!]


    He lifts himself up with his functional left arm. The torn half of his body begins to reform itself, merging and smoothening out what¡¯s left of it. In a moment, his body returns to form and he stares at the black mana spheres around him.


    Rosetta: [Got to gather them before-]


    -VRRROOOOO-


    -BAM-


    Rosetta: ¡°Tch!¡±


    -SCREEEE-


    SAMAEL left no time for him to act. The golem displays its burst of speed and rams the magician head on. Rosetta was prepared for it, his feet dug deep into the road as he takes the charge directly. Billows of smoke rise up from the golem¡¯s tires as they spin in place, hopelessly pushing against Rosetta¡¯s awesome strength.


    -PSH FOOOO-


    Rosetta: ¡°I¡¯m not moving from here.¡±


    -KRSHKRAKAKA-


    SAMAEL¡¯s jets fire up once more and the force pushing Rosetta multiplies. Rosetta digs his feet deeper into the ground. Black runes creep out from his feet across the rubble.


    -KRRRSHAKK-


    The asphalt surrounding both the magician and the golem begins to break and fracture. The road smashes the sides of the golem, pinning it on both sides. The golem tilts and sinks as the tire lost traction from the asphalt breaking into gravel. The giant machine before him has lost a lot of its momentum. Rosetta eases up and straightens his back. However, after doing so, his senses picks up on another threat.


    Rosetta: [Detestable.]


    -Fssssh BOOOM-


    A missile dives on him from above and exploded. With his foothold destroyed, the magician is easily picked up by SAMAEL. Firing its jets once more, it speeds off with Rosetta in its clutches, away from the mana spheres.


    Rosetta: ¡°RRAAAGH!!¡±


    The machine speeds down the road with Rosetta in tow. The mana sphere¡¯s lay motionless, its flickering runes suspending it a tiny distance from the ground.


    -VRRRR-


    The ground rumbles as another giant machine pulls to a stop among the scattered spheres. It is a R.A.G golem with the name ¡®SERAPH¡¯ scribbled under its tag. It has a sleeker design and carries a large and long contraption on its side.


    Clementine: ¡°Fuuuh¡­¡±


    With the golem SERAPH¡¯s cockpit, Clementine heaves a nervous sigh. She deploys the golem¡¯s arm and begins collecting the mana spheres off the ground. As she focuses on the task at hand, her attention occasionally switch to the other two golems under control. SAMAEL is fighting to keep the magician in its grasp as it pummels him through the road. RAMIEL is following its flank a good distance away, its missiles armed and locked on target.


    Clementine: [He¡¯s still under control.]


    Yet despite that thought of reassurance, she has not calmed down. Her mind strays to watch the two golems¡¯ situation and begs a question.


    Clementine: [Why is he holding back?]


    Her question is well reasoned. Rosetta, the source of all magic capable of any magic with an incredible range of scale, is being beaten and dragged around aimlessly. His power and ability is way beyond what her golems can achieve. Yet, she has control of the battle thus far.


    Clementine: [He can¡¯t be stingy about mana. That because he has lost much more mana than if he actually fought with magic. Is he incapable of using the magic? Then how did he manage that magic in Vietnam?... !!] ¡°Gii..! Haa..¡±


    She realizes that she has held her breath since coming out to collect the mana spheres. Taking in a deep breath, she arranges her thoughts to finalize a conclusion.


    Clementine: [He releases mana when he is struck hard enough. Gun fire won¡¯t do. Stronger impacts like the SAMAEL¡¯s railgun and maybe RAMIEL¡¯s missiles can do the trick. In any case, I should stay vigilant. He is still capable of magic. I shou-]


    -BOOOOM-


    Clementine: [!!!]


    The loud noise sounded like an explosion. It seems far away but the she felt the earth quake as it happened.


    Clementine: [SAMAEL!]


    She focuses on her golem SAMAEL. The feed from its cameras is obstructed by earth and rubble. The camera watching above showed the night sky. Her heart race into a panic.


    Clementine: [SAMAEL has been done in!]


    She switches over to RAMIEL. The camera feed shows Rosetta is moving at an incredible speed towards her.


    Clementine: [The guns!]


    Missiles will not work on him unless it is a direct hit. Pelting him with gunfire will serve as a distraction, no matter how small.


    -Dakoom Dakoom Dakoom-


    RAMIEL¡¯s gunfire sounds off in the distance. SERAPH turns around and accelerates its escape. Clementine glances at the scattered mana spheres as she passes before focusing forward on her retreat.


    -BAKOOOM-


    Clementine: ¡°What?!¡±


    RAMIEL¡¯s camera feed jots as a shell has struck its flank. Gunfire pelts its armor with its bullets harmlessly deflected by the rune armor. The Chinese forces has caught up with the commotion and fired at the nearest target in the vicinity.


    Clementine: ¡°Curse these Chinese!¡±


    She has no time to lament the actions of troublesome party. Clementine puts power into the defensive runes on her golem. Immediately after that, she feels a strange sensation akin to getting pushed into a giant bubble. A pulse of mana.


    Rosetta: ¡°There you are.¡±


    Clementine looks above to see Rosetta flying towards her. SERAPH extends its armor forwards before Rosetta brings his fist down on the golem


    -BAAM KRAASH-


    -BOOOM BAM BAM BAM-


    The fist strikes the armor with a deafening bang. The golem sinks a few feet into the road but manages to withstand the enormous impact. The fist slides down the armor and twists its force into forward momentum. In the next moment, the golem is sent flying backwards. It topples repeatedly before landing upright a good distance away.


    Clementine: ¡°Kh!¡±


    She feels like her stomach have been twisted. Facing the enemy before her, she deploys SERAPH¡¯s weapon. An arm protrudes from the side of the golem and unfolds a lance weapon with an unusual shape. Similar to two giant blades parallel to each other fused to a metal shaft, the weapon is heavily marked with runes.


    -VRRRAAAAA-


    -FzzKRAKOOM-


    Rosetta strikes first with a heavy fist thrown directly at SERAPH. The golem lunges forward with its lance weapon pointed forward. The weapon shines with a blinding light, obscuring everything from sight.


    -BOOOM BAM BAM BAM-


    -VRRRRRR-


    The light dissipates as soon as it is deployed. SERAPH is seen rolling and tumbling before it reorients itself and reverses in retreat. Clementine stares down her enemy, determined face forward and a little shaken.


    Rosetta: ¡°Kuh¡­¡±


    The magician is a little worse for wear. His arm is torn into ribbons and a sizable cut is present on his side. The number of black spheres in the vicinity has increased by a significant number. Clementine¡¯s heart skips a beat. SERAPH¡¯s weapon worked well against him. The sight gives her confidence in her strength. With her new found tenacity, she prepares her next attack.


    RAG: ¡°Warning. Lightning Lance is on a cooling cycle. Equipment damage-¡°


    She swipes the warning notification from the RAG system away. She has no time to wait for the weapon to cool down as her opponent has enacted his next move.


    -Bmmm-


    A pulse spreads out from him. Clementine senses it as a mana pulse. The black spheres begin flying towards him and merge into his body upon contact. SERAPH¡¯s body jolts as the sphere¡¯s stored inside responds to his spell as well.


    Clementine: [This is not the end!]


    -VRRRAAAA-


    Clementine capitalizes on that moment and springs her trap. Speeding towards Rosetta from behind, SAMAEL rams the magician¡¯s newly reform body. Sending both of them in the air, the golem grabs Rosetta with its arms and barrels him straight into the road.


    -WHAM KRSSH-


    Clementine: ¡°RRRAAAGH!!¡±


    -Fzz KRAKAKAKA-


    SERAPH rushes forward with its weapon raring to erupt. As the weapon brightly lights up, Rosetta raises his hand to meet it. Unlike before, the lance is stopped by the hand. Unable to react to the blocked attack, Clementine sees something from the corner of her eye. Runes. Tens of thousands of black rune slides across the shattered road like dancing shadows. Spreading out like a ripple, with the magician at its center. At that moment, she realized.


    Clementine: [His magic. It¡¯s¡­]


    As her eyes face forward, she catches a glimpse of it. A black dot on a pure white screen. A small black sphere released from Rosetta¡¯s hand falling towards the ground.


    Clementine: [Runes.]


    -KRAASH KRSH BAAM-


    A fraction of a second, the asphalt and concrete smash together and merge. The light of SERAPH¡¯s weapon dies out and a giant silhouette can be seen on her screen.


    -WHAM BAM-


    Clementine braces as the giant head of a serpent catches SERAPH in its maw and smashes it into the road.


    __________________________________

 Prologue | Chapter 20 – Fighting For A Retreat

    __________________________________


    The scene is marred by a cloud of dust and smoke. A dim light glows from below, originating from runes carved into the asphalt. Rosetta stands in to middle, his gaze casted skywards.


    Rosetta: [So they have advanced that far¡­]


    Gibson¡¯s faction has broken ground in developing rune magic. Rosetta recounts the rune magic used against him during the recent encounter.


    Rosetta: [Impact dispersion, material hardness, multiform energy extrusion, stealth, electron channeling¡­ Their rune magic has advanced this far¡­]


    Rosetta: ¡°Gibson, you made some troubling allies.¡±


    Rosetta: [The potential of their runes is the biggest threat. But for now, I should deal with the golem user..]


    He brushes his hands together before placing them on the runes. The runes move from his palm and up his arm, organizing themselves into layered bands across his forearms. His spell completed, Rosetta sighs, foreseeing the events to come.


    Rosetta: [So that person is an intimate golem user¡­]


    Planning his actions to combat the golem user, Rosetta fumes at the consequences of his actions. Keeping the golem user in mind, he mutters an apology,


    Rosetta: ¡°It¡¯s going to hurt more than anything. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    __________________________________


    -Ksssssss krak-


    The large concrete serpent broke apart into rocks and dusts as its residual mana disperses everywhere. The section that was its head has been heavily gouged out. The heat from that attack melted through the concrete and asphalt, leaving behind a molten mess. The culprit stands before the fallen snake.


    Clementine: ¡°Ha.. Ha.. Hagh.. Ha¡­¡± [The bastard finally showed his true power.]


    Sitting in its cockpit is Clementine, grasping herself while gasping for air.


    Clementine: ¡°Demon¡­¡±


    Knowing that she cannot remain at the scene any longer, she grabs the controls and turns the golem away from the destroyed snake. She sends a signal to Seraph with her mana.


    RAG: ¡°Stealth mode initiated.¡±


    -Bznnnnn-


    The system responds accordingly. A fuel cell engine powers up and drives the golem forward. The runes on its armor fade into a different pattern of runes. As the runes activate, the entire golem begins to blur into a mist.


    Clementine: [I¡¯ve bought some time for now.]


    She casts her senses behind her. The giant mass of mana that is Rosetta is still far behind her. Now that she has gained some room for thought, she begins to plan her next course of action. She begins recalling the events that happened prior.


    Clementine: [Samael was hit but the runes negated most of the force. Still, his hull is crushed. Ramiel has evaded the Chinese forces for now.]


    A slight pang of pain is felt in her chest at the thought of Samael¡¯s damaged hull. Keeping those thoughts in mind, she assessed the damage on Seraph.


    Clementine: [Dents and scratches. The runes from the right flank has lost function. And the lightning lance.]


    She grimaces as she remembers the state of the weapon when she puts it away. The battle with the concrete snake has damaged it severely. It is still capable as a weapon. However, it will be no match for anything like that snake again.


    Clementine: [Samael¡¯s railgun, Seraph¡¯S lance. They work nicely on Rosetta but he will be prepared the next time. Seraph lost his lance but still have guns and missiles. But those aren¡¯t strong enough. What to do?]


    She is in distraught. Rosetta must have adjusted to fighting her golems by now. Damage to two of her golems and Seraph without his main weapon. She cannot win this fight. Not against that limitless pool of mana.


    Clementine: [Retreat. It¡¯s the most viable option. I¡¯ve confronted Rosetta directly. That fight has yielded plenty of information on him. And I¡¯ve got the mana spheres in Ramiel too..]


    She turns on communication to contact Nathan. However, the transmission picked up nothing.


    Clementine: ¡®Kh..¡±[Radio silence because we are in Chinese territory. But you are getting some good data, aren¡¯t you, Mr. Gibson?]


    She switches to a broadcast channel and sends an encrypted message. A request for a retreat. Nathan and the intelligence team will be responding soon enough.


    -Krakooom-


    Clementine: ¡°Tch! Of course!¡±


    -Brnnn VRAAAAA-


    Regardless of how encrypted the message is, Rosetta will detect the broadcast nonetheless. The mass of mana moves forward at incredible speed. Clementine drops Seraph out of stealth mode and its fuel cell engines roars to life. Bracing for another intense battle, she notes the location of her other golems.


    Clementine: [!!!] ¡°No!¡±


    Her focus shifts towards Ramiel. The direction Rosetta is heading is a straight line to it. Clementine pushes Seraph into high gear and speeds towards Ramiel.


    Clementine: ¡°DAMN!¡±


    Ramiel currently has contained the mana spheres. With the high energy readings given off by the spheres, Ramiel¡¯s stealth runes can do nothing to hide it. To target Ramiel is an obvious choice. Rosetta can destroy Ramiel and retrieve his spheres or capture Clementine as she moves in to defend it.


    -VRRRRnnn-


    Clementine: ¡°Shit!¡±


    -BAAM KRAASSSH-


    A Chinese armored truck speeds out of the intersection, right into Seraph¡¯s path. Clementine cannot risk avoiding it at Seraph¡¯s current speed so she focuses mana on the runes on the golem¡¯s front flank. The truck glances off Seraph. It swerves away and crashes on its side. The golem speeds on, unfazed or even slowed down by the impact.


    Clementine: [Deploy Lightning Lance.]


    RAG: ¡°Weapon deployed. Warning, weapon in critical condition.¡±


    -FWOOOM-


    The sensors pick up a burst of air. Clementine¡¯s heart jumps. She glances over at Rosetta¡¯s direction. He has made his first move and unleashed an attack on Ramiel upon a clear sight of it.


    -FtTHOOOM-


    Clementine: ¡°Damn!¡±


    The attack shook the ground. The cockpit jolts and Clementine immediately pings for Ramiel¡¯s condition. A narrow miss from a great distance.


    Clementine: [Ramiel, reposition your retreat.]


    RAG: ¡°Acknowledged¡±


    Ramiel¡¯s ping shifts direction and the massive mana shifts its direction in turn. Within the next few seconds, Clementine¡¯s path will intersect with Rosetta¡¯s. She pushes Seraph¡¯s engines to the limit.


    Clementine: ¡°Fuuh..¡±


    She closes her eyes and lets out her breath. Opening her eyes once more, she arms the Lightning Lance and braces herself.


    -Dooom-


    In an instant, Clementine feels like she has entered a different dimensional plane. Time feels slow and dilated. Everything seems to fade out of existence, leaving a black void. Right in front of her is Rosetta. His black figure is almost invisible with the black void around him, a sharp contrast to the white bleached skull on his head.


    -FnnZZZZ KRAKAKA-


    The mangled form of the Lighting Lance lights up with streams of electricity. Her weapon armed and ready, Clementine bears straight at her enemy. Despite her instinct to check the surroundings of the strange dimensional plane she is in, she keeps her sight squared on the magician. Seraph thrust the lance forward, straight at Rosetta¡¯s chest.


    Rosetta: ¡°Well done.¡±


    -BAAAM-


    Clementine: ¡°Gu-HEK!¡±


    Seraph strikes Rosetta at full speed. Upon impact, the dimensional plane jolts back to reality. Unexpectedly, the large golem, with its immense weight and size going at an incredible speed, is immediately forced back by Rosetta. Clementine is thrown forward in the cockpit. The runes on her pilot suit activated and nullify the inertial force in her body, sparing her from crushing forces.


    Clementine: [To force Seraph back.. Just how much mass does he have?!]


    She checks on Seraph¡¯s condition. The miraculous runes have managed to keep the golem safe. Even its weapon arm, which has taken a significant portion of the impact, has not broken off.


    -BAM KRSHSHSH-


    Seraph¡¯s weapon on the other hand, is pinned down under Rosetta¡¯s arm. Streams of electricity jumps from the weapon to his body and yet the magician is unfazed. The light from the sparks illuminate his body and black runes can be faintly seem. Clementine recognizes these runes. They are the exact copy of the runes that lined her golems¡¯ armor plating.This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    Rosetta: ¡°Golem user.¡±


    Clementine: ¡°!¡±


    Rosetta: ¡°Please surrender immediately. I promise that removing your magic will be painless.¡±


    Clementine: ¡°Kh!¡±


    -Vnnn Dakoom Dakoom Dakoom-


    Seraph¡¯s machine guns take aim at Rosetta and fire. The magician twists the Lightning Lance downwards to force their aim off the ram¡¯s skull on his head.


    Rosetta: ¡°If you intend to resist, then be prepared for the pain of losing your golems!¡±


    -BAM-


    Clementine: ¡°Damn!¡±


    There goes the Lightning Lance. Rosetta chops it with his free hand and bent the weapon in half. Clementine quickly disconnects the weapon and retreat backwards. Next, the weapon canisters on the sides of the golem open.


    -Fshfshfshfshfsh-


    She fires her entire missile payload at Rosetta. The magician braces as the swarm of missiles strike him directly.


    -BAAM KABOOM ¨C


    With her enemy briefly distracted, Clementine seizes this chance to escape. Slamming the engines into turbo, she drives Seraph away from the scene.


    -VRRRAAAA-


    Rosetta: ¡°You again.¡±


    Rosetta turns to face Samael who just appeared around the corner. Its railgun, charged and ready, takes aim at him and fires.


    -BAASHZOOO-


    Rosetta raises his arm to intercept the railgun¡¯s projectile. A futile effort because the projectile tears the arm apart like paper.


    Rosetta: ¡°Ku-AGH!¡±


    -FtBAM-


    It strikes Rosetta¡¯s side, goes through him and buries itself deep into the pavement. A huge hole is punched through Rosetta¡¯s body, but it is a significant improvement from having his body blown to shreds. The mana spheres are scattered once more. However¡­


    -VRRRNN VRRR-


    The golem that was once persistent in attacking Rosetta is now speeding away in retreat. Noticing the shift in his enemy paradigm, Rosetta foregoes retrieving his fallen mana and starts the counter attack.


    -VRRNNN-


    Samael¡¯s tires lost their traction and the golem flies toppling in the air. It flares up its jet engines but is swiftly caught by Rosetta¡¯s enlarged arm.


    Rosetta: ¡°Like I¡¯d let you go!¡±


    He swings Samael overhead, smashing the golem against the road with all his strength.


    __________________________________


    Clementine: ¡°Kh!¡±


    -Booom-


    She flinches just before the sound of the impact can reach here. Feeling the damage done to Samael as it happens, she feels nudged to a corner. Rosetta is more than she can handle. Fearing the loss of her golems, Clementine¡¯s heart fell into prayer for a moment.


    -Poon-


    Clementine: ¡°Nathan!¡±


    She brightens up for her salvation has come.


    Nathan: ¡°I received your emergency broadcast signal! What is your emergency?!¡±


    Clementine: ¡°Yes, I called for a retreat! Give me a confirmation!¡±


    Nathan: ¡°¡­¡±


    There is a short pause. In an instant, her feelings of relief swells up into fear and disbelief. Before he can say anything, Clementine desperately scrambles for a plea.


    Clementine: ¡°I am in no condition to engage Rosetta any further! My weapon options are depleted! Any of my current attacks does not faze him! I need to retreat now!¡±


    Nathan: ¡°We¡¯ve received your request. But orders are passed down to continue the-¡°


    Clementine: ¡°I¡¯ve collected plenty of important data on Rosetta! I¡¯ve engaged Rosetta without restraint. I¡¯ve also acquired plenty of those mana spheres! I¡¯ve done my mission!¡±


    Nathan: ¡°It¡¯s a direct order from Agent Gibson!¡±


    Clementine: ¡°My golems are getting killed out there! I¡¯m not marching them to death! I¡¯m withdrawing! Court martial me for all I care!¡±


    Nathan: ¡°Wait! I¡¯ll-¡°


    Nathan¡¯s transmission is suddenly cut off. In its place, Clementine can hear the chatter of the control room back in America. Sensing danger, she quickly reaches out to stop the transmission.


    ¡°Clementine Greeves.¡±


    Too late. Her hand freezes at the mention of her name said by her commanding officer, Jeroth Gibson.


    Jeroth: ¡°This is a direct order. Stand your ground and engage the enemy Rosetta.¡±


    Clementine: [I can¡¯t..]


    She could not respond. All of her anger and desperation to withdraw her golems disappeared almost immediately. Gibson¡¯s words become vivid in her mind, as if clamping down and not letting go.


    Jeroth: ¡°The Fire Lance will be dispatched to your location. I order you to utilize it when the situation calls for it. Engage with the mission objectives in mind. Use everything you got.¡±


    Devon: ¡°Gibson! What are you-¡°


    The transmission cuts off abruptly. The cockpit is silent and the pilot sits frozen in her seat.


    Nathan: ¡°Miss Greeves. Here are the schematics for Fire Lance. I¡­¡±


    Nathan¡¯s last sentence trails off and the transmission ended. A window appeared on the screen detailing the operation of the Fire Lance.


    Clementine: ¡°Gh.. E-eh?¡±


    Her eyes widens in shock as she reads Fire Lance¡¯s description. She forces her reaction but can only choke on her tongue. Protesting will go against her mission. Gibson will not allow that. Her eyes shake in place.


    Clementine: ¡°Ghnnngh.¡±


    Her hands reach forward to grip her controls. Tears drips down as she closes her eyes and clenches her teeth. The muscles in her arms tense as she tries to pull them back to no avail.


    Clementine: [At least.. At least Ramiel.]


    With her last dregs of concentration, she presents a reason for Ramiel¡¯s retreat. As she did so, the grip on her mind eases.


    Clementine: [That¡¯s right. Ramiel have the mana spheres stored within itself. Securing the spheres means that Ramiel gets to escape from Rosetta¡¯s reach as well.]


    -Gachak Gachak-


    Ramiel disengages all of its missile attachments. With the lost weight, it can escape further at a greater speed. Assured of Ramiel¡¯s safety, Clementine sends her last command to it.


    -VRRRRAAAA-


    The golem speeds off away from Seraph in the direction out of the city. Clementine looks at the distant glow of its engines before facing her, no, Jeroth Gibson¡¯s objective: full confrontation against the magician Rosetta. Seraphs picks up the missile attachments and connects them to Lightning Lance¡¯s housing.


    RAG: ¡°Connection established to missile armament. Recalibrating systems for missile targeting.¡±


    -VRRRRAAAA-


    Clementine grabs the controls with all her strength and smashes them forward. Seraph roars it engines and speeds off in the direction of the monstrous mana convulsing in the streets.


    __________________________________


    Rosetta: ¡°Your accursed armor!¡±


    -BAM BAM BAM BAM-


    Each blow sounds like an explosion. The ground tremors as Rosetta¡¯s enlarge fist descends on Samael¡¯s armored hull.


    -fsshBOOOm-


    Rosetta: ¡°Gah!¡±


    A missile struck Rosetta on his side. The explosion knocks him off Samael, his arms swaying around to keep balance. Samael¡¯s sight of the magician stumbling is relayed to Clementine.


    Clementine: [Samael¡­]


    There. The time Rosetta recollects himself after the missile strike. That is the window where Samael can escape. Clementine twists her face in anguish as her order to Samael to retreat could not form into words and a different order is given instead.


    Clementine: [Charge the railgun.]


    As Samael staggers out of the road it has sunk in, Rosetta is recollecting his spheres that broke off from his blown side. Seething with anger, he casts his senses towards the missile¡¯s origin.


    Rosetta: [You are too far away¡­]


    It was too far away to perform an accurate missile strike.


    Rosetta: ¡°You. You are one of its ¡®eyes¡¯, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    He stares down at Samael. The golem, free from the road¡¯s restraints, stand its ground, ready for battle.


    -fssssh-


    Rosetta swings his arm at the incoming missile. His hand expands into giant claws that close in on the missile. And with his other arm¡­


    -KABOOOM-


    -BAASHZOOO-


    Rosetta: ¡°Kh!¡±


    Shortly after Rosetta¡¯s claws crush the missile, Samael¡¯s railgun fires at close range. Rosetta manages to shield himself against the projectile with his other arm. This time, his runes has proved useful. The projectile shaves a thick layer off his arm but it misses his body entirely.


    -fssssh-


    Rosetta: ¡°Damn!¡±


    -KaBOOOM-


    Another missile slips by Rosetta¡¯s claws, strikes his body an explodes. A few black spheres fly out from the cloud of debris and smoke, scattering on the road. Exasperated, the magician lunges at the retreating Samael.


    -BAM-


    -BAASHZOOO-


    Rosetta¡¯s claws clench down on the golem. In response, Samael points its railgun upwards and fires. The enlarged palm is nearly blown off completely. Rosetta¡¯s claws and what remains of his hands transforms to a more streamline form of rope-like restraints.


    -KRSSH-


    Plunging his feet into the concrete, Rosetta swings his arm overhead, whipping the golem off the ground.


    Rosetta: ¡°Get out of here!!¡±


    With another whip motion, he flings it into a distant building. As he is doing so, another missile sneaks up from his side and explodes.


    -KaBOOONM-


    -BOOOMKRSSSSH-


    Rosetta: ¡°Argh!¡±


    Clementine: ¡°Kh!¡±


    Her view from Samael spins around as her golem is tumbling through the walls and onto the street. Not letting another missile strike on him, Rosetta leaps through the building that he flung the golem through. Landing before the toppled golem, two concentric circles of runes glows on his back.


    Rosetta: ¡°My turn.¡±


    Two long limbs emerge from the back of Rosetta¡¯s shoulders. Looking similar to feelers, the limbs extend themselves straight and stiffen.


    -BZZnnn-


    A ripple of static can be felt in the air. The air feels electrified but it seems to be more than that. On Clementine¡¯s side, she breaks her solemn silence.


    Clementine: ¡°!!!¡± [I lost Samael!]


    RAG: ¡°Hostile EMP deployed. Anti-tamper runes active at thirty seven percent capacity. Communication with other units lost.¡±


    Clementine focuses with her mind¡¯s eye. Pooling her mana to her senses, she calls out to Samael. No response.


    Clementine: [My mana connection is severed!] ¡°What¡¯s going on?!¡±


    Her thoughts wander towards an energy detonation. If Rosetta released an energy explosion, the mana will still linger and may interfere with her connection with Samael. Clementine quickly sends a connection request through Seraph.


    RAG: ¡°Hostile EMP is still deployed.¡±


    Clementine: [No! Samael!]


    Her guess is completely wrong. Panic begins to grip her heart. Her golem is now placed in a dire situation against the magician. With much anguish, Clementine directs Seraph once more to enter the fray.


    -BZZnnn-


    Rosetta¡¯s feelers hum and vibrate in place. Samael realigns itself upright and bares its guns at Rosetta.


    -Brrrr Dakkoom Dakkoom Dakkoom-


    Rosetta: ¡°Huu..¡±


    He raises his hand to protect the ram skull on his head once more. He continues his approach as the bullets pelts his body.


    Rosetta: ¡°To still be able to fight even after you are severed from your master. You have formed a close bond, huh? I¡¯m sorry for what happens next.¡±


    -BAAMKRSSS-


    Rosetta swings his other arm which enlarges into another large claw. It smashes Samael and locks the golem in its grip.


    -KKRSSKK-


    The grip of his claws has not let up. Samael¡¯s armor plates begin to buckle and warp under the increasing pressure. And as if it could not take it anymore, the runes that line the golem¡¯s armor begins to fade.


    Rosetta: ¡°Hmph!¡±


    -BSSHKRSSH.


    Seizing the advantage, Rosetta releases a second set of giant claws with his other hand. He sinks his claws into the golem¡¯s frame and lifts it up in the air


    -BAAM BAAM BAAM-


    He begins bashing the golem against the road repeatedly. Each time, the sharp claws sink deeper into its frame until..


    Rosetta: ¡°GRRAAA!!¡±


    -KRASSSZZZKSH-


    When his claws is sunken deep enough, Rosetta forces his full strength on his claws and pry the golem apart. The metal alloy frame squeals as it warps and bends. The golem is torn open. Its cockpit, engine and electronics. All of it exposed.


    Rosetta: ¡°Fuhaa..¡±


    -KRASH-


    Dropping the mangled golem aside, Rosetta looks towards the side of the road.


    -KRASHKRSHKRSH KRAKZZ-


    He digs his claws into the side road and pulls out the main power lines underneath. Sparks of electricity fly out from the ripped cable. The streets. The buildings. The parks. All the light sources in the area turns off leaving a few city blocks in darkness.


    -FWSSSSSH-


    A dim glow illuminate the area in front of Samael. The light¡¯s source, the metal cables of the power line heated to the point they glow and begin to liquefy.


    -KRSHKRSHKRSH-


    Rosetta pulls more of the cable out of the concrete. Using his claw, he shapes the melting metal. He pulls and stretch metal before flattening the tip into an rough edge. He breaks of his creation from the power line and raises a glowing makeshift lance.


    Rosetta: ¡°You will be destroyed here, golem.¡±


    He approaches Samael, weapon in hand. The golem struggles and stumbles in retreat. In response, the magician stomps on one of its limbs, locking his escape.


    -Bzzznnnnshuuu-


    The feeler like limbs on Rosetta stops their humming and relaxes. The electrified feel from the air dissipates. It seems the magician has released his spell.


    Rosetta: ¡°Call out to your master.¡±


    With his spell no longer active and interfering with transmission, a connection through mana between Samael and Clementine is established.


    Clementine: ¡°Eh?¡±


    Upon receiving Samael¡¯s connection, Clementine feels a surge of relief. However, her relief is cut short almost immediately as she discovers her golem¡¯s mangled state.


    Rosetta: ¡°Rest in peace.¡±


    -BAMKRRSSSHZ-


    Before she can properly respond, Rosetta plunges his lance into Samael. Violently twisting and turning, he makes sure that the weapon tears the golems through and through.


    -FWOOooOOoo-


    A large pulse of mana erupts from within Samael. The intensity fluctuates randomly before dying down to a still silence.


    Clementine: ¡°Hagh!¡±


    She clutches her chest. The pulse has passed by and her heart feels like it has been punched.


    Clementine: ¡°.. Samael?¡±


    RAG: ¡°Samael unit lost.¡±


    The pain from her heart blooms and spreads across her back. Tears flow from her eyes once more. She quickly clutches her side and keels over stuttering.


    Clementine: ¡°Aaaa.. AAaa.. AaAaAAAAA!!!¡±


    Her stuttering turns into an all-out scream. Gripping her sides with all her strength, her gut stings with pain. Her diaphragm has pushed all the air out of her lungs. Tears flowing out of her bulging eyes. Drool dripping from her mouth as she tries to scream with her empty lungs.


    Clementine: ¡°HIIGH!!! HAGH! GAaaAAAAAAAAAA!!!¡±


    Rosetta is unfazed. Releasing his grip on his crude weapon, he steps back and solemnly watches the motionless and broken golem.


    Rosetta: ¡°It truly dies like a living being¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    __________________________________

 Prologue | Chapter 21 –Death March

    __________________________________


    Clementine: ¡°Guwheck!¡±


    The muscle on her abdomen tightens into a painful cramp. She keels forward and bashes her head against the control panel. Her helmet¡¯s visor strikes one of her eyes but the blunt pain is nothing compared to the pain coursing through her body. Sharp agonizing pain like her spine is being crushed and pulled out of her body.


    Clementine: ¡°Samael¡­ SAMAEL!!!¡±


    She is in despair over her lost golem. She felt every blow Rosetta threw at it. After the final blow, the feeling of death struck her mind, making her experience death first hand.


    Clementine: ¡°Kh!¡±


    However, in spite of all the pain and suffering she is experiencing, one thing still holds true. The absolute order that weighs more than anything. The one that she cannot defy.


    [Stand your ground and engage the enemy Rosetta.]


    [Engage with the mission objectives in mind. Use everything you got.]


    Clementine: ¡°GhiiHII!! GRrrRRHh!¡±


    She smashes her fist against her chest. Her lungs finally respond and draw in the much needed air. Gaining a sliver of relief, she manages to pull off her helmet and toss it aside. Her entire face is wet from sweat, tears and saliva pooled inside the helmet. She grabs her sides, clamps her eyes and mouth shut and forces herself to breathe slowly.


    Clementine: [Drown out the pain. Drown it out.]


    Her mana pulses begin to slow down. Slower. Weaker. Bit by bit, her mana begins to disappear.


    __________________________________


    Rosetta: ¡°There you are.¡±


    Standing against the side of a building, Rosetta stares down the golem Seraph that is standing still in the middle of a four-way intersection. Its posture is peculiar. Its limbs are limp as if the golem has collapsed. Rosetta sighs as he pulses his mana in its direction.


    Rosetta: [I do not sense any mana. Has the golem user died from the mana backlash? If so, then¡­]


    Soldier: ¡°(I found the robot! Repeat! I found the robot!)¡±


    Soldier: ¡°(Keep your weapons aimed at it! Surround! Surround!)¡±


    Rosetta: [Oh?]


    A truck pulls over nearby and Chinese soldiers exit the vehicle. They cautiously surround the golem, watching it for any sudden movements.


    -VRRRAAA-


    Soldier: ¡°(It¡¯s back up! Retreat! Retreat!)¡±


    -Dakka Dakka Dakka-


    The golem jumps back to life, sending the Chinese soldiers into a panic. They scatter in all directions while firing back at the golem. Rosetta on the other hand regains his interest and jumps down towards the golem.


    __________________________________


    Clementine clambers to regain control of her golem. Her attention is focused on the screen showing the Chinese soldier retreating in full sprint. She remembers her discarded helmet on her side but she decides against putting it on. The tears, sweat, and drool has smeared the visor and she cannot afford to waste time cleaning it.


    Clementine: ¡°Tch!¡± [The Chinese soldiers have caught up-]


    Clementine suddenly looks down on her legs in surprise. When she tries to step on the acceleration pedal, she feels no response from her legs. Fearing the worst, she pinches her thigh as hard as she could.


    Clementine: ¡°Damn..¡±


    She feels the pain from her pinch but the pain is dull and numbing. Her legs won¡¯t listen to her anymore. Clementine grips her knee is frustration and anguish.-Kraash-


    Rosetta: ¡°Impressive!¡±


    Clementine: [!!] ¡°Rosetta!¡±


    The large form of the magician lands before the golem. He stands at his full height staring right at Seraph¡¯s cockpit. He spreads his arm apart to activate his magic but Clementine reacts almost immediately. She quickly releases her mana for her magic and the pedal begins to move itself.


    -VRRRRRRR-


    -FWOOOO BSzzz-


    Seraph reverses away from Rosetta. A huge blast of wind smashes Seraph from behind. But it¡¯s not only from behind Seraph. All the air around the areas rush into the spot the golem was previously in.


    -KRASH-


    Soldiers: ¡°AAAH!¡±


    The Chinese soldiers scream and scatter from the truck they hid in. The air blast lifted the truck or the road and drops it on its side. Contrary to the surrounding chaos, the golem and the magician face each other with an air of calm.


    Rosetta: ¡°You recovered from the mana backlash of your dying golem and you¡¯re still capable to fighting back with your golem magic.¡±


    He puts away his arm and moves the other towards the center of his previous spell. His fingers close around what seems to be a tiny ball of liquid floating in midair.


    Rosetta: ¡°Did you sever the link before the backlash? Did you delegate the golem to one part of your body and amputate it when it died?¡±


    Clementine: [What?]


    His words make no sense. She shakes those thoughts off her mind and takes aim at the magician. Rosetta, unfazed, takes a step forward, the arm holding the ball of liquid outstretched in Seraph¡¯s direction.


    Rosetta: ¡°Don¡¯t tell me, you are a religious person?¡±


    Clementine: [!!]


    Rosetta: ¡°Those who have strong faith are capable of shedding anything they deemed unnecessary for them.¡±


    His words strike deep in her. Being reminded of her fallen golem, her anger flares up and she pulls the trigger to fire the missiles locked on to Rosetta.


    -Fsssh Fsssh-


    Rosetta: ¡°Well, It doesn¡¯t matter. For you options to fight have dwindled.¡±


    -THOOORAAAA-


    Clementine: ¡°Kh-RRRGH!¡±


    As the missiles fly towards him, Rosetta releases his spell. The ball of liquid decompresses and erupts into an intense blast of air. As if guided by his hand, the decompressed air travels in one direction; towards the golem Seraph. The missiles, Clementine and her golem are struck with a wall of air. Rosetta watches the massive golem is lifted off its feet and sent flying across the street. Dew and ice form on every surface and in midair, as the decompressed air lowered the temperatures of the area caught in the blast.


    -KRASHSSSSK-


    Seraph crashes and skids over the road. Clementine, a little shaken, gets her golem on its feet. She shoots an angry glance in Rosetta¡¯s direction. He has sent her golem flying a few hundred meters away from him.


    -Btooom Krakoom-


    The sound of the missiles missing their mark and exploding echoes in the distance. In that short exchange, Clementine has come off worse than before.


    Clementine: ¡°Kh!¡±


    She notices the missiles left in Ramiel¡¯s armament. Only four missiles remain. No matter what she does, there is no way for her to defeat Rosetta.


    [Engage with the mission objectives in mind. Use everything you got.]


    Clementine: [No!]


    She bashes her head against her seat. However, her orders are still present in her mind. Gritting her teeth, she pings for the location of the Fire Lance armament. The armament pings back its location. It has been released by Nathan and has landed in the city, constantly moving around to evade the Chinese forces. Clementine blinks and shakes of the tears in her eye. She broadcasts a signal of her location and the RAG system confirms the armament¡¯s response.


    RAG: "Fire Lance package enroute."


    Rosetta: ¡°What did you call for?


    Rosetta performs a great leap and descends on Seraph. His limb split into long strips that are poised to wrap and entangle the golem.


    -fw BoomBoomBoom-


    Rosetta: ¡°Wha-¡°


    Clusters of explosives rain down on the scene. They explode, sending smoke and dust up in the air. Rosetta scans the sky in response and finds the culprit hidden under the darkness of night.


    Rosetta: ¡°A fourth golem-¡°


    -BoomBoomBoom-


    The explosions continue as the bombs continue dropping. Taking advantage of the confusion, Seraph speeds off through the enormous cloud of smoke and dust.


    -Vrrrrrrrmmm-


    The Fire Lance armament arrived on the scene and converges into the road lane Seraph is on. It is a large and long vehicle with a jet engine on the back. Clementine gives it a sideways look of disdain and pull Seraph to a stop. The golem faces its back towards the Fire Lance and mounts the armament on its back.


    -Khthunk Klak-


    RAG: "Circulating thermite."


    The armament begins its function, circulating its payload throughout the golem. Clementine looks around in fear. All around her, foreign mana pulses around her. She senses a violent and fiery aura from it. It feels repulsive.


    RAG: "Fire Lance for Seraph unit ready to deploy. Please exit the unit."


    Clementine: ¡°¡­¡±


    RAG: ¡°Please exit the unit.¡±


    Clementine sits still in her golem. The screen before her flashes the evacuation warning and she closes her eyes to it, squeezing out tears that run down her face.


    RAG: ¡°Please exit the unit.¡±


    Clementine: ¡°Kh..¡±


    -Klak Kssn-


    Her will is forced to yield once more. She wipes away her tears and pushes the cockpit open. The cold night air stings her skin as it brushes her face. Surprised, Clementine realized that her face is wet from cold sweat.This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    Clementine: ¡°Hnngh..¡±


    Using both her arms, Clementine lifts herself out of the cockpit. Her fears are reaffirmed once more. She has lost the use of her legs.


    Clementine: [Right. Let¡¯s not lose hope. Agent Ginn might still be able to heal this...] ¡°!! SERAPH!¡±


    -VRRRM-


    She quickly ducks to the side and Seraph lunges forward with its limbs outstretched. The sudden lunge knocks Clementine out of the cockpit and the golem intercepts the large body of Rosetta which descended on the golem. Clementine lands on her side and scrambles up to see the scene before her.


    Rosetta: ¡°You are done here!¡±


    -Kwakakaka-


    The strips that is conjured from his limb wrap and entangle Seraph on contact. The golem¡¯s joints creak from the immense force applied by them.


    -BZZnnn-


    It does not stop here. The feelers on Rosetta¡¯s back becomes erect once more and the air becomes electrified.


    Clementine: [This is..!]


    She feels her connection to Seraph severed. This is it. The same feeling that ultimately results in the loss of Samael. Furthermore, her worst fear has announced its arrival. With her connection to Seraph, her restraint can no longer hinder its function.


    Rosetta: ¡°This! DAMN!¡±


    -VRRAAOO-


    Rosetta notices the fiery mana stored in the golem a few moments too late. Seraph grabs Rosetta with its limbs and flares the massive jet engines. The entire golem quickly becomes red hot and fire starts to flare out from its joints. Clementine scrambles away from them and casts an anguished glance at her golem.


    Clementine: [Goodbye, Seraph.]


    -BAM VRAAAA-


    The jet engine roars at full blast. In an instant, both Rosetta and Seraph launches into the air and streaks across the city at high speed. They glow brighter and brighter. Faster and faster.


    -BOOOM-


    -KRSSHSSHSSH-


    The fireball zips past the buildings and the following shockwave tears the glass off the buildings. The glass shards glow orange as they fall before raining on the street as molten rain.


    Rosetta: ¡°NO!¡±


    -BAM-


    -FWOOOOKRAASSH-


    The fireball suddenly dips its trajectory and crashes through the front of a shopping complex. Jets of fire flares from the fireball as it sinks deeper into the floor.


    -FWOOOOOOO-


    The fire sweeps through the complex, engulfing everything in its path. The windows and doors all burst open to release flares that lick the nearby buildings surrounding the complex.


    __________________________________


    Clementine: ¡°Ha.. Hagh.. Hot..¡±


    Clementine pulls herself up onto the sidewalk. Her face is flushed with sweat. The cold night air that once stung her face now licks it with an unforgiving heat. Even though it is obscured by buildings and is a great distance from her, she can still feel the brightness and heat of the fire. The air keeps getting hotter and hotter.


    Clementine: ¡°AaaAAa..¡±


    She realizes that the heat she feels is no longer from the hot draft. Her worst fear has come. The heat suddenly burns with searing pain, engulfing her entire body as if she is in a furnace.


    Clementine: ¡°AAAAGH!!! I¡¯M BURNING!!!¡±


    Her skin feels like it has vaporized from the heat. Clementine tugs at her suit, as if trying to put out the phantom fire that is burning her. The burning pain seeps deeper and deeper into her flesh. Her muscles; bones; everything is burning.


    Clementine: [Help! Help!]


    The pain is unbearable. Unable to keep her stance, she keels over and drops to the ground. The burning has reached her throat, silencing her cries completely.


    Clementine: ¡°Ugweeck!! RAwa!!¡±


    The burning reaches her innards. Her stomach twists and contracts, forcing stomach juices and drool out of her mouth. The burning is driving her mad. Clementine tightly clutches her head and screams her prayers in her thoughts.


    Clementine: [O Lord, please save me!! Cast away the pain!! Cast away¡­]


    The burning sensation reaches her head and an unimaginable pain of her brain burning takes over. Her prayers burnt away, Clementine¡¯s consciousness falls deeper into the darkness.


    __________________________________


    -KsuuuuuKRSSSH-


    The south wall of the complex buckles under its weight and falls. The adjacent wall falls shortly after followed by the roof caving in. The rubble falls into a molten sea formed from the building¡¯s melted interior.


    -Blubub BFFF-


    The surface of the molten swells and bursts, revealing Rosetta. He looks at the hellish surroundings around him. He leaps into the air and lands on the side of a nearby building. Finally out of the hellish heat, he anchors himself against the wall and assess his situation.


    Rosetta: "Damn... I was careless with my mana." [Even though I stepped up my magic.]


    He has not forgotten his loss in Vietnam. To fight against the golems and their master, he scales up the power of his magic accordingly. Any more will result in her death at his hands. Yet, in the face of his magic and tactics, she persevered when she should have fallen.


    Rosetta: [Did you have a hand in this, Gibson?] ¡°Gibson.. You monster..¡±


    Pushing his agent to a suicidal front. It is within his character to do so. He looks down on the inferno below. Half of the large building has melted away into a burning molten sea.


    Rosetta: ¡°What a terrible spell..¡± [A significant amount of my mana is burnt away. Also..]


    He recalls the golem that struck him with the spell.


    Rosetta: [The golem melted completely. The mana backlash must have struck her. She must have died from the pain.] ¡°Haa¡­¡±


    He casts a sorrowful sigh. Pondering on what he could have done to achieve a better outcome, his attention catches on to some lights hovering in the horizon.


    Rosetta: "Hm?!"


    He focuses on them for a closer look. The lights belong to civilian helicopters, flying at their top speed towards the city.


    Rosetta: [News helicopters¡­]


    Anxiety suddenly grips him. His time in this city is spent. Due to the commotion caused by his engagement with the golem user and the Chinese forces, the civilian press has begun to take notice. He turns to look in the direction of the golem user¡¯s last location.


    Rosetta: [Even if there is a small chance of the golem user surviving, I can''t risk my exposure by taking away her magic. I¡¯m done fighting.]


    -Pshoom-


    Rosetta sprouts a pair of massive wings on his back. Runes glimmer and dance on the wings, giving the wings a ghostly look as they catch the wind.


    Rosetta: ¡°I¡¯m coming, Jiang Shuu Ren.¡±


    -FWoooo-


    He leaps off the side of the building and flaps his wings. The runes glow in response and a large updraft catches his wings and whisks him into the sky.


    __________________________________


    Alexa: ¡°Sir! I am watching Agent Greeves¡¯ condition! He- Her vitals.. has stopped.¡±


    Alexa turns to Director Devon Lance with a distraught look. Devon looks directly at Alexa who quickly understand his intent. She scrambles back to her workstation.


    Alexa: *Please. Please. Please*


    Alexa begins the protocol that she stacks all her hope on. This will activate her healing mana stored within Clementine¡¯s pilot suit. Devon turns towards the live video feed from the plane circling the city. The city is alight from the fire cause by a weapon he never seen before. And many block away, an indicator marks Clementine¡¯s location; her status currently in critical condition. Devon flares his teeth as he connects to his other agent, Nathan Terrozzo.


    Devon: ¡°What is going on over there, Agent Terrozzo?! What the fuck is that weapon?! What is Fire Lance?!¡±


    Nathan: ¡°I-I don¡¯t know, sir! I recall deploying that weapon from my storage but I don¡¯t know anything else!¡±


    Devon: ¡°What do you mea- AARGH!¡±


    -Bam-


    The director swings his fists down on his desk. The reply he got is the ramblings of a confused man. He turns to look at the startled operation staff before him.


    Devon: ¡°Does anyone knows what is going on?! What is Fire Lance?!¡±


    The staffs avoid his gaze and face their work. The entire room is silent, echoing their loss in this dire situation. Devon tries again with a more pressing matter.


    Devon: ¡°Is there anything that can be done for Agent Greeves?!! Anyone?!!¡±


    No response from anyone. Not even Nathan who is at the field. Devon takes a step back and slump forwards on his desk.


    Devon: [This is supposed to be a covert operation. She is only supposed to harass the magician until he leaves Chinese territory! This has become a suicide mission!]


    Knowing that something has been strange with two of the field agents, Devon puts his thoughts together.


    Devon: [Greeves is charging Rosetta without any regard for the mission or her safety! What has driven her to literal suicide?!]


    The reserved and conservative Greeves. She was calm and collected since the start of the mission. However, her erratic behavior only started after her last conversation with Agent Terrozzo.


    Devon: [Terrozzo.. He said that he remembers deploying Fire Lance but does not know what it is¡­]


    Then it struck him. The only magic that can cause Clementine¡¯s suicidal behavior and coax Nathan to release the Fire Lance without prior knowledge.


    Devon: *Mind control.*


    Devon straightens up. The director knows that none of the agents possesses that sort of magic. Realizing the identity of only one capable of that feat, Devon turns around and approaches Jeroth Gibson who is unmoved from his seat.


    Devon: ¡°Jeroth? You¡¯re behind this?¡±


    Jeroth: ¡°Devon..¡±


    Before he can continue, Devon storms up to him and grabs him by the collar. Jeroth is lifted off his seat and shoved against the desk. He looks at his director and friend staring him down with bloodshot eyes. He shifts his gaze to the rest of the room. Everyone is silent. More than half of the staffs shift their attention to the commotion while the rest obediently focus on their work. Devon tightens his grip on Jeroth¡¯s collar.


    Devon: ¡°JEROTH! WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU DO?!!!¡±


    Jeroth sighs and opens his mouth to speak. However, a shrill voice cuts through the silent room. Alexa hops off her seat and waves her arms to catch Devon¡¯s attention.


    Alexa: ¡°Si-Sir! Sir! I am getting a response! Her vitals are returning!¡±


    Devon looks at her before turning back to Jeroth whose face has turned complacent. Fuming with thoughts of whether Jeroth turn the situation around for his convenience, he cannot abandon this chance. Devon lets go of Jeroth collar but not before giving him a violent shake.


    Devon: *We¡¯re not done. You hear me?*


    Devon angrily points at Jeroth before quickly returning to his post. He hunches over his desks for a moment to plan his thoughts. He then turns to Alexa who is constantly switching her attention between the director and monitoring Clementine¡¯s vitals.


    Devon: ¡°Ginn, keep monitor her status. Let me know if her condition gets worse. I need everyone on communications to do this! Get in contact with her immediately! Get a response from her and bring her back!¡±


    __________________________________


    ¡­.


    It¡¯s dark. It feels like nothing. No hot or cold. No pain. No pain at all.


    [¡­!!! ¡­.!!!]


    ¡°¡­ ¡­¡±


    Something stirs the silence. A breath seems to be drawn. In fact, breathing may have started.


    Nathan: ¡°¡­!!! ¡­!!! ¡­..!!!¡±


    That is someone¡¯s voice. But the words cannot be discerned. The darkness begins to dissipate and a soft glow begins to take over.


    Clementine: ¡°¡­¡±


    The first thing she sees is the asphalt directly in front of her. The sound returned and the chaos in the distance can be heard clearly. Clementine slowly pushes herself from the ground.


    Clementine: ¡°Ueegh?¡±


    Confusion struck her. Her view rises as she gets up but she does not feel herself rise up at all. She feels nothing.


    Clementine: ¡°Unngh..¡±


    Her view begins rocking and spinning. Her confusion becomes worse. Is her head moving? Is she moving it? Is she dreaming?


    Clementine: ¡°Gek!¡±


    Her vision suddenly flicks upwards, showing the sky. She hears something knock with a thud. Did she fall backwards? Did she hit her head? There is no pain. There is no feeling at all.


    Clementine: [I am..?]


    Nathan: ¡°Greeves! Clementine Greeves! Are you there?! Can you hear me?!¡±


    A voice coming from the radio in her suit. Clementine recognizes the voice and the name ¡®Nathan¡¯ lingers in her mind. Another name she recognizes emerges. Her own name.


    Clementine: [Greeves? Yes.. I am Clementine..]


    Just as Clementine regains her sense of self, her mind clouds over. Those words. The orders that anchored her will away. She can only recall fragments of them but their power has not waned.


    [Stand¡­] [Engage¡­] [Mission¡­] [Everything¡­]


    There is no pain; for she can¡¯t feel anything. She can only hear and see. Yet the orders are clear and Clementine calls out once more to her golem.


    Clementine: *Cher..* ¡°Cherub¡­ Cherub¡­¡±


    Nathan: ¡°Cheru- Wait! The mission is over! Rosetta is leaving for the sea! Director Lance has called for a retreat! Clemen-¡°


    Devon: ¡°Agent Greeves! This is Director Devon Lance!¡±


    Nathan¡¯s transmission is cut off and the voice of the director shout in its stead.


    Devon: ¡°I have ordered a retreat! Agent Greeves! Stand! Down!¡±


    Clementine shows no response. Her mind cannot afford a response as what¡¯s left of it is firmly in the grasps of those words.


    -VRRRRR-


    The wind becomes turbulent and a large aircraft slowly descends on Clementine. Its main body is long, slim and slick. Two large turbo fan turbines keep the aircraft hovering in place and instead of wings, four big long metal blades are attached on each side of the aircraft¡¯s body. The blades look like transparent glass as it reflected its surroundings and the runes engraved on it shimmer and glow, giving it a mysterious sheen. Clementine glances up at her golem, Cherub, opening its cockpit, welcoming her in.


    Devon: ¡°Greeves! Listen to me! This is a direct order from your director! I am ordering you to stand down! STAND! DOWN! FU-¡±


    Despite hearing the orders from the director, she does not heed them. Devon¡¯s transmission cut off as he swears out in anger. Clementine turns towards her golem and braces herself to get up.


    Clementine: ¡°Agh?¡±


    Even though she can move her arms normally, the experience is jarring when she could not feel anything. Clementine looks around in confusion. Her legs are limp. They are not moving the entire time she has been telling them to. She remembers that she has already lost control of them a while ago.


    Clementine: ¡°Hrnnngh..¡±


    She builds up her mana within her. She has not forgotten. Her own flight suit is her golem as well. Her suit springs to life and quickly put Clementine back on her feet. She grabs the side of Cherub¡¯s cockpit and lifts herself inside.


    Clementine: ¡°Gnuh?!¡±


    She sees herself being pulled away from Cherub. She catches sight of a pair of arms wrapped around her torso, pulling her off her golem. She turns around and sees a winded Nathan with his parachute dragging behind him.


    Nathan: ¡°Calm down, goddammit.¡±


    Nathan takes out an oxygen mask and tries to strap in onto her face. Clementine realizes his plan to capture her with his containment magic. She puts power in her suit and struggles out of his grip. Nathan quickly maneuvers his hands over her head and pins her with a headlock.


    Clementine: ¡°RRAGH! NO!¡±


    Nathan: ¡°KnGH!¡±


    She stomps her heel against Nathan¡¯s shin. Grunting from pain, Nathan draws back while maintaining his headlock and pulls her off balance, dropping her to the road. Clementine thrashes around for a moment before looking up to Cherub.


    -Whrrr-


    Nathan: ¡°God.. DON¡¯T DO THIS! GREEVES!!¡±


    A machine gun slowly lowers from Cherub¡¯s underside. Nathan shakes Clementine in panic as it slowly turns towards him.


    Nathan: ¡°DIRECTOR!¡±


    -Beep- ¡°Stop.¡±


    The radio on Nathan¡¯s person beeps loudly and a voice calls out to Clementine. Recognizing Jeroth¡¯s voice, Clementine freezes in place.


    Jeroth: ¡°Clementine Greeves. I retract my orders. You are free.¡±


    In an instant, her mind goes blank. Then, like her mind¡¯s eye is blinking, it gets clearer and clearer. Losing the drive within her, Clementine goes limp and Nathan frees her of his grip. Exhausted from the near death experience, Nathan stumbles onto his feet.


    Nathan: ¡°Fu.. Fuck.. You could have been a little faster, Director Lance.¡±


    Devon: ¡°I wish everyone was, Agent Terrozzo. This is your next order. Secure Agent Greeves and her golem. Then find a place to hide from the Chinese forces. When there is a chance, we will extract you from site. Priority given to Agent Greeve¡¯s condition. Keep her alive.¡±


    Nathan: ¡°Roger, Director.¡±


    He walks over to pick up the fallen oxygen mask and straps it on Clementine¡¯s face. The frea\sh oxygen, invigorates her, giving her enough consciousness to utter a murmur.


    Clementine: ¡°Cherub..¡±


    Nathan: ¡°Your golem is fine. Let¡¯s get you back home.¡±


    -Suuuuuu-


    After plugging up Clementine¡¯s ears, Nathan opens his jacket and activates his magic. A black void appears on his chest and the surrounding air is sucked inside. The black void expands and engulfs Clementine and her golem Cherub. It then shrinks and fades away as Nathan closes his jacket. Releasing his breath that he held during his magic¡¯s activation, Nathan runs away from the scene to escape the Chinese who has started to swarm the streets.


    __________________________________

 Prologue | Chapter 22 – A New Start For Everyone

    __________________________________


    -Fwssssh-


    The waves break upon the rock beach, spreading their thin foam across its surface. A slight tinge of orange emerges from the horizon signifying the start of dawn.


    -Sssssk Ssssk-


    A black figure carried by the waves lands against the rocks and slowly pulls itself on to the rocky beach. Barely visible in the darkness of night, it drags a huge pile of tangled seaweed on to the rocky shores where the waves don¡¯t reach.


    ¡°Here again. Japan.¡±


    The black figure¡¯s voice. It is no doubt Rosetta. Yet his appearance has drastically changed. Instead of a large body made of black mass wearing a ram¡¯s skull, Rosetta¡¯s body is much smaller. With the size of an average man, his featureless black body is horrifying, a kin to a dark spirit that wanders in the dead of night.


    -Kzzzzzz-


    A jolt of electricity jumps from his body to the tangled seaweed. The seaweed puffs up in size and slowly disintegrates. Fibers emerge from the disintegrating mass. They weave around Rosetta¡¯s body, slowly forming a fabric covering it.


    -Klakak-


    Rosetta unsteadily walks over the rocks as black polished shoes form on his feet. A brand new suit, white gloves and a formal hat. He brushes his newly formed suit and checks its size before feeling satisfied.


    -Bzzzz-


    Rosetta: ¡°Hm?¡±


    A buzzing sound is head overhead. Rosetta looks up and sees a small drone flying towards him. Sensing the presence lingering on the drone, he relaxes his guard.


    Rosetta: ¡°Center?¡±


    The drone slows down to hover near him and Anne¡¯s voice is heard speaking Japanese from its speakers.


    Anne: ¡°Yes. It¡¯s me. Good morning~ And welcome to Japan.¡±


    Rosetta: ¡°Huh.. You¡¯re able to find me pretty quickly.¡±


    Anne: ¡°¡¯Pretty quickly¡¯ is undercutting it. I¡¯ve scattered over two thousand of these drones to scan the beaches around this region. Been doing so for a few hours. Great to see you, albeit through a camera.¡±


    Rosetta: ¡°Good work, Center. Diligent as always.¡±


    Anne: ¡°.. You can call me by my name. There''s no need for us to use aliases now. Coiner''s magic is now obsolete. He can''t find us using satellites anymore. Since I flood the atmosphere with mana, I can use it to channel all of our communication channels. Sifting through all that mana for information is impossible.¡±


    Rosetta: ¡°Right.. Is this how we will be talking from now on? No more magic and through technology you make?¡±


    Anne: ¡°Yes. Though we still have to use aliases when we talk to the others.¡±


    Rosetta: ¡°Yes. It is for their sake. Their safety..¡±


    Their conversation stumbles near a very uncomfortable topic. One regarding the incident twenty three years ago. None of them utters a word after that. The fact that the anniversary of that incident is approaching sours the topic even more. Rosetta, eager to change the subject, peers deeply at the sky.


    Rosetta: ¡°The ozone layer, is it? That¡¯s where you flood the mana?¡±


    Anne: ¡°Yes. I''ve changed the mana to an inert state and have it spread throughout the ozone layer. They can''t remove the mana without stripping the ozone layer away.¡±


    Rosetta: ¡°So Coiner¡¯s magic is now deadweight. Everyone will be safe from now on..¡±


    Anne: ¡°So long as they don''t cause a ruckus. How will you be faring? This body is just a proxy, isn¡¯t it? What about your main body?¡±


    Rosetta: ¡°There''s no need for worry. My main body could never be hidden due to my mana but I am safe on the ocean floor. They cannot reach me there. Even if they created magic to reach me, they will be too encumbered to challenge me. So, how is this proxy?]


    Anne: ¡°Your mana level is low enough to evade detection. But is this enough for you to defend yourself?¡±


    Rosetta: ¡°This body is physically enhanced for defense and evasion. I''ll refrain from using magic unless it is absolutely necessary.¡±


    Anne: ¡°Looks like you are foregoing illusion magic for your appearance this time. You changed your look. You don¡¯t have your skull hat and your body is much smaller.¡±


    Rosetta: ¡°I could not help being big. That is as far as mana compression can go. With this proxy body, I can fashion a look that I want. I''m going for a more sociable look. Have to watch my appearance from now on. I can¡¯t let my appearance mess up Jiang-san¡¯s impression of me.¡±


    Rosetta picks up a nearby white rock and with a tap of his finger..


    -BAM-


    The rock explodes into little pieces. As the rock shards fall away from his hand, a white mask with ornate markings sits on his palm. The mask flies onto Rosetta¡¯s face and adheres to it. Tapping the mask, he turns to the drone¡¯s camera.


    Rosetta: ¡°So, how do I look?¡±


    Anne: ¡°Spiffy. You look abnormal but you are at least presentable to the Japanese public. You fit right in the cosplay community. The mask is a good addition. Better than a black blob for a head. That was a terrifying look.¡±


    Rosetta: ¡°Oh, sorry. When I made this body, I merely separate a part of myself. So like the main body, the head will have no features at all.¡±


    Anne: ¡°... Well keep yourself scarce. Even if you blend in with the people, if you make a scene, someone is going to record it, and ''those people'' will find it.¡±


    Rosetta: ¡°I know. There is plenty of work for me in Japan. Old friends to meet, more people to send off to the other world, and Jiang-san. Anne, I need your help as always.¡±


    Anne: ¡°Alright... Catch.¡±


    -Krzzzz-


    Short flashes of light shine over Rosetta. As he looks up, he sees a black briefcase tumbling towards him. As he catches it in his arms, he feels a jolt from the static stored on its surface. Most likely residual energy from the briefcase¡¯s creation. He wonders if this briefcase is made from the other drones Anne mentioned earlier.


    Anne: ¡°It¡¯s communication equipment. I¡¯ve included a manual if you are unsure of how to use it.¡±


    Rosetta: ¡°Thank you, Anne. You¡¯re too kind.¡±


    Anne heaves a sigh.


    Anne: ¡°To think that the final stretch begins here. We¡¯ve finally reach this point.¡±


    Rosetta: ¡°Yes.. It has been a journey. I can¡¯t mess this up after all this. Those wisps that surround Jiang-san, I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t approach her without causing a fight.¡±


    Anne: ¡°I¡¯m aware. I am guiding Nila in approaching her. But if anything happens, Nila will be a poor match against those wisps. Is that okay, Rosetta? Nila is your only counter against ¡®him¡¯.¡±


    There is a slight tinge of hatred as she utters ¡®him¡¯. Rosetta knows that ¡®him¡¯ is none other than the traitor Jeroth Gibson.


    Rosetta: ¡°Nila will be fine. She is a tough child after all. However, I am not letting only her approach Jiang-san. I¡¯ll be moving a lot. Reconnect with old acquaintances. We need their help.¡±


    Anne: ¡°Old allies like Chun Xin Yi? I don¡¯t think they will be just as willing as her.¡±


    Rosetta: ¡°I¡¯m fine with them being unwilling. They had already done their fair share. I¡¯m just hoping some are wishing to relive their role once more.¡±


    Rosetta tugs his hat firmly onto his head. He turns around to face the thick forest that starts past the rocky beach.


    Rosetta: ¡°Goodbye. I will be in touch.¡±


    -Fwoom-


    In one leap, Rosetta soars to the top of the tree and begins traversing the forest through the treetops.


    __________________________________


    Nila: ¡°Fmmm¡­¡±


    Nila sits on a bench at the train station. It provide a nice view of the boarding platform; perfect for spotting her target.


    Nila: [Oh? There she is..]


    Nila''s target, Jiang Shuu Ren walks through the station entrance at a brisk pace. Comparing her watch''s time with the station''s clock, she sighs, relieved that she is on time.


    Shuu Ren: "Hmm.."


    She looks around, realizing another pressing matter.


    Shuu Ren: "Chihiro is not here. There is a company meeting at the beginning of work hours so everyone has to be present and on time."


    She checks her phone before irritably tapping her watch.


    Shuu Ren: "Well, a station bento will be fine if there is no time for a proper breakfast. Let''s see if it come to that.."Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    Shuu Ren heads over to the station shop to check the bento meals on display. Nila sees an opportunity to force an encounter with her.


    Nila: [I can start a conversation with her at the shop. Get acquainted-]


    -tick-


    Nila: *Ugh?!*


    Nila had just stand up from the bench when her watch releases a fateful tick. Her eyes flicker for a moment and her body starts to fall forward. Someone catches Nila''s shoulder and pushes her up straight. She sees before her a beautiful woman with brown wavy hair.


    Nila: [This is Jiang''s coworker?!]


    Chihiro: *Don¡¯t move.*


    -tick-


    Nila realizes that Chihiro has pressed a metal pen against the side of her chest. She sensing that the tip of the pen is packed with mana, she realized Chihiro¡¯s true nature.


    Nila: [She is a wisp!]


    Chihiro presses her pen on Nila even harder. The pen¡¯s tip turns hot, searing Nila¡¯s protective coat.


    Chihiro: *We can burn this pen into you and vaporize it inside your body. You will die a painful death. Your watch can attest to that.*


    Nila: *I''m not your enemy.*


    Chihiro: *You are after my most precious person. You ARE my enemy.*


    -Kssss-


    The pen burns against Nila¡¯s coat. The runes sewn into the coat hover and flicker around the pen, desperate to mitigate the damage.


    Chihiro: *What we want is very simple. Leave Jiang Shuu Ren alone. We want you, your employer, your friends and enemies, everyone, to leave her alone. She has found peace after all this time. For you to just barge in now and upset her life again..*


    -tick-


    Nila: *P-Please listen. We mean no harm. We just want to talk to her.*


    Chihiro: *We don¡¯t care about your war or your cause. Go kill each other where you won¡¯t be a bother.*


    -KssSS-


    Nila: *Agh!*


    The defense runes have failed and the pen sears through the coat. Nila winces in pain as the heat finally burns her.


    Chihiro: *We will not let anything get to her. So take our mercy and LEAVE.*


    Chihiro retracts her pen and shoves Nila away. Nila stumbles and clutches her burned side.


    Chihiro: *Count your luck in the short time we had. Be gone, unsightly pest.*


    Giving Nila a venomous look, Chihiro strolls past her towards Shuu Ren. Seeing her manager looking over the boxed lunches, her furious march turns into a joyful prance. Her cheek flushed with joy, she embraces Shuu Ren from behind.


    Chihiro: ¡°Shuu-chan!¡±


    Shuu Ren: ¡°Urk! Chihiro, not this early in the morning, please.¡±


    Chihiro: "Hehe~ Hey, Shuu-chan! Did you know about what happen in China?"


    Shuu Ren: "Ah, yes, I did. I watched the morning news. That was really crazy.. "


    As the two women walk away, the third woman hides from their sight behind a pillar. Breathing heavily from the encounter, Nila checks the burnt hole in her coat and the burn injury on her side.


    Nila: ¡°Tch..¡±


    Casting a scornful glance at the wisp she encountered, Nila spits in her direction.


    Nila: *Accursed wisp..*


    __________________________________


    In the company office, the employees are lined up in rows, starting with the high ranking staff at the front to the general staff at the back. Facing the staff is a perky young woman, Aoi Maki, the president of the company. Accompanying her in the vice president who is a white haired old man, Tanahashi Waru. The president cheerfully skips forward and addresses the staff before her.


    Maki: ¡°It is my great pleasure to announce that this company has successfully negotiated a collaboration campaign with ZeroAlpha studio in promoting their spring anime project ''Food Wars In Another World''.¡±


    -Clap Clap Clap-


    She claps her hands on the side. Vice president Waru quietly gestures to clap. The staff quickly obeys and gives an applause, much to the glee of President Maki who beams proudly.


    Maki: ¡°Because of the anime''s theme centering around food, the studio and the series author himself will work with us to feature Japanese cuisine using agricultural products of the Aomori prefecture!¡±


    Waru steps aside, revealing a presentation easel covered by a white cloth. He pulls off the white cloth revealing a promotional poster of the anime ''Food Wars In Another World''.


    Maki: ¡°This a big step up for our company! Since we caught on to the trend of food themed animes in its rise, this company can land more collaborations if this campaign becomes successful. So let''s give this one our all!¡±


    The president throws her arms up in the air, putting a gleaming smile on her face. The staff gives another applause in compliance to Waru¡¯s silent gesture.


    __________________________________


    The company meeting just ended and the staff is given a short break to plan their work ahead. Away from the bustling staff, Shuu Ren reasons with her pouting subordinate, Chihiro.


    Shuu Ren: *See, Chihiro? President Maki is not out to get me. She just rushed the last project to start this collaboration project. That''s all..*


    Chihiro: "Bu-But that is so selfish! If Ame Apple caught wind of the reason why she rushed the schedule, they will scrap the contract immediately! How can this company president be such a selfish otaku?!"


    Waru: "Now, now. Calm down. She is still excited about her own freedom to run a company."


    Vice president Waru approaches the group carrying a box, his tired blue eyes giving him a gentle look. Waru is a close friend to Shuu Ren as they are among the few employees who are experienced with age. Despite joining the company a few years ago, everyone respects his authority as the vice president.


    Shuu Ren: "Vice president Waru-san."


    Shuu Ren and Chihiro bows in respect as Waru sets the box down on a nearby table. Shuu Ren then pinches Chihiro¡¯s cheek. A warning for her loud outburst that might reach unwanted ears who may pass it on to the president.


    Chihiro: *Still being excited after a few years is too much.*


    Shuu Ren: *Stop it, Chihiro. Even though she is free to do anything as the company president, she is still part of the Aoi family. She''s not totally free.*


    Waru: *Jiang-san is right. To this day, President Maki still has to report the company¡¯s performance to the Aoi family head on a monthly basis.*


    Shuu Ren: *Ugh.. The main branch is still the same isn¡¯t it? A black company..*


    This company has its own dark history. Once run by the head of the Aoi family, the company was a black company that overworked their employees with unpaid overtime and encouraged malicious competition. Fortunately, the business expanded and the company was stripped down of useful staff and assets for the main company. The shell of the previous company was labeled a branch company and designated a president. A daughter of the Aoi family, Aoi Maki. With a young president at the helm, the bad practices stopped overnight and since then the company has slowly recovered to its current state today.


    Shuu Ren: [Waru-san and Chihiro came into the company a few months after President Maki took over, so they never experienced the hell of a black company.]


    Chihiro: "Mu..."


    With nothing left to add, Chihiro pouts. She is familiar with the horrific history of the company as told by Shuu Ren and several ex-employees that has since retired.


    Shuu Ren: *Still, vice president, I hope you can keep President Maki from the Aoi family''s bad habit of overworking employees.*


    Waru: *Soon to be ex-vice president, actually.*


    Shuu Ren: *Eh?! You got removed from your position?*


    Waru: *I¡¯m stepping down voluntarily. I am nearing my retirement age. I can''t sit on a post better suited for younger and more exceptional veterans. But don''t worry. Before I left my position, I''ve trained President Maki''s personal aides to temper her enthusiasm if it gets out of hand.*


    Waru places his hands on the shoulders of Shuu Ren and Chihiro.


    Waru: ¡°I hope you two will keep a look out for greener pastures. There is bound to be a better life beyond here.¡±


    Shuu Ren: ¡°Right..¡±


    Shuu Ren ¡®s thoughts wander towards the new life that is growing in her while Waru chuckles lightly. Unbeknownst to Shuu Ren, Chihiro gives him a begrudging look.


    Shuu Ren: ¡°Ah! Waru-san! Your eye! Your eye!¡±


    Shuu Ren gestures towards Waru¡¯s left eye. The iris that was once blue has been dyed blood red. Waru quickly reacts, rummaging his pockets and taking out an eye drop bottle.


    Waru: ¡°Ah.. A blood vessel popped again. Excuse me.¡±


    Wazu turns around and leaves to tend to his eyes.


    Shuu Ren: ¡°Are you okay? Your eye has been doing this more frequently lately. Have you seen a doctor?¡±


    Waru: ¡°I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m fine. This will clear up by tomorrow. It¡¯s usually like that.¡±


    Despite being an uncommon occurrence, there are many incidents of Waru¡¯s left eye turning red. He explained that it is a condition of his that has become an insignificant part of his life since he was born.


    Chihiro: *tch.*


    -Krssst Ssst-


    Incensed with the situation, Chihiro proceeds to open the box, tearing of the sealing tape in a rough manner. Waru shoos Shuu Ren to help Chihiro unpack the box. As Shuu Ren approaches Chihiro, her demeanor brightens.


    Shuu Ren: "Now, let''s have a look at the anime we are working with. Waru-san, thank you for procuring copies of the source materials."


    Waru returns to the group smiling. His red eye remains the same, though considerably wet from the eye drop medication.


    Waru: "You''re welcome. These are complimentary from the author, but all of these are forbidden to be distributed or leaked. Each senior staff gets one copy of each and two sets of copied are to be shared in each work group for the normal staff."


    Shuu Ren opens the box Waru brought in, revealing books and documents related to the current project. Stacks of books and manuscripts are taken out and arranged on the table.


    Waru: ¡°Jiang-san, sort these ones here. I have to confirm the inventory.¡±


    Waru begins flipping through the list forms. Shuu Ren sorts the materials for the staff groups. Chihiro sees an opportunity and snatches a book from the stack. The light novel titled ''Food Wars In Another World''.


    Chihiro: "Oh~ This is the light novel the anime is based on. Apparently the anime covers the whole of first volume and parts from the second volume will be squeezed in as well.."


    Shuu Ren: "... What is this print out?"


    Shuu Ren holds up a stack of papers held together by staples.


    Waru: "That is the manga version published by a magazine. They have not compiled the chapters into a proper volume yet."


    Shuu Ren: "Hmm... !! Ugh!"


    Shuu Ren flips through the pages and suddenly recoils backwards in disgust and disdain. Holding the printout at arm''s length, she looks angrily at Waru.


    Shuu Ren: "Why is this girl naked?!"


    Waru takes his eyes of his forms and stares at the page she holds up. A curious Chihiro leans in to steal a peek from below. Waru creases his brow and answers.


    Waru: "... I believe that''s fan service."


    Shuu Ren: "Fan service?! For fans?! I understand nudity in movies but this manga puts the girl''s naked body as the centerpiece! Isn''t this a food themed anime?! Since when has anime sunk to this level?!"


    Waru: "Right.. Calm down, Jiang-san. You are clearly upset about this."


    Shuu Ren: "Upset is putting it lightly! Why are we promoting an anime that features girls in such a deplorable way? And this girl.."


    Shuu Ren hold up the offending page in question and stabs the center panel with her finger.


    Shuu Ren: "She is clearly a child!! This should be illegal!"


    Waru: "Uh..."


    Waru puts his forms under his arms and begin rummaging through the manuscripts. Finding the information he is looking for, he sighs in relief and shows the page to her.


    Waru: "Apparently she is a thousand year old dragon with a form of a human, so she''s technically-"


    Shuu Ren: "THAT''S NOT THE POINT!"


    With Waru slowly retreating, Chihiro steps in to diffuse the situation.


    Chihiro: "Manager, please calm down."


    Chihiro grabs Shuu Ren¡¯s wrist and shakes it like a child yearning for a mother¡¯s attention. She then presents a printout showing the details of the anime series.


    Chihiro: "Look, this anime is made for teenagers and adults. Ages seventeen and up. The movies that Manager watches are made for a more general audience, so nudity is scarce and featured on the side. Since anime is a much more niche product, it panders to its demographic to attract more people."


    She gently yanks the manga manuscript from Shuu Ren¡¯s hand while she is distracted.


    Chihiro: "If the anime has a seventeen plus age rating, the studio is going to take every advantage and feature its nude scenes front and center."


    Shuu Ren: ¡°Hmph..¡±


    Waru: "It''s business sense for media entertainment. It is much more different from ours. So please reserve your judgement."


    Seeing how the situation has deescalated, Waru gains confidence and chimes in.


    Waru: "Our job is to only promote agricultural products as Japanese cuisine in the anime. We won''t be working on anything else.¡±


    Shuu Ren: ¡°But how can-¡°


    Shuu Ren is interrupted as she felt Chihiro pat her back. She turns to her subordinate putting on a wide smile and pushing her cheek with her finger to turn the corners of her smile a little bit higher.


    Chihiro: "Don''t mind."


    Shuu Ren gives Chihiro a little pinch on the cheek.


    Shuu Ren: "Hmph. I hate that phrase.."


    She looks at the materials of the anime series. Thinking about the happiness that President Maki displayed during her announcement, she gives a relenting sigh.


    Shuu Ren: "Alright.. I''ll hold back my judgement. Let''s get started on getting familiar with the source material."


    Waru: ¡°Yes.. I suppose everything has to start from reading the light-¡°


    Chihiro: "I''ve already finished reading."


    Both Waru and Shuu Ren turn to Chihiro holding a volume of the light novel. Her cheerful attitude is gone; replaced with a cold blank expression. Chihiro raises the book in her hand.


    -Whump-


    And tosses it into the empty box without care.


    Shuu Ren: ¡°Chihiro?!¡±


    Chihiro: "It''s utter trash. The story is unbearably bad. It''s no surprise that the author is dependant on fan service to gain popularity."


    Shuu Ren: "Chihiro.. That is surprisingly harsh of you. You read the book already?"


    Chihiro nods in response.


    Chihiro: "The romantic aspect is really bad too. The protagonist makes love to his childhood friend after a full course dinner in the few days they went to the other world."


    Now it is Shuu Ren¡¯s turn to don the cold blank expression. Looking at the two, Waru feels suffocated by the heavy mood.


    Waru: "... We-Well, it is fanservice.."


    Chihiro: "It looks like forced romance. The protagonist is seventeen years old while the childhood friend is three years his junior and-"


    Shuu Ren: "What?"


    Shuu Ren''s cold and sharp voice interrupts Chihiro. Waru and Chihiro turns to see Shuu Ren''s blank face turned livid with a vein throbbing on her cheek. She picks up the manuscript and flips through the character sheets.


    Shuu Ren: ¡°Fourteen years is still underage, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    __________________________________

 Prologue | Chapter 22.5 – The Media Machine

    __________________________________


    -Kss hss-


    A Chinese woman flips through her manuscript as she sits behind a news anchor¡¯s desk in a Chinese news set. A makeup artist besides her dabs some blush foundation on her cheeks while cautiously eyeing the countdown timer for the news segment to begin.


    -Thmp Thmp Thmp-


    ¡°Feng Mei!¡±


    Heavy footstep and a loud voice startle the makeup artist. She quickly sidesteps to give way to the approaching producer of the show whose face shows urgency and anxiety. The phone in his hand is on a call bearing an unknown caller.


    Producer: ¡°Feng Mei, there is a last minute edit for the terrorist story.¡±


    Mei: ¡°Oh. What are we changing?¡±


    The woman hands the producer the manuscript. He points at a few lines and strikes out some words.


    Producer: ¡°Here. Here. Here. The city is no longer Lingang New City. They changed it to Nanhui New City. This need to be correct. Don¡¯t mention Lingang. Just Nanhui. Nanhui New City.¡±


    Mei: ¡°Okay. Okay.¡±


    Producer: ¡°Do you need time to adjust? We can push back a few minutes.¡±


    Mei: ¡°No, no. I can do this.¡±


    Producer: ¡°Okay. Okay..¡±


    The producer gestures the makeup artist to continue with her work before leaving. His back then hunches over to a more humble posture as he continues his conversation with his unknown caller.


    __________________________________


    The lights around the set flicker off and the giant spotlights turn on. All of them focus on the news anchor as she holds a bright smile. The news jingle plays and her smile stretches wider as the camera goes live.


    Mei: ¡°Good evening, and welcome to CNB News.¡±


    The live feed switches to stock videos highlighting China¡¯s economy.


    Mei: ¡°Tonight, China has officially ended the economic and travel blockade early this morning after seven days of chaos in the world economy. What has happened and the effect of economic blockade.¡±


    The feed switches to video clips showing the ruins of city block and infrastructure.


    Mei: ¡°The main story tonight. An all-out war in one night in Nanhui New City. A simple police sting operation led to the involvement of the police attack force as well as the Chinese army.


    The feed switches to a video of firefighters struggling putting out fires in a midst of black smoke.


    Mei: ¡°A mobster kingpin, Jesus Ming, is found to support a terrorist group that took over the city. The battle between the forces of justice and the terrorist that destroyed many parts of the city.¡±


    Then again, to another video showing trucks loaded with soldiers driving past.


    Mei: ¡°Property damage of over four hundred million Yuan. All details will be revealed in this news segment.¡±


    The feed returns to the newscaster as she reads the next topic. An image appears next to her showing an old woman with a gentle demeanor.


    Mei: ¡°And lastly, world famous medium Chun Xin Yi has passed away peacefully during early hours yesterday. Supporters from around the world have expressed their grief in her passing. News on all of this coming next.¡±


    A video graphic of the news logo flashes before returning to the newscaster.


    Mei: ¡°After seven days separated from the world, China has removed the economic blockade and reopened its borders to the world. The blockade is a calculated move by the Chinese government, citing the need to respond to the rising number of international incidents that endangered the people of China.¡±


    The feed cuts to a stock footage of veterinarians in cleanroom suits handling chickens in a chicken farm.


    Mei: ¡°The first incident sparked nationwide panic when a shipment of foreign chicken tested positive for a strain of bird flu virus. Following that incident, a slew of infected cases of the bird flu virus was reported from many populated cities including Shenzhen, Chengdu, Suzhou, Hangzhou and Hong Kong.¡±


    A white box is superimposed on the stock footage and bullet points of information appear one by one.


    Mei: ¡°Current confirmed bird flu cases is over three thousand two hundred people. No mortality has been reported so far. Ninety percent of the cases are identified to be foreigners and natives that have recently arrived from foreign countries.¡±


    A transition graphic plays and a muted video footage of a public announcement by a Chinese official starts.


    Mei: ¡°In response to the bird flu outbreak, the Chinese government executed a quick and effective solution in order to prevent more cases of bird flu entering China. All trade and travel in China were suspended last week on Monday, October third. Government official Cheng Huo in a public announcement on Friday, two weeks ago.¡±


    The sound of the video starts as the middle-aged Chinese official begins his speech.


    Huo: ¡°As of nine a.m., Monday, October third, three days from today, China will officially close its border and cease all travel and trade from the outside world. This is an emergency response to stop the invasion of the bird flu virus into our country and allow the government to focus on handling the current bird flu outbreak in our country. It is advise to change any future plans that will be affected by this government action. That is all.¡±


    The sound fades away as the official is swarmed by camera flashes and microphones from reporters. The newscaster who is silent the since the official¡¯s speech chimes in.


    Mei: ¡°Many countries condemn the action, labeling it as ''zealous and overbearing'' and warned that China will risk eroding diplomatic and economic ties to many countries.¡±


    The video transitions away to a black background with pictures of various country leaders and politicians.


    Mei: ¡°Keep in mind that the Chinese government executed the lockdown to protect the health and safety of the Chinese people. The opposing countries have benefited in trading and travel with China and they condemned the action with their own economic interests in mind.¡±Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    The feed transitions to the newscaster, now sporting a bright smile.


    Mei: ¡°Fortunately, the bird flu outbreak was successfully contained and no new infected cases have been reported since the lockdown. Therefore, on the seventh day of the lockdown, the Chinese government declared it lifted. Government official Cheng Huo in a public announcement this morning.¡±


    Another video of the government official plays.


    Huo: ¡°The bird flu outbreak has been successfully contained and proper countermeasures are in place for any bird flu infections coming into the country. The government has already declared end of the travel and trade lockdown early this morning. A public broadcast has been carried out immediately after declaration through all channels of media and communication. Our government are currently conversing with foreign experts in regards to the future.¡±


    Huo steps away from the podium to face a barrage of cameras and microphones from the reporters. The feed then cuts away to the newscaster who is finishes the segment with another statement.


    Mei: ¡°Trading and travel has resumed operation as early as three a.m. this morning. Economic analysts are currently calculating lost revenue caused by the seven-day lockdown.¡±


    She looks down and places her script of the completed segment aside. She takes a deep breath as a graphic showing a burning city block appears next to her.


    Mei: ¡°On Monday night, one of China¡¯s cities under development, Nanhui New City, was transformed into a battlefield as the police and the military join forces to conduct a siege on a hidden base for terrorists.¡±


    The picture of the burning city block is replaced with a mug shot of a man in his thirties. The man has a round faced, mean look and sports a greyish blue prison uniform.


    Mei: ¡°Around two months ago, mob boss, Ming Chun, also known as Jesus Ming, has been successfully convicted and will face life in prison for many charges, including murder, blackmail, and organized crime. However, further investigation into Ming''s assets have revealed a shocking development.¡±


    A video plays, showing the police team proudly standing in a storm of camera flashes. Laid out on tables before them are large piles of money and smuggled drugs as well as various weapons and firearms arranged neatly arranged in the front.


    Mei: ¡°Ming''s monetary assets were found to fund a terrorist group based in Nanhui New City. The identity of the terrorist group has been withheld at this time due to security concerns. Lin Da Shared Holdings, the company that constructed the city under a contract by the Chinese government, has no affiliation with the terrorist group. The terrorist group hid inside the city illegally and conducted their crimes in secret.¡±


    A graphic shows a map of Nanhui New City as well as markers showing locations of extensive building damage. A video plays in a smaller display window. It shows footage taken from a phone of a civilian. Five soldiers sitting on top of a tank as it drives past, leaving the city.


    Mei: ¡°Due to the large number of terrorists hiding in the city, Special Forces and the Chinese military have worked together in a giant sting operation to take down the terrorist. The amount of firepower they brought is astounding and it shows how serious the Chinese military and police are in taking down these terrorists. News reports have confirmed that high-powered equipment like machine guns, armored trucks, and even tanks are deployed in the operation.¡±


    Then, it cuts to more civilian footage, now showing the city at night with audible distant gunshots and explosions.


    Mei: ¡°During the operation, they engaged the terrorists, starting the battle that tears through the entire city. During the battle the terrorists have deployed many evil attacks against them.¡±


    A more clearer albeit shaky footage plays, showing the cameraman running to film a police officer screaming and thrashing as he is being carried into an ambulance.


    Mei: ¡°The officers that were raiding the building were suddenly assaulted by what they described as angry spirits. Further investigation after the operation revealed that over eighty officers were afflicted with vivid hallucinations and incapacitated during the operations.¡±


    The video switch to another shaky camera footage. A scene in the hospital where several officers are lying on the beds with IV drips.


    Mei: ¡°An investigation after the operation revealed that the terrorist have released a hallucinogenic gas. Chemical analysis show that the gas is in fact the illegal drug LSD that is likely destined to be s old at the illegal drug market. The officers affected suffered mental trauma from the hallucination and is expected to recover after some rehabilitation and counseling.¡±


    A large ruined building is shown. The building looks to be a large, multi-storied complex but it has turn into a melted frame charred black.


    Mei: ¡°Ming is also involved in various illegal operations, some of which handles volatile and flammable chemicals. The dangerous chemicals were stored in a building complex. When the joint forces raided the building, the terrorists ignited the chemicals to destroy the incriminating evidence. The explosion caused a fire that burned the entire building down. The fire is so intense that the light that it gives off can be seen for kilometers. Witness reports from nearby areas state that the light shone a brightly as the sun.¡±


    More civilian footage is shown. Nanhui New City is seen in the distance and a large flare can be seen licking the top of buildings. It then switches to footage taken from a helicopter circling the burning building. It zooms in to focus on the streams of molten concrete pooling into the exposed basement.


    Mei: ¡°The building is supposed to be a new shopping complex. The fire completely destroyed it. Reporters that flew in helicopters testified that the concrete has melted into molten lava. The area is evacuated as a precaution in the case that toxic chemicals may be found or another fire can start from any remaining flammable chemicals.¡±


    The video ends with a transition graphic and switches back to the newscaster.


    Mei: ¡°The fight carried on for an hour and ended with the joint forces emerging victorious. The terrorist group suffered heavy casualties and those who surrendered were taken into custody. General Zhang Xu Hung has made a public announcement on behalf of the joint forces¡±


    Another transition graphic plays and reveals the Chinese general, an elderly man standing at the podium.


    Xu Hung: ¡°China is grateful and proud of the achievement of these brave men in defeating the terrorists. While we celebrate this victory, we must always be vigilant and watchful of our surroundings. China is a great country and its strength will always be challenged by enemies everywhere. Praise the People¡¯s Republic of China.¡±


    Mei: ¡°However, the damage the terrorists did to the city is unforgivable. Lin Da Shared Holdings has publicly announced that they city has suffered over four hundred million Yuan. Head CEO of Lin Da Shared Holdings Lin Chen Yi.¡±


    The video transitions to another elderly man wearing an expensive suit. He stands next to a wall bearing a large logo of the Lin Da Shared Holdings company.


    Chen Yi: ¡°We deeply regret that the city that we built for the country has been defiled by immoral and dangerous terrorists. We applaud the Chinese police and military for carrying out swift justice on the terrorists. It is sad that the city has suffered greatly at the hands of these terrorists. However, we are glad our country is safe from them and are committed to rebuild Nanhui New City once more.¡±


    The video ends and cuts back to Mei, who closes the segment with the last statement from her script.


    Mei: ¡°As for Ming Chun, the Chinese government will be preparing a list of new crimes he has committed by supporting the terrorist group. Special intelligence will be utilized to find and arrest all of Ming¡¯s associates and supporters of the terrorists. Ming Chun will stand trial on a date that will be decided by the end of the year.¡±


    Having done with the segment, the newscaster quickly puts her used script aside and picks up another from under her desk. With a few seconds of dead air, she starts the next news segment with an image of the old woman superimposed next to her.


    Mei: ¡°Our last story for the evening, world famous medium Chun Xin Yi has passed away at two thirty five this morning. She was eighty-seven years old. Her son and daughter had posted on social media, calling for peace and respect during their time of mourning.¡±


    The feed transitions to a white background and a paragraph in quotes emerges.


    Mei: ¡°The post read as follows: ¡®We are thankful for all the thoughts and prayers in the memory of our great mother. She has blessed a lot of people from all over the world and has become a savior to many. Our mother left this world peacefully and in the company of all her friends and family. We would ask everyone, supporter or not, to be kind and respectful during our time of mourning.¡¯¡±


    The feed transitions again to show various clips of Chun Xin Yi giving speeches, consoling grief stricken mourners and paying respects to temples and churches.


    Mei: ¡°Chun Xin Yi made her debut as a medium over fifty years ago. Her feats as a medium is said to be supernatural and true. She became world famous and had garnered supporters from all over the world. Since her passing, many people, ranging from celebrities to politicians have aired their condolences. As of now, tributes to her legacy are still coming in, earning worldwide attention.¡±


    The video finally transitions to the medium Chun Xin Yi happily waving at the crowd of supporters before her.


    Mei: ¡°Chun Xin Yi is survived by her sister, her son and her daughter, as well as seven grandchildren and two great grandchildren.¡±


    Mei: ¡°This concludes this evening news. Stay tuned for our sponsors and our next segment where experts in finance analyze the economy''s outlook as it emerge from China''s seven day lockdown. This is Feng Mei from CNB News.¡±


    The news jingle and studio logo flashes across the screen, ending the news program.


    __________________________________

 Hiatus Notice.

    Alright. I need to address this. This is going nowhere and it has become a vicious self-hating purgatory. So let¡¯s address this problem. Yes, I have not released any R.A.M. chapters for a long while. ¡®Long¡¯ is describing it lightly. To those who enjoyed reading the series, if there is any who would tolerate such atrocious release schedules, thank you so much. I am sorry for this disappointing performance. I truly want to continue this series, which is why this has dragged on for so long.


    If you are looking for an explanation for this shitty schedule, to put it simply, it is an issue about time and the story itself. Think of it as a perfect storm of situations that create this creative purgatory I¡¯ve become a resident to. To explain a bit further, I have various chores, jobs and obligations that take up my daily life. These are evenly spread throughout the day with small pockets of free time in between. Factoring in the travel time and work time, some of these take a few hours and the free times always amounts to an hour or two. With these pockets of one or two hours throughout the day, there should be plenty of time to write a story, right? Not exactly. Some of these jobs are tiring and require roughly a half hour of rest. If I am not resting, that half hour would be put into getting ready for the next job. Now have this ridiculous schedule every single day. You can see that there doesn''t seem to be any time for some thinking and writing.Perfect storm, amirite?


    Then there¡¯s the matter of R.A.M. itself. It is a pretty ambitious story. Thus, I have to spend some time getting into the right mindset to begin writing. And if you pay attention to the chapters, you can see where my writing turns into horrendous patchwork. Character consistency, plot consistency, everything consistency. I try to juggle these to avoid any plot holes or gaps in character in the story. However, I have a nasty habit of writing myself into a corner and struggling to get out of it takes a lot of time and thinking. Pretty impossible with the daily schedule I have. Still, I persisted. I have planned great setups for future chapters but it won''t matter if I''m stuck in a chapter that precedes it. I wanted to keep going but life ain''t budging at all. And this is why this dragged on and on as it did.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    But I¡¯ve come to the decision. Enough is enough. I¡¯m putting R.A.M. on hiatus. Trying to squeeze out chapters in my situation will just destroy the quality of the story. From chapter 10 onwards, the chapter feels less like a story and more like a campfire story told by someone struggling to remember the details. It feels depressing to accept it, but if I keep going, this purgatory will continue and the story will deteriorate even more. When times become less hectic and I find the time and motivation, I will continue this story. So what is the plan now? For now, I¡¯ll try to retrain my writing and releasing short stories that are more manageable. No guarantee if the release schedule will be improved though.


    So that¡¯s it. If you are a reader, I apologize for this pathetic performance. R.A.M. will return but when is a difficult question. Thank you for reading. I sincerely hope you will come around again when R.A.M. returns.