Recap
Laspa got his hand on the malkietor, Amanda arrives at maladiaville and the town people are beginning to remember something.
Sam slowly shook her head as the reality of everything finally settled in.
Laspa had the Malkietor.
The mission had completely collapsed.
Behind her, Sandra paced restlessly across the ruined underground chamber, her voice sharp with panic hidden beneath logic.
"Do you even understand the implications of this?!"
She pointed toward the direction Laspa had escaped.
"That thing was destabilizing an entire town while incomplete. If Laspa fully controls it now…"
Sandra stopped mid-sentence.
Even she didn't want to finish that thought aloud.
Gabriel stood nearby, unusually silent.
For the first time since they met him, he genuinely looked afraid.
Not nervous.
Afraid.
"That man…" Gabriel muttered quietly. "Nobody should fight like that."
His hands tightened slightly.
"He took the device right in front of us like we were nothing."
Sarah looked away bitterly.
Sam remained silent.
Above them, the faint tremors that had haunted the town for days had finally stopped.
But somehow…
that silence felt worse.
Outside the ruined Brooks residence, the atmosphere in Maladiaville had completely changed.
People wandered through the streets slowly, touching their heads in confusion as fragmented memories returned to them like broken puzzle pieces forcing themselves back together.
Faces turned toward the old Brooks house.
One by one, residents gathered outside the ruins.
Then they saw them.
The three sisters standing there.
Whispers spread immediately.
"They look exactly like him…"
"Alex Brooks…"
But strangely, nobody approached at first.
The entire neighborhood stood frozen like people carrying invisible guilt.
Until finally, an elderly woman slowly stepped forward.
Her hands trembled.
Her eyes locked onto Sam.
"…Are you…"
Sam looked at her carefully before answering quietly.
"We're Alex Brooks' daughters."
The old woman suddenly broke into tears.
A painful sound escaped her throat as she covered her mouth.
"I knew it…" she cried. "I knew your father couldn't have done those terrible things…"
The sisters froze.
The crowd lowered their heads in shame.
The woman continued emotionally:
"We all believed the lies… but later we discovered the truth."
Sam's expression hardened slightly.
"…What truth?"
The old woman inhaled shakily.
And suddenly—
FLASHBACK.
Years ago.
After the Brooks family disappeared from Maladiaville, strange rumors began spreading through town.
People whispered that Alex Brooks had murdered innocent citizens.
That he had become dangerous.
Unstable.
But weeks later…
evidence slowly began appearing.
The killings had continued even after Alex vanished.
And eventually the horrifying truth surfaced.
The real killer had been someone nobody expected.
The sheriff.
The very man trusted to protect the town.
The crowd in the flashback looked terrified as the sheriff was exposed.
But that wasn't the end.
Soon afterward…
people in black suits began appearing around town.
Watching.
Observing.
Especially near the Brooks residence.
And near one particular warehouse hidden near the outskirts of town.
Back to present.
Amanda slowly approached from behind the crowd, staring at the sisters in shock.
So these were the Brooks sisters.
Sarah spotted her first.
Her expression darkened instantly.
"What are YOU doing here?!"
Sam immediately turned toward Amanda, fury flashing across her face.
For a second, it genuinely looked like she was about to attack her.
Amanda stepped back quickly.
"Wait! Laspa already fired me!"
Nobody responded.
Amanda swallowed nervously.
"I only came because I saw his car leaving town."
The crowd looked between them in confusion.
Only Sandra, Sarah, and Gabriel fully understood the tension in the air.
Sam's eyes narrowed suspiciously before she turned back toward the old woman.
"…What happened next?"
But deep down…
she already knew the answer.
The old woman looked around the damaged town sadly.
"That was when the strange things started."
"The earthquakes…"
"The memory loss…"
"People forgetting things…"
Her voice trembled.
"And eventually… this town became what it is now."
Silence fell heavily over everyone.
Then Sam slowly turned toward Amanda.
Her eyes cold.
"Look around you."
Amanda frowned slightly.
Sam stepped closer.
"You should've known this would happen."
Amanda looked genuinely confused.
Then Sam said the words quietly.
"Laspa has the Malkietor."
Amanda's expression immediately changed.
For the first time…
fear visibly appeared on her face.
Sam continued:
"That's what he was after all along."
Amanda lowered her gaze slightly.
Then quietly admitted:
"I thought he only wanted control of the ISS…"
Sandra folded her arms carefully.
"Clearly not."
Amanda looked back at them.
"Laspa's connections spread far beyond the ISS years ago."
Everyone went silent.
Amanda continued slowly:
"Underground crime organizations…"
"Weapon traffickers…"
"Information networks…"
"Politicians…"
Gabriel stared at her.
Even Sandra looked surprised.
Amanda's voice lowered.
"Laspa is basically the king of the underground crime world."
Sarah blinked.
"…What?"
Amanda nodded bitterly.
"That's why I worked with him."
Sam's eyes darkened.
Amanda quickly added:
"Not because I trusted him."
"Because people like him don't lose."
She looked toward the ruined town.
"Even my father's influence means nothing compared to his."
Sandra exhaled slowly before muttering:
"…Smart."
Then after a pause:
"…And deviously scary."
Amanda gave a weak smile.
One completely lacking arrogance this time.
Sam immediately spoke.
"Do you know where he went?"
Amanda hesitated briefly.
Then nodded.
"I know one of Laspa's encrypted routes."
Sandra instantly looked alarmed.
"Encrypted routes?"
Amanda nodded again.
"Hidden access systems underneath the ISS building."
Sam immediately stepped forward.
"Then I'm going after him."
Both Sandra and Sarah reacted instantly.
"Absolutely not."
Sandra stepped in front of her.
"Sam, we still don't fully understand what the Malkietor even is!"
Sarah nodded angrily.
"Laspa nearly killed us back there!"
But Sam's expression remained firm.
Amanda suddenly spoke again.
"I'm going too."
Everyone turned toward her.
Sam narrowed her eyes.
"…Why?"
Amanda's face hardened slightly.
For once…
completely serious.
"Because I finally realized something."
Silence.
Amanda continued quietly:
"Laspa never wanted the ISS."
Her voice trembled slightly.
"He wants governments on their knees."
Everyone froze.
Amanda looked directly at Sam.
"And with the Malkietor…"
"…he might actually do it."
Sandra slowly crossed her arms again.
Then calmly asked the question nobody else wanted to ask.
"…So how exactly are we sneaking into Laspa's encrypted routes?"