Saymon cleared his throat and looked at Kiara.
But I needed to understand this better! Especially now, when… "W-what does that mean? Y-you… Pavel was…?" The memory struck hard.
One of his androids? Why had Maia asked for that? I grew dizzy. And Orion? She… Pavel… Orion… The pieces began to spin. Maia had asked for this. Maia had foreseen this. Maia…
Saymon touched my head as though I were a child. "Yeah. It's what you're thinking."
My heart pounded. One piece. I had fitted a single piece into a gigantic puzzle. Finally, something made sense. Had he been hired in October 2878? Why? Had she been the one to ask…? My eyes burned, and I fought back tears. Saymon left me amid that turmoil and walked toward Kiara.
"So?" She uncrossed her arms.
Saymon approached and whispered something in her ear as he took the MetaCore.
Kiara clenched her fists. Tension coursed through her body like electricity, twisting her face with rage. Her violet eyes burned like glowing embers. "You bastard!" she roared.
Saymon gave an ironic smile and stepped away as a precaution. One slap had been enough that night, and an attack from Kiara seemed like something he preferred to avoid.
She grabbed his coat, bringing their faces close, but he remained impassive. "You goddamn bastard!"
What was she talking about? I was so stunned I had forgotten why we were there. Stunned and happy, especially after hearing about Maia.
"Y'know, we could kill…" Saymon murmured.
I couldn't catch the rest. What were they talking about?
Kiara released him. She drew all the loose tethers of her rage taut and set them in order. The time to unleash it would come later. "Let's go, Akiko." She handed me the mask. "We're done here."
I frowned, confused. What had I missed while thinking about Maia? Had Saymon named the person behind the contract? Why was Kiara acting like that? It felt as though a bomb had struck the room, throwing everything into disarray.
I searched Saymon for an answer. As he examined the MetaCore closely, his expression fascinated me. There was more in his face than the pleasure of getting what he wanted. A rebellious air harbored an insurgency that unsettled me.
The cylinder's contents intrigued me. I parted my lips to speak…
BOOOOOM! A blast silenced me. Screams upon screams rose in unison. My pulse raced, adrenaline put me on alert, and my hair stood on end.
Kiara grabbed my wrist, and we ran outside. Saymon followed close behind. As we crossed the doorway, I covered my mouth, trying to hold back bile.
The A.T.F. flew over Netheria. "SURRENDER IMMEDIATELY!"
WHIRRR! They launched nanominibombs equipped with nanobarriers, destroying stalls. Bodies piled up in the streets while robotic and human remains floated in a red sea claiming the muddy ground.
"FUCK YOU, ZENITHIAN BASTARDS!" The mercenaries fought back.
ZZZZT! ZZZZT! ZZZZT! They exchanged gunfire. KRA-KOOM! Bombs struck the aerial artillery and military androids.
Kiara kept pulling me, and I ignored my ankle gasping in pain.
FWOOOSH! BOOOOOM! BOOOOM! The explosions deafened me. My heart throbbed in my ears, and my vision blurred before the pandemonium. "K-Kiara…"
BOOOOM! BOOOOM! BOOOOM! The explosions drowned out every other sound.
Kiara took shortcuts through Tentro's alleyways until we managed to escape the darkness.
I ran, looking only ahead.