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Night had finally embraced the ruins. The temporary lights from the Sif towers cast amber tones upon the rubble. Amid the medical tents, the low conversations of soldiers, and the scent of dust mixed with coffee and antiseptic… there was silence in Tekio's heart.
He lay on his back, covered to his shoulders with a light cloak. His face was still smudged with soot, his distant gaze fixed on the tent's fabric. His body pleaded for rest. But his spirit…
His spirit was elsewhere.
When he finally slept, the dreams came.
But they were not quite dreams.
It was her.
Yara.
The soul who had accompanied him from the start, the warrior of thunder, the forgotten sister of the ancient war.
She walked across a bridge of light surrounded by black clouds, and even in her peace, there was a shadow in her eyes.
— You did well — her voice was a soft echo. — I saw everything, Tekio. I saw the star burn the abyss, I saw you hold onto your light even in the darkness. You went beyond… further than any incarnation that has ever carried a soul like mine.
Tekio did not know how to respond. He merely breathed the rarefied air of that ethereal place.
— But you are… worried — he said at last.
Yara hesitated.
— Amara…
The name fell like a rock into a calm lake.
— She is still alive — Yara said. — But what remains within her… may no longer be my sister. And you will need to find her. Before she finds you.
Tekio woke up gasping.
The distant sound of helicopters, drones, and the voices of medics returned. He sat up on the thin mattress, his breath short, his gaze confused.
But he did not hesitate.
He ran through the makeshift base, his shirt still unbuttoned, crossing canvases and tents until he found Mei, sitting near the command tower, speaking with Fenra about evacuation protocols.
— Mei! — he called, and his tone made Mei look at him almost instantly.
— What is it, Tekio?
— I need to know… have any of the soldiers found a woman's body? White hair, blue eyes, very pale skin… Perhaps alive. Perhaps unconscious. Anything?
Mei furrowed her brow. She exchanged a brief look with Fenra before answering.
— Not that I know of. No report has mentioned it. I've requested constant updates since the fight ended.
Fenra, her arms crossed, added:
— I am supervising the field reconnaissance myself. No woman matching that description has been registered. Only bodies… and survivors. I am sorry.
Tekio fell silent. The disappointment was visible, but it was not desperate. It was determined.
— She is alive — he said, almost as if he were not speaking to them, but to himself. — I feel her energy. Like an echo… like a thread calling. She is alive, Mei. I know it.
Mei did not mock his intuition. She merely placed a hand on his shoulder and nodded.
— Then we will find her, Tekio. When you are ready… we will search.
He took a deep breath.
He knew his rest was ending.
But he also knew that now… the next step was inevitable.
And among all the scars the war had left, perhaps the deepest one was about to awaken.
The day broke with a pale sun, as if the sky, too, were recovering from the battle.
A light wind blew over the rubble, carrying the scent of concrete, burnt earth, and something new—something fresher. It was the smell of life returning, even amidst the ruin.
The tents were now organized. Children were receiving care, adults were being given clean clothes and hot food. The central field had been transformed into a common area. Circles of soldiers, medics, and survivors gathered as if desperately seeking normality in conversation.
Mei Nuhay walked calmly, a new light coat covering her shoulders. She had slept for six hours, enough to seem less a warrior and more a person. With her were Tekio and Fenra, who also participated in the vigilance routines, but were now relaxing, albeit with attention to their surroundings.
— Any updates? — asked Mei, having her second breakfast. Literally.
Fenra walked beside her, typing on a digital clipboard.
— Most survivors have been cataloged. Those needing evacuation are already being transported by helicopter. There is still much to do, but we are… alive.
— What else?
— They are detecting a significant alteration in the city's energy topography — said Fenra, without looking up. — A fissure. Circular. Surrounding ground zero of the explosion. No one knows what caused it.
Mei stopped.
— A fissure?
Tekio also turned his head, attentive.
— A ring is forming around the city — Fenra continued. — Concentrated dark energy. And the center of this formation…
She swiped the screen and turned it to show Mei.
At the center… the Tree of Life.
Or, rather, what was once the Tree of Life.
Now, the trunk glowed in hues of purple and grey. The branches, once golden, were dull, and what was once a source of curative and spiritual energy seemed… to be absorbing something that did not belong to this world.
— It is siphoning residual abyssal energy — Fenra said, finally. — It is as if it is corrupting its own roots. Scholars believe this energy inversion could expand.
— What does that mean? — Tekio asked.
— That this city… may cease to be part of the real world — Fenra replied. — It is becoming a floating point of convergence. A kind of bridge… or prison.
— And which is it?
— We do not know yet.
Global Meeting - Provisional Tactical Room
Several holograms were active. World leaders, scientists, military commanders. Danteus was present, silent for the most part, listening to every report.
— Lord Danteus — began one of the specialists — the area around the city is unstable. The fissure is expanding slowly, but soon, it may lift the entire region from the ground.
— Lift? — repeated a European commander.
— Literally. We are analyzing signs of mass levitation. As if something beneath the city is preparing to rupture the earth's crust.
— What is beneath the city?
— Nothing. But… perhaps there does not need to be. The Tree is the axis now. And it is being fed by the energy left by Dante.
— Evacuate the city — decreed a voice in the room.
— Immediately — agreed another.
— We will leave only the essential personnel — Danteus said at last. — But Mei… must be informed. She needs to see this for herself.
In the Streets of the Crater
Mei observed the horizon alongside Fenra and Tekio. In the distance, the circular fissure was visible: a thin, black line in the earth, but constant. As if the city were drawing a scar with its own entrails.
— This isn't going to stop, is it? — said Tekio.
— No — Mei replied. — But until now, the world has only shown reactions when something wanted to be born.
Tekio, Mei, and Fenra were crouched near the immense fissure that advanced like a scar upon the earth. The heavy air and the sunlight filtered through the soot created a tense atmosphere; their eyes examined every crack, every ripple.
— Look at this fissure — Fenra commented, frowning. — It's widening fast. This is not natural.
Mei looked up, concern marked on the lines of her face.
— And the Tree of Life at the center, absorbing negative energy? This cannot end well.
Tekio ran his fingers over his chin, clearly thinking of a solution, his eyes blinking as he tracked the vibrations he felt emanating from the ground.
Suddenly, quick footsteps and nearby voices broke the tension. Dan and Stella appeared behind them, lanterns in hand, covered in dust, their looks tired but relieved to see the three.
— Hey! You guys are here? — Dan called, a tired smile spreading across his face.
Mei stood up, brushing dust from her clothes.
— Dan, Stella! What luck to find you.
Stella approached, looking at the fissure with a worried expression.
— Were you analyzing that? — she pointed to the ground.
Fenra made a wide gesture toward the crack.
— Yes. The fissure is expanding around the city, creating an almost perfect circle. It looks like a seal, but it's cracking. And the tree in the middle is absorbing negative energy… something that could become a disaster.
Dan frowned.
— Does that mean we have to evacuate? Move the entire city away?
Mei nodded.
— Exactly. The experts have already communicated with global leaders. Only authorized personnel are to remain in the area. And even then, with great care.
Tekio looked at Dan and Stella, smiling.
— So, how did your reconnaissance go? Find many people?
Stella gave a slight smile.
— We managed to find some survivors and a lot of destruction. But the priority is keeping everyone safe now.
Mei gave a warm smile, the first time in days she seemed relaxed.
— It's been a while since I've seen you two together. You seem much closer.
Tekio looked at them with curiosity.
— Have you confessed your feelings to each other yet? — he asked, somewhat confused.
Dan and Stella exchanged glances, both their faces blushing slightly.
Fenra chuckled softly.
— Judging by your embarrassed faces, I'd say yes.
Tekio gave a mischievous smile and suddenly gave Dan a light punch on the shoulder.
— I'm happy for you, man. Finally figuring it out, huh?
Stella furrowed her brow, surprised.
— Wait, you knew about this?
Tekio shrugged, smiling.
— I've been helping Dan understand this for a while. You know how he is… a bit lost with feelings. I just helped him understand his own.
Stella laughed, shaking her head.
— So you're the official love coach? I didn't think that existed in our line of work.
The three of them broke into laughter, the sound echoing through the ruins.
Mei and Fenra, watching from a short distance, exchanged a smile. It was good to see that, even after everything, these bonds still existed—and that their three "students" were finding strength and joy in each other's company.
Mei murmured to Fenra:
— I never imagined it would feel so good to see them like this… together.
Fenra responded with a gentle smile.
— It is the light that still shines in this world. Even in the shadows.
(...)
Meanwhile, not far away, Akira and Aisha walked together through the rubble, their serious expressions contrasting with the main group's light mood.
Akira took a deep breath and looked toward the horizon.
— Something is wrong, Aisha. I've felt it since we returned.
Aisha frowned, worried.
— What do you feel?
— A very strong premonition, something dark approaching. It's not just the fissure or the negative energy. It's… different.
Aisha clenched her fist, trying to contain her anxiety.
— We need to be prepared. I know Mei wanted rest, but I don't think this peace will last long.
Akira nodded, looking at the shadows between the ruined buildings.
— We won't let evil win again. Whatever it is, we'll face it together.
They continued walking, ready for whatever was to come, as the fissure grew in silence, and the sky carried the promise of a storm.
To be continued...