Smoke rises over the sea as black snow falls over the world.
The pale moon highlights the ruination of a small fleet of ships; each mighty vessel was torn apart, low groans resound over the sea as they sink, and the violent stench of iron and gunpowder wafts in the air.
Twilight bled as night took reign over the world, closing the curtains on the site of devastation and embroidering the waves with the pale glow of a waning moon.
...
There was a crescent-shaped island, dozens of kilometres from the mainland.
A long stretch of water parted the island; the water shone faintly, undulating as the waves licked the shores of sand and rock.
There was a collapsed bridge that had once connected the two banks of the waterway.
One of the banks led into a path that stretched into the distance—what remained of a path, at least.
On the other bank was a large town.
The buildings were dull, the architecture outdated, and their colours timeworn; the most prominent of which was the tiled roof's terracota brown, but hints of red and blue tapestries could still be seen along the walls.
Soft gales rouse the nighttime fog, but the atmosphere was otherwise silent. It wasn't till another sound intruded upon the lazy ambience that it was granted some hint of life.
Ripples spread out from a trail of splashing.
There was a male figure dressed in black. He swam roughly, backstroking, clutching another figure that clung onto his chest.
As soon as he reached a pier, his hand shot up for the solid ground. The wood creaked as he hauled himself and the woman up, tumbling over onto the surface.
The man showed no hesitation in sitting up, but the woman broke down into a coughing fit,
"Are you alright, Overseer Ruth?" The male figure asked tentatively, wearily glancing around as he shifted nearer to her.
After coughing out another mouthful of water, mixed with flicks of red and bile, the female figure, Ruth, calmed her breathing, eventually reassuring the other with a simple,
"I'm fine."
She had a hand pressed against an open wound in her torso, a hole was punched through her white uniform; a dark red stain was left in its wake. The bleeding was roughly stemmed by a torn piece of black fabric, stuffed into the wound, though it was now completely soaked in seawater.
"We need to find... some place to rest, now," Ruth exhaled, though her tone was surprisingly calm. She pushed the wet locks of red hair out of her face and rose.
The male figure lent an arm, helping her to stand,
"Where do we even go...?"
"Seek refuge in one of the buildings, salvage what we can... Food and water are off the table, but clothing and medicine may remain."
Ruth grabbed something from within her white coat, muttering something as she looked at the dim screen of a handheld device.
"Can you get in contact with any of our teammates?"
"Not right now. When we find a place to rest, I'll contact the mainland first, teammates second..." Ruth calmly stated, then staggered forward with a stifled grunt, "No matter, let's go. I can barely feel any heat in my body..."
Leading them forward, the male figure glanced over his shoulder, down the waterway they had emerged from, and towards the sea he pulled them from.
A plume of smoke rose, outstretched to the sky, billowing in the wind.
"Eyes forward... Captain Rene." Ruth nudged him back in line, "Our livelihoods come first. Divert your attention and... there will be no contacting anyone."
With a mental sigh, the male figure, Rene, returned his attention to their current predicament.
"Understood, Overseer..."
...
They hastily made their way through moonlit streets.
The two of them sought refuge in a modest building, a one-story home.
Rene poked inside first, and after a while, he appeared in the front door again, announcing,
"It's clear."
Ruth stumbled inside and collapsed onto the couch in the living room, a rather uncomfortable piece of furniture.
"Grab me something to cover myself with, first. Then, check the kitchen area, bathroom, and closets for anything useful." She instructed through laboured breaths.
Rene nodded, leaving hastily to search for medical supplies or, at the very least, anything useful.
While waiting, Ruth stripped off her soaked clothing, the darkened white uniform thrown to the wayside, as she tended to her wound.
"Overseer..."
A blanket was draped over her shoulders, wrapping around her pale body. The matted and worn material was hardly a comfort, but the semblance of warmth soothed her cold skin.
"I also need something to replace this fabric." She gestured to the ocean water-soaked material that was meant to stem her bleeding, and once again sent Rene away.
The Comm. Device, which Ruth had set aside, was still and lifeless.
Picking it up again, she fiddled with the buttons. For a moment, there was no response, but a bout of static crackled in the air.
"H-...o? Id-..tify-." A faint voice sputtered through the speaker.
Ruth held the Comm. Device up, bringing it to her mouth, pausing before reciting,
"Overseer Ruth. Cleaner Unit Designation: Rene. Reporting from the Eastern Coast of Willow Island..." She exhaled, stilling her voice before continuing her report,
"I am accompanied by Captain Rene, and am currently taking refuge within the eastern town, Anapauo. Fleet, 'A New Tomorrow' was infiltrated and destroyed from within by an unidentified party. Likely suspects..."
She sighed, shaking her head,
"Regardless of who, take caution. Our fleet lies completely in ruin; other survivors... possible, but contact has not been established. The status of the other Overseers and Captains remains unknown. The status of the other Cleaners of the unit... also unknown."
Ruth paused again, catching her breath. She contemplated for an awkward moment, silently, before straightening herself as the static sparked once again, trying to reply.
"Und-..stood. Ini-...te... pr-...col."
"..." Ruth held two particular buttons on the side of the Comm. Device, "Understood... Initiating Seclusion Protocol."
After a minute, the device's lights dimmed—both the voice and the static cut off. Ruth placed the Comm. Device aside again and sighed.
"We're on our own, huh." Rene stepped back into view.
"Seclusion Protocol only prevents contact with Carpediem. They'll likely send a second fleet, soon... So, we aren't completely on our own." Ruth explained, adjusting her posture to reduce the pain in her stomach, "Did you find anything?"
"Not much..." Rene held up a piece of cloth in one hand.
Despite its presence within an old building, it retained a pure white texture, as if untouched by time and mould.
In his other hand was a small container of medicines, which he handed to Ruth.
She scrutinised the contents within, eventually letting out, "These will do..."
...