Only order. And silence.
On Elya's side, in an abandoned building of the former government, she had just violently bumped into someone.
Elya stumbled slightly as she collided with the figure. Her heart skipped a beat. She jumped back, breath short, ready to flee.
"Leaving so soon, princess?" said a female voice, tinged with irony.
Elya widened her eyes.
"You?"
The girl stared at her with unsettling calm, a half-smile on her lips. Her dark hair framed a fine face, marked with a strange serenity. She wore a black suit, simple but elegant — far from the academy's school uniform.
"Naël," the girl added. "We met at the academy."
"I remember you... But who are you really? And how did you find me?" asked Elya, wary, muscles tense.
"Ah... I should've told you at the end of our first meeting that we'd see each other again. I followed you. Since the convoy attack."
A tense silence fell. Then Elya frowned.
"You work for them? The NEW ORDER?"
Naël slowly raised her hands in a peaceful gesture.
"I work for no one. But I know you. I knew you'd try to run, sooner or later."
"You were spying on me?"
"I was observing you. It's not the same. And I was right, wasn't I?"
Elya stepped back again. Part of her wanted to trust her. But in this world, loyalty had a bitter taste.
"Why are you here, then? Why now?"
Naël stepped closer, her voice suddenly deeper, almost intimate.
"Because you're more important than you think. And they know it. If you leave now, you'll never know the truth. About yourself. About them. About what you can do."
"I don't want riddles. I want answers!"
"Then follow me."
A long corridor appeared in the shadows. Elya hesitated. Then, guided by something indefinable — instinct, or maybe that inner voice she'd always been taught to ignore — she followed.
---
Meanwhile, at the academy, in a secluded corner isolated from any official access, a still figure stood facing a bluish halo.
A hologram pulsed gently, projected in front of a familiar silhouette: Aedan.
He stood upright, expression impassive. But his eyes wavered slightly.
"You're late," said a deep, calm voice, almost too controlled.
The image of the NEW ORDER's Director appeared in the holographic field. His mere presence chilled the air.
"The Reminiscent are advancing faster than anticipated. And that girl... she's a living threat."
"I was watching her," Aedan replied in a mechanical tone. "She was spotted at the entrance of an old complex. Her EMOTRACK sensor emitted a final signal, which we briefly picked up before she disappeared again."
"You were supposed to contain her, Aedan. Not let her escape. You know what she represents."
Aedan clenched his teeth. His gaze remained neutral, but his jaw tightened.
"Everything was going fine... until you decided to send patrols to arrest her. And she doesn't know anything. I still have a chance to approach her without the Reminiscent suspecting anything. I just need more time."
The Director tilted his head slightly.
"Perhaps you've forgotten who you work for."
A long, cutting silence.
"I was designed to obey," Aedan whispered. "I forget nothing."
"Good. Because the Vectra unit was reactivated this morning. We need test subjects... and results. If Elya falls into their hands, she won't come out."
"The Vectra unit?! They're still operational?" asked Aedan, surprised. "And if Elya doesn't surrender?"
The Director smiled coldly.
"Then she will die. Like the others."
The hologram abruptly shut off, leaving only an electric void and Aedan's trembling reflection on the black glass. Just one phrase.
"Sorry, Elya," he said, head bowed.
Further away, toward Zone 9, somewhere north of the city.
A dry wind swept over the charred ruins. The air reeked of death, rust, and the remains of forgotten experiments.
Denivela advanced cautiously, accompanied by a small squad of Reminiscent. Her steps were calm, assured, even in this chaos.
"Jack, you stay here," she said, turning to one of the younger ones. "You keep watch. If you see a NEW ORDER convoy… activate the beepers immediately."
"Yes, captain," Jack replied, nodding.
Beside her, Alpha — tall, robust, his face marked by war — watched the horizon intently. He carried the weight of dozens of missions on his shoulders.
"Denivela, we can go," he declared in a deep voice.
They ventured deeper into Zone 9, a high-risk area. Formerly a NEW ORDER experimentation zone, it was now a no man's land where only the most desperate or courageous dared to enter.
A shaky silhouette appeared ahead. A Neuroflux.
The being trembled, wracked by uncontrollable spasms. His bloodshot eyes desperately sought meaning in the inner chaos.
"I'll handle it," said Denivela, moving forward gently, hands extended.
After long minutes of tension and murmured words, she managed to approach. An injection, a held breath, and finally... the Neuroflux collapsed, stabilized.
"Okay, guys. We got him. Let's pack up," Alpha said into his tactical radio.
But the response was troubling:
"Captain, we have a problem…" said a voice through the mic.
"What kind of problem, Sixcone?"
"One of our agents isn't responding on the radio."
Alpha's blood froze.
"Shit... Take cover!" he shouted immediately.
BOOM
A violent explosion erupted a few meters away. The shockwave threw half the squad to the ground. A dull ringing echoed in their ears. Those closest to the blast hadn't even had time to react: their bodies were reduced to ashes.
When Alpha came to, everything escalated.
"Protect Denivela!" he yelled. "No direct confrontation unless absolutely necessary! Snipers, locate and eliminate them! Ground troops, immediate extraction!"
A volley of shots fired from their left.
Black Patrollers had emerged, in tight formation. In front of them, a Red Patroller led the assault, relentless.
Alpha glanced quickly and entrusted Denivela to one of his men.
"Adkins, take Denivela and the Neuroflux. Protect them at all costs. This agitation makes the Neuroflux unstable. Escort them. I've already called for reinforcements."
"Where are you going, Alpha?!"
"Don't worry. I'm going to greet our surprise guest..."
Without waiting for a response, Alpha dove into the fog and rushed at the Red Patroller.
The two bodies clashed in a metallic crash. Blows rained down, violent and precise. Finally, the Red Patroller's helmet flew to the ground.
Alpha stepped back, shocked.
"Gabi...?"
The Red Patroller raised his head, a hard smile on his lips.
"Alpha. So we meet again… traitor."
"You call me traitor? You who sold your soul to the NEW ORDER?"
"Nonsense. The NEW ORDER saved me. It opened my eyes. Showed me the truth. Allowed me... to evolve."
"Look around you, Gabi! Everything is ruins, suffering, and chaos! That's your truth? What good are all those skills? To spread death?"
"And you, Alpha... What did you learn by betraying your people?"
Alpha gave a cold smile.
"Never trust my enemy enough to let my guard down on a battlefield."
He discreetly activated his radio.
"Nick, got him in your sights?"
"Affirmative."
"Then... turn him off."
"Oh no, the bastard—" was all he had time to say.
PAF.
A silent, precise shot. Gabi's head snapped back.
Alpha looked away.
"Sorry, brother..."
After his confrontation with Gabi, Alpha immediately rejoined his troops. Reinforcements finally arrived, launching a swift and brutal counter-offensive. Together, they managed to repel the last Black Patrollers still in position.
The battle was over.
But it wasn't a victory.
Silence hung heavy as they gathered the bodies of their fallen comrades. The ground, stained with blood and ash, bore the scars of a clash as brief as it was devastating. Some Reminiscent, wounded but still standing, helped load the survivors into the vehicles.
Alpha stood still, unmoving, eyes fixed on nothingness. His face was blank, but his clenched fists betrayed the storm within.
In the vehicle taking them back to base, no one spoke. Only the engine's hum filled the space.
Denivela perfectly sensed Alpha's state just by his silence. Eventually, she moved closer and gently placed a hand on his shoulder.
"You don't have to blame yourself," she whispered. "You couldn't have known they'd arrive before us."
Alpha didn't even turn his head.
"Exactly... I should've. I neglected the terrain inspection. I acted too fast. And my men... paid the price."
His voice was hoarse, broken by guilt.
Denivela remained silent for a moment. She knew that feeling well. She had carried that weight before.
"It's not your fault," she said softly. "You led them as far as you could. You trained them, fought beside them… And you're still here to protect others. That's what a captain does."
Alpha closed his eyes for a moment. His breath trembled slightly, almost imperceptibly.
But he said nothing.
And Denivela didn't press.
Silence fell again, heavy but shared. A form of silent respect. A promise that, despite the pain... the fight would go on.