VALKYRION HEADQUARTERS WAS IN LOCKDOWN.
SINCE THE APPEARANCE OF THE BLACK GATE, THE GUILD AND THE HUNTER ASSOCIATION HAD BEEN IN CONSTANT MEETINGS.
ARIANA STOOD IN THE CONFERENCE ROOM, FACING SOME OF THE TOP OFFICIALS FROM THE ASSOCIATION.
"WE'VE RUN EVERY SCAN WE CAN," ONE SCIENTIST SAID, HIS VOICE SHAKY.
"IT'S NOT AN S-RANK. IT'S… SOMETHING ELSE. EVEN THE CORE ENERGY ISN'T FROM OUR DIMENSION."
AN ELDER HUNTER SPOKE UP.
"I'VE SEEN GATES FOR TWENTY YEARS… BUT NEVER SOMETHING THAT ERASES MATTER ITSELF. WE CAN'T SEND PEOPLE IN—WE'LL LOSE THEM ALL."
ARIANA'S EYES WERE COLD.
"IF WE DON'T FIGURE THIS OUT, THE NEXT BREACH COULD ERASE A CITY."
RYUJIN'S DISTRACTION
KAI FOUND RYUJIN IN THE TRAINING AREA, STARING AT HIS KATANA.
"BRO… YOU'RE NOT YOURSELF," KAI SAID QUIETLY.
"IS THIS ABOUT THE GATE?"
RYUJIN DIDN'T ANSWER IMMEDIATELY.
HE REMEMBERED THE VOICE.
"COME TO ME…"
"…I THINK IT KNOWS ME," RYUJIN FINALLY SAID, HIS VOICE LOW.
"WHAT?" KAI FROZE.
"BRO, DON'T TELL ME YOU'RE THINKING OF—"
"I'M NOT," RYUJIN CUT HIM OFF.
"NOT YET."
THE ASSOCIATION'S DECISION
THAT EVENING, ARIANA CALLED EVERYONE TO THE MAIN HALL.
"THE ASSOCIATION HAS ORDERED A FULL QUARANTINE," SHE ANNOUNCED.
"WE'RE SEALING THE GATE'S LOCATION WITH MULTIPLE BARRIERS. NOBODY GOES IN, NOBODY GOES NEAR. UNTIL WE KNOW HOW TO DEAL WITH IT."
MURMURS FILLED THE ROOM.
SOME WERE RELIEVED.
OTHERS… FRIGHTENED.
"WHAT IF THE BARRIERS FAIL?" A YOUNG HUNTER ASKED.
ARIANA DIDN'T ANSWER.
HER EYES SHIFTED, JUST FOR A MOMENT, TOWARD RYUJIN—WHO STOOD SILENTLY IN THE BACK.
THE NIGHT WHISPER
LATER THAT NIGHT, RYUJIN WAS ALONE ON THE GUILD ROOFTOP.
THE CITY LIGHTS GLIMMERED BELOW.
THE VOICE CAME AGAIN.
"RYUJIN… THEY CAN'T SAVE YOU.
COME TO ME… OR YOU WILL LOSE EVERYTHING AGAIN."
HIS HANDS TIGHTENED ON THE RAILING, BLACK SMOKE BRIEFLY CURLING AROUND HIS FINGERTIPS.
"…WHAT ARE YOU?" HE MUTTERED.
BUT THE VOICE WAS GONE.