The base was quiet when they returned.
Aria's home—now barely recognizable—buzzed faintly with electricity. Screens flickered. Medical gear hummed softly. Surveillance drones hung from the ceiling like sleeping birds.
Kael sat on the examination bed. His jacket was gone, torn beyond use. His body showed no visible wounds now—only the fading black markings that pulsed faintly beneath his skin.
Three agents stood nearby, whispering rapidly.
"He should be unconscious from that kind of damage…"
"He's not even bruised. How is that possible?"
"He's stable. Vitals are back to normal. Higher than normal."
Kael remained still, only his eyes shifting between the equipment and the agents. Their words meant nothing to him—but the delay in taking action was inefficient.
> "Recovery complete."
"Purpose unresolved."
"Aria: target for retrieval."
Another screen lit up on the far wall. One of the tech agents had retrieved a hidden drone's footage from earlier in the city.
Everyone fell silent.
The footage played:
Aria and three agents, surrounded by nearly twenty heavily armed men. Disloyal. Silent. Efficient. Clearly trained.
The outnumbered group braced themselves—one of the loyal agents pulling Aria behind him, another aiming a stunner that looked almost useless in this kind of scenario.
And then—
The Devourers appeared.
Not violently. Not attacking.
They emerged from the ground in silence—five of them—placing themselves between Aria and the traitorous agents. The agents hesitated, guns up but trembling. The Devourers didn't strike. They simply stood, like sentinels.
The loyal agents didn't fire. They watched.
Tension built in the footage… until, without a word, the disloyal group backed off slightly. Retreating. Waiting. The moment the Devourers vanished into the ground, they surged forward again.
But not after all had escaped.
The screen paused on the frame: Aria being pulled backward by two of the rogue agents. The three loyal agents with her now restrained. One of them screaming something inaudible.
The base fell quiet again.
"…They're alive," one of the tech agents finally said. "They were taken. But alive."
"They're going to use her," said another. "She's close to Kael. They've been watching. They know she's the key."
Kael blinked slowly.
He processed the footage. Replayed it in his head. No emotion. No panic.
> "Conclusion: Hostile intent confirmed."
"Aria: bait."
"Rescue: logical response."
"Purpose: re-established."
One of the agents turned toward Kael. "We… need to think about our next move."
The medic interrupted from across the room. "Guys—look at this."
Everyone turned.
The scanner screen above Kael's bed was pulsing with data.
"What is it?" one agent asked.
"His healing," the medic replied, adjusting the dial. "There's no trace of trauma left. Not even scar tissue. His body regenerated as if nothing ever happened. This… this is beyond natural."
A pause.
"Can we run tests?"
Kael stood.
"No need," he said.
His voice was calm. Measured.
Not cold. Not angry.
Just certain.
"I know what I need to do."
They stared at him.
He didn't wait for permission.
> "This is redemption," he thought.
"Not for guilt."
"For efficiency. For completion. For purpose."
He stepped off the platform and walked toward the exit.
And no one stopped him.