High above the ruined cityscape, a Reunion Movement drone hovered silently, its mechanical eye fixed on the movements of the Rhodes Island squad below.
The encrypted signal transmitted in real-time back to a ground command node.
Down below, tucked away on the upper floor of a relatively intact, abandoned concrete structure, Crownslayer leaned against a dust-caked windowsill.
Her crimson eyes were half-closed in thought, her gloved fingers unconsciously tracing the cold hilts of the twin blades resting at her waist.
“I’ve found them,” she murmured, her voice sharp and unyielding.
“Don’t dawdle.
Report to headquarters immediately and synchronize the coordinates.” Her subordinate scrambled to obey, immediately operating the heavy communication terminal.
However, just as Crownslayer opened her mouth to issue her next directive, a specific figure in the drone’s feed caught her eye.
The person wore a standard-issue Rhodes Island tactical coat, standing amidst the rubble and seemingly directing the other Operators to avoid environmental hazards.
She stared intently at the screen, her crimson eyes narrowing into slits.
“It’s him,” she hissed, a dangerous edge bleeding into her tone.
“Go!
Now!
We follow him!” Meanwhile, on the ground level.
“Passing through the park ahead will bring us straight to the rendezvous point agreed upon with Nearl’s reconnaissance team,” Ace announced, looking back over his shoulder to scan the weary Rhodes Island members.
He hefted his heavy shield.
“The situation ahead is still unclear.
A few of us will push forward to scout the perimeter and confirm the route is safe.
Doctor, Amiya, Ivan, you three stay here.
Maintain strict vigilance and await my signal.” Without wasting another breath on superfluous instructions, Ace gave a curt nod to the veteran Guard Operators flanking him.
They moved out, melting into the shadows of the ruins.
The area where the squad had temporarily halted was a relatively open concrete basin, a grim convergence point where the underground sewer system bled into a sluggish surface river.
Amiya separated from the group, walking silently toward the rusty iron railing at the river’s edge.
Her small, fragile figure leaned against the cold metal, her gaze dropping to the dark, flowing sewage churning beneath her boots.
The Doctor and Ivan exchanged a quiet glance.
Even without words, they could both sense the heavy, suffocating weight pressing down on the young Cautus girl’s shoulders.
Moving as one, the two approached her, their footsteps echoing faintly against the damp, moss-slicked concrete.
Ivan broke the silence first.
His usual casual bravado was dialed back, replaced by genuine concern.
“Amiya…
are you holding up alright?” He stepped up beside her, resting his own hands against the rusted railing.
Amiya slowly turned her head.
She tried to force a reassuring smile, but the edges of her lips trembled, making the expression look strained and fragile.
“I’m fine, Mr.
Ivan, Doctor.
Please don’t worry about me.
I was just thinking about a few things.” Her gaze lingered for a moment on the Doctor’s hooded, slightly bewildered face, before shifting back to Ivan.
Her tone grew solemn.
“Ivan, you should already know about Oripathy, right?” Ivan gave a slow, heavy nod.
“Yeah.
I know a bit about it.” Amiya’s soft eyes turned back to the Doctor.
“Doctor…
for some reason, you have temporarily lost a lot of your memories.
Because of that, I need to explain this to you again.” Her voice steadied, taking on the clear, resolute cadence of a leader.
“Oripathy is a currently incurable, contagious, and universally fatal disease.
It will cause the afflicted patient’s body to slowly crystallize from the inside out.” She swallowed hard.
“The process is agonizing.
And eventually, when the crystallization reaches its absolute limit…” Her voice trailed off, the grim reality hanging heavily in the damp air.
Reaching over with her left hand, Amiya gently rolled up the sleeve of her right arm.
There, in the dim, polluted light of the ruins, the truth was laid bare.
Embedded starkly beneath the pale skin of her slender arm were several jagged, black Originium crystals.
Their sharp edges pulsed with an eerie, dark amber glow.
“As you can see,” Amiya said softly.
“I, Instructor Dobermann, and the vast majority of Rhodes Island’s Operators…
we all suffer from Oripathy.” She pulled her sleeve back down, hiding the unsettling crystalline growths from view.
“Although there are currently no definitive medical reports proving that Oripathy can be directly transmitted through basic, everyday contact, fear is a difficult thing to erase.
Most non-Infected keep their distance from us.
Many actively ostracize us.” She lifted her chin, looking back and forth between the Doctor and Ivan.
Her large eyes shone with a fierce, unwavering determination.
“Our goal at Rhodes Island is to protect as many lives as possible from being lost in these meaningless conflicts.
Helping those in need, settling disputes between the Infected and the ordinary citizens…
all of this is incredibly important.” Her tone suddenly dropped, carrying a heavy, unshakable resolve.
“But, that alone is far from enough!
Doctor, we must find a way to completely cure Oripathy!
This disease is the root cause of the world’s suffering!
It is the only key to truly changing the fate of Terra!” After letting the weight of those heavy words settle, Amiya seemed to realize the oppressive atmosphere she had created.
She visibly shook herself, wanting to lighten the mood.
Turning back to Ivan, a sincere and warm smile finally reached her eyes.
“Also…
thank you very much for today, Mr.
Ivan.
Thank you for not hesitating to step in and save that mother and daughter.
Your actions perfectly reflect the ideals that Rhodes Island strives to uphold.” Ivan, caught off guard by the sudden praise, blinked in surprise.
He scratched the back of his head, a sheepish grin breaking through his stoic facade.
“Ah…
well, it was really nothing.
I saw them in danger, so it was only right to lend a hand.” Amiya let out a soft breath, her gaze sweeping over the Doctor’s pensive, silent figure.
The lingering fatigue and sorrow that had clouded her expression just moments ago quickly faded, replaced by the sharp focus of a commander.
“Alright, everyone,” she said, stepping away from the railing.
“Let’s move out.”