A few moments ago…
Another group was being herded down a steep slope.
Chained captives walked in silence surrounding them, metallic figures marched in grim order, each gripping a white staff that pulsed faintly.
Among them, one figure didn't quite fit.
Its walk was strange, jerky, awkward, almost pitiful. As though it needed to take a shit, its steps were uneven and stiff.
That was Aether.
'Fuck… the connection's getting weaker,' he thought, every nerve tight beneath the metallic armour.
The disguise was slipping, the pieces barely holding together. Any second now, the others would notice. And when they did…
'Shit. How long do they expect us to keep walking like this?'
Two metallic figures nearby slowed their pace, turning their heads toward him. They glanced at each other, a silent exchange, before one nodded and moved away to alert someone. The other… approached him directly.
'Fuck! They found me'
The figure stopped right in front of him, staring without a word.
