The cold dawn blanketed the ruined village, the biting wind whistling outside against the rebuilt windows, now protected by vibrational barriers that maintained absolute silence inside. The only sound was the faint hum of equipment operating in stealth mode.
Echo remained seated in the corner of the room, her legs crossed, her arms clasped tightly around her knees as if she might shrink into nothingness. Her gaze was fixed on Elysian, who ignored her presence as if she were a shadow in space.
She tried to speak, her voice hoarse and full of hesitation. "Ely... I... I know I was wrong. I know everything I did complicated things. But ignoring me like this... is worse than being slapped."
No reaction. Not a blink, not a sigh. She turned her face to the darkened ceiling, trying to break the silence. "If I'd known calling you 'Elyphina' would hurt you so much, I would have come up with another stupid name. Like 'Seralysian.' Or... anything that didn't cross that line you never explained to me."
He tried to smile, but the sound died in his throat, choked by his own sadness. Meanwhile, Elysian manipulated the projections in front of him, his clear blue eyes focused and impenetrable. He looked like a warlord with the weight of the world on his shoulders, every gesture calculated and cold, a wall of ice Echo couldn't penetrate.
The holographic transmission began, revealing the faces of Avelar and Nyx. They appeared illuminated by a bluish hue, their expressions grave. "This is Oblivion Sage." His voice came out with impassive determination. "Cinder Knight is in the field. She's coordinating Alliance movements in clandestine bases. I saw it with my own eyes."
Avelar arched an eyebrow, a cruel half-smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "You look exhausted. Or is it just the mission?"
Echo, from the corner of the room, couldn't resist a sarcastic, if fragile, comment. "I miss you too, Avelar. Send me some flowers later." Nyx gave a short smile, leaning forward. "You two look like a couple who slept in separate beds after a nasty fight. What happened?"
Elysian didn't look away from the data. "She did what she always does. It bothered me, nothing out of the ordinary." Nyx frowned, her golden eyes reflecting deep concern. "Back to the point… Cinder Knight is a sensitive piece. If he's feeding the Initiative information, we have a high-level leak."
"Confirmed," Elysian replied, her voice hardening. "He mentioned data packets, irregular EVP alerts, active vibrational sensors. If he's still alive, he'll compromise our operations."
Avelar exchanged a tense look with Nyx. "Then... if necessary, eliminate him," Nyx added, her gaze firm. "But leave no trace. Nothing that links his death to the Remnants. He's Rank 57th. The media would make a big splash."
Elysian then bowed slightly and nodded. "Understood. I will maintain complete anonymity." The transmission cut off.
Then Elysian opened another channel, bringing in Hana Mori and Nikolai Petrov. Hana, animated and vibrant, appeared seated in the center of an illusory storm of glittering stars. Nikolai typed frantically, his eyes fixed on an invisible screen.
"BIG BROTHER!" Hana shouted, throwing her arms forward, as if she could embrace Elysian through the transmission. "Are you okay? Do you need jasmine tea? A little sisterly hug? A mental massage? A deep meditation session?"
Nikolai muttered in exasperation as he pulled Hana back. "It's only been three days, Hana... three days," Elysian replied, cold and direct. "Protocol Ø7-571-Δ9. Activate immediately. Cinder Knight may not make it out of this mission alive. I want total manipulation of the records, ghost files, false reports. I want it to look like he was betrayed by splinter cells within the Alliance."
Nikolai nodded, fingers flying across the invisible keyboard. "I've already started. Creating fake logs, parallel movements of infiltrated rebels, and a team of villains apparently operating in the area, they call themselves the Circle of Aether. They'll take the blame."
Hana smiled, looking at the screen. "These dirty games give me the creeps. But when you write the script, Big Brother Elysian... even lying becomes a fine art." The transmission ended.
Echo remained still, her eyes fixed on Elysian, but now without the usual irony. Something was shifting in her. The silence between them carried a thick tension, a fragile bridge between resentment and trust.
She finally stood, her steps slow, and approached hesitantly. "Can I help with something real? Like... a mission, really. No jokes."
Elysian turned just enough to face her. "Keep the field clear. Monitor for sound variations above 9.6 decibels. Use the underground panels for triangulation. Let me know if there's electromagnetic interference." She nodded, a little relieved that he was at least talking to her again. "Understood." It was only momentary, but it was a start.
Hours later, the fog began to dissipate, revealing the scorched earth, laden with oppressive pressure. They advanced silently along the trail to the rocky slope where sensors indicated a hidden entrance.
Echo stopped, his gaze sharpening. "At 42 meters. Metal plates buried underground. Probably an escape route or supply lines."
Elysian activated his wrist scanner. The three-dimensional projection of the subsurface revealed lines of active energy. "There's electrical flow. Low consumption, but constant. Someone's there."
Echo knelt, placing his hands on the ground. His vibrations traveled through the ground, picking up two heartbeats. "Two signals. One steady, one irregular. Injured or unconscious. Could be a prisoner."
They approached the rocky wall. Elysian extracted a crystalline blade that vibrated at a precise frequency and pressed it against the stone, which crumbled to dust. Revealing a damp, airless corridor overgrown with roots.
When they entered, the walls were filled with ancient moisture, and the metallic smell of stale ozone permeated the air. Automatic lights reacted to the EVP's presence, dimly illuminating the way. At the end, a reinforced door awaited them. Elysian connected his devices and unlocked the lock in seconds.
Inside, a technician lay handcuffed, unconscious. Another man turned in surprise, but had no time to react. A silent tripwire controlled by Elysian knocked him down, splitting his jaw and severing his arms and legs. "Cover," Elysian ordered, connecting drones to the terminal.
Echo activated a sound-deadening field. "If someone coughs outside, we won't hear it, and even if we detonate a bomb here, no one will."
The data was quickly scanned. "These are internal reports. Cinder Knight is handing over our operations to the Alliance. The Shadow Government will eliminate our informants." Echo's eyes widened. "This is open war on the agent."
Elysian took the data and corrected her. "Relax, it's not that bad. It'll only upset the balance we'd like to maintain, but at least they didn't find out much about the agent."
The download was complete. They left a capsule generating false logs to conceal the invasion. "Let's leave." But a loud crash shook the place. A sensor exploded in sparks. "They're surrounding us. Containment barriers activated." Echo screamed, desperate, thinking they'd fallen into a trap.
"Delta-V," Elysian said calmly, as if she'd anticipated it all, launching an artificial intelligence drone named Delta-V that exploded with an electromagnetic pulse, turning off the lights.
In the darkness, Elysian picked up the drone and petted it like a small animal. She asked Echo a question. "Can you create an alternate route by vibrating the ground?"
Echo closed her eyes and focused her EVP. The earth shook, cracking, opening a fissure. "There, you can pass." They jumped, and the earth closed behind them. They crawled into a natural cave.
Echo collapsed, exhausted. "I thought we were going to be buried there," Elysian said, her tone neutral for the first time. "You did well." She smiled, relieved, and then asked him. "But come on, who is that?"
Elysian then picked up the drone and introduced it. "This is Delta-V, one of the many AI drones I created. It's used to create electromagnetic blasts." Echo was surprised and murmured to him, "Seriously... you're full of surprises."
Back at the village, Elysian began uploading the data to the central servers. Echo collapsed onto the couch, arms outstretched, exhausted and satisfied.
In Eden Zion, Avelar and Nyx analyzed the data. "Cinder Knight is too close to the truth," Nyx said. Avelar clenched her fists. "If Elysian gives the signal... the Rank 57 hero disappears."
Back in the village, it was already night, and Elysian was asleep in her room. In the other room, Echo couldn't sleep. She grabbed her communicator and clutched it tightly, feeling a mixture of nerves and regret grip her chest. When the call finally connected, Avelar's image appeared first, his eyes serious, as always. Then came Nyx, her expression composed, Hana, her face still streaked with sleep but her eyes alert, and Nikolai, his visor already projected forward, ready for any analysis.
"Echo?" Avelar said bluntly. "What's wrong?" She hesitated. The words were stuck. She'd never had trouble speaking, but now she felt like each syllable was a false step on a tightrope over an abyss. "I... I wanted to talk to you about... what happened yesterday." Her voice was shaky, which surprised even herself.
"I can tell by your face that you've crossed the line with something," Nyx murmured coldly. "So... what did you do?"
Echo was clutching her chest as if about to confess a sin. "Then let me tell you... everything." A silence continued. And then she began to speak.
"We were in the village, and he was... rebuilding everything with those drones of his. He looked like a surgeon reshaping the world. And I..." She swallowed hard. "I was sitting on the windowsill, kind of bored. I started teasing him. Normal, you know? Like what I always do."
"Elysian hates teasing when he's on a mission," Nikolai commented dryly.
"I know!" She raised her voice, but quickly lowered it. "I know. But this time... I went further. I... I started talking about the way he treats Seraphina. The way he changes around her. And, well... I made a joke. I said they looked like a doomsday couple. I even gave her a name... 'Elyphina.'"
Hana's eyes widened. "Did you say that... to him?" Echo nodded, her eyes welling up. "Yes. I did. Even after he asked me to stop, I kept going. I thought it was just another silly joke... But then he turned... and shot." Everyone fell silent. Nikolai stopped typing. Nyx frowned. Hana put her hand to her mouth. "He shot...?" Avelar repeated, her voice low and heavy.
"The bullet grazed my cheek. It cut deep. It hurt, but what hurt most was... what came after." She took a deep breath. "He screamed. He said... 'I TOLD YOU TO SHUT THE FUCK UP.' And for the first time... I saw the hatred in his eyes. Not the logical hatred he uses in battle. It was... personal."
She put her hand to her cheek, as if the cut was still bleeding. The silence on the other end of the line was suffocating. Hana crossed her arms, shaking her head. "He's not one to play around, but this seems kind of scary. I knew he was cold, but not that it went this far."
Nikolai frowned contemplatively. "I always imagined him unreachable, but this story shows a more human side, even if it was harsh."
Avelar cleared his throat, looking directly at the screen, as if gauging the impact of this on Echo. "So you can understand better, I spent my childhood with him." He confessed in a calm but heavy voice. "We grew up together, side by side. It wasn't an easy relationship, far from it. But it gave me an understanding of what goes on inside him."
Everyone's eyes widened in surprise, then Hana questioned him. "You grew up with Elysian? I never imagined that. I thought he was always a bit of a loner."
Nyx smiled with slight disbelief. "That explains a lot. It must be difficult to share space with someone so reserved and tough since he was little." Nikolai stroked his chin thoughtfully. "You must have a connection few have. But even so, he kept his distance, right?"
Avelar nodded. "It's always been that way. But what really changed everything was when he met Seraphina." Echo listened intently, her chest tight. And then Avelar continued. "I once asked Elysian what he thought of us, the Heralds. I wanted to understand how he saw us. What we meant to him. The answer he gave me... I've never forgotten it."
Everyone paid attention. Even Hana sat up straighter. "He said he considered us trustworthy companions. Sometimes uncomfortable..." He looked directly at Echo's face in the broadcast, "but still trustworthy. But then he stopped. He was silent for a moment. Then he added, 'The only one I consider my friend... is Seraphina.' Only her. And he told me why."
"He told me he made a promise to her the day he recruited her into the Remnant." A promise to protect her at any cost." Hana sighed. "I think Seraphina is the only one who can break through that armor of his, right?"
Nyx nodded. "Yes. It's as if, little by little, she was making him blossom. Taking away the coldness and making room for the emotions he himself had suppressed."
Nikolai chuckled softly. "Elyphina, huh? I thought you were just joking, but it seems there's a grain of truth to this shipping." Echo smiled weakly, but her eyes were teary. "I didn't realize touching on that subject was so delicate. It was a mistake... a joke that turned into a wound."
Avelar spoke, her tone softening. "Look, Echo, we don't expect you to become his best friend overnight. Elysian isn't easy to deal with. What he wants is space and respect. And most importantly, not to be hindered on a mission."
Hana raised her finger. "I think it's best to follow his advice. Do only what's necessary. Be there when he needs you, but don't suffocate."
Nyx added. "His trust is earned in silence, in respect, not in words."
Nikolai smiled. "And when he does, you'll notice. He says little, but what he does speaks volumes."
Echo took a deep breath, feeling that, although the road was long, she wasn't alone. "Thank you, everyone. Seriously. I just want to fix this. Learn how to deal with him without crossing boundaries."
Avelar smiled with a slight firmness. "That's how it starts." The group was silent for a moment, everyone absorbing the weight of her words. Hana smiled softly. "Oh, and Echo? Next time, be careful with your jokes... especially with someone with a pistol in their hand."
Light laughter and a sense of camaraderie filled the conversation, opening a ray of light in the icy silence that surrounded Echo.