The castle's hallways were quieter than usual. Soft lights reflected off walls of glass and steel, and in the king's study, the atmosphere was heavy.
The young monarch stared once more at the screen before him. The message played like an open wound: "I am no longer a person. I am only a machine... protect these children... and when the time comes, destroy me." And the image of that woman singing to a small child, who they now knew was the modified subject, froze on the display.
The door opened quietly. The Aunt stepped in without needing to announce herself.
"You know there's more to this, don't you?" she said, eyes fixed on the frozen frame.
The king nodded, resting his elbows on the desk.
"Yes. I believe this organization… they're not just after the weapon's schematics. They're after the children. The orphans. Maybe for years now. Maybe… even before I was born."
"Yuli believes her sister was taken by them. That might not be a coincidence," added the Aunt. "It's possible this organization has been hunting children long before they revealed themselves."
"Then we need to start looking for them. Protecting them," the king said firmly. "We can't wait for another attack before reacting."
Thus the plan began. The first phase was simple on paper, but complex in execution: gather and cross-reference data from every orphanage across the kingdom. Analyze the oldest disappearances and pinpoint the regions with the highest number of unexplained missing children.
Kaela, Sol, and Varka volunteered to lead reconnaissance and data-gathering teams in the most remote areas. Meanwhile, undercover Guardians would increase their presence in the orphanages, reinforcing security protocols.
Yuli, though burning with desire to go on a mission herself, agreed to remain in the village as part of the central support team, helping process and organize information. She didn't want a rushed decision to put anyone at risk. Her heart ached to search for her sister, but she knew the search would only succeed if they first mapped out the threats completely.
A large table was set up in the center of the strategy room. On it lay reports, old records, and pins on a sprawling map of the kingdom. Each mark represented a missing child. Each line drawn was a potential connection.
"We're not just looking for your sister, Yuli," said Sol one night. "We're unraveling a sinister network that's stayed hidden far too long."
"Then we'll do it right," Yuli replied. "Step by step—until no more children vanish. Until no more families cry in silence."
The search had begun. And though the path was uncertain, the first step had been taken.
Somewhere in the kingdom, in the shadows, unknown eyes were watching the board… and beginning to move their pieces.