Resistance HQ – Deep Desert
Far beyond the Empire's borders, hidden beneath dunes and ancient ruins, the Resistance headquarters hummed with activity. Screens flickered. Voices echoed through metal corridors. Players from different games—Warpath soldiers, Skyrealm players and many more—worked side by side.
The main command chamber opened with a hiss.
A soldier sprinted inside.
"Captain, sir!" he barked, saluting sharply. "Captain Chaxti's report—contact successful! Ryze has been secured at Outpost Zero-Seven!"
The room's tension snapped in an instant.
Relief washed over every face.
Captain TriggerX—broad-shouldered, tactical vest loaded with ammo, one of Warpath's best squad leaders—lifted his head from the command table.
"That's good news," he said, exhaling slowly. Ryze had been part of his squad once; he knew exactly how stubborn and trouble-attracting she could be.
A nearby soldier chuckled.
"First she survives the void… now she slips past the Empire? Starborn sure knows how to find adventure!"
TriggerX shot him a look.
"Focus on your mission. No chatter."
"Yes, sir!"
TriggerX leaned back in his chair, staring at the map.
"Hold on, Ryze… just wait a little longer," he murmured.
Empire City – Hidden Outpost 0-7
Captain Chaxti snapped orders the moment he returned from the comms room.
"Volt! Patrol patterns changed again. We need a new route charted. The Empire's tightening security since Ryze was spotted."
Volt gritted his teeth. "…I told you bringing her out was risky."
Chaxti didn't budge.
"Which is why she stays with you."
He tossed me a compact pistol—Empire-made, polished, and heavier than mine.
"Until we retrieve your sniper rifle from the facility, this will do."
I caught it awkwardly.
"I—wait, you want me to come? Outside? Again?"
Chaxti simply waved a hand. "Blend in. Learn the patrols. And try not to cause trouble."
Volt sighed deeply, rubbing his temples.
"This is a terrible idea…"
But he motioned for me to follow anyway.
City Streets – Patrol Survey Mission
The sun hung high overhead, heat bouncing off the white stone buildings. Empire banners waved from rooftops. Soldiers marched in pairs, rotating routes with strict precision.
Volt pointed subtly as we walked past a bakery.
"Three patrol groups. Twelve-minute rotation. Two sergeants, one mage. Mark that."
I scribbled notes in my head.
Volt moved like a shadow—silent, precise, always two steps ahead. I felt like a kid trying to keep up.
After an hour of circling streets, we paused near a shaded alley.
Volt crossed his arms.
I could feel the question brewing.
"Volt," I said, "why did you join the Resistance?"
He froze.
His jaw tightened.
"…That's personal."
"Then tell me the personal part," I insisted.
He hesitated—eyes softening for a moment.
"…Because the Empire didn't save the people I cared about," he said quietly. "The Resistance did. That's enough."
But something in his voice…
I knew there was more. Something heavier. Something painful.
Before I could press further, Volt suddenly straightened.
"We're behind schedule. We'll cover more ground if we split up."
"Split up? Isn't that risky?"
"More efficient," he said bluntly. "We meet at the plaza in twenty minutes. Don't wander."
I nodded.
Volt moved like a fading shadow—gone before I blinked.
The Wrong Turn
"Okay… simple," I muttered. "Walk two blocks left, then—"
I turned and collided with two figures.
"Ah—sorry!" I bowed quickly. "Didn't see you—"
A hand clamped around my arm.
"Hey… don't I know you?" one of them said.
I froze.
A cold shiver crawled down my spine.
Two players in Empire gear.
One with a cruel smirk, red-tinted visor, and slick pink hair—Cass.
The other tall, calm but sharp-eyed, daggers strapped to his waist—Led_ZD, one of Frostbyte's elite assassins.
I'd never met them, but the look in their eyes…
They recognized something.
Cass yanked my arm, armor grip biting into my skin.
"What the—hey!" I hissed. "Hands off!"
Cass leaned in, eyes narrowing.
"Starlink Sniper?"
My blood turned to ice.
Led looked confused. "Star what?"
"She's the one from the void report," Cass snapped. "The one who came out with SK and that veteran."
"Wait, her?" Led's expression sharpened. "What's she doing wandering around the capital?"
I reached for my pistol instinctively—
—but my holster was empty.
Led twirled the stolen gun in his fingers, smirking.
"Looking for this?"
How did he—
When did he—
He took it without me noticing…?
Cass's grin widened.
"Oh, this is gonna be a beautiful report."
"Let go of me!" I twisted, but Cass shoved me forward, hard.
"You really want to play that game?" Led whispered, pressing a dagger cold against my throat.
I froze.
"Good girl," he said.
Cass tugged my arm again. "Move. Before someone sees."
People walked around us without noticing anything—like this was just a normal patrol.
My stomach twisted.
Volt…? Volt, where are you?
I glanced desperately around the crowd—
For a split second, I saw him.
Standing atop a rooftop corner.
Watching.
Hidden.
Expression unreadable.
And then he whispered—too quiet for anyone but me to hear—
"…I'm so dead to the captain."
And he vanished into the shadows.
Leaving me being dragged deeper into the Empire's hands.