Chapter 13

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"Run!" He saw a shadowy shape roar ahead of him. Someone was tugging at his small arms, his hand tightly gripped.

It was dark, only the stars seemed to illuminate the street, accompanied by a few flickering lanterns.

They ran, there was something familiar about the blurred buildings they passed.

They reached an alley and the woman pulling his hand came to a halt.

She turned and leaned down to him. Her golden hair sparked silver in the light of the moons.

The woman said something to him, tears welling from her golden eyes. But he didn't understand the words, they seemed far away.

She left him and ran out into the darkness, desperately he reached out his hand for her shadow before her shape vanished, leaving him all alone.

With all his might, he seemed to be clasping his hands over his ears to block out the sounds that were ringing around him, when they fell silent a moment later.

He got up and ran in the direction the woman had disappeared from earlier. Past the blurred buildings bathed in orange light.

Flames.

He kept running.

The road seemed endless, as the flames seemed to laugh at him. Shadowy shapes lay everywhere on the ground as he continued to follow the path he had traveled before.

The starry sky had disappeared. It seemed as if a hole in the sky had opened up, threatening to snuff out all light. Only the flames lit the way.

More and more shadows lined his path when he saw a figure standing in the midst of the sea of ​​shadows and flames.

Another light mingled with the orange glow of the flames, a complex, rotating structure that seemed to float sideways above the figure's head, illuminating its face.

Its shadowy face was white as snow surrounded by black outlines and red within them.

In the midst of total darkness, two bright red eyes stared down at him.

Red…

Zane woke up and kicked his blanket aside as he straightened up in a flash. His body was soaked with sweat, and he was breathing heavily and irregularly.

He ran a hand over his face to make sure he was awake.

"That dream again...", he gasped. His gaze wandered around the unfamiliar room for a while. When his breathing seemed to calm down, he pulled the blanket off and sat on the edge of the bed.

He was reaching toward the bedside table when a holographic display appeared. He touched one of the buttons and daylight streamed through the windows, which were slowly becoming transparent.

Zane pulled his pants on, walked to the patio, and let his eyes wander over the city. It was a warm summer morning, and ships flew through the air. Battleships and frigates patrolling the skies. In the distance, he saw a tremendous ray of light rising into the sky, where it disappeared. From time to time, he had seen people jumping around between the building roofs and he had also encountered Mytics and smaller spirits.

He was on the 33rd floor of a high building. Like most major cities, New Comound was a tiered city. Residential buildings were mostly on the upper levels, while industry was on the lower levels. Despite the height, the railing seemed low enough for Zane to rest his elbows on, a small electrical distortion on the side of the wall revealing why. The terraces were surrounded by a security shield that prevented both the crossing of the barrier and the view from the outside.

Everything seemed peaceful, but Zane knew it could be over in just a moment.

Zane emerged from the bathroom and put on his jacket, which had been freshly cleaned, and made his way to the front door. He stopped for a moment in his living room and took a classic picture frame from the cupboard. Zane clenched his fist and put the picture back before exiting his apartment with the hiss of the front door

The windows darkened again, leaving the image behind in the shadows. On it were Asagi, Carol, Ben, Tyler, Zero, and him in front of Bar Thirteen. It was a picture that they had taken at the reopening six months ago and that Zero had printed on paper.

Zane was running down the hall when he came to a stop in front of the door next to his apartment. Hesitantly, he rang the holographic doorbell. After a few moments, the door opened and Asagi stood in front of him.

"Good morning, Asagi."

"Morning Zane, are you going out?" She asked.

"Yes, I have an appointment at the base."

"Oh, good luck." She smiled at him.

"Thanks. How is Carol?" He asked.

"So far quite good..." She seemed to remember.

"Say hi to her..." Zane smiled a little pained and said goodbye.

"Good luck, Zane." Asagi called after him before he disappeared around the corner that led to the elevator.

Asagi went back into the apartment, into one of the two bedrooms, which was still darkened. "Zane wanted to greet you." Asagi said into the darkness.

Carol lay under her covers with her knees against her.

"Do you want some breakfast?" Asagi continued to ask after receiving no answer.

"No thanks..." Carol's voice echoed back dejectedly.

"OK, if you want something, you can come and join me." Asagi started to move away from the door but turned around again briefly. "Aki got in touch, she wants to come over later."

Zane exited the building and made his way to his destination. After a few meters, he reached a promenade. The wide street was lined with trees and towering buildings that sparkled in the morning sun. There was already a lot going on and people were running around everywhere. Elves, Mytics, and other races Zane had only read about crossed his path to a signpost.

Three days had passed since the attack on Halsion, Zane's homeland.

A lot had happened in those three days. The ship they were on had suddenly changed course unscheduled and was heading straight for New Comound, the Alliance's capital on Nykara.

Deadra and Sora were locked in the ship under strong resistance from Carol. As soon as they arrived, they were taken away. Zane was overwhelmed with the situation and asked Tyler about the two, who assured him that he would take care of it.

Zero had barely survived and was in a coma at the city's military hospital. Doctors said it was a miracle he'd lasted this long. His lungs had been punctured, but they also reported other complicated medical terms that he didn't understand.

The Pandera had said goodbye shortly after landing and Zane was received by General Pearce. It was him who had commissioned the ship's new course. Pearce had immediately taken care of the few civilians who had traveled on the frigate and had also arranged the apartments for Zane and the others.

Today Zane had his appointment with Pearce, the general of the capital forces in the city.

Just as he was about to find the nearest connection to the military base, someone next to him spoke.

"Good Morning, Zane"

"Oh! Aki!" Zane startled. "Good morning." He smiled at the girl standing next to him. Her shoulder-length white hair with pink tips contrasted with her slightly tanned skin. Her cat ears identified her as a Yokai-Mytic, just like Asagi was classified as a Demon-Class-Mytic.

"You okay?" She asked him while carrying a large tote bag over her shoulder.

"Everything is fine so far. What are you doing here?" He asked.

"I'm going to visit Asagi and Carol. I also bought some stuff for all of you." She indicated the bag around her shoulders.

"Thanks for your help Aki, without you we would be really lost here."

"Oh, no worries, you don't know your way around very well yet. Shopping is no problem for me." Aki waved him off. "You have your appointment with Pearce today, right?"

"Exactly. I just don't quite know how to get there."

"Where are you supposed to report?" Aki asked.

"I'm supposed to report to Military Base 2."

"Ah, that's easy." Aki pointed to the display. You just have to take Citytrain 1 towards the government district, it passes the military base." Aki showed him the corresponding line on the map.

"Oh thanks!" Zane memorized the card that appeared on the display.

"Other displays also have an assistant that you can ask."

"I must have gotten the wrong one then, thanks again Aki."

"No worries." She smiled. "Well, I won't hold you back any longer, maybe we'll see each other later." She waved at him while walking in the direction of the apartment building.

"See you around!" Zane waved before turning back to the display and checking the direction of the next station.

After a short ride on the monorail, Zane had already arrived at Military Base 2.

A huge complex of buildings opened up in front of him. ATBS flew through the air and ships seemed to take off and land behind the building again and again. Zane made his way to the visitor terminal, where he reported to the information desk. After a short wait, a soldier stepped through the front door and walked straight toward Zane. His suit indicated his higher rank.

"You must be Zane, I'm Arihiro Harrison." He shook his hand.

"Zane Seranis. Pleased to meet you." Zane replied.

"Likewise, welcome to New Comound. Let's go, we can keep talking in the car."

"In the car?" Zane wondered as he followed Harrison out the door. "I thought I should report here..."

"No, no General Pearce is in Base 1. We summoned you here as it was closer to where you live." The two approached an armored vehicle that was still driving on wheels. "Please." Arihiro pointed to the vehicle.

The drive took Zane halfway across town. Military base 2 was near the government district, while the main base was far in the north of the city. As they neared the base, Zane noticed the change in atmosphere. The closer they got to the base, the fewer civilian buildings he saw and the tighter the controls became.

After driving through the massive military complex for a few more minutes, the truck came to a stop in front of another large building complex. In front of the door stood a woman who already seemed to be waiting for them.

"Mayor Harrison reporting!" He saluted the woman.

"Thank you, Mayor. I'll take over from here." The lady thanked Harrison, who said goodbye to the two and drove on with the truck.

"I'm Lucia Fernan. I'm General Pearce's secretary. Welcome to Base 1." She greeted him. "I'll take you to the general."

The two entered the heavily guarded building and Fernan led Zane to General Pearce.

"Here in New Comound the main forces of the Alliance are stationed on Nykara." She began to explain. "All major operations start here. New Comound is also the main entrance point for new arrivals from other Alliance zones. Have you ever left Nykara?"

"No, I was born here."

"Ah, I'm originally from Emon 4, it's close to Earth, in the first colonization sector."

"Isn't it dangerous there?"

"You mean because it's near the contested sector? There used to be a lot of space battles, but now it's more of a sweep since the fighting has concentrated here." She explained to him. "Here we are already." She stopped in front of one of the doors.

"General, Mr. Seranis is here." She pressed the holographic door controls.

"He can come in." The voice from the door control replied and with a hiss it opened.

Zane was at the door with Fernan when Pearce rose from his chair. "Thank you, Lucia. That's it for now." Fernan nodded and left the room.

"Hi Zane, nice to see you. May I call you Zane?" He asked.

"Of course." Zane took the outstretched hand.

"Alright, I'm Leon." He grinned at Zane as they shook hands.

"OK..." Zane replied, somewhat puzzled by the familiarity Leon was showing.

"Sit down." Leon pointed to a chair in front of his office table.

Behind Zane was a large glass wall that looked out over the sea to the city.

"It's probably a bit early to ask if you've settled in after just three days, but how are you?" Leon asked as he sat down in his chair.

"Uhm..." Zane replied confused.

"Sorry." He saw Zane's confusion. "I think this might come across the wrong way, I'll start again." Leon suddenly stood up. "I am General Leon Pearce, commander of the Capital Forces on Nykara."

A door next to Leon's desk opened and Lucia came in with a tray.

"Thank you, Lucia." He took a glass from the tray. Lucia placed a bottle and a glass in front of Zane and placed another tray of small sandwiches on the table.

"Have some."

"Thank you." Zane filled the glass and took a sip.

"You and your friends have been through a lot. Your friend Zero seems stable so far..." Leon swiped at a display projected from his desk. "The other two are doing OK, given the circumstances, I assume..."

"Yes..." Zane lowered his eyes.

"I'm sorry." Leon apologized. "I saw the report. Seems like a lot of things have come together."

"It was hard…"

"But you made it. You can be proud of yourselves."

"It was not my merit. Zero did all the work. If only I had been stronger then…" Zane looked down at his knees and clenched his fists angrily.

There was silence for a moment as Leon murmured his agreement.

"So, what are you going to do now, Zane?"

"Huh?" Zane looked up.

"I see you've applied to the military and Shelter." He swiped at a report with Zane's credentials. "You still want that?" He looked at Zane, who seemed undecided. "After everything you've been through, it would be understandable if you withdrew your application."

Zane clenched his fists again, resting them on his knees.

"No, I want to become stronger!" Zane looked up.

"Seems like you've already made up your mind..." Leon nodded. "I'm not trying to rush you, but if that's really what you want, I might be able to help you out."

"Thank you!" Zane replied, gratitude written all over his face.

"No problem." Leon laughed and took one of the sandwiches.

"But…"

"Yes?" Leon wondered what Zane was getting at.

"Why are you helping me? You diverted the flight, didn't you? You got us the apartments and made sure Zero was treated. Why?" Zane looked at Leon uncertainly.

Leon swallowed his sandwich and took a sip from his glass.

Leon exhaled heavily. "I knew your father."

"What?" Zane startled.

"Your father saved my life during the Second Outbreak." Leon got up and walked to the window. "When the war was over and we heard about the attack, we rushed to you as fast as we could. But the riots had scattered our strength. By the time I got there it was over..."

Zane looked at Leon wide-eyed.

"I think I'm trying to amend for something." He looked at him with a sad expression.

"You don't have to..." Zane broke eye contact.

"It still haunts me to this day that there was nothing I could do." Leon sat back down and hesitantly looked at Zane. "Do you want to tell me what happened back then?" Immediately, he saw the panic flicker in Zane's eyes. "Sorry, I shouldn't have asked you...", he backtracked.

"I'll tell you..." Zane looked up. "You have the right to know..."

Zane began telling Leon about the hazy memories that kept haunting his dreams.

"That's what happened..." Leon replied dismayed. "Thank you, it sure isn't easy for you to tell us all that..." Leon looked at the tabletop.

"I'm sorry, it's all a blur and I barely remember."

"Don't blame yourself, you were little."

"I hardly remember my father's face or my mother's face..." Zane stared into the emptiness in front of him.

"Your father was a good man Zane... You resemble him." Leon said. "Do you remember what happened after that?" he asked further. "When I got to town... I thought everyone was dead..."

"I ran away with my sister..." Zane felt embarrassed.

"Your sister?" Leon wondered. "I didn't know you have a sister..."

"She's three or four years younger than me." Zane explained.

"I see... After the Outbreak we had a lot to do, and I only had sparse contact with your father..." Leon summed up. "Where have you gone?"

"I don't recall…" Zane tried to remember. "I only have vague memories of that time. The next thing I remember, someone put me in the orphanage."

"Post-traumatic memory loss..." Lucia interjected and Zane, disappointed in himself, looked over at her, who gave him an understanding smile.

"And your sister?"

"I don't know…"

"You want to look for her, don't you?" He looked at Zane, who met his gaze. "Let's take a short break..."

Zane stood at the sink and watched the sweat of fear gather on his forehead in the mirror. He had restrained himself from panicking as he told Leon about the events. But now fear seemed to catch up to him. He splashed water on his face in an attempt to quell the rising panic and looked at himself in the mirror.

I'm still too weak... he cursed himself.

"Everything OK?" Leon asked as Zane walked back into the office.

"Everything OK." Zane smiled

"Okay, back to the attack on Halsion." He swiped at the display and cleared his throat. "Anything unusual in the city? Did you notice anything? Anything you forgot to mention in the report?"

"No, nothing..." Zane seemed ashamed that he couldn't bring Leon any new insights.

"Don't worry. I just thought maybe after you got a few days of rest you might have remembered something else." Leon swiped at the report on a tablet in front of him while Zane continued to wonder if anything was different. That's when he remembered Deadra and Sora, whom he had never seen before, as Leon continued.

"I wonder if the..."

"It wasn't those two! They couldn't..." Zane interrupted Leon, immediately assuming Leon was getting at the both of them. "Sorry…"

"You mean the Infected and the Aku right? It's rare that anyone takes their side, especially after what you told me. Do you have a reason?"

"Zero… I'm doing this for him. He was taking care of the Infected in our town... They mean... They meant a lot to him."

"Right, Zero... I've read the reports about him..." He looked at Zane, who was getting visibly nervous. "But that's not what I meant..." Leon let the topic rest.

"Are you looking for something in particular?" Zane asked as Leon got up and walked to the window again.

"We are looking for the reason for this Outbreak." He looked out the window towards the ocean. "According to what you and all other respondents have reported, the epicenter was the hospital. I am trying to find out who is responsible for this."

"Responsible?" Zane startled.

"Yes, we suspect that the Outbreaks do not occur randomly. I can't tell you too much as most of the info is classified, but small Outbreaks like the one in Halsion are increasing in frequency."

Zane swallowed and looked at Leon wide-eyed.

"The scientists aren't sure, but they suspect that most of these come from dimensional or spatial rifts."

"Rifts?" Zane wondered and began to search his memories. That's when he remembered the pillar of light and that some of the Infected he'd seen seemed distorted, like a screen clutter.

"Most would think of you as crazy if you started talking about dimensions. But if you look at the Mytics, it's not that far-fetched."

"How do these rifts form?" Zane asked.

Leon turned from the window back to Zane. "We have limited information but there is a report that an Infected caused it."

"An Infected?" Zane immediately thought of Sora.

"Sir!" Lucia complained to Leon. "This is confidential information!"

"Oh, it must have slipped out." Leon laughed. "But we can trust Zane. Still, it's ironic..." Leon continued hesitantly. "Little girls call the monsters." Leon looked toward the city.

Zane lost himself in thoughts of Sora as Leon snapped him back to the present. "But yes, there is only one report that we have that suggests such a thing."

"Could it be that..." Zane began hesitantly.

"You mean the little one you brought with you? It's unlikely. Even if the Teikoku destroyed the slums outside, I doubt they intended or could even trigger an Outbreak. Besides, the epicenter was in the hospital…" Leon took some of the fear away from Zane. But one word still bothered him, unlikely.

"We don't know how much the Teikoku know, since Shelter keeps most information about the Outbreaks secret."

"Why would they do that?" Zane asked.

"Maybe to prevent worse? We don't know..." Leon explained. "We have few sources other than our own... But just imagine what would happen if news got out that Infected could cause Outbreaks. The efforts of the Anti-Evolved Movement would be destroyed and the Evolved would gain traction. Terrorists could use the Infected as a bargaining chip and weapon. The rumor alone would be fatal."

Concerned for Zero, Zane began to brood. He knew that Deadra and Sora meant a lot to Zero, but what Leon had just told him changed everything. Even if it was just a guess, what if it was true?

"The situation on Nykara is already complicated enough. Almost all parties are represented there." Leon continued and pressed a button, which darkened the window. A massive map of Nykara appeared on the now-blackened window. The amount of data was overwhelming. Hundreds of marked locations of cities, bases, and more, each with its affiliation were noted. Next to it were data on the moons surrounding Nykara. Some of them were so big that they even passed as planets since they had the corresponding ecosystem.

Most notable, however, were three entries.

The first showed a mighty city. New Horizon, the first colony on Nykara, its sheer size would cover the entire earth Zane had heard.

The second was a large black blob surrounded by small red icons. Among them, he also recognized some Shelter logos. BLACKZONE -Second Outbreak Site- was written there.

The third one showed largely the location of New Comound. The city of the Alliance. Which seemed diminishingly small compared to New Horizon.

"The Redzones are an open battlefield." Leon faded in another layer showing the current dominions. Blue-, Yellow-, and Redzones appeared along with the appropriate logos and flags of each faction that controlled each area. "And if you look closely, over 90% of Nykara's area is Redzones." Leon explained the general situation to Zane. "We don't actually know what's going on in the other zones. Let alone the Redzones or the Blackzone. Everything is relatively peaceful at the moment…" he looked at Zane.

"Shelter is keeping everyone in check now, but who knows how long they can until the powder keg we're sitting on blows up. And that's where you come in, Zane." Leon turned to Zane, and sunlight began to shine into the room as the map disappeared.

"Me?" Zane startled.

"Exactly, I want you to work for me."

"Why me?" Zane looked at Leon in disbelief. He had applied for the military but to work directly for the head of the capital's armed forces?

"I know this is all a bit sudden, but I want you by my side. With the Tactical Mages."

"The Tactical Mages..."

The Tactical Mages were one of the highest military units comparable to the Navy Seals during the old Earth days.

"You don't have to decide immediately." Lucia added. "Think about it. You can also work for other armed forces."

Zane began to brood. He had applied to the Tactical Mages and Shelter. Zane thought that was the best way to help people and maybe find his sister and his family's killer that way.

"I'd like to accept, but..."

"But?" asked Leon.

"Why me?" Zane looked at Leon seriously again.

"You don't beat around the bush. Of course, I'm planning something which I can't tell you the details as an uninvolved person. But I think you would have the right motivation for what I'm planning."

"As a graduate of the academy, you already meet the criteria for the Tactical Mages." Lucia explained the general selection criteria. "Of course, you will be tested, and you will enter as the lowest level mage. Mostly members of the military apply to the Tactical Mages. It's practically a promotion, but people also apply directly. So, it's not uncommon."

Zane nodded as he listened to the explanation.

"Your skepticism is justified." Leon continued. "Of course, you lack the experience that others already have from the military. But that's something that comes with time, plus you've got some experience already and from what I've seen on the exam. I'm not worried about that." Leon grinned.

"You saw that?" Zane wondered.

"Of course." Leon nodded.

"Do you want to reconsider?" Lucia asked. "The offer stands until you accept or decline..."

"I don't have to!" Zane agreed. "I gladly accept the offer."

"I'm glad!" Leon laughed and shook Zane's hand. "Seems I took a good man from Shelter. Lucia, can you take care of everything else?" He turned to her.

"Of course. Welcome to the Alliance Zane." She nodded at him.

"Thanks." Zane grinned. He couldn't believe he was about to join the Tactical Mages. He was one step closer to his goal. Now he just had to prove that he was worthy of the position and Leon's trust.