Inside the bunker, the air felt heavy.
Groans of pain while wounds were being bandaged.
The low hum of machines.
Everything only made it clearer—this place was no longer safe.
Specter touched the still-aching wound on his shoulder, his voice rough.
"Lysander found us. That means it's only a matter of time now. The organization isn't something we can underestimate. We have to move."
Orion leaned back against the wall, letting out a dry laugh.
"And go where? Keep running forever?"
Noir lifted her gaze. Under the pale yellow lights, her blue–red eyes flickered.
"We can hold this place for a short while. But once they lock onto us… they won't let go."
Ari spoke up quietly.
"So they'll just sit there and starve us out?"
No one answered. A few slow nods said enough.
"Ah!"
*Dr. Aurel suddenly stood up*
Everyone turned to him, confused, until he spoke again.
"There is a place. But it used to be home to several raider gangs. They were wiped out long ago."
Orion clicked his tongue, getting it instantly.
"Gotcha. The most dangerous place is the safest one."
"Yes," Dr. Aurel confirmed.
Kaelith, who had been sitting nearby, hesitated before asking,
"But… when I was still in VOID, I heard Lysander was really dangerous. What if—"
Orion cut in, trying to calm her down.
"Hey, girl, relax. Look. We've got genius Doctor Aurel, machine-brain Specter, Ari holding the fort, a sword master like me—"
He grinned.
"—and that unmelting block of ice over there. What's there to be afraid of?"
Noir shot him a familiar glare.
The room eased up a little. No one objected.
The decision was made.
They chose to rest and recover first.
Kaelith simply blinked her big eyes and did as she was told.
She poured water into glass cups and handed them out one by one.
When she reached Noir—
"Noir… drink some. You need strength if you're going to lead us."
Her voice trembled slightly, but it was sincere.
Noir glanced at her, then took the glass.
The warmth of it made her realize her hand was shaking—from pain, from exhaustion.
She took a sip, set it down. Her gaze softened, just a little.
"Thanks."
Kaelith smiled faintly, her eyes lighting up, as if she had found something to hold onto in the chaos.
While everyone packed supplies, checked weapons, prepared to move.
But no one in the bunker knew.
From beginning to end, something had been quietly watching them.
Patient. Unhurried. Waiting for the right moment.
The glass in Noir's hand was still warm.
She didn't know that something had already been mixed into the water—
slowly seeping into her system.
In a corner of the bunker, Kaelith slid down the wall until her legs gave out, sitting on the cold ground. Her eyes flickered with something unreadable.
Beside her ear, a soft click sounded.
A micro-transmitter—hidden inside the necklace around her neck—had just sent its signal.
A red light blinked once.
Data transmitted.
No one noticed.
No one suspected a thing.
Early the next morning, before the sun rose, mist still clinging to the path—
As the group prepared to leave, Kaelith smiled, hiding everything, continuing to play the role of the girl who needed protection.
But somewhere else, the organization had already received a new set of coordinates.
Their new hideout lay deep underground, far from the forest Lysander had traced before.
Specter and the doctor began installing analysis systems again.
Ari checked documents.
Kaelith helped move supplies.
The atmosphere slowly returned to something close to normal—
as if the chaos of the previous night had never happened.
New data pulled from the organization's systems kept flowing in.
Fragments. Codes. Pieces fitting together, forming a map of the enemy's power.
Given enough time, they might truly have a chance to tear the organization down from its roots.
Noir stood still in a dark room, fingers brushing against the cold stone wall.
She had fully learned to control her eyes now.
Learned how to balance both the "human" part of herself and the "machine."
Everything should have been fine.
Yet deep in her chest, a sense of unease kept tapping, over and over.
She heard Kaelith's soft laughter echoing from the hallway.
Clear. Innocent. Untouched.
And still… something felt missing.
Between those smiles, between those naive gestures, there was a cold gap—
something Noir couldn't explain.
She pulled her coat tighter around her shoulders, her gaze darkening.
A question surfaced in her mind, without an answer.
/Am I being watched… by someone I trust?/
Somewhere far away
Lysander stared at an electronic map, the glow carving sharp shadows across his face.
/Keep going, Noir…/
A red dot blinked repeatedly.
No sound.
No movement.
Only a suffocating silence, heavier than ever.