The base was alive with motion.
Steel rang against steel.
Breath cut through silence.
Bodies trained as if tomorrow demanded payment.
[Karry]
Sweat rolled down his back as his fists struck the training dummy again and again. Each impact echoed the same thought—
Earth was not alone.
Reports replayed in his mind.
Distortions.
Disappearances.
And the name whispered by things that fell from the sky.
Pseudo Entity.
A title even monsters feared.
Karry exhaled and struck harder.
[Sasha]
Across the indoor training ground, Sasha moved with discipline.
Katana first—precise, controlled.
Then the firearm—steady, lethal.
No wasted motion.
No hesitation.
Trust was a weakness she could not afford.
[Arnold]
Behind sealed doors, Arnold stood before a holographic screen.
Files flickered—fragmented, incomplete, corrupted.
Black silhouettes.
Ruins marked in red.
Data stamped UNKNOWN ORIGIN.
Every path led to the same conclusion:
They were being watched.
Arnold closed the file.
Somewhere Beyond
Not a place.
Not a world.
An unknown figure stood within folded darkness.
"Why did you seal Earth?" the figure asked calmly.
"You were the one who wiped out the demons."
Silence followed.
Then—
Crimson eyes opened.
"Relax," the crimson-eyed figure replied.
"I've been hiding from the Higher Authorities for a long time."
A pause.
"You'll know when you need to."
The void shifted slightly.
"And it seems," he added,
"the Dark King has already done his part."
The presence withdrew.
Nothing followed.
[The Call]
Arnold stepped out onto the training floor.
"Karry," he said.
"Call Sasha. Both of you—my office."
On the Way
Sasha turned as Karry approached.
"Arnold's calling us," Karry said.
They walked together.
For a brief moment, Karry looked away—Sasha stood calm after training, composed and strong.
He suppressed the thought.
"Do you think the one in the black suit is an enemy," Sasha asked,
"or an ally?"
Karry shook his head.
"I don't know," he answered.
"All I know is the creatures from the sky fear him."
He paused.
"Maybe the monsters we feared as kids were real."
Sasha slowed.
"I'm sorry," she said quietly.
"If I treated you harshly before… I don't trust easily."
Karry smiled faintly.
"You don't have to trust me," he replied.
"Just do your part."
She nodded.
They continued.
[The Mission]
Arnold stood waiting.
"We can't eliminate targets anymore," he said.
"They're watching."
He placed a data-map on the table.
"You're being sent on a covert mission. Ruins. Abandoned zones. Forgotten sectors."
His gaze hardened.
"Find information. Nothing else."
They nodded.
"One more thing," Arnold added.
"Kernel will join you on the way."
"Yes, sir," they said together.
They turned and left.
[After]
Alone, Arnold sat down slowly.
"I'm sorry," he murmured.
"The truth won't be kind to you."
Outside the base—
the search had begun.
And far beyond Earth—
something waited.
[End of Chapter 12]