The soldier follows the Major and eyes me before shaking his head in refusal. "I'm sorry, Major, but it is not possible. The Captain is very specific in this matter. He only wants to see you, so it is critical that you come alone. Your men will not be harmed if they are who they appear to be."
"What does that mean!?" the Major questions. The air crackles as a result of her heightened emotion, but it does not erupt into flames just yet. She is showing restrains. "Are you saying that my men have been somehow infected?"
The soldier nods. "Not just your men, but it is likely yourself as well. So please, follow me, and do not try to do anything, as we have standing order to shoot to kill."
"Shoot to kill? How many?" The Major asks before gesturing her hand to tell me to stay put and behave – as if I am going to stay put and behave.
As for her question, she is referring to the chain of command. Without a proper chain of command, it would result in anarchy.
"That is classified, Major. For you right now," the soldier responses and escorts the Major away while I and the rest are escorted into a nearby building with a lot of armed men. Hopefully not for execution, as I do not want to cause a massacre.
"Do not try anything or we will shoot to kill," one of the soldiers announces and directs each and every person to a spot along the walls. Even the children are separated, and most of them are crying. Adults too. "Stop crying! You're not fucking fooling anyone!"
He is waving his rifle around, on the edge of pulling the trigger.
"Oi. Oi. Calm down," another soldier calls out before taking over the leadership position, and he is far more levelled head even if he appears to be stressed as well.
I sit where I am told to sit while most of the people does the same. Those who doesn't get greeted by the butt of a rifle, and if they are knocked out, they are dragged to their assigned position. That alone tells me the seriousness of the situation.
And I can understand.
Since I cannot leave without causing a scene, I decide to stay put, at least physically. I rest my eyes to focus my Spiritual Power, shaping and moulding it into a form. Unlike the previous Spiritual Body, I do not impart my will upon it.
But rather, my will is possessing it.
As a Spirit, I blink and look at the entire world in a different light. I notice immediately the glow around everyone. Some are very faint, telling me that their Spiritual Potential is nonexistence. Some are very bright, telling the reverse. If they awakened their Spiritual Power, they can be quite powerful.
Not only people have glows to them. Everything else does to, to a certain extend. I also notice the flow of the natural energies of the world. It is spirally towards a singularity – A Spiritual Gateway. That is a surprise, and it is only partially sealed thanks to the formation of the Life Zone. Lucky!
I can't leave for the Spiritual World right now even if I really wanted to since there are lot of recruitable spirits on the other side.
As such, I phase through the wall and step back outside.
I immediately chase after the Major, as she will probably need my help from what I have noticed as a Spirit.