Atharva paused for a brief moment as he listened to the old man speak. Sensing his confusion, the old man continued.
"We have protected this Layer from foreign intrusion for a long time, making it safe for us to stay. But the same cannot be said for the one above. Not to mention that damn tree that has been reared as the pet by those in the Higher Layers. And we need the Chief to be prepared for that. Not to mention those pesky rats from the Parliament, we can't trust them."
Realization dawned to Atharva who only nodded in response. Following which, the old man handed Aria to Atharva and the duo disappeared.
****
Aria opened his eyes as he felt a trembling pain running throughout his body, only to find himself at an unknown location. Looking at his body, he noticed his entire body was covered in bandages. With great difficulty, he moved his upper body to check the surroundings. For some reason, there was no information on the interface.
