Herys and Eiden set out early in the morning as they were assigned an emergency mission last minute by Alcione.
The mission wasn't anything too difficult but it was still a ranked ai* mission so they needed to take it seriously.
Herys could hear Eiden's grumblings as they entered the shuttle that would bring them to the site they needed to investigate.
"Why are they sending us out when we are supposed to be on break?" He whined miserably.
Herys couldn't help but roll his eyes when looking at the young man's childish antics as he started to throw a tantrum. He seriously could not believe this was his partner. "Stop acting like a child and get it together."
Eiden looked at him with pitiful eyes as he strapped on his gear begrudgingly. "Why am I the only one who's upset? It's your day off too."
"I am upset but unlike you, I know how to keep my emotions in check." Herys replied as he packed the necessary equipment they would need for the mission.
"It's not good to keep your emotions bottled up like that Herys," Eiden said, his voice now sounding serious.
Herys was momentarily stunned as he looked up at the boy who had been previously throwing a fit and was now lecturing him as if he was the child.
"If you keep them bottled up like that, you'll explode. Isn't that what happened with Reina?"
On hearing that name Herys froze, but only for a moment as he kept his indifferent expression and continued to pack.
"Why are you bringing her up?"
Eiden who wasn't aware of Herys' growing anger and continued on with his tangent, blissfully unaware of his partner's growing irritation.
"It's the reason why Reina pushed you away. Because you never expressed yourself nor showed her your feelings."
Herys remained quiet as his eyes clouded.
"Well I'm ready when you are." Eiden said as he sat on one of the seats.
Herys nodded his head as he zipped their bags. He discreetly pulled out an anxiety patch from his med kit and taped it on his temples as he sat down. Pressing the button, it immediately alerted the shuttle that they were ready to leave.
Unlike the usual shuttles that could hold up to a thousand passengers, this mini shuttle could hold about ten people and was used only for missions or emergency trips. This shuttle worked a little differently than the usual ones since you needed to manually input your destination. Once the location was put in, the shuttle began its ascent to the sky.
Their mission today was to investigate a sighting that had been reported for suspicious activity over the last few days. Tension in the city had been going on for a while now and due to the public unrest, the Ventures had been going out in the field for the past few months in order to defuse the situation.
The nature of their mission was similar and it was Herys and Eiden's job to find out what was going on.
After thirty minutes in the shuttle, they had arrived in the outskirts of the city where most of the humans and unregistered lived. Upon seeing the fancy shuttle pull up in their neighbourhood, the humans that were outside quickly scurried into their homes doing their best to not get involved with them.
This kind of hostility wasn't anything unusual for the two boys but it was alarming that instead of getting wary or looks filled with indignation, they openly avoided them as if their presence scared them.
The boys didn't have the time to be concerned with the other résidence as They made their way towards the location mentioned in the report.
The old building loomed like a forgotten sentinel on the outskirts of the city. Its crumbling façade, once proud, now bears the scars of neglect and decay, with broken windows staring out like empty, haunted eyes. The entrance, framed by rotting wood and overgrown vines, beckons with an unsettling allure.
As the boys stepped inside, they're immediately swallowed by an oppressive darkness. The air is thick and suffocating, laden with the musty scent of mold and decay. Every footstep they took echoed ominously through the empty, cavernous space, amplifying the eerie silence that enveloped them.
The weight of the darkness was palpable, as though it concealed more than just the remnants of the building. An unsettling feeling of being watched pressed in on them, heightening their sense of dread.
Outside, the few remaining souls in the city's periphery watched them with eyes that glinted with unspoken warnings. Their gazes were sharp and filled with an anxious, almost desperate plea for the intruders to leave. It was as if something bad would happen to them the longer they stayed there.
Herys' eyes glowed as he moved further into the building, signalling to Eiden to follow closely behind him. They walked slowly in silence with their footsteps crunching n debris that had accumulated over years of neglect.
The oppressive darkness seemed to close in around them, swallowing up the glow in their eyes.The air was thick with the scent of rot and decay, and every echo of their movements heightened their sense of isolation.
Suddenly, a shuffling noise from deeper within the building drew their attention. Eiden's hand tightened around the hilt of his sword as he and Herys exchanged a wary glance. They moved cautiously towards the sound, their breaths shallow and tense.
As they rounded a corner, they came face to face with the a tall but frail figure. The person's eyes gleamed with a cold intensity from beneath the hood, and their cloak rustled ominously in the dim light. Without warning, the figure lunged at them, their movements sharp and precise.
Eiden blocked a swift strike with his blade, the clash reverberating through the empty space. Herys moved to intercept, his own weapon drawn and ready. The figure was skilled, their attacks strong and relentless, despite their frame but Eiden and Herys didm't have a hard time blocking their strikes. They were skilled swordsmen after all. It was quite clear that the unknown person was being driven back.
The confrontation continued, with Eiden and Herys coordinating their strikes and defenses with practiced efficiency. The figure's breathing grew ragged, their earlier composure slipping as they struggled to fend off the combined assault. A sudden cut from Herys left a thin line of blood on the figure's cloak, heightening their desperation.
Realizing they were outmatched, the figure's gaze darted around the room in search of an escape. With a swift motion, they pulled out a small, metallic device from their pocket. It was a device meant for quick transportation, one that was rare and costed a fortune.
A person such as themselves couldn't possibly be in possession of such a device. Before Eiden or Herys could even comprehend the situation, the device emitted a blinding flash of light accompanied by a low, humming noise.
The figure was enveloped in a swirling vortex of light and shadow, their form becoming increasingly indistinct. Eiden and Herys watched in stunned silence as the figure's presence was rapidly absorbed into the shimmering distortion. In an instant, the figure vanished, leaving behind only the faint echo of their final, frantic movements.
The room fell silent once more, the oppressive darkness pressing in on the two protagonists. Eiden and Herys stood in the wake of the sudden disappearance, their minds racing to comprehend what had just transpired. Outside, the distant, fearful eyes of the city's remaining inhabitants seemed to pierce through the walls, their unspoken warnings now a tangible weight pressing upon Eiden and Herys' shoulders.
"Well, shit just got complicated" Eiden muttered, his voice filled with a mix of frustration and apprehension.
Herys nodded, his gaze fixed on the spot where the figure had vanished. "Indeed."