A black hovercraft sped through the streets of Papati, the red and blue lights on its roof blinking, a signal to other vehicles to make way. It was en route to downtown Crisoto, where Falnora's largest hospital, Serenity Halls, was based. It was also the only hospital with a morgue.
Inside the hovercraft were Sergeant Rhashan, Captain Gilbert, and Major Heinrich, all three military officials lost in thought.
A code red? Rhashan wondered in shock.
Every new recruit of the royal military received a briefing on the most basic and important things to note when they join, and one of those things was the codes.
There were three codes: blue, red, and black. A code blue meant a distress call, signaling the special squad that things were getting heated and they should be on standby.
Most times, when a code blue was issued, it ended up not being followed up because the blue legion and other branches of the military in the Northern Empire were very efficient. By the time a code blue had been issued, the situation would have been naturally taken care of. This was why no one saw a code blue as anything serious.
The next was a code red. A code red meant things had gotten out of hand and the special squad needed to intervene as soon as possible. This was usually a big deal because in the underground world and the dark corners of the Northern Empire, the special squad was known as the royal military Bloodhounds.
The few times that a code red had been issued, it had been resolved extremely quickly, as if the problem just vanished. The name Bloodhounds terrified all who lived in the shadows, and they always made sure to maintain a balance in chaos and order.
One could only imagine how terrifying the Bloodhounds had to be for them to be feared so much. Rhashan had only heard rumors of them, and he was excited that he would soon get to witness them in action. But most of all, he was terrified at the prospect that the situation was one that required the special squad to intervene.
While it was true that the special squad was terrifying, so were whoever the royal military deemed worthy enough to face them. In all instances of a code red, the villains were terrifying entities too. They were people that made officers of the royal military cower in fear at the mention of their names.
"What exactly is your guess that would make you think this case is worthy of a code red?" Gilbert asked, breaking the silence.
Rhashan also looked towards the major, wondering what this man had seen to make him think that a code red needed to be issued.
"I sense something extremely sinister. If I'm right, it is definitely worthy of a code red. Unfortunately, I can't tell you its complete details due to the security clearance level."
"You mean…"
"Yes, this case is connected to a file. Codename; Abomination."
Rhashan's eyes widened once again. He didn't seem to be able to get through all these surprises. A file that had a codename wasn't any ordinary case. In fact, only code red files were deemed worthy of codenames.
Rhashan's heart pumped furiously in his chest, his fists clenched as his body trembled subtly. But it wasn't from fear. No, it was excitement.
This is it! The reason why I quit being a mercenary and joined the royal military! This thrill!
"This is even more serious than I thought. Every codename file contains information about the most horrible times in history. Times when even special squad officers die in battle. I hope this isn't one of those times."
The inside of the hovercraft became silent once more as they waited for the vehicle to get to its destination.
A few minutes later, the vehicle finally came to a halt. The door opened and the three military officers stepped out. Rhashan's eyes locked onto the large glowing neon sign that decorated the top of the large building.
"Serenity Hospital…" he muttered as he followed behind Heinrich and Gilbert into the hospital.
The moment they entered, a nurse approached them.
Overweight, probably around three hundred pounds. A mole under her lips, dark-skinned, mid-thirties. Rhashan immediately assessed the lady that approached them. She was dressed in a white nursing gown.
"Good afternoon, sirs. How may I help you?" she asked politely, her dark eyes hinting at fear.
Although she didn't know who the three men were, from the epaulet on Rhashan's shoulder, she guessed they must be related to the military.
Heinrich glanced at the name tag above the lady's humongous breasts before speaking.
"Sarah, we are with the royal military," he began, gesturing towards Rhashan before continuing. "Some bodies were brought in here earlier this night. We need to examine them."
"Give me a second, sir," the nurse said. She hurried back to her desk and began to speak into a transceiver on it.
A few moments later, she hurried back to them. "The head doctor is on his way," she replied respectfully.
Heinrich nodded, and the three military men waited patiently. A few minutes later, a silver door, which led into a lift, opened, and a short man walked out.
His eyes, light brown, locked onto the military men immediately, and he hurried over.
"I'm head doctor, David Poshell," he said, his voice childish even though he looked to be in his late fifties.
Heinrich stepped back just as Rhashan stepped forward to shake the doctor's small hands.
"Sergeant Rhashan of the blue legion."
"Sergeant, to what do I owe this pleasure?" the doctor asked.
"Some bodies were escorted here earlier by my team. We need to do a quick check on them."
"May I ask why?" the doctor replied. It was protocol that he made sure he knew everything that was going on.
"We believe that they hold clues to help resolve a case. One that poses a great threat to the empire."
Doctor Poshell's eyes widened as he took a step back. His expression immediately turned grave.
"Follow me."