The stars shone like clusters of crystals in the pitch-black sky, slowly flickering ever so brightly. The midnight scent was fresh, with a hint of rainwater. The breeze gently brushed against her lavender hair, as she walked down the streets of Ajespa, the city that never slept.Ajespa thrived on its nightlife, providing residents with numerous nightclubs, delicious street food vendors, 24/7 arcades, and other amazing services. Along with the serene landscapes and dazzling flowers in the daytime, Ajespa was almost like a fantasy world, lingering with otherworldly atmospheres. Yet, she felt alone in the dream-like city.The miraculous city built in just 19 years out of nothing was truly a feat for mankind. What started as a mere shelter turned into a vibrant cityscape, with buildings piercing the sky and shops of various goods. But Rae didn't think much of this feat.She trudged along the footpath up towards the mountaintop, climbing towards the peak that loomed over the valley."Ah, there you are...Rae Lioni. Your father says dinner is ready..."She silently sat on the cliff's edge and smiled, unfazed that she was half dangling off the cliff. The view of the valley allowed her to see the suburban areas of the city, where she had come from. The sound of the waterfall beneath her slowly filled the silence as the water rushed out, creating a calming sensation that soothed her mind of all negativities."Barton, why can't I go explore the world?" Rae began. She toyed with her hair, as the gentle evening breeze sent a cold and fuzzy feeling inside her."Rae, do you keep forgetting? You are the princess of Ajespa, you must continue the legacy...to protect our sacred kingdom!" Barton exclaimed. Rae had nothing to say to Barton's statement and remained in solitude, listening to the ambience."I'm going to go for a walk," Rae sighed, standing up. "Tell Father that I won't be there for dinner,"Rae was alone in such a big city. Even with the most advanced technology, she couldn't find anyone in person or online who would listen to her or be willing to befriend her."Princess! What are you doing here?" the locals asked as Rae passed the food stalls, down the main road. Rae didn't reply, for she disliked the amount of publicity she had as the princess.The streets were busy as usual, the flickering of neon signs and holographic text, igniting the paradise. Despite the beautiful surroundings, Rae couldn't help to notice one thing; a rather odd symbol almost stamped on all the large cardboard boxes that were filled with goods."What company is supplying this?" Rae asked a merchant."Great question! I don't know!" the merchant replied happily."Good one! M'lady, the company is called Anateros," a voice spoke."Yeah! Anateros!" the merchant added."Sounds sketchy..." Rae remarked, crossing her arms."What are you going do? Report us to security? Oh wait...there isn't any here!" the merchant laughed."Oh, just wait!" Rae snapped, walking away. She grabbed her phone and jumped onto the internet search bar, her fingers frantically typing the words: "Private Investigation".The engine produced millions of results at lightning speed, but one at the top immediately caught her eye. No, there was no mistake. She knew she had been searching bizarre things on the internet but for something to be this personal, Rae knew exactly what the service could do to her. There it was, on the page, the American Supernatural Intelligence Division.Rae quickly snapped a few photos of the streets and then rushed home, filling out the form for a case. She had high hopes that this would be an opportunity of a lifetime to find out the secrets that the city had.~Elias Novem was bored. Elias stared at the mundane white ceiling of his apartment, laying on his bed peacefully. The ASID wasn't kind enough to give Elias many cases, and having a long drought of cases, Elias was ecstatic when his phone vibrated a light green; it signalled to him that Tom had called."Elias! I'm here to assign you to your next case. Our top detectives are all busy working together on another case; hence we need you to solve this case!" Tom laughed. "It's in Georgia, we'll send you the details!""What?" Before Elias could begin and put together his thoughts, Tom had hung up and all Elias could hear was the silent static that rang in his ear.A red notification bubble suddenly alerted Elias upright once again, with the contents containing a single PDF file. Elias, hesitant to accept the case, opened the file to view the contents.The file introduced Ajespa, the city of wonder and Elias was hooked immediately. The photos present were bright and colourful, radiating with energy and hinting at an uneasy feeling of modernism. Elias rang Tom again, now standing up and changing into his navy jacket, excited to finally go on a case again. Elias was ready for adventure."What?" Tom demanded with an arrogant tone."When's my flight?" Elias questioned, a grin appearing on his face."Tomorrow morning, 8 am. Get some rest kid," Tom replied calmly, then hung up.~Elias finally reached Ajespa, where the commotion was high, and the mysteries were unsolved. What appeared as mountains to the naked eye, Elias recognised as a complex of mazes, marked by man-made signs that hinted at ancient ruins. He wandered the streets of Ajespa like a boy in a candy store; it was like a dreamland. It was too good to be true."Jeez, who's the client? And what is this mystery?" Elias thought to himself. Gazing at his surroundings, Elias witnessed several merchant stores and fresh food markets, tucked away in the open ground floor of the towering skyscrapers."Get fresh meat for only 200 Lari!" a vendor announced."What are those absurd prices?" Elias commented, throwing his hands up in disbelief. He approached the vendor to confront him about the prices. The vendor was a stout man with a wide grin, wiping his hands on an apron stained from a day's work. His stall was filled with an array of meats, wrapped in waxy paper, organised neatly into four evenly spaced rows."Two hundred Lari for meat? You do know people aren't made of money, right?" Elias said, folding his arms as he stared down the merchant.The merchant didn't flinch. Instead, he chuckled, looking Elias up and down. "What are you, a foreigner? These prices are normal! We get these quality meats from Anateros!""Anateros?" Elias questioned. "What is that?""You don't even know of Anateros?" the vendor scoffed, leaning forward. He stared down Elias, sending a terrible shiver down his spine that spooked him to the core. The vendor pointed towards the machine in the back, specifically at the logo that was engraved into the machine.The structure was composed of two triangular shapes: a small, compact one and a tall, slender one, arranged side-by-side to convey strength and precision. "Let me give you a quick history lesson, newbie. Anateros is one of the most powerful companies in the world, and they are the cornerstone of this city. Without them, we would be broken into pieces!"Elias sighed, turned away, and trudged down the bustling streets, only to notice the same logo everywhere he went. It was stuck in his head, with the imbalance of symmetry sparking new ideas in his head. Was this company the cornerstone of the city? What are their true motivations?"Anateros...sounds Greek-ish..." Elias mumbled, focusing on his thoughts. Elias was lost in his logic and kept walking forward, slowly losing focus on his way forward and tilting his head down to concentrate. The rhythmic beat of his footsteps only helped him sink deeper into his tangled state of mind, with his eyes tracing the ground.When the sudden ambience of his footsteps stopped abruptly, Elias felt a strong impact on his body, pushing him backwards. He found himself face-to-face with someone."Sorry," she said, quickly passing by Elias. Elias was wonderstruck. That lavender hair and that scarlet silk dress were an enchanting sight for Elias. He had first not seen a woman that beautiful in his life, and second of all, it came to his realisation that she was the princess of Ajespa, the heir to the throne, part of the royal family."Wait a moment!" Elias shouted, quickly turning around. The girl froze and looked behind her to see Elias gazing deep into her eyes. A warm sensation coursed through her, and a mysterious aura drew her closer to Elias."My name is Elias Novem, pleased to meet you, princess," Elias began. "I've been tasked by someone from this city for a private investigation?""You're...you're the one they sent?" the princess stumbled."Yes, I have been tasked by the American Supernatural Intelligence Division to come investigate the city of Ajespa,""Please call me Rae," Rae replied. "And I was the one who asked you to come...there's been a lot happening recently...""Indeed, that's what I've read on the news...""Follow me. I want to show you something..."Elias and Rae ascended the mountain along the footpath to Ajespan Manor, the royal family's estate. The garden was beautiful, especially during the evening as the sun had cast long beams of light that emphasised the colours of the flowers. The moment Elias stepped into the manor, an unseen, majestic energy enveloped him. It was a mystical aura that filled his mind with wonder. The interior was quite spacious and grandeur, although not matching the futuristic style of the rest of the city, it was littered with vintage items and paintings."Your father is sick Rae. And who's this fine gentleman?" the butler asked from the second floor, spotting Rae and Elias entering the manor."I made a friend, Barton!" Rae exclaimed. Elias was confused, as he was only just a detective on a case and didn't consider himself a friend of Rae, especially when he knew that she didn't have any friends."I see...""His name is Elias...Would father mind if he stayed for the night?""Oh well, I suppose. After all, I'm just a butler, following your father's orders," Barton explained. Soon after, he left the room, leaving Elias and Rae alone in the manor."I'm going to first change out of this dress, it's a mess," Rae smiled as she slipped into her room, changing into something more comfortable. It wasn't long until she was back out and ready to show Elias the bizarre tunnel."Alright, um," Rae mumbled, swaying from left to right. Elias immediately knew she was quite nervous, slowly moving towards the left side of the manor as if she were trying to direct him. He casually followed Rae's lead towards a locked door."Since I was young, my dad has never let me through this door. I've been so curious for the past few years, so I've tried many times, but I've been caught," Rae explained as she picked the lock on the door. Elias watched with worry as he knew if one's daughter was picking a lock, it was not a good sign of the future."Anyway, this is the perfect time! Father is sick so we can explore where the door leads. I need help solving this mystery. I can't do it alone; I need someone smart like you!" Rae smiled, opening the door as she finished her last words. "There! Let's go..."As they stepped inside, a heavy but gentle gust of air brushed their cheeks, sending a chilling sensation down their spines. Each step they took sent an uneasy tingling feeling into their bodies as the hallway became narrower, they went down."Look at these carvings..." Elias whispered."I know right? It's so magical!" Rae replied, giggling a little.The passageway began to slope downward, subtly at first, then more pronounced, and the air grew colder still. Rae saw it first; the hallway had ended right beneath their feet, and it marked the entrance of the dungeons. The sound of dripping water suddenly began echoing from above and Elias almost immediately spotted bones, giving him the chills."This is ancient Georgia, eh?" Elias remarked."I believe so. This is so cool!" Rae smiled. Soon, they reached an intersection with two doors on either side of the hallway. The left door, forbidding entry with a stern "Do Not Enter" sign, was firmly locked. However, the right door, bare of any warning, was not locked. Rae slowly pushed the door on the right open and revealed the ominous interior.The room was hollowed out, stretching to the vast size of the mountain's interior. Inside, nine giant mutant-like robots were neatly organised into a three-by-three grid, each looking like they were built yesterday. There were computers, and tools that lay around on the ground, scattered like a mad sea. Rae and Elias were both frozen in motion, like a stone statue.Elias had read stories of long-lost technologies, but to see them here, in the catacombs of Georgia, silent and unmoving, was surreal. Each robot loomed over him like a metal sentinel, waiting in eternal slumber.Rae approached the robot and reached out, her fingers grazing the cold silver. It felt almost alive as if she were touching something ancient, forbidden. Elias moved beside her, his eyes wide with fear and awe. For a moment, neither of them spoke. There was an unseen magical force that suddenly pressed against them.The emptiness of the room seemed to breathe around them, shadows shifting as the faint glow of their flashlights skimmed across hulking metal figures. Although there were nine robots in the room, each of them seemed to be gigantic, roughly about eight times larger than a normal human. They were all encased in layers of silver plating, still shining like it was polished a minute ago.Elias carefully weaved through the robots, his hand brushing the cold metal of a robot's arm. The bulky arms of the robots were cold and hard, knocking them sent a low vibration that echoed through the room.Meanwhile, Rae took an unconscious step back, the awe in her eyes mingling with a trace of fear. Rae was lost in her thoughts as she gazed at the huge robots. She closely inspected them and found guns attached to their backs and more firearms mounted into their arms. Rae began finding the robots more like war robots.Elias quickly scanned the room as he reached the other end and approached a small table in the corner. He began searching the tabletop, reaching for the opened book that lay flat on the table, flipping through its contents. He used his phone as an aid to translate passages to help him understand. The task was arduous, and Elias was devoted to learning something new about the mystery.Suddenly, footsteps echoed down the narrow needle-like hallways of the catacombs, slowly forming an ominous atmosphere cloaked with mystery. Elias quickly snapped photos of the pages and stood beside Rae."What are we going to do now?" Rae asked. "What if they come here?""There!" Elias murmured sharply, with his finger pointing to a small, unassuming wooden door hidden in the shadows at the far end of the room. Without hesitation, the two sprinted across the room towards the door, tugging it open and slipping inside before quickly pulling it shut behind them.The footsteps grew louder as the mysterious figure entered the room, now scanning the area. Rae carefully leaned back and gently pressed against Elias's body."Are you okay?" Elias whispered, wrapping his hand around Rae's body as he tried to steady his heartbeat. She nodded, exhaling in relief as they stood perfectly still."Hmph," the figure muttered in a frustrated tone. They then marched out of the room. Elias peered through the cracks, catching a glimpse of the figure as he left. He identified the figure as a tall, thin man in a dark shirt.Elias and Rae struggled for a while but slowly managed to crawl out of the cramped storage room. The two gathered all the information and headed out of the devilish room of robots, and back into the tunnels of the catacombs."Let's go back," Rae mumbled."Hang on, I need to check something. Go on ahead without me, I'll be right back..." Elias motioned as he approached the locked door. Rae quickly moved on by herself while Elias inspected the "Do Not Enter" sign much closer, and quickly realised the passkey to the lock.Elias had realised the combination was a 4-digit code and figured that the number of strokes each word had must have related to the password. Elias quickly counted the strokes and swiftly dialled the code '4616' into the rusty lock. The lock was uneasy to configure, with the numbers getting stuck easily but Elias powered through, and finally, the door magically opened.Elias gently leaned against the door and carefully pushed it open, unveiling an egg-like capsule in the middle of the room. His gaze fell upon a tattered book page, discarded on the floor. The remaining words displayed:"For he searched.The essence of the.And we did advance like.Cultivating technology.Burned us together;"Elias thought hard, ultimately resulting in him snapping a photo and leaving, not wanting anything to happen to Rae. Elias quickly rushed out of the room and realised Rae was long gone and was out of his sight."Rae!" Elias called out, echoing through the tunnels. Elias gracefully found his way out, back into the manor."Looking for the girl, Novem?" a voice crackled. Elias turned to see the man approaching him in his adorned black suit, walking with fashion towards him."You...You aren't a royal...You're just a butler!" Elias started, jerking backwards and positioning himself into a better stance."Of course, the Royal Family are just puppets of mine. This city, what you are seeing is just a fraction of my wealth!" the butler laughed."Well, Anateros is where I'll start disassembling your wealth," Elias snapped, slowly backing away."Oh? Getting your hopes up high, I see.""I already know everything!" Elias exclaimed. "This is just the beginning, and I will take you down..."Elias pushed the doors open of the manor and stepped outside, finally able to catch his breath. He sighed a deep sigh of relief and quickly regained his energy, then stood up and read over his notes again.Opening his notes app, Elias carefully analysed his findings. "Strange robots are hidden in catacombs. According to history, in 1551, the Persians invaded Vardzia, where Ajespa stood. Unless the Georgians had hid something here..."A sudden realisation ignited in Elias's mind as if a match had struck him aflame. Returning to the passage, Elias finally deciphered its meaning, discovering that the Georgians had hidden a treasure."Now if I can just find Rae..." Elias muttered, contemplating whether he should barge back into the manor. Elias decided to play it cool and waited, hiding in the nearby bushes. Soon enough the butler stepped outside the manor, checking his surroundings then jumping into a car."Let's go to Vroti Tower," the butler commanded. The chauffeur nodded, starting the car. As he drove, Elias strained to hear the conversation.Elias arrived at the tower soon after, holding a sinking feeling throughout his journey. The tower certainly felt like a trap and Elias was weary of it."Help me..." a voice rang. A slight tapping of glass echoed from above, followed by a sudden static whirring noise alarmed Elias, who jolted backwards at the flickering of the screen. The massive screen in the lobby suddenly turned on, with the butler's face on it."Hello Novem, looks like we meet again. What a sneaky little rat you are!" the butler laughed. "So, I'm guessing you've seen the War robots, eh?""What?" Elias sputtered, reassembling his thoughts completely."Those robots underground, in the catacombs! Don't lie, I can smell that scent from you! They will soon rise and help Anateros become a more powerful company!""So, I assumed..." Elias smirked, grinning. He was unfazed by the impending doom and pieced together the puzzle in his mind, now with his logic all cleared and actions unclouded."Ha! As if you're a superhero!" the butler laughed hysterically. He quickly turned off the camera that displayed his face and switched it to a different view of two cameras pointing at two distinct subjects."I know you've come to like the royal, so let's play a game, Novem," the butler giggled. The screen was split into two, with the first camera pointing towards Rae, being tied up by the hands. The camera panned down, pointing towards Elias who gazed up and saw Rae just a few floors above him. The other camera pointed towards a big red button, and the butler soon entered the frame."The girl? Or will you save the city? This button awakens my newest creations!"Elias hesitated, not knowing which option to choose. He knew he couldn't be the hero and perform both tasks; No, it was either Rae or the city."Too late!" the butler yelled. "Cut it!"A man swiftly cut the rope holding Rae up and she began falling. Then, the butler slammed the button hard with his fist. Elias didn't have a choice but to save Rae.Elias gracefully caught Rae as she descended, falling and hitting hard on his arms. "Oof! Are you alright?""Argh, I'm fine..." Rae groaned. Rae got on her feet again and Elias helped her out of the building.A deafening whirring sound began to stir up as they stepped foot outside the Vroti Tower and what the two saw shocked them. The ground, the streets, and the land began to split in half and open into a giant enormous cave underneath them, unveiling a giant army of metal war robots."Behold! The creations of the wisest civilisation, the Georgians! Bring me power, war robots!" the butler shouted as he stood on the top floor of the Vroti tower."Barton Colerico..." Rae muttered."That's his name?" Elias asked."Yes...""No wonder...That man has been America's most wanted for decades now...appearing on hundreds of headlines..." Elias explained. "He is a true mastermind..."As Barton's laughter echoed through the tower, Rae's heart began to pound faster, matching the rhythm of the chaos surrounding her.The robots suddenly produced a deep and ominous grunt, shaking the very Earth and scaring the residents. The robots began hunting the residents like tiny ants, stomping on them and destroying nearby buildings; all but except the Vroti Tower.Rae, we need to move!" Elias's voice was strained, but she hesitated, glancing back at Barton."Try to run! It will not be much longer until I gain control of the world!" Barton roared.Rae gripped Elias's hand tightly, and together, they dashed for the exit as the ground trembled. Metal fragments sprayed past them, a relentless wave of heat and force. Rae stumbled, her chest heaving, each step pulling her farther from the only life she had ever known and closer to an uncertain future."Aaah!" Rae screamed as an arm flailed across her eyes. The war robots slowly awakened, their mechanical limbs creaking as they rose to infest the city."To the castle!" Elias shouted as he found an empty car parked on the side."Do you even know how to drive?" Rae asked."Relax! I got my licence 3 months ago!" Surprisingly, no war robots attempted to get in Elias's way, and they casually made it to the castle without any incidents. The war robots acted as if there was a repellent on them, guiding them away from him."This is so strange..." Elias remarked, looking back down at the city."Rae! There you are!" a voice shouted."Dad? You're awake?" Rae stuttered, unable to piece her words together."There's something I need to tell you. I always knew this day would come; I didn't expect it to arrive so soon. It's the end of the world..." Rae's father began."What is it, Dad? Dad? Randall?" Rae asked, now extremely eager."That's the thing. I'm not your father. And I can't say if you are adopted or not..."Rae's heart suddenly skipped a beat. "What are you talking about?""Listen! After the fateful invasion in 1551, my family was tasked to guard and research the area. We've been the guardians of this place. After discovering the war robots, we wanted to restore them to see what they could do. But none of us were capable. That's why, 19 years ago we asked mastermind Barton Colerico to help us fix these robots.""I get it!" Elias interrupted."He said it would cost a fortune to fix..." Randall continued."And that's why Ajespa's merchants have such overpriced goods! They must all be working for Anateros!" Elias realised."Correct. For you Rae, Barton found you in a peculiar egg hidden away in the depths of the catacombs...""Dad...I..." Rae began, panicking."Rae, it's okay," Elias whispered, placing his hand on her shoulder, trying to calm her down."He brought you here, and we took care of you. We didn't know what to do with you, so we just cared for you...Oh, now we left Barton in charge of the robots...We strayed too far, and he took control...How foolish I am..." Randall sighed."You're missing something..." Elias hesitated."What?""If Rae was found in the catacombs, and was in that egg thing...She has been alive for over 3 centuries...The Georgians were known for their wisdom, and after what I saw of the egg, it's like a cryonic device, allowing Rae to be transferred to the future...""What are you saying?" Randall interrupted, now intrigued. He gazed into Elias's midnight black eyes, flawlessly deciphering the century-long mystery."I'm saying Rae is a descendant of the Georgians and could have the ability to control the robots. Think about it! Their wisdom rivals modern technology. Who knows if they have voice commands or something?""Rae, try it! You must help us stop this madness Barton is doing!" Randall begged."The truth is, Rae is technically the queen of Georgia. If I'm not wrong, the war robots were supposed to be designed as bodyguards that would protect her and free her from her century-long cryofreeze, but they were never finished. Instead, Barton had continued the Persian's work, freed Rae and altered the robots' code.""Ok...okay..." Rae replied, catching her breath. Rae's heart hammered in her chest at a high tempo, with the echo of the beat seeming louder than the mechanical hum surrounding her. How were these machines supposed to be bodyguards? Rae felt the heavy weight of burdens the Georgians carried on her shoulders, as if her ancestors watched, waiting to see what the future queen would do.Rae looked down at her hands, then at Elias's eyes. Again, she saw only death in his eyes, but she knew that he had something special about him. Rae had never felt anything like this, and trusting in Elias was something hard for her to swallow. She quickly directed her attention back towards the robots and inhaled deeply, channelling her strength from a place she didn't know existed, and prepared to speak."Stop!"To their surprise, there was a long delay, then silence. The city fell quiet, and the robots stopped the loud whirring noise and froze in motion."What? What happened?" Barton exclaimed in utter disbelief, leaning over the edge of the Vroti tower to see the chaos unfold. "Why did they stop?""Hey Rae, what if you asked them to get Barton Colerico?" Elias suggested, smiling.Rae blushed, nodded and went through with Elias's idea. Again, shouting at the top of her lungs, Rae commanded the robots. "Get me Barton Colerico!"The robots scanned the area, finding Barton Colerico. The closest robot leaned down towards Barton and plucked him like a cherry."Hey! Let go of me! Argh!" Barton squirmed. The machine marched towards Rae and threw him in front of her. This was a miraculous moment as peace and silence engulfed the whole city. Barton sprawled at Rae's feet, his expression twisting between anger and shock."Ugh...screw your royalty! I knew I shouldn't have freed you from that stupid egg..." Barton whimpered as he struggled to get up,"You're coming with me back to the States, buddy. You got a $500 million bounty on your head!" Elias laughed."You think I'm going down that easily?" Barton laughed with his last breath. Then, like a cruel twist of fate, his hand slipped to his jacket, pulling out the small device as his lips curled into a smirk. "You may have solved this case, but it will cost you your life..."There was a very subtle beeping sound at first, with Elias not even noticing. The sound gradually grew louder and louder until Rae heard it and pulled Elias towards her.A thunderous roar, hellish red fire and chunks of metal began spewing everywhere and one by one, the robots began to detonate, erupting and breaking apart. There was nothing but explosions. Rae, Elias, and Randall barely had time to dive for cover as the force of the explosions had sent large chunks of debris sky-high, piercing the ground as they came flying down."Larry! Bring down the chopper! Get me out of here!" Barton yelled into his earpiece.Elias, Rae and Randall ran for cover as Barton ran towards the cliff's edge, swiftly jumping on the helicopter his men were piloting. "We'll meet again, Elias!"Elias gave Barton a dirty look as he ran for cover.The three quickly made their way to the manor's walls, estimating it was probably the safest place to take cover.Suddenly, Elias's phone rang. Elias picked up the phone as he watched the city skyline crumble, each tower and building slowly disintegrating right in front of him."Novem, this is Sylvester from the American Supernatural Intelligence Division! I've picked up some unusual activity near your location. Where on earth did Tom send you this time? Do you need a ride back? It looks like you are in a nuke zone now," the agent warned, his voice laced with urgency."Yes, and please hurry up!" Elias exclaimed."Yep! We have a speed jet on its way from Zestafoni that landed for a research project a couple of hours ago. It'll be there in about 5 minutes!" the line hung up and Elias cleaned up his thoughts, thinking of what to do next."At least the city of lies is gone..." Randall smiled as the city slowly crumbled, leaving only the ancient natural terrain behind. He leant against the brick wall of the manor, as a tear fell from his eyes. "Isn't it beautiful?""Yes Dad, I love you..." Rae cried, holding him tight."Rae darling...I think it's time you left the chains Vardzia and Georgia hold you...I know you aren't capable of this position, and I think everyone should learn the true history of the Georgians, here in Vardzia. It's time for you to explore the world. Who knows what you'll encounter?""Really?" Rae sniffed. She couldn't hold her tears back anymore and started weeping, crying on her old man's shoulder. She looked into his eyes, the familiar kindness and strength that had always anchored her, and for a moment, the weight she carried faded. Randall smiled and kissed her on the forehead."Yes, Barton has only been feeding you lies. The world now is so much better than it was 3 centuries ago. It's okay, I have always loved you," Randall smiled, his eyes softening. "You were always destined for more, Rae. Vardzia may be your birthplace, but the world beyond awaits you. Go live it fully, for me, for your ancestors. Elias will help you; he seems like such a sweet boy.""Randall!" another voice shouted."Maria! Come on, hurry! You're going to die!" Randall shouted. "C'mon, I promise we'll be here the next time you visit Rae. Your mother and I will always be here. Now go!"Rae glanced back one last time at the city skyline. She had been a victim of her legacy, but now she was free. With a final breath, she turned away from the city and stepped forward, embracing the world that waited beyond."Let's go. The plane is here...We don't want to miss it..." Elias motioned. Rae nodded, gave her father a final goodbye kiss, and then walked away. She followed closely with Elias, running towards the plane without looking back."I guess this is Ajespa's Acrimony..." Randall laughed."At least it's over and history is history," Maria added. The plane quickly took off and Rae was gone, with Elias to explore the world."What do you want to do first?" Elias smiled."I don't know, you're the expert! You tell me!" Rae laughed as she rested her head on Elias's shoulder. Elias looked out the window and took a sigh of relief, with the case finally being closed. He also knew that Barton and Anateros were far from being out of business.