Unknown
Unknown
Unknown
The night was thick with rain, each droplet cutting through the darkness like shards of glass. The facility alarms wailed behind them, a piercing sound that carried over the howling winds. Somewhere in the distance, voices shouted orders, the metallic stomp of Operators giving chase echoing through the dense forest.A woman ran.
Her breath came in ragged gasps, her body weak but her will unyielding. Her arms clutched her swollen stomach protectively as if her very being could shield the fragile life within. Pain lanced through her with every step, but she could not stop. Stopping meant death. Stopping meant failure.
Ahead of her, a figure in a black Operator's trench coat led the way, his movements sharp, and precise. A traitor. A ghost of Cognis. He had been one of their best—until tonight. Now, he was nothing more than a hunted man escorting a dying woman and the unborn child she carried.
"We're almost there!" the Operator shouted over the storm, his voice urgent but steady. "Just a little farther!"
She stumbled, her vision blurring as exhaustion sapped what little strength remained. He caught her before she could collapse, hoisting her up with ease.
"Not yet. You can't stop here."
She nodded weakly, her teeth gritted as she forced herself forward. Her body was failing, the Astral Energy surging erratically inside her, barely restrained. She had lost too much power escaping. The experimental bonds placed on her had drained her reserves, leaving her a flickering ember where once she had burned like a star.
They reached a secluded cave, hidden beneath the roots of an ancient, gnarled tree. Inside, the air was cold, but it was shelter—protection from those who hunted them.
She could go no further.
She collapsed onto the ground, a broken whisper escaping her lips. "It's time..."
The Operator moved quickly, setting up a small fire with a practiced efficiency. He had delivered death countless times before—but never life. Tonight, he would be forced to do both.
Her screams cut through the storm, raw and primal. The Astral Energy around her flared, illuminating the cave in an eerie glow. The very air vibrated with power as she channeled the last of her strength into one final act.
A cry.
A newborn's wail filled the cavern, piercing through the suffocating weight of death. The Operator caught the child in his arms, his hands shaking despite himself. A small, frail boy. His breath was steady, his skin warm—but something was missing. The Operator reached out with his senses and found nothing.
No Astral Signature. No psychic presence. The child was... empty.
The woman gasped, her vision fading, but she smiled weakly at the sound of her child's cry. "He… he's safe now…" Her fingers, trembling, reached out but barely brushed the boy's cheek before falling limp. The glow of her energy flickered once… then faded into nothing.
She was gone.
The Operator knelt there, staring at the baby in his arms. A child born without Astral Energy. A child with no place in this world of Espers and Rankers.
And yet… he had been hunted.
With a heavy sigh, the Operator stood, cradling the newborn close as he stepped out into the storm. The facility would keep searching. Cognis would not stop. Whatever this child was, he was worth killing for.
The Pitlands. That was the only place left.
"Rest easy," he murmured to the dead woman, offering her one last glance before disappearing into the rain.
"I'll raise him as my own."