Purgatory of the Blue Flame: Vallcera

The three suns had already disappeared beneath the horizon by the time Tatsuchi made her way back into Vallcera. 

One by one, the three moons began rising over the city, their pale light slowly replacing the orange glow that had lingered between the buildings. The streets were still packed despite the late hour. Music played from speakers mounted along the roads, vendors shouted over one another as they served the last customers of the evening, and groups of families moved through the festival carrying bags full of food and souvenirs. Children ran between their parents while older couples stood beneath the lights hanging across the streets, taking pictures of the decorations. Vallcera was still awake, still moving, still enjoying itself.

Tatsuchi barely noticed any of it.

She walked through the middle of the crowd with her hands resting at her sides, her purple eyes staring ahead without really focusing on anything. Her white-streaked hair had fallen messily across her face, and she hadn't bothered fixing it since leaving Victor Combs' office. Every few seconds, the sound of laughter or music seemed to fade beneath a faint static that had settled somewhere in her ears. It wasn't loud enough to drown anything out, but it was always there, quietly irritating her while her mind continued going over everything she'd seen beneath the office.

The hallway.

The white flames.

The chains.

The prisoners.

The figure that looked like Ichirou.

Tatsuchi's expression tightened as she tried to force herself back into the present. She looked toward one of the large screens hanging above an intersection, where an advertisement for a local festival attraction played while people gathered underneath it. A woman nearby was arguing with her husband about where they should eat, while a group of teenagers took turns posing for pictures in front of a massive illuminated sculpture. Someone was playing music farther down the street, and a vendor was calling out to passing customers about freshly made snow cones.

A group of little kids suddenly ran past Tatsuchi, laughing as they chased each other through the crowd. One of them turned around to look at his friends and didn't notice Tatsuchi standing directly in front of him until it was too late. He bumped into her arm, and the snow cone in his hand slipped free, splashing cold syrup and ice across her sleeve.

The sensation immediately changed.

The noise of the city seemed to disappear behind it as the cold spread from her arm toward her shoulder. Tatsuchi's breath caught, and for a moment the chill felt as though it was crawling up her neck and tightening around her throat. Her hand moved toward her sword before she consciously realized what she was doing.

She stopped herself.

Her fingers remained just above the hilt as she stared at the snow melting against her skin. The children had already moved several feet away, laughing nervously and throwing apologies over their shoulders before disappearing back into the crowd. They had no idea what had almost happened. Tatsuchi slowly lowered her hand and tried to breathe normally, but her body remained tense.

"Tatsuchi."

She turned around.

Asumi stood behind her, watching her carefully. Her pink hair shifted in the evening breeze as she glanced toward Tatsuchi's hand before looking back at her face. Tatsuchi tried taking another step forward and immediately realized that she couldn't move.

She looked down.

Her shadow was locked against the pavement.

"I didn't know you could do that with your shadow," Tatsuchi said. "You could've warned me before freezing me in place. For a second, I thought something else had grabbed me."

Asumi walked toward her, her own shadow stretching across the pavement beneath the festival lights. She stopped behind Tatsuchi and placed one hand gently on her shoulder before releasing the technique. The pressure holding Tatsuchi in place disappeared immediately, leaving her arms feeling strangely numb.

"There's a lot of things I'm capable of," Asumi said. "Most of them aren't things I get the chance to show off in the middle of a crowded festival. Besides, you were about to draw your sword over a spilled snow cone, and I figured stopping you was safer than explaining yourself to an entire street full of witnesses."

Tatsuchi shook her arms a few times, trying to get the feeling back into them. "Apparently. Though next time, try saying my name before you trap my shadow. It might save me from thinking I've been attacked."

Asumi's eyes suddenly lit up. "Oh! So you do want me to say your name first?"

Tatsuchi stared at her. "I said before you trap my shadow."

"Right, right. Important distinction." Asumi leaned closer, lowering her voice dramatically. "Though if you want, I can announce it even louder next time.'"

"Don't."

"Understood! I'll make it even more impressive and completely silent."
Asumi's smile lingered for half a second too long. Then her eyes flicked down to Tatsuchi's shadow.
"There are a lot of things you don't know about me yet," she said quietly.

The words carried a faint edge that didn't belong in her playful voice. For an instant, the shadow beneath Tatsuchi's feet seemed darker than the pavement around it, stretching toward Asumi's shoes like something listening.

Then Asumi blinked and brightened again. "But don't worry! If I ever decide to reveal my terrible secrets, I'll prepare snacks first." Before Tatsuchi could respond, Zhenyu came walking through the crowd behind them. He looked between the two girls, then toward the streets around them as if checking whether anyone else from the Gate Guard was nearby.

"Are we alone in Harpyra?" he asked. "I mean completely alone. I don't want to start talking about Victor or the Revolutionary Army only to discover that half the Gate Guard is listening from behind a food stall."

Tatsuchi started walking again, and Asumi followed beside her. "Not exactly. I dispatched about half of the thirteenth Gate Guard to make rounds throughout the desert. They aren't following us directly, but they're spread out across the region and keeping watch." Zhenyu's eyebrows rose. "You did that without telling us? We could've used that information earlier, especially after everything that happened today."

"I needed to make sure everything didn't become an even bigger wasteland than it already is with the absence of the Tenth Gate Guard. If I had waited for everyone's approval, we'd still be arguing about where to send them while the rest of Harpyra went completely unprotected."

Asumi threw both hands into the air. "Exactly! See? Tatsuchi made a decision, and it was a good one. Everyone applaud!" A few nearby festivalgoers glanced over. Tatsuchi didn't look at her. "Please stop encouraging him." "I'm not encouraging him." Asumi spun around while walking backward, pointing at Tatsuchi with both hands. "Captain Tatsuchi: decisive, responsible, terrifyingly practical, and apparently willing to deploy half a guard without telling anyone."

"Walk forward."

"I am walking forward. I'm just doing it in reverse."

"You're going to hit someone."
Asumi turned around just in time to avoid colliding with a food stall. "See? Perfectly safe!" She said that she almost tripped over her own weight.

The three continued through the festival, weaving around groups of people while Tatsuchi spoke. They passed a row of food stalls where cooks worked over hot grills, sending smoke and the smell of roasted meat into the street. A pair of performers were entertaining a crowd farther ahead, while several children tried to imitate their movements. Zhenyu had to step around one of them before continuing the conversation.

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?" he asked. "We could've used the extra manpower when we fought the Skinwalkers and Kaguya. Even if they couldn't have changed the outcome, having more people there might've kept some of us from getting nearly killed."

Tatsuchi glanced at him.

The look alone made Zhenyu slow down. "We barely survived Kaguya," she said. "Do you really think the unextraordinary would've done us any better? They would've been caught in the same attack, and then we'd have been responsible for protecting them too. And didn't you take the man's arm?"

Zhenyu opened his mouth, then stopped himself. He looked down at the pavement and thought about it for a moment before shaking his head.

"No. When you put it that way, probably not. I just would've preferred knowing that we had the option. You don't have to make every decision alone just because you're the Captain."

"You would've complained."

"I would've complained while being useful. There's a difference."

Tatsuchi looked forward again. "That's still complaining."

Asumi raised one finger. "Technically, useful complaining is a separate category." Zhenyu sighed. "You know, most people would at least pretend to appreciate the distinction." Asumi chuckled. "I appreciate it loudly enough for everyone." Asumi walked between them for a moment, listening to the conversation while her eye moved across the crowded streets.

"How many of them are near Vallcera?" she asked. "And are they close enough to respond if something happens here?"

"I have them in three groups." Zhenyu sighed. "How many people?" Tatsuchi looked through her phone for a moment. "About ten in each. They're close enough to patrol the surrounding roads, but not close enough to reinforce us immediately if a fight breaks out inside the city."
Asumi nodded before looking toward the distant edges of the city. "What about the smaller towns and settlements? Are they covered too, or did we leave them to fend for themselves?" Tatsuchi glanced at her. "What about them?"

Asumi's expression changed slightly.

She didn't like that answer.

Then, just as quickly, her usual energy returned. She jabbed a thumb toward the city behind them. "Because if we're leaving them uncovered, I would like to formally object before something horrible happens and we all have to sprint across the desert. I can sprint, obviously. Very fast. Heroically fast. But I prefer doing it after breakfast."

Tatsuchi knew exactly what she meant, but neither of them said anything about it. There simply weren't enough Gate Guards to cover every settlement in Harpyra, especially with one of their Captains missing. The three groups Tatsuchi had deployed could only cover so much territory.

After a few seconds, Tatsuchi turned around and started walking in another direction. "Where are you going?" Asumi asked. "I thought we were heading back toward the main roads."

"I'm getting us a hotel."

Asumi immediately brightened. "A hotel? Does it have a giant bed? A giant bath? A giant dessert menu? If it doesn't have all three, I will personally negotiate with the manager." Zhenyu hurried after her. "A hotel? Now? After everything we've found today?" Tatsuchi rolled her eyes. "I want the day to end with something nice for once. We've been in Harpyra for weeks, and none of us has had a proper chance to rest. Unless you could that INN back in what used to be Kokohama. I'm rich enough to not have to live like a lowlife, why shouldn't I be able to sleep in a proper bed for once?" Tatsuchi turned away from them and thought for a moment. " And plus, if we're going to continue to make our ways to the Pleiades desert to find Kairos, I want to sleep somewhere with a clean, fancy bed and locked doors."

Asumi pointed at Tatsuchi. "You heard her. Fancy beds and locked doors. If the beds aren't clean, I will inspect every single one personally."

"Please don't."

The buildings around them became taller as they moved farther into the central district. Vallcera's streets were wider here, with traffic passing through the intersections and elevated walkways connecting some of the larger buildings. Massive signs lit the sidewalks while groups of tourists wandered between stores and restaurants.

Zhenyu caught up to Tatsuchi. "Are you sure that's a good idea? Staying in one place might make us easier to find." Asumi flowed along behind them, her hands tucked into the sleeves of her clothes. "The last time we decided to stay in a town longer than we needed to, we ran into skinwalkers and a Revolutionary Army Commander. I'm not saying the hotel is a bad idea, but our recent history doesn't exactly make it feel safe." She paused, then leaned toward Tatsuchi with a grin. "But if anyone tries to attack us, they will have to get through me first. And I am extremely difficult to get through. Ask anyone. Actually, don't ask anyone. I'll tell you myself."
Tatsuchi looked over her shoulder. "That was because we were in a small town."

"And?"

"This is Vallcera. It's the second largest city in Harpyra next to Pyrrocore. If something happens here, it'll spread through the region before anyone has time to hide it. There are too many witnesses, too many cameras, and too many ways for information to travel. We won't disappear just because we rent a room."

Asumi didn't look convinced. She was quiet for a moment before speaking again. "Maybe we should... ask another Captain to take over Harpyra while we go to the Pleiades desert and look for Kairos. The twins aren't usually too busy in Peregrinara, and Eden and Pandora seem to really like you. Peregrinara isn't too far north of Harpyra either. They could be here within a few days, and we'd have more people watching the desert while we focus on finding Kairos."

She suddenly snapped her fingers. "And if they arrive quickly, we can make it a team expedition! More people, more supplies, more chances for someone else to carry the heavy bags. This plan is getting better by the second. But we wouldn't need it if you'd buy a car. Aren't you twenty now?"

Tatsuchi stopped walking.

People moved around them as they stood beneath the glow of several massive signs. A bus passed along the road nearby, its windows filled with passengers who were laughing and talking among themselves. The sound of traffic mixed with the festival music behind them. Tatsuchi looked at Asumi. "I'm enough of a grown woman to realize when things go too far. If we actually need help, I'll ask for it. I know what the other Gate Captains are capable of, and I know how quickly this situation could become bigger than the three of us." Asumi waited for the rest, rocking slightly on her heels. "But that's not the situation we're in right now. We don't need to pull another Captain away from their own jurisdiction just because we're uncomfortable with what we found. Worse comes to worse, I'll call the twins myself."

Zhenyu crossed his arms. "Then what's the situation? Because from where I'm standing, we have a missing Captain whose gone traitor, a hidden facility with cult like identities, mutilated prisoners, and someone who may or may not be your twin brother, that from what you've told us, could reset time. That sounds like exactly the kind of situation where we should be asking for help. I'd even argue we have Rayleigh and the rest of the first Gate Guard take over from here. Not just with the Victor Combs situation, forward this entire goose chase looking for the Revolutionary Army."

Asumi raised her hand. "I would also like to point out that Ichirou being able to supposedly 'reset time' is inherently scary. Is it his Zyn technique? Some kind of Kai? Or maybe even a Zyn Scroll contract? I need details before I can properly panic." Tatsuchi looked toward the city's outer walls, ignoring her questions. "Harpyra probably doesn't even know Victor Combs is missing." Zhenyu's expression changed. "Vallcera knows because his office is so close to the city walls," Tatsuchi continued. "But the rest of the desert might not know that the person keeping them in check is gone. They could still believe he's operating normally. If we announce that he's missing, everyone will start looking for him, and whoever is behind this will know that we've connected the pieces."

Asumi slowly nodded, then pointed at Tatsuchi. "So we keep the secret, move quietly, and let the enemy make the first mistake. I like it. Sneaky plans are fun. They make everyone feel clever."

"Don't treat this like a game."

"I'm not. And plus, games are usually less dangerous."

"So we can use that. We let people keep believing Victor is still in control while we move through the desert and leave the rest of that investigation to Katsuragi."

"Exactly." Tatsuchi started walking again. "We can gather information and move through the desert without immediately drawing attention to ourselves. If the Revolutionary Army thinks Victor's disappearance hasn't been noticed, they may make a mistake."

Zhenyu thought about it as he walked beside her. "I don't like it. It feels like we're pretending everything is normal while waiting for someone else to make the first move." "You don't have to like it. You only have to understand why we're doing it." Asumi reluctantly nodded as well. "Fine. We'll stay. But if anything feels wrong, we leave immediately. No arguing, no trying to prove a point, and no staying behind because you think you can handle it alone."

She leaned toward Tatsuchi with a bright smile. "And if you try to do any of those things, I'll drag you out myself. Probably by the shadow. Maybe by the ankle. It'll be very dramatic."

Zhenyu turned toward another part of the city, already pulling out his phone to begin checking local reports. "I'll start going through what we have," he said. "I'll compare the reports from the surrounding towns, look for anything unusual, and see whether anyone has mentioned Victor Combs. If I find anything useful, I'll send it over."
Tatsuchi nodded. "Do that. And if you find anything that sounds even remotely connected to the Revolutionary Army, send us the location first." Asumi began walking in the opposite direction, then stopped and spun around. "Wait! If you find anything terrifying, send that first. I want to know whether I should bring snacks." Zhenyu stared at her. "Why would snacks help?""They help with everything. How else am I supposed to keep up my perfect figure?" Zhenyu scoffed at her. Tatsuchi called her name.

"Asumi."

She turned around.

Tatsuchi reached into her pocket and tossed something toward her.

Asumi caught it and looked down.
A black and red debit card rested between her fingers. "Find the nicest hotel in the city," Tatsuchi said. "And go relax when you're done. Get enough food for the three of us and more, take a bath, buy whatever you need. You've earned a night without having to worry about Zhenyu."
Asumi stared at the card, then looked back at Tatsuchi. A smile spread across her face. "As long as it's an order, I'll follow. Though if you tell me to spend money, I should warn you that I take those orders very seriously." She held the card above her head. "Understood! I will locate the finest hotel, acquire an unreasonable amount of food, and return with a full report on the quality of the pillows!" Zhenyu closed his eyes and scoffed again. "Just don't spend all of it."Asumi gasped. "You wound me. I'm the picture of restraint." Zhenyu glanced at the card. "You absolutely are not."

"That sounds like jealousy."

She turned and started running through the crowd, holding the card up in one hand as she disappeared between the festival lights. "Don't worry, Tatsuchi!" she shouted over her shoulder. "I'll find us the most luxurious room in Vallcera! And if I accidentally rent the entire building, that's just efficient planning!"

Tatsuchi watched her until she was gone. The smile on her face faded.

She turned toward the nearby canal.
The water flowed quietly beneath the city, reflecting the lights from the buildings above it. Tatsuchi followed the canal while the rest of Vallcera continued around her. People still recognized her as she walked. Some waved. Others bowed their heads respectfully, while a few excitedly asked for pictures and signatures. Tatsuchi stopped for each of them, putting on the same polite smile and giving them what they wanted.

The static never stopped.

She eventually moved away from the largest crowds and found herself walking along a quieter stretch of the canal.

"What exactly did I see in that basement today?"

The question lingered in her mind as she stared at the water. Tatsuchi had met Victor Combs and his Vice Captain a handful of times. Neither of them had ever seemed capable of what she'd discovered beneath that office. They'd always seemed like ordinary Gate Guards doing their jobs, maybe with their own secrets, but nothing that could explain what she'd found. But now both of them were gone. Were they still in Vallcera? Had they moved somewhere else in Harpyra? Had they left the nation entirely? Tatsuchi didn't know, and every possibility only created another question.

Her head started to ache. She reached toward her neck as the pain there returned, remembering the sensation from the basement. She remembered dying, or at least what she thought dying felt like. Her body had reacted as though she'd actually been killed, yet she always returned to the same place outside Victor's office.

Was it really death? Or had the miasma convinced her that she'd experienced death?

Tatsuchi looked down at her reflection in the canal. Then she remembered Ichirou.Tatsuchi had only learned that her brother existed back in May. Since then, she'd spent what felt like months searching for him, but six of those months had passed while she lay unconscious in a coma. In reality, she had only been actively looking for him for roughly two months, if that. Even so, the obsession and curiosity had consumed her so completely that it already felt as though it had been going on for years.She'd imagined finding him so many times that she couldn't tell where reality ended and obsession began anymore. The thought that the miasma might have taken that obsession and created his image had crossed her mind more than once. But there were things she couldn't explain.

When she had called him by his name.

The figure looked shocked.

Then he'd called her by hers.

She remembered the way he'd said it.Her eyes narrowed. That didn't feel like something the miasma had invented.Then there were the white flames. Something about them had felt familiar in a way she couldn't explain. They had felt connected to something inside her, almost as though she'd seen a piece of her own soul burning in someone else's body. Tatsuchi looked toward the dark water again.

"Was that really you?" The canal continued flowing. She didn't receive an answer. If that really had been Ichirou, then what was he doing beneath Victor's office? And if he was connected to whatever Victor had been involved in, then Victor had either joined the Revolutionary Army or had already been a part of it. Tatsuchi's expression hardened. "Either way, Victor’s a monster." She pulled out her phone and looked through the messages she'd already sent. Zhenyu had been documenting everything they'd learned since entering Vallcera, and Tatsuchi had already made sure the information was sent to Ouya Katsuragi first. Ouya would distribute it to Eden and Pandora, the twin captains of the fourth gate guard, who handled intelligence for the Gate Guard, and from there the information would reach the other Captains. Tatsuchi had done what she could regarding the missing Gate Captain.
That part of the investigation was over.At least for now. They still had to travel into the Pleiades Desert and find Kairos.Tatsuchi slipped her phone back into her pocket and looked toward the skyline. She didn't know what was waiting for them out there, but she couldn't spend the rest of her time standing in Vallcera wondering about it. "As long as it isn't as disturbing as what we saw this afternoon," she muttered, "I can take it. I've dealt with worse things than unanswered questions, even if I hate admitting that."

She started walking again, her hand resting against the hilt of her sword."I can fight it." The words came naturally.She'd always relied on that. If something stood in her way, she'd cut through it. If someone was stronger than her, she'd become stronger. If there was something she didn't understand, she'd investigate it until she did. She would beat it down until only one of them was still standing.

That was her pride.

Tatsuchi continued through the streets beneath the light of the two moons that had already risen. The third remained just beyond the horizon, its faint glow barely visible between the buildings. The festival was still going strong around her. Children chased one another through the crowds while adults stood around food stalls and talked late into the night. A musician played near the entrance to a shopping district, and several people had stopped to watch.

Tatsuchi stopped in the middle of the street. She closed her eyes. For a few seconds, she simply listened to the city.

The sound of traffic.

The music of the festival. 

People talking.

Footsteps.

She opened her eyes.

A faint amber glow caught her attention in the distance.

Zhenyu.

She recognized the color immediately. His Zyn energy was unmistakable.Tatsuchi looked toward where she'd sensed him. Then she wondered where Asumi was. It took another hour before she finally found the hotel. She looked up at the massive building and immediately understood why Asumi had taken so long. Tatsuchi walked inside. The lobby was enormous, with polished floors, tall glass walls, hanging lights, and enough staff to make the place look more like a luxury resort than a hotel. Tatsuchi didn't bother asking how much the room cost. She'd told Asumi to go all out, and it wasn't like she couldn't afford it. Not only was the pay for being a Gate Captain extremely well, but being the heir to the strongest clan in the world also helped.
She stepped into the elevator and pressed the highest available floor.The doors closed. As the elevator climbed, Tatsuchi watched her reflection in the glass. Her hair was still disheveled, and the white strands hanging across her face made her look more exhausted than she wanted to admit. The elevator passed floor after floor.

Eventually, it stopped at the twenty second floor. The doors opened. Tatsuchi stepped out and looked down the entire floor. There wasn't another guest in sight. Asumi had rented the entire floor. Or to make it make more sense, the entire room was the entire floor. Tatsuchi stared for a few seconds. "Of course. I should've known you'd interpret 'nice hotel' as 'buy the entire floor.'" She walked toward the largest room and opened the door. Clothes were scattered across the bed and floor. A few pieces had been thrown over the back of a chair, while other items were sitting beside the bathroom door.

Tatsuchi looked around. "Asumi? Are you in here, or did you somehow manage to disappear into one of the other rooms?"

There was a pause.

"Yeah?"

"Are you dressed?"

Another pause.

"...Yes."

Tatsuchi raised an eyebrow. A few seconds later, Asumi poked her head out from the bathroom. Her left eye was closed instead of covered by her white eyepatch, and her pink hair was wet and tied into a messy bun, it's natural brown roots beginning to show. She was wearing her underwear and holding a toothbrush in one hand. Tatsuchi placed both hands on her hips. "When did you get here?" Asumi looked at her reflection in the bathroom mirror as she continued brushing her teeth.

"I've been here for over three hours. I assumed that was enough time for you to realize I might've already arrived." She paused to spit into the sink, then pointed her toothbrush toward Tatsuchi. "Also, you took forever. I was beginning to wonder if you had gotten lost or stopped to interrogate every single person in the city. I prepared a search party."

Tatsuchi stared at her.

"Three hours? You rented the entire floor, took a bath, unpacked what little you had, and somehow never thought to tell us where you were?" Asumi nodded. "Well, I did think about it. Then I got distracted by the bath. Then the food arrived. Then I found a room with a bed so large I briefly considered moving into it permanently." Tatsuchi looked toward the hallway.

Three hours. 

She'd only been looking for everyone else's energy about an hour ago. She'd found Zhenyu at the hotel. She hadn't sensed Asumi.

That bothered her.

“Well, I'mma go take a shower before going to sleep. Don't wake me up too early.” A moment later, Asumi's hand poked out from the bathroom door. She gave Tatsuchi a thumbs-up. "Sleep well, Tatsuchi! If you need anything, shout my name! If you don't need anything, still shout my name! I like hearing it" Tatsuchi looked at it for a second before continuing down the hall, chuckling a little to herself.

The city eventually grew quieter as the night stretched on, though Vallcera never became completely silent. Traffic continued moving through the streets below, music still played from distant buildings, and the glow from the festival remained visible through the hotel windows. 

Eventually, everyone went to sleep in their own rooms. Tatsuchi's phone rested on the nightstand beside her bed. The screen suddenly lit up, and it started ringing.

Once.

Then again.

The sound continued through the darkness until, after a few rings, it stopped.

The screen went black.

                              …

Far away from Vallcera, a different city sat beneath the same desert sky.Revolutionary Army flags hung from buildings throughout the streets.Blood had begun seeping into the dried sandstone beneath people's feet while green flames spread through the roads, filling alleys and spilling around damaged buildings. Cloaked figures moved through the city, some dragging people away while others stood among the remains of the Thirteenth Gate Guard.

Dozens of bodies lay scattered throughout the streets. One surviving Gate Guard stumbled through an alley with his phone clenched in one hand. His breathing was uneven as he looked behind himself, trying to see through the smoke and green flames. He couldn't. He quickly opened his contacts and called Tatsuchi. The phone rang. There was no answer. 

He tried again.

Nothing.

He called one more time before finally giving up. His hands were shaking as he started recording a message.

"BEEP."

"Captain, if you're receiving this, the rumors are true. The Revolutionary Army isn't just a band of rebels. There's people among them, extremely strong people." He ducked behind the remains of a wall as something crashed somewhere nearby. Dust fell from the damaged building around him. "They have weapons we didn't think existed. I'm in the southern city of-" His voice cut out. His breathing became heavier.
"They bypassed our main perimeter in seconds. We didn't even have time to react. One moment, the street was clear, and the next, half our people were already down." The Gate Guard looked toward the end of the alley. Nothing was there. At least, nothing he could see. "Listen to me carefully. Don't try to-" He suddenly looked upward. His expression changed.

"Wait."

The green flames reflected across his face.

"What is that?"

He took a step backward.

"No."

His voice became quieter. "No, stay back. I don't know who you are, but stay away from me." The phone shook violently in his hand as something moved above him. Glass shattered. The Gate Guard screamed. "It's burning! It's burning! It doesn't stop-" A violent hiss suddenly drowned out his voice. The recording filled with the roar of flames, followed by panicked breathing and the sound of something collapsing. A scream echoed through the street.

Then another.

Then the recording fell silent.For several seconds, only the crackle of burning wood could be heard. A low laugh sounded somewhere in the distance.

Footsteps approached.

The phone was crushed beneath someone's foot.

The recording cut to static.

"BEEP. END OF MESSAGE. TO REPLAY, PRESS ONE.”