Kristen's Pov
Eliethiya was still as vibrant as ever, its streets packed with cars and pedestrians crowding the road. Towering skyscrapers covered both sides of the road, shimmering in the afternoon sun. And in the distance, rising above the horizon, stood an enormous divine tree, its branches piercing the sky, it was an ethereal sight.
"Nothing feels better than being home," Kristen murmured, stepping inside one of the buildings.
"Lylia, I am home, my love," He called as he opened the front door.
No answer came from the other side, the house was empty. "Are you still in the basement, Lylia?"
Suddenly, the sound of an explosion echoed through the entire house. "Guess that answers my question," He chuckled, heading towards the basement. Below, a vast chamber sprawled before him, cluttered with machinery and weapon parts. It seemed more like a forge than a home.
Amidst the scorching flames, a woman stood, her blonde hair tied in a bun, the blazing embers reflected in her blue eyes.
"What did you blow up this time, dear?" Kristen asked in amusement.
Lylia turned her head towards him, a radiant smile painted on her face. She strode towards him without hesitation, arms outstretched, wrapped around him in a tight embrace.
"A prototype," She said excitedly. "Ember activated landmines. I was testing the trigger sensitivity."
She placed a gentle kiss on his lip before parting away, "What took you so long? I was getting worried, you know, you were supposed to return last week, Kristen."
"We ran into some problems, I will explain later," he sighed as they made their way out of the basement.
Later, he explained the whole situation to Lylia at the dinner table as she listened to him patiently.
"...I can't believe it," She muttered in disbelief, " If what you said is indeed true, then it would be disastrous."
"That's what I am worried about," Kristen said, leaning back in his chair. "But it seems like they haven't fully succeeded yet, so we might still have time to build our trump cards before the war escalates."
"Where are the kids?" She asked abruptly, "I have to meet them personally. I have to verify this with my own eyes."
"They are in Roshiere with Asher."
Lylia's expression darkened "...And what are you going to tell Central?"
Kristen didn't answer right away, gazing at the divine tree in the distance through the window. Its branches pulsed with a quiet light. "I am going to seek an audience with the Nine Voices," he finally said.
"You think they might know something?" Lylia asked.
"I am sure they deliberately sent us to Verulia," He replied. "They know something, and I intend to find out what."
She hesitated, "...Just don't do anything dangerous, alright?. The last thing I want is something happening to you."
Kirsten smiled softly, " I am sure you have seen me survive worse."
She didn't reply, bringing her lips closer to his and wrapping her arms around him. Her voice was a gentle whisper against his chest, "I love you, you're all I have left after all."
"I love you too, my love" He murmured as their lips met lost into each other as the long night slipped quietly by.
The next morning, Kirsten stood before a tall building, in the heart of the city. It was the headquarters of Central.
He took a deep breath. "Alright, let's get this over with."
Inside, the lobby buzzed with activity. The receptionist greeted him with a bright smile.
"Good morning, Sir. How may I help you today?"
"I have an appointment with Versia," He uttered, showing his ID to the woman at the desk.
The woman glanced at it and froze.
"M-Major General!, My apologies, I'll notify the lieutenant general right away."
After some time, the lady came back, "This way, please, sir. Lieutenant General is expecting you."
Kristen made his way through the corridor, halting before a polished glass door. He opened the door, and inside was a woman clad in a black and golden uniform, her insignia gleaming on her shoulder, her emerald eyes focused on Kristen.
"You're alive," She simply said.
"It's good to see you too, Versia," Kirsten said with a gentle smile, sitting on the couch in the office.
"I believe you must have a good enough reason for the delay in the mission, right?" She asked.
"I do," Kristen said," However, I cannot tell you about it right now."
"Then we will wait for the next briefing. You can report the circumstances and your progress to the council."
"I don't intend to relay the information about what happened in Verulia to anyone," he said flatly
She paused, clearly taken aback, "What? Why?"
"You don't need to concern yourself with that."
"You do know that acquiring Verulia is crucial for us, right? Central won't tolerate silence on this."
"Don't worry," Kristen said calmly, " Everything will be fine, I am sure of it."
She leaned forward slightly, her voice quiet, "What are you planning to do?"
"I am going to speak with The Nine Voices."
Versia gazed at Kristen, her eyes widened with shock. "You do realise what you are saying?"
"They are the only ones who can help me," he said, rising from his seat.
She remained still "...Just what the hell happened to you in Verulia, Kristen?"
He gave her a long, unreadable look.
"You'll find out soon enough."