Days had passed since the failed mission of the Yellow Door. The memory of their fallen legendary leader, Boketo, still haunted every soldier's heart.
In the royal palace, Queen Victoria of Gloreya sat in silence, weary with grief. Yet, her duty was clear.
"It is time," she declared. "Summon the members of the Special Squad. Tomorrow, a new leader shall be chosen."
A messenger rode swiftly through the night, reaching the camp where the wounded soldiers were recovering. He bowed before Captain Chucky and said,
"My captain, the Queen commands your presence. Tomorrow, she will appoint a new leader for your squad."
Chucky nodded solemnly. "Tell the Queen, we will be there." He cut his hair as a mark of honor for the Queen.
Gathering his soldiers, Chucky spoke with a heavy voice:
"Brothers, our legendary leader Boketo is no more. The Queen has ordered us to present ourselves at the palace. She will name a new leader."
Kuze stepped forward, his eyes burning with loyalty.
"Captain, we don't need another leader. You are our true leader. We believe in you, and only you."
To prove his honor, he cut his cheek with his blade, blood marking his vow.
Chucky's eyes filled with tears. "No… I cannot take Boketo's place. He was stronger than me. If I had died, it would have been fine. But to lose him… that is my greatest failure."
The next morning, the squad rode together. Every soldier raised their voices:
"We are with you, Captain Chucky! Even in death, we will never abandon you."
When they reached the Queen's palace, the people too cheered for them. Everyone bowed, kissing the Queen's cloak in respect.
Queen Victoria rose from her throne. Her voice carried both sorrow and strength.
"You all know that Boketo sacrificed his life to protect you, to fulfill his dream of capturing the Yellow Door. Today, I appoint your new leader—Lorya. And beside her, as vice-leader, will stand Chucky. If any soldier disagrees, speak now."
The hall fell silent. Every soldier stood tall, ready to follow. A new era had begun.Afterwards, the squad accepted Lorya as their new commander and Chucky as her vice-leader.
Lorya bowed slightly to the queen. "Thank you, Your Majesty, for trusting me with this responsibility. I will lead the Special Squad with everything I have."
Queen Victoria answered softly, "Boketo himself asked me to choose you. Before he left on that mission, he told me he believed in you — that you could carry his dream forward."
The squad returned to camp amid curious townsfolk asking who had been chosen. Lorya raised the leader's badge for all to see. "I will be your commander," she said. "I swear to protect you through every storm."
The people nodded, trusting Boketo's judgment. If he had chosen her, she must be worthy.
Lorya checked on the troops. "How are our men?" she asked.
A soldier stepped forward. "We're recovering, Captain. Better than after the last battle."
"Good," Lorya said. "Now we'll combine the Spine device with Den-minites."
Chucky frowned. "Captain, will that really work? Last time those tools failed."
Lorya's voice was steady. "This time it will. The Spine disrupts the parasite network in an alien's mind — itstops the creature from thinking clearly. While it's disoriented, a Den-minite detonated at its weak point will finish it."
"Let's test it," she ordered. They captured a single alien and activated the Spine. The creature convulsed, lost control, and began attacking itself. When the Den-minite detonated, the alien fell silent. The squad watched in tense silence: the trial had worked — but victory would require more than a single success.
A scout burst in. "Captain — the Yellow Door. Our enemy is active. A name came up in the reports: Eruka. She's been watching our movements."
Chucky stood to attention. "Captain, we should move now. If we remove Boxery, the rest will be easier."
Lorya weighed the risk and then issued the plan. "We'll push the assault next month. Zaid still isn't fully recovered. In the meantime, Chucky — you train the squad hard. Strengthen them. No soldier will die senselessly on my watch. Do you understand your duty?"
Chucky bowed. "Yes, Captain. I will do my best."Days had passed since Zaid's near-fatal collapse, and Lorya's leadership had settled over the squad like a hard, necessary winter. She ran the camp with iron clarity now — no mistakes, no excuses.
Lorya walked through the training ground and stopped in front of Chucky. "How are the drills going?" she asked.
Chucky straightened. "Captain, the squad is doing well. Everyone's getting physically stronger. You can test them if you like."
"No time for demonstrations," Lorya replied. "Keep training. Be ready."
She moved on to Zaid. "How are you doing with your transformation practice?"
Zaid steadied himself and met her gaze. "Captain, I am ready. I want to end this war. I will fight Ario and Danielle. I promise I'll give my all."
"Good," Lorya said. "Where is Kuze?"
"Doing push-ups on the ground," Ruka answered. "If you want, I'll call him."
Lorya nodded. "Do that. Then I want you and Chucky to build the best plan to take the Yellow Door."
She walked back to her tent and let her thoughts gather. Why did Boketo choose me? What does he expect? The pressure pressed down like a stone. But she pushed the doubt away. "No," she told herself. "We will not lose again. I will win. And I will learn the truth about the basement."
Kuze and Chucky found her at dawn. "You wanted us, Captain?" Chucky asked.
"Yes," Lorya answered. "We need a new, sharp plan."
Kuze looked worried. "Captain — the scout who reported enemy movements hasn't answered for days. He stopped replying."
"Then he is our problem," Lorya said quietly. "If the scout was captured, the enemy could have our movements. We must assume they know more than we think."
Chucky frowned. "If they captured him and forced him to reveal our plans… we could be walking into a trap."
Lorya made a decision. "Kuze, you will lead reconnaissance at the Yellow Door. Take fifteen men and find Ario and Danielle if they're there. Chucky, your main mission is to kill Boxery. He did the most damage last time — we cannot let him live."
Chucky's jaw tightened. "I'll take care of him, Captain. I'll bring his head back."
"Ruka, Barthood, Leo, Picuper — you four protect Zaid when he moves to close the door. Use Spine Doume if an alien gets close. If any squad spots an enemy, fire red smoke immediately. Mission halts; we fight."
"Clear?" Lorya asked.
A chorus of voices answered, "Yes, Captain. We are with you."
One last order, softer now: "Go. Hug your family. Speak with the people you love. Tonight may be your last night."
Silence fell over the camp. Men and women went to the tents, some smiling bravely, some crying quietly into sleeves. The weight of tomorrow hung heavy over everyone.
At dawn Lorya stood before them again. "Drink this last wine," she said. "After today, none of us may return."
They drank. Each smashed their glass on the ground like a punctuation mark. "Move out," Lorya said. "Mount up. Time is short."
Civilians lined the road and cheered as the squad rode away. "Save us! Bring back victory!" they cried. Children waved ragged flags. Lorya nodded once to the crowd and then turned back to her people.
They reached the approach to the Yellow Door under a cold sky. Lorya pulled Kuze aside. "Sweep the walls. I do not want one mistake."
"Understood, Captain." Kuze organized his men and moved toward the broken stonework with the precise calm of someone who had done this a hundred times.
Suddenly, the sky flashed a pale blue.
Lorya's eyes hardened. "Chucky — now."
Chucky pushed forward, slamming his heels to the flank of his horse. "Boxery," Lorya called through the wind, "if you're there, come out."
Chucky dismounted and charged, blade singing. He vanished into the clouded night, hunting their enemy.
Kuze radioed back: "No sign yet. Walls checked." He sounded strained but steady.
Lorya's mind raced. Boxery's moves are clever. He lures us into patterns. She paced the line like an animal in a cage, tasting the danger.
Zaid approached, breath puffing white in the air. "Captain — what is my task?"
"Close the door," Lorya said. "Do it quickly. If you see purple smoke, abort and pull back."
Zaid nodded. "I will shut it. I won't fail."
He fell inward, focus narrowing. Muscles tightened, skin shifted, and he began his transformation. The air thickened as he took on the partial alien form that let him get close enough to the mechanism.
But just as his hand reached out to the ancient lock, something moved in the ground beside the door — a slow, deliberate stirring.
Ario's head broke the surface of the cracked earth like a shadow surfacing from a grave. His eyes found Zaid.
For a heartbeat everything stopped. The world narrowed to the two of them: one reaching for salvation, the other surfacing with a smile that tasted like cold iron.
"Zaid!" Ruka screamed. "Behind you!"
Zaid spun, half-transformed, terror and resolve clashing in his features. The Yellow Door mission — the squad's hopes, their leader's dream — all hinged on the next second.
And the night held its breath.