UNTITLED: Book One

DAY 106

For words

Not for wards

Forward’s not backwards

“Private transmission. Code ######. Contact, The Protector.”

I have bad news to report, and then good news after. The bad news is that my search has led us to discover, and make contact with, our first dark state terror-cell. They’re here now. It’s official.

The cell was hidden in a rural region directly outside of one of the larger surface cities. No hero present. It seems that this one had yet to complete their hero transition. a hero-apprentice, or something like that. They really are trying to make more than one, but a lot more. It’s alarming to know they’re here, but we neutralized this cell.

Additionally, I feel it necessary to report that this hero-apprentice displayed… strange…abilities? I don’t know what else to call it. Still, my team and I were able to contain the situation, and we were able to avoid any collateral damage due to our location. Now we have the whereabouts of two more cells. I’m transmitting those details over with this report. That’s all for the bad news.

The good news is that I have a lead on Sollar. There is a surface dweller, a man, known as The Broker, that has information regarding Sollar’s hideout. One of our Birds working in this nearby city told me about this man. it seems like the broker is some sort of underground crime leader that deals in weapons and information with the colonies and potentially the dark state. This is under the cover of managing his city’s meal allocations. Like a city leader or something.

He shames his parents though. They were surface dwellers that apparently fought alongside you and the old guard in the Dark War. Live through the whole Dark Era, in fact. But yeah.

I’m sorry I can’t debrief in person. I need to go now to the broker’s location, before he receives news of this battle. I don’t know how this happened, but as fate would have it, this broker is currently working with those two—or held captive, knowing them; they will all be on high alert soon. after I extract him and get the information we need, I’ll dispose of him.

Th rest of the five back are heading back now. I can do this alone. Rest assured, the main mission has priority over personal matters. Over and out.

—

She sighs as the transmission ends. Her face is red and black, covered in a mix of drying blood, dirt, bruises, and a couple cuts. Her lip busted and eyes bloodshot from broken blood vessels. She sits on a large boulder, legs hanging over one edge while her long, now-messy hair fans out all the way to the opposite edge of the boulder. She’s wearing her blood stained uniform jacket draped over her shoulders, arms outside of the sleeves. She’s removed her tattered battle skin, set now beside her on the boulder. Underneath her jacket, her bare skin reveals dark bruises all over her chest, breasts and stomach. She’s pondering while fiddling with the Hero-Apprentice’s pendant. Another breath, then another sigh.

It’s a slight struggle to stand up as her injured arms hang. They’ll heal quick. Turning around to find her team, clean and unharmed, standing quietly at the bottom of the boulder. They give her nods of approval with proud grins across their faces.

She fought this fight by herself, and they’re thinking it was to prove herself to them and gain their approval. In reality, it was because she needs to prove herself to herself, and gain her own approval before taking on Solara who she’s never been able to beat. She needs to get stronger, as strong as possible. The right way.

After quickly returning the gesture to her new group, she looks up to survey the battle scene directly in front of her now.

There’s a large crater—twice the length of the large boulder, lit up by all the small fires scattered inside of it. Three bodies sprawled out around the outer edges of the crater while the Hero-Apprentice’s body remains at the center of the crater.

Similar age, on her knees, head drooped, one arm gone, with a pulse-staff pierced through their heart and directly into the ground. It’s keeping her body from falling over, not that it matters anymore. She was a fighter though, she acknowledges while still looking at the fallen Dark State Hero-Apprentice. The apprentice’s hand is still gripped around the shaft of the staff, as if even in her last moments she fought off dying. Fresh blood still lightly flowing, from her mouth, over the blood already dried around her mouth and jaw.

The Sun starts to barely peak over from the horizon—announcing a new day, while she continues to look on. The fresh light reveals several more craters of various smaller sizes, scattered around a massive burning field. She winces in pain as she puts her jacket back on, then uses the back of her hand to wipe her now-bleeding nose while ignoring her leaking ear. Bloodshot eyes narrowed at her own blood, she wipes clean her hand across her chest, then takes a final look at the pendant before tossing it into a nearby fire.

Way to kick off the first day of your 18th cycle.

The thunderous drum strikes once…