Ryan leaned forward slightly, looking for something within the forest. Searching for... what? He didn’t know. But he felt there was something there to see.

“All right team, Vizor gave me the all-clear to proceed with the mission!” Ka’lou’s voice boomed suddenly through the quiet, making Ryan flinch. His heart lurched in his chest, the forest momentarily forgotten as he shot a glare toward the back of the lowglider.

Ka’lou continued. “Only update—good news! We’re authorized to use Kyyr boosters if necessary.”

Tom straightened in his seat. “That’s it?” His voice carried a hint of unease. “There hasn’t been a spike above one since the Shattering. What if there’s abyssal aberrations out there?”

Ka’lou snapped his entire body back and pointed at Tom before shouting, “That’s exactly what the boosters are for!” He chirped, his tone still uncomfortably bright.

Anneli, who’d fallen asleep, jolted awake by the sudden commotion. “What—what’s going on?” she asked, looking around in confusion.

Ka'lou took his helmet. Revealing a toothy smile. “Team! Team, we’ve got to focus.” He shouted as he pointed at the half-awake Anneli.

Ryan glanced at her, then back at Ka’lou, whose grin remained plastered across his face like a mask. The captain seemed oblivious to the shift in the team's mood, or maybe he just didn’t care. Ryan’s skin prickled under his uniform, Kyyr receptors buzzing faintly.

Tom frowned, clearly unsettled but unwilling to press further. “I just... I mean, what if something happens?”

Ka’lou clapped his hands together with an exaggerated cheer. “Then we boost! Easy-peasy.” His tone was grossly happy. "Anyways, team, Vizor has me on a tight leash so let’s get this over with. Alright?”

The squad exchanged uneasy glances, their spirits dampened by their captain's strange demeanor. But Ka’lou didn’t seem to notice—or care. With a manic grin, he revved the lowglider’s Kyyr core, the engine emitting a high-pitched whine before bursting into a powerful hum. The craft jolted forward, boosted by an overwhelming surge of Kyyr energy, propelling them at breakneck speed.

The wind roared against them as the lowglider tore across the landscape, the squad gripping their seats for stability. Ka'lou, with his helmet still off, stared dead ahead, unblinking, his wide eyes watering from the force of the gale. His grin remained plastered on his face as tears were wiped away by the wind.

At their reckless pace, the landscape blurred around them, and within minutes they reached a cliff that overlooked their destination at the edge of the Lower Primordía Abyssal Forest. The lowglider’s Kyyr core let out a low, reluctant grumble, the energy slowly dissipating into a quiet hum as the vehicle came to a halt.

Ka’lou leapt off first, landing with unsettling energy. He strolled casually toward the cliff edge, his uniform flapping lightly in the Ordovis winds as he stood motionless, soaking in the breeze. The abyssal forest stretched below, a sea of pink blossoms swaying in unnatural rhythm beneath the shimmer of the many sky-bound lakes that lazily floated above.

For a moment, Ka’lou seemed lost in the view; his back turned to the squad. Then, without warning, he snapped around, the same grin stretching across his face as if nothing had happened.

“Alright, squad!” he called, clapping his hands together again with childlike enthusiasm. “Let’s follow the grid coordinates!”

Ryan shifted uncomfortably, still uneasy. His gaze lingered on Ka’lou’s grin—too bright, too wide—like it didn’t belong on his face. But before Ryan could dwell on it any further, the captain waved them forward.

“Come on!” Ka’lou shouted over the wind, eyes gleaming. “Time to get this mission started!”

The four squad members busied themselves unloading their gear while Ka’lou sat at the cliff’s edge, legs dangling carelessly over the abyss. Ryan’s eyes lingered on him a moment too long, and an intrusive thought snaked into his mind: What if I just shoved him off? The idea startled him, and he shook it away with a grimace before regrouping with the others.

“Hey, guys,” Ryan called out quietly, glancing over his shoulder at Ka’lou. “Is it just me or is something off about that guy?”

Tom followed Ryan’s gaze toward their captain, who was staring blankly at the distant horizon. “Now that you mention it, I’ve heard some odd rumors about the guy. Word is, Ka’lou’s command’s greatest doormat.”

“A doormat?” Anneli repeated, curious.

Tom shrugged. “He lets command walk all over him. Especially Vizor and Ghast.”

Ryan furrowed his brow. “What is he, some kind of Revenant superfan? I’ve never heard of someone so eager to jump through hoops for those old machines.”

“Wait—who’s Ghast?” Mera asked, adjusting her gear awkwardly.

“Ghast’s the Revenant Ripper from Gorgest,” Ryan explained. “I’ve never met the mechanoid, but I’ve seen video of them from the age of the ENN.KORR. They’re old anti-abyssal models designed to kill.”

“So they’re like the Hollows back in Krreat?” Mera asked, whispering.

Ryan considered that, before trying to think of a way to explain, Well... more or less. But Hollows are, like their name suggests, kind of mindless and passive. They were made to serve. Stalkers and Rippers, on the other hand, are these autonomous killing machines.”

Mera frowned, not fully convinced. “But I’ve seen Hollows tear Rak’da in half.”

Ryan sighed, struggling to explain. “Yeah... they can do that, but it’s different. They don’t have the same... intent. Hollows act on commands. Rippers? They’re programmed to kill, and they enjoy it. It’s like... calling a.”

Before Ryan could dig himself further into the weeds, Tom cut in with a roll of his eyes. “You two can debate ENN.KORR models later. Mera, keep an eye on the abyssal condensation levels. If it spikes, I bet command won’t care if we bail early.”

Mera gave a small, awkward nod, her hands fumbling over the device clipped to her sleeve. “Y-yes. I’ll monitor it,” she replied quetly.

“Guys!” Anneli’s voice called out sharply from the lowglider’s top deck. “What the hell is that?” She pointed toward the horizon, her tone laced with both confusion and alarm.

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Ryan and the others couldn’t really see what she was pointing at so they rushed up the hill toward Ka’lou, who sat motionless at the cliff’s edge.

“What in the fifteen is that?” Ryan whispered, his voice twisted between excitement and dread as he saw it.

Emerging from behind a floating lake was a dark monolith, sharp and unnatural, thrusting up from the heart of the blossom forest like a jagged blade. It’s ominous presence brought forth a sickening discomfort in Ryan’s stomach as he stared into the black void that composed the structure of the dark object.

Ryan stepped back in shock. “We—we have to call command! I’m getting Captain Siegwick on the line!”

As Ryan scrolled through his command line, the squad’s voice channel hissed and crackled with static. A hoarse, mechanical voice cut through the interference, grating against his nerves like a rusted blade.

“That won’t be necessary, Mr. Rasor.”

Ryan froze, heart pounding. The voice was unmistakable.

“I’ve consulted command,” Vizor spoke through their comms. “Reinforcements will arrive in due time. Until then, your orders are to set up a perimeter around the object. No questions, no deviations.”

Ryan’s throat tightened. “V-Vizor?” he stammered, the sound barely leaving his lips.

The mechanical voice was cold and patient. “Hurry now, my little meat thralls,” it whispered, “ your duty calls.”

And then the line went silent, the static cutting off abruptly, leaving a suffocating dread in its wake.

Ryan stood there, paralyzed by a flood of unanswered questions. How long was he listening? Does he always do that? What is that thing? How does he know? His mind raced, spiraling with thoughts that led nowhere. He looked back down at his contact list; it was now blank, except for one name—Vizor.

Before he could gather himself, Ka’lou rose slowly, brushing the dust from his hands with deliberate care. “Alright, team~!” His voice was light and cheerful, but there was something cold beneath it now. “Let’s go set a perimeter,” he ordered. “You heard Command, let’s get going.”

There was a shift in his tone that sent a shiver down Ryan’s spine. It was deeper, more commanding—like someone else was talking to them now.

“Like hell we are!” Tom snapped, stepping forward, his face twisted with frustration. “I’m not going anywhere near that thing, you smiling rat!”

Mera and Anneli exchanged uncertain glances, on the verge of speaking up, but Ka’lou moved faster than any of them could react. In a blur of motion, Kyyr energy surged through him, and with a thunderous impact, Tom was slammed into the ground. The earth shook with the force of the blow, sending a wave of stunned silence through the group.

Ka’lou knelt over Tom, his grin now a twisted mockery of its usual self. “Listen here, Wisely,” he whispered, his voice low and menacing. “You know as well as I do—we don’t defy command.”

Tom coughed, trying to catch his breath. “That wasn’t command! Vizor is just a glorified secretary at mo—”

Ka’lou’s fist came down hard on Tom’s throat, cutting off his words with a choking gasp. A wet, gurgling sound escaped from Tom as he clawed at his neck in pain.

“Shut up, Tommy.” Ka’lou’s voice was unnervingly calm, his tone that of someone talking to a misbehaving child. “It’s just an old rock down there. That’s all. Let’s make this a good first mission, alright?”

With a cruel grin, Ka’lou released Tom, only to slam his boot down hard into his stomach. The impact forced the air from Tom’s lungs into a sharp agonized wheeze. Tom tried instinctively to grab Ka’lou’s foot, but the captain reacted instantly by releasing a burst of Kyyr through Tom’s body.

Ka’lou didn’t move. Standing firmly on Tom’s chest, he surveyed the remaining squad members with a chilling calm. Their stunned faces reflected the disbelief and fear settling over them like a thick fog. Ka’lou’s smile faded, replaced by a cold, venomous expression.

His grin melted away, replaced by a venomous sneer, as cold and sharp as the edge of a knife. “Listen here, you Circh Station trash,” he said, his voice low and deliberate. “I’ve been a ranger since long before the Shattering. And you? You’re nothing but lazy kids—eating, shitting, and pretending to be soldiers.”

He glanced down at Tom, who lay beneath him, struggling to regain his breath, his limbs still twitching from the Kyyr surge. Ka’lou looked at Tom with disgust. “So don’t get all pissy with me just because it’s time to actually do your damn jobs.”

Mera shifted uneasily, her hands fidgeting with her gear, while Anneli’s mouth parted slightly, though no words came out. The two looked as though they were on the verge of speaking up, but the weight of Ka’lou’s presence pinned them as effectively as his boot held Tom to the ground.

Then, slowly, his grin returned—a grotesque, unsettling thing that spread too wide, as if stretched by invisible strings. “Now,” he said softly, almost sweetly, “let’s get going, team~.”

With a final, dismissive shove, Ka’lou lifted his foot off Tom’s chest, causing him to gasp and writhe, clutching his stomach. The captain paid him no mind, already turning toward the ominous monolith on the horizon.

Ka’lou’s eerie grin lingered as he called back over his shoulder, his tone light but dripping with menace. “Come on. We’ve got a perimeter to set.”

Ryan clenched his fist in silence as he watched Ka’lou casually gather his things from the cliff’s edge, as if nothing had happened. Should I push him off? The thought gnawed at the back of his mind. What if he fights back? He’s strong... but that thing... this whole mission is wrong. His thoughts spiraled.

The sound of Tom’s wheezing cough snapped him out of it. Ryan turned sharply and saw Tom clutching his chest, his face contorted in pain. Instinct kicked in, and he rushed to his side.

Tom’s neck was bruising fast, a sickly purple spreading across his throat, and thin rivulets of blood trickled from his nose. Anneli joined him without a word, while Mera stood frozen nearby, her eyes wide and unblinking, still processing what had just happened.

Ryan frowned as he reached into his field kit, pulling out an anti-inflammatory ampule. He pressed it to Tom’s skin, and cool, blue drops dripped down the bruised area, quickly soaking in. A subtle, calming hum accompanied the chemical reaction, easing the swelling and causing Tom’s haggard breathing to calm down.

“We got you, big guy,” Ryan muttered under his breath, helping Tom sit upright with Anneli’s support.

Tom coughed harshly, his body still wracked with pain, but after a moment, he waved Ryan off and leaned heavily on Anneli instead.

Ryan’s eye twitched in annoyance, but he let this one slide, knowing that at least the medication was working fast.

Leaving Tom in Anneli’s care, Ryan stood up and walked over to Ka’lou, who was humming softly to himself, as cheerful as ever.

“How exactly are we setting this perimeter? What’s our objective here?” Ryan asked, trying to keep his voice steady.

Ka’lou turned to him with that same unsettling smile, his demeanor bright and playful, as if the violence moments earlier had been nothing more than a passing inconvenience. “Glad you asked, Rasor!” he chirped, clapping his hands together. “Our goal is to secure the object. Control orders are in place, so we’ll be working under those guidelines to manage any abyssal threats.”

He continued, tone upbeat, as if he were giving directions for a picnic. “We’ll set the primary perimeter while we wait for backup. I’ll assign motion detectors to key positions for surveillance. And if we encounter anything... undesirable?” His grin widened, eyes gleaming with something too sharp to be sincere. “We engage with lethal force. Simple, right?”

Ryan nodded stiffly. "Right…” he muttered, feeling the weight of Ka’lou’s words settle over him. “I’ll update the squad.”

He turned away sheepishly, walking back towards the others. Lethal force. Undesirables. Simple, he says. Shaking his head, he updated the rest of the squad.

Ka’lou called over to them, “We don’t have all day team~!” He shouted as he jangled the lowgliders keys.

Tom, still hunched over from the earlier attack, shot Ka’lou a venomous glare. “That... bastard,” he muttered, clutching his stomach.