November 14, 2056

11:55 A.M.

Atlis, Institution of Shard Companies

Alex Braun, Chairman of the ISC

The Chairman leans back on his chair and stretches his fingers before giving out an exhale.

He had just finished the final daily report and his fingers ached from typing for hours on his computer. The end of the year is approaching and with that comes the much-dreaded report on every Shard Company within the Korps. Braun was sure he was ready for it this year but that proved to be not the case. He is currently only a third of the way done.

"I don't remember there being this many Companies..." he sighs.

He reaches for his mug to take another sip of his coffee but when he lifts it it's light. That's when he peers inside only to find it empty. The Chairman's shoulders sloop down and sets the mug back down just as a knock comes from the door.

"Come in."

The door opens and a young woman enters. She wears a white buttoned shirt with a tie outlined in blue and a black skirt. Her eyes shine brightly behind her glasses as she pushes aside a strand of blonde hair and makes her way to him.

"Good morning Mr. Braun, how goes the report?" She asks while holding up new freshly made coffee towards him.

A look of relief goes on his face as his hands reach for the new warm cup. "Thanks, Sam. Just finished up Emerald Shard and Black Shard's report. Black Shard alone took up most of the time." He takes a sip and lets the warmness embrace him.

"Well, they were busy over the year so I'd imagine they would need an update," she replies as she takes a seat on his table, crossing her legs. "You should stop waiting until the last moment to start on your work. Last year I found you passed out in your office because you were so tired from working overnight." She states.

"That's because I only had time to file reports during the last two weeks of each month. At least, this year they gave me an extra week but even then, I'm still busy as is."

Sam turns her head away and starts playing with her hair, twirling it around her finger.

"You know... you could always ask me to help you. I am your assistant after all."

"I know. I know. I just like doing these things by myself, and I hate bothering you when it's your time off." he states.

She rolls her eyes. "Of course, you do," she says before hiding her smile.

Taking another sip from his mug, Braun turns his chair to face the Global Shard Rally System that covers most of the wall. The GSRS is a mounted system that relays each Shard Company's status and position.

The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

Each Company has its own tile that has a light that emits three colors. Green would signify the Company is available to service. Yellow is for unavailable Companies. Finally, red signals that the Shard Company is active in a combat zone or occupied in a foreign region in conflict. Most tiles show green except for a select few that are deployed on humanitarian missions, along with White Shard, who are stationed on the Island of Vicerole.

They've been experimenting with prototype equipment on the island, but he still doesn't understand why Atlis stationed them on that forsaken island. It's got to be below-freezing up there at this time of year as well. Braun stares at their tile, feeling sympathy as they've been stuck there for almost three years.

Then, unexpectedly, the tile's light turns off. He narrows his eyes before getting up to inspect the GSRS.

"That's strange..." he taps on the tile.

Sam gets up shortly after and walks up next to him. "Did it break? Could be that the cold froze the circuits."

"No, can't be, otherwise the whole section would be turned off. Let me contact them, could be that they're experiencing a bad storm."

"Storm?"

"Blizzard actually. Even after ninety-six years those things still haven't withered away. The Divinity fallout from them have disrupted the GSRS in the past, but White Shard usually informs me ahead of time before the storm hits."

Braun walks back to his desk and presses on a number pad that then displays the White Shard symbol on his computer screen. Seconds pass by with no response. He tries again but to no avail. He scratches his chin and now tries to access the cameras on the station.

"Is it important to have the tile on?" Sam asks.

"Yes, very important. The tile is directly connected to the vitality of Shards in the Company. It's another reason why every member is given an amulet. It's so that every member can be closely monitored if something were to happen." Braun taps on his desk nervously as he scrolls through the various folders on his computer.

Furthermore, each amulet also acts as the receiver for the GSRS. If for some reason it broke, the signal would be lost for the individual and show up on the monitor. But for the entire tile to turn off would mean every single amulet is broken.

Braun knows this is the only reason for the tile to turn off, but it still doesn't make sense. Did White Shard somehow break all their necklaces in an accident? If so, he would've been notified already. Then again... there is another reason why the tile could turn off... He shakes the thought out of his head immediately. There's no way. He can't believe something like that could've happen.

He finally finds what he's looking for and pulls up the CCTV of each camera around and inside the compound White Shard is stationed in.

Each says No Feed Available.

"That's not right. Let me search for any footage that was backed up." He begins typing on his keyboard until he finds one file that is only thirty seconds long. It was saved eight hours ago.

He clicks on it and the file opens up a video that begins playing.

In the first few seconds, the camera seems to be pointing towards a dark forest with heavy snow falling and trees that extend deep into the abyss. A little later the camera picks up movement and a red square appears on the screen, locked on to whatever is just out of view. Braun and Sam lean in closer.

As time passes, the square begins to increase in size as whatever that has been picked up is heading straight towards the camera. What comes next, sends chills down The Chairman's and Sam's spines.

What the camera had picked up was a blood-stained shard stumbling from the darkness. The person trips and falls as the camera tilts its head downwards towards them. They look upwards into the lens; their eyes filled with fear.

<>

Suddenly, the soldier looks backward at something that has caught his attention. He's frozen in place, unable to move by whatever it is. Then, without any warning, the camera knocks over as the screams and yells of the Shard soon pierce through the video. As the camera lies in the snow, the last few moments only catch the snow falling, and the sounds of meat and bone being crushed beneath the moonlight.