For a moment, Bron thought he might be imagining things. But then, out of the tall grasses, a small figure emerged.

At first glance, the figure didn’t appear threatening—about the size of a human child, dressed in simple clothing woven from plant fibres and leather. His skin was a light shade of brown with faint markings across his arms and face, perhaps tattoos or scars, though Bron couldn’t be sure. He carried a bamboo basket on his back, filled with herbs and flowers in all shapes and colours. The child’s eyes, wide and curious, gleamed with an innocent yet cautious curiosity as he slowly approached the squad. His face had no sign of hostility, but the way he moved—steady, deliberate—made it clear he was accustomed to navigating the plains.

Bron exchanged a brief glance with Ms. Tesse. The tension was palpable.

"He's just a kid," Bron muttered, half in disbelief. "What is he doing here?"

Ms. Tesse's gaze was locked on the figure, her expression unreadable. "We don't know that for sure. Stay alert."

As the child got closer, he stopped in his tracks. The moment his eyes met her icy gaze, he froze, the light breeze ruffling his dark hair. For a second, there was a quiet silence, the only sound being the occasional ruffling leaves in the breeze.

"Who are you?" the child inquired, his bright voice echoed in the silent forest. "Why are you here?"

Ms. Tesse’s gaze hardened, her eyes narrowing slightly as she took a step forward, her posture tense. "We're here to explore. Are you from around here?"

The boy hesitated, his eyes flicking to the black and gold pod in the distance before returning to the squad. His expression was a mixture of fear and intrigue, though he didn’t back down. "Yes. This is the land of the Northern Plains Kingdom. I had just finished collecting some herbs in the morning. They help with my grandmother’s cough."

Bron, still in awe of the child’s calm demeanour, watched closely. "Northern Plains Kingdom? I thought this planet was... uninhabited."

Ms. Tesse didn’t wait for the boy to answer before pressing forward. "You mentioned a kingdom. Does it have any… special resources? Energy sources?"

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The child blinked, clearly confused by her sudden intensity. "Energy? Oh, yes, the kingdom has the Totem of Life. It’s kept in the treasury of the castle. It is rumoured to contain the essence of the richest energy in the kingdom.”

Ms. Tesse’s eyes lit up at the mention of the Totem. "Tell me more about this Totem. Where can we find it?"

The boy, still looking unsure, continued, "The Totem is kept deep within the castle. It’s powered by a rare elixir called Vitaelix. Without it, we wouldn’t be able to practise magic!”

A small smile tugged at Ms. Tesse’s lips. "Magic, you say? And this… elixir, where is it kept? Will you lead us to it?"

"That, the location is forbidden, only the elders and a few trusted commanders know," the boy stammered, glancing nervously at the squad. "But why do you want to know about it?"

Ms. Tesse’s voice grew sharper, now more demanding. "Who exactly knows the location? What does it look like?"

Before the child could answer, his eyes widened in horror as he finally caught sight of the weapons carried by the squad—guns strapped to their chests, and more dangerously, the visible firearms on the agents' backs. His fear shifted quickly to panic, and his breath quickened.

"You’re invaders!" he shouted, stumbling back a few steps. "You’re not from the kingdom! You want to steal our Totem! I have to warn everyone!"

Without another word, he turned and bolted, his small figure darting between the tall grasses, moving faster than expected for someone so young. The air propelled him swiftly, as though summoned through magic.

"Idiot!" Ms. Tesse hissed, her voice cold and clipped as she turned to the nearest agent, her hand outstretched. "Don’t just stand there, stop him!"

In a blur, one of the agents rushed to grab his weapon, but Ms. Tesse was quicker. She snatched a gun from another agent’s side, a sleek, black plasma rifle, and with a smooth, practised motion, she fired multiple times. The child’s scream was short and sharp, silenced immediately by the weapon’s lethal blast. His body crumpled to the ground in an instant, leaving nothing but the basket of flowers.

"How stupid can you all be?" Ms. Tesse snarled at her squad, her gaze scanning the group of stunned agents. "He could have informed the others. You never let your target get away, especially when they know about the Totem."

Bron stood frozen, his stomach twisting with a mix of horror and disbelief. "He was just a kid," he muttered under his breath, though the words felt hollow now, meaningless in the wake of what had just happened.

"Yes," Ms. Tesse said, her voice chillingly calm. "And now, he won’t be a problem."

The once eager exploration party set off in sombre silence, their footsteps crushing the once vibrant flowers into lifeless fragments, vessels now devoid of the soul.