"Call the Emissaries to come to the Headquarters, now!"

Sonata wondered why all of the Mail-Hunters are gathering here including them, carrying her Automotive Gear weapon strapped behind her back. The meeting was past midnight that all of them are still sleepy even in their uniforms, but they have to stay awake for the Vice Postmaster-General. Claire folding her arms while standing beside her and Gabriel, he remained with his usual cool and composed self alongside the other Mail-Hunters--along Suona who seems to be worried of what happened. The majority of them are gathering in the entrance hall with the entrance door closed, with their hands behind their backs like a soldiers.

Mathilda White; twenty-five years old Secretary-General of National Postal Service and Chief of Finance Department was standing beside her superior, together with Alastair who was standing across her to keep his distance for Senja. As she has a light pink long hair tied in high messy ponytail, her bangs framing and almost covering her forehead with her violet-blue eyes and she has fair complexion. Her face was youthful and beautiful, a dark blue and white ribbon with golden chimes hanging with the light violet marbles on her tied hair. Wearing a black one-piece sleeveless dress shirt and black shorts underneath her dark blue and gold platinum collared jacket coat that she wore. With the strings which connected the three musical scores and notes behind her back, she also wears a black high-strapped boots with heels and gold necklace around her neck. Wearing two bracelets with musical note on her left hand, she wears a pair of fingerless black gloves on her hands as she has a piece of black tailcoat behind her waist.

Senja stood with hands behind his back beside Alastair and Mathilda, with Gilbert and Cordelia standing on the sides of the stairway when the Vice Postmaster-General began the announcement. "Mail-Hunters, we received an unfortunate news from the Garrison Division Squad, there was a threat incoming," Alastair stated with his stern expression, before he elaborated once again. "Do not be alarmed, we need to keep all of the safety for civilians in this city--even if the festival still ongoing we have to remain guarded," he knitted his eyebrows together, emphasizing a serious tone for his speech. "An unknown threat, was known other than three humans, infused with the genes of Husk."

Their eyes widened that he mentioned the humans infused with Husk's gene--a new species, earning both horror and anger mixed in their expressions. "I understand why this is sudden for you all, but the information is all delivered because the Overseers holding a meeting with me from yesterday--it was proven true with evidences," Cordelia showed the photos of their sightings, that they were proven dangerous with the powers and ability of Husks combined together.

"There's an attack coming from Husks, coming from the north."

Gilbert raised his brows after hearing about the information, looking down at the map. "They must have come from the city of Lunaria, the West District of Canaria Government."

Mathilda explained, looking forward as she look up from the clipboard. "How many times are they attacking now?" one of the Mail-Hunters asked.

"Three times already."

"What's stopping them?" another Mail-Hunter asked. "The Federation Army has repelled them back every time," Senja responded, shaking his head. "But it doesn't mean that we can just sit back and relax for this to happen," he looked at Alastair, who was concerned about this matter. "We cannot afford to lose control of our city to these attacks."

"What are we going to do then?" a third Mail-Hunter asked.

"Our goal is to destroy any enemy in front of us, that's why we have to prepare for war," Senja said, folding his arms. "The Mail-Hunter Armed Enforcement Squad and Mail-Hunter Garrison Division Squad will go through training to fight back the attackers and to protect this city," he pointed to the Emissaries who were gathered inside the headquarters building. "Those who volunteered will train with them for two weeks and then return to their respective cities, they're also allowed to bring someone as a partner if they wish," he looked at them. "This is only for those who volunteered--you all are free to go back to your duties, make sure you're rested before you go back."

All of them were dismissed and went back to their duties, she was relieved with this new development for now. It was the first time she heard about the paramilitary division of National Postal Service--the Emissary Armed Enforcement Squad led by Alastair and the Mail-Hunter Garrison Division Squad led by both Damian and Cordelia. They've always been protecting the public of Canaria in exchange of delivering letters across the country, until this recent incident that they'll be trained by the Mail-Hunters in the upcoming days.

Few hours later...

"Sonata, right?"

Sonata stopped when she turn around to see Mathilda standing in front of her, while smiling with her hands behind her back. "Oh… right, are you…" she hasn't meet her in the Headquarters before, due to her lack of presence for being busy in both administration and financial management. "I'm the Secretary-General of National Postal Service, Mathilda White--you can call me Mathilda. Master Senja told me about you, sorry for my lack of presence--I've been focusing on the administration, financial statements and financial management."

Mathilda introduced herself with a smile, she was known as Senja's close friend ever since they met each other during their early years working together. She remembered Senja mentioning about her several times when they were still kids, she always saw him laughing and having fun when they're together in the office. "Woah… so, you're managing those two? How about Master Alastair and Master Senja?"

Sonata asked when she was walking beside her, inside the Headquarters while she was on break because the festival preparation is still ongoing. "That's right, Master Alastair focused on enforcement, leadership and security supervision while Master Senja is public relation and strategic management of the Mail-Hunters and the organization," Mathilda explained.

"He's very talented and good at his job, a master strategist," she said, as she continued to talk about him. "Our current Postmaster-General will be coming back soon, he's busy with important matters. We addressed him as Master Lloyd, he's focused on overseeing all of the post office operations around this city, and he's been sending reports to us regularly regarding the internal affairs--he also supervising every management and divisions in National Postal Service while he's away from us."

"That's cool!" Sonata agreed with her words and thoughts. "Did he ever told you about me?"

Sonata asked, looking up at her. "Well… yes… he did mention something about you," Mathilda chuckled, before looking back at her. "He wanted to see you after returning from Altalune, which is in Aria," Sonata learned about the highest positions of the Headquarters in Welkin, the major three leading figures with the two supervisors known as the Masters of the Mail-Hunters--or Masters.

"Master Gilbert's role as the Head Mail-Hunter is instructing and monitoring all Mail-Hunters even the candidates, Master Cordelia is a Secretary who tasked to assist him and proctoring the rookies," she was astonished at how they worked hard through all of that, besides they have strict guidelines and rules written for their vision and mission. "I know Dr. Chamberlain's works, he's a doctor for Emissaries and people."

Mathilda laughed a bit when they're heading downstairs to the entrance hall, meeting the new batch of Mail-Hunters and greeting them after their selection is over. Until the male Mail-Hunters are admiring the Secretary-General from the distance, causing Sonata comically horrified by their admirations. "They're your avid fans…" she mumbled with forced smile towards them, before she walk back with her towards the festival where the masters were on break like them. "We're sorry for waking you up at this time, that's because the news suddenly arrived without our knowledge."

Sonata laughed nervously when Mathilda apologized about what happened in there, she folded her arms when she was quite aware on the dark circles of her eyes which is not common for her. "It's alright… looks like we're going to do patrol huh?" she headed into the public sink at the sidewalk, washing her face in regaining her refreshing face with her duty. 'Those ears and tail, is she a subject to that human trafficking? No wonder Sonata seems to have those features…' Mathilda thought, folding her arms when she was being observing and naturally would mark that as her concern. 'Poor girl, she shouldn't deserve that…' she thought with a frown.

Mathilda started to sympathize this kid to be part of the auction, those people of Reverse are no different than monsters. She saw Sonata came back with a refreshing face, she smiled at her like usual when she asked. "How are you feeling?" she nodded when it comes to her state of well-being, slowly opening up towards her. "I'm fine... don't worry about me, Mathilda! Why don't we take a detour around, if you want to get something to eat?"

"Sure, I don't mind at all."

Mathilda smiled warmly when they headed out together outside, to the festival where she can enjoy the music and food while enjoying her company with a Mail-Hunter--a rare chance indeed. She was amazed with how much time had passed after they were chatting and eating their way through the streets of the city. They also decided to hunt some Husks together, Sonata was curious about Mathilda's Automotive Gear, she never seen her using her weapon before when she was hunting Husk-the gear must be pretty useful in killing Husks. "So, what's your Automative Gear weapon? Is it something like me?" Sonata asked Mathilda, she was watching in front of her while strolling.

"Well, mine is... a bit complicated to explain. You might have never seen anything like this before..." Mathilda sighed, shaking her head a a little. "Why? Come on, let me see it!" she begged with hands on her hips, making Mathilda sighed softly before she showed her Automotive Gear; Sixteen Waltz, Op. 39 in front of her--it took form of a gunblade with the clock-like mechanism set at the center, and it was a Diminuendo-type.

Sonata widened her eyes as she saw the strange technology and craftsmanship embedded on it, the weapon's body was white-gold mixed together as it also has a hand-guard covering the user's left hand and gun muzzle. The grip is metallic which is smooth and the blade is a sharp hybrid, can be considered as a mixture of an axe, a sword and a sickle. It has pink-colored Melodic Amber attached on the hilt, the amber stone has symbol of rose-lily combined into one.

"Let me demonstrate," Mathilda spoke, facing the Garnacha Husk in the field as she activate the weapon--charging into battle and slashing it off in one swing, Sonata was blown away by this and was excited to see more. The weapon was powerful and fast, defeating the husk with one strike as she pulls the trigger, causing the bullet fired and pierced its skull.

Mathilda commanded her Automotive Gear once again, through elegance and gracefulness like a swan swimming across the river-the movements which is followed by every detail that inspired by such instrument, from violin to harpsichord. The Husk turned out defeated--that impressed her how powerful the Secretary-General is, judging from her strength and prowess. "That's a relief, looks like we can go back to the festival," Mathilda said to Sonata, she agreed with a grin.

"Yeah, let's go!"

--First Day of the Festival of Lights--First Week--

Sonata started to feel feverish after a load of shipping and deliveries she made from five days during the preparation before the festival started, her wolf ears pinned back a little when her body temperature went up. This symptoms hit her in a sudden just when her squad finished organizing the packaging and processing materials, she never thought it will lead into an illness. Her wolf tail was curled around herself as it can express her mood, slowly lowered its tip until she growled a bit when the sunlight bothered her eyesight. "Is everything alright? You don't look well."

Claire asked her, Sonata gulped down her saliva. "I'm fine... just tired," she grumbled, didn't notice that Suona also got feverish and brought to the infirmary afterwards--due to the burnout from the preparations and ended up physically drained. "I was going to deliver some of the..." Sonata's words trailed off, before she close her eyes and fainted on Claire's arms after telling her that she was about to deliver some of the parcels to their clients.

"H-Hey! SONATA!"

Gabriel caught her before she could fall, catching her with Claire while she landed on the bench gently and resting in his arms. "What happened, Claire?" he asked her, worried that Sonata might be sick or something. "She was fine until now... she's been working nonstop since yesterday..."

Claire told him, he nodded in concerned about their friend. "Let's take her to the infirmary, shall we?" Gabriel suggested, she nodded while they're taking her to the infirmary--Sonata was laid down on the bed with her head on the pillow. Dr. Chamberlain inspecting Sonata's condition that she was feverish and exhausted, not even able to think properly--he let out a sigh as he explained the results to them.

"Ms. Nocturna, you have a dengue fever that caused by the mosquitoes from the Elegy District, you need to lay down and rest first before you can continue working. So, you should rest in here so that we can make sure that you'll be okay. Rest assured Ms. Nocturna, I'll give you a dose of medicine and food so that you'll be able to recover faster--apparently your fellow friend Ms. Fermata also suffered the same disease."

They widened their eyes that Sonata has the dengue fever that was very rampant (even Suona got one), from the lack of awareness of health management and science from the government--the disease began spreading slowly among the public--even the postal workers got the worst. "Yes. Dr. Chamberlain..." Sonata said tiredly, coughing a bit with pale face when her legs are tired from her excessive delivery activities that went over its limit. "We'll leave her to you," she hummed with the sleepy expression with a nod, yawning in her half-slumber. "You too, Suona?"

Suona nodded, she was sniffing as her long dark purple dragon tail was wagging slowly under the blanket as she was struggling to sleep properly. "I tried... but I just got fever recently, not only from many workloads though..." she murmured, before she sneezed and she keep adjusting her sleeping position.

Claire and Gabriel left the infirmary after thanking Dr. Chamberlain, they were about to patrol around the festival outside the headquarters--until Claire saw her father Alastair coughing--he was exhausted from all the work as a Vice Postmaster-General in both meetings and overseeing everything--they've been working non-stop since they entered the city yesterday, and they still need more delivery and shipments that needs to be delivered within the festival period itself.

The Festival of Lights in Welkin is the busiest day of Mail-Hunters , they always receive a lot of deliveries and goods every year because most residents and Mail-Hunters will travel there and enjoy the festival with family and friends--it was also where they can relax before going back to work after the holidays. "Father, are you okay?" Claire asked her father, he nodded as he was coughing and suffering from headache by the loads of shippings and deliveries. "You know that you shouldn't overwork too much. You'll catch an illness and die, just like mother," Claire warned him, watching the worried expression on her father's face. "I know how it feels like, Claire... wait a sec--"

Alastair sneezed to the side and sniffed, coughing some more when he still felt bad from what happened. "I'm trying my best... these tasks are piling up," he replied grimly. "You should get rest, Lord Farron. I heard Master Mathilda is planning to rest after she caught a fever and worse--Master Senja caught a cold from her, he even had to take a break from dealing the festival because of it," Gabriel continued to say things to him--seeing how worried he was. "Come on, father... don't overwork yourself," Claire insisted, Alastair took a deep breath and sighs at the sight of Claire being persistent. "Fine, I'll rest in the office."

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"No, Father," Claire interrupted him, holding his wrist with her hand. "You should sleep and get well, or else it will affect your health condition. Go rest now so I can help with the division's management and administrative paperworks, you shouldn't force yourself to work like this--"

Claire paused when she suddenly felt her temperature rose from the drop of her condition, she suddenly coughing slightly and covers her mouth. The girl grimaced at the terrible feeling, her throat was sore and dry as she drank water from her flask--she cough to clear her throat. "Great, now we we're--" Gabriel sneezed to the side, making both of them stare at him and they yelled.

"YOU TOO?!"

Dr. Chamberlain make sure that Mathilda is resting well on her bed, after catching cold from work fever like Senja and others have--he didn't want her to be hospitalized for this because she's already been doing too much for the past weeks. But, her health dropped and due to not taking their lunch break--they forgot to eat and sleep. "Sorry, doctor..." Mathilda said in a low and hoarse voice, before she continued with a weak tone in her voice. "You're not alone Mathilda, there are other employees of this place who are taking care of you--there's no need to apologize at all."

Mathilda sighed in relief upon hearing that, sniffling a bit. Her mind was foggy when she first arrived here, because of fever and lack of sleep due to her load of work. Senja was ill while he's laying on the bed across her, he groaned harshly--not gonna lie; he looks like he was having a fever dream and it's annoying that he got laryngitis. "Those Husk troubles..." he grumbled with anger, before he laid down from exhaustion and without anymore complaints or struggles against his illness. "I hate being sick..." he grumbled, trying to move his body as much as possible even though he felt weak.

"Me too..." Mathilda admitted with a sigh as she laid on the bed beside him, she also saw Sonata in front of her where she was laying on the other bed--she was feverish. "Sonata got one..." Mathilda murmured, before she saw Suona also laying across them. "Suona got dengue fever too...? This is bad..." she said with a sigh, before she saw Alastair came inside that this is the third time he had to rest in the infirmary--much to Dr. Chamberlain's surprise.

Claire and Gabriel also got sick that they were feverish like them, which made both them slumped into the infirmary's beds. "Sorry, Doctor..." Claire apologized to Dr. Chamberlain, she couldn't help but felt annoyed by the situation as she wanted to help him take care of his patients. "I told you guys to eat and sleep properly when you have time, didn't I? You all are getting very feverish, I understand that you have a lot of work to do--but it can't be helped," he said with concern written on his face, he sighed as he looked at almost all of the Mail-Hunters were feverish. "Just get some rest okay? I'll prepare the medicine for you two later, even you, Mr. Galbraith," he said to Gabriel, who nodded at him before sniffing.

"You're getting too weak, Lord Farron," Dr. Chamberlain told Alastair sternly at the same time, he also saw how much both stress and pressure that the Masters of the Emissaries are putting on lately. "Festival of Lights is the worst nightmare and the busiest days of us... I feel like I'm going to faint because I'm way too busy..." Alastair muttered under his breath, trying his hardest to clear his throat.

Dr. Chamberlain inspected Vice Postmaster-General's condition carefully, he frowned that he suffered the same fever like Sonata. "You really need to rest, Vice Postmaster-General. You have a dengue fever during your return from the Canon city, only few months passed and I hope you have yourself checked immediately as it's a serious virus that can be fatal for you."

Alastair didn't realize he's suffering this awful fever as well.

Sonata heard him when she was laying on the other bed across him, her voice was hoarse like them from the fever she had--seeing her mentor Alastair like this made her feel bad for him. Claire looked at her father Alastair who is laying down on his bed--he was suffering from fever and tiredness after a long night of work and deliveries. "You too?" Sonata asked with a hoarse cough, seeing them laying on separate beds across each other. "Yeah... we're all sick," Gabriel answered with a weak cough, his eyes were puffy and red due to fatigue.

"The weather's didn't really help us all," Claire answered, she felt dizzy too because of the fever she had--but her mind still functions properly. The weather was so cold and dry, she was wondering why it was this way today? Because of the upcoming festival season maybe? But it wasn't helping at all. "Besides, this month is dry season--the Festival of Lights has been a tradition for people's good health and prosperity so they will have a long healthy lives... but it's a jinx for us Mail-Hunters--we get sick, fall off and get injured, like the saying goes; bad things happen for our good."

"Now I understand the motto... when the festivals started, then our suffering begins..."

Sonata answered dryly, resting her head on the soft pillow as she looked down to her feet--she look over at Suona who also sniffling while changing her sleeping position. "We call this Festival Fever... it happens once in a year... and sometimes we'll experience it more often than others."

Claire nodded in agreement, knowing what Mathilda was saying was true--it happens once in a year where the Mail-Hunters who are working hard and applies to all Mail-Hunters.

The first day festival season had finally arrived, but it wasn't helping at all for the Mail-Hunters.

Gabriel was so helpless that he was laying on the bed, his body temperature increased that they suffered from high temperature like them. Senja had to close his eyes from the headache, "Sonata, Suona? Are you okay?" Claire asked them, Sonata nodded with a sniff--her wolf ears drooped down that her wolf tail was waggling weakly on the bed--even Suona who was trying to sleep. "Gilbert and Cordelia will handle the rest of your works, don't worry about them."

Dr. Chamberlain stated, he saw how badly the Mail-Hunters getting ill from their workload and orders--it wasn't helping at all--not that it helped at all, but it eased their burden a little bit. "Why are we all sick today?" Sonata asked Mathilda who was sitting next to her bed. "I don't know," Mathilda answered truthfully while rubbing her head and forehead due to a migraine she was having, she couldn't think straight from the headache she got earlier. "Hahaha! That's what happens when you become a noble kid, huh?" Senja asked his colleague-superior--watching Alastair grimaced at him.

Alastair is aware that being a noble isn't easy--especially for his daughter Claire and himself. It's because of their lineage that makes them suffer from hereditary illnesses such as hemophilia, anemia, and others. Their blood are different from commoners' blood, that's why their bodies react differently compared to others. Not only they have different blood types than others, but also have different genes which gives them weaknesses and defects. Their weaknesses and defects are something that he hates to the bone, because it's frustrating for him as the noble.

Even though Alastair is the strongest Master and Vice Postmaster-General, he also suffers from any diseases just like others do and that makes him prone to sickness--like the Festival Fever that is happening currently, the virus is something that happens once every year--it's not called Festival Fever for nothing. "We should've stayed poor instead..." he muttered sarcastically while closing his eyes and sighing.

"Dad... no one wants to stay poor me, remember?" Claire grumbled, using her foot to kick her father's leg lightly under the blanket that she used. Alastair hissed as Claire's kick was hurting more than he thought it will, at least he got himself distracted. "Boo," he taunted Claire playfully, seeing her snorted. "I guess we better prepare ourselves for tomorrow, huh? We gotta finish everything we need to do before we go home tomorrow," Gabriel said with a weak voice, he yawned.

Dr. Chamberlain came back with their medicines to lessen their sickness, but all of them absolutely hated the taste of their medicine--even if it's helping them. "Ugh... it tastes awful," Mathilda complained, she gulped the medicine that Dr. Chamberlain gave them--she didn't have a choice if she wants to feel better.

The medicine tasted bitter and sour because of the herbs inside, but the Masters knew that it will ease their pains if they take the medicine as prescribed by their doctors. As for Alastair and Senja, they even getting bitter taste so does Sonata, who is also sick like Claire and Gabriel. "I really hate this..."

"Me too," Alastair agreed with his apprentice, groaning as he looked at Senja who grumbled just like Suona who tried to swallow the medicine. "It will go away soon," Mathilda told Sonata, taking another sip of water to cleanse the bitter taste of the medicine inside her mouth and throat. Dr. Chamberlain sighed, he folded his arms at them. "Don't blame it on the taste, blame it on the herbs inside it," he said, making them all laugh awkwardly for some reasons--the doctor has a weird sense of humor.

Sonata can't even understand his humor sometimes, even Suona who can't process things yet. "We are just lucky to have such amazing doctors like Dr. Chamberlain, otherwise we'll be suffering in agony," Alastair grumbled despite the fact that he was trying to joke around, making the Emissaries laugh again--Dr. Chamberlain always jokes around and makes them laugh when they feel depressed, sad, or even angry.

Senja laid down on the bed that he need to rest according to Dr. Chamberlain's instruction, his high fever took some time to recover just like them. Sonata nodded, seeing that Mathilda agreed despite her feverish condition so does Senja-he even didn't have the energy to sit up. "I want to hunt Husks... but it's a bad idea when we're like this..."

Claire mumbled with heavy breath before she closed her eyes and fell asleep while Alastair, Sonata, Mathilda, Gabriel and Senja all dozed off. Dr. Chamberlain shake his head, this is not the first time he faced with sick Mail-Hunters while they're on duty--it happens every year around this time where people get sick because of colds and flu during the Festival of Lights. It's a tradition among Welkin's people--when the festival arrives, most people gets sick in various ways: some become sick with common cold, flu, coughs, runny noses, sore throats and others that makes their lives miserable.

Even if the Mail-Hunters are dozing off, some would cough or sneeze even had to get into their beds and rest for the night. More worse, the Festival of Lights took about six weeks and it made them suffer, and Dr. Chamberlain doubts if they'll survive this long-week Festival without getting any serious illnesses, he knows that it's not easy for them as Mail-Hunters, but it's better for them to rest than having them get seriously sick and die while they are doing their jobs.

It was during nighttime that the festival is over until the next day of the festival, they're still sleeping inside the infirmary while the other Mail-Hunters also staying in the Headquarters to get some sleep because it would be better than walking around with tired bodies and colds. Sonata was sleeping on her bed until her wolf ear twitched, hearing something that made her slowly opened her eyes--it made her annoyed that who would wake her up in the middle of the night. When she looked outside the window, she saw that there was a dark silhouette in front of the window--making her shiver. She turned around and checked what's going on inside the room--the others are still here.

Sonata looked at her mentor Alastair who was sleeping in his bed beside the window with his back facing her, she stared at the shadow for some minutes with a suspicious look on her face--she noticed it was dark, but familiar somehow. Then, she heard a rustle and turns out Alastair woke up too early, upon hearing what she heard from someone outside of the infirmary. "What's going on? Did something happened?" Alastair asked while rubbing his eyes, Claire woken up as well due to their sensitive hearing as a member of the Farron House--it helps them to alert.

Sonata shook her head, sighing deeply as she looked at the window--her wolf ears was perked up. Claire shrugged before she look back at Sonata who used her sharp hearing senses from her wolf ears, hearing the whispering right now. "Wait, I hear something... but it's strange..." Sonata whimpered, scratching her head while she furrowed her brow a bit.

"They've found out about the secret..." one of them whispered outside of the infirmary door, it was unfamiliar and doesn't seems to be from one of the Emissaries. "But they're looking for us..." another whispered. "They're searching for us..." one of them answered. "Don't tell them about our secret...! Our secret... our secret... Our secret...! Don't tell them about...! What's in...!? They might find out about it...! The secret of the secret!"

"We should leave this place now!" another one whispered. "If we stay here..." "Someone might find us..." "And they're looking for us..."

"What was that?" Alastair asked them, he listened quietly to hear what they're talking about without letting the other people to notice. Mathilda narrowed her eyes when she heard the whispers, their voices are faint but she could still hear them clearly. "Where did they come from?" she whispered as Senja wake up from his sleep too, before she saw Dr. Chamberlain woke up when he heard the whispers outside and he look back at them. "Did you heard that too?" he whispered. "The guys outside, did they sound familiar to you? I think they're here for the... thing we're supposed to protect from the person itself. Whoever it was, we should take it into the Vault," Senja whispered, they look over at them which made them nodded.

Sonata tried to detect the voices, she managed to hear them clearly this time. Alastair carefully stood up from his bed with a sudden movement and pushed the door open to peek who that is-no one was there and he close the door. "No one's there," he whispered to them, he looked outside of the window to see if anyone was outside-but there aren't any. "I wonder what secrets they were talking about... have they left?"

Gabriel whispered, he was curious about what they were talking about. "They didn't, they're gone now..."

Senja heard Claire when he sat up, when Dr. Chamberlain tried to process what the whispers are about. "That can't be intruders... our Headquarters is securely guarded by the guards."

"If there's an intruders, then we have to make emergency protocols for us..." Alastair murmured, since he's a Vice Postmaster-General--he always take over the Postmaster-General's absence as the Acting Postmaster-General and do whatever necessary, he has the responsibilities to make sure the other Mail-Hunters stay safe and on the ground. "Our Vaults having the security system to keep the things inside are safe, that is very important for every Headquarter of the Postal service. We have to alert the Emissaries, who knows if it's the humans infused with the genes of the Husks--or the Marauders," Alastair warned.

Sonata knew about them when she was nine-years old during her abduction by the Reverse, Marauders are humans who doesn't have the Melodic Scores or life force and the memories of the past--their minds are empty and they're dangerous--but not all of them because there's some Marauders who are brainwashed by that.

The alarm siren of the Headquarters rang out loud inside for all Mail-Hunters to hear--a warning from the Headquarters' security to everyone inside the Headquarters that there's an intruder coming. All of the Mail-Hunters are armed with their Automotive Gears as their weapons of defense, but they're still worried that it could be the Marauders of the Reverse who invaded into the headquarters. The sound of the sirens is echoing louder than before, making the air inside the building became tense. After they came out from the Mail-Hunters, Gilbert and Cordelia informed them. "Sir! There's an intruder inside the Headquarters!" Gilbert announced.

"An intruder?" Alastair asked, the two women nodded. "I saw it myself, sir," Gilbert replied to him. "I was patrolling the halls, I noticed a human-like figure wearing a black hooded coat sneaked inside the Headquarters. When I tried to chase it, he was already far away from me."

"How many people are in the Headquarters?" Alastair questioned them. "The Headquarters is full with the people inside it, Sir," Gilbert answered. "Is it possible he's hiding somewhere inside?" Alastair asked them. "There's no one inside the Headquarters except for us."

Alastair sighed in relief when he heard the answer, but he still suspicious about those voices. "But it's weird, why would anyone enter the Headquarters at this hour? This is like the ungodly hour; it's past midnight!" he snapped, mostly because of why there are intruders inside the Headquarters. If anyone from the Mail-Hunters discovered him or her, they would be in a lot of trouble. Cordelia continued.

"The intruders also left some traces."

"Traces?" Gabriel inquired, Cordelia pointed her finger at the ground where there's some blood stains and footprints. "Someone ran fast and left these behind, sir."

Sonata, Suona and the other Mail-Hunters are horrified by the blood and footprints, Dr. Chamberlain kneeled down with his gloved hands while examining the blood and footprints--since he's an expert in many medical fields like forensic and science-Dr. Chamberlain began to touch the blood to check its chemical composition. "So it's not the Marauders?" Alastair asked, he wasn't surprised about the presence of the intruder since he thought that there would be an intruder, but he was shocked about the fact that it's a human-like person. "No," Mathilda answered, folding her arms. "The Marauders of the Reverse wouldn't leave traces like this, unless they're going to attack us."

"Then who is it?" Alastair asked. Dr. Chamberlain look back at them, after examining the blood and footprints carefully. "I think it's someone who has the genetic trait of the Husks. Someone who have the ability to transform into a half-mutant like Husk," he explained, before he continued. "Which is conducted in illegal experiments, something that Reverse would has-isn't that right, Ms. Nocturna?" he asked Sonata, she nodded when she turned around to look at them. "Yes, from what I remembered... not only they experimented on Husks, but they experimented on animals... and humans too."

"They wanted to create a new breed of human, from what Suona and I learned..." Sonata answered, she remembered the words of the man who was killed by the Marauders of the Reverse when she was in that auction.

Suona continued, she remembered them vividly as she can't forget it. "As an attempt to overthrow the government, Reverse is an anti-government organization with the aim of creating a new breed of humans--a humans who are immune against the viruses that infected their body, humans who are stronger than the average humans..."

"But what will happen to the hybrid if the experiment succeeds?"

"They will be turned into a tool for Reverse, almost like Marauders," Dr. Chamberlain explained, he looked at Mathilda who also remembered the words of the dead man who was killed by the Marauders of the Reverse in the past. "Those Husks that were created in the laboratories were controlled by the ones who own the Husk--these humans are implanted with the gene of the Husks, even though they have the memory of the past, they don't have the DNA of the Husks, so they have to live in secret from the rest of the world. This is why they want to overthrow the government because of their corruption and discrimination against the hybrids."

Gabriel was stunned hearing the information of Husks and the Hybrid. "Are they really living in secret?" he asked them. "They are," Mathilda answered, "most of them are being hidden in the underground tunnels in the Capital. So, we have to increase the security in the Festival of Lights, the last thing we needed is someone getting hurt," Senja agreed, before he folded his arms continued. "Maximum patrols, security and surveillances will be heightened as Forte Status, we need to stop the intruder immediately before anything bad happens to him or her. We cannot let anyone get injured."