“I’ve found something that could be a major lead.”

Hearing those words, my entire body tensed up. This was something I’d been waiting for, for so long it had almost felt like an eternity.

Nanik reached into his pocket and pulled out a small piece of camera film, the kind used in those very old cameras still found in Mittelreich countries due to their different mana-based design. He handed the film to me, and I inspected it closely.

The captured image on the film showed a woman sitting beside an open flame in the outdoors at night. Her worn, old mercenary outfit was caked in dried blood, and she clutched what appeared to be a revolver. But the most striking part of the image, the part that seized all my attention, was her face. She looked remarkably young, probably no older than 23 or 24, with sparkling eyes the color of purple sapphires and short, shoulder-length purple hair.

I had never seen anyone who resembled me as closely as she did. We might as well have been twins with the level of similarity. If we had the same hairdo, I bet no one would be able to tell us apart.

My heart was racing. Did Nanik manage to find someone that’s related to me? Trying to remain calm, I attempted to gather more information from Nanik. “Who exactly is this person?”

“She is most likely the leader of an infamous mercenary group in the country of Cielmouth, which is in the continent of Janine,” Nanik explained, his voice steady but laced with gravity. “Though not much is known about her, she is referred to as Lady Makina by her group’s members. The name of the group is The Dark Eclipse, and they are known for their high mission success rate.”

I stood there in a trance, fixated on the image in front of me, my mind racing with all the possibilities and implications of this discovery. Lady Makina's existence felt like a key to a door I had been desperately trying to open for years.

Nanik broke the silence, his voice cutting through my reverie. “For now, I think you should focus on the mission for the Kyritite. Once you finish that, we’ll have an in-depth investigation into this person and their possible relation to you. I have high hopes, though. The combination of eye color and hair color you have is extremely rare, and the only other person I’ve seen with it is the one in this picture. So I’m quite hopeful about this lead.”

He paused, giving me a moment to process everything. His words were pragmatic, yet beneath them lay an undercurrent of genuine concern and perhaps even a hint of excitement.

Nanik then left the meeting room, leaving me alone with my thoughts. I turned the film over in my hand, staring at the captured image of Lady Makina. Questions surged through my mind, each more pressing than the last. Was she a lost sister, a doppelgänger, or something else entirely? The resemblance was uncanny, but until we had more information, speculation was all I had.

Putting the film into the pocket of my pants, I left the meeting room and made my way over to the hangar where the Airblade was stored after my previous mission. As I stepped into the hangar, my footsteps reverberated throughout the enormous space, devoid of any signs of human presence. With so few people actually working for Nanik—only Kaelith, Farthington, and myself—I had to take up a lot more tedious tasks, such as vehicle maintenance. I’d learned how to service the Airblade thanks to Neuro in the past, guiding my repairs and maintenance along.

The hangar was a cavernous structure, its walls lined with various tools and spare parts for our equipment. The Airblade sat in the center, its sleek form contrasting sharply with the utilitarian surroundings. I approached the aircraft, mentally running through the checklist of tasks I needed to complete to ensure it was ready for the mission.

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First, I examined the exterior, noting a few scuffs and scratches from our last mission. I replaced a few damaged parts, securing them tightly to ensure optimal performance. The process was almost meditative, each action familiar and routine, allowing my mind to wander back to the image of Lady Makina. The resemblance was unsettling, a puzzle piece that didn’t quite fit but hinted at a larger picture I couldn’t yet see.

After replacing the parts, I moved to clean the windows, removing the grime and dust that had accumulated. As the glass cleared, the cockpit’s control panel came into view, its array of buttons and levers gleaming under the hangar lights. I checked each system meticulously, running diagnostics to ensure everything was in working order. The Airblade’s engines hummed softly as they cycled through the tests, the sound a reassuring reminder of its readiness.

Once the diagnostics were complete and the Airblade was prepped, I headed over to the armory where our weapons and explosives were stored. The armory was a small, heavily secured room at the back of the hangar, filled with various firearms, ammunition, and specialized equipment for our missions. I grabbed the charges that would be used to destabilize the bridge, their weight a tangible reminder of the destructive power they held.

‘I kinda feel bad for those poor engineers that are going to have to find a way to salvage and repair the bridge after we’re done with it…’ I thought, a pang of guilt accompanying the practical necessity of our plan. The bridge was a marvel of engineering, a lifeline between continents, and our actions would undoubtedly cause significant disruption.

Placing the charges carefully in a secure compartment for use during the mission later, I ensured they were properly primed and ready to deploy. The charges were designed to mimic structural failure with minimal seismic impact, but their power was undeniable. I double-checked their settings, not wanting any surprises when we needed them most.

With the charges stowed away, I made my way back through the hangar, my footsteps echoing in the empty space. The preparations for the mission were nearly complete, but there was one last thing to do. I needed to check in with Farthington and Kaelith to make sure they were ready for the next day.

I found Farthington in his quarters, a small, sparsely furnished room filled with various personal items and scattered papers. He looked up from a book as I entered, raising an eyebrow.

“Do you need anything in particular for tomorrow’s mission?” I asked, trying to keep my tone professional.

Farthington shook his head, a small smile playing at the corners of his mouth. “No, I’m all set. Speaking of necessity, I wanted to know if you changed your mind about getting my autobiography, ‘Magical Me’?”

“I most definitely will not be getting a copy of that for myself,” I assured him, rolling my eyes before heading to find Kaelith.

Kaelith was in the common area, tinkering with a small gadget, his fingers moving deftly over the intricate components. He glanced up as I approached, his eyes gleaming with curiosity.

“Everything good for tomorrow?” I asked, leaning against the doorframe.

“Yeah, I’ve got everything I need,” Kaelith replied, his focus briefly shifting back to his gadget. “Do you know what this contraption is?”

“Yeah, I know,” I said slowly, recognizing the device. “It's a hair… dryer.”

“Ah, I see!” Kaelith said in a serious tone, his eyes sparking as he examined the foreign contraption in his hands. “I thought it might be some sort of sonic disrupter.”

“Not quite,” I replied, shaking my head with a bemused smile. “But it might come in handy if we run into any bad hair days.”

Kaelith chuckled, his focus still partly on the gadget as I turned to leave. Not too sure if both Farthington and Kaelith were entirely prepared, I finally headed back to my room. I set my alarm for early the next morning, knowing we’d need every minute to ensure the mission’s success.

As I lay down, the events of the day replayed in my mind, my thoughts inevitably drifting back to the image of Lady Makina. Who was she? What connection did she have to me? The questions swirled in my mind, elusive and tantalizing, as I drifted into a restless sleep, the weight of tomorrow’s mission pressing heavily on my thoughts.