They found themself in a strange plane, a barely flat ground stretching for infinity. Large triangles made up the floor, angled and raised to create a rough surface. Beyond the horizon was indiscernible, a sparkling gray mist filling the air.
In the distance from Lanada was a small hill, the same triangles aimed to form the slope around it. A piercing light was perched above, shaped around a humanoid figure.
A strange buzzing filled Lanada’s ears, burning the back of their head. Their mind begged their legs to buckle under the weight of the sound, but they stood still, beyond belief.
They were sure it was a dream, but it felt real, like there was a breeze, or the warmth of the sun. Lanada could feel the notes of life, and their sense could have convinced them they were in a bustling city. With their eyes open though, all they could see was the infinite plane, only accented by the glowing figure.
They took a careful step, evaluating the texture of the triangles. They were like silicon, something warm or soft. A delicate glow was left in Lanada’s footprint with every step, watching the uneven floor so they wouldn’t trip. As they approached the figure, the buzzing only grew louder and the light grew brighter, blinding and deafening Lanada.
They struggled to hold their composure as they could feel a wind pick up. It was perpendicular to the platform, swirling about its center. It was warm, matching the same temperature as Lanada’s body.
They could feel their strength slipping as they tried to take another step, finding themself suddenly winded, as if they had run a sprint. They were forced down to their knees, and then their back when those failed. Their eyes were open, staring straight up. The bright figure was stuck in the corner of their eye, stoic and unmoving. It seemed to be watching Lanada.
They struggled to even lift an arm, paralyzed on the ground. They tried to speak but every word was a stutter, unable to be said coherently. They finally stopped struggling and accepted their fate laying there. The blinding figure began to dim, and with it so did the plane of infinity. As the last light left the space, Lanada’s eyes finally closed.
❂
The next day, Lanada awoke in the same alleyway, covered in sand. They were slow to stand, rolling on the ground into a more comfortable position, carefully making sure their eyes were clear of debris. They finally stood and looked around; the orb was nowhere to be seen.
They swayed as they were overcome with nausea, their head also throbbing in pain. They looked for a spot better than the pavement, and decided to launch their fluids into one of the building’s flower beds. Hopefully they’d appreciate the nutrients. They still felt dazed, the bright desert light not helping the situation. The sun was already quite high, and Lanada wondered how long they’d been knocked out.
Their Circle was luckily working again, and they chose to lean against one of the buildings while it started up, taking advantage of the tall structure’s shade. It was already midday, making Lanada wonder how nobody had discovered them asleep earlier.
They examined their body, especially their hand, concerned about the orb’s effects. There was nothing, not a scar or even discoloration. The rest of their body was just as clear, the only worry a few grains of sand that had worked their way into crevices and cracks of old wounds. They didn’t feel any different either, feeling just as sore and mindful as the night before. The only difference was a really bad headache and a scratch on their elbow from the fall.
Lanada scrambled in their mind for some kind of explanation, finding nothing but more questions. The orb hovered still in their mind, seen everywhere they looked. Their Circle didn’t have much information, the only stories about the orb focusing on the one in space.
It seemed the small one had slipped under people’s radar, making for a private session with Lanada. The world was already going to shit, and despite Lanada’s attempt to avoid it all, two problems had specifically sought them out. No way the orb was a coincidence, and that agent had been watching them? For how long even? Lanada was pissed, even more so when they realized they had to trek back to their car. They didn’t need this extra shit; STAR was all in their business, and now an alien blue orb was fucking with them?
They groaned and messaged Gerry, also concerned if he was okay. He had carpooled with a friend and luckily made it to another friend’s house closeby, relieving Lanada's worries. He had already taken his friend to their actual house and was at home, cleaning up apparently. His apartment was always spotless; Lanada knew what he meant. He offered them a quick ride back to their truck, having nothing else to do.
He drove a small compact car, always putting it through its paces as one of the wheels lifted while he turned the corner. His stop was just as abrupt, the tires screeching as the car jolted right in front of Lanada.
“Need a lift?” Gerry rolled down his window.
“Not if you’ll be driving like that.”
“I’m not that bad! I only hit two pedestrians and a truck on the way here.”
“Uh-huh.”
Lanada stumbled into the small car, gracious for the already cold air conditioning. Gerry was sipping a drink with another in the cupholder for Lanada. He grinned as he nodded towards it, encouraging Lanada to try it after they buckled in.
“What’s this?”
“You were in a sandy alley all night! I figured you’d need refreshments.”
“Oh, thanks.”
“What even happened with you during the blackout? It was crazy for me, I know that. I still didn’t pass out alone in an alleyway though, I don’t know how you managed that.”
Gerry pulled out onto the roadway, cranking up some music before fumbling for his drink. One hand daintily steered his car somehow, taking it through quick, aggressive maneuvers. Lanada grabbed a handle and held on tight. Like usual.
“It was one of those orb things. The ones that keep causing the blackouts? I was walking home and saw a small one in that alley. I touched it, then passed out.”
“You touched it?! Lanada, even I wouldn’t do that! I thought you were more careful.”
“I was, I poked it with a stick first.”
“Hah, a stick? What a safe, controlled, scientific experiment!”
“Don’t antagonize me, I’m fine anyways. I think.”
“Yeah Lanada, when we get to your truck please go to the hospital or something. It would suck if something like the common cold took you out.”
“Really think the orb gave me a cold?”
“Hey, from my experience you have to watch out for disease everywhere. People are dirty. Who knows where that orb has been!”
“The orb isn’t a parade of men, Gerry.”
“Wow, called me out.”
He had a nervous smile, only closing it to take another drink, the whole while bouncing to loud dance-pop. Lanada was looking ahead instead. The light at the next intersection was turning yellow, but Gerry wasn’t slowing down.
“Gerry.”
More dance-pop; this time Gerry was singing along softly, bouncing even harder.
“Gerry!”
“What?”
“Light! Gerry! Light!”
“Wha—Oh shit!”
He looked out at the light as it passed by overhead, speeding through the intersection. A couple cars honked, but were fortunately still waiting to move. Lanada had never been more terrified. Gerry hunched over in shame, now wearing a guilty smile. He took another drink, struggling to get it down.
“Haha, sorry Lanada! I hate that intersection! Who designed that shit? Like, put a roundabout or something, car centric city design is so DANGEROUS. This is why I advocate for public transportation, you know. Then there’d be less people like me on the road!”
“Gerry!”
“What?!”
Exasperated, Lanada leaned back, wiping their face. They couldn’t help but nervously laugh along with him. They already knew the risks of riding with him.
He took another drink and the two chatted a bit more, going silent as they spotted Lanada’s truck. Despite that distance taking them more than an hour to walk the previous night, the drive was done in minutes, making Lanada cross that they didn’t just stay in their car to sleep. At least they wouldn’t have had any orb business despite the cramps.
“Hey, I’m serious. Get yourself checked out. If an orb kills you I’ll laugh on your grave.”
“Yeah, be safe.”
Gerry gave a few more goodbyes and took off, almost drifting onto the main road. Lanada shook their head as they saw him cut off a couple cars, earning him a few honks as he fled. Even with his tiny car he managed to be a menace on the roads.
Lanada’s truck was covered in sand from the previous night, likely causing even more damage to the already beat up paint. They took care to wipe the sand off the door before climbing inside. The car started with a bit of delay, but with another button press it whirred to life, running fine as far as they could tell. The only thing wrong was the time, set at the time of the blackout the previous night when it had died.
With a simple fix, Lanada was back on the road, the rest of the sand blowing onto the cars behind them. They didn’t care though, far more concerned with what the orb had done to their body unnoticed. They trusted only one person to evaluate them: a scientist named Myra. She was an expert in computer science and a hell of a doctor, serving more unreputable clients than most. Lanada was one of those clients, not trusting a general hospital to patch their wounds from a hit job.
They had a small clinic in Ingalderin’s north, occupying the back room of an office building. The outside was rather shabby despite the care the cleaners put in; it was one of those buildings that looked dated as soon as it was built. The inside had an older, clinical smell, as if someone had sanitized a room full of cardboard. The smell wasn’t as bad as Myra’s lab though.
When Lanada opened the door at the end of the hall, they were met with the same pungent smell they had become accustomed to. Myra was always working on something, and more often than not it smelled bad, barely covered by the gallons of sanitizer and air freshener.
Myra was bent over a microscope, scratching her head while she studied. Lanada was naturally quiet, and given Myra’s focus, it was easy to scare her. They managed to get right behind without her noticing, simply staring over Myra’s shoulder. She mumbled something and shook her head, pulling her head back from the microscope. In the process she bumped into Lanada, who was waiting right behind her.
“Fuck! Shit!” Myra turned and punched Lanada. They took the blow rather well, clutching their stomach while they laughed.
“Lanada don’t do that! This is really important! You can’t keep scaring me!”
“Then don’t make it so easy!”
“I swear, one day I’ll be the one giving you injuries. Who would you find to fix you up then, hm?”
Myra was almost a friend to Lanada, but their business kept them from getting closer. They were a neutral party for people like Lanada, and their healthcare had to be kept private. Through years of experience they had earned a high pay from her clients. And despite being human, they knew their stuff about the saumryans and brestyrians.
“There’s more than enough qualified back-alley doctors. I’m sure they’re more affordable as well.”
“Have fun getting tetanus from a simple bandaging then. They’re famous for reusing medical equipment.”
“And you don’t?”
“Not if they’re alive!”
“You’re ridiculous, doc.”
“No, you. Why are you here though? You don’t look like you’re bleeding out for once. It took ages to clean the blood from the hall last time. The guy in 2B was pissed, you owe me for dealing with him.”
“Your creepy neighbors aren’t my problem. You chose this building.”
“Unfortunately not its residents…”
“Yeah. So you know that blue orb in space? Yeah, I saw a smaller one. I touched it.”
Myra paused wrapping up her work, giving Lanada a shocked and confused look.
“You touched it? Why the fuck would you do that? I know you’re more careful than that! But what happened?”
“I passed out, had a crazy dream. Nothing else happened as far as I can figure out.”
“That’s the most irresponsible thing you’ve ever done. Better hope you won’t owe me extra for this one; you’re always waiting too long to come see me. Let’s get you on the table though, up!”
Lanada plopped themself on a medical table Myra had haphazardly placed in the corner. Most of the other slabs had bodies or equipment on them, other jobs for other clients. She did her usual evaluation, giving Lanada a full physical and taking notes.
“Look healthy as usual… Well aside from the bullet holes. What, they using guns now? How long have those been there?”
The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.
“Um, two days?”
“That’s way too long! You need to come to me immediately after you get shot like this!”
“Hey, you’re my doc, not my mom! I’m fine, only got a little sand in them.”
“A little sand… Your side still hurting?”
“Only when I strain it.”
“Lanada. Stop straining it.”
“Yeah, I’ll keep that in mind next time I’m getting shot at.”
Myra was silent as she cleaned and bandaged Lanada’s bullet wounds, grimacing with every difficulty, especially when she finally tied up the ditches they left. Afterwards, she looked Lanada up and down again, pondering.
“Hmm… I’m going to take some blood. Arm out.”
Myra was focused as she inserted the needle in Lanada’s arm, a confused but motivated look on her face. It was the usual look, as if she were solving the world’s greatest crises. She left Lanada on the slab and went to a small machine, letting a drop of Lanada’s blood loose inside. It kicked to life with a mechanical whir, slowly printing off information on its small screen. Myra was closely watching, taking notes with every result.
“Watch your diet. Not getting enough Vitamin B.”
“And? Is that all?”
“Hold on.”
Myra looked up from her pad to the machine’s display several times, taking notes of anything she missed. Without a word she transitioned to one of her computers, clacking away while she did her research.
“Oof, you’ve got a cold virus in you, nasty. It’s not too severe though… Is that recent? Feel any symptoms?”
“No?”
“Hmmm… Everything else looks fine. I don’t know what you touched Lanada, but it seems you got lucky.”
“So there’s nothing abnormal with me? Nothing strange? Nothing wrong? What about my scratch, wanna swab it?”
“No, I already have your blood. Everything else is fine with you physically though. You’re surprisingly healthy for your career choice.”
“And mentally?”
“Hmmm… I’m no therapist, but we can give your brain a scan to cover our bases. Over here.”
Myra rushed Lanada to an MRI machine, setting them down then poking about the computer. Lanada only had to wait a couple seconds before they began to move inside, closing their eyes as their head was surrounded.
“Wow, your brain activity is wild, it’s maxing out in some places! Do you feel anything? A headache, fever?”
“Nope. I feel as normal as usual,” Lanada replied, still in the tube.
“Very strange. It doesn’t look like it’s doing any damage at the moment, so it doesn’t pose any threats… I really have nothing else for you,” Myra looked baffled as she sent Lanada back out of the machine, taking a seat next to them.
“So what should I do?” Lanada started.
“I don’t think there’s a reason to do anything yet, if you feel and think fine. Keep an eye on it though, let me know if anything changes. I do have some medication that can calm your mind a little bit, cut down on its hyperactivity… But again, if it’s not hurting you, you shouldn’t need it. Just be careful. Don’t do any complex mathematics. Don’t overthink your love life. But that’s just a medical guess, honestly.”
“So do nothing?”
“That’s what I’ll prescribe for you. That and cold medicine. Get your rest. And remember your multivitamins! If you’re low on vitamin B next time I’ll raise your rates!”
“Again?”
“If you’re not working on your health, what’s the point of helping you, right?”
“Thanks though, I appreciate it as always. What do I owe you?”
“Nothing. I just basically told you you’re thinking too much. Save your money and get some rest. Doctor’s orders.”
❂
At long last, Lanada finally drove home, eager to take a shower and wash the sand out of them. The constant driving was tiring them out; they would have used the train if they didn’t have to drop off their truck. Just before their street though, they could see a couple suspicious vans parked among their neighborhood. Was it the gang finally confronting them? When they turned onto the building’s street, their heart dropped when they saw Sam, the agent from earlier, standing back on their porch.
“What are you doing here?! Go away!” Lanada shouted from their truck, honking and rolling the window down.
“Hey Lanada! Glad you’re finally home!”
“Fuck off!”
“What? You’re going to have to come closer, I can’t hear you from up here!”
“UUUUUUUGHHHH!”
Lanada parked their truck quickly and stomped upstairs, their hands in fists as they approached Sam.
“Get off my porch before I throw you off!”
“Lanada! Great to see you! Have you thought more of my proposal?”
“No, because I don’t care! Go away!”
“Really? I’m sure I could find a reason to make you care.”
“Fuck off! You already told me you don’t have any evidence!”
“Mhm. Would you consider this… evidence?”
To prove his point, Sam lifted his Circle with a proud smile. Pictured within was a repeating video clip, showing Lanada dumping a body into the ravine. Lanada stuttered to say something, but decided to close their mouth. They could feel their heart rate rise, drowning out all other sounds.
“Inside, now.”
He looked smug as Lanada led him in, slamming the door behind him. He automatically found their couch to sit/lean on, crossing his arms.
“Off the couch.”
He stayed calm as he pushed himself over to a pillar sectioning off the kitchen.
Lanada’s mind was racing. STAR never had the resources like this before. They had a whole telescope in space spying down on them, how could they evade that? It was no wonder the streets, the sky, the desert were all empty, because they were in fucking space.
They had always been a step ahead of this prick, knowing his next move all the time. Many times they had seen that jet black hair from a distance, standing out against the brightness of the desert. He was at least easier to spot than a fucking satellite in space or whatever.
Now he was smug as could be, a rage inducing grin observing Lanada’s small apartment. They glared at him as they closed the door, nearly shaking in adrenaline and anger.
“You really kept that body in your living room? Gross.”
“I’m not afraid of you. We’ve done this before. It’s over, asshole. You can’t hide behind STAR for long.”
“You shouldn’t threaten a STAR agent, Lanada. We record everything.”
Lanada searched his body armor for a camera, finally spotting the flash of a pinhole. They stared right at it, stepping forward to give it the finger.
They wanted to finally kill this asshole, and indeed their hand was on their hidden gun. They remembered the vans outside though, one visible right there outside the window. If they killed Sam there, STAR would have even more to put them away for, making it harder to run. They frowned even harder, glaring at Sam’s smile.
“We have this whole street covered, Lanada. Things are going to be different this time. Now everyone else knows how dangerous you really are, and STAR has proof of your crimes. We’d have clearance to shoot you on sight. No more hiding. But— I guess you never really did hide from me.”
Shoot on sight? STAR wasn’t supposed to have guns! Was the military really mobilized just to entrap Lanada? Of course, who else could reasonably subdue them?
“Fuck you. Why do you even want me? Wouldn’t you rather have me in rehab?”
“You’re useless in rehab, Lanada. This way, we get something out of you.”
“Fuck you.”
“I’ll take that as a yes, given you don’t have much of a choice. See you at our downtown office, 10!”
“You can’t even let me sleep in?”
“No rest for the wicked. Oh, and we’ll know if you dip out on us. You’re stuck, Lanada. Consider this a second chance.”
He was even more smug as Lanada slammed the door behind him, turning around to stare vaguely into their apartment. They were so sloppy with the last body, especially disposing of it in the day? They should have known STAR would be watching.
Their biggest worry was their former employers, especially the gangs. If Lanada was working with STAR, it would definitely be assumed they were an informant. Lanada was of course perfectly capable of handling themself, but they worried about the people they associated with. Myra wouldn’t be hurt too much, she only fixed up wounds, but Gerry was definitely under threat since they spoke every day.
Their mind raced a bit longer, considering all the complications of being involuntarily inducted into STAR. They were professionally infamous for their stealth and spying skills, a task the Monarchy took very seriously. Mikoril seemed to know everything about everyone, and STAR was always in the middle invading people’s privacy. They finally forced themself to snap out of it, hurrying next door to see Gerry.
“Who was the suit?”
Lanada said nothing as they moved Gerry with their hands and closed the door behind them.
“He fucking blackmailed me into joining STAR.”
“What? STAR?”
“Yeah, STAR.”
"But you’re an assassin? Shouldn’t they be arresting you?”
“You’d think, but no. They’re more annoying than that. They want trained killers, and I’m the best they could get.”
Lanada sat down next to Gerry and he reached for a rolling tray, preparing something to smoke for the discussion. That's how he and Lanada always talked through serious topics.
“Shit Lanada. What are they blackmailing you with?”
“Really want me to tell you?”
“I already know you kill people for a living, can’t get much worse.”
“They filmed me dumping a body in a ravine.”
Gerry stopped rolling to look at Lanada, a shocked, if not disgusted look on his face.
“Oh no that is worse. They really make you clean up the bodies too?”
“Not all the time. Gangs don’t care usually. Otherwise most people need the job covered up, and that’s my specialty.”
“Not all the time?! So you’ve dumped bodies before?!”
“Yes, Gerry.”
Gerry shook his head, looking back to his tray. Despite his focused work, one hand found the time to massage his forehead.
“Fuck Lanada… How do you find even one place to dispose of them? Let alone more? Please don’t tell me you’ve been dumping them in the same spot.”
“Sort of. I guess I’m paying the price now. It’s a long ravine in the middle of nowhere though, I’ve been using it for years and nobody’s seen me! Fuck!”
“Well obviously something changed.”
“They had a telescope in fucking space! At least, they got a video from the air, and I didn’t see shit that day! They’ve never watched me this closely, at least not like this! He… also may have smelled the body in my apartment.”
“Body in your apartment?! Lanada, I was there… Please don’t tell me that smell was a corpse! I thought it was weird you always had a meat freezer in your living room!”
“Sorry Gerry.”
“And they let you be a cop? After catching you dumping bodies?”
“Unfortunately, yes. Not a cop though, it’s STAR.”
“Same thing. They must be planning something big if they’re hiring you.”
“Definitely sounds like it. He was the one investigating me before, actually. It’s funny, the only time he got this level of support is when they wanted me to work for them. Maybe they finally gave him the funding.”
Gerry finally finished both their joints, passing one over for Lanada to smoke at their own pace. They both lit up, drawing a couple breaths before Lanada continued.
“What will you do? You’re not exactly the STAR type…”
“Gods Gerry… I think I have to do it. I don’t see another way out. Gangs will already be suspicious of me, and it’ll be hard keeping their contracts if I’m on the run. And being on the run from STAR is another thing, especially with fucking space telescopes. I’ve fought my entire life to get this freedom, I can’t leave it all, especially if I’m in rehab.”
“Yeah, you’d be in rehab for life. No rehabilitating a career killer, huh.”
They both took another draw. Lanada almost felt panicked by what Gerry said. Is that really all their life had amounted to? They used to believe their hard work justified their lifestyle, but it wasn't worth being remembered as simply a murderer.
“Do you think I’m that bad? That I need to be rehabilitated Gerry?!”
Lanada was clearly breaking down. Their eyes begged Gerry to tell them they were good. He looked concerned, leaning forward to get a proper look at them.
“Hey, you’re a product of trauma from the system, just like all of us. Maybe, joining STAR will get you in a better position to do some good. Not as an agent, but as yourself.”
“Right, I definitely don’t plan on cooperating. If I can sabotage them in any way I will. Just out of spite. I hate that smug fucking prick.”
“Yeess, taking down the system from inside! Would you get a military discount though? Can I use it? Hoagy Hog’s has half off for military and there’s always someone cute there.”
“I don’t know. First meeting is tomorrow.”
“Will you be staying here?”
“I don’t know that either. He didn’t tell me anything besides I’m getting blackmailed. Not getting rid of my apartment though, I still need it for… reasons.”
“What more could you be doing aside from hiding bodies in meat freezers?!”
“A lot.”
Gerry seemed to understand not to ask more questions. He already looked bothered by Lanada’s latest reveal to him.
“What am I going to do without you? You’re like, the neighborhood protector.”
“I’ve never actually saved anyone. Kinda only do the opposite.”
“Yeah, but you could if you wanted. I definitely couldn’t.”
He was right. And with Lanada’s gang friends in their mind, they were worried for Gerry.
“I—I also think I should teach you how to shoot a gun. You can have my old pistol. That’ll give you the edge you need to stay alive.”
“Shoot a gun? I’ve never even touched one before!”
“I know, I know. But if the gangs think I’m an informant for STAR now, they’ll probably try to get information from you.”
“Information about what?”
“Me, when you saw me last, where I’m at, what I’m doing with STAR. Doesn’t matter, you’re not qualified to actually answer anything and they won’t expect you to be. You don’t want to even let them in your house though. You see someone outside you don’t know, shoot them before the door even opens.”
“Lanada, I have strangers over every day. I only see half of their faces before they come over. How am I supposed to tell apart a hookup from a hired goon?!”
“Make sure you get a face pic first from now on?”
“A hired goon can easily send a face pic before he comes to blow my brains out.”
“I know, I’m sorry.”
He seemed to almost be in tears, his eyes wide with shock while his voice broke. He was still only wearing a towel, his previous outfit barely visible on his bedroom floor. His eyes looked dead ahead, not focused on anything. Lanada felt guilty for putting Gerry in that situation. His eyes were wide as he finished smoking the last of his roll.
“Shit, I always knew you were in some bad stuff Lanada, but I never guessed it was like this.”
“I always tried to keep you out of it, never wanted you to see any of it. I really am sorry.”
“I think we should do that gun training.”
❂
Gerry was at least hitting the target every time when they left, but he never looked like he was enjoying himself. He only looked scared, or as if he were trying to mask it. He grimaced with every gunshot, mostly silent as Lanada guided him through the steps and stances. He wouldn’t be fighting any wars, but Lanada was happy that he at least wouldn’t be without any protection.
Their usual talk on the porch didn’t happen that night, both of them exhausted from the day’s events. Lanada hadn’t even woken up in their own bed, let alone sat down to relax. All they could think about was Gerry and STAR.
They had been so careful to keep their work life separate, treating it like a whole other identity. It had been a lot of work, fighting to avoid the individual gangs’ control and influence, struggling to stay independent. They had spent years working up a reputation and repertoire, being a respected name in the world of hired killers.
Long before, even as a child they had struggled. While saumryans lived with their communities and families, Lanada built everything they were from the ground up, right down to their identity. They had fought hard for the life they had. Now it was all falling apart.
Sam’s smug face haunted Lanada as they closed their eyes. Their life had made them tough, but between the anger and loss of a livelihood, Lanada found themself shedding a few rare tears. They had lost their career and their life. Most importantly of all though, they may have lost a friend, Gerry. Out of the things Lanada expected from their line of work, a friend had been the last of them.
❂
Lanada was back in the infinite plane. Everything was the same as the previous night, even the figure had returned. It was in a different pose that night however; the only difference. Barely discernible through the bright light, it looked as if they were lending a hand to help, inviting Lanada to take it.
“Who are you?” they tried to say.
Their words echoed so much they couldn’t be understood, filling the air with a foul chord made of Lanada’s voice. It grew more shrill, the reverb multiplying until their ears felt they would bleed. They were brought to their knees as the chord died out, covering their ears from the pain.
The space was silent again, apart from the incessant buzzing. The figure hadn’t moved at all, still shining brightly. Lanada remembered what happened the last time they had approached it, and so they kept their distance, staring at it while they tried to guess what was going on.
Lanada’s heart jumped when another piercing sound hit their ears. It was a high pitched, electronic shriek, sounding like the scream of a dying turbine engine. They clutched their ears in pain again, forced to their knees. As the sound began to equalize, it began to take shape, making itself understandable. The sound was in fact one word: Lanada.