September 02, 4021 22:00 [Matriarch 04- Aegypius Lab]

The office space was painted an eggshell white, giving it an empty and lifeless atmosphere. Tube lights overhead illuminated the room; one flickered incessantly, driving the Vulture crazy. She plugged in a series of cables, setting up a secure connection. A towering Crow stood behind her, watching patiently as the call was made, a series of reappearing dots visualizing the connection. There was a pause—the dots froze on-screen. Then, the image shifted. Vivian stared at the display, a reflection of her father on the lenses of her mask, a cigar uncharacteristically missing from his mouth. His troubled expression worried her, as he twisted his mustache while deep in thought. Cecil bent low to remain within the frame of the camera.

“What happened? Why didn’t Indra leave when he was supposed to? Everything had been prepared for him!” Jìguāng slammed a mechanical fist on his desk, the lacquer cracking as splinters of mahogany flew everywhere.

“There were several complications, Director,” Cecil explained. “Jin made an appearance. I’m sure you can guess how things went from there.”

Jìguāng grimaced, stroking his chin. “Such a troublesome Trait. It’s the perfect counter to Indra’s. ‘The pure shall quell the corrupt’. Isn’t that what he said when he first manifested it?”

“I believe it was ‘annihilate’ not ‘quell’, Sir.”

“Of course. He was never one for subtlety. Are there any alternatives to Indra’s situation?”

“None at the moment, Sir. Although, I am looking for solutions.”

“We have another pressing matter to discuss,” Vivian interjected. They motioned for her to proceed. “Okay, here’s what I have. As I was making my way through Aegypius, I happened to overhear the tail end of a conversation between Tengri and Kǔ Shén. They stopped as soon as they caught wind of my presence, but I did hear mention of something called ‘Ascendent Regulation’.”

Jìguāng’s gaze lingered on Cecil. The Crow remained quiet; reactionless.

“Did he have a Shakti meter with him?” Cecil spoke, finally breaking the silence after an excruciating period of time.

“Yes, he did,” Vivian answered.

“Did you get a look at the number?”

She shook her head apologetically.

Cecil spoke to Jìguāng, his tone grave. “Shakti regulation is a skill few can master completely. By the end of training, most trainees are expected to reach a peak of eighty percent. However, those with Ascendent Regulation can reach one-hundred percent. Regulating their Shakti with maximum efficiency. Not an ounce nor an iota of energy is wasted since the user can passively control and manipulate their Shakti as they see fit. This kind of power comes with many drawbacks, however. The consequences will be catastrophic if one cannot control their Shakti at maximum capacity. One slip-up and an entire city block can disappear in the blink of an eye. It’s why I was required to wear a regulator within the city.”

“Those who possess an affinity for Ascendent Regulation become intertwined with their Trait, correct?” Jìguāng clarified.

Cecil nodded. Vivian stared at them, horrified.

“He’ll fuse further with the Siren. The corruption will set in and then…” she felt faint.

“Rudra didn’t have an affinity for Ascendent Regulation, so they were never able to see what a host could do at full attunement. We don’t know what will happen if Indra reaches that maximum. The situation will turn volatile.”

Jìguāng sighed deeply, clicking his tongue. “We can’t pull him out in that state then. He’ll progressively become more efficient with Shakti until he reaches his maximum. At that point, he’ll become a threat to everyone around him, unless he has the proper training. He’ll have to make do. There’s no way around it. Indra will have to survive the expedition to the Sunken Forest.”

“You can’t be serious!” Vivian protested. “Didn’t you hear what happened to the first crew? This mission is suicide and they know it!”

“Unfortunately, his window to escape has closed, and it seems like Jin and Tengri’s involvement with Indra is going to make it even more difficult to get him out,” Jìguāng replied, grinding his teeth.

“I’ll see to it that he’s safe,” Cecil stated.

“What? You’re going on the expedition?!” Vivian exclaimed.

“There’s no other alternative. I can’t guarantee his survival but I can increase his odds at the very least,” he replied, refusing to budge.

“Well, that makes two of us then. No way I’m leaving him behind.”

“Vivian, don’t be hasty—”

“I’ve made up my mind, Father,” she said, stubbornly.

Jìguāng took his cap off, running a hand through his thinning hair. “I won’t live to see old age if you keep up your antics.” He closed his eyes for a moment before placing the cap atop his crown. He leaned forward, his demeanor shifting. The Director pulled out a cigar from his desk drawer, cutting and lighting it. He took a deep puff, blowing a steady stream of smoke.

“Here’s the situation at the border. The good news is that everyone is making steady progress in their respective roles. They’ll be battle ready by deployment, given their projected rate of growth. One issue that my informant forgot to mention, however, is that Aisha will be deployed with them as part of the Lancer maintenance team.”

“What?!” Vivian exclaimed once again.

Cecil made no sound, but his fist was balled tightly, trembling from the tension.

“My agent is working on a solution, but they haven’t been able to find a way around the issue on their end. They’ll need to separate the group from the Hyenas in order to give them the details to escape and find a route to the coast, avoiding soldiers from Levante and Yuèliàng,” Jìguāng explained.

“How do we know we can trust this agent of yours? Who are they anyway?” Vivian questioned, perplexed that the situation had gotten so out of hand.

“You’ll have to trust me. I can’t disclose their identity. Not yet, otherwise, I could jeopardize their safety.” Jìguāng explained.

“This plan has gone completely awry,” Cecil remarked, shaking visibly now.

“It gets even worse,” Jìguāng said, gravely. “The Hyenas are keeping a watchful eye on the Bloodhounds in particular, not because they suspect plans for escape, but because Amagi Sól’s daughter is with them. As long as Skadi Sól remains with the group, their only opportunity for escape is after the war begins. They’ll have to escape amidst the chaos and confusion. This isn’t going to be easy.”

“There has to be another way,” Cecil spoke, an edge in his voice. “Levante will put up a hellish fight in order to protect their remaining supply of Virya. They know that they’re outmatched and outgunned. They’re cornered. So they will do everything they can to make sure we suffer as great a number of casualties as possible. This will be their final stand. There’s no telling what will happen. You have to—”

“There’s nothing more we can do. We have to pray that they are strong enough to pull through. We must have faith in their abilities. They are tenacious. I know they’ll see things through, as will you. Stay vigilant,” Jìguāng finished, cutting the connection abruptly.

Cecil and Vivian sat in silence, staring blankly at the black screen in front of them. A sense of dread and hopelessness filled Vivian’s office space. Even Cecil appeared restless. The walls were closing in.