As the officers in the room breathed a collective sigh of relief, the tension seemed to dissipate slightly. If Lily could pinpoint the location, the special forces unit could proceed directly to the site, eliminating the need for a lengthy search that would have put everyone at risk. The General's expression softened as he turned to thank Lily, his voice filled with genuine gratitude. "Thank you, Lily. You've been a huge help." Lily's smile was polite, her eyes crinkling at the corners as she replied, "It's what I can do." As they exchanged a few more words, the room door swung open, its soft creak announcing a new arrival. Lily's back was to the door, but the other officers' gazes shifted, their faces lighting up with recognition. The General's expression transformed into a warm smile, and he beckoned the newcomer forward. "Come on in, Elisha. Let me introduce you to someone."
The person who opened the door was none other than Elisha Allen. As he entered the room, he was met with the collective gaze of several officers, who nodded in unison. He acknowledged them with a courteous nod. When the General addressed him, Eli's attention shifted, and he glanced at the other person in the room. The woman sat with her back to him, and for a moment, Eli didn't notice anything out of the ordinary. But as he moved towards the General, his steps quiet on the polished floor, his eyes unintentionally locked onto the nape of her neck, and his heart stumbled. There, nestled in the curve of her neck, was the crescent-shaped birthmark he had memorized long ago, the mark that belonged to the woman he had longed to see again. Suddenly, his steps faltered, and he froze. Eli's feet seemed rooted to the spot as a tumult of emotions surged within him - joy, nervousness, worry, and fear. As the reality sank in, his mind whispered to his soul 'LILY'.
Lily sensed someone's presence in the doorway, but she didn't turn around. Yet, she felt emotions swirling within her, emotions that weren't her own. This was the second time that day she'd experienced this phenomenon. Joy, nervousness, and fear churned inside her, the intensity making her catch her breath. Lily's hand instinctively went to her chest, a gentle attempt to calm the turmoil. Then, she heard the voice again in her mind, calling her name. But this time, the tone was different, laced with disbelief. The sound sent shivers down her spine as she felt the whisper of her name hover tantalizingly close, as if the person calling was right near her.
General's repeated calls pierced through Eli's trance, "Elisha... Elisha..." Eli snapped out of his reverie and took long strides to stand before the General. As he turned his head, his gaze finally fell upon her face, and his heart skipped a beat. After years of anticipation and longing, she was finally within reach. A rush of happiness flooded his entire being of heart, mind, soul, and body. His eyes misted, and he felt an overwhelming urge to hold her close. He didn't dare blink, fearing he'd lose sight of her. The sound of his own heartbeat was almost deafening as he yearned to pull her into his arms, to hug her tightly and merge her with him, keeping her safe and close, never to let her go again.
As Eli positioned himself beside the General and turned to face her, Lily's gaze met his, and she felt stunned. A surge of emotion swept through her, joy spreading like wildfire in her veins. But it wasn't just happiness, every fiber of her being seemed to vibrate with an intense, almost palpable energy. She recognized the emotions swirling inside her as her own but not someone else emotion she felt moment a ago, yet it felt heightened, as if her soul was basking in ecstasy. Lily's eyes locked onto Eli's, and she saw the same unbridled emotion reflected back at her. They stood there, frozen in a silent understanding, neither blinking nor looking away. The intensity was unnerving, yet Lily felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity, as if she'd known this stranger for a lifetime. An unexpected urge to caress his face washed over her, leaving her wondering where this tender longing came from.
The General and the officers in the room couldn't help but notice the palpable tension between the couple. Clearing his throat to break the silence, the General called out, "Cough~ Elisha..." As Eli turned, the General patted his shoulder and introduced them to each other. "Elisha, this is Lily Lellen, the lady behind the Knights Empire Corporations. Her company has been responsible for our military's defense technology for the past two years. And, if I may add, she's also the granddaughter of King Riette Lellen of Halcyon Kingdom." He turned to Lily and added, "And Lily, this is Elisha Allen, our former Special Forces Captain. He retired two years ago but still lends his expertise to us in critical situations like this."
A hint of a smile played on Eli's face as he extended his hand, his deep voice warm with courtesy. "Nice to meet you, Ms. Lellen. I'm Elisha Allen." Lily's gaze drifted to his outstretched hand, but it was his voice that sent a spark of recognition through her. The same voice echoing in her mind every day, the same voice that whispered words of longing, the same voice that screamed her name in agony. Her eyes widened, and she slowly raised her gaze to meet his, her heart racing with a mix of emotions. Questions swirled in her mind. Who was this man? Why did he feel so familiar? If he was the one she'd been connected to, why didn't she know him? And why did his eyes hold a hint of recognition? And why did her entire being feel like the missing part of her was found? Why was she feeling happy? The familiarity was unsettling, yet she couldn't look away. Eli's eyes crinkled at the corners as he waited for her response, but when Lily remained frozen, he subtly nodded towards his still-outstretched hand. Following his gaze, Lily glanced at the General before extending her hand in a belated response. "Nice to meet you too, Mr. Elisha Allen. I'm Lily Lellen."
Lily felt a surge of warmth envelop her hand as Eli's fingers intertwined with hers. However Eli furrowed his brows, his gaze locked on their joined hands, and said, "Too cold." Lily understood he was referring to her icy fingers. She smiled calmly and replied, "That's fine, I'm ~" Before she could finish her sentence, a beep pierced the air, signaling the end of the 10-minute countdown on her laptop. Startled, Lily and Eli reluctantly loosened their grip, and she quickly checked the screen. The four remaining Officers in the room also alerted and glanced at the laptop hoping Lily found the location.
As the laptop beeped again, Lily's fingers flew across the keyboard, her eyes scanning the data streaming in. She furiously typed a code, activating the system to track the missing flights. The screen flickered, and the location flashed. Caligo Forest.
Lily told the officer who took her into the room to switch on the projector and then she connected her laptop to projector to show them what she was doing next. Lily then launched one of the aircrafts thumb-sized electronic ball that installed in outer part of aircrafts, which shot into the sky like a miniature missile. The ball burst open, releasing a tiny electronic fly that fluttered out like a butterfly emerging from its cocoon. Lily felt her heart skipped a beat as the electronic fly emerged from the ball, the exterior shell, now empty, plummeted towards the ground, its trajectory a mere blur.
Meanwhile, the fly remained airborne, its movement intricately linked to Lily's laptop, its camera feed flickering to life on Lily's screen. Lily switched the feed to a live video stream, showing the world from the fly's perspective. The image stabilized, revealing the treetops of the Caligo Forest, bathed in the warm glow of the setting sun. The distant calls of birds and rustling leaves created a soothing background noise, a stark contrast to the tension building in the room. Eli leaned in, his eyes fixed on the screen, as Lily guided the tiny fly deeper into the forest. The officer's eyes widened in amazement as they watched the entire process unfold on Lily's screen. Though they couldn't directly observe the electronic ball's flight or the fly's emergence, the system displayed the sequence in a technical, graphical representation.
The tiny electronic fly had become a surveillance unit in their hands, providing a bird's-eye view of the terrain below. The officer's face lit up with wonder as he gazed at the screen. "Incredible," the general breathed, his voice barely above a whisper.
Lily sighed, her expression a mix of concern and professionalism. "It's not so incredible, Officer. We can surveil the situation, but we're facing a communication blackout. I activated the system I installed on the aircraft using our network here, but there's zero network coverage out there, so they can't contact us."
As she spoke, Lily expertly guided the electronic fly downwards, scanning the surroundings. The feed revealed that the aircraft had landed safely, with no visible damage. However, the troops were nowhere to be seen. Lily's curiosity got the better of her, and she slowly maneuvered the fly deeper into the forest.
The image on the screen shifted, revealing a sinister sight of traps set up by the kidnappers. Lily's eyes narrowed as she examined the scene. "It looks like our troops might have fallen into their trap," she said, her voice low and serious.
The officers' faces turned grim as they took in the horrific scene. The traps seemed designed to inflict maximum harm, and the thought of the troops falling prey to them was unsettling. Eli too observed in watching the surroundings showing on the screen.
As the electronic fly ventured deeper into the forest, it stumbled upon an unexpected sight of a grand mansion nestled amidst the dense foliage. The structure seemed almost incongruous with its surroundings, a testament to the ingenuity and resources of its builder. "Who is that great person, constructing this masterpiece in the middle of nowhere." one of the officers murmured, echoing the group's collective amazement. Lily too voiced out her opinion "Intresting"
The fly drew closer to the mansion, and Lily's eyes lit up with a hint of excitement. "Look, the signals are abundant in this region," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. A furrowed brow betrayed her curiosity, and she began to maneuver the fly around the mansion's perimeter. "As expected, the signals are only available within the mansion's vicinity," she observed, her tone laced with intrigue.
The officers exchanged knowing glances, their minds racing with the implications. It seemed increasingly likely that the kidnappers were using the mansion as a hideout, and the signal strength suggested they might be using some kind of advanced technology to stay hidden. Lily's eyes remained fixed on the screen, her fingers poised over the mouse, ready to guide the fly further into the mystery.
Then comes a knock at the door, the general permit to enter met with a member of the special forces unit stepped into the room, a steaming cup of coffee in hand. He approached Lily with a nod and offered her the coffee, his expression professional.
Lily accepted the coffee with a smile, her eyes crinkling at the corners. "Thank you" she said before turning to the officers. "Officers, you can share these details with the unit who were going to the mission now. They'll be able to use this intel to plan their approach and navigate the traps."
Eli watched her with a quiet intensity, his expression stoic. But beneath the surface, he felt a surge of pride and admiration for Lily's technical expertise and composure under pressure. He stood still, his eyes fixed on her as she share the details to them. Despite his inner pride, his face remained impassive, a mask of calm professionalism.
The general's voice was firm and professional as he addressed Eli. "Elisha, as you see, this was the situation. Your team can go now to rescue mission. If you want to see anything, look into it and plan it well to not fall into their traps." Eli's response was a curt nod, his expression unreadable.
The general was accustomed to Eli's stoic demeanor and didn't take his nonchalant reaction personally. Eli's impressive record spoke for itself how he had risen to captain at a remarkably young age and had consistently demonstrated exceptional leadership skills. Despite being offered further promotions, Eli had chosen to remain a captain until his eventual retirement, a decision that had sent shockwaves through the military.
Given his family's storied military legacy, everyone had expected Eli to follow in his father and grandfather's footsteps, dedicating his life to serving his country. Instead, Eli's unexpected retirement had left many wondering.
However, despite his retirement, Eli's sense of duty and loyalty remained unwavering. Whenever crisis struck, he would undoubtedly come to guide the team just like how he came today.