While Endel and Carlos rested, Lyra and Kael sat next to the soldier to find out what had happened to him. The man looked exhausted, but his voice was steady, though it trembled at times.
— Before all of this began, — he introduced himself as James, — we were ordered to bring the entire unit to full combat readiness. None of us knew exactly what awaited us. An hour passed, and we received a message from the blue screen. And then, as if on command, the portals opened.
James paused to catch his breath, his gaze fixed somewhere into the void.
— These portals… there were dozens of them. We didn't even have time to comprehend what was happening when mindless creatures began pouring out, destroying everything in their path.
— What kind of creatures were they? — Kael asked tensely, sitting across from him.
— Demons. There's no other word for them, — James replied. — Enormous, about ten meters tall. They resembled beings from biblical descriptions—winged, with fangs and claws, their bodies grotesque, as if they were weapons themselves. And the strangest thing—there was a sweet smell emanating from them.
— Sweet? — Lyra asked, frowning.
— Yes. It was a sharp, intrusive scent that made it hard to concentrate. Perhaps some effect of their nature… I don't know.
He paused, staring at his trembling hands.
— Our base had 70,000 personnel. It was the 76th Army, one of the largest and best-equipped forces in the capital. But these creatures… they wiped us out in mere minutes. When it was over, the demons returned to the portals, and the portals vanished.
Lyra and Kael sat in stunned silence, shaken by what they had heard.
— Only three hundred people survived, — James continued, his voice quieter. — I was among them. We hadn't even recovered when we received a new order from command—to protect civilians in the capital. But what could we do? Our morale was gone.
He closed his eyes for a moment, recalling what had happened.
— In the capital, the creatures were weaker. We managed to fight back, though barely. But then suddenly, two others appeared…
Kael frowned.— Who?
— The first creature was smaller than those at the base, about three meters tall. It was covered in black scales. Its eyes glowed red, and its movements were unnervingly fluid for such a massive being. Each paw left deep imprints in the ground, as if it were incredibly heavy. Its hands were clawed and as strong as blades forged from star metal. The second… it was smaller, but had spider-like limbs that made a metallic ringing sound with every movement.
Lyra tensed:— Wait, the second creature… it had no face?
The soldier looked at her in surprise:— Yes. Instead of a face, there was a black void.
Endel, who had been lying on the couch, suddenly sat up. His movement drew everyone's attention in the room.
— What's wrong? — Lyra asked, but Endel ignored her, staring intently at the soldier.
— The first one had a bone hammer? — he finally asked.
James froze for a second, recalling if he had seen such a thing, then nodded affirmatively.— Yes… he did. You… you saw them?
Endel ran a hand over his face, as if trying to shake off the memory. His voice turned cold:— Yes… — and said nothing more.
The room sank into oppressive silence. Lyra and Kael exchanged glances but said nothing. No one dared disturb Endel's painful memory.
Finally, Endel took a deep breath, releasing the tension. He turned his gaze away from the soldier but resolved internally that sooner or later he would take revenge on these creatures. His hatred was immense, fueled by both moral and physical pain.
James continued his story:— When they left, I realized I was alone. Only dead bodies around… I was wounded and found a small shelter, hiding there. And periodically, losing consciousness, I thought it was the end—but then you found me.
He looked gratefully at Carlos and then at Endel, who had initially hesitated to take him along. James understood why, but accepting it was still difficult.
Carlos nodded:— You're safe now. We'll help you recover.
James gave a faint smile, feeling the heavy yet warm atmosphere around him.
While James rested, Endel occasionally used his abilities to ease his condition and help him recover from his wounds. His mother watched silently, and James, barely noticing the warmth radiating from Endel's hands, froze in surprise.
— What is this? — he croaked, though he had seen it several times, only now daring to ask, feeling his wounds close even faster than before from the light.
Carlos opened his mouth to answer, but Kael stopped him with a strict glance. Carlos understood the hint, remained silent, and simply shook his head.
James noticed this but only smiled slightly:— Don't want to explain? I understand. Each of us has our secrets.
Endel didn't reply, but as he watched James slowly regain his strength, he felt a heavy burden lift from his soul. Despite everything happening around them, seeing someone recover brought him relief. Perhaps it seemed hypocritical, since he had been reluctant to take him. Unfortunately, it was true…
Evening fell, and as Endel prepared to use his abilities again, James looked up and suddenly asked:— Did you… see any destroyed equipment on your way? Tanks, armored vehicles, anything else?
Endel paused for a moment, then nodded:— Yes. Several destroyed tanks and armored personnel carriers.
James immediately perked up, his eyes lighting up:— Then you need to check them! At the base, we had a warehouse with syringes for accelerated regeneration. They don't heal like you do, of course, but they speed up recovery and help restore strength. There were three crates, which might have survived all that carnage.
— Regeneration syringes? — Lyra squinted. — They cause addiction, and they should be accounted for in production and military supply.
— Initially, yes, but just a month ago, they started supplying them again, — James explained with an ironic smile. He understood that command was preparing for an invasion but had failed… judging by the results.
Endel nodded thoughtfully, considering what he had heard. Anyone listening realized it was far more complicated than it seemed at first glance.
And he understood how valuable such a resource could be, even with side effects—especially now, when medicines would be hard to find.
— Fine, — he finally said. — Once you recover, Carlos and I will return there. We'll need to collect these crates.
Carlos frowned, reluctant to return to that place. He felt it was extremely dangerous, but said nothing, understanding the necessity of the step. Leyna also remained silent for a moment, then broke the quiet:— You focused so much on just scouting the area, you didn't even think to search for anything useful in the destroyed equipment.
— And not just in the equipment, — she added, turning to Endel reproachfully. — Pharmacies, stores, warehouses—you've missed too many opportunities.
— True, — Endel briefly nodded, glancing at her. He felt embarrassed, having overlooked such a simple thing…
Leyna stood up, her voice firm:— If you're going for the crates, I'm coming with you.
Carlos looked at her in surprise:— Are you sure?
Leyna clenched her fists, looking him straight in the eyes:— Yes. The more of us there are, the more we can gather. And honestly, I want to help, not sit idle.
Endel glanced at her briefly but didn't object. Her determination was clear. After a short pause, he simply said:— Fine. But only if you act cautiously. We don't need any more losses.
Leyna nodded slightly, accepting the condition, and the conversation ended. Their next task was now clear.
Watching this small group, James couldn't help but be amazed. He, a soldier who had been through hell, was practically broken by everything that had happened—but these people, civilians, remained surprisingly composed. He tried to understand how that was possible.
"They're incredibly strong-willed," — the thought crossed his mind. But the longer he watched them, the more he realized it wasn't just about willpower. His gaze kept returning to the young man who had once wanted to leave him to die.
Endel.
James noticed how the boy spoke with the others. His voice was even, his words calm, almost mechanical, as if he felt nothing but indifference. That way of speaking, that look—more machine-like than human—sent a strange chill down James's spine.
"A seventeen-year-old boy shouldn't behave like that," — the thought struck him.
He couldn't look away. His mind involuntarily drifted to his own past, where soldiers lost their humanity after experiencing something terrible. But Endel was too young to act as if nothing remained inside him.
Strange.
James pondered this even more. Finally, he couldn't hold back—his gaze turned to the man sitting nearby. This person looked older, but his eyes carried the same weight seen in veterans. "Kael," he recalled the man's name. It seemed he had been a soldier. Perhaps a former one, but with experience that couldn't be hidden.
James looked at Kael questioningly, his eyebrows slightly raised, as if asking: "What's with him? Why is he like that?"
Kael met his gaze but only shook his head. His face was unreadable, and his gesture was unequivocal: "Don't ask."
James frowned. He realized something was being hidden, and that it wasn't worth probing. But it only fueled his curiosity.
"What happened to this boy?"
However, James noticed another detail. Kael looked at Endel not only as a father. In that gaze was anxiety, mixed with something resembling guilt. James couldn't even fully explain it, but he knew one thing: he was right—Kael was a soldier. Possibly a former one, but someone who had seen more than he wanted to.
As for Endel… James was no longer sure he wanted to know the truth.