Beep—
"Captain, you might wanna see this…" Lucen's voice crackled through the comm, half-irritated, half-unnerved. "There's something jammed inside this thing's gut—and it's not what you'd expect. Trust me, you'll wanna get down here fast."
Static hummed for a moment before silence reclaimed the line, leaving only the faint buzz of flies and the stench of decay in the air.
---
As the captain and Sereth made their descent down the narrow cliffside, their boots crunching against loose rock, a sharp tone burst from Sereth's wrist console.
Beep—static—
Both exchanged a quick glance.
The captain adjusted his glasses, his tone calm but firm.
"Tell them we're already on our way down."
"Understood, Captain."
Sereth tapped his console, transmitting the short reply.
Beep—
"This is Sereth. Hold your position. We're heading there now."
Without another word, the two quickened their pace, the mountain wind howling faintly behind them as they disappeared into the dense green below.
As the captain and Sereth finally made their way down the slope, the dense canopy opened slightly, revealing the two waiting beside the grotesque carcass.
Vaera turned at the sound of footsteps, relief flickering briefly across her usually indifferent face.
Finally… the captain's back. I don't think I could stand another minute alone with this loud redhead!
Lucen waved lazily, a faint smirk tugging at his lips.
"Yo! About time you guys showed up. Enjoy the scenic route?"
Sereth's brow twitched, irritation flashing for an instant before he quickly masked it.
The captain ignored the banter, adjusting his glasses as his calm voice cut through the air.
"What are the findings?"
"The monster—" Lucen started, but Vaera quickly stepped forward, her tone sharp but unsteady.
"How much we dissected this thing, we couldn't find any Crystallized Echo… but—" she hesitated, swallowing hard, "we found something else entirely. An An arm, Captain… small, fragile—like that of a child."
The air turned heavy. Even Lucen's grin faded, replaced by a grim silence as the forest's hum filled the pause that followed.
The captain's eyes widened slightly at Vaera's words. His usually composed face hardened, brows knitting, jaw tightening—as an invisible pressure rippled through the air.
Within seconds, the atmosphere grew suffocating. The leaves around them trembled, the grass flattened, and even the air felt heavy, pressing against their lungs.
Lucen gritted his teeth, trying to steady his breathing. Sereth instinctively reached for his weapon but froze in place, knowing full well what this was—raw, uncontrolled power.
Then, just as quickly as it came, the pressure vanished.
The captain exhaled sharply, his expression softening with realization.
"My apologies," he said quietly, voice low and regretful. "I lost control. My emotions… that was uncalled for. A captain shouldn't let personal feelings cloud his restraint."
He adjusted his glasses slowly, almost as if hiding the faint tremor in his hand.
The three started to speak at once, words of reassurance tumbling over each other... But Vaera raised her voice just enough to be heard first.
"No, Captain, we understand." She hesitated, her tone gentler than usual. "We know how much you despise any violence against children… that's why we didn't tell you through the comms."
The forest fell silent again, the weight of her words settling over the group like mist.
The captain exhaled, reining his composure back in as his usual commanding tone returned.
"Well then," he said, pushing his glasses back up the bridge of his nose. "Let's get back to the matter at hand. We'll retrieve the arm and contain it properly. After that, we split into two teams—same formation as before. Our priority is to sweep this entire area and find any trace of that child. Understood!?"
"Sir, yes sir!" the three responded in unison, voices sharp and resolute.
They moved quickly as Sereth and the captain heading east through the uneven slope, while Vaera and Lucen took the denser western side where the forest thickened like a wall. The rain had started to drizzle again, pattering faintly against leaves, masking their footsteps but also washing away potential traces.
Hours passed.
The only sounds were the occasional radio crackle, the rustle of gear, and the call of unseen animals. But not a single sign appeared—no blood, no scent, nothing.
Lucen kicked at a loose root in frustration. "Damn it, it's like the kid vanished into thin air."
Vaera didn't reply, her sharp eyes scanning the mud and foliage. Her voice came quietly after a while, tinged with unease. "Or maybe… someone made sure we couldn't find him."
Meanwhile, on the other side, the captain and Sereth followed the blood trail that grew fainter the further they went. It abruptly ended near a stream that cut through the forest floor.
Sereth crouched down, frowning. "Captain, the trail stops here. Either the kid fell into the river… or someone dragged them off."
The captain's gaze hardened behind his lenses, the faint light glinting off his glasses. "No… the pattern's too clean. Whatever happened here—it wasn't by accident."
He straightened, the rain now falling harder around them, washing the last of the evidence away.
"Regroup," he said through the comm. "We're done for today. The forest's hiding something… and I intend to find out what."
Meanwhile, on the other side, the captain and Sereth combed through the soaked undergrowth, following what they hoped was a continuation of the trail. Yet, after nearly half an hour of searching, there was nothing—no blood, no tracks, not even the faint hum of Resonance.
Sereth crouched low, brushing aside wet leaves and mud. "Captain… there's nothing here. Not even a trace of disturbance. It's like the forest reset itself."
The captain stood motionless for a moment, his expression unreadable behind the steady drizzle that coated his glasses. He adjusted them once—his old habit surfacing when deep in thought.
"Nature doesn't erase signs this quickly," he muttered under his breath. "Something… or someone… doesn't want us to find what happened here."
Sereth glanced around uneasily, the air around them feeling heavier by the minute. "Captain, should we—"
The captain didn't answer immediately. He stepped closer, boots sinking into the mud, rain sliding down his face. His usual composure was gone... Replaced by something darker. His pupils trembled, and his jaw clenched so tight his teeth ground audibly.
"Who… did this…" he murmured. It wasn't a question. It was a warning.
Sereth swallowed hard, glancing at the grotesque wounds. "This isn't the monster's doing… those marks—some are too precise."
The captain crouched beside the body, his hand hovering inches above the child's chest, trembling—not from fear, but restrained fury. Then he forced himself upright, voice low but sharp as a blade.
"Call the others," he said. "Now."
Sereth nodded, fumbling for his comm. The rain kept falling, washing the mud and blood together, but no amount of water could cleanse what they had just seen.
Sereth's voice cracked through the comms, urgent and shaken. "Vaera, Lucen—get to our coordinates, now! We've found the kid!"
He cut the line, glancing back just as the captain dropped to his knees beside the mangled body. Rainwater splattered across his gloves as he reached out, his hands steady but trembling at the fingertips.
He pressed two fingers against the child's neck. Nothing. Then the wrist... Still nothing. The boy's skin was cold, clammy, and pale like wax. The captain's brows furrowed, his jaw tightening.
"Come on… breathe…" he muttered, almost pleading.
He pried open one of the child's eyes—and froze. The sclera was a murky silver-white, like liquid metal clouded with milk. The kid was blind. The captain's throat tightened, but he didn't stop. He adjusted the boy's jaw, pressed again to the chest planning to directly hear his heartbeat—
Then—
thump!
A faint, stuttering heartbeat.
thump.
Another.
The captain's eyes widened. "He's alive!"
Sereth stumbled back in disbelief. "What—? But that's impossible, he—"
"No time!" The captain cut him off, tearing open his med pouch. Two vials clinked in his hands—one filled with crimson light, the other a deep emerald hue.
"The red for regeneration—his body's collapsing on itself." He reached for the second. "And this—Neural Suppression Serum. If I don't induce a forced coma, the void affliction will consume what's left of his mind."
Moments later, Vaera and Lucen burst through the clearing, mud splashing beneath their boots.
"The kid is still alive!" the captain shouted over the rain, his voice breaking through the storm.
Vaera froze mid-step, her eyes widening as she caught sight of the child's torn body. "Oh gods…" She didn't hesitate—she rushed forward, rummaging through her belt until she pulled out a vial identical to the captain's. "Here! Take it captain! One healing vial won't be enough!"
Lucen's usual smirk was gone. He stood a few paces back, pale and tense, his voice low. "Captain… that's not a wound from any monster I've seen."
The captain didn't respond. His focus was absolute as he drove the first vial into the child's arm—blood and serum mixing in a swirl of red. The second vial followed, green light pulsing briefly beneath the child's skin before fading.
For a moment, no one spoke. Only the sound of rain, thunder, and the faint, fragile heartbeat that refused to die.
Vaera's voice trembled. "He's… still hanging on."
The captain looked down at the boy—expression unreadable behind fogged lenses. "Then we're not losing him. Not here."
"Sereth," the captain ordered sharply, still kneeling beside the boy. "Use your Echo—compress the space around us. Keep the rain off."
Sereth nodded. "Got it, Captain."
The air shimmered as his ability flared—a faint hum filled the clearing as droplets curved midair, sliding off an invisible barrier.
"We need immediate evacuation," the captain continued, his tone clipped but urgent. "A helicopter from the nearest military outpost. This child needs medbay treatment *now*—these vials are only temporary stabilizers."
He turned to Vaera. "Contact the post guarding the outskirts of Dravi City—tell them to dispatch a helicopter, tell them the situation."
"On it!" Vaera replied, fingers flying over her wrist console.
As Sereth focused on maintaining the compressed field, and Lucen stood guard with weapon drawn, the captain continued to monitor the boy's heartbeat. It was still faint... But faster now. Signs of life. Signs of resistance.
He exhaled, relieved for a moment. "Good… he's fighting."
But then—
A low pulse echoed through the air.
A deep, resonant hum that made the ground vibrate. Every member of the team froze.
The sound was unmistakable—familiar. Dreadfully familiar.
Lucen's eyes widened as he turned toward the captain and the boy.
"C-Captain… that resonance—don't tell me that's—"
The captain's expression hardened. "Impossible…" His mind raced. "So that's why he was able to survive!"
He rose halfway to his feet. "Lucen! State the Second Law of Void Residue!"
Lucen stammered, trying to steady his voice. "It—it states that Void Residue, in any form, constantly seeks to bind to a host!" His face paled. "Wait—no way. You can't mean—?!"
The realization struck all at once. Their gazes fell on the child again with eyes wide with disbelief, awe, and fear.
"That's impossible!" the three exclaimed together.
Vaera was the first to speak, voice trembling. "He's just a kid! Look at him—he's barely what, eight? Nine? How could an Crystallized Echo bind to someone that young?"
"That's right," Sereth added, sweat beading down his temple as he maintained the barrier. "No one can survive resonance without a matured body! It doesn't happen before sixteen—never less!"
The captain adjusted his glasses, eyes gleaming with a mix of horror and fascination.
"Then tell me this—what if this child's body is already matured? What if we're not looking at an incomplete vessel, but a fully resonated one… a human with a Resonated Echo already fused within?"
The forest fell silent except for the hum of Sereth's Echo field and the child's shallow breaths.
"No way…" the three said in unison, disbelief etched across their faces.