On the fifth day, the rain decides to begin leaving the stage of this bitter plot.
A man and a woman follow the searches that are being carried out along the River of Whispers.
One of the cranes begins to hoist its steel cable, the blue core on the driver's panel that serves as the battery for that entire machine intensifies its glow.
This time something else is coming.
A van begins to make itself present above the murky waters. The humid air that lingers in the region seems to drown those two in more than just sadness.
The rain decides to perform a farewell act in the form of drizzle.
Droplets fall softly onto the earth, some are so sharp that they manage to pierce the skin and soak the soul.
On the third day after the bodies were found, those young ones are finally ready to return to the endless cycle of life.
The king star paints the sky in such a pale blue that it seems possible to grasp it with one's fingers as if it were fabric.
However, the icy air persists.
Everyone there wears the most noble color.
Except her.
Her father is there as a symbolic act in her place, and only observes the lowered gazes, the dried tears and the soaked handkerchiefs. He also notices a man in the background, wearing gray and looking at the grave at his feet. This man even recites something about souls and purity, but Júlio does not pay attention to those words.
A little farther away, pedaling at a slow pace, Sarah follows the path she always took, however, now it is more painful and even tortuous.
The tower presents itself darker than usual.
And for several minutes silence reigns.
She only observes the birds flying freely high upon that thin fabric.
The wind touches and messes her hair even more.
Her gray shirt sways subtly over her abdomen.
Her rigid arms with her hands resting on the metal reveal the icy touch of the air that makes the hairs stand on end.
Everything there is in its proper place, fulfilling its roles and functions, but inside something still echoes.
A void takes over her soul.
And unconsciously, she seeks to understand how to move forward.
The days continue their eternal flow.
Wherever she goes, Sarah is alone, whether in the tower, or at school.
Weeks soon come and go.
Days become weeks. Weeks become a month.
And she still cannot smile again.
Agents knock on the door of her house.
Now her world finishes sinking.
The news soon echoes through the infinite room.
Leila is declared missing.
Tears do not fall, only silence remains.
Júlio, in turn, cries a lot, doctors prescribe several medicines, drugs and some N2 in the form of eye masks, which help him fall asleep.
Sarah begins her visits to the psychologist.
After some sessions, the report is given.
It states that Sarah is dealing well with the situation.
That this is the reaction she has found.
Months pass and Leila is declared dead by Júlio.
The authorities keep her whereabouts as missing.
Sarah does not even touch the subject.
Thoughtful.
She walks through corners searching within herself for an answer.
Somewhere in the underground of the outskirts of EVA.
"Let us begin the meeting! Júlio, bring us up to date on the situation." A man in a completely white suit and long blonde hair directs the conversation.
"As you know, the girl escaped and the other two are dead. The team we hired are also all dead."
"And your wife?"
A third man interrupts the conversation.
"Lúcio, if you allow me, she managed to invade our facilities, but the Chief Guard captured her, we need to decide what to do with her." Pablo, a tall, white man with black hair and almond-shaped eyes, summarizes the situation.
"My failure, I will deal with it personally." Júlio snaps the fingers of one hand as he speaks, his stern expression standing out.
"All right, next topic." In a small notebook, Lúcio draws a check mark next to the topic named "School 47 kidnapping." "Pablo, how is the situation of the branches?"
"According to the latest report from those in charge, the last branch in the Southeast has finished applying the security reinforcement procedures."
"Has everything already been covered up in branch 12?" Lúcio directs his questions again to Pablo while leaning back in his chair.
Pablo runs his hand over his shaved head and lets out a light sigh before answering. "Almost everything, however the person responsible for the invasion has not yet been identified. In addition, some of the children escaped from there, at least we did not find any of the bodies, so we assume they were taken."
"That is problematic... we need to report this issue to Ottawa."
"He will probably want to go out hunting until he finds the one responsible, we should avoid conflicts with humans for now." Júlio reflects a little on Lúcio's thought.
"You are right, we will send a messenger to Atlantis to report the problems directly to Jacarta and see what procedures will be taken." Lúcio quickly makes a decision.
"I will go myself, I will just stabilize things with the girl and then I will leave." Júlio then turns his gaze to Pablo. "Prepare a complete report to be delivered to Jacarta, all right?"
"Yes, I will visit the branches, and as soon as possible I will prepare the report." He finishes speaking and turns his gaze to Lúcio. "And about the girl?"
"I do not believe the testimony they took from her, but it is good to keep an eye on her for a while." He draws in a breath and then releases it. "How is she?" He directs his attentive gaze to Júlio.
"So far, she suspects nothing, she is in a depressive state, she will no longer serve for the purpose that the nobles of the Susia family planned." Júlio finishes speaking while relaxing slightly in the chair.
"That is a pity, we will have to return all that money and still send some gift as an apology. Well, so be it, better than having them come here for nothing."
"I heard that some warriors from the families of Áia are setting out on a new journey, with another group composed of other warriors from the other families." Pablo begins to share some rumors.
"Another expedition in search of relics?" Lúcio asks into the air suddenly.
"Probably! We know that Ayda is complicated, the number of survivors is decreasing more and more." Pablo finishes his line while crossing his arms on the table.
"Tokyo..." Júlio whispers very softly.
"What are you mumbling there Júlio?" Lúcio lets out a smile toward the ceiling.
"I was just thinking how much he must have evolved during all this time."
"Not only him, everyone who survives the quests in Ayda ends up becoming stronger. They are probably on another level, as always!" Then Lúcio laughs somewhat uncontrollably. "Not that I care."
"Relax Júlio, you will still have your chance one day to return to the army. For now, focus on our mission." Pablo lets the words out while standing up and passing near Júlio, placing his hand on his shoulder for a moment. "By the way, we need to prepare, because they will probably pass through here before heading to the Desert of Creation."
"All the more reason to inspect everything again!" Lúcio stands up from the chair and begins to walk toward an opening in the floor. "And... Júlio, do not forget the flowers!" He begins to disappear through the opening while letting out uncontrolled laughter.
"I know." Júlio also stands up from the chair while turning to Pablo. "I am counting on you!" Soon he disappears through another opening nearby on the floor.
Pablo only watches him leave and after a few seconds staring at the place where Júlio went, with a distant look, as if his thoughts traveled, he heads toward a third opening nearby on the floor.
In a room at the Hunters' Guild of Zone 47
"How did this happen?" Apis asks Miguel while looking at the table in front.
"This is a situation that has been worsening more and more." Miguel answers while letting his gaze wander between Apis and the table.
"There will come a time when we will have to stop hunting animals and monsters, and start hunting humans..." Apis lets the words hang in the heavy air.
"There are already some among us who consider abandoning the guild and joining the mercenaries, just to try to start hunting these kidnappers." Miguel also lets the words hang.
"And how is she?"
"As expected, in mourning, quieter than she already was. With no interest in school at all. And it is not even a case of trying anything, the best thing to do is to let her breathe and find her own answers." Miguel even tears up while speaking.
"I hope she recovers and can move forward." Apis breathes a little deeper and continues. "It is a shame, she had a lot of future wherever she went."
"Hold on, she is still alive, I believe in her, I just hope she does not go through an awakening, it is very likely she would be consumed by revenge. She is a very emotional person." Miguel turns his gaze upward toward the ceiling while leaning back in the chair.
"Imagine how far she could go if she went through an awakening? I got chills just imagining it. I hope she does not fall into darkness. I think not even the androids would want that." Apis even runs his hand over his arm to feel the goosebumps.
"If that happens, she would even be capable of claiming for herself the throne of the Machine God King. But I do not think the world would become a better place." Miguel looks back at Apis and then again at the table.
"Indeed, she has potential for that, even more if she goes through an awakening. Well, leaving that aside. Let us begin with the updates to the internship rules." Apis begins to speak while letting his gaze wander between Miguel and the table.
And so, the meeting between the two continues.