"So, it seems Arthur is down for some time…" Nyx heaved a sigh. "And my veil is not in my vault while enforcers are dying?"
"What do you suggest we do?" Lancelot asked.
Nyx drew a deep breath and thought for a few minutes. Silence clung to the atmosphere – no one daring to interrupt the supreme commander's thinking. Eventually, Nyx leaned back and offered a solution.
"Let's do night patrols." She stated.
"Yes…Night patrols seem to be the most viable option right now when our tech isn't working." David stroked his chin.
"Then, how's it going to work?" Lancelot asked.
"It'll be a two-day cycle. Ten enforcers from each unit." Nyx replied.
"More importantly, what do we do with the corpses?" Lancelot inquired.
Nyx sighed. "Throw them in one of the Ice trucks. The most we can do is preserve their bodies."
***
Night came early as if it were shadow following them. Stars gleamed in the sky like gems in the ocean, swimming amongst them unknown possibilities. Matthew yawned as the time approached midnight, his meta glasses allowing him to see with night-vision. The camp was quiet – eerily quiet. He stepped around the tents; his eyes faded with dark and tired steps.
Matthew hopped across the area of the camp with no care in the world. After a while, he rounded it and stepped beyond. Now, in the forest, he chose to take a little stroll.
'Being in the camp all night is boring…let's explore a little…'
He peeked around the trees tugged at the grass and fallen leaves. He did random things, trying to pass time without even trying to look out for dangers. Then…a shiver ran down his spine. Matthew snapped around, body wide and full of adrenaline.
'What the hell was that…?'
A thud echoed in the opposite direction and he turned around sharply. Even with his glasses, he saw nothing. The trees crawled farther away, the sky swirled and his vision blurred. Then, a whisper came like a shadow in the night that he would never forget for the rest of his life.
"Have you…brought the second sun?"
A surge of power stood behind him and he dared not turn around – fearing the worst. But what more could he do as he fell unconscious.
***
Josh strolled around the camp, eyeing for any dangers. He felt a growing unease crawling in his heart as if something was about to go wrong. His vision glitched – the tents disappeared and he was the only one left in the empty space.
"The fuck?" He whispered, alerted.
The ground turned to liquid as he began drowning. He couldn't fight back as if the outcome had been already decided. As he fell deeper, fighting for his life – a voice inside the river that imprinted itself on his body.
"You aren't the second sun…"
The ground returned to its original state – the tents reappeared and the voice vanished as if all he had witnessed had just been a dream. He pinched himself, confirming he was not dreaming. While looking at the sky, he asked himself a deep question.
"What just happened?"
***
Nolan was laying comfortably against a tree, watching the stars.
'Such beauty can't be ignored…'
Nolan drew a deep breath, taking in the pleasure of the night but had no idea was about to happen next. The world reversed – the world became the sky and the sky became the world. Nolan blinked as he fell down, crashing against the leaves. His thoughts raced being unable to process this. He struggled, moving his body frantically.
In the corner of his eye, a shadow move through the cloud. He dipped into the white giants, feeling countless rain drops crash against his body. Unfathomable pain shot through him like a bullet. Veins popped as he gritted his teeth. He fell beyond them and lifted his head to look at the ground.
But what greeted him was an unsightly horror of a shadow on the clouds manifesting in a humanoid creature with a large dark aura surrounding him like the rings of Saturn.
"Where is the second sun?"
The next second, Nolan was back on the ground, leaning against the tree. Impulsively, he grabbed it, thinking he would fall but didn't. He let go and drew a sharp breath.
'What in god's good name was that…?'
***
Frank yawned. He crossed his arms, glancing around the camp. No danger just darkness from the night. The translucent veil that Nyx set also darkened the environment a bit. He stepped around a tree, strolling near the barrier. Just then, a cold breeze passed him. He paused – shivering but something approached. A shadow rose from the ground without shape and whispered into his ear.
"Where is the second sun?"
Frank froze and snapped around, attacking the shadow. His attack dissolved and so did the shadow. The figure spoke again – now with a raspy tone.
"I don't like being attacked. I was asking you a question so, have some manners."
Frank gritted his teeth. "Who the hell are you?"
His voice sounded throughout the forest. The figure paused and replied in an annoyed voice.
"You are not worthy to know that, foolish child. Now…sleep."
Just as those words fell, Frank felt dizzy in his mind. His chest – heavy, his body – tired. An overwhelming amount of tiredness overtook him. He tried to resist but eventually succumbed to the shadow's power and fell to the ground – snoring.
***
Major stared into the night sky, overflowing with stars. He grinned, mesmerized by its beauty. As he was taking in the calm breeze, red eyes began surrounding him. Noticing this almost instantly, he took a stance and unsheathed his katana. He narrowed his eyes to a slit. He could also sense shadow figures creeping in the corners of his eyes. Fear engulfed him like a past shadow.
He looked at the eyes who neither approached nor retreated.
'Wait…this…!'
At that moment, he realized he was hallucinating and, in that instance, reality cracked, spilling into countless colors. He awoke back in the real world without having his katana unsheathed.
"…what the hell was that?"
Right then, a laugh sounded from behind him. He stiffened, feeling a presence right behind himself.
"You're a smart one…" The voice commented. "I'll let you go for this one time…"
He vanished without a trace. Major spun around, trying to find it but couldn't. He walked back to camp and grimaced.
'That was out of my nightmares…'
That was the only thought he could muster. Something so otherworldly – that which broke the laws of physics and his imagination as a whole. Once he reached the camp, he saw Josh staring into the sky. As they both locked eyes they, they said the same thing.
"Did you experience it too?"