Before the fires of the "Great Collapse" could ignite, and in those still moments that precede the storm, the comrades gathered in the western corner of the headquarters. The air was charged with tension, yet the spirit of the fellowship was not devoid of attempts to dispel fear with laughter.
Picos was checking his bombs while Nikos tried to clean his blade.
Picos (With a stifled laugh): "Can you believe it, Nikos? I thought I would die trying to blow up a bakery oven in Acadia, and now here I am about to blow up the Royal Palace of Atheria. Do you think they'll put my face on the new currency?"
Nikos (Without lifting his eyes from his blade): "If they put your face on it, everyone will flee the market for fear of their pockets exploding. Focus on the detonators, Picos."
Romulius (Tying his medical bag): "Friends, please, try not to get injured in the first ten minutes. I'm not sure I have enough medicine for Picos's stupidity and Meron's impulsiveness."
Meron (Agitated): "I am not impulsive! I just... I want to kick that guard who locked the door on Meres."
Nirar (Adjusting his electronic glasses): "Yes, Meron, and because of that kick of yours, you might trigger the gravity alarm and make us all stick to the ceiling like flies. Learn silence from Nikos."
Darius (Laughing as he pats Ortinus on the shoulder): "Look at Ortinus, the mastermind is carrying a sword! Do you even know which end to hold, my friend?"
Ortinus (With a confident smile): "I'll show you on the field, Darius. I'll cut the threads of their defenses before you even realize the battle has begun."
Amidst this clamor, Kayan entered with heavy steps, but his features bore a mixture of determination and sorrow. He placed a glowing electronic map on the table.
Kayan: "Stop the fooling around for a moment. By tracking the electro-crystalline waves emitted by the Aether feathers, I have managed to locate the Blue Bird. It is in the vault of the 'Black Wing' behind the laboratories."
Silence fell. Everyone had thought the bird was completely gone.
Kayan: "The bad news is that the bird, due to Pionel's brutal experiments, is a body without a soul... it is clinically dead. But there is one chance. In the main laboratory room, there is a 'Heart Stone Solution.' If you give the bird this solution, its energy will return."
Ortinus (Astonished): "Kayan, why are you telling us this now? And why are you drawing us a path through the side 'Laboratory' corridors?"
Kayan (Looking into their eyes): "Because you are not part of this war. I have discussed the matter with the elite of the Liberation Army. You have helped us enough, and I do not want to embroil you in the Great Collapse. I have assigned a squad of my elite soldiers to escort you through the hidden lab passages so you can reach the bird and leave the palace safely."
Meron: "What about you? And what about Meres?"
Kayan: "I will lead the army toward the courtroom. I will reclaim Meres or die trying. But you... you must take the bird and leave Atheria immediately. Calculations indicate that the 'Black Heart Stone' might explode, and if that happens, Atheria will collapse entirely and vanish into space. You will never be able to return if you delay."
Picos (In shock): "Are you kicking us out, Kayan? After all we've done?"
Kayan (Earnestly): "I am not kicking you out; I am saving you. You are our only hope for the symbol of peace to remain alive. If the bird dies and you die, nothing will remain of Atheria but ash. Take this map; the squad is waiting for you at the western entrance. Thank you for everything... and now, go before hell begins."
The comrades felt the weight of his words. Ortinus looked at Kayan and understood that the leader was sacrificing their help to ensure their survival. They exchanged final looks filled with gratitude and fear before Meron took the map, and the comrades moved toward the "Seven-Throne" corridors, leaving Kayan and his army behind to face an unknown fate.