An hour later…
After the memorial service had wrapped up, the bereaved families slowly left the cathedral, shielding themselves from the harsh rain with their umbrellas.
The coffins were carried by the enforcers over to several hearses that would take the caskets over to the graveyard to be returned to the embrace of mother nature.
Chris held an umbrella over his head, watching the enforcers carrying the coffins to the vehicles.
He watched them for a while, a dark shadow cast over his pristine white face.
"Rest in peace…" he mumbled.
Spinning around, he strolled through the rain, leaving the perimeter of the cathedral. He walked along the sidewalk until the chapel left his sight.
Heaving a sigh of relief, he drew a deep breath, his heart aching. He lifted his head, peering at the falling rain.
The drops of water fell onto the floor and flowed into the storm drains that were spread across the length of the entire road with few gaps between them to support the sidewalk.
If not for these drains, Kharagen – no, Ashland would have drowned long ago.
Suddenly, Chris's Will flared, his crystal-like blue eyes glowing with immense power. The Chaos surrounding him flickered in response to his power, sightlessly shifting around his being.
The next second, the Supreme Commander of the AEOC sped off, touching the sound barrier. Moments later, he appeared at the gates of the Special Ops HQ. Placing his umbrella on the rack, he stepped into the main lobby. It was emptier than usual – colder even as all the enforcers had attended the memorial, leaving only the staff.
Ascending the stairs, he entered the elevator and pressed the highest number on the panel. After waiting for a few minutes, the iron doors opened, letting him onto the highest floor of the tower.
He stepped into the corridor, lightning splitting the skies. Strolling through the hallway, he halted at his office and unclipped the five-star insignia from his chest, scanning it. The panel pinged and the doors parted open the next second.
He stepped inside and clipped the insignia back onto his chest. Sitting down, he rotated his chair, gazing out at the cloudy skies.
He stared at it for a long time, leaning his face on his fist. He watched the rain strike the glass, thunder crackle through the sky and lightning split the heavens apart.
The harsh wind scraped against the skyscrapers of the city that stood just below the thunderous nimbuses.
Lights from all the buildings illuminated the dark city where day and night had become the same.
A few minutes passed in silence. The Supreme Commander leaned back in his chair and called out to his Mythos.
"Mythos."
A robotic yet familiar voice rang in Chris's ear.
[At your service, sir. What can I do?]
"Call Dante." Chris ordered.
[Immediately.]
Mythos responded, dialing Dante. After a few seconds, the call went through and a familiar voice resounded from the earbud in Chris's right ear.
"Yo." Dante greeted. "Finally, got time?"
"Yes." Chris replied. "How should we settle the situation… of your brother?"
On the other end, Dante remained silent for a few seconds. Then, he cleared his throat and answered Chris.
"I'll suspend the Black Ops temporarily and order an investigation into the General… but I won't fire him or Missio. They've only been in service for around a month in their positions."
Chris clicked his tongue. "You're too forgiving, Dante."
"I've told you again and again, Chris." Dante retorted. "Everyone deserves a second chance."
Chris sighed, slightly annoyed by his friend's mercy. Then, with an even tone, he spoke.
"The First unit will be recovered quickly. However, I don't think we'll be able to bring the REOC along with us on the expedition. You must face the consequences."
"H-Huh?" Dante blurted. "You're not serious, are you? Only because of a small mishap… well, it's not really small but still! We've literally been preparing for this for months!"
Chris groaned, pinching his nose. He spun around, turning away from the rain. Leaning forward, he lay his arm on his desk.
"I understand your worry but this isn't a small matter. Ashland, Rome and Paragonia… they're all supposed to help each other out and live in peace."
Chris's voice suddenly became extremely cold.
"Yet, your foolish General and Prime Minister let the REOC's Black Ops enter our land without clearance and without your permission to execute this mission as well. If they don't face the consequences, they'll continue to do it in the future."
Dante didn't respond to his friend, knowing what he was saying was entirely correct.
"Since, you're already sparing them. This will do." Chris stated at last.
Drawing a deep breath, Dante replied in a solemn tone.
"I understand… I can see your logic… Then, we should tell Nyx. Switching to the PEOC will be tiring though."
"I can handle it." Chris scoffed.
"If you say so." Dante shrugged.
The duo then went quiet for a few seconds. Wanting to continue the conversation, Dante inquired about Chris's little brother.
"By the way, how's your brother?"
Chris froze. His mind flashed back to the memorial, recalling the dark shadow over his little brother's pale face…
"He's not well right now but… he'll recover… eventually."
"Be sure to support him." Dante advised. "You really need to teach him not to bear all his burdens alone."
"He must hold all the burdens, Dante." Chris retorted. "He was chosen by his men and he must live up to their expectations. He must show that they can rely on him anytime."
Dante exhaled heavily, slightly annoyed by his friend's perspective.
"He would be a great commander but not a great leader then."
Chris stopped in his tracks, his eyes narrowing.
"Please, he doesn't have to carry his burdens alone like you. You're someone who has been forged from other's expectations from childhood but he is a mere man trying to hold an entire division together. He'll eventually fall and when he does, you won't be able to do anything."
"What?" Chris blurted, his stoic exterior slightly breaking. "And what makes you say that?"
"First. Hand. Experience."
Dante said without any hesitation, his voice steady and filled with unyielding confidence.
Chris paused for a moment as if contemplating something. Then, he rolled his eyes and replied in a calm tone.
"Enough with this talk."
"Cool." Dante replied in a sarcastic manner. "Do you wanna tell Nyx or should I?"
"I'll tell her myself. You just handle things on your end."
"Alright." Dante's voice became a little distant. "Be well, friend."
He then ended the call, leaving Chris in his office – alone.