[Morning]
In Lyla's room at Base 105, the air was thick with the quiet tension of a temporary peace. Lyla sat on the edge of her bed, wrapped in a dark coat and comfortable jeans. Caspian occupied one of the nearby chairs, adjusting his gloves over his shirt.
"Any updates on the demon movements?" Lyla asked, her voice low.
"Nothing yet," Caspian replied, shaking his head. "It's as if they've just... gone quiet. It's unnerving."
Lyla looked at him. "Are you sure you shouldn't be heading back to your own base by now?"
"They should be able to handle themselves for a while longer, shouldn't they?" Caspian said, though he sounded uncertain.
"You're their commander, Caspian," Lyla reminded him firmly. "You're the one who keeps that place stable. And now that we've developed these advanced weapons, you need to get them to your army as soon as possible."
Before Caspian could respond, the door burst open. Jane rushed into the room, her face pale. "We just got a distress call on the radio! A base is under critical invasion!"
"Wait! By who?" Lyla demanded, standing up instantly.
"A demon—or something even more terrifying," Jane panted. "Please, come quickly!"
Jane, Lyla, and Caspian sprinted toward the radio room. They found Annie and Leo already there, hovering over the equipment. Lyla moved with a commander's authority, gesturing for Annie to vacate the main chair. Lyla sat down, pressed the transmission button, and spoke into the receiver.
"This is Base 105. This is Base 105. What is your situation? Over."
The response was a chaotic wall of sound: explosions, shouting, and blood-curdling screams. Finally, a voice broke through the static, trembling with fear.
"This is Rin Shimizu from Japan, Base 140! We've been invaded by a demon that... it looks human! We need to evacuate! We're being slaughtered!"
Lyla's expression hardened as she looked at the grim faces of her team. "We're sending help," she promised the radio. "Try to survive. If you can't hold the line, leave the base immediately! Take whoever you can and get out!"
She cut the transmission and immediately dialed a different frequency. "This is Base 105. We have an emergency."
"This is Base 145," a voice replied. "What's the situation?"
"Base 140 in Japan has been breached by a high-level demon," Lyla reported. "They need immediate extraction and support. Do you have troops in the area?"
"Copy that, Base 105. We're diverting troops for evacuation now. Out."
The line went dead. Lyla leaned back, letting out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding. "Jesus... what the hell was that?"
"It's terrifying," Jane whispered. "A demon that looks exactly like a human... that has to be a Harbinger, right?"
"Probably," Lyla said, her eyes narrowing. "And here I was thinking they were laying low. I was wrong." She turned to Leo. "Did you catch anything else before I got here?"
"Before you came in, we heard a female voice," Leo said, his expression grim. "She sounded... playful, but in a deadly way. She was saying things in the background like, 'Come play with me' and 'I like toys.' She sounded like a child."
Axiel, who had been listening from the corner, looked visibly shaken. "I... I think I need to rest. A long rest."
Lyla turned back to Caspian. "You need to go to your base right now. We don't know where she'll strike next."
Caspian nodded, his jaw set. "You're right. I'll head out."
"Annie," Lyla called out. "Get the weapons and suits ready for him to take back to his men."
"On it," Annie said, her own face tight with fear. She signaled for Caspian to follow her, and they hurried toward the armory.
Lyla looked at Leo and Jane. "You guys must be exhausted after hearing that. Go and get some rest while you can."
Once Jane and Leo had left, Lyla sat alone in the radio room, the weight of command pressing down on her. *How am I supposed to protect all these people?* she wondered. *How could that bitch leave me alone with a base this size? Calm down, Lyla. Just breathe.*
She reached for the radio again, inputting a private frequency. "Base 105 speaking. I want to speak to Velora Myst."
The response was almost instantaneous, as if Velora had been sitting by the receiver. "You finally called. How magnificent."
"It sounds like you were waiting for me," Lyla noted. "Usually I have to go through three of your men before I get to you. It can't be a coincidence."
"Why would I wait for you?" Velora's voice was smooth, teasing. "So, what's the problem? I know you don't call just to chat."
"No problem," Lyla lied. "I just needed someone to talk to about this demon situation."
"Well, you called the right person," Velora said. "How is your little sister doing with her tech?"
"She's doing great, actually," Lyla said, a small smile finally touching her lips. "She's building incredible weapons. They're... well, they're cool as hell."
"We've been upgrading too," Velora shared. "I've even forged my own blade—a true demon blade." She paused, her tone shifting. "By the way, I heard you fought a 10th Commander."
"Yeah, a lot has been happening," Lyla said. "We're learning things about these species that we never suspected. Did you know there are such things as Angels?"
"Angels?" Velora sounded genuinely surprised.
"Yeah, but they were supposedly wiped out by their King," Lyla explained. "The most interesting part is that one Angel reportedly survived, but we have no idea where that one Angel is."
"Hmm..." Velora hummed thoughtfully. "There's something I found that you might be interested in, then."
"What's that?"
"We found a feather," Velora said. "It's definitely not from a bird, or even an eagle. It's a pure white feather, and it's massive—nearly as tall as I am."
Lyla's eyes widened. "Are you serious?"
"Dead serious," Velora confirmed.
Lyla noticed the battery indicator on the radio flashing red. "I have to go—my battery is dying. Can we talk later?"
"No problem," Velora said. "Talk to you later, Lyla."
Lyla cut the call just as Annie entered the room. "We're all set," Annie reported. "Caspian is ready to leave."
Lyla stood up. "Okay. I have something to tell the rest of you, but first, I need to see him off."
Lyla walked out to the main hangar and found Caspian standing by his transport. She smiled softly and pulled him into a brief, tight hug. "Please... just be careful out there."
"What's the worst that could happen?" Caspian joked, trying to lighten the mood.
Lyla didn't laugh. As he boarded the transport, she called out, "Radio us the second you arrive!"
***
**[Base 130]**
The sound of heavy, deliberate footsteps echoed through the ruined halls.
"Please... don't hurt me! I beg you!" a voice wailed in the darkness.
"Don't cry," a playful female voice replied. "I just want to play."
There was a sickening crunch as the figure casually crushed the survivor's head. She sighed, looking down at the mess. "Damn, humans are so weak."
She stepped out into the center of the courtyard and tapped her foot lightly on the ground. A massive shockwave erupted from the point of contact, and within seconds, the entire base began to crumble into dust.
To be continued...