The following day, Zein and Kiomi were crouched on the rooftop of a building that overlooked part of the industrial sector.
Below, in the main streets, the Empire was celebrating its annual victory parade. The roar of military bands and the gleam of armor in formation were the perfect distraction; most of the patrols had been deployed to monitor the crowd, leaving the flanks vulnerable. It was the exact moment for the strike the resistance had planned.
—It's too quiet here, isn't it? —Zein commented, breaking the silence.
Kiomi didn't bother to look at him. She kept her gaze fixed on an ammunition depot that rose several hundred meters away. Zein sighed, remembering the talk with Miguel the night before.
«Your mission will be to sabotage the supply depots. Your partner doesn't seem very enthusiastic about you, so try to get along with her,» the veteran had told him with a knowing smile.
«Damn it, Miguel... this is much more complicated than her simply not liking me,» Zein thought as he observed the girl's tense back.
Kiomi began to prepare her bow, checking the string tension and arranging a bundle of special arrows.
—Let's review the plan —Zein insisted—. The fuses are already placed in the ammunition caches. When they give the signal, you just have to light them with a fire arrow. Right?
Kiomi continued testing the bow in silence, ignoring him as if he were part of the furniture.
—Are you sure you're going to be able to hit the target from here? —Zein asked, measuring with his eyes the enormous distance that separated them from the objective—. The wind is blowing hard.
—You know? —Kiomi finally spoke, drawing the string with a sharp movement loaded with rage—. Not all of us decide to stay stuck in the same spot without trying to improve. I have been training every single day, something you clearly haven't noticed.
—I...
But Zein was interrupted when she switched on a small magic screen that was broadcasting the parade live, using it to coordinate the exact timing of the attack.
On the magic screen, the Empire's army paraded with terrifying precision, showcasing a might that seemed unreachable.
—It's strange, isn't it? —Zein said, breaking the tension—. Just a few months ago, I thought Ilmenor was the pinnacle of modernity. Upon arriving here, everything changed. I realized that what we knew were just antiquities compared to this.
—That is what happens when time moves forward and you stay behind —Kiomi responded, without looking away from her target.
At that instant, an immense roar vibrated over their heads. The sky filled with an unstable purr, a hollow and metallic sound that rose and fell like labored breathing. Looking up, Zein was paralyzed. A machine was crossing the clouds; it had a thin structure, held by taut cables and wings that looked like cloth stretched over wooden bones.
—What is that thing? —Zein asked, astonishment painted on his face.
—A plane.
—Plane?
—Yes. You should research more instead of wasting time —Kiomi snapped with disdain.
Suddenly, a massive explosion rumbled in the distance, followed by a chain of blasts that shook the city. It was the signal.
Kiomi reacted in a millisecond. She summoned a flame at the tip of her arrow, drew the bow to the limit, and fired. The projectile traced a perfect parabola, defying the wind, until it impacted directly on the depot's fuse. The blast was colossal; the shockwave hit them with such force that they had to cover themselves to avoid being knocked off the roof.
Without losing a second, both began to run toward the next point. As they jumped between buildings, anxiety began to eat at Zein.
—Shouldn't we have made sure no one was nearby? —Zein shouted—. We could have hurt someone innocent by mistake.
Kiomi stopped dead. She turned slowly, locking her eyes on him with a fury that forced him to take a step back.
—I don't care who we affect —Kiomi declared with great coldness—. As long as those pigs suffer the consequences, any price is low.
—You... you aren't like this —Zein stammered, searching for her behind that mask of hatred.
Kiomi exploded. She grabbed him by his clothes with unexpected strength, lifting him off the ground until their faces were inches apart.
—You know nothing about me —she hissed at him, her eyes bloodshot with rage.
—Meliora wouldn't have wanted any of this —Zein blurted out, hoping his mother's name would make her react.
Kiomi threw him backward with a rough shove that made him stumble.
—You don't have the right to mention her —she spat—. We are soldiers now, Zein, not heroes. And this is what soldiers do.
Before Zein could reply, an Imperial soldier burst into the alley. The metal of his armor echoed against the stone walls.
—Hey! What are you doing here?! —he shouted, reaching for his weapon—. This is a restricted military zone!
—Forgive us, what's happening is... —Zein tried to mediate, raising his hands in a peaceful gesture to avoid bloodshed.
He didn't finish the sentence. Kiomi summoned a musket with a flash of magic, aimed in one fluid motion, and fired. The roar was deafening in the narrowness of the alley, but it was lost amidst the chaos of the explosions shaking the city. The soldier fell to the ground like a bundle of flesh and metal, lifeless before touching the pavement.
—What did you do...? —Zein whispered, his gaze fixed on the motionless body.
Kiomi remained static. Smoke rose lazily from the muzzle of the musket, floating between them like a barrier. She stared at him with a fixity that showed not a single ounce of regret.
—This is a war, Zein. Nothing more and nothing less than a war.
In the following days, the conflict escalated in a spiral of unprecedented brutality. The resistance advanced with ferocity, seizing positions and striking the Empire where it hurt most. But time was playing against them: if they didn't achieve a decisive victory soon, the imperial machinery would reorganize to crush them under its weight.
Zein felt the world growing darker with every step, aware that they would soon face a challenge that would allow no half-measures or mercy. The true face of the Empire was about to be revealed, and the price of freedom was about to rise.