The silence inside the ship felt heavier than any battlefield.
No one spoke.
No one needed to.
They lost planet Caleum.
And whatever they were fighting—
It was changing and learning.
"This is Supervisor Command."
The voice cut through the silence.
Cold.
Unshaken.
"All surviving units, prepare for immediate redeployment."
A few soldiers looked up.
Exhausted.
Barely holding on.
"…Already?" someone muttered.
"You have been assigned a priority retrieval mission."
"Target: Senior vortex darkwand a research official stationed on Planet Alysium."
Akane's eyes lifted slightly.
"Objective: Extract the scientist and secure all critical data."
"…And the risk level?" a soldier asked quietly.
Silence.
Then—
"High."
The ship descended hours later.
Alysium.
Once a thriving research planet.
Now—
Dark.
Quiet.
Too quiet.
"Stay sharp," a squad leader said.
The doors opened.
air rushed in.
And with it—
The feeling of being watched through the shadows.
The team moved through the outer structures carefully.
Weapons raised.
Akane stayed toward the back.
Medical kit ready.
"…No movement…" a soldier whispered.
"That's worse," another replied.
A sound echoed through the halls.
Not loud.
Scraping.
Then—
Silence again.
Akane glanced to the side.
For a moment—
He thought he saw something move.
Watching them.
Inside the small part of the research Facility.
Lights flickered.
Doors half-open.
Signs of struggle everywhere.
"…This place was evacuated fast…" someone muttered.
"No," another said quietly.
"…They didn't make it out."
At the end of the hallway—
Something stood.
Still.
An infected.
But different.
It didn't charge.
Didn't scream.
It just watched.
Its head tilted slightly.
"…Why isn't it attacking…?" a soldier whispered.
Akane felt it.
That same feeling.
It's not mindless…
The creature slowly stepped back—
Then disappeared around the corner.
"…That's not normal," the squad leader said.
"…No," Akane replied quietly.
"…It's not."
Moments later—
A distant scream echoed.
Then—
Multiple footsteps.
Fast.
"CONTACT—!"
The infected rushed in.
But not randomly.
From multiple directions.
"THEY'RE FLANKING US!"
One soldier was suddenly dragged backward—
"…WHAT THE—?!"
A thin, fast-moving infected pulled him into the darkness.
"DODGE IT!"
The infected managed to drag a soldier with him.
"HELP!"
Gunfire followed—
Too late.
Another infected rushed forward—
Then—
It exploded.
Acid sprayed across the hallway.
A soldier screamed as it burned through his armor.
"FALL BACK!"
Akane rushed forward—
Ignoring the danger.
"…Stay still!" he said, applying emergency treatment.
His hands moved fast—
But the damage was severe.
"…I can't fully stop it…"
"We don't have time!" the squad leader shouted.
"We get the scientist—or we all die here!"
Akane clenched his jaw.
Then stood.
"…Let's move."
The deeper they went—
The heavier the atmosphere became.
Then—
The ground shook.
"…No…"
From the lower level—
It emerged.
The same massive infected.
Akane had encountered on stellar
"…RUN—!"
They pushed forward toward the lab core.
Doors locked behind them.
Gunfire echoed nonstop.
The Tank smashed through walls—
Closing distance.
They reached the final room.
Inside—
A man stood, shaking.
"…You came…"
"Move!" the squad leader shouted.
"No time!"
As they turned to leave—
The Tank broke through.
Too close.
"…Go!" a soldier shouted.
"I'll hold it!"
"No—!"
He didn't wait.
He charged forward—
Detonating his gear—
The explosion shook the entire structure.
Slowing the Tank.
For a moment.
"…Move!!" the squad leader screamed.
They ran.
No stopping.
No looking back.
Just survival.
The ship doors opened.
They rushed in—
Pulling the scientist with them.
"GO! GO!"
The engines roared.
And they lifted off.
Silence returned.
Again.
Fewer this time.
Akane sat down slowly.
His hands shaking.
Another loss.
Another mission.
The scientist looked up.
"…You don't understand what this is…"
All eyes turned to him.
His voice trembled.
"…They're not just evolving…"
A pause.
"…They're coordinating."
Akane's eyes narrowed slightly.
That memory—
That infected it was..watching us...
"…I know," he said quietly.
And for the first time—
He felt it clearly.
This war—
Was about to get worse.