“Dad, are you there? Hello? Dad?!” Lena’s voice cracked in desperation as she shouted into her crystalcomm. Only a faint, hazy static crackled in response, Damnit ,dad! she cursed inwardly, panic tightening around her chest.

  Her motorcycle skidded to a halt, swinging off her motorcycle in one swift motion, her boots hitting the ground hard. She stared out beyond the shadow of the megastructure of Krreat, the eerie glow of the shattered sky bathing the land in its blood-red gloom.

  The faded memory of her family watching the weeping night sky flashed before her—she shoved the memory away, shaking off the rising dread.

  She ran toward the Krreat Ranger station, her ID clutched tightly in one hand. She slammed it against the reader.

  The scanner beeped.

  Inside, behind a stone desk, sat a coiled-up Hollow. Its serpentine body shimmered with a denim blue, sheen with yellow lines streaked across its snout and right arm claw.

  “Gaolbird!” Lena’s voice cut through the silence, sharp and commanding.

  The Hollow immediately perked up, its head snapping forward with a fluid motion. In a posh,overly polite tone, it responded, “Good evening, Miss Russo, how may I assist you—”

  Lena cut Gaolbird off mid-sentence. “There’s a leak at the northwestern end of the Primodía Forest, near Cau Cliff road! My father was there and he’s—” She faltered for a split second, her voice strained as she fought to keep her composure. “Call Chief Mourns! Now!”

  “Oh heavens,” Gaolbird gasped, its voice tinged with alarm. “I’ll alert all on-duty rangers with anti-abyssal training immediately.”

  In no time, twelve fully equipped rangers had gathered in the lobby, their expressions tense and focused. Lena wasted no time, quickly briefing them on the situation. Her words were clear and concise, her voice steady, though the worry gnawed at her insides like a persistent itch she couldn’t scratch.

  A man with silky long dark blue black hair, stepped forward. His gaze stern as he surveyed the gathered rangers. This was Bern Mourns, the Chief Ranger of Krreat. “I can confirm Lena’s report,” he began, his voice authoritative and steady. “I just got off the line with Sherman from Trant Station. The entire forest has been drenched in abyssal condensation for the last hour. We’ve never encountered activity of this magnitude in the region—not even during the era of the Ordovis Tartarus Gate.”

  He paused, letting the weight of his words sink in as he studied the nervous faces before him. “I had hoped we’d never have to assess an abyssal breach of this scale here, but it seems fate has dealt us a foul hand. We’ll be operating under ORPA CB Esoteric Protocol 1-1-23.”

  “Triple unknown planetside, huh?” one of the rangers murmured, his face scrunching up in discomfort.

  “Correct,” Bern confirmed, his voice firm. “We’ll be splitting into groups of no less than five. That means two squads of six, each with a Hollow Guard.” His eyes narrowed as he scanned the room. They were mostly young rangers, sweat pooling on their foreheads, as they exchanged uneasy glances. Aside from Bern and two other senior officers, the current ranger corps of Krreat was green, untested in the face of the abyss. With most abyssal control members dying Translate side, the few rookies there had never experienced the abyssal condensation—how it gnawed at the mind and soul. If the Kyyr category and range of the anomaly was higher than expected, casualties would be inevitable.

  “Siegwick, you’ll be taking Moros, Denver, Calli, Serfet, and Shan. Your designated Hollow will be Maurice.”

  Siegwick stepped up, he was the tallest ranger in the room and one of the other senior rangers present.

  “Your team will support the squad at Trant Station.”

  “Roger.” He answered coolly, his posture rigid with an icy calm.

  “The rest of you, with me. We’ll be reinforcing Carmela’s team, currently stationed near St.Able’s Pass. Be ready in five!" Bern commanded.

  As the rangers moved around preparing their gear, Bern turned his attention to Lena, who was obsessively double-checking her equipment over and over. “Lena…” he called out, his tone both firm and knowing.

  “Yes, uncle Burnt?” She replied, still focused on her gear.

  “First off—don’t call me that. Second, don’t get ahead of yourself out there.” He said, stern and authoritative.

  She looked up at Bern, her eyes wide with a mix of worry and frustration. “I won’t…” She muttered.

  “Lena, I understand you’re worried; we’ll find him.” Bern said, his voice softening for a moment before he sighed deeply. “Don’t make the same mistakes your older brother did.”

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  She nodded sheepishly, he patted her back, before preparing his own equipment.

  Lena sighed, her shoulder sagging as she triple-checked her equipment. She glanced at her fellow rangers, their shaky hands and tense expressions betraying their nerves. This would be their first-ever Abyssal Wild Hunt.

  Not far from the ranger station, a tired Lucas was fumbling around his pockets for his ID card. He checked every pocket he had, the blessing of a dozen pockets now an annoying delay keeping him from the sweet release of sleep. Oh man… He groaned internally as the realization hit him—he'd lost his ID card.

  But he did not fret. Instead, he pulled out his crystalcomm and quickly scrolled through his contacts. First, he tried to call his dad. No answer. He tried to call his sister. No answer. Odd… Maybe they’re preparing something for my birthday, he mused with a weary smile, before finally calling his mom.

  Ca-lick, a panicked woman shouted from the other side, “LUKIE!”

  “Yeah?!” he replied, surprised by the loud response. “What’s wrong, mom?”

  Lucas’s mom sniffled and babbled incoherently, “Fy shin’t you ansher yer com, Lena shez thay jat,” she sniffled, “dad’s n rouble…”

  “What? Mom, calm down. What’s wrong with dad?” He asked confused.

  “Je fworesht took him!” she whimpered.

  The forest? Lucas froze for a second, his gaze slowly turning to face the eastern gate. His breath caught as he noticed, a distant pink aurora painting the skies of the Primordía Forest.

  “What the hell…” he muttered.

  Gira rubbed his belly, satisfied despite the strange aftertaste lingering in his mouth. “That tasted terrible, but somehow, that made it even better!” He declared, stretching and lounging in the café chair.

  “Careful you don’t fall off!” Xizu warned, noticing how Gira was dangerously close to tipping over as he leaned back with a carefree grin. Edging the floor with a romantic date with the back of his head.

  “Yeah, yeah,” Gira replied dismissively, then pointed toward the window behind Xizu. “Hey, what’s up with the pretty pink sky?”

  She began to turn, but she was quickly distracted by the buzzing of her crystalcomm. Taking away her attention before she could take in the eerie view in the distance.

  Ca-lick, “Xizu there’s a problem…” a stern voice crackled through the coms.

  “Honey? What’s wrong?” Xizu replied, concern lacing her voice.

  “There’s an Abyssal Leak—,” Bern explained calmly, Xizu’s grip tightening around her crystalcomm. “There’s some kind of severe Kyyr anomaly occurring in the Primordía Forest, and Laurence has gone missing... something happened to him. So we’re heading out on a Hunt.”

  “The Primordía Forest…” Xizu whispered, a confused frown settling on her face as she turned toward the strange boy who had scurried to the window. His eyes were fixed intently on something below them.

  “Yes, abyssal condensation seems to be leaking from the low orbiting Translate # 5. It’s almost like—”

  “It opened up again,” Xizu finished his sentence, her gaze still locked on Gira.

  “Yes,” Bern confirmed, his voice steady. “We’re about to board the low gliders in a minute here. I just wanted to say goodnight, and that I love you.” He paused, waiting for her response.

  “Honey, I haven't told you yet but Lucas Russo found a strange boy today,” Xizu said, her voice softening as she continued to study Gira, who appeared mesmerized by the glow beyond the window. “The boy here claims he woke up in the forest this morning,” she whispered into the coms.

  “What? Have you tested him? Is he an abyssal entity?” Bern’s voice rose with concern.

  “He’s a Coarseblood…” she replied in a hushed tone.

  “But they’re extinct. How’s that possible?” Bern’s voice trailed off, disbelief creeping in.

  “I don’t know,” Xizu whispered, “but he might be connected to the forest’s current state.”

  “Keep an eye on the kid.” Bern instructed. “We’re taking off on the low gliders now. I’ll call you when it's over.”

  Xizu’s gaze shifted her attention to the low glow on the horizon. “Love you, honey.”

  “Tell our girls I love them... and you—don’t forget how much I love you too.” Bern said tenderly before ending their call.

  Xizu turned her attention back to Gira, but he was gone, and the window to her right was wide open. She had goofed up.

  Like some kind of spider/monkey. Gira nimbly maneuvered his way down pipes and footholds, descending multiple levels with surprising efficiency. His focus was split between not falling and the familiar blonde figure he’d seen in the streets below, rushing past, being pulled by a big pink fur ball.

  Gira reached the lowest floor faster than expected, his eyes locking onto Lucas and the cart. Without hesitation, he sprinted toward them, shouting, “HEY LUCAS, I WANNA SEE THOSE SKY LIGHTS UP CLOSE TOOO!”

  Lucas slowed down, turning in surprise as he was jumpscared by Gira matching the cart's speed. “Gira?! I thought you were with Dr. Xizu?” he asked, shocked.

  “I was, but then I saw those lights and then I saw you going in the same direction,” Gira explained, taking in deep breaths as he ran next to Lucas. “So I crawled down and decided to tag along…” he gasped for air. Lucas stopped the cart, letting him lean on the side. “Man, that furry thing is pretty quick, huh?”

  “Gira, we can see the lights some other time! I need to go help find my dad!” Lucas snapped a little irritated.

  But Gira ignored him, hopping onto the back of the cart. “Well, let’s get going.”

  “I—I can’t take you!” Lucas tried to explain, but Gira was already distracted by something else.

  “L-Lucas, let’s get going!” Gira shouted, with a mix of dread and excitement.

  “No but—” Lucas started, then glanced back and saw Xizu sprinting toward them in the distance. “—Oh shit!” he yelped, instantly releasing the tension in the reins. Shredder bolted forward at full speed.“Get back here, you little shits!” Xizu’s roar echoed from behind, but the two boys were already long gone, racing away at max Pelamüs speed. The bouncy little cart carried them swiftly out of Krreat’s shadow and into the gloom under the shattered night sky.