Uhe moonlit sky, Aira and Alliot set off, first moving through the enlightened forest with a grad speed that felt almost supernatural, theering the a city's streets filled with rubble and remnants of the fallen structures. Aira's reserves were filled to the brim, thanks to the power of the Wentouk's Source. As she now knew, Heart of the Forest roviding her and all of the enlightened with everything they needed.

  Aira's Energy Manipution skill allowed her to draw ambient energy from her surroundings, sustaining their pace. She had been training diligently with her skills, and by now, she could not only boost her own agility but also extend that enhao Alliot. Alliot, bolstered by Aira's enhas, moved with surprising agility, his formidable presence making their journey swift and effit.

  As undead—or enlightened, as the locals preferred to call themselves—Aira and Alliot had the advantage of being able to travel day and night without needing a. The only limitation was visibility. Still, it could be at least partially mitigated by Alliot's senses and the skills he had as a Defehe rge moon that shone in the sky was also a boon, allowing the two travelers not to lose any time.

  The ndscape blurred around them as they pushed forward, their determination unyielding. The old city ruins gradually gave way to more open terrain, and the air got cooler as they asded toward the facility's location. The memories of their previous journey pyed in Aira's mind, reminding her of the challehey had faced and overe together. First, they passed the high-rise building Aira and Li chose as their st stop before entering the enlightened city. was that spot in the suburbs, where the a streets gradually surfaced from uhe forest underbrush. Then, with Aira almost not notig the speed of their movement, they were on the shores of the grand river, with no signs of ice remaining.

  "So, you swim?" asked Aira with a smile. "I'm not sure I boost you more, and the flow is really strong here."

  "I swim," Alliot said pinly. "If I couldn't, I'd have told you, and we wouldn't be here. I'd have suggested a longer route instead."

  ***

  As the a facility came into view, they slowed their pace, their senses heightened. It took Aira and Alliot only three days to get there, as they moved as ghosts during several days and nights without sleep or even pausing for rest.

  Initially, Aira felt her reserves diminishing much faster than she was able to replenish them. But that was only until they left the territory of the a city. The broken buildings and structures didn't allow enough life force to build up, for the pnts to be that lush, to bee a reliable source for Aira.

  Everything ged as soon as they went uhe opy of the forest. There, it became a neverending cycle for Aira. Boost, replenish, run, replenish. Boost, replenish, run, replenish. Boost, replenish, run, replenish. Still, stantly p everything she could access into her Energy Manipution skill and Alliot's and her base stats demaoo much of Aira.

  But she only wao give even more. To reach Li as soon as possible. To prevent the worst from happening.

  Aira's and Li's old base seemed eerily quiet, starkly trasting the bustling activity they had left behind in the enlightened sanctuary. Aira's heart pounded in her chest as they approached the entrahe silence amplifying her fears.

  She khey wouldn't find Li there. Aira khe exact location where she st sensed her friend during that ritual at Heart of the Forest. Still, she wao see the se with her owo have a better uanding of what had happened here and what to expect when they got to Mountain View.

  There was no doubt anymore that Li's old town was their goal now. Aira sensed enough familiar signatures among the people who were in the same group as Li. All of them were from Mountain View.

  Still, there wasn't a clear-cut ao another important question: whether Li tive or a voluntary guest.

  "Stay alert," Aira whispered to Alliot. "We don't know what we'll find inside."

  Alliot nodded, his gaze sweeping the area methodically. "I'm right behind you, Aira," he said. "No signs of disturbances or anyone nearby. The group move on, and it looks like they didn't leave anyone behind."

  The pair ehe facility, their footsteps eg through the empty corridors. The air was thick with dust and the remnants of their previous activities. There were signs of disturbances everywhere, and sometimes, it was hard to distinguish whether they were from the earlier attack or from a ter moment when Li and Aira had already left the pce.

  Aira stumbled over a piece of debris left after the siege. The noise of the rolling object echoed ihe dipidated building. Alliot reacted instantly, catg her.

  "You looked fine earlier," Alliot said, his voice calm but firm. "If you're this drained, you should have told me. Overextending like this is a bad strategy. It could kill you. It could kill us. And it could kill Li. I thought you cared about her."

  "Ah… That's cold! But it's nothing I 't survive," Aira said, g her jaws. "We have a goal. We o figure out what happened here and tio pursue Li as soon as possible. I'll be more careful, I promise."

  "You o rest," Alliot said. "Losing focus like that puts both of us in danger. We're stopping here until your reserves are stable. Then we move."

  "But we are so close," said Aira. "I 't bear the suspense anymore. I don't have Heart of the Forest's power anymore with me. I ' sense Li from here. We'll have to get closer to Mountain View for that!"

  "I get it," Alliot said. "But if we go in now, tired and unfocused, we risk making things worse for Li. Being smart is more important than being fast."

  "You're right," Aira sighed, her frustration evident. "It's just… the thought of her being in danger while we sit a... it kills me."

  "I get it, proteg those we care about matters," Alliot said with a firm nod. "But if we're not ready, if you aren't ready, we won't be ao her. A few hours of rest make a big difference. If she's been holding on this long, she'll hold on a little longer. We'll set up camp he forestline, close enough to watch the entrahat way, we respond if anyone es oes while still giving ourselves time to recover."

  Alliot looked at Aira as if searg for more arguments and reasons to offer her. He watched over this woman for weeks already, but her as sometimes made him rise an eyebrow.

  "Even with your boosts, I'm feeling the fatigue too," Alliot admitted. "The st three days have been intense. I've never pushed myself like this before."

  "Alright, but in a few hours, we'll move in," said Aira. "And we'll figure out what had happeo Li here."

  ***

  As hours passed, Aira was getting increasingly restless, walking around their makeshift camp. Theling for a short meditation. Only to begin moving toward the facility before stopping aurning to Alliot.

  During one of these ges of mood, Alliot approached Aira.

  "Are you ready?" Alliot asked. "Your energy back to a safe level?"

  "Yes!" Aira excimed, jumping up to her feet. "Let's go! We need answers."

  Aira would lie if she said she was fully recovered. But Alliot was right, she hese few hours, even if she wasn't able to foeditation throughout this time.

  It was still a bit bizarre for Aira to feel that her e to the System was limited and ged so much. With mana, she was able to always check what her reserves were. That gave her an opportunity to meticulously pn her usage and at for the speed of replenishment.

  But with these new energy reserves, she didn't have any information like that avaible to her. Hence, when she became too focused on her rescue mission, she missed the moment when her energy was almost pletely depleted.

  It wasn't the first time it happened. Most probably, that was what led to Aira losing sciousness on a few occasions during the previous months. Then, her body reacted to things she couldn't measure with numbers.

  In the previous months, Aira had trained herself to gain energy from her surroundings almost at the speed she was using it for her skills or to boost her stats. Iingly, nearly all of the new activities she found for herself, beginning with Li's training routio that practice of transferring the messages from Li to enlightened and back almost simultaneously—all of that, in the end, improved her e to the ambient energy.

  But now, she was boosting not only herself but also Alliot. She wice as muergy at the same time. And she was doing that for several days in a row without any stops or rest, gradually getting her reserves lower and lower.

  So, she had to add aem to the list of her future goals. A better uanding of her reserves. But that was something for tomorrow. Now, she only o gain just enough energy to avoid being clumsy and not endaheir scouting mission.

  "I think it should be enough," she said to Alliot over the party interface. "Did you have a ce to recuperate as well? Are you ready to go?"

  "Yes, I'm ready, thank you," Alliot replied. "Let's find out what's waiting for us in that facility."

  They moved cautiously toward the entrahe looming structure casting long, ominous shadows in the fading light. Aira's senses were on high alert this time, each creak of the facility's old metal structure eg through the eerily silent air. The weight of uainty pressed down on them as they approached the entrahe stillness ihe building uling in its pleteness. It was as though the facility itself held its breath, waiting for their move.

  And then, when they reached the bunker door, it was left wide open.

  ***

  Broken bits and pieces left after the siege added even mloom to the desotion of the a facility. It had once been bustling with activity, the unused for turies, with humans only ing to pluhe gadgets and materials of old times. Then, for a few weeks, Aira and Li made it their home and tried to make it alive again. All for nothing, as the human attackers were thh iroying everything the two women had built.

  It seemed like it was this structure's fate: to be abandoned from time to time. Will it see a better future? Or would it just tis gradual decay?

  Walking through the ransacked rooms, Aira couldn't stop thinking about her own fate. Her past was thrown away by some unknowable force. She lost everything and then began to rebuild herself. Almost like this building. But there was one difference. Even if, at moments, Aira felt that she wao settle and start a slower life, deep inside, she always khat she would never forfeit her goal: to figure out what and why had happeo her.

  But now, another person's fate was ected to hers. They shared their journey. Was Li safe? Where was she? The facility felt entirely abandoned once again. Aira felt a sinking feeling in her chest as she surveyed the area. She quickly moved to the energy ste room, finding the batteries still almost fully charged. Only a tiny fra of energy was used when Li opehe door.

  "Aira," Alliot called out, bringing the woman back from her deep thoughts, his voice steady but urgent. "Over here."