We returned to base just before the appointed ti. Before that, though, I took a short stroll through the city.
Cris in the Ancient City were common. The city wasn't small by any ans, but after squeezing in what was left of the world's population—into an area the size of what used to be Arica—it felt suffocatingly cramped.
Most cris happened in Gram and Aegis.
A robbery at a small shop. An attempted murder beneath a highway bridge. A tortured man tied up and left for dead by a clown.
Wait... that clown wasn't supposed to be here.
Anyway, after helping out where I could, we arrived at Synth and headed toward the classroom. Only a few people were there—it looked like the rest were still preparing.
From the corner of my eye, I spotted the pink-haired girl. Yesterday's scene played back in my head. She'd strongly refused the mission, but now she looked calm. That shift bothered . Why the strong protest if she's fine today?
"Did sothing happen to Miem?" I asked the guy next to . He was tall, dark-skinned, with long brown dreadlocks tied into a ponytail. He wore a black vest over a white combat suit. The Phoenix emblem on his sleeve marked him as part of the team.
"Given her abilities, not really," he said, dodging the question.
"She uses necromancy, right? But instead of undead, she controls mythical beasts. What's wrong with that?"
He shook his head. "Maybe sothing. I don't know her well. She's not exactly easy to approach."
I pinched my chin and sank into thought. Dre spoke again, "Why not just ask her?"
After a mont, I replied, "Nah. We're not close. It'd be awkward. And she seems okay now, probably just had a panic attack."
"A panic attack?" Dre scoffed. "If we all fought to the death, she'd be the last one standing. Least likely to die on an A mission, yet she freaked out yesterday. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't curious."
"Fair point." I got up and walked toward Miem, with Dre trailing just behind .
"Hey, Miem. How are you? Feeling okay?" I asked politely.
She had been fiddling with her phone. At my voice, she looked up and placed it on the table.
"Sunny and Dre. Now that's a weird duo. I'm sorry about what happened to Ginto," she said softly.
"It's alright, but thanks. He'd appreciate hearing that from you. How about you? You seem better today compared to yesterday."
"Yeah. A lot happened, but I had ti to calm down at ho. I'm okay now."
I hesitated. She clearly didn't want to revisit yesterday, and I didn't want to pry.
"So, what *was* up with you yesterday?" Dre asked casually, like they were longti friends.
No wonder you two aren't close, I thought.
Miem shot him a sideways glare and crossed her arms. "Nothing important. I an, who just accepts a guaranteed-death mission with a smile? It's my first A grade. I got nervous."
That made sense. She was new to Blitz and hadn't faced anything too dangerous yet.
Normally, I'd chalk it up to rookie jitters and move on. But Miem wasn't a rookie. From day one, she never acted like one.
Hell, I'd believe it if soone told she once led a team that destroyed a surface nest.
"You? Nervous?" Dre said, unconvinced. "You're the *last* person I'd expect that from. Your power's insane, and there's no way you'd die on this mission. So what's really going on?"
"Alright, Dre, that's enough," I cut in, turning to him. "She's fine. Drop it."
"Sunny, we're heading into a suicide mission. One of us might not make it back. If she's hiding sothing that can get us killed, we deserve to know!"
"Chill, man. She has no reason to betray us. This isn't like you. Just take a breath, alright?" I stepped between him and Miem, trying to ease the tension.
Miem watched us from a distance, her expression unreadable.
"I don't trust her," Dre muttered.
"Why?" I asked, narrowing my eyes.
I'd seen her in lower-grade missions—always dependable, always playing her part. Never reckless or shady.
"I saw her talking to Zeppelin the other day," Dre said quickly. "I don't know what they talked about, but it can't be good. Everyone knows anyone who talks to Zeppelin is bad news."
I frowned instinctively. "Zeppelin? Did you overhear anything?"
Zeppelin—the CEO of Synth. The reason this place is a ss.
"They were finishing up when I saw them. I only caught a few words: 'step two' and 'the great priest.' Tell that doesn't sound sketchy."
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