Chapter 66: The Plan
Mara’s phone buzzed, jarring her from the budget report she was pretending to read. An internal Guild line.
"Mara speaking."
"Secretary Mara," a crisp, unfamiliar male voice stated. "Apologies for the late hour. This is Operations Command. We’re doing a final check – has Hunter Fin Carver reported back to your department?"
Mara frowned. "Carver? No, he’s currently deployed. Rank 6 dungeon, Hana’s team." Confusion prickled. Why were they asking?
"Acknowledged," the voice continued, sounding detached. "But the dungeon... it destabilized approximately ninety minutes ago. The dungeon signature vanished completely."
Vanished? Mara sat up straighter. "What are you saying? Did the team clear it?"
A pause. "Negative. No communication received. No Hunter egress detected from the site before collapse. Team Leader Hana and her A-ranks are officially designated MIA."
MIA. The word hung heavy. An entire A-rank team, gone. And Fin with them.
"We’re confirming secondary locations," the operator continued mechanically. "Just ensuring Carver didn’t somehow make it back independently."
"No," she said, her voice tight. "He’s not here."
"Understood. Thank you for your time." The line clicked dead.