Chapter 59: Target located
Jiece’s voice came through the comms, sharp and measured. Though unseen, the tension in his tone made it clear he was closely monitoring the situation.
"What is it, Kikaru?" he asked, his voice calm but laced with impatience.
"You’re likely encountering a shard user..." Kikaru’s voice came through steady, but there was a sharp edge to it. "I’m sure you know this, but you should play it safe until you’ve drawn them out. I don’t think the person that was shot was the shard user—I didn’t see a shard anywhere on the body from the cam."
Jiece remained silent for a moment, absorbing the information before responding. "You are probably right... but we still need to rescue Warden Dr. Anders before he gets killed. The loss of life is meaningless." His tone was measured, but there was no mistaking the tension underneath.
A brief pause followed before he continued. "Don’t think we haven’t been training to fight shard users either. If anything, their emergence has pushed our training to another level."
"You won’t be needed."
Kikaru sighed, leaning back slightly, shifting her weight against the crate beside her. "I sure hope not..." she muttered, though she doubted things would be that simple.
Inside the facility, Platoons Juliet and Romeo pressed forward, weapons at the ready. Their boots moved swiftly over the sterile floor, the previous carnage now behind them.
They emerged into a pure white chamber, the lighting almost too perfect—no shadows, no indication of where the walls began or ended. In the center of the room, a spiraling staircase stretched upward, its frame sleek and metallic, winding up into the ceiling with no immediate indication of where it led.
"Which direction is the doctor in again?" one of the Juliet squad members asked, scanning the room cautiously.
Jiece’s voice came over the earpiece, steady but firm. "He should be straight across in the next room. The staircase is likely a decoy to distract you. Go ahead and move forward."