Julie followed closely behind Tora and Cerilla as they exited the building, with a crowd of men and women rushing toward the door, each carrying large steel-like devices, bigger than they were.
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"What are they carrying?" Julie asked, eyeing the hefty equipment.
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"Those are Kyriums," Tora replied, glancing at the devices. "They're used to create a perimeter that will help contain the Fae and keep regular people away."
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"Oh..." Julie murmured, taking one last look at the devices and the people lugging them.
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"Stay close," Tora said as he opened the door, holding it for Cerilla and Julie.
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***
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As they walked side by side, Julie glanced at Tora and Cerilla. Their faces were set with serious expressions, their focus unwavering. They didn't say a word as they moved through the crowded streets, filled with both regular people and VoinGarde. Julie could hardly tell the difference between them.
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"Julie," Tora said suddenly.
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Julie looked up at him, noticing that his eyes remained fixed ahead as he walked.
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"We're nearing the perimeter," he said. "Get ready," he added, finally turning his piercing blue eyes toward her.131Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFtd58ZsHsy
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"Yeah," Julie nodded, feeling a surge of determination as her own eyes began to reflect the same resolve as the rest.
***
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Julie stood in front of the wall of blue light, her eyes struggling to make out the faint glow. Tora and Cerilla stood beside her, their faces serious and focused.
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"What is this?" Julie asked.
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Tora looked at her and smiled. "This is the perimeter we created using the Kyriums. As long as they are active, this area will be shielded from human eyes and the creature inside will be trapped." He nodded to himself, seemingly satisfied with the setup. "Step 1 of the procedures has been met."
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Julie's curiosity was piqued. "What do you mean by 'steps'?" she asked.
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Tora turned to her, and began explaining that in a level 3 emergency, certain protocols were put into place. "Step 1 is containment," he began. "We set up a perimeter to keep the creature from escaping and to prevent any innocent bystanders from getting hurt." He paused for a moment before continuing. "Step 2 is rescue. We try to find out if anyone is still alive inside the affected area and get them to safety." His expression turned grim. "Step 3 is elimination. If the creature poses too great a threat, we have to eliminate it."
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Julie felt a shiver run down her spine at the thought of killing something that might not even be a monster yet. She was about to ask another question when Tora added, "And finally, step 4 is clean up – eliminating any evidence of what happened here today." Julie's mind was reeling with questions about these steps and how they would work in practice.
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"Okay, enough with the lesson!" Cerilla called out in annoyance. "Are we going or not?"
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Without waiting for an answer, Cerilla strode forward, stepping into the blue barrier. As she did, her body began to disappear into the shimmering light.
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"Always so impatient," Tora chuckled. He then turned to Julie with a small smile. "Shall we be on our way?"
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"Yes," Julie replied, pushing aside her lingering questions. She took a deep breath and followed Tora through the barrier.
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As Julie stepped through the barrier, she was met with a sight that made her blood run cold. The city on the other side was in shambles, with buildings ablaze and streets littered with debris. The ground was slick with blood, and the air was thick with the smell of smoke and death. It was as if she had entered a different world altogether.
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"This is horrible," Julie murmured, struggling to keep her stomach from turning. "Trevor..." she whispered, her voice trembling with worry.131Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdVSuqFy1i8
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"This is what happens when a Fae stays inside a human body for too long," Tora explained, his voice grim. "They become more and more crazed and bloodthirsty." He scanned the destruction, his eyes narrowing. "We have to move."
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"Help me!"
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"What was that?" Julie yelled, stopping in her tracks as she looked around for the source of the panicked voice.
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"Please help me!" The voice called out again, desperate and strained.
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The three of them rushed toward the sound, their footsteps echoing through the desolate streets. "I think the voice is coming from this direction!" Julie called as she navigated through the rubble, her heart pounding in her chest.
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Soon, she came to a stop, looking around in confusion. The cries for help seemed to echo from all directions, making it hard to pinpoint the source.
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"Over there," Tora said, pointing toward a massive piece of a collapsed building.
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Julie followed Tora's gaze and saw him—a man trapped beneath the rubble, his forehead bleeding profusely, his legs pinned under the heavy debris.
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Julie rushed toward him, her heart racing with concern. "Are you okay?!" she exclaimed, trying to lift the debris off him with all her strength.
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"Move out of the way," Cerilla said, her voice tinged with annoyance as she stepped forward.
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With a swift motion, she lifted the massive piece of rubble with one arm, holding it aloft as if it weighed nothing.
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Tora raised an eyebrow, unimpressed by Cerilla's display of strength. "Gorilla woman," he muttered under his breath, just loud enough for Cerilla to hear.
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"What did you say?!" Cerilla screamed, her temper flaring as she hurled the massive chunk of building away, sending it crashing to the ground with a loud thud that kicked up small dust clouds.
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Julie's eyes widened in frustration as she watched Tora and Cerilla bicker. "Stop fighting! We need to help this man!" she yelled, trying to intervene.
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Tora and Cerilla, rolling their eyes at each other, reluctantly ceased their argument and turned their attention back to Julie and the injured man. Together, they carefully dragged him to a relatively safe spot, away from the rubble.
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As they caught their breath, Julie noticed Tora draw a symbol on the ground with his index finger. It was a strange mark, one she didn't recognize.
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Tora closed his eyes and began to chant, "Vera Sumon."
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The symbol on the ground started to glow with a pulsing blue light, making the ground vibrate ever so slightly. Julie watched in confusion, mystified by the glowing symbol.
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Tora opened his eyes and stood up. "Let's go," he said, turning away from the man and beginning to walk off.
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"What just happened?" Julie asked, her voice filled with uncertainty.
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Tora turned back to her. "I cast a low-level location spell to alert the rescue squad of the man's whereabouts. He'll be fine. We need to keep moving," he explained.
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Julie hesitated, still unsure if leaving the man was the right thing to do. But Tora, noticing her worried expression, reassured her. "We have a more important task at hand," he said calmly. Cerilla nodded in agreement, cracking her knuckles in preparation for a fight. "I'm ready," she said with a smirk.
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"And you..." Tora said, looking at Julie with a smile. "You're going to be important in finding the Fae."
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Julie's confusion deepened. "Huh?"
***
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Author notes: Please support my work on Patreon for early access to new chapters. https://patreon.com/DarkMatteromniverse
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