“What’s happening?”

“Is it malfunctioning?”

“What exploded?” 

The words were interrupted by the steady voice on the speakers. “Every personnel, please remain calm. Proceed to the escape pod room assigned to your sector. Please follow the map and listen to the instructions.” The message was repeated on a loop.

“Did we arrive?”

“That can’t be. There was an explosion. Why would they sound the alarm if it wasn’t an emergency?”

Everyone was full of uncertainty.

“For now let’s follow the instructions,” Nikeila suggested out loud.

Even though they were anxious, they didn’t panic. They looked at their displays, a holographic window visible to only its holder. They activated augmented reality to facilitate their task. The lights on the walls and floor changed to guide them to their goal.

“Sector Yivo #2,” Nikeila murmured while looking around for directions. 

The lights on the floor that only she and others with the same destination could see. Others also organized themselves. Groups got together and went their separate ways. Nikeila followed people in the same sector as her. The starship was enormous. They had a long walk ahead of them before reaching their goal.

“I want to know what’s happening.” A man turned to the women who joined them from another part of the starship. “Do you know something?”

“I’m not sure, but…” The woman with yellow hair exchanged a look with her friend.

“It seems to be an enemy attack.” The woman with red hair whispered to him, “thenebres.”

“Did they follow us here?” He frowned, trying to calm his anxiety down. “What should we do?” 

There was a tumult ahead. Their steps hesitated.

“Let’s hurry.” Someone called and everyone moved.

The hall was chaotic. 

The number of thenebre was higher than expected. Nikeila was confused. Were there so many in the lab? Was the starship attacked from outside or was this a prison break? If the thenebre escaped, was Kaivel free too?

Everyone was organized into teams. The attacks and defenses using the elements were beautiful and fantastical. It was an easy battle thanks to their experience. Those who couldn’t fight didn’t get in the way and kept moving to their sectors when the path was open.

Nikeila didn’t get involved and paid no attention to the commotion.

What should she do? Even if she looked for Kaivel, what could she do if she found him? While she was active, her attributes were high and her skills were maxed out. She was confident in her abilities. But now… They were pitiful after she was punished by the overlords. She had her attributes lowered and her skills downgraded. The sentence wasn’t heavy considering her crime. They took into account her years of service and meritorious deeds.

Though the circumstances weren’t ideal, she wasn't too worried or sad about her plight. And she even happily took the opportunity to retire her weapon. She had no reason to fight for all anymore. Now she'd move only when it mattered to her.

She was alright being in the background, doing the 'protected' instead of protecting.

But… Could she stop Kaivel with her current condition? 

She groaned exasperated.

What were they doing to let the thenebres escape?

She turned around. She’d find someone who knew the current situation. She was acquainted with most of the workers in the lab.

“My lady, please calm down.” A man held a woman back. “We have to evacuate the starship.”

“You can’t kill them!” the woman scolded. “Why aren’t you doing anything?” She looked at the other escorts, who were there to protect her and stop her from doing anything foolish. “Go and find my s—” 

The man didn’t let her continue, whispering something in her ear. She then stopped making a ruckus.

Most of the people present only thought she was upset because these thenebres were once efulgens. Everyone felt uncomfortable and sad. But Nikeila knew the woman was Zelon’s mother. Zelon, the man she watched being attacked and didn't save.

“The starship is damaged. Hurry to your respective sectors and evacuate.” The leader of the woman’s escorts said out loud to everyone.

So it was an attack from outside plus a prison break. If Zelon escaped, Kaivel must have too. They were held together in the most secure cells. What happened in the lab? 

What bad luck.

Should she look for Kaivel?

Nikeila might seem reckless to outsiders, but she was far from it. She wouldn’t take a foolish course of action without considering it from many angles and coming up with backup plans. She could make a stupid choice, but it wouldn’t be a hasty stupid choice.

And chasing after Kaivel in this situation was all levels of stupid.

The hall was emptying.

Uncertainty was worse to the heart than confirmation. 

She breathed in deeply and made peace with her decision.

The what-ifs could corrode a sane mind.

She was going after Kaivel.

She’d observe the situation and then decide what to do next.

Nikeila walked fast but didn’t rush. She didn’t want anything turning the corner to take her by surprise. She gave herself half an hour to find Kaivel. She still had ten minutes.

She stopped. Right or left?

Her first thought was to turn right, but she hesitated. 

Nikeila was notoriously unlucky. She could count on one of her human hands the times she won anything that depended on chance. And even then, something unpleasant happened soon after.

But what would be considered bad luck for her now? Was it meeting Kaivel or not finding him?

Her two neurons were still mourning the third one that had died earlier. They were in no condition to answer such a complicated question.

She went left.

There were fewer people on the way than she imagined. Most people in this sector must have already reached their designed escape pod room and left. Unfortunately, she didn’t find anyone related to the laboratory. 

She could have talked to the group accompanying Zelon’s mother. It might be the first time her skin wasn’t thick enough, and she hesitated out of guilt. What good did shame serve her in this situation? 

She didn’t stray too far from her sector. She made a mental map of the shortest route there as she walked. She held two spears, one shorter than the other. She got them from a helpful pair of girls in the hall where the fight happened.

A screech from behind her was followed by a loud crash. She looked back and a group of undead overwhelmed a team of three. Stage 2 thenebre, Terror Bringer stage, had the ability to reanimate corpses. The undead were far from deft, their movements rigid and slow. But their ferocity and gluttony made up for it. When they had numbers on their side, it was terrifying.

Bone crunching hectic bites. Blood covered the floor and splashed on the walls. Viscera was exposed and eaten carelessly. Fading screams and slobbery grunts. 

She frowned in disgust without looking away. She was on alert, watching their every move. It wasn’t the first time she saw such a scene. And she wasn’t arrogant enough to help them. She was at a complete disadvantage.

It was time to leave.

She wouldn’t put herself further into danger. Kaivel wouldn’t want her to. She’d have to go on, uncertain of his fate.

She didn’t pause her careful quiet steps. She barely breathed to avoid their attention. She might be able to get away from the undead, but there was likely a thenebre stage 2, or maybe even stage 3, behind her. 

Her shoulders unconsciously relaxed when she was about to turn the corner. It was an irrational sense of security because the nasty threat would be out of sight.

She retreated steadily, half her body already hidden. A sigh of relief was about to escape.

Then her gaze met a pair of golden eyes with purple pupils. 

Kaivel.

Before Nikeila could process all her thoughts and decide on a course of action, Kaivel moved. 

He was fast. Too fast for her with her low attributes. He had way higher stats than her. If he targeted her, she wouldn’t be able to escape easily.

She ran. Curses echoed through her head.

Why did it have to be him? 

Was she disappointed? Or was she relieved?

She looked around, taking in her surroundings. Before he reached her, Kaivel was held back by a squad of defensive robots. She was grateful for the respite. It was good that there were obstacles between him and her.

Despite having memories of wielding weapons before, she couldn't do it as she once did. She couldn’t even depend on muscle memory in this human body. But her experiences weren’t in vain. Her body might not be able to move as she wanted, but at least she knew how to act in the situation.

She glanced back. Kaivel destroyed the robots and caught up with her. 

Weren’t they too weak? How could they keep them safe when they couldn’t even deal with one low-level thenebre? She'd complain later.

Kaivel ignored other stragglers. She was his sole target.

Nikeila resented him quite a bit.