LOCATION: AGARA — MOUNTAINS

Clouds pass lazily overhead, casting unrestrained shadows that drift across the open pasture. The sun hangs high in the sky.

On the grass, the white goat lies completely still, the light in its pupils entirely faded. Sid holsters the B3-Fiveter and steps forward, his expression calm but serious as he leaps back over the wooden fence.

Echa and Index remain waiting by the roadside, silently studying his face as he approaches.

“Let’s go,” Sid says simply, revving the hoverbike's engine back to life. Echa climbs onto the seat behind him, her mind still heavy with worry as she places a hand back on his shoulder.

As they accelerate back onto their mission.

 A few minutes later…

LOCATION: AGARA — GAL1049

The hoverbike rests on the docking bay, with a collection of other parked hoverbikes. Which has been squarely scanned by security drones.

Nearby, an old man is batting his hand in the air, yelling, “Shoo! Get away from here!” to the drone. while suppliers are advertising their merchandise to the people standing by.

Water falls from the mountaintops above. Echa stares at the fast-moving water, tracking the flow, where a group of fish suddenly startle and scatter into the deep.

Echa blinks down at them with an amused smile. As she leans closer to examine the water more, her gaze catches her own reflection staring back. She looks so much more grown-up now. Slowing her breathing, she places a gloved hand against her cheek, tracing her own features in the glistening water.

“I really grew up... is it really me?” she murmurs to herself.

Then, she spots Index’s reflection right next to her. She slowly turns her head away from the water, her expression softening.

“Is Sid going to be alright?” Echa asks quietly.

Index rotates its chassis to face her, its red optical lenses meeting her green eyes.

“Sid is fine,” Index tone flat. “He simply despises anomalies to his very core.”

Index turns its sensors back toward the water, watching a single fish standing still.

Echa turns back toward the crowd, skims through the perimeter until she spots Sid standing near a small outdoor bar. He’s chatting casually with an old shopkeeper, laughing and smiling with a glass of bar on the hand.

“I see,” Echa murmurs, nodding to herself as she clasps her hands behind her back. She glances down at Index, then back at a lone fish wandering idly through the water.

After a quiet moment of rest, the group heads inside the main terminal hub. Index hooks up to a nearby wall terminal, its red optical sensors fading to pitch black as a vibrant orange current rhythm through the charging wire.

With Index secure, Sid walks from stall to stall, checking items off a handwritten list in his hand.

Echa watches the performance of the lady-figured android. The dancing robot occupies a pristine white spotlight at the center of the stage, her sleek black and violet garments fluttering elegantly with every spin.

The afternoon sunbeams stream down, illuminating her smooth, synthetic skin.

A few onlookers clap and whistle appreciatively, completely mesmerized. The melody drifting from the stage is so peaceful, and the cats and dogs stop moving, staring quietly from their owners' arms.

Taking in the peaceful scene, Echa finally pushes herself up from the bench where she was resting and begins to wander.

As she cuts through the walkway, a figure in the crowd instantly catches her attention: a tall lady dressed in a flowing, pristine white dress, her hair pulled back into a massive, striking ponytail. Echa initially casts a dry, unamused look in her direction.

But the exact microsecond the enigmatic woman turns around, Echa catches a glimpse of a distinct green crystal resting against her frame.

Orynite.

The realization hit quickly, making Echa stop dead in her tracks, her green eyes widening in absolute shock.

“No way,” she whispers.

Fades to black