“As you can see on this map, the wardened cities are all at equal distances from each other. If we attack one, reinforcement will arrive in no time. If we want to strike, we first need to cut all communications. Isolating the enemy.” Explained the boss. A buff woman with a scar on her face stood up.

  “Which is why our team has been working really hard to draw an edge between the different colonies. We’ve tarnished their relationships. It will be easier for us to instate a blockade in those conditions.”

  “We still shouldn’t underestimate their animosity towards us. Aurelion’s team will handle the south; Leoni’s will take care of the north; Vikteur’s get the west; and my team will keep the east in check.”

  At the announcement of their names, each commander stood up and stood next to the main screen. They explained, one after another, the details of their missions. Once it was done, the boss spoke again.

  “This building here is our main target. This is a military and scientific research facility. The floors are all occupied by trained soldiers. The underground is where they hide our target: Alayna Idliome. There are three underground floors. We couldn’t locate our target, nor the soldiers and scientists. After the blockades have been secretly instaurated, a group will attack this cistern here” The boss enlightened the said cistern. “It will cause a massive explosion. The entire city will tremble. You will have to attract attention for around ten minutes. It should be enough for Enma to enter the building, find the target and get out. No matter what happens, after ten minutes, you abandon everything and run back here.” The boss enlightened a building in the low cities. “This is a secret hideout, unknown by the authorities of the wardened cities. You hide there. No contact with the outside. Understood ?” The mercenaries nodded. “You’re dismissed.”

  Everyone left the room, except for Enma.

  “Come here girl. Like I said earlier, you have ten minutes, after that, you’re on your own. Take this. When you have your mother, push the button. It will send us a signal. An aircraft will be waiting for you outside. Go in and you will be saved.”

  “What will happen to me if the aircraft isn’t there when I’m out ?”

  “That is something that you will have to think about. I’ve got my own priorities.”

  “Who are you ? To be able to pull this off.”

  “I am the most frightening man that the wardened cities have created. Leave now. I won’t say more than that.”

  Enma walked back to her room. She lays down on her bed.

  Twenty-four hours before the assault.

  Enma woke up. It wasn’t even midnight yet. The woman tried to fall back asleep. Her eyes stayed open.

  “I should probably exercise a bit.” she whispered.

  She opened the door, the whole building was silent. Everyone was apparently sleeping. The lights were off.

  “Lights on” commanded Enma, but nothing happened. She walked towards the main entrance. Someone was standing there, alone, in the middle of the night. The woman didn’t really feel like talking. She passed by without interacting with that other person. Enma tried to push the door, then again, nothing happened. She tried again and again but the door wouldn’t budge. She started panicking.

  “You can’t escape your fate” said the person behind her.

  “Excuse me ?” Enma turned around.

  Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

  “You can’t win this fight, leave it to me. I will do a much better job.”

  The woman didn’t wait for the person to finish their sentence. She ran at them, grabbed their coat and punched them right in the face. Or so she thought. The person had already turned into smoke and disappeared. Enma kept her guard up. She was a bit taken aback but not enough to be surprised by some magic tricks anymore.

  “Where are you ? Show yourself!” Screamed the woman.

  The smoke disappeared, the lights were on again. She sat on the floor, her head between her legs.

  “Am I going crazy ?”

  Twenty hours before the assault.

  The frontier was overwhelmed with people trying to cross it. This movement was orchestrated by the boss, to help Enma go through unnoticed. The two soldiers were having a hard time repressing them. And it finally happened. They threw the soldiers on the ground, stomping on them. Enma was able to pass and ran towards a small alley. The mass was scattering around. The woman waited for the police. She needed them to focus on the immigrants. She looked at them going in the opposite direction as her’s. The plan worked. She turned around ready to leave. Aeri was right in front of her. Enma barely had time to open her mouth when her younger sister disappeared. She was shocked. A voice woke her up from her paralysis.

  “Enma, are you ready ?” said a man on the vocal line.

  “Almost there.”

  She started running again.

  One hour before the assault.

  “North blockade in position”

  “South blockade in position”

  “East blockade’s ready”

  “West blockade, done”

  “Enma, in position” indicated the woman.

  “Cis Team ready to explode.”

  “Everyone be ready….. Cis team, go!” ordered the Boss.

  Enma heard a big explosion. The earth was trembling. There was smoke everywhere. In a matter of seconds, all the guards who were standing at the main entrance ran towards the exploded cistern. The woman ran inside. She hid her face and went towards the stairs. The soldiers were too focused on what had happened to pay her any attention. Sha ran to the first underground level. It was flooded with terrorized scientists. Enma screamed her mother’s name. No response. She hardly ran down to the second underground level as more scientists were hurriedly going up. Her mother wasn’t there either. Once Enma arrived at the third underground level, she was met with silence. The corridors were empty. She went through the first door she saw. It was full of medical supplies. The second room was a bedroom. Empty again. She pushed the third door.

  “Mom ? Mom !” screamed Enma while running towards her mother. She grabbed and hugged her as hard as she could.

  “Mom, I came to save you.” The young woman looked at her mother’s crying face. “Mom why are you crying, it’s not like you.” said Enma smiling. That smile withered when she saw the body of her sister, laying on the counter behind her.

  “What happened ?” Enma grabbed Aeri’s hand. It was cold. “wake up lil sister. Wake up !” She looked back at Alayna. “What happened ? Why is she dead ?”

  “You tell me.” said Alayna, in a harsh tone.

  “What ? What’s that supposed to mean ?”

  “You were supposed to take care of her, and now she is dead.”

  “I didn’t know. She disappeared. We were captured and…” Enma didn’t have time to finish her sentence. Her mother cut her off.

  “Stop with your excuses. You almost killed her once. And I saved you both, and protected you, cleaned your mess, and now you killed her, again !”

  “No, mom, that's not what happened, I swear. She left on her own.”

  “She was a child ! And you are an adult ! I entrusted her to you ! And look at her now ! Is there anything good that you can actually do ?”

  Enma was distraught by Alayna’s words.

  “I came to save you !”

  “I didn’t want you to save me ! Leave… I can’t look at your face anymore!”

  The young woman didn’t know what to say. She didn’t want to leave her mother’s and sister’s side. Enma stood up behind her mother, who was crawling and crying, holding her youngest daughter’s hand.