บท 472: The Fate Of All Heroes

***

The echo of their voices still rang in my ears.

Phoenix's fight, the banter of the others—so casual, so sure... so damn sure.

Now, all of that was drowned by silence as I made my way through the ruins, stepping over jagged rocks and scorched debris.

The air was thick with the stench of charred metal, burned flesh, and dust swirling in the aftermath of war. A small one, but a war nevertheless.

I reached for my terminal, even though I didn't need to, and spoke, my voice rough from the strain of battle.

"What's the status?"

[...]

Silence.

My heart skipped a beat. Again.

No snarky reply from Southern Cross, no teasing banter from Kalahari. Not even a grunt from Kremlin, or a short acknowledgment from Aquila. Just... nothing.

They always answered. Always.

But only the distant whine of twisting metal and the whisper of wind answered me.