Part 1
The twilight sky, which had just been painting Stellara's horizon with soft hues of orange and purple, was now being torn asunder. In the distance, towards the glittering city center district, a spatial anomaly pulsed like a gaping wound in the heavens. The familiar indigo light, which Kael had witnessed in the commercial district and in his haunting dreams, now radiated with a far greater intensity, swallowing parts of the skyscraper silhouettes. The emergency sirens, which had just subsided, now roared back to life with a more urgent, more panicked tone, shattering the evening's newfound calm.
"Lyra…" The name escaped Kael's lips like a whisper, mingling with the approaching wail of the sirens. His heart, which had felt a brief moment of relief after "resolving" the case of the child Phantasm, was now racing again, filled with a mixture of fear, anticipation, and, for some reason, a strange glimmer of hope.
Rina Volkov was already in motion. Her usually expressionless face was now tense, her steel-gray eyes reflecting the seriousness of a soldier on the battlefield. She pressed her earpiece tighter.
"Rift status? Estimated Phantasm emergence?" her voice was sharp and professional.
A moment of silence passed as she listened to the report. Kael could only stand frozen, staring towards the city center with a sense of foreboding. People on the streets, who had just begun to resume their normal activities, were now running in panic again, searching for the nearest shelter. The peaceful atmosphere he had just felt in the old toy shop felt like a distant dream.
"Confirmed. Energy pattern is identical to subject 'Lyra'. Threat level: Nova-Prime. Full manifestation predicted in… seven minutes." Rina lowered her hand, her gaze meeting Kael's. "This is much faster and stronger than her first appearance. Something has triggered it."
"Triggered it?" Kael repeated. "What do you mean?"
"I don't know. Maybe the presence of the Echo Phantasm, or… something else." Rina shook her head. "No time for in-depth analysis now. The Rapid Response Team has been deployed. Commander Thorne has ordered us to proceed to the nearest observation point immediately."
She pointed to an unmarked black van that had suddenly pulled up at the end of the street, as if appearing from nowhere. Two Order personnel in tactical gear got out and gave Rina a brief salute.
"Get in, Vance," Rina ordered, already striding towards the van.
Kael hesitated for a moment. This was no longer a small Phantasm in a quiet toy shop. This was Lyra. The Phantasm capable of leveling half a commercial district with a single swing of her scythe. The Phantasm who fought on even terms with a fully armed Rina. What could he possibly do?
But then, the image of Lyra's sad face, the longing in her sapphire eyes, flashed through his mind. If there was a chance, however small, to understand and perhaps help her without a devastating battle…
"I'm coming," Kael said, more firmly than he expected. He ran to catch up with Rina and got into the van.
The van's interior was filled with advanced equipment and small monitors displaying various data. One of the personnel immediately handed a tablet to Rina, who began to rapidly study the information on its screen.
"We're heading to the Skyreach Observatory. Its top floor has been converted into a temporary Order command post for situations like this," Rina explained without looking up from the tablet. "From there, we can get a clearer picture and Commander Thorne can provide directives."
The van sped off, navigating the increasingly empty streets as they neared the city center. Kael could feel a faint vibration from the ground, as if the city itself was holding its breath. Through the van's window, he saw flashes of blue and silver light in the sky—Chronosentinel Order combat units, likely similar to the one Rina used, were already moving towards the Rift's source.
"Are… are they going to attack her right away?" Kael asked, his voice laced with concern.
Rina finally lifted her head from the tablet, looking at Kael. "The standard protocol for a Nova-Prime class Phantasm is immediate containment. If containment fails, or if the Phantasm shows a level of aggression that massively endangers civilians, elimination will be considered."
The word "elimination" sounded so cold and final. Kael felt a faint protest rise in his heart.
"But… what if she doesn't want to fight?" Kael asked, remembering how Lyra had seemed confused and defensive when she first appeared. "What if she's just… lost?"
Rina was silent for a moment, her gaze softening slightly, so slightly it was almost imperceptible. "A Nova-class Phantasm has the power to cause large-scale destruction simply by its presence, Vance. Their intent sometimes becomes irrelevant when the impact is so devastating." She looked back at the tablet. "But Commander Thorne has agreed to give you a chance, based on the report from the incident at the toy shop. If there's an opening to communicate, to 'resonate' as you did, we will try that first."
There was a sliver of hope in those words. A chance. That's what Kael needed.
Part 2
The Skyreach Observatory towered at the edge of the downtown district, its dome-shaped peak gleaming under the fading twilight and the abnormal glow of the Lunanima Rift. The van stopped in a sterile zone, heavily guarded by Order personnel. Kael and Rina were quickly escorted to a special elevator that took them directly to the top floor.
The temporary command post was much smaller than the underground headquarters, but just as sophisticated. Several large screens displayed live feeds from various angles around the Rift, as well as constantly changing telemetry data. Commander Arisa Kirana, Kael's homeroom teacher who was apparently also a high-ranking Order officer, stood in the center of the room, giving calm but firm instructions to several operators. Her usually friendly and slightly clumsy demeanor from school was gone, replaced by the competent aura of a leader.
"Agent Volkov, Vance," Ms. Arisa—or Commander Kirana here—greeted them as they entered. A faint smile touched her lips, which was a small relief for Kael amidst the tension. "You're just in time. Subject 'Lyra' has just fully manifested."
One of the main screens immediately switched to a close-up image. There, in the center of a new crater formed at a busy main intersection, stood Lyra. Her silver hair billowed in the spectral wind, her dress of light shimmering defiantly against the encroaching darkness. And in her hands, the colossal cosmic scythe radiated a cold aura that made the hair on Kael's neck stand on end.
However, something was different this time. Lyra didn't look confused or defensive as before. Her expression was… blank. Her sapphire-blue eyes stared straight ahead without focus, as if seeing something that wasn't there. The aura of profound sadness still emanated from her, but it was now mixed with a terrifying kind of emptiness.
"She's… she's not attacking?" Kael asked, seeing Lyra just standing still. Order combat units could be seen hovering around her, maintaining a safe distance, not taking any offensive action.
"Not yet," Commander Kirana replied. "But the energy around her is extremely unstable. Like a storm ready to burst at any moment. Our teams are reporting a very strong emotional distortion in the area—a feeling of absolute despair and hollowness that's affecting everyone within a several-block radius."
Kael could feel it even from here, albeit faintly. A cold, piercing wave of depression that made his heart feel heavy. This was far stronger than the child Phantasm.
"What's happening to her?" Kael whispered.
"That's what we need to find out," Commander Kirana turned to Kael. "Vance, I know this is a huge request, but can you try to reach her? Through your 'Emotional Resonance'?"
All eyes in the room were now on Kael. The pressure was palpable.
Rina stepped forward, handing Kael a more advanced communication headset. "This will link you directly to our system and provide you with basic sensory protection. I'll be with you on the ground, but from a safe distance. We can't risk a direct confrontation without trying a peaceful approach first."
Kael looked at Rina, then at the screen displaying Lyra, and then back at Commander Kirana. The choice was his. Backing down now meant letting the Order take over their way, which would most likely end in battle and destruction. Moving forward meant stepping into an unknown storm of emotion, facing a Phantasm whose power could obliterate him in an instant.
He remembered the melody of the music box, the peaceful smile of the child Phantasm as it disappeared. He remembered the longing in Lyra's eyes.
"I… I'll do it," Kael said, his voice steadier than he expected.
Commander Kirana nodded, her expression serious but with a flicker of hope in her eyes. "Very well. Alpha Team, prepare a safe route for Vance and Agent Volkov. All other units, hold defensive positions. Do not provoke subject 'Lyra' unless you have a direct order from me."
Commands began to be shouted, operators busying themselves at their consoles. Rina clapped Kael on the shoulder.
"Ready?"
Kael took a deep breath, trying to calm his heart, which was beating like a war drum. "Ready."
They returned to the elevator, this time heading to an emergency exit that led to a lower building rooftop, providing direct access to the streets below, closer to Lyra's location. The night wind began to blow, carrying a chill and the strange scent of ozone from the Rift.
As they stepped out onto the rooftop platform, Kael could see Lyra with his own eyes, though still from a distance. Her glowing figure amidst the city's ruins looked so fragile yet so threatening.
"Remember, Vance," Rina's voice came through the headset, crystal clear. "Focus on her emotions. Don't let her power or her appearance intimidate you. If you feel anything, anything at all, tell me."
Kael nodded. He closed his eyes for a moment, trying to empty his mind of fear, trying to reach for the faint resonance he had once felt from Lyra.
Slowly, very slowly, he began to feel it again. Not just the sadness or the emptiness he had felt from afar. There was something else, buried deeper. A broken melody, a wordless song, filled with an unbearable loss. Like a star that had lost its light, like a universe yearning for its lost song.
The hymn of the storm. Lyra's hymn.
And Kael knew, he had to find a way to hear it to the very end.