–Chapter 1-

A cool early spring breeze flowed pleasantly through the countryside, flowing through her shoulder-length hair as she basked in the sun's warm embrace, the light-brown color of her hair vividly highlighted by the sun's rays. There were streaks of yellow in her locks that could be seen, but only in the right lighting conditions. After a slight yawn, the young woman stretched her arms above her head, smiling contently as she reclined further back in her lawn chair. She was settled on top of a grassy, green hill overlooking a nearby town, her quant abode situated directly behind her.

It was a modest home, two stories tall with all the basic amenities like a kitchen, living room, and master bedroom. She wasn't married and didn't have any kids. She didn't need all the extra room that came with owning a large house. At only twenty-five years old, she was content with what she had; it was simple, easy to manage, and located in the perfect spot, at least, for her anyway. There was hardly any artificial noise in the surrounding area to distract her from her daydream, only the music of birds chirping, the wind blowing, and the occasional animal cry.

It was so peaceful, she thought, until the sound of a vehicle heading in her direction filled her ears. Slightly annoyed at the disturbance, she lowered her sunglasses a bit and peeked over them, her vibrant light-green eyes watching as the black object moved closer and closer. There was no doubt in her mind; the vehicle was heading towards her secluded paradise. The woman sat up in her seat, pushing her sunglasses back into place on her nose. She moved to the side of the chair and slipped on a pair of sandals before standing up, stretching her arms up once more. She then straightened out her yellow spring dress and waited patiently as the vehicle came into plain sight.

As the vehicle moved closer, she noticed military insignias on the flags flapping on the front as well as the emblem of her country, the Republic of Alyeska, proudly displayed for all to see. She crossed her arms and huffed, her demeanor slightly turning sour as her posture shifted to resembling someone more annoyed. After slowing down, the car came to a stop a few yards from her and shut off. The woman remained firm in her place, tapping her foot unconsciously as her patience began to wear thin.

Just as she was about to open her mouth to speak, the driver of the vehicle stepped out, finally revealing himself to her. As soon as she saw him, she loosened up, but not completely. She was still annoyed, but at least she recognized the individual disturbing her relaxation time. He was a tall man, wearing the standard military uniform of her country. His slick, black hair was spiked back, as was the norm for him, and its light-bluish tint was easily noticeable under the sun's direct light. He had a slight amount of facial hair- which resembled more of a scruff than anything else- that took away from his overall professional image, but anyone who knew him would beg to differ that he was anything but professional. He took a moment to breath in the fresh air then reached into his coat pocket, taking out a match and cigarette. Using only one hand, he placed the cigarette in his mouth and lit it with his match, taking in a draw before blowing out the smoke.

He sighed then turned to the woman, his cigarette placed at the corner of his mouth. "Couldn't you have picked a home closer to town, Karith?" he asked with a smile.

Karith shook her head and lightened up a bit, though, her arms were still crossed in a defiant manner. "So we're on a first name basis now, Captain?"

"Well, you know how it is. I tend to lose my bearing in front of pretty women, especially if they're in civilian attire, Captain," said the man before her.

Karith chuckled, stepping towards him. "Pretty women, huh? Didn't you just get married, like, a week ago?" she asked, raising a brow.

"I did. But you know, old habits die hard," he said, chuckling as well.

She smiled, taking a couple more steps towards him. "Since we're on a first name basis now, Mikael, just what in the world are you doing here? I'm on leave, so this better be something important if it's military-related," said Karith.

Mikael's attitude reverted back to his old-self as his chuckling stopped. He cleared his throat as he looked at her with a serious expression. "You've been summoned to a meeting with Gen. Tulare along with myself, Capt. Trilby from interior security, and Capt. Lansin from the Shadow Corps."

"Capt. Trilby? Oh! You mean Kale Trilby?" asked Karith, dropping her arms to her side.

He sighed and took in another draw from his cigarette. "The same. Why do you ask?"

"She was part of my graduating class. She's a good friend of mine," said Karith, pleased about hearing the familiar name after quite some time. "Who was the other one you mentioned?"

"Leena Lansin, the Captain of the Shadow Corps.," said Mikael after exhaling some smoke.

Karith's cheerfulness slowly diminished after hearing that name. "Oh. Her. That girl hasn't even been in the service that long and she's already a unit captain. What does Gen. Tulare want with her, or rather, the four of us for that matter?"

"He'll discuss it once we're there, so hurry up and get ready. The other two are already on their way there."

Karith huffed, disappointed that her vacation was cut short by the sudden turn of events. "Why the hurry? It's not like we're at war or anything," she said with a scoff, glancing off into the distance.

Once he heard that, Mikael remained silent as he tensed up, his eyes narrowing at her.

Noticing a silence emanating from him, Karith's smile immediately faded as she sensed his uneasiness. "What's the matter? What is really going on here?" she asked, slowly turning back towards him.

Mikael took in a long breath and exhaled slowly, a smoke cloud forming in front of his face. "We're going to war."