"Sir?"

I stepped closer to the open door, heart racing.

"...Sir? Are you there?"

A voice rumbled from within.

"...Enter."

The voice was quiet, calm even, but it still shook me to my very core. Hesitantly I did as it commanded, and the owner of the voice came into view as I moved to the center of the room. At first the window behind him caught my attention, but my sight drifted back to him to find that he was staring directly at me.

"It is good to see you. I hope your trip was not dangerous."

I shook my head. "I'm fine, sir."

"That is good," he replied. "Tell me, why have you made this journey? I did not summon you."

I nodded. "Yes, sir, I... well, I have something on my mind." I hesitated again. Was this really a good idea?

"By all means, tell me." He gestured for me to continue.

I took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "I have... concerns over your previous decree."

He sighed. "We have already been over this. I am not changing my mind on the matter."

"But sir-"

"Enough!" His voice boomed in the confined space. "I will hear no more of this."

I held my ground. "Sir! It can't be our only option! We have to find another!" I stepped forward. "Do you not remember what happened the last time?"

"Of course I remember what happened. It concerns me greatly. I wish for nothing more than to be able to have prevented it, but that does not matter now."

"It does matter, sir! What happened before, what makes you think it won't happen again? It has failed before, many times, but not on this scale!"

"I am perfectly aware that what we are dealing with requires measures beyond what we have. But that is our issue: it is beyond what we have. You act like I do nothing to stop this threat, yet I am doing everything in my power. I cannot do any more."

"Are you? Are you perfectly aware? Because you're not acting like it. You're acting like we just didn't do it enough times. You think that if we can send enough at the issue that it will go away. I'm telling you that it isn't working."

"We have no other-"

"What happened to them is inexcusable. We threw them in with the expectations that we could just let them work and hide in our corners, forgetting that there's even an issue. And now they're the ones paying the price." I scoffed. "Look at us. Demanding respect from everyone in the world, yet all most of us do is force others to save it when it's in trouble. And that's when some of our members aren't actively preventing our plans because they've been 'offended'. We're pathetic. Not just those specific members. All of us."

We were silent for some time after. I kept my gaze on him, noticing how he refused to do the same to me, instead keeping his head down. He eventually breathed a heavy sigh and gave me eye contact again.

"...Perhaps you are right. Perhaps I am too set in my old ways to realize that they will not work anymore. Perhaps there is more we can do." He looked toward the window. "Our enemies have grown wise to our tactics. We must adapt in order to survive."

"Does that mean that there are other options?" I spoke calmly, desperately trying to cling to a sense of professionalism while excitement bounced around within me.

"Yes... there is another option. I discussed it with the pertinent members and we agreed to keep it confidential, but now I believe that it is time to use it."

"What is this option?"

"They have been doing research on the... nature, shall we say, of our enemy. They recently made a breakthrough that they say may be enough to drive them back forever."

"What is it? What did they find?"

"They did not tell me. They still have little information. It is part of the reason why we elected to keep it secret, in the hopes that they could determine more about it."

I became concerned when he said that he did not know what it was about. "Did they tell you anything at all?"

"They told me that they would need you."

"M-me? What could I do to help?"

"'You are the kindest and most caring of us all.' That is what they told me."

I felt flattered to hear this, but I was also confused. "Why does it matter that I am kind or caring?"

"It is as I said. That is all they told me, and I know nothing else. All I can tell you now is to trust them."

I sighed. "Yes, sir."

"I will contact them shortly to discuss the change in plans. Afterwards they will get in touch with you to meet with them. They can tell you much more than I."

I bowed and took my leave, exiting through the same door that I had entered from only moments ago, no less unsure of the future. What was this new option he was talking about? Who was doing research on our enemies? How could you even stand to get near them long enough to do so?

All I knew for sure was that I had hope that whatever they were doing was far better than what we had planned.

It couldn't be worse.

It just... it just couldn't be.