BGM: Spanish Sahara by Foals
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[The following entries were taken from the personal journal of Tan Ryers, leader of team TSCN (read as Tuscan) from Shade Academy. Other members of TSCN included Saffron Alastair, Copper Horace, and Navi Kelemen. Although not part of the exchange students representing their schools during the Vytal Festival, they were among the first trainees to volunteer in the Vacuon defense force in preparation of the Grimm assault.]
April 23, Q.A. 81
We passed the training with team ATIB. They'll probably ship us to the front line soon. I can't say I'm looking forward to the fights, but this is what we signed up for. Right?
[Team ATIB, pronounced astilbe, was the sister team of team TSCN. The team was composed of Braz Turchi, Isab Wetzel, Taupher Roberts, and led by Aryl Durand.]
May 13, Q.A. 81
Phew. Finally a moment of peace and quiet. Ever since they revealed the big plan last week everything's just going crazy fast.
They assembled all the Nemi [The nickname given to the Hunter and Huntress in trainings. Used mainly in the Vacuon army.] to the atrium with a big box at the front. They told us leaders to grab one piece of paper from it and report to the desk on the side. Mine read "site B", and Aryl's "site A".
Commander Loritz announced solemnly that the piece of paper wrote the location in which we would be sent to during the evacuation. Site A means Elisio, and site B means El Ocaso.
Figured as much. Aryl and I sort of looked at each other and tried not to laugh at how dramatic they were making this. I mean, it would be easier to decide for us and just send us on our way, wouldn't it? All the time we wasted drawing those papers and registering could have been used to pack our stuff and get moving. I know Vacuo value freedom greatly, but this just feels a bit weird.
Anyway, so my team is going to El Ocaso, which is like 2400 km away from where we are now. I was joking with Aryl on the lineup about how it's nice that her team doesn't have to walk too far since Elisio is only half the distance. She laughed and took my paper.
"You lazy bun." She smiled and shoved her paper into my hand. "I'm doing this for Saffron and Navi."
I was going to say I was just kidding, but it's our turn and Aryl went ahead and registered. Well. Elisio, here we come!
Of course Navi gave me a lecture after we returned to our teams and told them what happened. I feel a bit sad that ATIB won't be going the same way as we are, but I'm not worried. Aryl is an awesome leader.
We're definitely going to miss each other. I hope the war ends soon.
On the plus side, team SNNN is here for some reason. They are going to site A, too. Saffron and Navi have been crazy happy when they found out. I still don't get why they like those playboys so much. Yeah Sun's weapon's kinda cool, but those kids always get on my nerves.
Wait, is that why Aryl switched with me?
May 27, Q.A. 81
It's been a week since the march started. I didn't realize how many civilians are in our charge. Actually, I didn't even know we would be traveling with civilians. There was a kid no older than seven begging with her dad to take a stuffed bear toy.
It makes me a little nervous thinking about all the people who won't be able to protect themselves if the Grimm catch up with us. I actually feel nauseated a couple times when I walk past the families. Something just doesn't sit well with me, and it's driving me crazy because I can't figure out what's wrong.
More people join every day. Some of them have already traveled a long way from home, some leave their homes behind only because they feel safer with us, and some don't even want to be here.
We try to convince everyone to join whenever we could, but there have been resistance and mistrust. The commanders don't insist when they refused, almost like they don't mind if anything happen to those who are left behind. Maybe that's just my imagination. I hope it is.
June 2, Q.A. 81
The scouts had disturbing news. The Grimm are gaining ground on us. Strategy says they will be on top of us within a week. The commanders have decided to make a stand near the city. It will be our first fight.
SNNN were still horsing around. I honestly can't stand those guys. What do they think this is? Some kind of joke? Weren't they there when Beacon fell? How could they still act like everything's okay?
June 5, Q.A. 81
I didn't know there were still people in the building. I didn't know! It's supposed to be evacuated half an hour before we blew it up!
Navi is trying to calm Saffron down now. I should go check on them, but…
God. How can I even face them after today? I gave the 'go' to detonate. I was responsible for the death of Monty knows how many today. The blood is on my hands, but my incompetence has forced those blood on the hands of my team as well. I can't even begin to imagine what they are feeling right now. I… shit shit shit shit shit shit shit.
Copper is calling me. I better go.
I don't believe in Gods, but I pray to Monty above that ATIB is fairing better than us.
[Many civilians were lost during the Great Retreat. While official statements claimed the casualties were largely due to miscommunication and the chaotic nature of the withdrawal, historians had speculated that some of the bombing orders were intentional. Coincidentally, all officers holding the commanding positions during the retreat had perished in the war, making it impossible to confirm or deny such allegations.]
June 9, Q.A. 81
I still can't quite wrap my head around what happened. The whole event still feels surreal, like a nightmare.
I'm not the one who took it the hardest. A lot of the civilians saw the whole ordeal, even kids who don't really understand the situation. They didn't blame us. Not outwardly anyway. I was patrolling with my team, and they greeted us like usual. I just couldn't shake the feeling that they couldn't really quite look at us. The camp has become quiet. There is a somberness in the air, like we are all mourning for the dead without uttering a word.
Copper told me I was imagining things. In a sense I hope he's right, but I also hope he's wrong.
Everybody told me to not blame myself for what happened. They tried to convince me there's nothing I could do to save those people. I nodded my head at their comforts, but inwardly I was screaming at them.
How could I not take responsibilities? How could I possibly sleep in comfort knowing the crime I had committed? Yeah, I would never give the go-ahead if I knew there were still people there, but that didn't change the fact that I did. It was my fault. I might have only caused 10% of the death, but how could you measure lives like that? We are supposed to be the protectors of the world, yet we caused the deaths of people within our reach.
I should have checked with somebody. Anybody. There must have been some way that I could have known something was wrong. Right?
They told me there is no point dwelling on the past, that we must focus on those who are still with us. Maybe I was cruel for reminding them of our failure. Maybe I should have been out there instead.
That Neptune guy from SNNN came to me during lunch today. He said something like, "Don't carry the weight of the dead. You already have a heavy burden." I'm pretty sure he copied that off some book or movie. But whatever. It made me feel slightly better. Maybe he's not a shallow playboy like I thought.
June 19, Q.A. 81
It's getting really bad. Everybody's on rationed supplies and ammo, and we aren't even halfway to Elisio.
They told us about all the cities we'd be making short stops to gather civilians and resupply. We've been skipping the last four cities. I ran into commander Loritz few days ago and I asked why we didn't make those stops. He said there wasn't enough time. I also asked what will happen to the people in those cities. He said they'd been evacuated by other units, but he wasn't looking at me in the eyes when he said that.
I had the feeling that he was getting impatient, so I buggered off. I hope he's just impatient for my unnecessary questions, and nothing else.
We have to move in half an hour. I'm just waiting for the others.
Shit. I really hope the people going to site B is having better luck than us.
June 25, Q.A. 81
I can't believe it. I can't fucking believe it.
I should have known something's wrong when they woke us up in the middle of the night to "keep moving". I should have questioned the Serg why we're skipping another town.
How could I be so goddamn stupid? Why didn't I wake the fuck up and think?
Anybody with half a brain would have realized we were actually taking detours from the cities. Other units my ass. We are the only unit.
Those people are waiting for us to help them. We are their only hope.
How could I not have realized sooner we have abandoned them?
June 27, Q.A. 81
There's a rebellion in the camp. Well, saying it's a "rebellion" isn't accurate. We didn't overthrow our chain of command. None of us had the gut.
A few of the teams left. They turned back to help the people we left behind. I didn't volunteer my team, though I knew they'd follow me if I just speak up. I could even feel the expectations from Navi. We should have turned back as well. But I froze like a useless child when commander Loritz asked if we'd risked the lives of our team, our friends.
I have never felt more ashamed of myself.
I'm going to hell if there's one. I'm going to burn in there for being a coward. I'm sure I'll suffer for eternity for bringing dishonor to my team.
It feels so wrong to not be out there doing what we were trained to do.
So why did I feel like I made the right decision to keep my mouth shut and my head low?
July 7, Q.A. 81
We just reached the midway checkpoint, the city of El Medio. It was supposed to be a place where the troop could catch their breath and for the commanders to coordinate, but everyone's on high alert.
The scouts reported hoards heading our way. Commander Loritz organized defense lines. I guess they couldn't abandon this city like the others. Too many supplies and resources. We'll have to hold the attack off for as long as we can.
I heard rumors of the number of enemies we'll be facing. It's madness. I don't know how we're going to pull this off. I don't think the higher-ups know either.
It's not like we have a choice though. Without the supplies we'd all starve within a month. Well, even with supplies I'm not sure how long we can hold out. There are too many civilians. It helps that some of them know how to hunt wildlife and gather edible plants, but not enough to keep ten thousand people fed.
There are rumors that this will become a long siege. Not many believe we will come out of this alive.
Secretly, I agree with them.
July 9, Q.A. 81
At first they were only outline on the horizon, but now we can see them clearly.
I have never felt this nervous in my life. Not during the initiation. Not when I faced the Grimm alone for the first time.
With each passing minute, the darkness move closer to us.
It's not the prospect of battle that disturb the soldiers, nor is it the danger that makes children whimper in the night. It's the waiting, the uncertainty of our fate.
July 11, Q.A. 81
Nineteen squads fell during the battle today.
We were put in the front line, of course, and it's a miracle that we are all still alive. The first wave of attack was exhausting. The Grimm didn't push on. They have the advantage of numbers, so I'm not sure what drove them to retreat after their initial failure.
Saffron broke her left arm. The doctors said her Aura should fix it in no time.
But do we have time?
July 12, Q.A. 81
Forty-two hundreds died today. That's what the HR said.
Saffron's arm wasn't getting any better. She looks tired, like all of us. We did our best to hold off the second wave of attack, which also meant we had almost nothing left in us by the end of the day.
July 14, Q.A. 81
Six-two hundreds.
July 15, Q.A. 81
8500.
July 16, Q.A. 81
The death toll continued to rise. More than twenty thousands had died, and that's not even counting the civilians we couldn't see.
July 18, Q.A. 81
When will this end?
July 19, Q.A. 81
I've never seen Saffron looking this empty. She's always so full of emotions, be it joy, panic, worry, or hope. You can read her like an open book. Now it's like the book is torn and the pages smeared beyond recognition.
She wouldn't talk to any of us, just sitting there and staring out to the same place.
Copper is angry. I'm not sure to whom. There's a voice in the back of my head nagging, whispering he's angry with me for not being there. Serg Nitry said he's angry at Saffron for falling apart. I don't believe him.
Why would he carry Saffron all the way back to the base if he really is angry at her?
Maybe he's angry at himself, like how I want to shred my own existence to pieces after learning what happened.
We are a team, but I couldn't do anything. I didn't do anything.
Now Navi's gone.
July 20, Q.A. 81
After the heavy loss yesterday, the higher-ups seem to finally agree we can't hold on for much longer. We'll be on our way again soon. Maybe they should have done that before things went this bad.
But at the same time, if we hadn't tried to hold the defenses, maybe the civilians wouldn't be able to get away from the city.
Commander Loritz said this sacrifice is "unfortunate, but not meaningless". I want to tell him to go screw himself and die in a pit full of Grimm.
But part of me also feel comforted by his words.
I just don't want to lose anyone else.
July 23, Q.A. 81
Commander Loritz held a speech specifically for us Nemi leaders today. To boost morale or salvage what's left of it. I honestly can't care less.
He said that we should be proud of our achievements, for the lives that we saved, for the resources we secured during the siege, and for the precious time we bought for thousands of innocent lives.
He told us we are heroes. He said there were no shame in feeling afraid. He said it's smart to retreat and fight another day.
He said sacrifices were necessary for humanity to survive. That we should not bear the burden of what happened.
I don't believe a single word he farted through that filthy mouth. How dare he even suggest we had saved people, when so many of our comrades had fallen? How dare he claim to know what we must be feeling?
I want to punch him. I want to bust that son of a bitch's skull open. I want to throw him into the horde of Grimm following us and ask him if the pain of being torn apart could compare to what he claimed to understand about the suffering our friends had gone through.
We turned our back on those who needed our assistance. We clung to a false sense of purpose when greed was the only reason we stayed.
But that's not the worst part. The worst part was that, by the end of that speech, we all agreed to the complete bullshit, and walked out of the conference room, feeling as if we were really some kind of heroes who made the tough choices to keep everyone else alive.
August 4, Q.A. 81
Our next stop will be Furia. There's still a long way to go, but at least we left El Medio.
The desert advanced with the Grimm, as if Remnant itself also rejects us.
Saffron's arm was still in poor condition, but there's nothing the medical team could do for her. Copper and I tried pleading with them to give her just a little more help. Pain medicine. Sleeping pills. Anything. But the stock was already bare. The high number of injured soldiers didn't help the matter.
The medics have slowed the prescription. It won't be long before it comes to a complete halt. Doctor Reij tried her best to let us down gently, even though she's just as exhausted as the rest of us.
There are others who are enduring graver suffering. Or so I have tried to convince myself. Saffron doesn't need it anyway. She's got us. I tell myself that everyday, not daring to allow myself to doubt those words. Besides, it won't be smart to anger our physicians now, will it?
Saffron didn't seem to mind. She didn't look anything, still the empty shell of her former self. The psychiatrist tried to reassure us that it's just a phase of prolonged shock. I'm not sure if he believed it himself.
Part of me wonder whether we all have part of ourselves buried in the ruins of El Medio.
August 12, Q.A. 81
The journey is quiet, almost peaceful. The menace no longer licks at our heels with thirst for blood. For some, the nightmare seem far enough behind.
But everyday when I look at Saffron, at the empty seat where our fourth member should have occupied, I know it's not enough. It will never be enough, so long as our enemies still exist on this planet.
August 15, Q.A. 81
We have arrived at Furia. The city is well supplied and defended. Many of the citizens here haven't even seen a Grimm. They are enthusiastic, and warm to us.
I caught myself wondering when their serene smiles will turn to angry scowls. Too many times have I imagined the day when this sanctuary will also crumple beneath the brutality of the Grimm. I tried to dismiss those thoughts, if for nothing else other than to suppress the negativity.
The commanders had another meeting today, discussing whether we should keep to our original plan to retreat to Elisio. Commander Loritz strongly opposed the idea, claiming that Furia is a perfectly defensible location, and that we must not bring upon others further north the same horrors the citizens from the south had witnessed. They will be voting on the matter, though the result is obvious.
Saffron remained the same hollow shell. She doesn't smile like she used to all the time anymore and it's almost too painful to look at her. She doesn't respond to anything, not even when SNNN came to talk to her. It's a stupid plan anyway, but I so hope it worked.
Copper's quieter than usual. I saw he's getting restless. I know he wanted to be out there and fight. I mean I get it that he's raised in Mistral and taught to never run away from his enemies and everything, but I worry about him. He's always the last one to fall back. There were too many close calls. I want to stop him, but I'm afraid if I do, he's really going to lose it.
I don't want to lose anyone else.
August 18, Q.A. 81
The officials finally settled down on a decision. Yes, we will be staying, probably for good.
During the past three days, waves upon waves of refugees entered the city. Most of us feel encouraged that so many have survived, but the commanders don't seem to share our enthusiasm.
There's a shadow behind those forced smile. When they thought no one else is looking, they share urgent whispers with one another. We knew something's up, but no one want to be the guy to ask too many questions and break the facade of tranquility. The hope we have right now is fragile.
August 20, Q.A. 81
More refugees arrive every day. The city is getting more and more crowded.
I saw one of the captains from the other unit arguing with commander Loritz after the leadership meeting last night. He called him, among other names, an egoistic scoundrel and a cold-blooded sociopath, before storming off.
The reasons for that episode was revealed this morning.
The Logistics did some assessment on our current stock, the territory, the expected natural resource yield, and came up with a sustainable population threshold. Once the limit is reached, we will have to turn people away.
Someone asked if we will be redirecting them to site B. Commander Loritz just shook his head and said no more.
It rattled me, the way the commander seemed to not want to talk about site B. I hope it's just because they couldn't get the communication system working.
I hope ATIB is doing okay.
Please let my friends be okay.
August 24, Q.A. 81
There was another battle today. It wasn't bad, much tamer than most of the fights we had. There were only about twenty class C and fifty class D Grimm following the last group of refugees. We eliminated the threat with relative ease.
The commanders congratulated us for our improvements, saying that we'd all be eligible for a Huntsman license soon. In retrospect, I think we were all too happy for something to take out our aggression on.
I thought I'd pent up a lot over the past couple months. I couldn't be more wrong. The pressure I felt was nothing compared to the others.
I only recently learned that the orphanage Sun grew up in got razed to the ground. Neptune told me that's why he came back, to help his brothers and sisters, his family. They thought they could make their way to the orphanage if they followed the army, maybe even figure out a way to help.
They didn't get a chance to. The news came last week that the village had fallen in a surprise night attack. No survivors were found.
Sun's one of the strong-willed guys. He didn't crack under the grief, still making goofy comments.
Saffron wasn't able to. She has completely changed.
Our timid, crybaby Saffron, who used to hide in Navi's bed during storms, and used to shut her eyes just before her weapon cut into the Grimm, became someone else.
I only noticed something wrong today, after the Grimm were exterminated and the area secured. Saffron was standing in the middle of the field, her saber lowered to the side. She was facing away from me, staring into the distant horizon. I wanted to tell her she did a good job today.
Copper saw me. He was waving frantically. I didn't understand what he's trying to say, so I continued toward Saffron.
I patted her shoulder and called out as gently as I could. I didn't want to startle her. Well, she wasn't. She didn't flinch like I thought she would, instead she just turned around slowly, almost mechanically. I felt the smile froze on my face.
She looked right past me, like I wasn't there at all. She didn't seem to recognize me, didn't seem to acknowledge I was there at all.
I wanted to say something, but no words came. She trudged away in the same slow and mechanical way, leaving me behind.
Copper shook me out of my trance. He grabbed my arms hard, his face twisted in frustration.
I nodded, and asked him what had happened to our Saffron. For a moment, his eyes burned with rage. I thought he's going to punch me. He should have.
He didn't. Instead, he just sighed and averted his gaze.
"I didn't want to worry you." He said. "You've got enough on your plate with the higher-ups."
I didn't know if he meant it to be sarcastic, but those words cut me deeper than anything the Grimm could inflict upon me. I told him I'm their leader before anything else. He looked up again. I tried again and told him I want to help them, to make things right for my team.
He looked away agian.
"It's too late now." I can still hear the resentment and bitterness. Copper is on the brink of giving up. "The Saffron we knew died with Navi."
August 28, Q.A. 81
Things have been quiet since the last attack. There is no further sighting of Grimm.
Rather than feeling assured, the whole city has succumbed to stillness. The air is heavy like the hot, humid, and windless summer days. It's become difficult to breath.
Saffron's getting even worse. Sometimes she would start humming eerie tunes or talking to people who were not there. Other people avoid her. They just pretend she's not there most of the time.
We tried to take Saffron to the medics, but they told us the last psychiatrist has been transferred to the back. Probably Elisio.
We are not going to give Saffron up. If no one else would help us, we will do it ourselves. Copper and I have been trying to cheer her up, to get the old Saffron back. So far there's only one instance when she seemed to be… there. It was when we told her we're going to write to ATIB.
Of course, neither of us know if the letter will ever arrive. They aren't exactly delivering mails anymore. But it's a hope we are allowed to cling to until it shatters.
So we sat in our shared quarter, Copper and I trying our hardest to act excited, while Saffron hugged her knees and rocked back and forth at the corner. We tried to ask her if she wanted to write a few lines, but she just stared at the paper like she didn't hear the questions.
I can't say I wasn't eager to write this letter. After everything we've gone through, it's impossible to not want to have a piece of the old time back. I want to hear Aryl's voice again. I want to know that they are huddled up somewhere safe. Soon I was lost in writing the letter. Copper too.
It was at the end, when we were signing our names that Saffron finally spoke.
"Sign for me." She tilted her head slightly and smiled. It didn't reach her eyes. "And for Navi as well."
And she turned back to the wall, and started humming again.
September 12, Q.A. 81
The threshold has been reached.
They knew the day would come. Of course they do. They have been monitoring everything. I know that's the reason all Nemi were replaced from gatekeeping duty.
The wall that we've been reinforcing over the past month has played its role, albeit not something we had expected. The untrained civilians couldn't get past its height nor its sturdiness.
It's difficult to watch they turning people away. The only thing more impossible than ignoring their desperate pleads is stopping this madness. You can tell who is on the verge of breaking down, and who is ready to rebel. Many of the Nemi are ready to overthrow the command. Copper. Me. SNNN. All we need is a good reason. A chance.
But they didn't give us any.
They arranged senior soldiers to guard the gate. In fact, I think they are actively forbidding us from even getting close to it if it can be helped. The senior officers don't look like they want that job, but they have kids and families in the city. They have something to lose, so they quietly shoulder the responsibilities of rejecting those seeking asylum.
I don't know how they deal with the guilt. I guess they either just lie to themselves or try to justify it.
One of them told us that it's the only way we can protect the lives already under our care. Another said those people at least have a chance to survive out there. True. We do try to share whatever supply we can spare so they can get under way. There are even rumors that some other safe zones became so overloaded that they started killing the weak and the old.
I want to believe they are blatant lies, that the commanders are heartless murderers who care about nothing but their own comfort. But more than that, I want to believe what they are saying is true. I want to believe that we have indeed no choice, that those blood are not on our hands. Just so that I don't have to feel the crushing remorse of allowing this to happen.
September 15, Q.A. 81
We received a response for our letter, but it's not from ATIB. It's from commander Tyson.
She called Copper and I to her office this afternoon and pulled out the letter from her desk drawer. She asked if we'd posted it. We said yes.
She got up from behind her desk and approached us. Her strong hands on my shoulder made me feel like a weak, small child again. Her uniform was crumpled and it smelled, as if she hadn't had the chance to rest in a long while.
I tried really hard to focus on anything but she's about to say. I knew it the moment we stepped through the door.
She told us the expedition company to site B was ambushed. There was no survivor. She said she was sorry.
Copper and I thanked the commander for notifying us. We left, and head back to our quarter. Saffron was there, humming like she always does nowadays.
I kneeled down beside her and opened my mouth. My voice cracked. Something about that tune just broke me. I started sobbing, and so did Copper.
Saffron never looked at us. She kept humming.
"Forget the horror here…"
October 3, Q.A. 21
The scouts came back with grave news. There's a horde heading our way. They say there are at least fifty class B, and hundreds of class C and class D.
Everyone's scared, even team SNNN stopped trying to joke.
We have maybe two weeks to strengthen our defense. The commanders promised us backup and support from the capital, but we all know help won't arrive on time, if they are coming at all.
October 7, Q.A. 21
Morale is at an all-time low after the incident in town.
The Grimm are not even here yet, but people are dying already. There have been more than twenty suicides, and more fights ending in blood than we can count.
There are also people who were perfectly fine the night before, but just didn't wake up the next morning.
Copper told me those people "completely gave up". Their heads couldn't deal with the pressure of living like this. So their bodies just shut down.
We Huntsmen can fight Grimm, but we are powerless to save those people.
October 10, Q.A. 81
There have been rumors. Really awful ones. I tried to not pay any minds to them, but they are everywhere.
I overheard someone talking about "the conspiracy of site B". Part of me want to tell them to bugger off, but part of me also want to know the truth of my friends' deaths.
Doubts, anger, despair. They are exactly what attract the Grimm, and now they fill every inch of the city.
Maybe this is the end.
October 12, Q.A. 81
Someone leaked the truth.
Site B was never meant to hold. The government never expected the expedition team to make it that far.
And even if they did. They wouldn't the resources we had. Most of the food and ammo and other resources were shipped north, to Elisio.
Site B was not a stronghold. It was a graveyard. The soldiers were not escorts. They were bait.
The government had it all planned out. Use live people to distract the Grimm so that others can escape and build up defenses. Those sick sociopath.
Copper's been laughing ever since he heard the truth. That's the last straw for him.
I'm tired. I don't know what to do anymore. ATIB and Navi are all dead. Copper and Saffron are still breathing, but they are no longer alive.
I'm so tired.
October 15, Q.A. 81
This will probably be my last entry. I can see the Grimm on the horizon here on the wall. Logistic estimated they will be here by nightfall. All units are mobilized. There's nowhere to run.
This is karma. It's our punishment for leaving our comrades behind, for betraying those we are supposed to protect. I don't mean our eventual death, for it is a relief marking the end of the punishment. I meant the suffering in the past week.
Aryl. Braz. Isab. Taupher. Navi.
Sorry for keeping you guys waiting. Don't worry. We'll be joining you soon.
[The day after the last entry, Grimm breached the wall of the city of Furia. Vacuo suffered its worst single battle casualty since the Great War.
However, unlike the prediction by Tan Ryers, the city did not fall. Reinforcement arrived just in time to repel the enemy. Unfortunately, they were too late to save the two hundreds and sixty seven thousand lives, including all three remaining members of team TSCN.
Interestingly, many had claimed to hear a female voice amidst the chaos of the battle. This is believed to be the root of the urban legend haunting the city of Furia ever since, and the inspiration to Nuria Belmonte's popular novel, "Spanish Sahara".
While the speculation can neither be proven nor refuted, the lullaby sang by the ghost in "Spanish Sahara" did contain some curious resemblance to the lyrics recorded in Mr. Ryer's journal.]
Forget the horror here
Forget the horror here
Forget the horror here
Leave it all down here
It's future rust
And then it's future dust
