The raging sandstorm that engulfed their vehicle from every direction was utterly blinding. The only way Millie was able to drive their all-terrain vehicle ahead was with the help of her electronic device.
Everyone was tense once again as they were approaching their next destination - The Connections regional HQ which would hopefully have the location of the facility where Alcina herself was held.
"Stay strong, mom. We are almost there."
Cassandra's somber and firm words gave voice to what every daughter was thinking. Ethan gently squeezed Bela's hand, to add his own silent reassurance. The woman, now in a drab black shirt that was a size or two too big for her, which they found in the car, turned her head to smile at him. The man smiled back, once again finding himself caught admiring her beautiful amber orbs. Millie's voice brought him back down quickly, however.
"We no longer have the forces needed for a frontal assault, but with this sandstorm still raging, we don't even need to perform one. A covert infiltration should be sufficient for our purposes."
Cassandra grinned wide at that, showing her bloodied, sharp teeth. The idea of stalking unaware prey was just as exhilarating to her as was the all-out slaughter.
Bela hummed in thought. The woman still had her head on Ethan's shoulder, to his unvoiced delight, yet her eyes were running over the rough sketch of the building the Duke's scout had provided beforehand. Her delicate finger traced a large 'X' near the front entrance of the building. Chicken-scratch underneath it evoked negative memories in the blonde Dimitrescu.
'Goalkeeper - Danger!'
"I take it nobody wants to go against that giant thing you met on the island again?"
A chorus of responses came her way.
"No, thanks."
"No way!"
"Sure!"
Bela raised a single eyebrow at her younger sister who was sitting on the front seat.
"Really, Cass?"
"I fear neither beasts of flesh nor metal! Well… alright. Maybe not today. Later, for sure."
"For sure, Cass."
Ethan found himself smirking fondly upon the boisterous brunette's back. Even this crass and violent woman was growing on him now, somehow. The man was feeling surprisingly peaceful himself, despite the fact that their little group had just emerged from one slaughter and was only minutes away from the next.
His hand, without a conscious thought, went drifting towards Bela's dirtied golden locks. Running his fingers through the hair of the woman brought him comfort and reassurance he needed before the next bloodbath that undoubtedly awaited them.
Bela hummed in content at the gesture, before speaking.
"There is a skywalk here, leading to what is likely an administrative wing. Using the sandstorm as cover we can sneak up to it, then fly right up there."
"Ehm...Bells, are you not forgetting something? I..."
Ethan's mumblings died on his lips as the blonde woman playfully poked him on the nose with a finger, without even looking at him.
"Of course not, Ethan. We'll just fly you up there. Three of us should be more than sufficient to lift a single man a short distance."
"Nice. Now you want me to help you drag your man-thing around. What's next, sister? Should I kiss his boo boos for you as well?"
"Stop complaining about every little thing, Cass. We are a team, and we should help each other. Not to mention, Ethan's technical expertise could prove useful up there."
"Eh, nothing my lovely knife can't do. Give me two minutes and I'll make any pitiful worm in that building spill every dirty little secret."
Ethan felt like saying something for himself, as they were almost upon their destination. He wasn't going to be deadweight, not this time.
"Don't worry, Cassandra, I aim to pull my weight from now on. I won't let you girls down."
"Hmph."
Cassandra didn't seem overly impressed. Millie put an end to their so-called briefing with a firm voice.
"We're here. I'll wait in the car. Get what we need, and get out. The faster we execute this phase, the faster we can rescue Lady Alcina."
Hearing that, Bela finally lifted her head from Ethan's shoulder and the man noticed how her yellow eyes narrowed, as if in suspicion, as they drilled holes in Millie's seat. He had no idea what was going on, but he also felt like this was a bad time to ask.
As their car stopped, Bela leaned in to give him a quick peck on the cheek, murmuring: "for good luck…". Ethan, feeling lucky indeed, returned the gesture to her tattooed forehead, making the woman giggle softly.
"Hey! Don't forget about me!"
Daniela, seeing the affectionate exchange, clearly felt left out and presented her own forehead, carelessly climbing over Bela's lap and closing her eyes in anticipation.
Seeing no harm in a little gesture like that, Ethan leaned in to gently kiss the eager redhead's own flower tattoo. Bela took the chance to run her hands through Daniela's hair, still short in a dirty ponytail. The youngest sister purred in delight at the combined affection. Her bliss was interrupted as Cassandra poked her in the ribs with a single sharp digit, causing the redhead to yelp in surprise.
"Ouch! Bela! Cassandra is mean to me again!"
Ethan had a hard time believing how quickly these girls were capable of bouncing back from mental trauma. One would have a hard time believing they have just emerged from a life or death struggle. Clearly, the long years spent in their isolated castle have hardened their psyches to a formidable degree. That particular quality will prove to be most useful, the man supposed.
Just like the small group hoped, they managed to sneak through several checkpoints unmolested, thanks to an all-consuming sandstorm, in addition to the pitch-black darkness of the night. Somehow, despite the mayhem that occurred mere miles away from this base, the guards appeared to be on low alert, completely unaware of any potential intruders.
The party made its way to the skyway without an incident, unless counting the ever-present sand filling their clothes as one.
Just like they discussed, the girls all assumed their swarm forms, turning into three separate clusters of dark insects. The silhouettes of their clothing could be seen inside the swarms.
Ethan stared at them all in apprehension, as hundreds of blowflies slowly, almost menacingly, fluttered towards him. Soon, the buzzing insects surrounded him completely, engulfing him in a sea of black chitin.
It was an incredible, indescribable feeling as hundreds of miniscule beasts each pulled and tugged on his clothing. Ethan never experienced anything like that. Perhaps, Marguerite's insectoid assault on him could be something relatable, but this time it was not an unpleasant feeling, somehow. It felt...magical.
Swarms of tiny creatures wasted no further time and worked together to lift Ethan off the ground, and the man could only gasp in astonishment and wonder as he felt his feet actually leaving the solid earth.
As he slowly but steadily gained elevation, Ethan, unable to suppress joyful laughter, playfully tried to guess which of the insect swarms was which Dimitrescu sibling.
On his torso, the insects worked in perfect synchronicity, in calm and orderly fashion. The man smiled at the thought.
Has to be Bela.
On his left arm and shoulder, the buzzing insects were much more chaotic, moving erratically, pushing each other out of the way frequently.
Daniela?
On the opposite side, the flies were clearly stronger, making the man tilt slightly in the other direction. They were also not shy about biting his exposed skin, drawing a bit of blood that they promptly consumed.
Definitely Cassandra.
This whole bizarre experience was truly out of this world, not much different from some outlandish bedtime stories he had read to Rose. Soon, however, they reached their destination - the glassed skywall, about three floors from the ground.
The cruel, harsh reality beckoned and Ethan answered the call with his 9mm handgun, shattering the glass and trusting the deafening volume of the sandstorm to conceal their likely unwelcome presence.
The swarms carried him closer, allowing the man to kick the weakened glass in, providing an entrance point. The buzzing insects wasted no time in fluttering in, with Ethan in tow.
As soon as his feet touched the solid floor once again, the three separate swarms disengaged, reforming shortly in their human forms. The man smirked as his earlier guesses proved correct. That smirk turned into a sheepish grin upon Ethan's eyes catching a glimpse of Cassandra slowly and hungrily licking her bloodstained lips, winking at him suggestively.
"That was… quite an experience!"
Ethan's voice, struggling to be heard through the biting wind, couldn't contain the mirth from this incredible, otherworldly ordeal. All three girls giggled at that, each in their own peculiar manner. Calm and soft; low and slightly menacing; high-pitched and joyous.
The group, done with the pleasantries, proceeded towards the administrative wing. The door inside from the skywalk had a padlock with a card reader on it, but a couple of shots from Ethan's pistol made short work of it, disabling the security feature and hopefully not raising an alarm.
The moment they got inside the building they were greeted by two night shift security guards, lightly equipped and with sleep in their wide, shocked eyes.
As the sound disturbance they went to check on turned out to be a bunch of bloodstained invaders, the men raised their own pistols, even as their features betrayed their utter lack of preparation for such a contingency.
The security personnel's unsteady and sleep-deprived fingers never got to squeeze the triggers of their firearms, as Bela and Cassandra were upon them in mere moments, vicious sickles drawn.
Two flashes of steel, almost too fast for a human eye to follow, and the guards dropped their guns, opting to clutch at their throats instead, as deep gushes now spilled their vital fluids freely.
Cassandra, ever hungry for fresh man-blood, didn't miss a beat and bit deeply into the guard she just mortally wounded. Tearing his neck open in a grisly spectacle of blood and gore, the cruel brunette drank greedily upon the rich arterial liquid, holding the feebly-struggling man in her unyielding grasp.
Both Bela and Daniela stared at her with envious, narrowed eyes, desperate to join in on the feast. The elder sister's shaky voice betrayed her own lust for blood.
"Cassandra… let's move on for now, sister... We can feed later."
Taking one more savage bite into the man's mutilated neck, tearing out a large chunk of flesh, the brunette released the soon-to-be corpse with callous disregard. Shrugging her shoulders casually, the brunette said nothing, smirking at her jealous sisters as she chewed, instead. Ethan could only shiver from the brutal sight.
I don't think I'll ever get used to this… But I suppose it's a good thing.
The small group continued on, running into nobody else for the next minute, as the majority of the staff were probably resting in the dormitory on the other side of the HQ at this ungodly hour.
Finally, they reached a pair of ornate doors, likely the director's cabinet. Two guards next to them were exchanging tales of sexual adventures they've had with the locals recently. The poor fools were looking the other way, completely at ease.
Cassandra stopped the rest of their small group with a single palm raised up, proceeding alone, deathly quiet. Ethan gulped, his mind already running the possible scenarios of horrible bodily violence he was about to witness.
The brunette approached the guards slowly and steadily as her narrowed burning eyes glared holes in their backs. Her fingers were twitching erratically, even as they clutched her preferred instruments of deathdealing.
Somehow, despite her cat-like footsteps, one of the guards felt something amiss and turned to face the predator. Her maniacal grin was the last thing he saw as her knife buried itself deep into his forehead, likely killing the man instantly. A merciful death, imposed by the group's desire to remain silent.
The second guard, fully aware now, opened his mouth to cry out in distress, yet nothing but a pained gasp came out, as Cassandra's right fist, still clutching her sickle, impacted his windpipe with bone crushing force. A savage stomp-kick to his knee followed, producing that distinctive cracking sound. As the choking man fell on his knees, a brutal elbow slam right in his temple knocked his lights out.
Ethan was genuinely surprised. He didn't expect Cassandra to ever perform a non-lethal takedown. As the rest approached, her next words cleared that particular confusion quickly, however. The brunette watched Ethan carefully as she spoke to her sisters.
Another test?
"For you, dear sisters. I know how you appreciate it fresh, but not struggling."
The horrifying implications became clear as both Bela and Daniela looked away, as if ashamed, when Ethan gazed back at them. This was not a mercy after all, but a lamb to the slaughter. Bela's voice was meek as she explained the situation.
"Forgive us, Ethan. The past hours took a toll on us. Fresh, living blood is what we need to regain our strength. You don't have to watch."
The man quickly recalled the conversation he had before with Bela. She did mention how fresh human blood had a potent reinvigorating effect on their bodies. This was not an unexpected, yet still not particularly pleasant situation. Nevertheless, Ethan did his best to stomach his discomfort. They were allies, after all. Together in joys and hardships.
"It's fine, Bells. We are not much of a team if I can't even accept you girls for what you are."
Bela smiled and nodded, grateful for such understanding words. Meanwhile, Cassandra was working upon the door's simple lock, before giving up and just bashing it with her sickle's grip.
The small group walked inside, with Bela dragging the unconscious victim behind her; Cassandra remaining on watch, outside. The brunette likely had her fill from all the numerous 'snacks' she had along the way.
Ethan was quick to set to work on the computer, which was not even turned off for the night. Still password protected, unfortunately. It was time to put his vast experience as a system engineer as well as his...less known hobbies to work.
A keyboard was an instrument even more familiar to his fingers than a handgun, after all.
Before he started, however, he could not help but take a moment to observe the grisly scene taking place in the far corner of the room. Both Bela and Daniela were feasting upon the still living man with wanton abandon. The Dimitrescu women were not merely drinking his blood, either. They were devouring the poor guard, their sharp teeth tearing large chunks of his flesh along with the blood. The girls were ravenous, barely chewing the meat before consuming it and going for more. Even their flies, some of which were unleashed right now, partook in the grisly meal, likely speeding up the process. The squelching, tearing sounds of slaughter, intermixed with buzzing flies and weak, pained cries, almost made Ethan vomit. Still, the man endured, as he returned to his own work.
His mind focused on the task at hand and his brown-gray eyes narrowed in concentration as he glanced around the office space for any kind of a hint. It wasn't uncommon for the busy people in positions of authority to make a relatively simple password with a reminder of some kind nearby.
Unfortunately for Ethan, the office was an extravagantly decorated place with a great multitude of random objects; with piles of documents occupying numerous shelves. The next ten minutes were spent fruitlessly as the man attempted one password after another.
Bela, having finished her rejuvenating meal, was standing behind Ethan now, looking curiously at his progress, or lack thereof. Daniela was sitting cross legged by the large window, looking at the sandstorm still raging outside, a thousand yard stare in her eyes.
Taking a quick glance at the woman behind him, Ethan suppressed a wince at her blood-smeared face and the baggy black shirt that was now colored deep red. Her gentle hand, laying down on his shoulder, provided a measure of reassurance, as did her soft voice.
"I know this was not the most pleasant sight you've ever seen…"
The man would have none of it however.
"Listen, Bells. I am not going to lie and say this was nothing...but it's also not something that would make me view you any differently. You are what you are. I can't hold the way your body works against you."
The blonde woman smiled at Ethan lovingly upon hearing these words. Her joyous visage appeared beautiful to the man's eyes even through the veil of crimson that enveloped it now. Nevertheless, he had work to do.
Out of possible hints on and around the desk itself, Ethan stood up, quickly shuffling over the office in search of anything helpful in his task. It was only a matter of time until some other guard or night shift worker discovered them or the corpses left near the skyway.
Bela was still at his side as he searched, something still eating on her mind. Her voice was unsure as she mumbled out words he was expecting… and dreading.
"What happened earlier…"
Ethan knew full well what happened. That kiss, so full of savage passion. He was just as compliant and eager as she was, if not more so. He will not let her heap all the blame on herself.
"Let me stop you right there, Bela. What happened was a mistake…" Her eyes fell down immediately as that cruel word left his lips. Ethan wasn't done, however.
"That said… I have no regrets - none, whatsoever. You shouldn't have any, either."
Ethan took another moment to turn around and face Bela, locking his eyes with her passionate amber orbs. The man clutched her hand before he finished that particular conversation.
"Alright?"
She clutched his hand back, tightly.
"Alright."
Returning back to his work, now checking out a bookshelf, the man was struck by a sudden inspiration as his eyes got glued to one particular book, clearly recently read - in stark contrast to every other one on that shelf, which were all covered in layers of dust.
'How to raise a child as a single parent.'
As soon as he opened the small book, a note fell out of it. Quickly running his eyes across it the man realized it was a reminder for when the owner should request a vacation as well as what kind of local present he should procure.
Not wasting a moment, Ethan rushed back to the computer, inputting relevant dates. At his sixth attempt, the screen lit up. Apparently, even bad guys loved their families; and cliche or not, Ethan would not refuse this gift from the universe.
"Bingo."
"Well done, Ethan!"
Daniela came to stand behind him as well now, giving him a small bloodied smile of her own. Ethan was just glad to be of use. The alternative to what he just did was Cassandra cutting a swath through the small facility, until she found the relevant person. Even though these people were their enemies, the man was not looking forward to a massacre that would've ensued in that scenario.
Ethan grinned as he combed through the now unlocked files. His efforts paid off quickly, as the map of the organization's regional efforts was right on the desktop. The map was extremely detailed, with numerous points of interest as well as owner's comments about deadlines of the logistical support required.
Bela's delicate finger was quick to point at a specific point of interest.
"There! Mother has to be there!"
"Mama! We are coming for you soon! Just hold on!"
The girls' voices could not contain their excitement. They finally had their destination. Cassandra, hearing their loud exclamations, came in herself, her own eyes wide in exhilaration. After almost a week of stumbling in the dark, searching for clues, they were upon their goal, at last.
Ethan downloaded the map onto a small flash drive Bela found in one of the desk's drawers. More than that, he also made sure to grab a couple of other important-looking documents from the 'VIP' named folder.
The elder sister's voice was firm as she spoke out, her eyes observing his progress.
"We are done here. It's time to finally save our mother and pay these people back for what they've done to us!"
As the girls traded gleeful smiles and content glances, Ethan noticed a movement in the hall outside, some distance behind Cassandra.
A single guard was muttering something into his headset's radio even as he raised his pistol, aiming at the brunette's head.
Rationally, Ethan knew that the simple gun was unlikely to seriously wound the middle Dimitrescu child. Rationality was left in the dust as pure instinct took over. Without thinking, Winters took out his own handgun from the holster, brought it up and took the shot - all in a single, lightning-fast motion that would've left even the strict and demanding Chris Redfield grinning proudly.
Ethan himself was surprised as the guard stared back at him with wide eyes, a neat little hole now decorating the man's forehead, while the wall immediately behind him was coloured red.
As the security officer tumbled down, dead, an alarm rang out across the facility. Cassandra actually shot Ethan an appreciative glance, the man responding with a shaky nod. Taking a life like that was still not easy for him.
Bela gave a nervous little laugh, before stating the obvious.
"Nice shot! I do think we have overstayed our welcome, however! I suggest we retreat the way we came."
Nobody, except maybe Cassandra, had any objections and the small group promptly escaped the facility all the way back through that skyway. Once again, the darkness of the night and the vicious sandstorm assisted them in avoiding a prolonged and likely bloody fight, as human yells of alert and distress that were accompanied by a monstrous growl rang out just behind the moldy gang.
Navigating back to their armored car, they run into little trouble; only a single guard barring their chosen path. He was promptly dispatched by the brunette sister, who didn't forget to take both his pistol and his vital fluids, along with his life, as her sharp teeth mutilated yet another hapless jugular.
Thankfully, Millie was exactly where they had left her, waiting for them in the vehicle that was concealed behind a small dune. As soon as the group got in, the short woman pressed hard on the gas pedal.
As the all-terrain vehicle lurched away from the hive of activity that was the HQ they left behind, Bela immediately set to work on deciphering their final destination, using a small PDA Millie was quick to provide.
Only moments later, the group finally had the exact location of the research facility Lady Dimitrescu was being held in. It was mere thirty minutes away from them. Millie wasted no time in charting the course.
As they drove, uncomfortable, tense silence settled in. Every anxiety and fear the three sisters hid came to the surface with their ultimate goal being so close.
Ethan found his palm clutched tightly by a smaller, warm hand, once again. Looking at the owner of the delicate limb, the man frowned as he saw the blonde woman nibbling on her lip, looking straight forward.
"Nervous?"
"A bit, yes. What if we are too late? What if they will move mother somewhere else before we get there?"
Daniela looked horrified from the spoken notions. Bela glanced at her apologetically, cursing herself for letting her strong facade crack. Cassandra kept silent, likely deep in thought herself.
Ethan squeezed her hand in reassurance. No matter what outcome awaited, the man was determined to offer whatever help or comfort he could.
"No matter what awaits us there, I want you to know that I'll stand by your side. All three of you. That, I promise you."
Despite how short their acquaintance has been, Ethan saw these girls as nothing less than family now and he would do his damndest to make sure they got out of this quest of theirs in one piece. The smile Bela graced him with was all the reason he needed.
Mia scoffed in annoyance as she observed the staff scurrying around, desperate to get as much of the sensitive data and research equipment out as humanly possible.
Ten minutes ago, an evacuation order was given and everyone rushed to comply as soon as they were roughly yanked out of their beds by the security personnel. There was no way they could get everything out by the time the intruders were here. The priorities were quickly assigned, but the mayhem ensued, nevertheless.
A young female lab assistant, still in her nightgown and barefoot, with her long blonde hair in a mess stumbled around with a full crate of documents, before stubbing a toe on a cart, carelessly left in the middle of a corridor. The woman fell down in a heap, with documents flying in every direction.
A panicked elderly sanitation specialist loudly demanded to know what was happening, only to get a buttstock of a rifle to his stomach for his troubles. His security clearance was too low to know the details, and the guards were ever strict in their discipline. Only the most loyal security personnel were selected for this particular facility.
Nikolai huffed and puffed as he carted a heavy piece of important machinery behind him, desperate to get out of here. Fear was plain on his sweating face. Recalling his previous boisterous remarks, Mia couldn't help but make a jibe at her passing underling.
"Leaving so soon, Nikolai? Here I thought you were eager to dissect the fly-girls; and here you are - running away from such a golden opportunity!"
The man stopped dead in his tracks and went red in the face. Anger at the insulting remark and fear for his own life battled for dominance for a few moments. Finally, he huffed out, before continuing on his merry way.
"If I had my patented Electrocutioner here with me I'd handle these flies myself! The guards won't even give me a gun! I am not sticking around to get eaten alive!"
Mia just smirked at the coward, before the next company took her full attention. A beautiful middle-aged woman of Asian descent with two young kids trailing behind her. Yuki Momochi, a colleague all the way from distant Japan. Gentle and soft-spoken but utterly relentless in the pursuit of her own goals. A perfect caretaker for the E-001 prototypes.
Chief scientist gave a polite nod to her colleague and knelt down before the scared and sleepy kids, adopting her own motherly and kind persona.
"Sarah, Haru! I am so sorry for all this chaos! We have some issues to go through here, but don't you worry your pretty little heads over a thing! Aunt Yuki is gonna get you both to a new safe and nice place! Think about all the fun games you can play with her on the way!"
"Mia is right, kids. We're gonna have ourselves an entire adventure ahead of us! Let's get going now, shall we?"
Yuki grabbed both kids by their tiny hands and briskly moved ahead to the evacuation zone, a pair of guards shadowing the small company. The kids were too precious to leave unsecured, after all.
Mia gazed upon their shrinking figures with kindness in her eyes, but inside she was fuming. The same moment the evacuation order was given, she had received a personal message herself, from an unidentified source. The content of the message was...disturbing, to say the least.
With the most important assets on their way to safety, the chief scientist marched down towards the subject A-D's observation room, her own guards trailing behind. A rough hand on her forearm stopped the woman dead in her tracks.
"Where the hell do you think you're going, Winters? Proceed to the evacuation area, immediately!"
Mia glanced at the brute with cold hatred in her narrowed eyes. Security Chief Gustaf was probably more than a head taller than herself, with almost twice the bulk, but she looked at him as if he were an insignificant gnat. The cleanly-shaved man grit his teeth at her defiant gaze.
"I don't think so. There is a person I'd like to meet with here. A person I was assured was still in London, safe and secure. So I'll stick around for a bit. Do proceed with your evacuation or whatever."
The security commander was less than impressed by her monologue. His pistol found itself pressed hard against Mia's temple. The woman didn't even blink as she responded to the violent gesture.
"Oh? What do you think will happen, if you pull that trigger? I don't think the council would be very pleased, do you?"
Before the brute could respond, the smaller woman yanked her hand out of his slacked grip and promptly went on her way, utterly ignoring his impotent threat. Her mind was focused on other, more important things.
That bastard… All he had to do was sit tight and take care of Rose. But noooo… of course he had to play hero once again. And with these bug-bitches, of all people! That little blonde whore...
Rationally, the woman realized that she had no reason to be mad at Ethan's newfound love interest. She did tell the man herself to forget about her and find happiness elsewhere. Rationality went out towards the dumpster the moment she saw the elder Dimitrescu girl all over her husband, ravaging his mouth.
When did this start? All the way back in Romania? That bastard. I bet he got Rose herself into this mess, as well! All my fucking sacrifices - for nothing!
The moment Mia entered the observation room, she stomped right inside the cell itself, her seething eyes glaring holes into its diminished occupant. The guards that used to be stationed here were elsewhere now, as they were no longer deemed necessary. It was just Mia; her three personal guards that glanced at each other warily, their hands unsteady on their rifles; and the so-called Lady herself.
At such a short notice, they couldn't possibly move the still somewhat dangerous prisoner. Especially since Sebastian assigned her as a low-priority after the E-001 prototypes were deemed ready for the next stage. His foolishness and short-sightedness was truly astounding to Mia when that decision happened, yesterday.
Alcina was nothing short of a miracle in human shape, yet her potential scientific significance was the last thing on Mia's mind, as right now the emotions reigned over rational thoughts.
Dimitrescu looked at her with that same maddening, unbreakable defiance, saying nothing. Mia just gave the prisoner a nasty smirk, as she folded her arms and simply observed the captive woman.
I'll make these bitches pay for roping Ethan and Rose into this.
Author's Note:
A bit of an intermission chapter with some stealth segment in. Hope you have enjoyed it and are excited for the next one!
Next chapter will be basically a finale of the first Arc, so I'll probably take longer to write it, I do want it done properly :)
Also, Evie is not gone or forgotten, but she did exhaust her essence on fixing up Ethan, so she is in a type of restorative hibernation for the moment.
As always, I'd love to read any of the thoughts on the chapters you might have!