The morning sun cast a golden hue over Crossbell City, its rays barely penetrating the exhaustion weighing on Lloyd Bannings' shoulders. The previous night's battle still lingered in his mind—the shattered cathedral, the cult leader's cryptic words, and the knowledge that their fight wasn't truly over.

The Special Support Section had returned to the department early in the morning, filing reports and ensuring that the captured cultists were properly detained. Tio had been combing through the remaining data, Elie had been coordinating with the Bracer Guild, and Randy was making sure KeA was safe.

Lloyd, however, hadn't stopped thinking about what the cult leader had said. Crossbell was just one piece of the puzzle. That phrase haunted him.

The ringing of his ARCUS snapped him out of his thoughts. He glanced at the caller ID—Estelle Bright.

His heart skipped a beat. Liberl.

The leader had said something about how this had also snuck it's way into Liberl.

"Estelle?" He answered immediately, stepping into the conference room for privacy. "What's going on?"

"Lloyd!" Estelle's voice carried urgency, but beneath it, he could hear the slight weariness of someone who had also been fighting a battle of her own. "Good timing. I just got back from an investigation with Joshua and Schera… and I think we need to talk."

Lloyd leaned against the table. "Is this about the cult?"

A brief silence. Then—

"Yeah," Estelle admitted. "And it's worse than I thought."

Soon Lloyd listened intently as Estelle explained. In Liberl, the Bracer Guild had been looking into strange movements by the Children of Shadows themselves as they had actually tried to expand their reach into Liberl with the help of another group, the Ghost Vanguard.

At first, they had appeared to be a minor problem, nothing compared to the original cult's depravity that the bracers had originally delt with. But as Estelle and the others dug deeper, they realized this splinter group had a much broader network than anticipated.

"They weren't just operating in Liberl," Estelle continued. "They had ties to Calvard, Erebonia… and Crossbell."

Lloyd's grip on his Enigma tightened. "We took down their main operation here. They were trying to artificially create a new Sept-Terrion using Gnosis and kidnapped civilians."

Estelle hissed. "So it really was connected…"

"What do you mean?" Lloyd pressed.

Estelle hesitated for only a second before she said, "You ever heard of the Black Records?"

Lloyd frowned. "Yeah. They're ancient texts that supposedly tell the past. Rean told me that Erebonia has a few copies, but no one knows their full contents."

"Well, it turns out these cultists got their hands on something similar—a different kind of prophecy. One that talks about a puppet show."

Lloyd straightened. "A puppet show?"

Estelle sighed. "I know it sounds ridiculous, but listen—these people aren't just experimenting with Gnosis. They believe that history itself is playing out like a scripted performance, one that's already been written. And according to them, Crossbell and Liberl are just acts in a much bigger play."

Lloyd felt a chill creep up his spine.

"That's what their leader told me, too," he murmured. "That Crossbell was just one piece of the puzzle."

Estelle exhaled sharply. "Lloyd, I don't think this is over. They might have failed here, but that just means they'll regroup somewhere else."

Lloyd nodded, already feeling the weight of the next step pressing down on him. "Then we'll need to track them before they can move again. Did you get anything on their next target?"

"Not exactly," Estelle admitted. "But Joshua thinks they're heading to the Grancel in eastern Liberl. Apparently, that place is considered hollowed ground by them It might be a long shot, but…"
"It's worth investigating." Lloyd exhaled, rubbing his temple. "Damn it. Just when I thought we were done with cults…"

Estelle chuckled dryly. "Yeah, welcome to our lives."

After ending the call, Lloyd remained in the conference room, deep in thought.

The Children of Shadows weren't just after Crossbell. Their ambitions stretched further, tangled in ancient myths, forgotten histories, and some twisted belief in fate.

And they weren't working alone.

A knock on the door interrupted his thoughts.

Elie stepped inside, her expression calm yet concerned. "I take it that was Estelle?"

Lloyd nodded. "She confirmed it. The cult isn't just a Crossbell problem. They've got operations in Liberl and probably beyond."

Elie crossed her arms. "That explains why Arios has been in contact with the Bracer Guild lately." She studied Lloyd's expression for a moment. "You're thinking about going after them, aren't you?"

Lloyd sighed. "I have to."

Elie smiled softly. "Of course you do."

Lloyd blinked. "You're… not going to try and stop me?"

Elie shook her head. "You wouldn't listen even if I did."

Lloyd chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. "Fair point."

Elie's gaze softened. "We'll go with you, you know. The SSS doesn't leave things unfinished."

Lloyd looked at her, gratitude swelling in his chest. He knew that he could always count on them, but hearing it out loud still meant the world.

They had come this far together.

And they weren't done yet.

Later that evening, Lloyd gathered the rest of the SSS in the briefing room.

Randy leaned back in his chair, arms crossed. "So let me get this straight—those freaks aren't just causing trouble here, but they're also messing around in Liberl?"

Tio adjusted her glasses. "If they're seeking another Sept-Terrion, it makes sense that they'd look toward places with a history of divine artifacts."

KeA, sitting beside Tio, frowned. "So that means they might try something worse than what they did here?"

Lloyd nodded grimly. "It's possible."

Randy exhaled. "Great. Just when I was looking forward to a break."

Elie smiled. "You say that, but we all know you'd be bored in a day."

Randy chuckled. "Alright, fair." Then he turned serious. "So what's the plan, Lloyd?"

Lloyd placed his hands on the table. "We go to Liberl. Estelle and the Bracers are already looking into Grancel, but they'll need backup if things go south."

Tio nodded. "And given what we know about the cult, it's very likely things will go south."

Elie placed a hand on Lloyd's. "Then let's not waste time."

Lloyd looked at each of them, pride and gratitude swelling in his chest. No matter how many times the odds seemed insurmountable, the SSS never backed down.

This wasn't just about Crossbell anymore.

It was about stopping the Children of Shadows before they could plunge the world into something far darker.

Lloyd took a deep breath.

"Then let's move out."