Aira's heart pounded in her chest, and she felt a surge of protective instinct for Lila overwhelming her. Only moments before, she was dreaming about having a peaceful, secluded life. But, of course, reality had to break it all for her. It seemed like Aira's past would never leave her alone. And it didn't matter whether it was her 'old world' past or the consequences of the event she happened to be a part of in this world since her arrival.

  Lila and she had come too far to be discovered and captured now. It was such a stupid mistake to let their guard down and leave the door open. Still, the damage was already done, and they continued following the men who violated their home.

  As soon as the rangers entered the bunker, one of them reported to Korin. "Someone has been here and we don't know if they are still inside," he said. "But there are definitely signs of recent habitation. Be careful when you follow us. We'll explore more. You were right to trace and check these transmissions. Come in, over."

  Luckily, before going up to the roof, Aira switched off all lights in the bunker. But that didn't change the fact that they had breakfast less than an hour before, and their kitchenware would still be warm. Not to mention that there were obvious signs of habitation in some of the rooms and halls.

  The only question was how fast these people would find a room with Aira's or Lila's possessions.

  The rangers began their search, moving methodically through the facility, their torches casting flickering shadows on the walls. Their footsteps echoed ominously through the halls. The smells of men who had been on patrol for days and had just come in from the cold were utterly alien in the sterile atmosphere of the bunker that was sealed for centuries.

  Aira and Lila held their breath, listening intently as the rangers approached the room where they had carefully sorted and charged a stash of gadgets. Two women didn't see the faces of the rangers when they found the first stash of gadgets. But they could hear the cheerful sounds they issued. They were full of astonishment and excitement.

  That, however, was to be expected. While storing and testing the gadgets during the previous weeks, Lila mentioned multiple times that such a collection of ancient devices was unheard of. At least in the last few decades, no one from Mountain View had found anything as impressive.

  "Look at this," one of the rangers exclaimed, his voice filled with awe. "These gadgets are in perfect condition! And they were cleaned and charged. Somebody was here quite recently. Be vigilant!"

  "Elder's beard, you are right, Perrin! This truly is a treasure trove," another ranger agreed. "We need to take these back to town. Imagine how much the Elder would reward us for that! Especially considering the current state of events. I can already imagine on what to spend the finder's share!"

  "Look! There's more!" shouted another voice.

  "Hey, guys, Perrin is right. We don't know where are the people, somebody may still be hiding in the building."

  "Korin, are you coming?" Perrin asked over the radio.

  The rangers began discussing how to split their shares of the stash and what to do with these riches, their excitement palpable. They talked about returning with more people to safely transport the gadgets, seemingly not caring that somebody may lurk in the shadows.

  Still, despite the apparent distractedness of the intruders, Aira and Lila exchanged a worried glance. These people couldn't be allowed to bring back reinforcements. The bunker and all their hard work shouldn't be compromised.

  The situation changed dramatically when Aira heard footsteps behind them. It was time to act.

  She took a deep breath and stepped out of their hiding place, her heart pounding. Aira knew it was a risk, but they had no other choice.

  But she had to try to communicate with the rangers.

  As she moved into the open, Aira tried to speak. The ease with which their conversations with Lila flowed these past days and weeks made her forget for a brief moment that in this world, she was an undead. She wasn't destined to communicate with anyone.

  The rangers froze, their eyes widening in shock and fear as they saw Aira. She raised her hands in a gesture of peace, trying to convey that she meant no harm. But all that came out of her mouth were guttural growls and rasps, the language of the undead.

  "Stay back!" one of the rangers shouted, raising his weapon. "Look at its eyes! It's an undead!"

  "I recognize it," said the other one, also aiming at Aira. "That's Jorin's pet! Korin, do you read? You were twice right! That bitch is here! Come in, over!"

  Aira's eyes widened in frustration. She needed to communicate. She had to make them understand that she wasn't a threat. But her attempts to speak only made the rangers more agitated. They only heard angry growls. Unlike Lila, they weren't prepared to decipher the shades of her roaring. Two men began to close in on her, their weapons drawn and ready.

  Promptly coming to her senses, Aira remembered her recent progress with Lila. The new way of communication they found. So, she tried to influence the portable radio of that ranger with her magic. However, something intervened. She wasn't able to get access to it right away and make it speak with her voice. There was Lila's radio there, of course. And her friend was nearby…

  Just then, Lila stepped out of the shadows, her hands raised as well. "Hold your guns! Stop right there!" she shouted, her voice clear and confident. "She's not what you think! She just wants to talk, she isn't threatening you! By the roots, Jorin was right about her!"

  The rangers hesitated, their eyes flicking between Aira and Lila. "What the hell do you even mean?" said one of them. "We recognize her! And Jorin is dead. Being right didn't help him much, didn't it?"

  "And we know you, Lila," said Korin, stepping into the hall from behind. "Did you think you'd be able to hide from us forever? Why are you still consorting with this beast? What do you get from that? What sort of perverse companionship is that? Your grandfather would be appalled by that! Shame on you!"

  "By the roots, you’re missing the whole picture!" Lila exclaimed, "I've spent months with Aira. She's sharp as frost and nothing like the rest! She's cracked ancient texts wide open and taught me things we'd never have dreamed of knowing!"

  "So, that's the reason," said Korin. "You want to get all the power to yourself? You want to do what Garrick did? That won't work. Tara is doing a good job keeping order at Mountain View these days. Even I can admit that."

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

  "Tara?" said Lila. "Is she on the Council now?"

  "She is the Council," said Korin. "Thanks to you and your... friend. I tried to persuade her that you were just mislead by Jorin. But no, now I see that you were in it from the start."

  "Listen to me!" pleaded Lila. "This can help everyone. We don't have to be at each other's throats!"

  "Look, we'll take the gadgets," said Korin. "I just have to warn you, all of us have guns now. Don't do anything stupid. Things have changed since you left. You won't be able to stop all of us, we are ready. So, better do it peacefully. And maybe I'll drop a word for you when I give my report to Tara. Forget this undead thing. Help us. Help yourself."

  Despite Korin's confident words, the other rangers were nervous, their weapons still raised and shifting between Aira and Lila. It seemed there was no hope to get out of this dead end peacefully.

  Aira growled softly, exasperated.

  And then, one of the rangers shouted, "Korin! This bitch is crazy! No one lives with an undead in their right mind!"

  His voice was filled with disdain and fear, fueling the tension in the room.

  Lila's heart raced, but she remained resolute. She took one more step forward, her hands trembling slightly as she raised them in the air.

  "By the roots, you've got to see sense," Lila pleaded, her voice trembling but resolute. "Aira's not like the others. She's sharp as thorns when it comes to figuring out old tech, and she's been helping uncover knowledge that could change everything for the better! We don't have to be enemies—there's a way we can work together!"

  But the tension wasn't going anywhere. If anything, it was getting worse. Aira had been in situations like this one multiple times during her career as a Mystic Enforcer. Weapons may be different. Worlds may be different. But when excited, people always do stupid things. She had to act and do it fast. She had to protect Lila.

  Aira had learned how the guns worked from the books she read. And Lila had filled in some details about the modern weapons of their world. She read that each gun contained gunpowder in its ammunition. With her training over the past few weeks, exploring the inner workings of small items and devices, Aira knew precisely what to do.

  Taking a deep breath, she focused her Energy Manipulation skill on the rangers' weapons. Aira sent precise bursts of energy towards the gunpowder hidden within the ammunition. The room filled with a sudden, sharp crack as the bullets inside the guns exploded, rendering the weapons useless and causing the rangers to yelp in surprise and pain as the shockwaves traveled through their arms.

  Two rangers fell to the floor, unconscious or worse, their faces covered in blood from the blast. Two more staggered, disoriented by the sudden shock and the ringing in their ears.

  Korin, fury etched across his face, shouted, "That bitch! They were right! Lila, you've gone mad!"

  He took a menacing step toward Aira, balling his fists. But then, he hesitated, realizing the odds were no longer in his favor.

  Aira, sensing the danger of leaving the rangers alive and able to report back, quickly sent Lila a voice message, "We need to deal with them. Otherwise our base is compromised."

  Lila, her eyes wide with distress, turned to Aira and pleaded. "Please, Aira, don't let this turn bloody," Lila begged, her voice as steady as she could muster. "You didn't take out Korin's squad before, so don't start now. These folks are just following orders, same as I used to. There's got to be another way—there always is."

  While the intruders heard what Lila was saying, they couldn't know Aira's answers. And the undead's growls didn't help to discharge the situation. The rangers exchanged confused glances, unsure what was happening or what to do next.

  Korin wasn't confused, though. His face was red with anger, but at least it looked like he wasn't injured during Aira's attack. Taking in the whole tableau, he glanced at his fallen comrades, then at the two concussed members of his team who were slowly regaining their bearings. With a growl of frustration, he seemed to make a decision. Stepping forward, he helped to pick up the two disoriented rangers, supporting one of them with his shoulder.

  "Let's get out of here," Korin barked at the others, his voice rough with anger and pain. He glanced at Lila with disdain. "You aren't even a traitor," he said. "You are not human anymore. And we'll treat you accordingly."

  He glared at Lila one last time as if searching for any humanity left in her. Not finding her up to his standards, Korin turned and left the scene, along with other members of his team. They moved slowly, supporting their injured comrades.

  Aira watched them go, her mind a whirlwind of conflicting emotions. It was hard to deal with Lila's incoherence in situations like this. The woman understood quite well that rangers wouldn't let it go. Aira accepted Lila's plea for mercy, but she also knew the danger of allowing the rangers to return to Mountain View with the information about their base, the location of the entrance to the bunker, and its treasure trove of ancient gadgets. The situation was precarious, and Aira had to find a way to protect their secrets and lives.

  Sensing Aira's inner turmoil, Lila stepped closer and gently touched her arm. "Thank you," she whispered, her voice filled with gratitude. "I know that wasn't easy, not by the Elder's breath. But we'll figure it out. We'll watch the shadows, set traps, and keep this base safe without letting it turn into a bloodbath."

  "That was a mistake," Aira said. "It was a mistake to allow them to leave. And I don't think it is even possible to keep this place safe without killing anyone. They are angry and humiliated now. They've seen the 'treasures.' And they are sure there are only two of us. We need to get prepared."

  Lila groaned and hit the nearest wall with her fist.

  "Spirits in the shadows, I hate all of this!" Lila burst out, slamming her fist against the wall. "Why can't they just leave us be? Is peace too much to ask?"

  "By the way, talking about leaving us be, what did they say about tracing the transmissions?" asked Aira. "Could they read our radio chatter? Did they look for us purposefully?"

  "By the bark, I don't know!" Lila exclaimed. "You're the one who was buried in those ancient scrolls about radio waves and energy zipping through the air!I just used the tech they gave me!"

  "Well, don't be upset, we'll figure it out," said Aira. "But right now, we have to prepare. They'll come back with a larger force, and we have to be ready. What's even worse, we could solve this problem by removing these few people. But now, I'm afraid, the price will be much higher."

  "What are you saying?!" Lila said. "By the Elder's breath, I won't attack them! Those are my people!"

  "If you have listened carefully to what Korin had to say," Aira explained, "he doesn't think the same way about you."

  Lila nodded, deep in thought. Her face changed with shifting emotions. It started with anger that swiftly turned into fear, which was in turn replaced by despair. "Fine. I'll help you protect the bunker," she said. "But, Aira, I'm putting my roots down on this—I won't let it end in a bloodbath. We save as many lives as we can, even if they don't see me as one of their own anymore."

  "It was our mistake that we got so soft," Aira said, nodding in agreement. "We even forgot to close the outer door. From now on, we take all precautions. And we need to plan other security measures and traps. We can't allow them to siege the facility. I'll survive, but you still need food and water."

  She looked at the signs of the recent fight. There was some blood splattered where the most injured rangers stood when Aira attacked them. And a bit further away, a couple of blasted-off fingers lay on the floor, propelled by the explosion.

  "What are they going to do?" sent Aira to Lila's headphones.

  "Likely the undead infestation protocol," said Lila. "They'll run back to Mountain View, stir up the Council—or whatever's left of it—and maybe call in allies from other towns. Korin's got more grit than sense, and we've bested him twice already. He won't let it lie."

  "How much time do we have to prepare?" asked Aira.

  "Four days to get back to town," said Lila. "A couple of days to arrange everything. Four days back. Not less than nine days. Maybe two weeks if they decided to send a call to the allies."

  "Good, nine days is plenty," said Aira. "Let's not waste any more time."

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