The rhythmic pounding of horse hooves echoed across the desert ground in a steady cadence, pulling a wooden carriage along the long, stretching roads of Lumière. Inside the carriage, a young woman sat in one corner, quietly observing the vast natural scenery extending beyond the sands. Opposite her, her companion was deeply absorbed in reading documents related to the facility they were heading toward.
She cast him a sideways glance, noticing the tension in his features.
"What is it?"
He lifted his head slightly.
"Hm… it's nothing. You know how it is—our line of work doesn't come with much security."
A faint smile appeared on her lips, followed by a short laugh that carried unmistakable confidence.
"You're worried about that? Just leave it to the professionals."
After a few moments, the sound of the hooves gradually subsided until the carriage came to a stop near the massive gate of a military facility belonging to Lumière.
Her companion extended his hand to help her down, and she stepped off with steady composure. As soon as they left the carriage, they headed toward a small booth by the gate, where a guard sat with his head resting against the table, nearly asleep.
Jonathan knocked on the booth several times.
The guard slowly raised his head, his eyes heavy.
"Yes… who is it?"
Jonathan pulled out his identification and handed it to him.
"Lumière Press… and the lady is with me as well."
The guard examined the card.
"Names?"
"I'm Jonathan Kern."
"And the other?"
The woman stepped forward confidently.
"Journalist Elena Faro. We have an appointment with Colonel Mark Anderson."
"Wait here."
The guard stood up and headed inside the facility.
Jonathan let out a quiet sigh.
"I thought they'd already be expecting us."
"Get your notebook ready, Jonathan."
Moments later, the heavy gate opened, and another guard stepped out.
"You two, this way."
They exchanged a brief glance before quickly following him inside.
Within the facility, the atmosphere was alive with activity—military commands, the sound of marching boots, and the noise of ongoing drills.
The guard spoke in a formal tone:
"First, let me say we welcome any press granted permission to enter. But remember… every step here is closely monitored. Any leak could lead to serious consequences."
Elena's eyes moved across the surroundings, noting the guards stationed at every corner.
"Yes… I can see that."
After a long walk, they reached a wide central courtyard where the colonel stood surrounded by several soldiers. The guard informed him of their arrival, and he immediately turned and walked toward them, shaking Jonathan's hand.
"Colonel Mark Anderson. Welcome to our facility. Here, we work on forming the strongest gifted units in the empire, and we develop the most advanced weaponry in cooperation with pioneers from other worlds."
Jonathan began jotting down notes rapidly, while Elena stepped forward with a question:
"What departments does this facility include?"
The colonel gave a slight smile.
"Good question… but let's move first."
He gestured toward a modern cart running along a rail line that extended through the base. The three of them boarded, and it began moving smoothly.
"Over there is the combat training zone. Various types of fighters conduct maneuvers—elemental users, swordsmen, and even hand-to-hand combat specialists."
Elena looked into the distance, where two fighters clashed—one wielding fire, the other air.
"Incredible…"
"And there's the operations and command division, where the high-ranking officers are stationed… including Valgar—we'll get to that later. We also have medical facilities and healing mages, trained to handle battlefield injuries."
He paused briefly, then added:
"And finally, internal security… which you've already noticed. We never stop improving it."
Jonathan finished writing, and Elena asked another question:
"Colonel, how did you contribute to the creation of the empire's strongest Valgar units?"
His expression shifted slightly.
"Eleven years ago… terrorism was spreading across the land. Attacks on civilians, villages destroyed… traitors in every sense of the word."
His fist tightened.
"There had to be a different kind of force… an elite. One soldier equal to an army. I worked with others to develop the tests and training… and that's how the Valgar units were born."
"And who are the most prominent members?"
He smiled faintly.
"That's a question I'll answer in my office. You'll also enjoy seeing the weapons facility."
The cart stopped in front of a main hall. The three of them stepped down and began walking.
"I'd like to say I'm very proud of what we've achieved for the emp—"
The air suddenly grew heavy as a sharp gust of wind struck Elena's hat, knocking it to the ground, followed by a violent impact.
Her eyes dropped to the fallen hat… then slowly lifted upward.
A long arrow had pierced through the colonel's head before
He dropped to his knees… then collapsed to the ground in the next second.
Elena froze in place. As the realization struck her, a sharp scream escaped her, drawing the attention of the surrounding soldiers.
Jonathan immediately jumped in front of her, shielding her with his body, while soldiers rushed to surround them.
"Stay alert!!"
"Attack!!"
"The colonel!!"
"Call medical immediately!!"
Amid the chaos, the scene felt like a nightmare—
An assassination in the heart of what was supposed to be the most secure facility.
And somewhere… far from sight,
the perpetrator watched…
and smiled in silence.