A Bitter Loss!

(On the seventh day after the appearance of the First Light)

Tariq and his team went out to get supplies for lunch. The effects of the First Light's appearance were still the same. Nothing had changed. The measured radiation levels were still consistent, so we were keeping civilians away from the area. Despite repeatedly reviewing the camera footage, nothing was changing.

Other than knowing that the person responsible for the Venice incident was a woman, we couldn't gather any additional information.

We were stuck halfway through the case.

Last-minute news reports kept repeating the same information. The government still hadn't broken its silence on the matter. They practically abandoned all Emergency Units.

We are completely on our own now. The civilian population is expecting an answer, they want to know the truth behind the incident.

We still haven't found a formula to advance our mission.

After lunch, we got into our vehicles to patrol. We marked and reported our checkpoints on the radio. If we don't encounter any issues for the rest of the day, that's all we have to do.

A few hours later, the signal from Tariq's team went offline. I tried asking through the radio to find out the reason, but there was no response from the radio.

Right after that, there were massive explosions all over the city. Due to the impact of the explosions, the ground started shaking like an earthquake.

No one could maintain their balance and they fell to the ground.

We immediately strapped on the equipment in the vehicles and cautiously moved towards Tariq's last known location.

As we got closer to the scene, dark smoke was increasing. Burning rubble and planks were further obscuring the surroundings. The flames, combined with the effect of radiation, were turning white. White ashes were drifting in the air.

I tried calling out to Tariq with the vehicle's megaphone, but I received no response. Instead, there was another explosion sound from the far end of the city. This time, the explosion sound was weaker.

"Is it a terrorist attack?"

It was a possible scenario; ever since people were evacuated from here, the country's level of prosperity must have decreased. Moreover, the Government's continued silence was unsettling people and pushing them towards violence.

Our vehicles couldn't proceed through the debris of a fallen building on the road.

"We'll continue from here on foot. No matter what, be vigilant and if you see anything, contact me first. Understood?"

"Yes, sir!"

We got out of the vehicles and, prepared for anything at any moment, crossed to the other side of the rubble that had formed a mound.

The area seemed quite silent. There was no sign of Tariq and his team.

'I hope you're okay, Tariq.'

We were approaching the train station. The sounds of many people echoed from in front of the train station. This meant we had reached one end of the quarantine zone. If Tariq and his team were here, we could find them.

As we entered the train station, there were only frightened people and reporters rushing around, apart from the hustle and bustle. Craters had formed right in the middle of the station.

Someone noticed us and started walking towards us.

"Hey you, it's dangerous to come any closer. Back away now."

They didn't pay attention to my warnings.

"If you take a few more steps, we'll have to neutralize you."

Once again, they ignored me and started walking towards us.

When I aimed my weapon at them, they froze, opened their chest, and showed us their chest.

One of the shimmering silver debris pieces we had found earlier was stuck in the young man's chest.

The silver debris piece seemed to have merged with his body, as if it were one with him. It was constantly pulsating, like a heartbeat.

"Captain, let me take him down."

"Wait a minute."

"Hey you, what's that thing on your chest?"

"I-I don't know, it got stuck when the incident happened. I tried to remove it, but it hurt too much, I couldn't do it. Then the pain gradually subsided, and my wounds healed quickly. It's like there's a separate power circulating within my body."

He seemed to be getting more excited. The brightness of the piece on his chest increased, and its pulsating started to quicken.

"Hey, calm down, alright? We're not here to harm you. What exactly happened here?"

"I don't know, people like me started exploding all of a sudden... Is that how it's going to end for me too?"

"No, we'll help you."

I took a few steps and tried to approach.

"Have you seen men wearing clothes similar to ours?"

"No, don't come near me!"

"Shh... We don't have any intention of harming you. Okay, I'm staying right where I am. Let me ask again. Have you seen other men wearing our kind of clothes?"

He was silent for a while.

"Yes, they were chasing a man whose whole body was glowing."

"A man whose whole body was glowing? What is that?"

"I don't know, the man's entire body was glowing, and he also had these things on him. He transferred this to anyone he touched."

Tariq, I don't know what you're after, but you better not die.

"I don't want to die, I don't want to die!" The young man in front of me started screaming in fear. The piece on his chest was now glowing intensely, and it was evident that it was about to explode. I quickly threw myself into a corner and tried to shield myself.

The young man exploded violently before my eyes.

I immediately requested help from the entire team and called for additional reinforcements. There was no turning back now. No matter who it was, we wouldn't return without Tariq.

We proceeded as the man had directed us, and just as he said, there was the motionless body of a radiant man standing there, gazing at the sky.

He must have sensed our presence because he quickly turned around to look at us. His eyes were so white that they were almost indistinguishable.

"Where are our men?"

"What do you mean?"

"I'm asking one last time, where are our men?"

The entire team aimed their weapons at the radiant figure standing before us.

"Hmm, if you're asking about the guys dressed like you, I left them in a corner because I pitied them."

When we looked to where he pointed, I saw Tariq and a few of his men lying motionless on the ground.

Tariq and his men had those glowing stones on their chests.

"You damn filthy creature! Take off those damn glowing stones."

"I refuse. I need to explore my limits."

"I order all of you to open fire."

The whole team readied their weapons and opened fire without hesitation. Despite emptying their entire magazines, not a single bullet had hit the radiant figure.

"You mean nothing to me. I have to go now, I've gathered the necessary information."

The radiant figure suddenly disappeared.

"Hey Tariq, are you alive?" I slapped Tariq's face a few times, checked his pulse, and it was beating very slowly.

"Bryne..."

"Tell me, my friend."

"Will I finally be able to see them?"

His face was covered in wounds due to the explosion, but he could still be alive. As long as he didn't trigger the piece on his chest, he could survive.

"Stay calm, my friend, you can survive as long as you don't trigger the piece on your chest."

"I doubt it. This piece on my chest is draining me. I can't move, and I'm feeling cold."

"Hey! Stay with me."

"Louis, quickly call for an ambulance. Tell them we need an urgent ambulance one kilometer north of the quarantine zone."

"Understood, Captain."

Louis moved to a suitable spot to call for an ambulance.

"Hey, my friend, come on, grit your teeth. Just like you healed before, we'll get that piece off you safely, and we'll go have a drink together."

"Will you drink this time?"

"I promise I will."

Cough

Tariq began to cough, blood mixing in. We didn't have much time; the ambulance needed to arrive quickly.

"My friend, I'm so happy I'll get to see my family again, but I don't want to die..."

"You're not going to die, Tariq!"

...

"Tariq!"

I slapped Tariq's face a few more times to wake him up, but the light of the piece on his chest had gone out. When I checked his pulse, there was none.

Damn it! Damn it...

After Tariq's funeral arrangements, I decided to retire from the Ragged Ravens Unit. I didn't want to lead a depressive life, so I took time to watch baseball matches, something that could console me.

One day, I received an email from an unknown number on my phone. During halftime of a baseball game, I opened and began reading the email.

"We would like to see you at Kingdom Corporation, established with top-level scientists. You are a skilled soldier. Depending on your answer, you might gain more information about the Light..."