Friend Or Foe (Prologue)

Ember slowly drifted back into consciousness, her body aching all over. Her vision was blurred, and the world around her seemed to sway.

The pain in her back was dulled, but she could still feel the lingering sting of her injury. Blinking several times, her surroundings slowly came into focus.

Standing in front of her, a figure loomed—quiet, unmoving. It was the overseer. His silhouette was imposing, but he didn't speak, only observing her in silence.

Ember shifted slightly on the bed she was lying in, wincing as the movement sent a sharp jolt of pain through her body.

"Are you done staring?" she muttered, her voice rough from fatigue.

"Yeah..." the overseer replied, his voice neutral, almost indifferent.

Ember tried to push herself up but felt the weight of exhaustion pull her back. "Have something to say?" she asked, half-expecting a lecture about her failure.

"No..." he said after a long pause, his gaze still fixed on her. "But there are some pain neutralizers in the drawers. Feel free to use them."

Ember nodded slightly, though her attention had shifted to something else. She glanced down at herself, noticing that her usual outfit was gone, replaced by fresh clothing.

The realization hit her, and her eyes flicked back to him. "You changed my clothes..." she said, her tone more accusatory than curious.

The overseer shook his head slightly. "One of my attendants did."

"Okay..." Ember replied, her voice softening. She knew there wasn't much else to say about it. The silence hung between them, heavy and awkward.

The overseer shifted his stance slightly. "About your gear," he said after a moment, his voice quieter now. "It was... old. Worn out. You shouldn't be using it."

Ember let out a dry chuckle, though it hurt to do so. "I don't have enough credits for a new one."

The overseer hesitated before speaking again. "I modified your gear," he said. "Repaired it, upgraded some of the components. It should last you a while longer."

Ember blinked in surprise, her eyes narrowing slightly as she studied his expression. "Why?" she asked, her suspicion creeping into her voice.

He looked away for a brief second, his usually cold demeanor faltering. "And I'm... sorry."

The apology hung in the air, almost surreal coming from him. Ember stared at him, unsure how to respond. She wasn't used to hearing any form of remorse from someone like him.

"Sorry?" she repeated, her voice low. "For what?"

"For pushing you too hard," the overseer admitted, his voice carrying a hint of something she hadn't heard from him before—regret. "You weren't ready for that... and I knew it."

"Well," she said after a pause, "thanks for the gear, I guess." Her tone was light, though her body still felt heavy with exhaustion and pain.

The overseer shifted slightly before speaking again. "And... about your training program. I've assigned you to Division 7." He handed her a small, silver card. "Here's your ID.

"Ember took the card, her fingers brushing against its cold surface. "Thanks..." she muttered, unsure of what else to say.

The overseer shook his head. "No need for that. It's the least I can do to repay you... for everything.

"He paused for a moment, as if weighing his next words. "Take your place in Division 7 as soon as you recover."

"Yeah, sure..." Ember replied, her voice low as she watched him turn and leave the room. The door slid shut behind him with a soft hiss, leaving her alone.

Once the overseer was gone, she stared at the ID card in her hand. "Division 7... huh?" She tossed it aside for now, wincing as she shifted in the bed. Her back was still throbbing from the wound, but she needed something to take the edge off the pain.

Moving slowly, she reached over to the nearby drawers and opened them. Inside, she found several items—bandages, vials of pain neutralizers, and a few medical tools. As she rummaged through them, something at the base of the drawer caught her eye. It was an old, torn piece of paper, almost hidden beneath the other items.

Curious, Ember carefully pulled it out. The paper was worn and faded, parts of it barely legible, but she could still make out some of the text. Her eyes scanned the top: Field Report: Operation S-21-7. Below that, there was a signature: A-26.

Her heart quickened as she continued reading.

"Three out of the seven operators of Division 2 went missing in site S-21-7. Their vital signs went offline after three hours of entering the site..."

The rest of the text was too washed out to read clearly, but she caught glimpses of certain phrases:

"...aftermath of that incident..."

"...site S-21-7 is..."

"...designated to remain off-limits..."

Ember stared at the paper, her mind racing. S-21-7… it was clearly some kind of restricted site, and something had gone terribly wrong there. Operators missing, vital signs lost. She had heard of similar cases, whispers of dangerous locations that few dared to talk about. But why was this field report here? And why was it connected to A-26?

It took her a moment to process everything, her eyes still glued to the paper.

"What the hell happened there?" she muttered under her breath, staring at the faded lines, her mind already turning over the possibilities.

As Ember continued to stare at the faded field report, she suddenly heard footsteps approaching from outside the door. Her pulse quickened, and without thinking, she quickly folded the torn paper and slipped it under her bedsheet, hiding it out of sight just as the door slid open.

A woman entered the room, dressed in the formal uniform of one of the overseer's attendants. She glanced at Ember, her expression calm and professional. "I'm here for your routine checkup," she said, walking toward the bed.

Ember tried to compose herself, though her mind was still racing with thoughts of the mysterious report she had just read. She nodded, keeping her voice steady. "Yeah, sure."

The attendant moved closer, scanning Ember with a handheld device, checking her vitals. As she worked, Ember's eyes darted toward the bed, ensuring the paper remained hidden. She couldn't afford for anyone to find it, not yet.

"You seem to be healing well," the attendant commented, breaking the silence. "The wound on your back was deep, but the medics took care of it. You should be back on your feet soon."

"Thanks," Ember replied, though her thoughts were still distant, locked on the report. She watched the attendant carefully, wondering if she could trust anyone with what she had found.

The attendant paused for a moment, as if sensing the tension in the room. "You're lucky to be in Division 7 now," she said, offering a small smile. "Not many get that chance."

Ember forced a smile in return. "Yeah… lucky."

The attendant finished the scan and packed up her equipment. "If you need anything, just let us know. We'll be monitoring your recovery closely."With that, she turned and left the room, the door closing softly behind her.

As soon as the attendant was gone, Ember let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding. She quickly pulled the paper from under the bedsheet, staring at it again.

Something about Division 2, Site S-21-7, and that signature from A-26… it all felt connected to something bigger, something dangerous. And now she was in Division 7. She couldn't help but wonder if this was more than just a coincidence.