Shadow Slave

The Awakened warrior was simply gone. The whole facility was swept, both by the soldiers of the garrison and Sunny's shadows, but no trace of him were found. Verne even made the decision to unseal the dome of the old observatory. However, there was nothing but old equipment, darkness, and dust inside.

Sunny then sent his shadows to scour the coastal plain outside the fortress, hoping to discover a clue. He did not.

A sense of unease and foreboding spread through the isolated fortress.

As people were crowding together to alleviate this tension, Sunny, Verne, and Professor Obel gathered in the security center to have an emergency discussion. However, none of them

seemed too eager to speak first.

They simply had nothing to say.

Eventually, Sunny rubbed his face with a sigh.

"Well, there are only three possibilities, right?"

Verne looked at him darkly.

"And they are?"

Sunny hesitated for a moment.

"First... he might have really deserted."

The stern Master simply shook his head. There was no hostility or defensiveness in this gesture, since Verne was not the type of leader to be insecure about his people or himself. He did not have the kind of fragile pride that would make the statement sound offensive.

"That is improbable. I know this Awakened very well. He was... is a stalwart man."

on with a

The other

appeared

body and removed the signs of the crime. Considering that it is not easy for a mundane human to kill

let out a

think that one of these

at him with a somber

just exploring what could have happened. However, don't be mistaken. We Awakened are always only one step away from turning into monsters. With how much pressure Antarctica exerts on people... many will inevitably start to break. In any case, we should pay attention to those Awakened that have Aspects suitable for getting rid

pursed his lips, but then

the last

for

failed to find any traces at all... it has to be either very powerful, very elusive, or both. Since I am the

silent for a while,

what happens if

at him. His

just need to wait for the Ariadne to arrive and hope that no one else disappears. According to the last communication we had with the outside, it will reach us in four days at the earliest, and in eleven

the persistent noise of the Call kept

eyes

that is what we

***

investigating his own soldiers, while Sunny climbed back on top of the Rhino and sent his shadows to explore LO49 for the third time that day. He had little hope of finding anything, but the thought of an elusive, uncanny horror hiding somewhere within the confines of

had something to do

unknown threat looming somewhere just out of sight, their moods grew even more bleak and unstable. Most held up fine, for now, due to the hope of

hope and how important it was

went on, new safety protocols went in effect. Mundane humans were prohibited

the First Nightmare unexpectedly. Living quarters were fitted with additional sensors and alarm locks, Awakened were supplied with powerful stimulants to remain awake,