"He got into the red gate before it fully collapsed," Vayla said. "But not alone."
Cecilia's heart thundered.
"With my superior commander," Vayla finished quietly. "Aiz."
The name was unfamiliar to Cecilia but she realized what this might mean.
Vayla lifted her staff slightly. "I can no longer detect life force from the bead link."
Her eyes lowered.
"Which means Aiz is dead."
A brief silence settled between them, despite the noise of explosions and destructions in the background.
"Perhaps the young human survived," Vayla added. "Perhaps he did not. If the gate did not lead back to the others..."
She looked at Cecilia.
"That is all I know."
For a fraction of a second—
Just a fraction—
Cecilia Thorn froze.
Then—
She felt an explosion of hope. She had abandoned all her important missions and warnings from the Mana Defense Corp to chase what they called a ghost.
