The wind was now ruthless.
When they first started moving, the wind was placid, hardly discernible among the dense, stifling dust that could choke you if you were not careful. Now, however, it howled sharply, sliding in-between the fractured towers and driving the abnormal amount of dust — along with what seemed like grit, straight towards the party.
Ciel tried his best to shield his eyes and nostrils, but the gusts of wind came from every direction — making it impossible to properly protect his orifices— causing his sight and breathing to slowly deteriorate over time.
Klarissa's voice suddenly cut through the noise:
"Everyone, masks on, now!"
Hurriedly, one of the soldiers Ciel wasn't introduced to — fairly short, but well built, with short brown hair — reached for his heavy-duty backpack and dragged out five gas-masks. He handed one to each member of the team, including Ciel.
"Put it on! Don't breathe in the unfiltered air, the particles here will cause you to lose your senses for good."
Ciel fumbled with the mask — admittedly surprised with how this expedition was turning out. He fitted it over his face and heard the seals clicking with a hiss. The air turned cold and sterile.
"Why did the weather… change so suddenly?" Ciel asked, raising his voice over the wind.
Klarissa glanced at him without breaking stride, while the others ignored him — as if they were not permitted to acknowledge Ciel's existence unless she explicitly allowed it.
"As I said before, we're in The 5th Strata — The Tempest Depths," she stated at last. "Every layer of Eclipse is equivalent to a Lumen. The 5th Strata corresponds to the 5th Lumen — Excitement — the wind element. Hence why the wind is so strong."
"What about before? There was barely any wind."
"Because we were still within the outer edges. Every Strata has safe zones, which is where we were before."
Her voice was oddly calm despite the strong wind charging at her.
"The center is... different. The wind there isn't strong because of some natural phenomenon. It's because the closer we get to the center, the closer we get to the Key of The Strata."
"Key? What exactly does a Key do?"
Klarissa slowed down just enough to turn her head slightly. Not enough to face him, but enough for Ciel to see irritation in her eyes.
"You ask a lot of questions for someone who was about to be shot dead two hours ago. You're my assistant, not a scholar. Your job is to follow, observe, and do whatever I order you to. Asking questions is not part of that."
Ciel kept silent, letting the wind fill the space between them. His mask whistled hesitantly, the breath a reminder that she was in control here. Still, he couldn't help himself.
"I just figured, if I'm supposed to help, I should at least understand what we're moving toward."
Everyone suddenly stared at him, seemingly in disbelief that someone could be so stupid they'd dare try negotiating with their Chief.
Klarissa stopped walking. The storm howled around her, seemingly trying to punish her for confronting it. She sighed, yet didn't so much as sway when faced with it. Instead, she slowly turned to face Ciel, her white coat swirling with the wind.
No one there had the courage to take a breath. Eventually, she started moving towards the fool who tried compromising with her. One step at a time, as if to show Ciel he wasn't worth rushing towards.
"You've got some nerve," she said, her voice smooth and sweet. "I could just leave you here. If I decide you're a liability, I'll take your mask off, remove your restraints and then walk away. You'll last maybe… three minutes before the wind burns through your lungs and you start suffocating."
She leaned slightly closer, her gaze fixated on him. "So before you even consider bargaining with me, remember that I don't need you."
Ciel didn't respond, lowering his head enough to prove that he understood.
Then, all of a sudden — a sharp, deafening sound cut through the air. The soldier who captured Ciel came to a halt, hastily checking what seemed to be a scanner.
"Reporting. Multiple Aberrants, closing in fast!"
"Species and rank," Klarissa demanded instantly.
The soldier checked his scanner again. "Vesperts — Howlers or higher!"
Before Ciel could even understand what that meant, the wind around them shifted. It wailed, bending unnaturally as inhumane shapes began emerging from the storm of dust. Tall, distorted figures with lengthy limbs covered in fur started clawing at the air. Their faces were the repulsing mixture of bat and man Ciel saw earlier.
Klarissa already adapted to the situation.
"Get in formation. Now!
The team moved in perfect harmony. The brown-haired soldier braced his rifle, while the one who captured Ciel raised his right hand. Suddenly, a glowing blue barrier surrounded the team. Whatever Vespert entered slowed down considerably.
Ciel took a couple of steps back, trying to move as far away as his restraints allowed him.
One of the Vesperts lunged straight at Klarissa, entering the blue barrier. However, she didn't even flinch. Her left hand lit scarlet, meeting the creature mid-leap and driving her palm through its chest. The monster ignited from the inside and exploded into a cluster of ash.
Another came from behind. This time, she moved so fast Ciel could barely track her movements. Her left hand glowed purple as tens of compressed blades of wind appeared around her — shredding every monster in her surroundings.
Ciel barely had time to process what he saw before another Vespert breached through and lunged straight at him. It shrieked — a chilling, ear-shattering sound — as it swung its jugged claws toward his head. He ducked instinctively. The creature's claws tearing the side of his hood. The Vespert swung again. Ciel fumbled backward, tumbling hard on the black crystal ground.
Before the monster could strike again, a shining beam of yellow light sliced through its torso, dropping it mid-charge as a gloved hand appeared before him.
"You okay?" asked a voice, calm, but slightly breathless.
Ciel looked up and recognized her as one of the soldiers. She appeared younger than Klarissa, probably in her early twenties. Her auburn hair was arranged in a ponytail, and even though she wore a mask, Ciel could sense the inherent gentleness in her expression.
He grabbed her hand, letting her pull him to his feet.
"Yeah… thanks."
"My name's Abelia," she said, still scanning the battlefield. "You should stay close to me until the Chief finishes exterminating the Vesperts."
Ciel turned his gaze back toward the battlefield, Klarissa's glowing figure dazzling through the haze. In mere moments, the battle ended — whatever left of the Vesperts now turned to ashes and carried off by the wind. Klarissa lowered her arm, the red and violet glow gradually vanishing as she graciously exhaled.
Ciel nodded several times, finally coming to a conclusion.
'I must not leave their side.'