Miko—in the turret—shot up.
Her face was disfigured, crumpled into the centre, mouth wide open as she screamed in fury at the tree.
The Sylvacapra crouched on the roof like a gargoyle made of bone and bark. Blue blood dripped onto the black metallic roof. His eyes were relaxed, eyelids barely keeping themselves open. Fixated on Miko.
She screamed—in pure primal rage.
"YOU… YOU… BASTARD… YOU KILLED CONNIE!"
The turret's heavy machine gun roared to life. Muzzle flashes lit the bark in stuttering white. Wood chipped as the rounds grazed the wooden plating as he sprang from the roof in liquid motion.
The van lurched as the weight vanished.
Miko tracked him, gun still barking. Gabriel ducked as it whirled, rounds just barely flashing over his head.
The Sylvacapra hit a trunk at full speed, hooves gouging wood. He followed the momentum for a second, forcing it back, ricocheting at an angle—straight at Miko.
She kept firing—teeth bared.
The tree twisted mid-air, sweeping five claws downwards in an arc.
Face uncrumpling, her fingers released from the trigger. Claws were closing in.
Blue light snapped into existence.
A shimmering wall of force erupted between Miko and the descending claws.
The impact rang like a struck bell.
The Great Tree rebounded, submerging back into the tree line.
He leapt from tree to tree, locking eyes with the source of the shield.
Lefèvre, one hand on the rail, the other pointing to the blue half-orb.
Sweat poured down his face, eyes glowing a burning sapphire. The barrier flickered.
Leaves exploded outward.
For a heartbeat, there was silence—only the roar of the engine, and the squad's ragged breathing.
Then the chase began in earnest.
Branches cracked overhead like gunfire.
A thick root column erupted directly in their path—pale, veined, blocking the route like a gate.
Nozomi swerved hard left. The van fishtailed, scraping the side against the bark. Sparks flew. The root smashed down where they'd been a second earlier, cratering the soil.
Another root burst up on the right — faster this time. Nozomi yanked the wheel again. The Gurkha tilted dangerously, two wheels lifting off the ground.
"Hold on!"
The van slammed back down, suspension screaming.
Miko's head spiralled, shooting up.
"He's coming down!"
She squeezed the trigger.
Nothing.
Jammed.
Hooves slammed down on the roof once more. In a swift motion, his arm swooped in, then back out. Shattered steel splintered. Metal screamed as the turret's gun was ripped from the seal, taking some of the roof with it.
Miko, now exposed, was tugged down by Ajay, revealing Aiko. Rifle in hand, she pulled the trigger.
Wood splintered. The beast's shoulder recoiled.
Its arm is extended. A spike stretched to the passenger seat, where Aiko still sat.
She dodged as fast as she could, but the pike stabbed fast. Too slow. A line slashed across her cheek, crying red tears down her jaw.
The sylvacapra, balance lost, fell from the van. He tumbled, for a moment. Hooves skid, forcing him to a sudden stop. Two tendrils whipped around two tree trunks on opposing sides. After a tug, he took a few steps back.
In a sudden move, he catapulted.
"Nozomi, behind us!"
The tree glided, twisting mid-air like a demonic gymnast.
Within an instant, the farmer's hand unfurled. A barrier manifested.
In a fluid spin, the creature's arm uncoiled. A tendril wrapped around a branch above. In one swing, he lifted himself above the barrier.
His movements were changing, mannerisms resembling those of the entity from the Heart. They were fluid.
He disappeared into the canopy.
"This isn't working." The farmer yelled, voice hoarse, "We can't outrun it."
"What are you suggesting?" I cried.
Leaves rained. A branch followed.
Nozomi spun the wheels, causing the body to swerve.
The branch slammed on the ground to our left. Soil spat out onto the side plating.
Lefèvre's jaw tensed—swallowed.
"I'll stay.'
"No!"
"Himiko—"
"No, it'll kill you."
"You underestimating me?" He smiled, but his brows were tense. He tried to force a chuckle. My face remained locked.
Knowing it was futile, his face dropped.
"Look, Himiko, if I don't go, it'll kill your squad."
I bit my lip.
"The people you've come to love," he continued, "will die."
"I'm disposable—"
"No… If we don't leave with you, what was the point in coming here? All the lives we've lost… for what?"
His mouth failed to provide a response.
"I'm sick of it… no more."
"Then let this be the last," his voice came out gentle—whispered.
I closed my eyes, unable to look into his.
The Gurkha moaned as he climbed, placing his feet on what was left of the roof.
I peeked through a small sliver between my eyelids, blurred from tears.
He looked down at me.
"I made a promise that I'd protect our home. That's what I'm going to do."
I couldn't resist. My eyes shot open. I stretched my arm out to try to grab him, screaming his name.
"Lefèvre. No!"
Too late. He leapt onto the soil, rolling onto his knees.
"Where are you! This is it! The finale!"
The trees screamed, canopy burst.
The Gurkha didn't stop. Nozomi's foot was rammed into the accelerator, almost snapping it.
I watched as they blurred in the distance. A large silhouette swooped down. Bright blue sparks cut through the shadows.
Peace returned. The engine roared, and our hearts pumped.
My hand slowly wandered to the radio.
"Mrs Isamu…" There was barely any weight to my voice, low and completely hollow.
"Himiko? Is that you?" her voice crackled high and frantically, "Where are you? Are you out?"
"We're on our way out now… empty-handed." I shuddered.
"If you're all safe, I don't care. Get back to the south expedition base, and you'll be extracted from there."
The Gurkha tore through the forest, suspension slamming over roots and ruts. I clung to the side rail with both hands, boots braced against the frame. The world was a blur of pale trunks whipping past, branches clawing at the air inches from my face. Every jolt sent fresh pain through my ribs, arms, and the shallow grazes across my flesh.
No one spoke.
We approached a clearing, one that was all too familiar.
We passed the farmstead without slowing.
The house sat crooked in the grey clearing—red paint flaking, windows dark, vines already crawling back over the porch like fingers reclaiming what they'd lost. The silo leaned drunkenly beside it. It's only a matter of time now before the land swallows it completely. My eyes locked on the two wooden crosses that stood crooked in the dirt.
Emma and Millie.
The van flashed past.
The names were already blurring with distance, but I could still see the careful carving—the way the crossbar on the "A" in Emma wobbled. I could still see those glassy eyes. I could still hear his voice cracking.
I tracked the crosses until they disappeared completely once we entered the trees again.
Time stretched. Seconds became minutes. Minutes became hours. The trees never thinned. The light never changed—trapped in that same cold, bone-white dusk. The engine's roar became white noise. My arms ached. My legs burned.
So much has happened, I just wanted it all to end.
I swallowed. My throat was raw.
Eventually, the trunks began to thin.
The vines appeared—the same thick, grey curtain we cut through on the way in. The Gurkha punched through the gap. Fibres tore. Blue sap splattered the windshield. The wipers smeared it into glowing streaks.
We'd been in there so long, the sun was rising, painting the sky in a pale orange and gold.
The ground was solid now—even. The van coasted smoothly over the grass we had come to miss. The engine settled into a low, steady growl as Nozomi lifted his foot slightly from the accelerator. I loosened my grip, feeling the wind stroke my cheeks; the breeze felt warm. The world was so quiet now.
Apart from the muffled sound of explosions in the distance.
I looked back.
In the distance—skimming the top of towering trees in the centre—three black cruisers burned.
One was already falling.
It tilted sideways, trailing fire and debris. The hull glowed cherry-red along one flank. Then it dropped, crashing through the outer branches of the giant forest. Pale wood exploded outward. Birds erupted from the canopy in a black cloud, scattering into the dawn.
The two other cruisers wasted no time, tilting upwards. With the flash of white light, they disappeared into the atmosphere with a loud bang that caused even the grass out here to stumble a little.
Now, all that was left in the sky was the entity.
A thin, lanky silhouette against the rising sun—blue light bleeding from its limbs like liquid flame. It ascended gracefully, then blasted off until it was just a distant star in the morning sky.
My gaze lowered to the wall we powered through.
Those blue eyes.
A single silhouette stood towering amongst the vines, tall and horned.
He didn't give chase, just watched before turning back, disappearing into the mutated lands that had created him.
I let out a long, shallow sigh.
Thank you, Gabriel.
The Gurkha kept driving. In the horizon up ahead, three black vans approached. MEI agents.
They pulled up alongside us.
One lowered its windows.
"Jesus, how is this thing still running?" He jested at first, then one look at our faces caused his smile to drop.
"Are you all that's left?"
"Yes," I responded, deadpan.
"Let's get you back. I'd recommend getting in with us; that looks like it's on its last leg."
We migrated. Kaoru, Miko, and I sat in the back of one of the vans, rolling away from the void.
Miko sat silently, staring at the red bandana placed on her lap. A single droplet landed. A darker patch expanded on the fabric—then another, and another.
She began to sob quietly.
I leaned my head against the window, watching the reflection of the void slowly shrink through the side mirror.
A wave of exhaustion finally enveloped my body. I closed my eyes, letting the gentle vibrations of the window drift me out of this moment.