Lotus

Chapter 2: Prerequisite To Cessation

"W-what?" The cold pang of fear pierced its bloodied fangs through his mind, his heart drumming the motif of dread. His chest heaved with laden breaths; his trembling words stifled in his throat. The duo had grown accustomed to the audacious ways of their organization, they knew the lengths they'd go to just to get what they wanted, yet such a mission tasked so abruptly was blatantly illogical. Meydem stepped forward, the composure behind her vivacious green eyes shattering to pieces. Reading past the opaque eyes of their leader, there was no bluff to call, nor was there a lie to expose. He stared at them with zero doubt in his eyes; he was dead serious.

Her eyes narrowed, her throbbing heartbeat echoing in her ears. "Sire... why?" Meydem murmured, squeezing the words from her inundated synapses. "Why the change of heart? What is the reason behind bestowing such an insurmountable endeavor onto us?" Sacrificing their chess pieces just to coordinate the bigger picture was no unfamiliar concept to the two, yet they were staples within the foundation; irreplaceable warriors that held together both their populace and organization, throwing them aside as if they were another expendable pawn was ludicrous.

"This is... rather unexpected, I am aware." Stanislaw concurred, nodding his head. "I wouldn't normally task you both with such an arduous journey. But, circumstance has carved a different path for us, I suppose." Their commander trudged toward the side of his office, grasping the meticulous map that both oversees and extends beyond the expanse their missions usually take place. The man slammed it onto his desk, grabbing a pen from his pen holder.

"I don't mean to question your leadership, but you do realize what you're asking us to do, right?" Vorion interrupted, brushing past his wife. "Of course I do. But, as it stands, we have little choice. The Havoc Force is the dead center of this war; it's the causation, it's the epicenter of battle, and its ethereal capabilities are something ubiquitously hunted for. That being said, with recent escalation... factions have been growing more desperate."

Vorion's eyes widened. Once voiced, he was able to somewhat cohere what Stanislaw's point was. As of recent, efforts from their adversaries have been growing more desperate. Despite being realized by the two, it was a variable gone unnoticed, something merely glossed over by the two. Prying spies into the minds of the other factions was no easy task, so having insight as to what their opponents were doing behind the scenes was rare.

"...the science division has been working harder than usual too, now that you mention it," Vorion added, pondering. Stanislaw nodded, "Even if direct confrontations with The Havoc Force are close to impossible, I'm sure you're aware of its erratic nature. It warps our world regularly, it distills the stars and caters reality to its will; yet, never once has it been as vulnerable compared to now."

"Recently, scientists have discovered its recent fluctuations could both lead to adversity and blessing. Its recent fluctuations have made the force both vulnerable and unstable. With the wrong stimulation or if left alone for too long, The Havoc Force could very well rewrite— or even warp our entire world beyond what it was already."

"What do you mean?" Asked Meydem, her eyes fluttering with curiosity. "You do recall the reason the war between humans and monsters didn't end years ago, right? Due to The Havoc Force's random appearance, the war was driven from the lands they fought on, which is what forced the world into dividing into four factions. The Havoc Force warped the battlefield, and those close enough to it were slain by its mere inundating presence alone. Thankfully, what was executed was an inferior form of its actual capabilities, mitigated beyond our comprehension... which leads to our current qualms. There has recently been a risk that it could release something beyond what it did during its formation and said risk has only been growing stronger. The field around the cavern that The Havoc Force exists in has appeared to be faltering, with its constant warping growing to a bigger scale as a result."