The transmission tower of the Twilight Sanctum came into view, shrouded in thick pink mist. Shaan focused his gaze and spotted the massive gate standing right ahead of them. They had almost arrived.

But... Something felt wrong. The Twilight Sanctum didn’t look the same anymore. The black gate, which once stood as a strong line of defense against dark creatures, now hung wide open. No guards stood at the entrance. No signs of resistance. Only dense clouds of pink smoke kept spreading deeper into the Sanctum.

"N-No... this can’t be..." Chelsie stepped down from the Phoenix, her face turning pale. "The Resistance... they’ve already taken over the Twilight Sanctum..."

"Damn it!" Theo clenched his fists, his expression twisted with frustration. "We’re too late! If that delay hadn’t happened earlier, we could’ve stopped them!"

"Enough," Shaan said, letting out a slow breath as he forced himself to stay calm. "Blaming the situation won’t change anything." He lifted his head, his eyes sharp. "We still have a chance to stop the Resistance. I know we can."

Theo turned toward him and smirked, his gaze filled with mockery. "Weakling... that sounds like wishful thinking."

"...That’s not nonsense, and what Shaan said is true." Nalira nodded. "I feel like there’s still a chance the Resistance hasn’t taken over the entire Twilight Sanctum," she said with a blank expression. "We have to find Dr. Marshal. He must know what’s really going on here."

Hearing Nalira’s words, Chelsie nodded vigorously. "Uhm... I agree. We have to get into the Twilight Sanctum as soon as possible and look for him."

"...But before we go in, I found something."

Shaan frowned. ’Huh? What does Nalira mean by that?’ 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

Nalira crouched down and brushed aside a layer of fallen leaves on the ground. Shaan watched in silence, confusion growing on his face.

I don’t get it... what is she trying to show us—

Shaan’s mouth fell slightly open. His eyes widened as he saw the object in Nalira’s hand. No way. It looked the same. The same firecracker they had found earlier inside the vehicle.

"W-Wait... don’t tell me this gas—"

"I suspect this gas is the gas from inside this firecracker," Nalira replied calmly to Chelsie’s words. "Gas from the Project Eclipse compound."

"So how do we save Dr. Marshal and the others now?" Shaan shook his head, frustration clear on his face. "The longer we stay here, the closer the Resistance gets to taking full control of the Twilight Sanctum."

"...I’m thinking about that too." Nalira fell silent for a moment, then slowly brushed her fingers along her chin. "We don’t have any kind of face protection to block the gas."

"Argh, damn it!" Theo gritted his teeth. "At this rate, we won’t make it inside the Twilight Sanctum at all."

"Uhm... Actually, there is one method we could use," Chelsie said hesitantly. "It’s just... I... I’m not sure if this will work."

Nalira slowly approached Chelsie, gently patting her hand. "... Elsie, just tell us. We all want to hear your opinion."

"Uhm..." Chelsie took a breath. "I think we can use Carmen’s skill—Null Veil—to deal with the gas."

"Null Veil?" Theo crossed his arms, confusion written all over his face. "Explain it properly. None of us understands what you mean."

"Null Veil is one of Carmen’s skills," Chelsie explained. "It creates a thin barrier around the target... and that barrier can block external effects for a short time."

"... Interesting. That’s exactly the kind of skill we need."

Chelsie lowered her head slightly, fidgeting with her fingers without stopping. "However... this skill has some drawbacks, and I... I’ve never tried using it on multiple people at once."

"Drawbacks?" Shaan asked, his face full of curiosity. "What are you saying, Chelsie?"

"Uhm..." Chelsie hesitated, her voice growing softer. "The barrier isn’t strong enough to withstand heavy impact... and it doesn’t last very long." She tightened her grip on her staff.

"So... I’m not sure this will work."

Nalira fell silent for a moment upon hearing Chelsie’s words. "...Even so, this is the only option we have right now."

"I agree." Shaan nodded. "We have to try it. Better to try than not at all. Right?"

Theo crossed his arms and let out a long breath. "Just use it already. We’ll see how it goes."

"Uhm... if everyone agrees, I’ll try it." Chelsie raised her staff and pointed it toward the three of them. "Carmen, use Null Veil on all of us."

[Alright, Romani girl. I’ll give it a try.] Carmen bowed her head slightly, paying her respects to Chelsie. "[Nuil Veil.]

In the blink of an eye, a red glow appeared at each of their feet. The red light quickly swirled around each of their bodies until their entire bodies were covered in it, then, in an instant, it vanished.

"Wait... that’s it?" Theo scratched his head, confusion clear on his face. "I don’t feel anything."

"Uhm... yeah. Null Veil doesn’t show any visible effect," Chelsie said as she walked toward the gate. "It only activates when something external tries to affect us. Come on—we need to get inside and find the others."

"Alright."

***

Silence greeted them the moment they stepped into the Twilight Sanctum. Heavy. Unnatural. Shaan could even hear the sound of their footsteps echoing across the space, forming an uneven, unsettling rhythm.

There was absolutely no one here, Nothing but thick clouds of pink smoke drifting through the area. To be honest, this made Shaan feel even more on edge about the threats that might be lurking around them.

"...I don’t see anyone," Nalira said, scanning the surroundings with sharp eyes. "What about you?"

"Nope." Theo clicked his tongue and shook his head slightly. "Nothing. Weakling, what about you?"

"Same here." Shaan exhaled and ran a hand through his hair. "Damn it... where is everyone? Why are we the only ones here—"

"Father!" Chelsie’s voice shattered the silence. "I-It’s him! That’s my father—I need to talk to him!"

"...Elsie, wait—!"

Before Nalira could finish speaking, Chelsie broke into a sprint and rushed straight into the thick pink smoke, where nothing could be seen, even though there was absolutely nothing to be seen there.

"Chelsie!" Shaan shouted.

No response. She didn’t slow down and ran even deeper into the pink cloud of smoke. This was serious; they had to chase after Chelsie right away, or something terrible would happen to her.