Leave this city as quickly as possible?
Abandon everything here? Leave these civilians to fend for themselves?
Nearl the Radiant Knight instinctively tightened her grip on the communicator in her hand. A profound sense of helplessness closed around her heart, making even breathing feel far heavier.
The Kuranta Nearl wore spotless armor and held a sword-lance wreathed in golden radiance.
It represented the knightly traditions passed down through her family for generations, as well as her own tenacity and courage.
But now, none of it was of any use before the increasingly terrifying Scourges. Nearl did not even dare shift her gaze away from the communicator, afraid to face the questions the civilians would ask next.
"Lady Knight, are you all right?" A child looked up at Nearl.
Seeing the fear in the child's eyes and the purity not yet corroded by Kazimierz's decadent ways, Nearl faltered. She answered softly, "Everything is fine. The Scourge... will still take some time before it fully erupts. We still have time to escape."
The anxious civilians breathed sighs of relief. They had already seen everything the knight before them had done for them during the earlier incidents. Thanking Nearl, they continued down the street toward the outskirts of the city.
"You lied to them." A somewhat cold male voice reached Nearl's ears. It came from a mysterious man dressed in heavy clothing, his face completely concealed beneath a hood.
Nothing could be seen beneath the hood, only fathomless darkness.
This was Rhodes Island's Doctor, a genius whose command ability left anyone who had worked with him deeply awestruck.
The Doctor spoke evenly, as though pointing out Nearl's lie was no more than an idle remark. But Nearl became caught in a moral struggle. Trying not to let weakness show on her face, she