Funerals in the conservation area are stark, simple affairs.
A sliver of morning light, a plain coffin, a single headstone, and a final resting place dug from the barren, non-agricultural soil. That is all.
Few here know the Gray Raven Commandant, and only a handful of souls come to pay their respects.
Beside the headstone, white flowers stitched from an old blanket sway in the morning breeze. With wildflowers being a scarce luxury in the mining area, Melinoe has spent the night crafting these humble, fabric tributes to grief.
...My condolences, Liv.
Melinoe places the white flower in her hand at the base of the headstone and releases a soft, weary sigh.
...Yeah.
Liv lowers her eyes, her emotions unreadable.
She pats Liv's shoulder, a gesture of comfort where words are useless.
...Alright. Let's give Liv some time alone with her commandant.
The conservation area supervisor has grown adept at navigating these moments; she has witnessed too many goodbyes.
Lonely wives, grieving mothers, shattered friends—the same tragedy replaying across the planet in an endless cycle, each iteration carving unique and private scars.
As the morning mist thins, the other mourners drift away, leaving Liv alone before the modest stone. She stands silent and still, dew gathering like tears in her hair.
Liv...
The supervisor gently leads away a reluctant Melinoe and an oblivious Aisling, who is more interested in picking wild fruits. She leaves the graveside moment for Liv alone.
In the morning mining area, no birds sing.
The sky unfolds like pale cyan silk, with magnificent, colorful clouds stretching across the vast mountain range. The sun is about to rise.
And Liv sits quietly beside the commandant's makeshift tombstone.
Why... does it always have to be this way?
Why is it always you... giving everything just to buy us a little more time?
She has endured countless partings and deaths, witnessed tragedies as innumerable as the stars.
She once believed no one had mastered the art of facing calamity better than she had—that she had forged an impenetrable armor from a lifetime of tears and thorns.
So why, then? Why did her M.I.N.D. still fracture into a thousand shards of dust before the human's cooling body?
Whether it's in that future I never knew... or in this reality we fought for...
I was so naive... To think... if I just worked harder, if I carried a little more of the weight, I could change our fate...
Gray Raven Commandant, [player name].
Her fingers trace the epitaph she carved with her own hands, her lips silently forming the name.
She has seen the commandant unconscious, teetering on the edge of death.
She has seen the commandant's "corpse."
And this time... she has carved the commandant's tombstone with her own hands.
But... if you're not here to walk the path ahead with me...
How will I ever find the lighthouse in the fog?
Without you... without Gray Raven... I have nothing left.
A single tear escapes, falling to the earth and blossoming into a tiny splash.
It's all right... Now is not the time.
She gently wipes the tear stain away.
It's not time for tears yet, Commandant.
I won't mourn for you, because this is just a brief parting.
Kneeling beside the cold tombstone, she leans forward and presses a devoted kiss to the name she herself carved.
We will... meet again.
Meet again somewhere else.
Around the corner of the "cemetery," Melinoe waits anxiously.
When Liv finally emerges, she hurries over.
L-Liv? Are you alright?
Melinoe offers her a handkerchief.
...It's alright. I'm fine.
Liv responds with a pale smile.
...
Silence accompanies the two along the path. The low-angled morning sun pierces the canopy, fracturing the light and stretching their shadows into strange, wavering forms.
So... what are you planning to do now?
I mean... what's your next move? Are you heading to another conservation area for reinforcements, returning to Babylonia, or...?
I'll be staying in Conservation Area 368 for now.
Staying for now...?
Melinoe appears both pleasantly surprised and somewhat bewildered by Liv's answer.
Yes, I'm planning to stay for a while.
She puts a bit of distance between herself and Melinoe.
The matter with the Commandant... it needs closure.
I've already contacted Babylonia and filed a full report on everything that happened here.
They're sending personnel to assist. I'll remain here until the new Task Force squad arrives.
...Maybe that's for the best.
Melinoe presses her lips together, the lowered brim of her hat masking her expression.
The path is short; their brief conversation lasts only as long as the walk back to the conservation area.
Melinoe accompanies Liv to the house where Gray Raven had once stayed. She pauses at the entrance, peering into a room that now feels hollowed out, its past liveliness just a memory.
After a weighted silence, Melinoe finally speaks again.
Liv... are you sure... you'll be okay here by yourself?
...
Liv offers no reply, only silence.
...What if I let Aisling stay with you for now? At least until you leave.
Melinoe lets out a wistful sigh, her reluctance evident.
I'd always intended to raise her myself, without handing her off to anyone again... but...
It would be too lonely for you here otherwise.
Aisling, huh...
Alright then.
She's at the medical station now, still recovering from the shock. I'll bring her over to you... later today.
Before Liv can say anything more, Melinoe hurries away.
So it's Aisling, huh...?
Liv lifts her head. Above her, the sky unfolds in a water-clear azure.
Beyond the clouds, an intricate spiderweb engulfs the entire firmament, imprisoning this small world.
Behind a distant cosmic rift, a singular eye watches, silent and patient, observing the domain as if it were a self-contained biosphere.
Since that human's death, Liv—the one it had chosen—has plunged into an inexplicable flurry of activity.
She busies herself with incomprehensible data on a device called "terminal," sending messages to "Babylonia"—a place that does not exist in this world.
She frequents the medical station, teaching Melinoe how to treat wounds and heal the sick.
In her spare time, she keeps "Aisling" company, playing with her and teaching her to read and write.
She behaves like a genuine, tender mother.
Do we still need to prepare... for the matter there?
Of course.
What about... the things here?
...Is it time?
A whisper from the void gently permeates the deep cosmos.
No... not yet. Just a bit longer.
Through the dense cloud cover, it greedily drinks the ripples of warmth.
She will be mine... She will obey me. She will belong to me.
She will kneel in submission before me.
Liv continues her routine life in the conservation area, the only difference being the absence of that human.
The setting sun stretches the shadows of buildings into long, twisted forms, while misty clouds blur the line between earth and sky.
Another day passes.
People rise with the sun and rest at dusk. The celestial bodies continue their eternal dance, and the seasons arrive with unwavering precision. And yet...
Within this perfect cycle, the very concept of "time" has ceased to flow. Everything feels suspended, trapped in this clear block of amber.
No one remembers what day or month it is. No one remembers how long it has been since the commandant's death.
But Liv remembers.
Sitting by the doorway, she gently rolls that bullet between her fingers.
Inside her M.I.N.D., a blood-red mist smothers everything. Storms rage overhead, the ground is torn open, and a landscape of pure devastation stretches to the horizon.
She walks across this inner wasteland, her every step on the thorn-covered ground carving a deep groove—a relentless calendar etched not in days, but in despair and love.
Liv?
A visitor's gentle call pulls her back from the depths of her M.I.N.D.
Melinoe. You're here.
Liv offers a faint nod, remaining seated instead of rising to greet her.
I came to see Aisling... Where is she?
She went to play in the central plaza.
They converse with a casual ease, like two ordinary residents of the conservation area.
What a beautiful sunset... Seems like we're in for another nice day tomorrow.
Will you be coming back to help at the medical station? I never did thank you. That bleeding control technique you showed me last time worked really well...
Tomorrow...? Alright, I'll be there to help you tomorrow.
That's wonderful!
Melinoe's face lights up with a genuine smile.
Well then, I'll let you be. See you tomorrow.
See you tomorrow.
Watching Melinoe's silhouette fade into the distance, Liv gently etches another mark in her M.I.N.D.
Day 7 since the commandant was gone.
She still hasn't found a way to escape.
She tried asking about "time," yet her inquiries were met with bewildered looks and numbers too absurd to comprehend.
She also tried shadowing Melinoe for an entire day under the pretense of helping out, only to earn nothing but heartfelt thanks. Not a single flaw.
She even tried disrupting her M.I.N.D. again, but whether from distance or some other interference, she could not locate the commandant's Mind Beacon, let alone establish any contact.
But... didn't she already bury the commandant beneath that crude tombstone...?
The thought circles in her confused M.I.N.D.
Clank—
The sound of the bullet hitting the floor is unbearably crisp, snapping her from her spiraling numbness and draining the color from her face in an instant.
She picks it up. Deliberately, she presses the small metal object into her skin, her expression unchanged as she feels the pain.
Commandant isn't dead. Commandant must be... still searching for her.
She takes a slow, deep breath, forcing all her senses to focus on the cold, hard truth in her palm—
It was an unfired bullet.
A bullet... that should never have been lying beside the commandant's "corpse."
Deep in the Mine
Deep in the Mine
Some time ago... or rather, "a very long time" ago.
The chaos in Liv's M.I.N.D. began to affect your Mind Beacon in reverse.
The buzzing has persisted in your ears since then. Through your connection, you feel waves of continuous pain surging from the other end, as if... some external force is compressing Liv's M.I.N.D.
What exactly is happening to Liv...?
A light rain falls, and as the mist begins to part, the heavy clouds shrouding her M.I.N.D. crack open...
Commandant! Your location—
Before the word "M.I.N.D." can fully leave your lips, the clouds seal everything off once more.
At least you managed to tell Liv where to meet up.
You thought you'd at least managed to tell Liv where to meet up, but clearly, you were being too optimistic.
Are you... okay?
The little girl tugs at your sleeve with a bewildered look.
Once you reach the safe zone...
Several Hetero-Creatures lunge out from both sides. The already scarce ammunition in your gun dwindles even further.
You have finally reached the safe zone.
So this is a safe zone too...
She examines her surroundings with curiosity.
Will we... meet up with Liv?
Then, we're leaving this place soon?
As you answer the child, your hands are busy inspecting the safe zone's supplies.
The ammunition you find is the wrong caliber, useless to you.
A check of your own magazine reveals only two bullets remaining. The area is mostly clear of Hetero-Creatures, though. It should be sufficient to hold out until Liv reaches you...
Then, your thought is cut short by a faint tremor resonating through the rock beneath your feet.
There... it's collapsing...!
The little girl lets out a terrified scream.
At the distant tunnel junction, jagged boulders thunder down from the ceiling.
A deep rumble rolls through the mine, swelling into a deafening roar as violent tremors shudder through the rock. The ground itself heaves, splitting open into massive fissures that tear the tunnel apart.
You barely manage to load a single bullet into the magazine when the floor gives way beneath your feet. The gun and the remaining ammunition clatter from your grip, scattering toward a distant supply crate.
Just your luck... You were already down to your last two bullets...
As the world fractures and consciousness fades, that single, resigned thought is the last to echo in your mind.
Drip—
Sensation returns to you first—the cold, sharp sting of water droplets falling on your skin.
Drip—
Your mind struggles to clear as you force your eyes open. Only a few mineral crystals around you glimmer with an eerie, cold light.
A sharp, unifying pain converges on your brain from every inch of your body. When you try to move, your bones and joints grind together, releasing a muted cry of agony.
Fortunately... no serious fractures.
After a grim assessment of your wounds, you retrieve medicine and bandages from the emergency kit at your waist and apply a basic field dressing. Your hand then moves to your terminal, hoping to check for an escape route...
The fragmented memories connect. Your terminal... it should still be in the little girl's hands. And your gun...
The holster is empty. During the quake, the gun must have been shaken loose, lost somewhere in that "safe zone."
After a moment's rest, you test your limbs and haul yourself upright against the cold rock.
The mine is a labyrinth, but the distance of your fall places you roughly below and to the left of the safe zone.
The rock wall is clearly unclimbable, but your memory offers a lifeline: you've walked past the nearby branching tunnels.
At the first junction, a familiar scratch on the wall confirms you're on the right path.
You seize a sharp fragment of stone, a poor excuse for a weapon, and press on, keeping one hand on the rough wall for guidance. If those "illusions" stay away, you might just make it back to the safe zone.
The entire journey has been unsettlingly quiet.
The shadows feel empty. The "enemy" who's been pulling the strings behind seems preoccupied. You've seen nothing, not even a flicker of creatures or the earlier illusions.
Did they simply withdraw, or have they shifted their focus to Liv?
Then, at your third mark, you see Hetero-Creature limbs, torn and scattered across the ground.
You fight off the slight dizziness from the high Punishing concentration, using the rock to turn over the severed limbs.
These Hetero-Creatures weren't killed by your bullets. The wounds are long and crisscrossing. Only something specific in this mine could cause damage like this...
The Punishing concentration is still high, which means this thing died very recently. The thought ignites a spark in your chest:
Liv... must be just ahead?
Pressing straight ahead, you discover more severed limbs. The damage is clearly beyond what your bullets could inflict.
The wounds are long and crisscrossing. Only something specific in this mine could cause damage like this...
The Punishing concentration is still high, which means this thing died very recently. The thought ignites a spark in your chest:
Liv... must be just ahead?
Slash marks scoring the rock walls, clean cuts through fallen Hetero-Creatures...
It's as if Liv deliberately left this trail for you to follow. Tracing these signs, you're quickly led to a fork in the tunnel.
The path ahead is completely sealed by a wall of rock and soil.
There are no other traces in the surrounding area. Liv must have gone this way.
But for it to be sealed so thoroughly... could this really be a natural cave-in from the "tremors"?
There's no way you can clear this with the "tool" you have on hand.
The rubble is packed so tightly there's barely a gap. After considerable effort, you've only managed to dislodge two head-sized stones.
Your body protests. Evidently, your already-injured limbs aren't up for this. Before you can even make a dent, your leg bone emits an ominous crack.
Searching through your memories, you recall that somewhere nearby there should be... a Rodent squad's "safe zone."
Following the markers left behind, you find it soon. Tucked into an inconspicuous small cave—one you and Liv had previously bypassed for being too cramped—is the safe zone.
And there, sitting undisturbed in the corner, are two supply crates.
The first crate holds several large-caliber rounds and multiple packs of compressed rations.
Vail! Why are you carrying so many rations?! Constructs don't need to eat! What do you mean, "just in case"?! It doesn't matter how many cases you're preparing for! You still don't need them!
The second supply crate contains several packs of mini explosives.
Ymir... I've told you, you can't carry this many explosives. We're in a mine. If these detonate, we'll all be buried alive! Please, just listen to me once. Leave some here...
You hastily gulp down a few of the compressed rations, feeling the synthetic nutrients briefly revitalize your exhausted body. Then, you empty the crate, loading yourself up with every last one of the mini explosives. Turning on your heel, you head back toward the fork in the tunnel.
BOOM!!
Dust and smoke billow through the air as your mini explosives detonate in the narrow mining tunnel, blasting open a path that beckons you forward with unstoppable momentum.
Sure enough, Liv's marks appear once again along this branching path.
After confirming your Mind Beacon is stable—no chaos, no illusions—you charge straight down this sole tunnel.
Your instinct screams that Liv is just ahead.
So when you find your way blocked by yet another "accidental" cave-in, you find it entirely unsurprising.
The earlier explosion seems to have drawn attention. Your skin crawls with the certainty of being watched, but a frantic scan of the area reveals nothing. No trace of any "creatures."
It doesn't matter. Whether it's the enemy stalking you from the shadows or the creatures lurking in the tunnels, nothing will stop you now.
BOOM—!!
Brilliant flames erupt outward. The Rodent squad's mini-explosives pack an inexplicably devastating punch.
With the blast, a wave of catharsis shatters the frustration of being toyed with in the illusory realm. Clutching the stone in your hand like it's Babylonia's most powerful weapon, you press forward without hesitation.
BOOM—!!!
The camouflaged rock wall is torn open, revealing a dark, gaping maw.
And there, just before your last explosive is spent, you finally find her. Your Liv.
She lies encased, a prisoner within a cradle of bizarre, glittering minerals.
The howls of Hetero-Creatures echo, closing in from all sides. The true objective of the one pulling the strings is now crystal clear.
BOOM—!!
Your strategically placed explosives obliterate the first wave of creatures blocking the exit. There's no time to wait for the second. You scramble up the mineral structure, reaching the crystalline cradle where Liv lies dormant.
Your Mind Beacon flares, blazing like a star. At this distance, it's close enough to establish a Deep M.I.N.D. connection with Liv.
Day 19 since the commandant was gone.
Commandant... gone? Where... did Commandant go?
Her M.I.N.D. functions sluggishly, thick with fog as the malignant mineral cradle works to erase every trace of the human.
Liv stands at the basin by the window, gazing at her own reflection in the mirror.
I...
Her M.I.N.D. resonates with a low hum as she struggles to part her lips.
I am...
I'm from Gray Raven...
I'm from... Conservation Area 368...
I...
Cold water rushes from the faucet, the icy shock against her skin making her yank her hands back.
Then, the bullet in her pocket suddenly burns. Trembling uncontrollably, she clutches the scorching metal round—
A torrential downpour erupts within her M.I.N.D., dispersing the blood-red mist. The rain washes over the bone-deep scars etched into the ground.
And in the mirror, over the shoulder of her own reflection, appears the face etched into her very soul.
Comman...
It's been so long since she formed that word. Her tongue tangles, but the gears of her consciousness, stripped of their rust, begin to turn again.
Commandant!
Without a moment's hesitation, Liv clenches her fist and smashes the mirror.
A hurricane engulfs the entire space.
