OLD-WORLD EXTRA

***

In a much darker, more secluded room stood Lyra, her body barely visible, covered like usual under a cloak of black.

She seemed to be alone, the flickering light from a nearby holoscreen casting her shadow across the room.

Her red eyes glanced at a distant window, landing on the Tower of the Academy which rose high to the sky.

She was a few buildings away from the Academy, far from the halls and their students, yet due to her vantage point they were clear as day.

This room she was in was within the few apartment complexes that surrounded the Academy's walls, using it as guaranteed protection.

It was a hotspot for crime, as there was no better place to get away with illegality than right under the UEF's nose.

As the saying went, the safest place to hide was always in plain sight, and nowhere was plainer than the heart of the beast.

This 'beast' was observant, aware of the dealings happening within, but it never interfered, preferring to watch instead, adopting Amon's strategy of maintaining control.

So there was a mutual understanding between lawbreakers and enforcers, though never openly acknowledged.

This naturally made the area the safest place to commit crimes, but of course, this only held true as long as certain lines weren't crossed.

The owners of these places didn't mind either, most of them being compensated for their show of ignorance, but not all of them were like that.

While the world was certainly twisted, the pure hearted like Xavier and the monocle wearing gentleman still existed to this day and they...

Well, they were the ones truly ignorant.

Such things were hidden from them, so no reports took place.

After all, the closer one was to the lion's den, the less likely they'd be suspected of being a thief.

Heh...

Turning around, Lyra exited the room and entered another, a king-sized bed in the middle. She then pulled back the sheets and a figure appeared, wires stuck to their neck.

Lyra didn't know if they were a man or woman, their entire body was metal, especially the neck, where an external inlet was fitted.

Since the start, she figured this person to be a Netweaver, and they were the one who had most likely given Templar detailed information.

The Praying Lady had her prophecies, but, as written in the 'novel,' they weren't detailed, only giving vague information about events.

This vagueness increased whenever the fate behind the event was heavy or unique, which was why she was able to find out the date when Earth's Aether would increase.

That fate had a bright star and was light in weight due to its common nature.

At least, that last part was what Emir had assumed.

Now, the person in front of Lyra was dead, as she had appeared to have immediately killed them the moment she snuck into this apartment, their blood cold and coagulated.

It might seem like it if one judged by the silence, but she wasn't the only person alive in there.

Turning to the bathroom, she opened the door, and dragged a man by his feet, throwing him to the ground near the bed.

"Filthy insect..."

Taking a cloth from a table nearby, she rubbed her hand, cleaning it, then approached the man, stepping on his neck with the base of her foot.

He wore an augmented suit, though it was deactivated since Lyra had removed the energy stem pack, leaving it as useless as regular clothing.

However, it still was far from ordinary. freёnovelkiss.com

Since the suit was made of nanobots, those defensive capabilities were still present, and even without its functionality, the UEF's insignia-a globe behind a leaf and sword-still set it apart.

Right, this was the inside man, one of the irreplaceable keys to the attack that had nearly brought the Academy's public image to its knees.

The man had worked at the academy for many years, blending into the background, unnoticed by most, nothing more than an extra.

Yet he had access to critical information—the kind that could tip the scales in favor of those who knew how to use it.

It was he who Templar had extracted the information from, learning from him of the students' forwarded departure to the ruin, noticing the subtle movements behind the scenes at the Academy, and offering Templar the perfect opportunity to strike.

While he hadn't directly betrayed the Academy, he allowed the Netweaver to 'steal' off his daily diary, as well as play with his mind, bypassing the binding contract.

This strategy was pretty smart since if the man himself didn't know he was going against the contract, no death could occur.

And because no one under the same contract knew of his actions, the system failed to pick up on his betrayal.

Emir was an exception, it didn't matter that he knew, technological contracts couldn't bind

him.

Anyhow, the guard's betrayal hadn't been cheap.

From what Lyra could extract, it had taken more than a few bribes, promises of power, and freedom from the chains that bound him.

It wasn't known if he had been forced to do it or if it was of his complete initiative.

But in the end, he had delivered exactly what was needed-access, timing, and detailed knowledge that only someone on the inside could provide.

Her gaze remained fixed on the man, her expression cold.

'Pathetic.'

She stepped back and gestured for people to enter.

A man who wore similar clothing to her appeared from behind.

"Wake him up."

"Yes, Sir!"

He moved swiftly at her command, forcing a pill down the man's throat before slapping his

face hard enough to redden it.

The guard stirred, jerking awake with a trembling gasp, though it was muffled by the

restraints over his mouth.

His eyes darted around in panic, but there was no escape-only the cold, silent stares of those who had brought him back to consciousness.

Without giving him any time to understand what was happening, she began to speak:

"So... you've done what was asked of you and betrayed the Academy. Unknowingly or not,

willingly or not, it doesn't matter. Your past self made that decision."

Kneeling closer, she flicked her right wrist, and a gauntlet blade sprouted, gleaming under the

dim light.

"But don't think for a second that your part in this is over."

The blade's tip touched his face causing blood to flow as he tried to move away, but the

cloaked man didn't allow him, holding him down.

"You will continue to serve."

Her tone left no room for argument, but it didn't seem like the man would even try to do that.

He had given up.

"If you don't, you'll die a really... slow... death. But if you do, then I'm sure your death will be

a sweat as this blood you're leaking."

Lyra stood up and turned away, dismissing the man with a wave of her hand.

As she walked out, another two shadowy men approached, entering the room behind her.

"Get him to talk and kill himself. Check the netweaver's brain, we need to find out when and

where they'll meet."

They stepped on the ground at her command.

"Yes, Sir!"

The "plot holes" were beginning to fill in, piece by piece, and Lyra was determined to uncover

every single one of them...

It was her prince's command.