The End's Christmas (8) Extra
The long corridor on the 13th floor of the underground research lab.
Without warning, a gunfight had erupted. In the darkness, flashes of gun muzzles flickered with the echoing bangs.
“Eve! Did you grab the vaccine?!”
Irien shouted.
Eve had only been in the E B-2019 laboratory for about five minutes. Irien, waiting in the corridor, heard a bullet whiz past her ear with a whoosh. Startled, she immediately threw herself to the ground and hid behind the marble statue in the corridor.
“Reload! Elia, magazine!”
“Here!”
She caught the magazine Elia threw with one hand. The moment her last magazine fell to the floor, anxiety surged. There was no ammunition left to load into the magazine. The only things remaining were one submachine gun magazine from Eve and two from Elia's pistol. If they stayed here any longer, they'd be slaughtered without a chance.
“Second Lieutenant Eve! How much longer?!”
“Just a little longer, hold on a little longer!”
“Eve! I can't hold on anymore, there are too many enemies!”
The statue behind which she was hiding was subjected to concentrated fire, sending marble dust flying everywhere.
“Impossible, this can't be happening!”
“-Eve!”
“There’s only one vaccine! It must be somewhere else-”
“-Enough, it’s useless! No time to hesitate, come out quickly!”
From the end of the corridor, the sound of clanging metal began to echo. That ominous metallic sound reverberated through the darkness dozens of times. Focusing more, the sound became clearer and louder.
“Damn it, Eve!”
Heavy flamethrower soldiers were coming this way.
It's dangerous. This is dangerous.
The hair on the back of her neck stood on end.
“Ah, no. If I don't have this-”
“-Are you thinking of dying here?!”
She shouted with all her might, her face turning red.
Eve clenched her fists until her knuckles cracked.
There was only one vaccine in the laboratory. Just one.
With a pounding in her head, memories from three years ago surfaced.
“Second Lieutenant Eve?”
“Yes, Priestess.”
“Nice to meet you.”
The firefly priestess who had come to the Endel research lab to express opposition to the research on the Unknowns parasite. And Eve, who had performed her escort duty for that day at the upper management's instructions. But for some reason, the priestess suddenly canceled all the scheduled appointments.
“Cecile, you must not become a lost child again. Understood?”
The cat-eared girl who appeared to be an apprentice nodded quietly. The priestess wandered around the research lab with the girl, leisurely passing the time. After some time, when the orange sunset entered through the black glass windows of the research lab, she placed the dozing acolyte on the sofa in the corridor for a moment and said to herself:
“Sorry, this kid is first time in Sector 09.”
“Priestess, excuse me, but may I ask what brings you here-”
“-I came to meet you, the successor of the firefly.”
An unexpected answer came out.
Eve looked around, thinking there must be someone else.
But in the corridor, there was only her and the priestess.
“Huh…? Me? What does that mean-”
“-We have no more way to stop the prophesied apocalypse anymore.”
“Apocalypse?”
“Actually, I hoped you wouldn't come here.”
What kind of talk is this.
The conversation developed too suddenly.
Eve couldn't follow the priestess's words.
“Ah, don't misunderstand. It's just that the prophecy hit, that's all. Meeting you is very happy.”
“Prophecy…?”
The firefly priestess staring at her just gave a faint smile. She didn't answer her question.
“Follow me.”
“Priestess?”
The priestess walked for a while and stopped abruptly somewhere.
“Remember this place. It matches your name quite well.”
Eve looked at the white finger pointing.
The serial number attached in front of a laboratory door, eB-2019.
“...This too is the guidance of fate, I suppose.”
The priestess muttered and continued.
“The number 2019 indicates the fate of the chosen one.”
“Priestess, what you're saying now is-”
“The words the gods speak are like that.”
The priestess turned her body and slowly walked down the corridor again.
“Second Lieutenant Eve, have you received the blessing ritual?”
“Yes, once when commissioned as sergeant.”
Eve's gaze was fixed on her back. The priestess walked for a while and stopped at the window where the sunset was well received. The corridor was surprisingly devoid of any presence. A heavy silence grew between them.
“...It's a bit early, but I'll give you the blessing of the firefly.”
At dusk, when the evening was setting in, the priestess said that. Eve, understanding the meaning, knelt on one knee in front of her and bowed.
The priestess's soft touch was felt on her head.
“My dear child, due to this meeting, the end has begun. Unfortunately, we are in the flow of cause and effect. I have lost my power and cannot change the flow of this matter. Therefore, the meeting between you and me is inevitable. Everything is the repetition of 'that time', losing is gaining. The 'successor' that proclaims the end of the end. It will be made through the sacrifices of countless people who could not become vessels.”
The priestess continued solemnly.
“The greed of the foolish will wound the mother's breast. Streets will burn. Corpses that cannot die will block the way. Those with twisted beliefs will chase you. But go forward, my beloved child. Stand up again, my precious child. Become a firefly in the darkness. If you do so, once, when you recall my 'prophecy', I will gather my last remaining strength to save you from the crisis.”
Eve engraved those words in her heart.
But isn't this not feeling like a blessing?
The priestess's voice was filled with bitter sorrow.
“Now look up and face me, successor of the firefly.”
Eve looked up.
“Trials will come.”
“Priestess? Stand up!”
The high priestess knelt in front of her.
“So choose. But don't regret.”
With eye levels equal, their eyes met.
On the surface of the priestess's pupils, a mysterious light shimmered.
The gentle fragrance of lupine flowers seeped into the tip of the nose.
“And when you recall this conversation someday-”
At the time, she didn't know.
But now she knew.
“-You will say to the chosen one like this.”
The chosen one.
The one chosen by cruel fate.
The one chosen by the sacrifices of those who could not become vessels.
“Dia ophs telede (Θα είναι όπως θέλετε).”
Eve's short memory stopped there.
She stuffed the vaccine into her backpack and ran out.
“Follow me! This way!”
At that moment, Eve saw an enemy approaching close to Irien.
“Irien! Two o'clock direction, crouch!”
“What?! Damn!”
The moment Irien crouched, Eve aimed and fired at the enemy. With a thud, two gunshots rang out, and the enemy's head burst.
“Almost died. Thanks-”
Without time to catch her breath, the thumping sound approached. Every time the heavy armored soldiers advanced toward them, the floor vibrated.
“Burn to death, you little rats.”
A low, hoarse voice of a fanatic echoed from behind the gas mask. A flat, emotionless voice, not mixed with any feeling.
“Damn, crazy bastards!”
Irien poured out all her remaining bullets.
But the heavy armor seemed unscathed.
“It is the Executor’s order. Burn you to death for sure.”
The crimson flames spouting from the flamethrower engulfed Irien. The right sleeve of her uniform burned and stuck to her skin. The terrifying pain spread over her skin, so she gritted her teeth.
“Irien Sergeant, fall back!”
Simultaneously with Elia's shout, there was a bang.
Thick smoke filled the corridor. It was a smoke bomb.
“Nice, Elia!”
Irien, who had slid out from behind the statue with a slight gap, slid to Eve.
After that, the three of them ran at full speed at a speed they had never run before. Passing through the maze-like corridor, they climbed the secret passage and quickly reached the second floor basement, panting heavily.
“...Those bastards... how did they notice?”
“I don't know...”
Eve, clutching her chest, barely answered.
“Lobby, they must be spread out there.”
“Second floor, jump out the window and down. There's no other way.”
“Good idea, huh-!”
Irien grimaced in pain, clutching her arm.
“Sergeant, show the burned area.”
Upon Elia's words, she obediently took off her military coat.
Blood and blisters flowed down her right arm melted by heat.
“Hold on a little longer.”
Elia's hand reached near Irien's burned area.
But she couldn't bring herself to touch the wound.
“Damn. It hurts like hell.”
“Here, painkiller. It might help a little.”
“-Then Elia, feed it to me.”
Irien opened her mouth with a pout.
“If you have the strength to joke-”
“-Ah, it really hurts! I might die!”
She said it with the intention of joking,
but Elia's expression darkened in an instant.
Irien said in a light voice, feeling a bit embarrassed.
“Sorry for joking. It's okay, give it here.”
“...Just this once.”
Something went into her mouth.
Irien swallowed it in one gulp and had a dazed expression for a moment.
“Surprisingly has a cute side.”
She muttered that.