Olivia Sparks

"Code Black. I repeat, Code Black," a person yelled through the comms, startling MIB1. He was standing guard outside the Prime Minister's study when all hell broke loose.

In a split second, he kicked the locked door open and quickly ushered Maxen outside. They were walking down the hallway leading to the staircase when a loud booming sound shook the walls of the mansion. 

"Entrance clear," a voice echoed in the comms. "Code Black. Highlands under attack, confirmed."

Dust sprinkled in the air as another bomb detonated from the vicinity. Maxen's security detail acted in sync and precision, as though what was happening happened before. 

Circling Maxen, they walked towards the entrance of the mansion where the waiting envoy was.

Boarding the car, Maxen spoke, "Guns." His face was devoid of any emotion. He watched MIB1 from the backseat of the car as the former opened the glove compartment and took out 2 guns inside.

MIB1 then passed it to Maxen, who then checked the bullets loaded in the magazine. Both prayed that they wouldn't use it tonight.

The convoy whizzed down the road, flying towards the military's naval base where a helicopter would wait for Maxen. 

Protocol had it that should a war rise, Maxen was to leave the country and be flown to a secure location through the military's naval base.

On their way to their destination, Maxen accessed the cameras in Notios Estate, but all he saw was the carnage. A portrait of smoke, debris, and silhouettes of fallen comrades were all what's left. 

Checking Olivia's location, he saw that she was still somewhere in Notios Estate, and he guessed that she must have been hiding in the tunnels.

After what felt like an eternity, Maxen could let out a sigh of relief knowing that Olivia escaped.

Peering to the windows, Maxen's jaw clenched at the sight of civilians' terrified faces on the streets.

They were watching in horror as The Highlands, sitting on top of a hill, burned brightly, illuminating almost half of the hill with its dancing flames.

For a brief second, Maxen closed his eyes and imagined The Highlands and how it was once the impenetrable fortress.

He was prepared for this attack long before he even understood what the word really meant. His father, King Alistair, would repeatedly ingrain it to his consciousness. 

But things you learn in the books would often differ from in reality, and no matter how much you memorized each leaf, you would always be surprised to stumble upon an outlier.

"Your Highness, King Alistair is wounded but safe, so is Princess Maya and her family," MIB1 informed Maxen.

Maxen nodded and paused when it dawned on him that there was no mention of Queen Isla.

"How about mom? Where is she?"

"I can't get a word yet, but she was at Notios when it happened."

"Can you reach Shadow in your comms?"

"I'll try."

Maxen held his breath, waiting for MIB1s update. In the meantime, he dialed Wyatt's number, but he was not picking it up.

Dialing Wyatt's number for the fourth time, the call finally went through four minutes before ten in the evening.

"Maxen, are you safe?"

"Yes, thank you for your concern."

"Okay. That's good to hear. Can you meet me at the open grounds? Aerith. Please take care of Aerith."

"Wya—," Maxen's voice tapered off before he could utter Wyatt's name. His friend already dropped the call and when he dialed Wyatt's number one more time, but went straight to voicemail.

Meanwhile, MIB1 skipped the comms in contacting Shadow, and pulled out his phone. He speed dialed her number, and the call connected right away.

"Oh?" he stuttered, shocked that his call was answered on the first ring. "Hello?"

"Mmm."

F*ck. He cursed in his mind. "Are you shot?"

"Yeh."

"Are you with the queen and the princess?"

"No. Library."

"Where are they?"

"Tunnel."

Covering half of his phone, MIB1 looked over his shoulder and informed Maxen, "Your Highness, the Queen is with Princess Olivia in the tunnel."

"How many are inside?"

MIB1 repeated the question and nodded his head upon hearing Shadow's answer.

"Three, Your Highness."

Maxen didn't probe more and just nodded his head. "Thanks. That would be all." His tone was flat, but the hint of relief was still audible. 

To Maxen, there was nothing else he could do but wait it out. He couldn't run back to Notios and save his wife and mother, even if he wanted. Doing so would only put their life at jeopardy. At that moment, following their extraction procedures was the safest option for everyone. 

If Olivia and Queen Isla were inside the tunnel, then all they have to do was weather out the storm that befallen their family.

When Maxen turned his head towards the window, MIB1 shifted on his seat to talk some more with Shadow. They were nearing the military base, and once Maxen boarded the plane, everything in Nisia would change. Taking that as his chance, MIB1 asked one more time, "Are you safe?"

"Yana. Watch her."

"Okay. But are you safe?"

"Plants. Water… them."

MIB1 swallowed the painful lump in his throat, and his lips quivered when the portrait of a gravely wounded Shadow flashed in his eyes. 

Why would Shadow ask him to look after Yana and water her plants? They weren't even on speaking terms. 

Brushing off the image, he closed his eyes and focused on the sound of Shadow's shallow and faint breathing, but from where he sat, everything was too bright and too loud, confusing him. 

The car they were in jumped when it hastily crossed from the pavement and into the vast open field where a helicopter was waiting for them.

"Stay with me," MIB1 said, keeping the call on for as long as it could. He didn't want to leave Shadow alone in this time of chaos.

Checking his watch, the time read a minute past ten. As if choreographed, men alighted the car in unison, and made a human barricade as they ushered Maxen to the helicopter.

"All systems go?" the pilot asked, but Maxen instructed them to wait a little more.

A burst of red and orange painted the sky as if it was welcoming a new year, yet they haven't even celebrated Halloween.

After a few minutes, MIB1's patience was running thin. "Your Highness, we need to leave before the rebels can catch up to us."

Without looking at MIB1, Maxen responded, "A minute more, then we will leave. Oh, there they are."

MIB1's head snapped to where Maxen was looking at and saw a white silhouette floating. Soon, it turned into a vision of Wyatt carrying his daughter in his arms.

Nearing the helicopter, Wyatt then released Aerith, letting her stand. He didn't know if he would survive tonight, but he was at ease knowing his daughter would be placed in safe hands. 

Taking out his dog tag off his neck, he hung it on Aerith's neck. It was too long for her to wear as it dangled, kissing her belly button. 

"Go. Go." Wyatt pushed Aerith towards Maxen whose hands were outstretched to their direction.

Maxen waited as Aerith followed his father's instruction, only for her to run back, hugging his t.h.i.g.h. 

Wyatt tried to wiggle himself free from her clutches, but little Aerith was laughing, and soon he was laughing too.

Kneeling down, he pulled a pink scrunchie from his wrist and tied Aerith's hair in a low ponytail, 

After what felt like forever, Aerith finally walked towards the helicopter's direction, and Maxen offered a hand to help her board the aircraft.

Giving Wyatt a curt nod, Maxen promised, "I'll take care of her."

"No doubt about it!" Wyatt flashed his cheeky grin and sent Maxen off with a salute.

Soon, the helicopter lifted off the ground, and Maxen sat in silence, watching Aerith stealing glances on the window.

Suddenly, she started wailing and pounding the window. "PAPAAAAAAA!" she screamed her lungs out. 

She tried to make a run for the door, ready to jump out of the flying helicopter but MIB1 was quick to sedate the little one, jabbing a needle on her arm.

MIB1 immediately caught Aerith in his arms and breathed out a sigh of relief, thankful that he was able to find a tranquilizer in the helicopter's first aid kit earlier after Maxen told him they were waiting for Wyatt's child. 

He had an inkling that something like that would happen, so he located the small white box and was relieved to find a tranquilizer for his disposal. 

From his vantage point, Maxen had a bird's eyes view of everything below ground. The Highlands up in flames, and the emergency lights in Notios Estate blared from the distance. 

Swiping his hands over his face upon seeing his friend make a run back to the military camp, Maxen hoped that when the sun would come out from the horizon, their nightmare would end, and everyone would be safe and sound.

Down on the ground, Wyatt sprinted back to the military camp, never stopping until he reached his office where he changed into his uniform, and loaded up a few firearms.

He then marched towards the parking lot, where three military trucks were waiting for him.

On the way to their destination, Wyatt kept looking up in the sky, wishing to see Aerith's face one more time. 

He knew how his daughter had a wild imagination like her mother, and parting ways with him might have caused her to panic earlier.

Arriving at a highly guarded area, Wyatt was pulled out of his reverie. The elite team of sixteen men, alighted their trucks. 

Some checked the perimeters, while Wyatt and three more men stayed, breaking the thick chain holding the gates closed. 

The chains broke free and the gates swung open. Finding his way inside a small room on the corner of the property, Wyatt dusted the small station control board and turned it on.

He entered a passcode he knew by heart, and for the first time in a long time, Nisia disappeared in the nighttime sky as electric and radio satellites were cut off, blanketing the country in darkness and silence.

All geared up, and ready to fight for their freedom, Wyatt and his team head out for the second part of their operation: Extermination; because only parasites come out in the dark to leech off from their hosts.

In the dead of the night, war broke out between the military and the rebels. People hid in their houses and prayed for their lives to be spared. For hours, bullets flew boring holes in bodies and homes. 

When the sun rose on the east, and the symphony of gunshots ceased, bodies of those who perished in the war scattered around the streets. Along with those who were wrapped in white was Wyatt Ang—a dad, a platoon commander, and an STD survivor.