The one retrieved from The Void

The main plaza was much like the rest of Nu: bustling and chaotic. When they arrived, the word-of-mouth network had worked well, and most merchants had already sent someone with the necessary information. Thanks to that, the rest of the day went by relatively smoothly. Nu, unlike other places, didn't have traditional days, since it lacked a natural rotation. There was no night or day to speak of. Instead, they measured time by the solar system's standard: 24-hour days and 7-day weeks.

By the end of their work, they were exhausted. They had dealt with countless people, processed numerous requests, and ensured everything was in order.

"It's finally over," Aura sighed.

"There were so many of them," Carmilla groaned.

"But everything went smoothly," Ken said with a satisfied grin. "Now we can finally rest."

"Yeah, after today, we deserve it," Yuu agreed.

"Let's just double-check everything, and then we can head back to the dorms," Vas suggested, scrolling through the files they had received from the merchants.

They spent a few more minutes going over the documents to ensure nothing was missing. Once they were completely sure, they left the plaza, which was as lively as when they had first arrived. Returning to their quarters, they immediately set to work on their report—a detailed summary they needed to hand over to Paula. She would review it and inform them of the next steps since, apparently, they had completed their first task in just one day.

After wrapping up their assignments, it was finally time to relax. Everyone gathered in the kitchen.

"Oh, finally! Time to eat!" Ken exclaimed excitedly as he burst into the room.

Vas arrived a bit later than the others, having stayed back in his room to mull over the situation with the gangs and how to help Lewis climb to the top of his.

"Oh, Vas! Over here!" Ken called out as soon as he saw him enter. "All this food was made by the inmates!"

The dinner was set up buffet-style, with various dishes laid out to choose from. Throughout the day, they had been tormented by the tantalizing smells of spices and cooking, so now, given the chance to dig in, they didn't hold back. Vas filled his plate with a variety of foods that caught his attention.

When he went to find a seat, Ken waved him over to a table where students from other planets had gathered. As Vas sat down, Lily arrived, quickly filling her own plate before joining him. Carmilla was already seated at the table, engaged in conversation.

The table was lively, with discussions going in all directions. But then one voice cut through the chatter.

"Come on, that's bullshit," one of the students scoffed.

Vas exchanged a puzzled glance with Lily. "What are you guys talking about?" he asked.

"This guy here is saying that this prison is part of some big conspiracy," another student explained, pointing to a chubby young man from Pyros with scorched hair.

"Conspiracy?" Lily asked, her curiosity piqued. "Care to elaborate?"

The Pyrosian student, Pach, hesitated under her gaze.

"Don't be shy," Lily encouraged. "I'm genuinely curious."

Ken rolled his eyes. "You don't have to entertain Pach. He's always been into conspiracy theories and stuff."

"I'm curious too," Vas said, not looking up from his plate. "Mind sharing with us?"

"Huh, why do you care?" another student asked, his tone dripping with condescension.

Vas ignored the question, continuing to eat in silence. The table grew quiet, everyone waiting for his response.

"Mmm… aren't you going to say something?" Pach asked, looking uncertain.

"Do we need to ask his permission before you speak?" Lily shot back, a playful confusion in her voice.

"I wasn't talking to him," Vas replied calmly, finally lifting his gaze to meet Pach's eyes. "I was speaking with you. There's no need to answer someone who's not part of the conversation."

"Oh... okay," Pach stammered. The student who had tried to provoke Vas flushed red with embarrassment. Back at school, Vas was often a target for taunts, but he never reacted, simply ignoring them and going on with his life. The student had forgotten that detail, making himself look foolish in the process.

"So, the theory goes like this," Pach began. "The resources poured into this place are astronomical. The training required to be a guard or officer here is insanely rigorous. And once inmates leave, they completely vanish. Sure, they can request new identities, but someone should be able to find at least a trace of them, right? Yet, there's nothing—like they vanish into thin air."

"Come on," Ken interjected. "That's just government secrecy. They probably keep tabs on everyone, but it's classified."

"Let him finish," Vas said, his voice firm. Ken, feeling a strange compulsion, fell silent.

"Well, Ken's not wrong," Pach continued. "But here's the thing—not even Aetherion Council agents can find any info on the former inmates. And here's where it gets wild: there's a theory that this place is a front, a prison for those caught by the SCD and Kadmon."

Vas's eyes flickered with interest, though he kept his expression neutral.

"SCD and Kadmon?" Lily asked, feigning ignorance.

"The SCD is the Council's special division for tech experiments," Pach explained. "Kadmon, on the other hand, handles the Occult. They're like the Council's black ops, but they don't answer to anyone."

"Okay, but if that's true, who the hell are these so-called inmates?" another student challenged. "They don't exactly look like mad scientists or ghost hunters."

"They're specialized operatives," Vas said, setting down his fork. "That's why there's no trace of them before or after—they become entirely different people."

"Then where are the real prisoners?" Yuu asked, genuinely intrigued.

"The theory is they're kept underground," Pach replied. "This place was a mining site during the war, so it goes deep. On paper, the lower levels were sealed off, but if you were to build a prison, wouldn't it make more sense to put it underground?"

"Damn, it's starting to make sense," Ken admitted reluctantly.

"That would explain why everyone we met feels so... fake," Lily added.

"Agreed," Vas nodded.

"And who are these underground prisoners?" Carmilla asked, her curiosity piqued.

"No one knows for sure," Pach said. "There's another theory that ties in—people say the war we know about was just a cover. There was another, hidden conflict, but all records of it were wiped."

"Interesting," Vas said thoughtfully. "Thanks for sharing, Pach. If you need anything, let me know."

"Uh, sure," Pach replied, looking slightly disappointed as Vas didn't give him any contact info.

"Vas," Lily scolded lightly, "how's he supposed to reach you without your info?"

"Oh, right." Vas stood up, grabbed his plate, and walked over to Pach. "Here, this is my contact info. Reach out anytime."

"Thanks," Pach said, looking relieved.

"Hey, what about me?" Ken asked, standing up. "Can't I contact you too?"

"Of course," Vas said with a sly grin. "Ask Pach for my info."

Lily chuckled, quickly finishing her meal. "Nice meeting you, Pach," she said, handing him her contact details as well. "Reach out if you need anything."

Catching up with Vas, Lily asked, "So, why did that story catch your interest?"

"Because I think it's true," Vas admitted. "There's something off about this place. The 'inmates' are too well-trained, and they're terrible at pretending."

"And?" Lily pressed, "What's it matter if it's true?"

"It doesn't. Not yet, at least," Vas said. "Just a feeling... it might be important later."

Lily sighed. "Alright. I'll be ready if anything comes up."

"Thanks for trusting me," Vas said with a genuine smile.

"You're like a brother to me," Lily replied with a shrug. "Of course I trust you."

"Goodnight, Lily," Vas said.

"Goodnight," she answered, watching him walk away.