Li felt strangely forted aed each time she saw Aira meditating on the roof. The view was to die for. Snowy mountains around them, m sun rising over the peaks, p red light over the valley. She hoped for a moment they'd be able to keep this peaceful state forever. But then, what was their end goal? How long would their bizarre alliance survive? And undead and a human. How much did they have in on besides their escape from Mountain View?

  Li shivered a bit. "How you sit still in this chilly weather?" she asked.

  The winter was still in full force. Especially here, at the high altitude of the mountains. That, however, didn't seem to be much of an issue for Aira, with her powerful magid ability to tap into the energy grid they created. Li, oher hand, was happy to find a stock of sturdy clothes that had survived all these years sihe Fall.

  Aira woke from her meditative state. For a moment, she looked around as if not seeing anything. Then blinked, looked at Li, and smiled. She growled softly.

  "Good m to you too!" Li said, smiling back.

  "This gear is something else," Li ented, shifti from one foot to the ht at the roof's edge and pointing ts, her breath misting in the chilly air. "Fox's whiskers, it feels brand new! My grandfather passed me ranger gear that ractically patchwork by the time it got to me. But this stuff? Solid as oak. The as kheir way around fabric, didn't they?"

  Li rubbed her legs as if not believing the clothes were real. "But the material is different, it doesn't look or feel anything like our fabrics," she said. "What do you think, Aira? If the gadgets survived all these years, maybe the as knew something about other materials as well, right? Still, it's wilder than a briar patch to think this stuff outsted the people who made it by so mauries."

  Aira shrugged.

  Both women, by this moment, were probably on the same level of knowledge about the fallen civilization's teology and history. They found a probable answer in the books: syid posite materials that had turies of shelf life if stored properly. And it seemed to Li that Aira was impressed han her. Maybe even more. The undead woman eveiohat this sort of quality was absolutely unthinkable in her home world. Supposedly, they had to stantly use magic to prolong the life of old items. Cast spells or put entments. But loy was never an innate property of any cloth.

  ***

  Li's mention of her grandfather reminded Aira of the first time they saw this valley and the a facility. And then, the train of thought took her even further, reminding Aira of her incredible journey. While it didn't feel as dreadful as when she was just transferred to this world after that straual anymore, the facility's teological enviro starkly trasted the vibrant, mana-infused ndscapes she oraversed. Still, somewhere, somehow, these two worlds merged in the gadgets from Li's town, in the devices that allowed Aira to access the System.

  Other than that, this new world as a whole, or at least the parts Aira had a ce to experience already, wasn't much different from anything Aira had experienced before. There were people here. They had their usual power struggles and dramas. The trees were trees, and the grass was grass. There were more moons in the sky, but Aira wouldn't say it affected her that much. Other than if she wao brood under a dark sky, which was almost impossible here uhe weather was terrible.

  Well, there was that whole thing about the differen the style of magic. But Aira expio herself that the System may have maed differently here for some wild reason. In the end, no one really khe logic behind the System. They only used the powers it bestowed on all people. Well, some people, as it was obvious now.

  Aira's mind wao the days when she could cast spells effortlessly, bendiy to her will. Now, she relied on teology and her newfound Energy Manipution. She had to sud infuse power, iing this was with inanimate objects, humans, and animals alike. But even if it was the main thing that had ged in her life, she could find simirities to her old skills.

  "So," Li said, her hands on her hips as she turo Aira, interrupting her p. "What's the pn, partner? We shadowfoot it through the bunker some more, or you join me for a huher way, keep your branches covered. There's no telling what's lurking out there."

  Aira growled softly in resporetg and standing up from her meditation pose. Li had e to uand this sound as a friendly greeting.

  "Let's see what else we find," Aira transmitted, her excitement palpable even through the veil magid radio waves. "I still hope to get more information about the undead. I know nothing of them yet. And it feels like my journey 't be plete without them pying some part in it."

  Even while Aira and Li had already spent more than two months in that a building, it felt like they had explored only its tiny fra. Or, it would be more reasoo say a small fra of the bunker, as they started to call it, they now inhabited. The outside halls didn't offer them anything valuable.

  It felt like this secret space was desigo host thousands of humans. It was clearly indicated by the size of the stashes of the items they found ie rooms. But also by the avaibility of space dedicated to sleeping quarters, kits, and all other ies. They also found food reserves besides tools, gadgets, and materials. But unlike everything else that the warehouses held, all the perishables, well... perished a while ago. Not that it upset Aira and Li. They were much more ied in experimenting with tech than expl a cuisines.

  As time passed, they tiheir studies and exploration of the facility. By that moment, Li also became quite good at reading the texts of the a people. In the end, when they weren't hunting or doing other chores, they didn't have to spend much time on anything besides learning and reading old manuals and workbooks.

  And there were lots of insightful dots and tomes to explore there. The archive they found during the first days was one of many. It was a real treasure trove of knowledge. Nothing, however, to Li's and Aira's disappoi, could shed any light on the history of the Fall and the separation of the humans and the undead. It seemed like this facility erational... until it wasn't. Leaving no evidence of what happened during and after the Fall.

  It didn't look like the facility had a ce to fulfill its purpose of hosting ahat was until Aira and Li stumbled upon that closed door and uncorked this bunker. And they definitely weren't those thousands of people the space was intended for.

  Meditation tio be a signifit part of Aira's daily routine. Since regaining access to at least some of her powers, it became a staple of Aira's training once again. And now, with a better uanding of electric systems both on magical and teical levels, Aira tinued experimenting with different circuits and devices, stantly expl them with her senses. Instead of fog on her mana-based magic, as she did before, she now explored the intricate circuits of gadgets and their e to the outer world.

  The most ret breakthrough allowed her to finally send moduted energy pulses to those headphones so that Li could hear her voice without beirocuted. Giving them a secure option to unicate quietly and effitly without relying on loud devices and shouting, which could attrawatention.

  Every bit ress like that made Aira believe more and more that she could succeed in her yet unknown mission in this world. Every time her life was made easier, she felt like more and more pressure was lifted off her. And having a ce to talk to Li without any hindrance was a great boon.

  Oilted and slow, their versations now flowed smoothly, and overall, Aira felt a sense of achievement she hadn't experienced in a long time. They had a safe base; they could discuss all they wanted, and their days were filled with tasks and routines, leaving no time for any doubts. It could tinue forever this way if Aira just made a decision to abandon her quest for answers.

  ***

  Ihat eaceful time Aira and Li spent in that grand a building. They weren't ever disturbed either by humans or by anyone else sihey started expl the old facility. All patrols passed by without even trying to venture in and it really seemed the added pieces of te the roof weren't noticed by the outsiders. However, nothing good sts forever.

  The tranquility was shattered one day when a small party ers approached the entrance arch. They weren't too cautious and didn't even try to lower their voices, seemingly not expeg to meet anyone in the building that was looted decades ago.

  Aira didn't pay much attention to their approach, until it was too te. During the previous patrols, all rangers just looked at the a structure from the distance before tinuing their trek.

  This time it was different, though. And the reason for that unfortunate event soon became apparent to Aira and Li, who were doing the maintenan the roof. One of the rangers was in evident distress. Even from the height of the a building's top floors, they could hear the pitiful sounds he made. Was it the sequence of a wound or something else? That was hard to tell, though. And it didn't really matter.

  "By the roots, looks like we're not alone anymore," said Li, her voice dropping to a whisper. "I 't see from this height if that's someone I know. What's the pn, Aira?"

  Aira growled softly, giving a signal to stay quiet and alert. They quickly gathered their equipment and hid them at the farthest er of the roof. Not losing a moment, they desded towards the ground floor. However, it was already too te when they approached the corridor that led to their bunker. Some of the rangers sent for reaissaiced the freshly id bundles of cables that led to the hidden tunnel and began the exploration.

  Their hiding pce was discovered. And all of that because Aira became too soft. She had promised herself that she would make it a habit to stantly s her surroundings with her Energy Manipution skill. But their life in the bunker was so cozy, so easy, so... fun.

  Now, they had to pay for the fun.

  "Do you remember if we closed the door?" sent Aira directly to Li's headphones.

  "Elder's beard! I don't think so!" excimed Li. "Just shows how torch-blind rexed we became in the past weeks."

  "Well, being angry about that mistake wouldn't ge the reality," said Aira. "We o figure out what to do ."

  "We know this buildier than anyone," said Li. "Let’s shadowfoot it after these people and see who they are. Maybe I reason with them before this gets worse."

  As two women followed the rangers dowunnel, it became evident that the intruders were spooked by the ued activity in the long-fotten building. They were startled by every shadow and slowly moved forward, cheg every er. But all was fottehey saw the immense open door leading to the bunker. Moments ter, Aira and Li heard them transmittis on their portable radios.

  "Korin, do you copy?" one of the rangers said. "We found a passageway that isn't marked on the maps. And there's an open door here! We see some signs of activity. Take more people a e here. We'll go in. e in, over."

  There was an indistinguishable response, but it seemed that the rangers got their firmation as they ventured deeper, enced by the fact that they were heavily armed and the prospect of finding a stash of a gadgets in a previously unknown ste facility.

  "Things have ged here sihe st time I saw this door," said one of the men, his voice eg in the vast space. "I've never seen it being open before!"