The descent into the bunker echoed in Eni’s soul with a dull, aching anxiety. The concrete walls, smelling of dampness and old dust, involuntarily brought back memories of the cramped corridors of her past—places where every turn promised only a new portion of pain. However, as soon as she cleared the heavy blast door and ventured deeper into the sanctuary, the oppressive atmosphere shifted into an unexpected domestic coziness. The dim bulbs gave way to a soft, warm light, and the cracked concrete was hidden behind dark wood panels and plush rugs.

  In the center of the room, the strangest pair she had ever seen awaited her. The first was a literal titan, a man nearly eight and a half feet tall with a defiant blue punk hairstyle. His left arm, part of his chest, and one eye had been replaced by complex mechanical prosthetics that clicked and whirred softly with every movement. He wore a crisp white shirt with rolled-up sleeves and sharp black trousers—a contrast that made him look like a mad engineer who had just stepped out of a gala dinner.

  Beside him, like a statue carved from pure radiance, stood a girl. She was slightly shorter—around six and a half feet—clad in a long white dress that seemed woven from clouds. Her skin glowed with a milky whiteness, and above her head, contrary to the Voice’s claims of her being "fallen," hovered a real, unwavering halo.

  "O-O-OH!!! I told you she’d come!" the punk with the iron arm exploded with a joyful shout, his one organic eye gleaming with excitement. He whipped his head back and forth, looking from Eni to his companion. "Iva, did you see? She came! And you doubted it!"

  "I said no such thing," Iva replied tonelessly. Her voice was clear and cold, like spring water, and the look she shot her partner beamed with quiet disapproval.

  Ignoring her tone, the man crossed the room in a few wide strides. He loomed over Eni with his massive frame and, flashing an almost childlike, ecstatic grin, extended his metallic hand.

  "Daedalus! Master of all trades, genius of gears, and just a handsome devil all around!"

  Eni froze, completely thrown off by this onslaught. She looked back and forth between the massive iron palm and Iva’s halo, feeling like a grain of sand caught between the millstones of fate. At that moment, Iva let out a barely audible sigh and pressed her palm to her face in a classic facepalm. She stepped up to Daedalus, effortlessly grabbed the giant by the ear, and began methodically dragging him away.

  "Daedalus, stop. You’re scaring her. She doesn't understand you," the angel stated calmly.

  "Ow! Wait! Okay! That hurts! I get it, let go!" Daedalus yelped, kicking his legs and trying to squirm free.

  Iva forcefully shoved him into a far corner of the room like a naughty child. Turning back to Eni, she knelt slightly to reach her eye level, and a sincere note of sadness flickered in her gaze.

  "Forgive him. He is simply... utterly uncivilized."

  "Oh, no-no-no, it's fine!" Eni waved her hands, backing away. "I’m just... I haven't talked to people much lately."

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  "O-O-OH! You like staying inside four walls 24/7 too?!" Daedalus shouted gleefully from his corner. "One of us! Workshop life, coding, hardware..."

  Iva shot him a look so sharp and heavy that Daedalus cut himself off mid-sentence. He began to back away slowly, muttering under his breath, "Okay, okay, shutting up... entering hibernation mode..."

  The angel turned her attention back to Eni. She leaned in even closer and spoke with surprising tenderness:

  "Hello. My name is Iva. And what is yours?"

  Eni was still reeling from how easily this fragile-looking girl had handled the iron giant. She couldn't tell which Iva was real: the icy warrior the Voice had described, or this caring sister of mercy.

  "Eni... Nice to meet you," she murmured and, obeying some ancient instinct, gave a low bow.

  Iva froze, her eyebrows shooting up in surprise.

  "Are you of the Kitsune Race?" there was genuine astonishment in her voice.

  "Ah... no!" Eni straightened up, feeling her ears burn. "I'm... a normal human. Well... a special human. I don't know why I did that, I just..."

  Iva tilted her head, studying her aura.

  "To my knowledge, that specific bow is how High Kitsune greet one another. That is why I thought..."

  "I was just nervous!" Eni blurted out quickly. "And... I don't look like them at all. Kitsune have ears, tails, and their aura is... well, totally different, orange and chaotic!"

  Iva exhaled in relief, her halo flashing a bit brighter for a moment.

  "You are right. The Kitsune race can mimic almost anyone, but the bow is one of the few things that betrays their true nature. I am glad I was mistaken."

  She turned gracefully and sat on a soft sofa, gesturing for Eni to follow suit.

  "Sit, Eni. Let’s talk."

  Daedalus, deciding his exile was over, materialized nearby with a tray carrying three cups of steaming, aromatic coffee. He set them on the table and perched on a nearby chair, beginning to rock back and forth on its rear legs.

  "So... what did you want to talk about?" Eni took a cup, feeling the warmth seep into her palms.

  "The Old Man told us to recruit you!" Daedalus couldn't help himself and blurted it all out at once. "You’re gonna train to become a Coalition Intern. You’ll be slaving away for—"

  Iva stared at him with saucer-wide eyes full of righteous fury. Without a word, she directed a thin beam of light magic straight at Daedalus’s mechanical leg. He merely smirked.

  "It’s a robo-leg, scrap metal! I don't feel a damn thing, Iva! Missed!"

  In the same heartbeat, the light beam, obeying the angel's will, snapped upward and struck Daedalus square in his only organic eye.

  "A-A-AH! MY PHOTOSENSITIVE RECEPTORS!" he screamed, falling off the chair and rolling on the floor.

  Iva covered her mouth with an elegant hand and let out a very sweet, kind laugh. When her fit of amusement passed, she turned back to Eni. Her voice became even more tender, almost honeyed.

  "The Order of the Trisagion was created to save lost souls from the Observer’s Eye, helping them survive in this cruel world. He... I mean our leader, Nick... he is very kind and just. He is like the light at the end of the tunnel for people like us."

  Daedalus’s iron hand appeared from under the table, still rubbing his injured eye.

  "You’re gonna get the wrong idea," he grumbled. "Speak normally, don't idolize him so openly. Eni isn't used to that kind of drama; she’ll think you're head-over-heels for the Old Man."

  Iva’s face instantly flushed crimson, and her halo began to tremble faintly. She jumped up, grabbed Daedalus by his iron finger, and began to speak firmly, almost fiercely:

  "I do not even have the right to think of such things! It is the greatest sin! And I, as the primary follower and Archon, must sacredly follow all the commandments and dogmas of the Trisagion!"

  With surprising strength, she began dragging the resisting giant into the next room. Daedalus, realizing he was about to be locked away for good, managed to shout to Eni over his shoulder:

  "For the record, I’ve read everything the Old Man wrote in the charter! Not a word about that being a sin! At most—no cheating if you're married! And the Old Man doesn't have a wife! Yeah, he has a daughter, Vee, and though I think he and Maeno are lovers, they won't admit it themselves, so technically it's not a sin, Iva, let go-o-o!.."

  The door slammed shut with a bang. A few minutes later, Iva returned—slightly disheveled but calm. She sighed heavily, clearly exhausted by Daedalus’s antics, and handed Eni a heavy leather-bound folio.

  "This book contains the coordinates of our bases, ciphers, and all the necessary information. But since you are only an intern for now, most functions will be restricted. I look forward to a productive cooperation, Eni. Welcome to the Trisagion."

  With that, Iva gave a short bow and walked back into the room where she had dragged Daedalus. When Eni finally gathered the courage to peek inside a while later, the room was empty. Only an Obelisk shimmered dimly in the center, confirming that the Archons had left the sanctuary.

  Eni pressed the folio to her chest. Daedalus’s words about Nick, Maeno, and Vee spun in her head. She slowly walked out of the bunker and headed back to the tavern, feeling the artifact—her ticket to a world where the Voice no longer held absolute power—shifting heavily in her pocket.