The military convoy arrived at the dig site just after noon, announced by the distant rumble of engines echoing through the valley.
Martha looked up from the excavation grid she’d been studying, shading her eyes against the sun.
A line of vehicles was descending the access road—military trucks, troop transports, and one sleek command vehicle that moved with smoothness.
"We have company," Kiera observed, setting down her equipnt.
"Military. That’s unusual."
"Not really," Martha said, though her stomach tightened with apprehension.
"This is a governnt-supervised dig. They probably want to verify we’re doing what we’re supposed to be doing."
She glanced toward where Sofia and Dane were working at the western excavation point. They’d been using false nas since arriving—Sofia was "Ria rchants," a graduate student in geology, and Dane was "Thomas Grey," a retired surveyor volunteering his expertise.
She caught Sofia’s eye and gave a subtle head shake.
Stay calm and act natural.
The convoy pulled into the camp’s clearing, and soldiers disembarked with practiced efficiency. All won, Martha noted, dressed in combat fatigues, moving with the confidence of people trained for violence.
And then she stepped out of the command vehicle.
Highseer Andraste Kellor was impossible not to notice. Tall and striking, moving with effortless grace that suggested origin energy enhancent even in simple walking.
She surveyed the dig site with sharp eyes, taking in everything—the tents, the equipnt, the workers, and the excavation grids. Her gaze was professional, analytical, missing nothing.
Martha walked forward to greet her, forcing herself to project calm confidence.
"Welco to our site. I’m Dr. Martha Buchanan, lead archaeologist for this expedition. How can I help you?"
Andraste’s eyes fixed on Martha with an intensity that felt almost physical.
"Highseer Andraste Kellor, Caildran Defense Force. We were conducting operations in the area and returning to base. Command ordered to check on your dig site, ensure you have adequate security, and don’t require assistance."
Her tone was professional, but Martha detected sothing underneath.
Suspicion, maybe.
Or just the natural wariness of soone whose job involved hunting demons.
"That’s very thoughtful," Martha said.
"As you can see, we’re just a standard archaeological survey, studying geological formations related to the Rupture event. Academic work, nothing that would require military protection."
Andraste walked past her, moving deeper into the camp. Her soldiers remained by the vehicles, but their presence was enough to make several of Martha’s research assistants nervous.
"The Rupture," Andraste said, examining the excavation grids.
"Ancient history. When did you start working here? As far as I know, the governnt had been probing this area for years, and they have found nothing."
"Because the evidence is here," Martha replied, following her.
"Kreeshan Valley shows so of the most dramatic geological scarring from that event. Understanding what happened could tell us a lot about the state of our realm."
"Or it could disturb things that were destroyed for good reason," Andraste said, her tone sharpening slightly.
The comnt made Martha’s blood run cold, but she kept her expression neutral.
"I’m not aware of any seals or restrictions on this site. We have all the proper permits and full governnt approval. If there’s a concern, I’d appreciate you sharing it directly rather than implying there’s sothing wrong with our work."
Andraste turned to face her fully, and for a mont the two won studied each other. The Highseer saw a middle-aged academic, dusty and practical, dedicated to her research. Martha saw a warrior, soone who’d spent years fighting things most people didn’t believe existed.
"No concerns," Andraste said finally.
"Just caution. This valley has always registered strange on origin energy scans. Ancient power lingers here. Power that might be better left undisturbed."
"I’m an archaeologist, not a tomb raider," Martha said firmly.
"I docunt and study, and I don’t disturb dangerous artifacts or break ancient seals. That’s not what we do."
Andraste held her gaze for another mont, then nodded slowly.
"Good. Then we won’t have problems."
She gestured to her second-in-command, who approached quickly.
"We’ll camp here tonight. Give the troops a chance to rest before the final push back to base. Dr. Buchanan, I assu you don’t mind military presence for one evening?"
It wasn’t really a question, and Martha knew better than to object.
"Of course not. You’re welco to use the eastern clearing. We have extra water supplies if your people need them."
"Appreciated."
The military company set up camp with impressive efficiency.
Within an hour, they had tents erected, a periter established, and sentries posted. The male support crew handled the heavy labor, unloading equipnt, setting up the command tent, and preparing als.
Martha watched them work, noting again the division of roles. Won commanded, fought, and made decisions. n carried, served, and supported.
The world in microcosm.
Sofia, now Ria, approached Martha later that evening, her voice low and urgent.
"This is bad. A Highseer? Here? That can’t be coincidence."
"She says they were in the area conducting operations," Martha replied quietly.
"Demon hunting, from what I overheard. They had a battle earlier today and captured demon weapons. This might just be a genuine detour."
"Or she suspects sothing," Sofia countered.
"Highseers don’t just randomly check on things. They hunt threats to the Council’s order."
"You are overreacting," Martha said firmly.
"She’s just here to check on us."
"We’re just researchers. You’re just a graduate student. Dane is just a retired surveyor. There’s nothing here to raise suspicion unless we give them reason."
Sofia nodded reluctantly, but her hand drifted to the knife hidden under her jacket. Old habits from years of running from witch squads.
The evening passed tensely.
Martha’s team and the military company remained mostly separate, each group focused on their own activities. But Martha felt Andraste’s eyes on her periodically, assessing, evaluating, and searching for sothing wrong.
By nightfall, exhaustion finally pushed aside anxiety. Martha retired to her tent, planning to review survey data before sleep.
She never made it to the data.
*
Martha woke suddenly, though she hadn’t been aware of falling asleep.
The tent was dark except for the faint glow from her tablet, which had gone into standby mode. She reached for it to check the ti, 2:47 AM, and froze.
Soone had called her na.
Not out loud. But she’d heard it nonetheless, felt it resonate sowhere deeper than normal perception.
Martha.
There it was again.
A voice that seed to co from everywhere and nowhere. Familiar sohow, though she couldn’t place it. Young, male, carrying urgency and sothing that might have been desperation.
She sat up, her heart pounding.
This was insane.
Hallucination brought on by stress and the high altitude, nothing more.
Martha, please. I need you.
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