Chapter 338: Back to life

"Where were you?!"

Amanda flinched at the sharpness of her mother’s voice.

She stood in the middle of the reception hall, her father nearby with a deep frown etched across his face, while Melissa remained close at his side.

Her mother looked her over from head to toe before demanding again, "You’ve been gone for four days! Do you have any idea what we went through? And why weren’t you answering your calls?"

Amanda inwardly exhaled a sigh of relief.

At least, her mother wasn’t asking why she had been inside the Temple all this time. It seemed Kyle had indeed erased everyone’s memories of those four days, leaving behind only the impression that she had simply... disappeared.

But how come he also erased those moments captured on camera when she and Veronica were sitting at the Temple’s Gate? She didn’t know but fortunately, she wouldn’t be questioned about it.

However, that didn’t make things any easier. Especially when she hadn’t prepared an excuse for her absence.

She glanced at her father before finally answering.

"I was... at the headquarters." She hesitated before adding, "In the infirmary."

"That’s a lie." Her mother immediately shot her down. "Your father went there to ask about you, but they had no record of you being there. They said you never came."

Of course, her family would be worried about her to the point of checking the base. Amanda had never gone missing for so many days without leaving a message.

Amanda paused and then something clicked.

Raising her brows, she asked.

"And did he ask the Commander about it?"

Her mother fell silent, her expression shifting as she turned toward her husband.

Hades finally stepped forward.

"You were with Miss Veronica, then?" His voice was much gentler compared to his better half.

Amanda nodded. "We took part in a raid that the base wasn’t informed about. We were out on a routine patrol when we came across it. Things got complicated as we fought. We lost our way to communicate back to the base too, and when the rift closed, we were severely injured."

Her mother’s frown deepened. "Even the Commander? Exactly what kind of threat did you encounter? Especially when the number of Rifts has been decreasing lately?"

Amanda shook her head. "You can never predict the nature of a Rift. The one we encountered released seven ghouls and several Majins at once."

Her voice carried far more confidence now. She had finally managed to piece together a believable story. One she would surely tell Kyle about it later.

However, when she glanced toward her sister, Melissa’s expression told her immediately that she hadn’t been fooled.

I’ll deal with her later.

Suppressing a sigh, Amanda turned back to her father.

"The Commander told me to keep this a secret for a reason, but I thought I should at least tell you all." She turned to her mother, "Sorry for not contacting you earlier, Mom."

Naturally, she had never discussed any of this with Veronica. She was making everything up on the spot, intending to inform the Commander later and pray that she could come up with a convincing enough story to support Amanda’s excuse.

"How are you feeling now, dear?" Hades asked.

His wife immediately shot him a glare. She clearly had more questions, and rightfully so. Amanda had been missing for nearly five days, after all.

Hades, however, chose to focus on the matter at hand. He stepped closer and rested a reassuring hand on Amanda’s shoulder.

"I am fine now." Amanda told him.

Hades nodded and told her, "I’ll have a medic check you over. Until then, go to your room and get some rest, alright?"

Amanda offered him a faint smile and nodded.

Then, expertly avoiding her mother’s questioning gaze, she hurried toward the stairs, caught hold of Melissa’s hand, and pulled her along toward her room.

....

"Haah."

Veronica exhaled slowly as she sank into her chair. She had only just returned, yet she was already surrounded by people demanding answers.

Fortunately, no one pressured her to speak immediately. They gave her a moment to settle down and take a sip of water.

Once she had, she looked toward the officers.

"Any word from the Central administration?"

The officer on her left shook his head. "No, Commander. They’ve been occupied investigating the anomalous decline in Rifts and the strange pulse that came from the Temple near Montclair. They did ask about you, but it was nothing more than a routine inquiry."

Veronica nodded.

She was grateful they had found a more pressing matter to occupy their attention. She was even more grateful that Kyle had kept the Rifts under control during her absence. Otherwise...God only knew what might have happened without anyone in command.

A thought crossed her mind.

"Did anyone find anything about the Vice-Commander?"

The three officers exchanged glances.

Finally, the one in the middle, who oversaw human resources and public relations, spoke.

"We received his official resignation yesterday, ma’am. It was sent from his hometown in eastern Guhang. He simply stated that he was too tired to continue working."

Veronica’s eyes narrowed slightly.

Naturally, she knew it was a lie. Kyle has told her how and why he punished Timothy.

The officer on the left spoke up.

"We’ve already prepared a team to escort him back, Commander. Once he speaks with you, I’m sure we can convince him to change his mind."

"Please, don’t."

Veronica interlaced her fingers atop the table.

The officers stared at her, caught off guard by the firmness in her voice.

"Ma’am?"

"I’ve already spoken with him, and I respect his decision." Veronica’s voice softened. "He wants to focus on his own life, and he has every right to do so after serving us for so many years."

The officers exchanged another glance, but none dared to interrupt her.

Veronica leaned back slightly, her expression thoughtful.

"Let him go."

The officer in the middle hesitated before speaking.

"Commander, please excuse my impudence, but Vice-Commander Timothy is young and an extremely valuable asset to our team. Considering we’ve already lost several soldiers recently..."

"There is no debate about it, Remi."

Veronica’s firm voice cut her off. The look in her eyes was enough to silence both Remi and the other two officers.

She shook her head.

"I’m not bringing Timothy back unless he decides to return himself. As for the Vice-Commander position, I already have a few candidates in mind. In time, you’ll know who they are."

She paused before adding, "For now, keep the surveillance feeds active. I have a feeling our holiday is over."

The officers saluted and left the room at once.

Once they were gone, Veronica retrieved her phone and made a call.

It took several rings before the other side finally picked up.

Veronica exhaled softly.

{What? Worried about me?}

A faint smile touched her lips.

"Worried you might vanish on me again."

{Haven’t planned to.}

"And hopefully, you won’t."

Veronica rose from her chair.

"Where are you?"

{In the hotel where you left me. Have you decided how you’re going to introduce me to the world again?}

A grin spread across Veronica’s face.

"Of course I have, Cadet Kyle."