46. Annalise
Chapter forty-six
Annalise
Good morning, Seiri. I hope your day sucks.
Uhm, thanks. You too?
I hope your blanket kept riding up and your feet were cold all night.
Well, that’s rude.
And most of all, I hope your coffee gets cold before you remember to drink it.
You better take that back right now! What the hell crawled up your ass this morning?
Just didn’t want you to think I was being too nice.
Can't wait to see you later, Beautiful.
I love you!
Ismile, turning off my phone before Mattey and I head down worn stairs and into the vault where we'll have to pretend everything is completely normal.
“Welcome, everybody,” Major Lin says, her smile faltering slightly as she looks at Mattey and me.
“If you’d all take your seats, we have more unfortunate updates about the war and not nearly enough time to tell you everything you need to know.”
A small glass vial appears on her desk, a blue liquid that never seems to stop moving reminding me too much of Redline for comfort.
“This here—doesn’t exist,” she says, shaking the bottle for all to see. “It’s just a rumor, nothing more.” Lin makes the distinction deliberately.
“Several captured Clowessian prisoners have mentioned a tonic being developed for use against our forces. The tonic is believed to contain a compound derived from a common southern herb—Sweetroot.”
A few people exchange looks.
“I know what you’re thinking…sweetroot is harmless,” Lin says. “It's used in teas. Tonics. Some medicines. It can help with nausea and mild stomach irritation.”
She turns the vial again.
“But something is being added, and we’re not sure exactly what yet.” Lin's expression becomes colder. “Early reports suggest the combination may cause severe neurological disruption: confusion, loss of motor control, seizures.”
She lets the words settle. “And potentially death.”
My eyes move to Sasha, who’s intently staring at the vial, rubbing her thumb absently against the side of her index finger.
Her hand pauses, and I glance at her, but she gives the smallest shake of her head, and it’s horrifying to think even she doesn’t know what this could be.
Lin continues, “The reason this is particularly dangerous is that the tonic may taste completely ordinary.” She sets the vial down. “You could drink it and have no idea anything is wrong until symptoms begin.”
“And because sweetroot is so common, removing every product containing it from military supply lines would be impossible,” Halden says, and even his voice breaks a little, making a cold feeling settle in my stomach.
“So we're investigating distribution networks, field medicines, captured supplies, and Clowessian prisoner reports. If intelligence confirms the tonic exists, you will be among the first people trained to identify it.” She looks at the class. “But until confirmation, you will not repeat the rumor.”
Her voice sharpens. “Not to another recruit. Not to the healers.”
She steps away from the desk, her eyes connecting with each and every one of ours. “Because fear spreads faster than any poison.”
The room remains silent as Major Halden begins walking between our seats. “This is what Ghost Walking has become. We’re no longer sneaking through shadows or memorizing disguises.
“Now we’re recognizing what isn't real while determining what is, and understanding that the enemy has learned from every mistake we've made, and they are getting better."
Lin nods. “They are.”
Their admission chills me more than anything else, and I wish they would stop there.
“The southern campaign has entered a new phase because Clowess is adapting faster than our intelligence models predicted, which means we have to adapt faster.”
“New counter-illusion wards are being distributed,” she says as new markers spread across the border, too vaguely placed to give any exact locations away. “Ghost teams are now being paired with Vanguard divisions.”
More markers.
“Communication runes are being redesigned to resist false signal replication. Everything we've discussed this year plays a part in that effort.”
She lets the silence stretch.
A shiver runs down my spine as Halden returns to the front of the room.
“One final matter,” Lin says. “The final assignments begin soon.”
A nervous energy ripples through the class because she doesn't need to explain what that means. “You saw Bravo Company go through it, and now it’s your turn. These assignments will determine your placement after graduation.”
“You will be evaluated on everything from your field performance to your ability to identify threats. From your discretion to your adaptability.”
“And your ability to keep your head when everyone around you has lost theirs,” Halden's voice cuts in.
I glance at Matt, and he instantly catches me, giving me the same calm nod and silent reassurance. We’ve got this.
At least that's what his expression says.
I breathe in slowly as Lin continues, “Some of you will graduate into units that operate behind enemy lines while some of you will never wear a standard uniform again.”
“Some of you are about to spend the rest of your careers hunting people who are very good at pretending to be someone else, and some of you will be sent somewhere you don't come home from.”
No one moves as Lin gathers a stack of papers from the desk.
“Your final assignments begin Monday. Until then, I suggest you train. You observe. You question everyone.”
Her eyes scan the classroom.
“And you remember that the most dangerous thing on a battlefield is not always the person shooting at you…sometimes, it’s the person you never thought to look at.”