{Present Day, Mt. Decima,

Higher-Class Residential District 9:30PM}

[Outside of General Nephilim’s Home]

On the ’ceiling’ to the domed society, an image of a full moon is being projected on the lamp used as the Sun during the appropriate hours of the day.

Because it is not actual nature, around the grided walkways throughout the entire military community, there are small speakers randomly placed, projecting an soft echo of artificial ambience. Consisting of crickets chirping, and the occasional *hoot* of owls off in the distance.

Within the most to section of the artificial mountain dedicated to military personnel housing, is a two story townhouse.

Silpheed, with their mask down, is sitting on the roof, smoking a cigarette, and reading an entire volume of a non ascertainable soft cover manga.

The most trusted assistant to the General of all Erinyes territory, still has the majority of their mouth stitched shut with steel wire, but enough room for the cig to sit perfectly in the small opening available between the center of their lips.

The wholesome content drawn on the pages gives the eyepatched reader a contentive half smile and a tear begins to form in their red optic sensor, but quickly gets wiped away.

The masked reader looks up with their red eye, focusing on the full moon projection above, when suddenly...

Nephilim: "Ah, there you are, Silpheed!"

The General, being the only person who the mysterious masked individual listens to, has made his way to the tiled rooftop of his beautiful, position granted home.

He is wearing a casual leather jacket and black jeans with normal walking shoes.

A startled and seemingly embarrassed Silpheed immediately jumps to their feet, and the cigarette falls out. Putting the face covering back up over their mouth and hiding the manga volume behind them, comedically sweating conspicuously.

The visible red eye darts left to right while muffled stammering escapes through the fabric.

Silpheed: "Gn-rll Nef-ah-um Zr!?

Aii- ahh-...

Wah-r ouu-...

Ai- wahz juzd-, uhh-..."

The General has a puzzled smile and a raised eyebrow from his trusted #2’s not too serious suspiciously alaming actions and nervous babbling.

Closing his eyes, he shakes his head with a deep chuckle.

Nephilim: "It’s really dark out at this time, Silph. Make sure you’re careful when you’re up here."

Suspicious Silpheed does a formal military salute in response, along with a vigorous puff out their nose.

Nephilim: "Persephone came home a little while ago and she’s called it a night.

I gotta tell you Silph, her story might be long winded and with all those characters she keeps introducing, the focused perspective changes a lot. Sometimes it’s Chapter to Chapter, but the plot is still fun and engaging.

The way she is able to find ways for random characters to relate to each other is fantastic!

I can’t wait for the big, ’incoming battle’ she’s been slowly teasing."

Silpheed grips the manga volume tighter behind their back.

Nephilim: "Anyway, Eden just called, she’s getting ready to close the office for the night.

After what happened to Persephone, I don’t like the thought of another one of the innocent soul I cherish moving through the shuttles by herself this late at night.

So I’m heading back out to Mount Morta.

That way I can walk Eden back and make sure she gets home safe."

Once again, Silpheed salutes with their free hand and audibly exhales out their nostrils.

The General walks to the edge of his two story house and looks out at the confined, colonized neighborhood of military families.

Nephilim: "Oh...by the way, can I ask you for a small favor, Silph?

Arai and Maniae are supposed to be in their room sleeping, but you know it’ll only be a matter of time before they try tonight’s attempt to run away.

Can I trust you to keep an eye out for them while I’m gone?"

The assistant seems obviously reluctant at first.

Silpheed: "Buh- Nef-ah-um Zr-!"

The irritated tone of the standing General to all Erinyes military is equally as obvious.

Nephilim(stern): "I asked, ’Can I trust you’, Silpheed!"

Silpheed(salutes): "Yzz- Zr, Nef-ah-um Zr!"

Nephilim: "Good, don’t worry, it’s already proven you can beat the both of them if they team up on you.

Besides, I played along before they went to bed, and roughed them up a bit to get most of that rambunctious energy out of them.

I’ll be back soon."

He jumps down from the roof and lands with confidence on the luscious, manicured grass in his small front yard.

Nephilim: "If there’s an emergency, Tristan and Stephanie are right down the street.

Oh, and I expect MamMon to be visiting at some point tonight.

If she arrives, let her know I graciously apologize for inconveniencing her, and inform her I’ll be back as soon as humanly capable."

Silpheed watches as their purpose smoothly struts away down the sidewalk, partially brightened by a few small lampposts. 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

The student takes a deep sigh of admiration before carefully sitting on the edge of the roof, legs dangling, socks keeping their feet warm.

Reopening the volume to the comic series, the invested reader picks up were they last left off.

The solo red left eye moving panel to panel accordingly, and a soft chuckle escapes through the face mask while blushing at the wholesome scene.

[10 Minutes Later]

Silpheed is now ¾ through the collection of drawn Chapters, when the incredible audio sensors of Nephilim’s trusty sidekick, hears a muffled *bump* inside the house.

Their visible eye is clearly annoyed while this time, a disheartened sigh slithers through the concealing cloth.

In a displaying act of pure athleticism, Silpheed drops down from the roof while turning their body mid air.

Grabbing the bottom of a frame to an open 2nd floor window, and with amazing gymnastics technique, Silpheed uses only their upper body strength to leap cleanly through the small opening.

Socked feet land on a rolled out shaggy carpet, on hardwood floor of a single night light lit hallway.

Standing at the right angle corner of the L hallway, to Silpheed’s left, all the way down the hall, is a single closed door with a golden name plate. ’General Nephilim’ is embroidered on the thin plaque.

Immediately in front of the investigating party, there is a closed door on the right wall and one that is cracked open on the left wall.

The overwrought Silpheed shakes their head and delicately tip toes down the hall to the cracked open doorway.

Just like what’s drilled into the General’s bedroom door, there is a small name tag on each side’s doors, indicating the owner.

The room on the right has ’Persephone’ elegantly carved into it’s door’s golden plate.

While on the left, ’Arai & Maniae’ is engraved into the flattened sparkling metal screwed in the upper center of the ajar door.

Someone’s steady breathing can barely be made out while Silph slowly peeks into the room.

In the teenage boys room is a ceiling fan, spinning on high mode and an off TV, resting on top of a small entertainment center.

A DVD player and a video game system are sharing the space.

Alomg with clothes on the floor, a few dirty dishes and random food wrappers are in a couple scattered piles.

As Silpheed slowly scans the dark room, they finally see one of the two beds in the room is empty, covers thrown to the side.

On the opposite wall of the room, in the second bed, the blonde hooligan Arai is out cold, and he is the culprit to the sounds of soft snoring...which means...

Someone touches Silpheed’s shoulder and the trained fighter grabs the wrist of the possible attacker before turning around to see Maniae in his PJs consisting of a white T-shirt and pajama pants with silly cartoon ducks printed on them.

Maniae(whispers): "woah, hold on lady!

it’s me!"

Silpheed’s eye widen and they let go of the right grip on the boy sneaking around.

Silpheed(whispers): "wah- ar- ouu- oou’n?!

nef-ah-um zr zed- ouu- doo- err- zouubozd- do- b- nn- bdd-!

ouu- behrr- naa- b- drii’n- do- zniik- oud-!"

Maniae blushes and looks into the room he is supposed to be asleep in.

Maniae(whispers): "i was looking for general nephilim...

i wanted to talk to him about something that’s been worrying me for the past few days.."

The entrusted guardian of the pair of delinquents instantly deduces something bothering the more promising of the two.

[5 Minutes Later]

Back on the roof, somehow more safely towards the top and not the edge, Silpheed and Maniae are sitting alone.

The fake sounds of crickets chirping adds a somewhat ’realism’ to the otherwise, live sized, depressing distopian diorama of human civilization before the Icemen began attacking.

Maniae is laying on his back, hands behind his head. He is at an angle so he is looking directly and firmly on the impressive projected imitation of the moon.

Clearly in deep thought....