Zephyria's History | by Fieya Katz

Chapter 4: Indications

Hiyori entered her cubicle in the operations department of ZIA, settling into her seat as she began to sift through the stacks of documents detailing Tapeinos' past operations, background, and history. Her goal was to uncover any clues about their upcoming scheme, Project Leviathan.

Hours passed as she delved deeper into the files. Just as she turned a page, a shadow fell across her desk. "You should take a break," a familiar voice suggested.

Looking up, she saw Keith, peering at the contents of her documents. He leaned down to read a bit more. "This looks interesting. How about discussing it over lunch?"

Hiyori hesitated but realized that getting his perspective might be beneficial. "Alright," she agreed, placing the papers back in the stack.

They walked out of the office and into the elevator. Keith broke the silence to ease the tension. "Is it alright if I ask why you joined ZIA?"

"Kyros recruited me. He found me on the streets," Hiyori replied with a slight smile, masking the truth.

"For me, he found me under a bridge after I got evicted from my apartment for being jobless. I guess he's adopting us at this point," Keith laughed.

Hiyori giggled with him. "I'm glad to be here, though. At least I can be useful to society and protect the innocent."

Keith nodded as the elevator doors opened, and they reached the ground floor. Hiyori was about to head into the ZIA café when Keith gently held her forearm. "I wanted to try this new place. Are you up for it?"

Hiyori considered it and agreed. "Sure."

Soon, they found themselves at an authentic Govildon restaurant. Hiyori looked around before taking a seat at a table with Keith. A waiter promptly handed them menus, and her eyes scanned the offerings.

'Carne Asada Fries, Tuna Tartare, Dungeness Crab Cake...'

"As a Govildon, I miss the cuisine, so I thought you might like to try it," Keith said with a soft smile, watching Hiyori browse the menu. "I usually get the tetrazzini. The Amish Chicken is good too."

The waiter returned with a notepad and pen in hand. "A tetrazzini for me. And for the lady?" Keith prompted.

"An Amish Chicken," Hiyori decided, smiling as the waiter collected their menus.

As they waited for their food, Hiyori observed the restaurant's intricate Govild designs and the bustling lunchtime crowd. She turned to Keith with curiosity. "If you don't mind me asking, were you born in Kinben or are you from Govild?"

Keith crossed his arms on the table and leaned in. "I was originally from Govild. I moved here to find a better life, but it was tough since I was underqualified to be an engineer. My dad is still in Govild, and he was overjoyed when I got a position at ZIA."

"That's wholesome," Hiyori chuckled.

Soon, the waiter brought their food, and they began to eat. As they enjoyed their meals, Hiyori shared her insights and findings from the documents she had been studying. The discussion flowed easily, their bond strengthened by their shared experiences and the meal.

As they enjoyed their meal, Hiyori shared her findings with Keith.

"You know, I found out some pretty intriguing things about Tapeinos while going through those documents," Hiyori began, setting down her fork. "Tapeinos has a total of eight generals, all led by their King, Theodric."

Keith raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Eight generals? That's quite the military force."

"Exactly," Hiyori nodded. "Some of ZIA's past operations have managed to thwart some of their dangerous schemes. For example, the 'Iron Claw' mission where we dismantled their smuggling ring, and 'Silent Night,' where we intercepted their encrypted communications to prevent a major sabotage event."