VALKYRIE SMASH

Once Melissa left to work on her task, Sam suppressed his emotions and got back to work. He had to take care of a few things before meeting with the Nephilim Cleansers leaving for the human settlements.

His phone rang the instant he stepped out of the office and a long sigh escaped him before he answered the call. Preferably he would've liked to receive texts instead, but there was nothing he could do about it.

The call came from Kamala Mabaso, the current leader of the Sanctuary survivors. She wanted to discuss the Awakened children in addition to a request he made the other day.

He expected her to bring up the future of her people as well. Thor requesting land as compensation for her assistance took him by surprise so he hoped Kamala wouldn't do the same.

"Alright, let's go."

Having had her break, Zero Five was back to her guard duty. Nine was supposed to be joining her, but after what she did the previous day, she wouldn't be allowed anywhere near him for a long time. Venti was taking her place for now.

After telling them their destination Sam took Five's hand and the two teleported away. If only it was possible for him to learn how to do it himself, that way he would be able to save quite a bit of time, though he could see himself abusing it a bit too much.

Among the Nephilim there were those who knew how to use a particular Rune to draw a certain material that can be used as building material. Unlike the Nameless Element it doesn't return to its original dimension once the mental connection with the user is lost so it made for the perfect material in hasty constructions.

The material, dubbed Black Matter for lack of better words, was used to build an entire city in a single day. It was a much better alternative than creating a tent city for the Nephilim and the survivors of their world to temporarily live in. The only problem was that everything was black.

The dark sheen reminded Sam of the obsidian palace where he faced Hela. It was the site of the final confrontation, the place where Shizuru showed her true colors and almost took his life. Despite the wound being long gone, Sam still felt a light prickle in his side each time he arrived at the newly built city.

Kamala awaited their arrival at the entrance of the temporary administrative building. Seeing them appear out of thin air startled her a bit, but she was quick to compose herself, clearing her throat before addressing him.

"Good morning, Doctor Sanderson."

With so much happening at the same time Sam sometimes forgot that barely two weeks had passed since he met the people of the Sanctuary. The young woman in front of him always had a hint of suspension in her eyes, as if she didn't trust him or any of his cohorts. Even now that suspicion still lingered, hidden behind a veil of exhaustion and grief after experiencing the loss of her friend and leader.

Still, she did her best to show a professional front, having no choice but to trust in the old seer's words and follow the savior she awaited for so long.

"Good morning, Mabaso." Sam forced a polite smile. "We don't have much time so I'm afraid I have to ask you to be quick."

"I understand." She led the way inside and Sam followed after. "To get straight to the point, several parents have come forward saying their children have been hearing strange voices, however there is a problem…"

"A problem?"

"We have a suspicion… it might be that not all of them are telling the truth."

"... I see…"

Upon learning of the reason Sam relaxed quite a bit. In a way the current situation was a result of his own decisions.

Soon after their return, Sam registered the Awakened children and then gave their parents special privileges, like priority access to resources and some faculties inside the forty sixth base.

Of course the other refugees weren't treated badly, however he wanted to set an example that would make things easier for him when the time to hold the Ritual comes.

When Sam arrived at the waiting room the parents waiting there seemed to brighten up instantly. After a short greeting he moved to a separate room where he held a few checkups on the children one by one.

By the time he was done, a disappointed look took over his face, though the reason behind it wasn't what the others expected.

"They have been under a lot of stress, that's for sure." He said while reading through the gathered reports.

One of the things that's been bothering him this entire time was the elusive nature of the Whispers. Telepathy was a difficult concept to grasp for those who aren't gifted with it. Because of that he had no way of telling whether the parents were telling the truth or not.

'At the very least it doesn't seem like switching dimensions is affecting them too much.'

Physically speaking, most of the problems that affected the Sanctuary survivors after the move came from the sunlight. They spent the last twenty years living underground so most still find it difficult to adjust.

"Is it really that difficult to tell which ones are affected?" Kamala asked.

"For now." Sam replied. "Nothing to worry about, though. Whether they're lying or telling the truth, will know after the Ritual."

By the time the Primordial is sealed into the second Key, those affected by its Whispers would've been Awakened while those trying to take advantage of the situation won't.

Thankfully not awakening after being subjected to the Whispers once doesn't grant immunity, meaning the children of the Sanctuary still have a chance.

"Speaking of which, were there any objections to my request?" Sam asked.

Kamala kept her silence for a few seconds.

"There are a few families who wish to not participate." She said. "After what happened in the airport, they…"

"Keep trying."

Just like how there are some parents eager to benefit from their children's Awakening, others wanted nothing more than to avoid theirs being dragged into what they perceive as a supernatural world. He couldn't blame them, though. The prospect of having your children drafted to fight in war was horrifying even if it didn't include reality warping powers.

"Doctor…" as he was in deep thought, Kamala spoke again, her voice tinged with worry. "Would it be fine for me to ask about to ask about the future?"

"Hm? Ah, unfortunately I can't say anything specific. At this point we aren't focused on the details."

What Nino saw using her Needle didn't warrant keeping an eye on the refugees, meaning their actions on their own didn't affect the future much. That might sound unfortunate, but the truth was that they wouldn't have to suffer for the next few years at the very least.

As she sat on the opposite chair, a dark look fell over Kamala's face.

"The truth is, a lot of us feel lost." She said. "The Elder has always been with us, guiding us through one disaster after the other. Now that she's gone we still don't know how to walk forward. Making decisions that could influence everyone's future… I don't think I can handle such a responsibility…"

Sam stared at the woman for a while then returned his gaze to the tablet in his hand.

"You don't have a choice." He said, causing her to look up with a start. "The world isn't so forgiving that it would wait for you to make up your mind. Your people need you and you have to guide them."

His words might've been harsh, but there was no better alternative. Sam understood that he could use each and every awakened he could get his hands on so the children of the Sanctuary were essential. That's why he planned to absorb the survivors slowly over time, but for now, he had no choice but to leave them to one of their own. The humans of his world needed all of his attention right now.