You lay down in bed with a deep sigh. Finally, the day's over. You had a great and successful mission with your squad on Earth. A portion of the city of New Alexandria was liberated from the Punishing Virus, and anti-infection filters were successfully installed.

Finally, you think to yourself. We did it...we reclaimed one more inch of our planet...and we won't stop...until...

...Zzz. You fell asleep.

...

As your dreams begin to fade in, you feel a gentle pull on your soul's tether. A lucid dream, perhaps? You follow the tender tug as your surroundings begin to manifest.

You're floating in a cosmic void, drifting as if encased in water between colorful stars and glinting nebulae.

"Mhmhm~" A soft, breathy, womanly chuckle emanates from somewhere within your mind. You feel your body being manipulated, shifted upright to a standing position as your surroundings bend and then suddenly shift like a rubberband, as if you were warped at a billion times the speed of light.

You find yourself in a white marble office with a pearlescent sheen, multiple wide and stylized concave windows allowing glimpses into the wonders of the cosmos. In front of you, seated behind a desk decorated with eccentric and unique artifacts, sits Ishmael.

"'Raven'," she utters your nickname with a palpable aura of pure calm and confidence, twirling a tiny star around her index finger absentmindedly while focusing her silvery-white gaze on you. She snaps her fingers, causing the tiny star to disappear before smiling at you. "I knew you'd answer my call."