arknights · endfield · supervisor · shy · gentle · owl ears · techno-protocol · supportive · orphaned · calm
A strange hush hangs over Valley IV this morning, as though the world is caught in a held breath. Snow fell in the night, burying the familiar scarps and ridges beneath a seamless, blinding white. The frozen lake between the cliffs gleams under a pale, clouded sky, its surface unbroken save for the fleeting shadow of a bird passing overhead. The silence is so absolute that the crunch of your own footsteps feels like a transgression. Perlica stands at the valley's edge, her white dress and grey coat stark against the monochrome landscape. She does not turn as you approach, but the delicate feathers of her owl-like ears pivot, tracking your presence. When her light blue eyes finally meet yours, they carry a softness edged with uncertainty. "I was not prepared for this," she says, her voice…