Hide and Seek: The Mad Girl Sees All novel Chapter 15

Chapter 15

The Vastlands Hayes tapped the map at a patch shaded yellow as a caution zone.

It used to be our main grain region. After the war, the soil and water were ruined. It’s a safe zone now, but nothing grows there

“Until now His voice climbed with excitement. “An S-rank reward landed here. The land is fully restored. Grain yield is up one hundred percent. Conservative estimate, this year’s output covers at least two meals of nutrient goo per person. nationwide.”

Silence for a beat. Then every pair of eyes burned into Hayes.

“Hayes, are you sure?”

“This is incredible! Feeding the country is finally within reach.”

And once they’re fed, the next goal is eating well.”

I propose we send the expert team to the Vastlands. Improve the seed lines, study soil fertility, manage the acreage carefully. We can’t overwork it. That would gut the land’s lifespan.”

Agreed. Step by step. Soon our people might be eating real food and vegetables instead of that tasteless nutrient goo.”

The small meeting room buzzed with discussion until Lana curled four fingers and tapped the table. The room quieted.

Vastlands restoration plan, Grain Research Institute takes lead. Draft within seventy-two hours, sync to command.”

‘Yes, ma’am.” Director Marsh of the Grain Research Institute answered, the excitement still bright on his face.

Lana flipped a page in the folder. “Status on the psych hospital?”,

Another briefer spoke up. “During the mission, we ran emergency background checks on every current employee at the psych hospital. All clean. No external contacts found.” He paused. “But the hospital itself does have some problems.”

‘First, every current staff member was hired within the past year.”

‘Second, all of Lyra’s early treatment records are held solely by the diregtor, Dr. Hanson. No one else has access.”

Third, routine interviews confirm Dr. Hanson personally covers Lyra’s treatment and inpatient costs. Many of the staff actually thought Lyra was a relative of hers.”

Lana cut in, frowning. “Where is Dr. Hanson? What does she have to say?”

That’s the biggest problem. Dr. Hanson is gone.”

‘Gone?”

The moment Lyra entered the game, Dr Hanson left the hospital. According to staff, she said she had a family matter to handle She never came back

The briefer went on. “We went to her place first thing. No one home. We torced the door All her things were still there Clothes, ID, wallet. But her phone has been off the whole time We can’t reach her.

The only thing she took with her was Lyra’s old medical file”

14

12 am

• hs ne sontrone said quietly

Hard to call it. Too short a window Maybe she just got held up

Tyras been in the game for three and a half hours As her primary physician, there’s no way she wasn’t watching Varushing at exactly this moment

There’s no reason for it And where could she even disappear to?”

“Haves, did anyone check whether Dr. Hanson ever filed an emigration application?” someone asked.

Already checked. She hasn’t.”

No emigration application means she can’t leave Draconia. She has to still be inside the country.”

Hayes frowned. “A psych hospital director-why would she run? It’s been nine hours since two this afternoon. I don’t buy that anything else held her up.”

Lana stayed quiet. flipping through what they had on Lyra and the hospital.

Ms. Reed took off her glasses and pressed her fingers to her brow. “Dr. Hanson has to be found.” She slid the glasses back on. Voice steady.

“Not just because she’s the only person who tracked Lyra from start to finish. She vanished. And when she vanished, she took nothing with her except Lyra’s records. There’s something underneath this.”

Reed paused, then went on. “Lyra told me she once mentioned to Dr. Hanson that she could see those dead people Dr Hanson’s response was to up her medication.”

The room went quiet for a moment. Reed didn’t bother circling the point. “Lyra has a gift. Not hallucination. Not a symptom A real perception she’s had since she was a child. She can see the dead. Call them souls. Call them ghosts.

The Wraiths in the game are also unconventional entities. To her, Wraiths and ghosts aren’t that different She can see them

The room rocked Someone almost murmured on reflex. “So that’s why she could pin down Wraith positions and numbers during the hiding phase

“Exartly’

My god This this this

She cm see where the Wraiths are? She can dodge them before they even get close?

“No wonder she was always a step ahead of their line of sight”

A blessing for the nation A blessing for the nation!”

Lana watched the room light up and said nothing She remembered what I yra had said in the canteen the conser mouth tugged up Dying isn’t disappearing Dying just means other people can’t touch them but can still we thin

Death and ghosts, the things other people flinched away from, weren’t any different Iron regular people ucher would just untouchable Death wasn’t the end. Being forgotten was. And for Lyra, who could are gloosts seeing the and she would forget

”

“After the way Lyra performed in the mission today, other countries are going to guess at part of it How are we handling that? Once the room cooled a little, a young man stood up to ask

2/4

32 am

ja loukesi up uessing is one thing. Knowing is another. Her eyes swept the room Everyone in this room, the part abons Lyra seeing ghosts, you keep that to yourselves. Not a word outside.”

External narrative goes to the PR team.”

She turned to the information lead. Tell the outside that the first chest Lyra opened in the mission gave her a perception- type item Limited duration. Limited uses

Will that hold up?”

They don’t get to disbelieve it. Unless their own players are willing to go out and grab a chest themselves.”

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