Echoes of Rhodes — Arknights fanfiction

Between Amiya and Doctor and Kal'tsit as romantic.

Chapter 1: Whispers of the Past

The skies of Terra held a somber hue, heavy with the weight of unshed rain, as the vast entity of Rhodes Island maneuvered through the desolated lands. Inside its confines, Amiya stood gazing at the hustle of operators through the glass that separated her office from the command center. There was a pause, a rare moment of stillness, which she cherished more than ever.

Her ears twitched at the sound of the command room door swinging open. She turned to see Kal'tsit entering, her face an unreadable mask, as always. "The Doctor will regain consciousness soon," Kal'tsit said crisply, her voice devoid of the warmth that the topic might elicit in another.

Amiya's heart skipped, a mix of anticipation and fear swirling within her. The Doctor—enigma, ally, leader, and friend—had been found in a state of stasis, memories fragmented. Still, to Amiya, the Doctor was a cornerstone; one she didn't realize she had been leaning on until their absence was felt. "Thank you, Kal'tsit. I'll be there shortly," Amiya replied, her voice betraying none of the turmoil inside her.

As she made her way to the medical wing, her mind wandered to the task ahead—an expedition into the heart of the infected zones motivated by a sliver of hope: a facility with secrets to the cure. She could not help but feel the weight of countless lives resting upon her shoulders.

The stark white of the medical wing jarred her back to the present. Amiya approached the familiar bed where the Doctor lay motionless, their face serene. She watched for any signs of life, her heart resembling the soft, erratic beat of a hummingbird's wings. Kal'tsit's presence loomed behind her, steady, solid, emanating a calm confidence that Amiya both admired and envied.

Then, it happened—a flutter of eyelids, a slight furrow of the brow. The Doctor was awakening, and with that, an era of Rhodes Island would awaken too. The thought sent both warmth and a chill through Amiya; the complexity of her emotions surprised even herself.

"Amiya?" The voice was hoarse, barely above a whisper, yet it sliced through the tension in the room like a scalpel.

She leaned forward, her eyes meeting theirs. A bottomless ocean of blue, once brimming with wisdom, now clouded with uncertainty. "Welcome back, Doctor," she said softly, smiling, though her heart ached to see their confusion.

"What happened? Where are we?" they asked, each word laced with vulnerability.

"You're safe," Amiya reassured, taking their hand—a gesture more for herself than for them, she realized. "You're on Rhodes Island, and we need you more than ever."

Kal'tsit observed in silence, her sharp eyes hiding her thoughts. The history she shared with the Doctor was not merely a closed book; it was a library of volumes, sealed and shelved, away from prying eyes. Amiya knew only fragments, sensed only the unspoken tension that lingered between them like a silent specter.

But there would be time for all secrets to surface, as they invariably do. Now, the pressing matters of the hour beckoned for their attention—as did the unraveling emotions that Amiya sought to compartmentalize. She faced the Doctor, taking solace in their renewed presence but fearing the tide of change it heralded. After all, in the ever-shifting landscape of Terra, one could never be certain where the winds would lead, or what they would unearth.

With the echoes of war outside and whispers of the past within, the story of Rhodes Island and its inhabitants continued to unfold, a tale of despair and hope intertwined, as complex and unpredictable as the bonds that held it together.

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