Snake looked around him, everything he had built up… everything he had worked for…

Destroyed.

The hallway was dark and hazy with smoke. An orange light flickered around a corner as the crackle of flames echoed softly. Snake listened to the sounds. There was a strange peacefulness to it all… the sizzle and pop of the fires that raged close by. There was no more gunfire, no more screams, no more cries of death… just the low murmur of his home crumbling around him.

Snake was sitting, slumped against a wall, as he listened to the sounds around him. Even if he had wanted to get up, his body no longer responded. A searing pain in his side caused him to grit his teeth forcefully as he attempted to breathe in for a gasp of air, but his lungs could hold none of it in. Placing his hand on his side, there was nothing to feel but static numbness.

Another sound joined the crackle of the fires. It was like water dripping from a sink, a wet tap. Pulling his hand away, Snake blindly stared at his blood covered fingers. Slowly, a drop would form, pausing on his fingertips before falling to the ground.

Shaking, Snake reached for the patch on his left arm. Mustering what energy he could, the threads came loose as he tore it from his jacket. There was little light around him and the air was smoky, but Snake knew what the patch said… tracing his bloodied finger over the lettering.

Tossing the patch to his side, Snake looked up towards the figure standing over him. Closing his eye, he accepted his fate.

His role was complete…

Chapter XIV
Truth

Devil Dog
En Route to Cyprus
0130 Hours

"How were your two years?"

Snake looked up from his iDroid when he heard Quiet's voice. Pulling out his earbuds, he turned off Ocelot's briefing of Cyprus and the hospital. "Hmm?"

"The past two years. How were they for you?" Quiet was sitting across from Snake, her hands clasped together between her legs.

Snake bowed his head in thought. He hadn't thought about that time much, it had always been business as usual. "It… it was alright, I suppose."

Quiet broke her attention from Snake, looking around the cabin of the helicopter; inspecting everything she could see. "Everything is so different from the last time I was here."

Snake stifled a chuckle, realizing what she was getting at. "Yah, I guess we did grow in the time you were gone. You don't really think about it much when you're amongst it every day."

"Mother Base as well. It's a lot bigger."

Snake nodded slowly. "Over 1200 strong, and growing. In fact, we're hoping to begin construction on some new platforms in the near future."

Quiet smiled warmly towards Snake. He couldn't help but feel a strange happiness… something he hadn't experienced in a long time.

Quiet's smile quickly dissolved, though, as she glanced away in thought. "When I sneaked on board the other day, I couldn't help but notice all those men… rummaging through what looked like the wreckage of one of your platforms."

Snake's eye widened, surprised at the sudden question before turning his head away quickly. With the sensation of his heart rapidly beating against his chest, he scanned the cabin of the helicopter… the crew were fast asleep; except for Pequad. It was just him, and Quiet.

Slowing his heart with a deep inhale, Snake turned back towards Quiet. She had never taken her eye off him, her expression full of interest.

"I ordered the platform destroyed… burned." Snake started, meeting her eye's with his own. "It was the only way to prevent another outbreak… of the Vocal Cord Parasite."

Quiet leaned back in her seat as Snake spoke, her eye's reddening. "English?"

Snake did not respond at first, pulling out his phantom cigar. Rolling it around between his fingers, he looked up to meet her eye's. The single word he spoke hushed to a whisper, but his raspy voice still resonated in the cabin.

"Yes…"

Quiet snapped her gaze away from Snake, bringing her hand to cover her mouth. Looking back down at his cigar, Snake didn't need a response from her… he was smart enough to recognize the conflicting emotions present simply from her reaction.

Pulling out his iDroid, Snake placed the cigar between his lips carefully. Igniting an electric flame, he hovered it over the tip of the cigar and took in a few puffs. Within a few seconds, time seemed to have evaporated…

Dhekelia SBA Memorial Hospital
Cyprus
0300 Hours

"We will be over the DZ in about five minutes."

Pequad's voice came over the intercom, waking Snake up from his sleep. Looking around, Devil Dogs crew was actively preparing for the mission. Focussing his eye across the cabin, he noticed Quiet still bowed over in her seat, her head lowered towards the ground. Her bangs prevented him from catching a glimpse of her eyes.

"Quiet?"

The girl looked up when Snake called her name. If there was any composure she had been attempting to maintain, he managed to see through it; recognizing the red swelling in her eye's and the glossy dampness apparent on her cheeks.

"You alright?"

"Hmm? Oh, ya…" Quiet rubbed her eye's with her gloved hand as she sat up in the seat.

Snake grunted at her response but decided not to press the topic. They were here for something else. "Alright. Time to go."

Quiet gave him a firm nod as she stood up. Standing up, as well, Snake motioned towards Wasp who proceeded to grab two SMGs off of the weapon rack. Accepting the weapon, Snake strapped it to the front of his suit before looking towards Quiet. A smirk crossed his lips when he recognized the disappointed look in her eye's as she inspected the weapon.

"Well get you something proper after we return to base."

Realizing her dissatisfied inspection had been caught, Quiet looked towards Snake embarrassedly. "No, it's alright… just smaller than I'm used to."

"Neblagodarny ved'ma!"

Snake and Quiet both glanced towards Wasp with confused expressions, though the scowl on his face gave Snake a pretty good idea how he was feeling. Probably not happy with her judgement of the weapon…

Disgruntled or not, Wasp returned to his station after receiving a disapproved glance from his Boss.

"Alright Boss, this is where you get off." Pequad's voice cracked over the intercom.

"You ready?"

Humming slightly, Quiet nodded before following Snake to the helicopters ramp.

As the hydraulics pushed it open, Snake could recognize the skeleton of the hospital in the distance. A chill traveled down his spine as he looked over the scorched stone, and inside the blackened windows. Squinting, Snake noticed a figure… standing behind the cracked glass of one of the windows. Scrambling for his in-scope, Snake pulled it up to his eye… but the figure had disappeared.

"See something?"

Snake lowered the scope when he heard Quiet's voice behind him, keeping his naked eye on the window. "No…"

The Hospital had seen better days…

From his briefing with Ocelot, Snake was aware that the hospital was still standing… though with great surprise considering the Man on Fire had burned a good portion of it down two years ago. What he did not expect, was to find it standing almost exactly how he left it. Sure, after so much time, nature had begun to retake the land, but the wreckage still remained. Inside, the walls had blackened from the fires that burned overnight. Those that had been untouched by the flames were littered with bullet holes and stains of blood still soaking into the wallpaper. Corpses were scattered on every floor… some in patient garb… others, Cypher. The smell of decaying flesh and bone was intolerable, causing Snake to cough violently as he stepped into the main lobby.

"What are we looking for?" Quiet's voice was muffled behind her hand, looking around as she followed Snake.

"I don't know…" In all honesty, Snake was being truthful about that observation. Not even he was sure what he was looking for.

"Is there something you hope to find?"

Snake stopped, considering the words of her question. Turning towards Quiet, he watched as she disgustingly looked towards the decomposing bodies. "The truth…"

"To what?"

Snake turned away, gazing towards the balcony and the doorway that led into the rest of the hospital. There was a figure in the opening, shadowed and unrecognizable… except for the missing arm and horn that protruded from its head. A sharp stinging in Snake's mind forced him to turn away, closing his eye tightly as he waited for the pain to subside.

When the throbbing in his head ended, Snake looked back towards the doorway… the figure had disappeared. "I don't know what I'll find… but something led me here, Quiet." He turned to her, noticing the concern she had in her eye's. "I've been seeing ghosts… phantoms… visions, I don't know. But something wants me to find… something."

The two stood in silence for a time that felt like an eternity, their eye's locked together. They both wanted to say something, but neither of them wanted to be the first to speak. Finally, Snake turned his head away with a grunt… he knew he had probably already said too much. The sensation of a hand on his cheek surprised him though, following as Quiet turned his head back towards her.

"Snake…" There was a crack in her voice, causing her to pause as she recomposed herself. "This uncertainty… I understand. The past two years…" Her words started growing shaky as each breath began to hitch. "It was torture! At first… I thought of you… day and night. You were in my dreams… begging me to keep pushing… just for one more day." Quiet's eyes began to deepen a bloodshot red as she spoke, tears beginning to form around the edges. "Then… all I wanted was for it to end. The suffering. The nightmares. Everything! But I was never granted that release." Quiet turned away when the first tear broke down her cheek, stepping away from Snake who could only stand in silence. "For two years, I lived with the uncertainty of what the next day would bring… but eventually, I found it." She turned back towards Snake, tears dampening her cheeks. But a smile quivering on her lips. "You brought me back, Snake."

"I don't understand." Snake's voice was quiet, almost like a whisper.

Quiet approached Snake slowly, again placing her hand on his cheek. "Whatever you're looking for. We'll find it. You don't need to be afraid."

"And what if what I'm looking for is something that shouldn't be found?"

"Then it wouldn't have called to you in the first place."

Snake closed his eye, breathing slowly. Though he could not feel her skin through the glove, Quiet's hand was soft on his cheek. Something in his subconscious wanted, badly, to raise is own hand to hers; but he knew it not the time nor place for those type of thoughts. Opening his eye again, Snake caught her own. They were so close together, both of them, staring at one another…

Snake's eye twitched, snapping to the empty room just beyond her shoulder. A chill slithered down his spine as he stared into the open space. He couldn't shake the thought that something, or someone… was watching. His heartbeat grew louder as he opened his ears to the surroundings. Everything was silent… except for the creak of the old building that resonated like slow moving footsteps…

"Get down!"

Without hesitation, or a second thought, Snake grabbed Quiet's shoulder, shoving her to the ground. Simultaneously, he drew his sidearm from its holster. Raising it quickly, Snake wasted no time to aim as he pulled the trigger, popping off a few rounds that echoed loudly in the room. They whizzed as they cut through the empty air, splintering against the walls with a flash of yellow sparks.

The room was silent.

Snake turned, scanning the room fiercely. Listening intently.

"Snake—"

"Shh!" Snake silenced the girl, hissing through his teeth as he hovered over her.

The building creaked again. Turning quickly, Snake fired another round. The bullet traveled faster than could be seen by human eye, but the dust that spiraled behind it like a circular tunnel hovered in the air for a moment before drifting to the ground.

Snake hitched his breath slightly as he watched the dust settle… but not on the ground. There was nothing in front of him, but the dust had collected on something physical. A person; crouched on the ground.

The figure stood slowly, brushing the dust from his shoulders, disappearing as the particles fell to the ground.

Snake stood still, his eye wide at what he had just seen. Shaking the surprise from his mind, he raised his weapon quickly, squeezing the trigger as the bullets cracked through the room like firecrackers. Plumes of dust and soot shot into air where the invisible figure stepped, running in a circular motion around Snake who attempted to follow; but his shots only ever seemed to strike the walls. Quiet shielded her head as the shell casings rained down on the ground around her.

Snake continued to pull the trigger until there was nothing left to fire, his weapon clicking as it attempted to ignite an empty chamber.

Breathing heavily, Snake scanned the room. The movement had stopped and everything fell silent. Pressing the release with his thumb, the magazine slid out effortlessly, dropping to the ground with a metallic ring. Without lowering his weapon, Snake pulled out another magazine. But before he could slide it into place, another sound caught his attention. It was a sharp hiss, not like the creaks of the building… the sound of metal sliding against metal. It was close.

Right behind him…

Turning to face his opponent, Snake watched as the figure de-camouflaged before him. He did not materialize, such as the ways of Quiet or the Skulls, but simply… appeared. It was like the pixelated photo of a digital camera coming into focus.

"You like my optic-camouflage suit, Boss?"

The man was unrecognizable, wearing a skin tight suit made of fibers that had a strange reflective tint to them. His face was covered, hidden behind a mask that resembled a skull. His voice, though… Snake recognized the Northern Vietnamese dialect of his tongue.

Snake narrowed his eye when the man appeared an arms reach in front of him, gritting his teeth when the glimmer of a blade caught his attention.

The Phantom Assassin lunged, thrusting his knife towards his victims chest. Without hesitation, Snake reacted, dropping his pistol to gain a free hand. Before the knife could pierce him, Snake grabbed the Assassin's arm, sweating as he glanced towards the knife that had nicked his suit. Using the pistol magazine as a brace for his knuckles in his prosthesis, he struck back at his attacker, aiming for his jawbone. But the Assassin was agile, catching Snake by surprise as he fluidly dodged the strike before kicking himself off of Snake and out of his grip.

Snake stumbled backward before regaining his composure, but the Assassin had already vanished.

Quiet was still on the ground, looking around the room quickly before catching Snake's eye. The two shared a glance for but a moment.

"You can't beat me Snake. I know all your moves."

Snake could not pinpoint the source of the voice, scanning the room as the words echoed off the walls. "Who are you?"

"We are one in the same, Snake. Both Phantoms. Both serving a purpose to someone greater. The only difference… you don't know it yet."

Snake reached down, grabbing his pistol from the ground before sliding the magazine into it. "I serve no one but myself."

"That's what you're conditioned to believe. But you're going deeper… exploring a grave that should remain buried."

The rubble on the ground crackled as it cracked underneath Snake's boot, each step slow and calculated. Scanning around him with his pistol held close to his face, Snake reached his hand out to Quiet, helping her to her feet before pointing towards the staircase. The Butterfly took shape across her eyes as she covered Snake's back. The pair crept slowly, their ears open, and their eyes searching for the slightest of movements.

"I don't want to kill you, Snake. He wouldn't like that. But if you continue this path your on…"

Snake noticed the shifting of soot in his peripherals but did not turn his head towards it. A cocky smile crossed his lips as he waited, lowering his weapon meticulously as he re-holstered it.

"I have my orders!"

The Phantom Assassin de-camouflaged, lunging at Snake swiftly, but he was ready. Hardening his stance, Snake shifted to his left. Raising his prosthesis to deflect the strike, Snake caught the knife in his arm. The blade was sharp, piercing the metal; but he felt no pain. In the same motion, Snake struck back, catching his enemy in the throat. The assassin stumbled back, coughing violently, but Snake did not let up; kicking his leg to throw him off balance before spinning him over onto his back.

When the assassin managed to regain focus, Snake was standing over him, holding his weapon to his face.

"Who do you work for?!" Snake snarled.

The Phantom Assassin did not answer, staring at snake through his mask. It started off soft, but a low chuckle began to echo in the room… "Well Boss, I guess it is true what they say. You really are the best. You've bested me, the secrets of this place are your's. But, I warn you… you're not ready for the truth."

In a blink of an eye, the assassin disappeared from underneath Snake. Reacting, he fired his weapon; but the bullet ricocheted off the stone surface, sparking in Snakes face.

"Good luck…"

The voice bounced around the walls, deeply, until it faded away. All was silent again.

Snake turned when he felt a hand on his shoulder, recognizing the worried look in Quiets expression.

"You're hurt." Quiet raised Snake's prosthesis as she spoke, glancing towards the knife that remained embedded in his arm.

Snake inspected the weapon, moving his fingers slowly to ensure he still had control. "It's nothing."

Quiet watched silently as Snake pulled the weapon from his arm slowly, careful to avoid causing any more damage. "We need to keep moving."

The two of them had barely made it out of the entrance hall when the sound of helicopter rotors could be heard outside. The barking of orders traveled through corridors like the wind as soldiers stormed the building. Snake hugged the wall as he watched the men from around the corner. An alien chill traveled down his spine when he recognized the uniforms… those from Pripyat.

Mother Base
Seychelles Waters

Ocelot's Quarters

"Incorrect Authorization Code, Access Denied."

"Shit…"

Frustrated, Ocelot rubbed his chin as he inspected the iDroid he had been working with tirelessly for hours. He wouldn't admit it, but by this point, the soft pinging it continually produced was driving him mad. In fact, the only thing that prevented him from throwing against a wall was his self-control, having already exhausted his repertoire of troubleshooting ideas, and all of the passwords he could think of. The only thing left was to hook it up to the mainframe and expunge the data from the device forcefully…

But that was a bad idea, and he knew it.

Snake hugged the wall as close as he could, concealing himself in the shadows as a group of soldiers passed by. He watched as they scanned the hallway with their flashlights, holding his breath as one of their beams passed to his left. Thankfully, the corner he was in was just tight enough to be missed by their light, exhaling slowly as the group continued.

"Let's go." Snake motioned down the hallway as he stepped out of the shadows.

Quiet materialized in an instant, standing close to where Snake had been. Taking a quick glance towards the lights that glowed down the hallway, she followed him in the opposite direction.

"Those men… the pentagon on their armband… the shape carved into that man's skull… Snake?" Quiet kept her voice low as she spoke, following close behind Snake.

"I know… there's a connection."

Two years ago, an attack helicopter had blown a hole in the side of the hospital in an attempt to take out the Man on Fire. Though tree branches now protruded through it, Snake was not surprised to discover it was still present. Pointing through the branches, Quiet followed his finger to the wreckage of the helicopter, its rusty metal body becoming one with nature. Holding up his flashlight, the hallway held a familiar sight as well… the mangled and bullet ridden corpses of a dozen or more bodies.

"It was like pigs at the slaughter…" Try as hard as he may, Snake couldn't shake the thoughts of that evening as he stepped over the decaying corpses.

Quiet remained silent as she followed Snakes path, holding her hand over her mouth in a combination of disgust and shock. He didn't expect her to respond…

Up a flight of stairs and down another hallway, Snake couldn't help but feel like the weight of the hospital was beginning to press down on him… push him forward… draw him closer. The hiss of a gas grenade rang in the distance as the air around him thickened with smoke. The hallway seemed to grow longer with each step, the light of his flashlight dimming as the darkness suffocated it.

"Snake…"

A ghostly howl echoed from within the depths… or was it simply the wind.

"Snake…"

Snake's ears burned… something was calling him forward.

"Snake!"

Snake almost collapsed when he felt her hand land on his shoulder, but he grabbed the wall, his head spinning wildly. Quiet moved to support him, but stepped back as he held his hand up. "I'm alright… just got dizzy is all."

"What happened?… you just froze for a second." Snake could sense the genuine concern in her voice.

"This place… there are strong memories here… but I'm fine. Besides, we're close."

Stepping into the room was… strange. Snake knew he had been in here before, but at the same time, it felt different. It was like there was a presence not yet identifiable to him. Taking a deep breath, be began to look around. What am I looking for?

The nurse and the doctor remained where they had died, decomposing. Shaking his head, Snake looked towards Quiet. He recognized the twitching of her eye as she looked towards the bodies… recognizing her handiwork.

"You okay?" Quiet snapped her eyes to Snake when he spoke.

"Yah… I…" Quiet broke eye contact, looking back towards the bodies as her words slowed.

"You feel sorry for them now…"

Quiet nodded in response. "Is that a sign of weakness?"

"No…"

Snake took his attention off the bodies as he stepped further into the room. The sheets of the bed he had once resided in were still a mess; from when he had been thrown from them. Running his prosthetic over them reminded him… reminded him of the night he found out. He sighed as he lifted his fingers, the soft sensation of the fabric still tingling on them. He knew it wasn't real.

Looking up, Snake noticed Quiet standing near the window. Though he couldn't see her expression, she appeared to be deep in thought, bowing her head slightly. It wasn't until she turned to face him, did Snake notice the tear that had slowly traveled down her cheek.

"I… I'm Sorry."

Stepping close to her, Snake placed his hand on the Quiet's cheek, wiping the tear away with his thumb.

"Don't be. We were different people then."

Pulling his hand away, Snake motioned to turn back towards the room. Before he could do so, though, Quiet caught him by the hand, holding his tightly between both of hers.

"Quiet?" Snake looked back to her, a little surprised and confused.

Her eyes wavered as she looked him in the eye, tightening her lips before opening them slightly… though she spoke no words. Looking back to the ground, Quiet released her grip on Snake's hand.

Turning back to the room, Snake raised his flashlight. Nothing out of the ordinary… well, except for the state the room was in to begin with. A cart flipped over, broken bottles, glass scattered everywhere,… then it stuck out to him.

The Star of Bethlehem.

The vase sat perfectly on the bedside table, with a collection of white flowers standing beautifully out of the top. It was a stark contrast to the rest of the room. Someone must have placed it there purposefully.

Quiet watched intently as Snake walked closer.

Picking the vase up, Snake stared at the flowers for a moment before turning his head. Giving it a light shake, the tap of something on the inside echoed softly.

This is it…

Without a second thought, Snake smashed the vase against the table. The shattered pieces fell instantly to the ground, but the flowers hovered for a moment, drifting to the ground slowly. Snake smiled as he followed the flowers, noticing the cassette tape that lay amongst them. Reaching down, he picked it up and flipped it over in his hand. The words were crudely written, but he could make out the inscription.

From the Man Who Sold the World.

Flipping it over, Snake did not understand the backside…

Operation Intrude N313.

"You missed something."

Quiet was next to Snake, sifting through the broken pieces of the vase before holding up a folded piece of paper. He took it from her hand, running his thumb through the crease to open it. It was a photo… from before. The MSF days. Snake cocked his head as he looked at the men in the picture. They seemed so happy. There was Morpho on the right; the pilot before the destruction of Mother Base. Kaz was next to him, with a grin across his face. Snake recognized himself next. Amazing how much younger he looked; how much the attack had changed him.

There was a man next to Big Boss in the photo, but Snake did not recognize him… at least not by name. The scratching in his mind began to strengthen as Snake stared at the man. There WAS something familiar about his face. Like he had seen it before… but not in person.

My visions!

In an instant it all came to Snake. Take away an arm and put shrapnel in his head, and the man in the photo resembled the phantom that had continuously appeared to him.

Why have you brought me here?

Snake pondered the question as he inspected the photo, thinking on what the phantom had said to him in the past. "To remember who you are." But there seemed to be nothing out of the ordinary. Flipping the photo around, Snake looked at the backside. He hadn't noticed the words earlier; written on the back. The lettering resembled the inscription on the cassette tape. But it was the words that caught Snake by surprise…

Good Luck, John Shepard
-"Vic" Boss

A searing pain the back of his mind. Snake cried out, collapsing to his knees. What happened next…

Wake up, you're not dead. A ghostly voice. Everywhere and nowhere.

Where am I? What are you?

I am you, and you are me. I am a guide to help you understand.

What?

The truth. Now please, let us begin. Tell me, what do you see.

Nothing, I see nothing.

Not with your eyes. Your mind. What does your mind see?

I see… I see a young man, maybe early to mid 20's. He is enlisting, for the war in Vietnam. He appears to be excited. His friend is excited as well.

Good. Now, what do you see?

The young man does not appear happy anymore. The war has been long and hard.

What does the man do?

He is a combat medic. He is good at saving people. The other soldiers look up to him and he seems to hold a position of authority.

Then why is he unhappy?

Because he can't save them all.

This is the way of war.

He couldn't save his friend…

I see. What do you see now?

The young man, he is wounded. His being given a purple heart, and has been honorably discharged.

Is this not a good thing?

No. The young man has no home to go back to. The battlefield was his home.

What is he doing now?

He is visiting the grave of his friend. I can tell he is sad. But… there is another man in the graveyard. A man with an eyepatch. He is there visiting a lost friend as well. He is telling the young man stories about his mentor and how he plans on starting a private military. One where soldiers can be free of their governments. The young man is interested, excited even. Why is all this so familiar?

Because your mind is beginning to become your own again. Please, continue. Does the young man join the man with the eyepatch?

Yes, and they become good friends. The young man's skills are valuable to the other. The man with the eyepatch appears to be investing a lot of time in training the young man, who has become an incredibly skilled soldier.

Tell me about Paz.

Paz. The girl the man with the eyepatch rescued. He brought her on board their helicopter and the young man removed a bomb from her.

What about after Mother Base was attacked?

They got away… but there was another. There was another bomb in the girl. She jumped out of the helicopter and it exploded. The young man jumped in front of the man with an eyepatch. Protecting him.

What happened to the young man?

He didn't die. But his body was littered with shrapnel… including his forehead. And his left arm… it was amputated. The young man… he is me, and I, him.

Yes.

Snake opened his eye, looking up dazedly towards Quiet who had crouched next to him with a hand on his shoulder. He could recognize the concern in her eyes. "How long was I out?"

She gave him a confused glance before speaking. "You just cried out and collapsed to your knees."

Snake pursed his lips as he thought about what he had just experienced. Looking down, the photo was still in his hand.

Good Luck, John Shepard
-"Vic" Boss

John…

Turning the picture back over, Snake looked at the line of men. The younger face on the end was no longer foreign to him. It was him…

John Shepard.

"I heard something, at the end of the hallway!"

The voice was muffled by the distance, but it was still audible to Snake and Quiet. Standing up, he stuffed the picture and cassette tape into a pocket and drew his weapon. "Time to leave."

A.N. - Sorry, I know it has been some time since the last post. I got caught up enjoying the Division and Uncharted 4 (GREAT FUCKING GAME BTW). Anyway, this chapter was sitting half-completed on my laptop for some time, so the past two days I decided to crank the rest of it out. I'm still enjoying the hell out of this story, so expect further updates in the future. Until then, thanks for reading!