"This is our living quarters, Vellin." I said, ducking under the doorway to enter the building. The door frame creaked slightly as my shoulders brushed against it. Vellin followed behind, glancing at me with a raised brow. "How tall are you, exactly?" he asked His eyes briefly scanned my frame. I straightened up as much as the cramped ceiling would allow and replied, "I'm seven foot two. Most doors are too small, as you can see." I gestured toward the slightly scuffed frame, evidence of countless close encounters. The room itself was modest but functional. While Emma often voiced her frustrations about our accommodations, I didn't mind it too much. The walls were freshly plastered, and the air carried a faint scent of wood polish from the recent repairs. We were still rebuilding; such conditions were to be expected. Even so, with Vellin reunited with us and new allies joining every week, I could feel the tides turning. The golden days of Sun weren't just a dream—they were within reach.

Gabriel sprawled lazily on the old but sturdy couch, popping grapes into his mouth one by one. His boots were propped up on the edge of the coffee table, a sign of his usual carefree attitude. "Attention!" I barked. Gabriel jerked upright, nearly spilling the bowl of grapes in his lap. He hastily set it down on the now-repaired table, the wood glinting faintly under the overhead light, and stood at attention, his hands clasped behind his back. I pointed toward the door. "Go find the rest of our team and bring them down here. We need to talk." Gabriel snapped a salute and shouted, "Yes, sir!" before bolting out.

Gabriel moved with urgency, rounding up the four officers who weren’t preoccupied with other assignments. They filed into the room quickly, their sharp movements a testament to their discipline. As they stood before us, their postures straight and alert, I gestured toward Vellin. "This is Vellin." I began, my tone firm and commanding. "You already know who he is, but now you will show him the same respect you give me. He is a Flame and will be ordained shortly." Vellin took a step forward, his expression calm but his voice slightly hesitant. "Nice to meet you." he said simply, giving a polite nod. In perfect synchrony, all four officers bowed deeply. "We are pleased to meet you as well, sir!" they chorused, their voices ringing with sincerity. Vellin blinked, momentarily taken aback by the formality. His shoulders tensed slightly, unused to the weight of such respect and admiration. I stepped forward, clapping him on the back with a firm hand. "Feels nice, huh?" I said with a small smile. "We are looked to for guidance. It comes with the territory." Rolling my neck to ease the tension, I turned back to the officers. "For now," I continued, "find a suitable room for Vellin and his girlfriend Jane to stay in. If there are no rooms left, the junior soldiers will need to bunk up. Make it happen." The officers snapped to attention, their voices unified in a resounding, "Yes, sir!" They wasted no time, turning on their heels and rushing up the stairs. The scraping of furniture being shifted around above us was quite loud.

I turned to Vellin with a casual nod. "While they’re handling that, let me give you a quick tour of the first floor." Vellin sighed, shaking his head. "Sorry, Caleb. I’m pretty beat. I’d rather just head to bed early. Still wearing this bloody gray t-shirt, after all." he said, pulling at the fabric to emphasize the dried blood staining it. I glanced toward the staircase, raising my voice. "Double time! Vellin needs to rest!" Emma, who had been standing nearby, adjusted her glasses and interjected, "We already picked up your things from the hotel. The clothes are being cleaned as we speak." "Ah, nearly forgot about that." I said with a nod of approval, but my attention was soon stolen by the loud growl of my stomach. "Emma, go get us some steak and water." I ordered. "Right away, sir." she replied, quickly spinning on her heel. She dashed into the kitchen.

I gestured toward the hallway for Vellin. "She just went into the kitchen, and there’s a bathroom at the end of the hall as well. That’s all you really need to know for now." As if on cue, Gabriel appeared, gripping the handrails of the staircase with both hands. "We’re finished!" he called out enthusiastically. "We’ve got a whole room prepared and cleaned for them." I smiled at his efficiency. "Good work! Vellin, settle in. Someone will bring your food and things shortly." Vellin, with Jane following close behind, was already halfway up the stairs. "Yeah, yeah. Thanks." he said with a dismissive wave, though his voice carried a hint of weariness. He had masked his fatigue well earlier—back at the beach, he’d seemed unshaken. Why? I yawned, stretching out my arms to work out the stiffness creeping into my muscles. "Not like I care!" If he wanted to act cool, it's his right as a Flame. There was still plenty of work to do, and sleep would have to wait.

The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

Ten minutes later..

"God forbid I get ten minutes of sleep!" I groaned, throwing myself onto the bed with an exaggerated flop. The mattress, fitted with some kind of high-end foam, molded perfectly to my form, but I barely noticed. The lavish decor around the room—ornate curtains, a chandelier, polished wood furniture—was all lost on me. I was too tired to care. Jane, standing by the dresser, was changing into her light blue pajamas. She pouted as she slipped on the top. "I saw you staring at Emma." she said, her tone accusatory. What? I blinked, baffled. I had stared, sure, but not for the reason she thought. Sitting up slightly, I explained, "I fought her to enter the tournament. I stared at her a bit because she reminds me of you—what you can become, or even surpass." Lying back down, I started shadowboxing lazily at the ceiling. "She's in her thirties, and you're in your early twenties. She’s stronger than you now, but she’s hit her potential. I was imagining a future version of you—stronger, faster." Jane paused, her fingers tugging at the waistband of her pajama bottoms as she processed my words. Finally, she said, "That's... acceptable. Ninety points." I frowned, lowering my hands. "Out of?" She smirked, leaning down to kiss my cheek. "You don’t need to know," she replied cryptically before sliding into bed beside me. She wrapped a leg over mine, her warmth immediately noticeable. I stiffened, pulling back slightly. "Wait, wait. There are two beds. What are you doing?" Jane’s voice was confused as she tilted her head at me. "There’s one bed." I froze, realization dawning on me. My eye twitched as I processed it. Those cheeky—!

Three hours later..

"So we have the protection job for Mr. Holloway scheduled later this week. Send him four soldiers and offer a discount since we’re unable to provide an officer." I said, leaning against the wall and rubbing the back of my neck. Emma nodded efficiently, jotting it down on her clipboard. "I'll make that happen." she replied without missing a beat.

Before I could say more, a deafening explosion rocked the entire building. Multiple walls burst apart simultaneously, leaving gaping holes large enough for people to enter through. Even the second floor wasn’t spared, debris raining down as the structure groaned under the assault. Dust filled the air, choking the room with a haze. "We’re being attacked!" I roared, the shockwave momentarily staggering me. My ears rang from the noise as my vision adjusted to the dimly lit chaos. Out of the corner of my eye, a glint caught my attention—a knife, its blade tipped with a strange purple liquid, was flying through one of the holes, hurtling straight toward Emma. The speed was incredible, too fast for her to react. Without thinking, I thrust my palm out, reinforcing it just in time to intercept the blade. It clattered to the ground, the blade’s acid-like substance hissing as it ate through the wooden floor.

Emma recovered quickly, gripping her clipboard tightly. With a sharp motion, she hurled it toward the darkness beyond the hole. It collided with something solid, hidden in the shadows. "Come inside, coward!" I bellowed, the challenge echoing through the destroyed room. A figure stepped forward, emerging from the night with an air of cold confidence. She wore a dark hood emblazoned with the mark of her new clan. My chest tightened as I recognized her. Lilith. Once a Flame like us, now the leader of the Fist of God. Emma’s eyes burned with fury as she yelled, "You dare do this?! We’re allies! Sun will wipe you out for this betrayal!" Lilith smirked, her expression dripping with disdain as five men emerged behind her, fanning out protectively like a pack of loyal hounds. Her Fingers.

"How cute, boys," she said with a mocking chuckle. "she thinks I didn’t account for that." One of her Fingers, a brute of a man nearly as tall as me, grabbed a heavy cupboard from the wreckage and hurled it toward us. It sailed past Emma, narrowly missing her. "Don’t threaten her." the man growled, his voice low and menacing. From above, I could hear the unmistakable sounds of a fight breaking out—a scuffle on the second floor. The tension in the air grew thicker, and I narrowed my eyes at Lilith. Shrugging off my jacket, I warned her, "Controlling these men doesn’t make you strong, Lilith!" She scoffed, folding her arms as her hooded figure loomed ominously. "On the contrary," she said coolly. "It’s exactly what I did to Zero." I tossed my jacket to the floor. "You’re making a mistake!" I growled, my body preparing for combat. Lilith’s lips curled into a wicked grin as she pointed toward the knife still sizzling on the floor. "You’re the one making a mistake." she said, her tone venomous. "You’ve already been poisoned."