The sharp clang of metal against metal still echoed in my ears. My breath came in shallow bursts, sweat dripping down my face. The scent of metal and faint tang of ozone lingered in the air. I lowered my sword, watching as Tessa straightened from her stance. The training room's fluorescent lights glinted off her silver owl pendant as she brushed auburn hair from her face. The air between us hummed with the aftershocks of our sparring match.
“Seriously, Rei? You’re going to run yourself into the ground at this rate.” Tessa’s sharp green eyes narrowed at me, her voice edged with concern. “That training schedule you made for yourself is hellish. Do you even sleep?”
I shrugged, wiping sweat from my brow. “It’s not that bad.”
Tessa crossed her arms. “Not that bad? You pushed yourself for *three hours* straight without a break. You think you’re some kind of machine?”
“I just… need to get better.”
Tessa studied me for a moment but said nothing more. The silence pressed in, thick and uncomfortable. I kept my gaze fixed on the floor. No matter how hard I trained, I still felt like I was missing something—like I wasn’t improving the way I needed to. My grip tightened around the sword hilt. *What am I lacking?*
The soft hiss of the training room door sliding open cut through the tension.
“Yo! Break it up, you two!” Zane’s voice rang out, breaking the heavy atmosphere. He strolled in with his usual confident grin, amethyst eyes gleaming with mischief. “Tessa, trying to show off again? Or is Rei actually keeping up for once?”
Tessa smirked, brushing her hair back. “He’s more stubborn than you give him credit for.”
Zane leaned casually against the wall, glancing between us. “Oh? Sounds like you’re warming up to him. Or maybe you’re just looking for a challenge.”
“Keep dreaming, Zane,” Tessa shot back, rolling her eyes. “Focus on what you came here for.”
Zane chuckled. “Alright, alright. Captain’s calling everyone. Big announcement.” He glanced at me with a teasing grin. “Guess we’ll see if you survive the next thing he throws at us.”
---
When we arrived at the squad’s common room, the atmosphere buzzed with curiosity. Casper sat in the corner, arms crossed, glaring at me before looking away with a scoff. Typical. Oliver and Andrei sat quietly next to each other, Oliver adjusting his glasses while Andrei checked the time on his watch. Daisy and Zane were chatting, their conversation carrying an easy familiarity—like an older brother teasing his younger sister.
Tessa walked beside me, her sharp green eyes glancing at Zane. “Think the announcement’s about another mission?”
“Could be,” Zane said with a shrug. “Though with Aiden, who knows?”
On the other side of the room, Elissa had cornered Aiden the moment he entered. His black jacket with the silver flame design shimmered faintly under the room’s lighting. His grey eyes scanned the group, the usual intense glow fading to a lighter hue behind his sunglasses.
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“Captain!” Elissa practically bounced on her feet. “What’s the announcement? Are we finally getting a new mission? Or—wait—are we moving bases? Ooh! Is it top-secret?”
Aiden raised an eyebrow, smirking. “One question at a time, Elissa.”
“But—”
“Nope. Shush.” He waved her off casually. “I’ll explain.”
“So, here’s the deal. Tomorrow, we’re heading to the southern base.”
“What for?” Tessa asked, leaning against the wall with her arms crossed.
“Special training camp,” Aiden replied, adjusting his sunglasses. “We’re teaming up with Elijah’s squad for it. Got some drills planned, but there’s also a meeting I need to attend.”
“Special training?” Oliver repeated, glancing at Andrei.
“Does that mean harder missions?” Daisy tilted her head.
Aiden shrugged. “Maybe. Could be fun.”
Zane grinned at Tessa, his tone light but with a hint of sincerity. “Looks like we’ll get to see how well we work together in a real scenario.”
Tessa returned the grin with a nod. “Guess we’ll see if you’re all talk or not.”
Zane laughed. “Guess so.”
Meanwhile, Elissa wasn’t done. “Captain! Will there be joint combat exercises? How long are we staying? Are there going to be surprise assessments?”
“Guess you’ll find out tomorrow,” Aiden said with a smirk. “Patience, Elissa.”
With that, he left, leaving the rest of us staring at each other.
“Special training with Elijah’s squad, huh?” Zane stretched, glancing my way. “Guess things are about to get interesting.”
Tessa caught my eye, giving me a thoughtful look. “Try not to push yourself too hard this time, Rei.”
I offered her a small nod but said nothing. Tomorrow would be another chance. Another shot at closing the gap I felt between where I was and where I wanted to be.
---
The next morning dawned cool and quiet, the sky painted with soft hues of pink and orange. The air buzzed with anticipation as our squad gathered near the WEO outpost. The atmosphere was different—more focused, more serious. Today, we would meet Elijah’s squad for the first time.
Tessa adjusted her silver owl pendant, glancing at Zane as he stretched lazily. “So, about that mission you mentioned yesterday—did you *really* pull off that last move, or were you just showing off again?”
Zane glanced at her with a raised brow, brushing a few strands of his purple-streaked hair from his face. “Showing off? Me? Please, Tessa. I’m all skill.”
“Uh-huh. Sure. I heard you nearly face-planted during that rooftop chase,” Tessa replied, folding her arms with a grin.
“That was a tactical move,” Zane shot back, stepping closer with a playful glint in his amethyst eyes. “Part of my strategy. You should know by now I always land on my feet.”
“Mm-hmm, right. Just try not to ‘strategically’ trip when it matters.”
Oliver chuckled softly at their exchange while Andrei adjusted his watch, glancing between them. Casper remained aloof, arms crossed, occasionally glancing toward me with his usual skeptical gaze.
Meanwhile, Elissa stood apart from the banter, her eyes scanning the road ahead. Then a grin lit up her face. “Stace!” she called out suddenly, waving enthusiastically.
Moments later, Stacy emerged from around the corner, waving back with equal excitement. “Lisa! Took you long enough!”
The two rushed toward each other, pulling into a quick hug.
“It’s been forever!” Elissa beamed. “I wasn’t expecting to see you here.”
“Same! But hey, you know I couldn’t stay away when things get interesting.” Stacy grinned, brushing her hair back. “Still as energetic as ever, I see.”
“Of course! Someone’s gotta keep the vibe up.”
Their reunion drew amused glances from the rest of the squad. Zane leaned toward Tessa. “Guess we aren’t the only dynamic duo around here.”
Tessa gave a small smirk but kept her focus ahead. “Looks like things just got more interesting.”
The light moment didn’t last long. Footsteps echoed from the road ahead. Elijah’s squad came into view—six figures moving with practiced ease. Elijah walked at the front, his expression unreadable, dark crimson eyes fixed on Aiden. The atmosphere shifted immediately. The playful chatter faded. There was history here.
When they finally stopped a few paces apart, the two captains regarded each other. The tension between them was palpable.
“Elijah,” Aiden said, his voice even.
“Aiden.” Elijah’s reply was curt but respectful. His jet-black hair stirred slightly in the breeze. “It’s been a while.”
“Yeah. It has.”
The silence that followed lingered, heavy with unspoken thoughts. Neither man looked away.
Elissa, still standing close to Stacy, glanced between the captains but said nothing. The serious tone wasn’t lost on anyone.
Finally, Elijah broke eye contact, glancing at our squad. “They’re your team?”
“They are.” Aiden gave a single nod. “And they’re ready.”
Another pause. Then Elijah gave a faint nod of his own. “Good.”
The distant hum of engines broke the tension. The sleek WEO transport hovered into view, casting a long shadow as it prepared to land. The squads watched in quiet anticipation.
As they approached the transport together, I stole a glance at Elijah’s squad—wonders and questions swirling in my mind. Will I improve the way I want to? Or will my fear come through and be left behind? I couldn’t tell which would happen, but I was sure I wasn’t just going to stand there and do nothing.
The engines roared to life, and as the doors slid open with a hiss, I tighten
ed my grip on my sword. No more hesitation. This time, I would push forward—no matter what awaited us inside.
[End of Chapter]