The sunlight above Fort Veridion was crisp and pale, casting long shadows over the polished landing deck as the sky shuttle lowered. The air shimmered slightly from the shuttle's thrusters, and a squad stood at attention in dark crimson combat uniforms with silver trim the 10th Division of the Aegis Corps.
Leon stumbled as he stepped out of the shuttle, boots unfamiliar on metal. His bag, still half-open and clutched in one hand, made him look less like a new recruit and more like a lost traveler which, in a way, he was.
"Stand tall," said a voice beside him.
He turned to see Echo, her silver hair braided back into a sleek combat style, arms crossed and expression cool. Her tone wasn't harsh, but not comforting either.
"This is Unit Valiant," she said. "And you're in our sky now."
Leon followed her gaze. The team stood in formation: Aros, massive and unmoving like a stone wall; Kestra, slim with sharp violet eyes; Cael, short and jittery, with a tech pad glowing in his hand; Ryn, the medic with a calm smile; and two others he hadn't met yet.
They didn't salute. They didn't smile. They assessed.
Echo gestured. "Introduce yourself."
Leon cleared his throat. "Leon… Caelum Rivera. From New York City. Age twenty-one. I—uh—woke up here three days ago after…"
He trailed off. How did you explain "I got isekai'd on the Q train"?
Echo didn't press. "You'll be evaluated in the coming days. Standard tests. Orientation. Suit syncing. Until then, consider yourself in observation."
Cael nudged Aros. "Bet he fails the wall climb."
Aros grunted. "Bet he dies in sparring."
"Hey!" Leon barked. "I'm right here."
Kestra stepped forward, hand out. "If you last longer than a week, you might be interesting."
Leon took her hand and shook. "Thanks. I think."
Echo clapped twice. "All of you, back to prep. New rotation starts at dawn."
The squad dispersed like shadows, silent and efficient.
Leon looked around the courtyard, unsure of where to go.
"Follow me," Echo said, walking off.
They moved through polished corridors lit by bioluminescent tiles. Automated defense turrets pivoted in their ceiling sockets, tracking them calmly. Leon spotted what looked like holographic murals of battles past soldiers facing off against warped monstrosities. In every mural, the crimson insignia of the 10th blazed like a flame.
"Why me?" Leon asked as they walked. "You could've rejected me outright."
"We don't reject fate," Echo replied.
"Fate?" he scoffed. "That's what you're going with?"
She stopped beside a tall window. Outside, vast tundras sprawled beneath alien skies. Two moons hung above jagged mountain ranges.
"This world doesn't play by Earth's rules," she said. "You arrived through a cosmic fracture. Unregistered. Untethered. That's rare. And dangerous."
"So I'm a risk."
"You're a variable," Echo corrected. "But potential often comes dressed as disruption."
Leon wasn't sure whether to be flattered or terrified.
They reached his bunk, compact but clean. Gear locker, integrated screen, a window with a view of the eastern ridges.
"Orientation begins at dawn," Echo said. "I'll send Cael to start your neuro-sync. If you get overwhelmed, don't die. That's an order."
She turned to leave.
"Echo," he called.
She paused.
"Thanks for not... locking me in a basement."
A ghost of a smile touched her lips. "Don't give me a reason to."
And with that, she was gone.
Leon exhaled slowly and looked out the window.
A new world.
New rules.
And a squad that didn't quite feel like soldiers.
More like...
Family?
Maybe.
But if this was his new life, he was going to make it his own.
Outside, the twin moons began to rise.
The night would be long.