The battlefield finally quieted, the last of the drones flickering into sparks and smoke. The six stood side by side, breathing heavily, dirt and blood smudged across their faces.
Commander's voice echoed through the comms:
"Good work, Unit 9. Return to base for debrief."
As the group walked back through the forest, no one said a word. But glances—oh, those couldn't be hidden.
Teaha wiped his blade clean, walking near Lara, who had a slight scratch on her cheek. "You okay?" he asked casually.
Lara nodded, "Barely. You?"
"I'm not the one showing off," he smirked.
Meanwhile, Kevin strutted with his shirt still half open. "You all saw it, right?" he said loudly. "My abs scared the enemy. They surrendered!"
Mira groaned, "They were blind, not scared."
But Nisa remained quiet, her hand unconsciously resting on the jade tied at her waist. She could still feel the heat from Bihoo's earlier reaction… the way he had moved so fast—not to protect her, but the jade.
She turned her head slightly, sneaking a glance.
Bihoo wasn't even looking her way.
He was walking ahead, fists clenched, mind elsewhere. Why did I react like that? He'd never seen her before, but that jade—that exact pattern—he'd seen it in his dreams… for years.
And now it was real, hanging from a girl who didn't know him.
Back at base, they gathered in the mission hall. Commander Rye stood with arms crossed.
"You passed," she said bluntly. "But don't relax. This is the beginning."
She stepped forward and looked at Nisa. "You fought like a shadow beast—where did you learn that style?"
"I… don't know. I've never trained in it before," Nisa said truthfully.
The room tensed.
"She was glowing a little," Mira said, frowning. "Did anyone else notice?"
Bihoo's head snapped toward her—but he quickly looked away again.
Commander Rye narrowed her eyes. "Keep your powers in check. There's more to this than you all know."
She handed each of them a sealed envelope.
"Your next mission. You leave at dawn."
As everyone filed out, Nisa lagged behind. Bihoo hesitated too.
She finally turned to him. "You know something about this jade, don't you?"
He paused.
"…I don't know if I do, or if I just want to," he said quietly. "But when I saw it… I felt like I'd lost something I never had."
Nisa blinked, unsure what to say. For once, her mouth was quiet.
She looked down at the jade.
And it shimmered—just for a second—faint and gold.
To be continued…