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Morning came, but the weight of the night lingered—quiet, unshaken.
The sun hung low over Noir Rose, casting long shadows across the angular skyline. The city pulsed with a muted life. A far cry from the vibrancy it must have once held before Tenzashi's grip closed around it. The air tasted metallic, and the faint hum of surveillance drones echoed in the distance. For the first time since their arrival, the Vectors were allowed beyond the walls of the Dome.
Riley and Jade walked side by side, weaving through the neon lit streets. Their uniforms were swapped for plain dark casuals—neutral enough to blend into the scattered civilian crowd. The freedom felt... hollow. Every corner, every reflection in the glass, felt like an unseen presence breathing down their necks.
"Do you get the feeling..." Jade whispered, keeping his hands tucked into his pockets, "...that even when they let us off the leash, we're still on it?"
Riley looked up toward a mounted camera overlooking the street. Its lens tilted almost imperceptibly in their direction before snapping back.
"Wouldn't make sense to let us out unless they were watching."
They found themselves at Satori Diner, a sleek Tenzashi-owned restaurant nestled in one of the more elegant parts of the district. The scent of grilled meats and spices wafted out onto the cracked pavement. Inside, the atmosphere was dimly lit, casting flickering pools of warm orange light across the marble tables. Riley scanned the room instinctively, counting exits, gauging faces. He could feel Jade doing the same.
They were halfway through a muted meal when familiar figures entered.
Leilani. Kai. Luna.
They noticed Riley and Jade almost immediately—hesitating for a moment before approaching. Leilani took the lead, calm and composed, with Kai and Luna following close behind. Without a word, they slid into the booth. For a few seconds, no one spoke.
Then Leilani broke the silence.
"Guess we're all thinking the same thing... safety in numbers."
Riley's eyes lingered on her for a moment longer. There was a quiet authority in the way she carried herself, like she'd already sized everyone up without saying a word. Kai sat rigid, brown curls hanging just over his sharp features, while Luna leaned back with an effortless cool, arms crossed behind her head.
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They exchanged names, ages, small fragments of their lives before Echelon. Riley learned that Leilani was a national chess prodigy. Kai was a long-distance runner. Luna was... harder to pin down. Her answers were vague, dancing around details—barely noticeable. The dynamic between them began to click without anyone forcing it.
Leilani slid into the booth across from Riley, setting her tray down with quiet precision. Kai followed, eyes downcast, while Luna slid in beside Jade, lounging comfortably.
"This curry's actually good," Leilani muttered, taking a bite. "Didn't expect that in a place run by Tenzashi."
"You sound surprised," Jade quipped, lifting his bowl. "Tyranny apparently comes with decent spice levels."
Luna smirked and leaned forward, spearing a grilled skewer from Kai's plate without asking. "Sharing's part of team building, right?"
Kai blinked, then gave a small shrug. "... I Guess."
"I can't pronounce half the stuff on this menu, but this chicken is so good." Riley joked.
"You're not eating much," Leilani to Kai, nudging a side dish his way. "Food's free, so you might as well refuel.
"Oh Okay, thank you" Kai replied hesitantly.
They're good. All of them.
What surprised Riley most was how quickly the stiffness between them began to thaw. There were no power plays. No forced alliances. Just five people trying to hold onto something human in the middle of the machine they'd been thrown into.
For the first time in days, it felt like they were just teenagers again—eating, talking, not being watched. But that moment passed quickly.
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By 7:15PM, the group began their walk back toward the Dome. The air had cooled, and the streets emptied as curfew approached. As they moved through the alleys, the sense of unseen eyes returned—stronger now.
Riley glanced over his shoulder. Nothing. But the pressure lingered.
It was Leilani who finally broke the silence.
"We're being followed."
No one argued. They walked faster, the shadows stretching longer behind them. But the feeling never left.
When they reached the Dome gates, the sensation melted away, as if whatever presence had been trailing them knew the rules. Inside the Dome was Tenzashi's domain. No one else's.
The PA flashed on the moment the doors sealed shut.
"Vectors. Report to Hall Delta for assembly. Immediately."
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The hall was cold, and the air was thinner—harsher. The overhead lights bled white onto the gathered recruits. A digital display blinked to life above the room.
PROJECT ECHELON RANKINGS - DAY 2
A hush fell as the list scrolled into view:
1.Leilani Kim
2.Jade Holt
3.Riley Grant
4.Luna Reyes
5.Kai Turner
6. Bobby Skeller
7. Louis Snuffy
Whispers spread through the crowd. Riley's chest tightened. He hadn't expected to place so high... not so soon.
The PA crackled again, the automated voice as cold as ever.
"Teirs are determined by performance, adaptability, psychological stability, and leadership potential. Vectors who reach Teir 1 are granted the option to leave Project Echelon at will. However... the bar to climb is high."
A pause. The silence dragged.
"No one has ever reached Teir 1."
The weight of those words settled over the room.
Riley glanced toward the observation windows .Those black panes of glass. He could feel the unseen eyes pressing down on them all.
This was never about creating soldiers. It was about breaking them... piece by piece.
Still... for one brief moment, the five of them exchanged glances. No one said it, but they all felt the same flicker of pride.
They were at the top.
For now.
"Dismissed."
The room emptied out slowly, but the five stayed clustered a little longer—just long enough for a few quiet congratulations to pass between them.
Leilani offered a small nod at Riley.
"Whatever this is... we play their game, but we don't let them play us."
Riley looked up toward the cameras—those blinking red lights embedded in the walls.
They think they're pulling the strings. That we're puppets dancing to their tune. But I see through it.
They're watching me.
But I'm watching back.
None of them noticed the faint flicker of one lens zooming in, capturing the moment.
By the time the hall emptied, the room was silent again.
That night, the feeling of unseen eyes didn't fade with the dorm lights.
Far above, beyond screens and cameras in the observation decks, Tenzashi watched.
The system held. Precise. Unyielding..
But somewhere in its soil, a seed had taken root.
Small. Quiet. Unremarkable.
The kind they'd overlooked a hundred times before.
But this one began to grow.
And from it, five would bloom—
branches bonded, bearing fruit the system was never built to contain.
But in time, even the fruit begins to rot.