Elara's boots struck the floor like stones, each stiff-legged stride betraying the exhaustion sheathed beneath her fraying calm.
"What are you doing with Aether?" The demand cracked through the corridor's murmur, sharp as broken glass.
Daelano cradled Aether with performative elegance, one arm beneath his shoulders, the other hooked under his knees—like a fallen hero, or a trophy.
"Taking him where he'll be cherished," she purred, shifting her grip. Blood wept sluggishly from the sword still buried in her abdomen, staining her tunic in a grotesque blossom that never dripped, never pooled. Unnatural.
"Let. Him. Go." Elara's gaze flickered to Aether's slack face, then back, unwavering.
Daelano closed the distance in a fluid glide. With a shrug, she hoisted Aether over her shoulder like a rice sack. "You're that girl, aren't you?" Curiosity dripped from her words like honey from a knife.
Elara retreated half a step, her spine rigid against the primal warning shivering through her. "What?"
A scarlet-tipped finger tapped the sword hilt protruding from Daelano's stomach. "You're not shocked by this?"
"Give him back." Steel bled into Elara's voice.
Daelano's smirk deepened. Feisty little thing. "Who is he to you?" Her free hand ignited, the sword flaring like captured lightning.
Behind them, the crowd roared, surging toward Anna, Zahra, and Mirakos borne aloft. "A lover? A friend? Or a crush?" She leaned in, close enough for Elara to smell iron and ozone. Slender fingers brushed Elara's lips. "What is it? Am I that beautiful?" she purred, her voice low and teasing.
Elara didn't flinch. One of those, she realized. Thrives on beauty. Feeds on attention. "He is my elder brother," she said, cold as winter stone. "And I care for him."
Daelano's eyebrow arched. Before she could speak—
"You talk too much." Elara's eyes raked over the woman's disheveled hair, matted with sweat and ash. "Fix that. Might make you look less ugly."
Silence.
Then—laughter. Rich, unhinged, echoing off the walls until every head whipped toward them.
Anna stumbled forward, joining Elara.
"This girl is amazing," Daelano said between laughs. "By far my favorite. Follow me."
"I didn't know a musclehead was related to a De Meaux," Daelano said, eyes narrowing on Elara. "You are a De Meaux… aren't you?"
Elara didn't blink.
Elara's lips curved—barely.
"Say one more word about my brother," she hissed, stepping closer, "and I'll make sure the only thing coming out of your mouth is blood and teeth. My heritage won't matter—because you'll be choking on it."
A green shimmer rippled through her irises, faint at first, then sparking like embers in a storm.
"Is that all? I've experienced worse," Daelano replied, voice flat but eyes daring her.
Elara's smile stayed thin, never touching her eyes."Oh, I know you've experienced worse," she murmured, stepping into his space. "That's why you limp when you think no one's looking."
Green light flared in her irises, casting faint, shifting shadows across her face. The air between them shimmered, heavy with heat and threat.
"But the difference, Daelano," she whispered, "is this time… you won't walk away."
Daelano paused, blinking repeatedly, Ugilovich clapped his hands, drawing attention back to the matter at hand.
"Before we continue, let me introduce the Apotheosis Covenant—or AC, for short. They're the newest team in the Stars Dominion. If you'd like to know more, ask the Squidi, Kar."
All eyes turned to Kar, who stood quietly at the edge of the room.
"He's a Squidi?" came the first hushed murmur.
"I thought it was another species," someone else added, confused.
"A Squidi is here?" a voice exclaimed in awe, and the room erupted into a wave of whispers, each louder than the last.
The Squidi—intermediaries of divine rights—were an enigma. Rarely seen, yet well-known within the Stars Dominion, they sometimes served as overseers of extraordinary teams, their presence a mark of something monumental.
"It's like crossing into another realm without the consent of a sage," Zareth remarked, his voice low but resonant. As he landed with a heavy thud, the ground beneath him cracked ever so slightly, dust rising in a faint cloud around his feet.
"I am the overseer of the Apotheosis Covenant," Kar began, his tone calm yet commanding. "And their newest objective is—"
His words were abruptly cut off. Zahra's attention snapped to him as a sudden flash of light illuminated Kar's eyes, followed by an explosive burst of... something. She blinked rapidly, trying to process what she had just witnessed.
Her unease deepened as she noticed the faint tremor in Kar's hands, the way his jaw tightened almost imperceptibly. "What was that?" she thought, her mind racing.
Kar quickly recomposed himself, his calm demeanor unshaken, but the moment left Zahra unsettled. She glanced at the others, wondering if they had noticed, but their attention was fixed on Kar.
"Our objective is to stop the war in the Central District, which has already begun in full force. The Free Dominion is susceptible to being destroyed."
Silence filled the room. Zahra's mind raced. "He gave us a month, didn't he?" she thought, her forehead damp with sweat. "A month to prepare for what? A massacre?"
"Zephyros has already declared war—indirectly, of course. But the AC won't intervene yet. I've given my word to allow them a month of rigorous training," Kar explained.
Zahra sighed deeply, while Zareth chuckled. He pushed through the crowd, approaching Ugilovich.
"So, that boy—who's going to train him?" Zareth asked, resting a hand on Ugilovich's shoulder.
Ugilovich turned to him, a sly grin spreading across his face. "Send him to the Stem Academy?"
They stared at each other for a moment before bursting into laughter.
"The boy is good, alright, but he didn't win. So, he's just... 'good.' That girl, though," Ugilovich said, pointing at Anna, who was watching Elara and Daelano intently. "She has potential. When she fought, I felt like I was drowning and burning at the same time. She'd make a great torture machine—or support."
Zareth sighed. "That's why everyone died in your last mission."
"They were weak," Ugilovich said with a whistle. The verses of his song began to materialize in the air, and he held a single note. "Aether, though... I had over twenty ways to kill him when he spoke."
Zareth remained silent, his mind racing. "Manipulation of vocals... variations of stressed and unstressed syllables—iambic, trochee, anapest, dactyl, pyrrhic, and spondee. Scary," he thought, shaking his head. He turned back to Daelano, who was now approaching Kar with Aether still on her back.
"Oh no," Zareth muttered as Daelano began to speak.
"These are new recruits," Daelano announced loudly. "If anyone has a problem with them, you'll have to go through me first."
"I thank you," Kar said slowly, his tone neutral. As Daelano approached him, she hit his shoulder playfully.
"That's it for today," Ugilovich said, walking toward the massive teleportation circle at the center of the room. With a flash of light, he vanished. Others followed, stepping into the circle and disappearing one by one.
Aether's eyes fluttered open. Everything was hazy. He saw a woman, but before he could focus, his eyes closed again.
"Your quarters, then," Kar said, stepping toward the circle.
"This place only has teleportation circles," Daelano explained, still carrying Aether. "Everywhere is teleportable."
Elara sighed, already finding Daelano's presence grating. Mirakos, seemingly accustomed to Daelano, climbed onto her free shoulder and began tapping Aether's face repeatedly.
"There's a large training ground, comparable in size to your entire floor. Make the best of it," Kar said, stepping into the circle. "That's it."
The group remained silent as Kar chuckled softly. "If Aether were awake, he'd argue. I guess it's best he's still asleep." With that, they teleported away, leaving behind a lingering sense of confusion. Did a Squidi just laugh?
Aether's Dream World
Aether woke up in his dream world once again. The familiar, surreal landscape stretched out before him, a vast expanse of sand.
"Who is the best in your new team?" text appeared behind him, glowing faintly.
Aether staggered, his body feeling heavy. "You..." he began, cursing under his breath. "After the last dream, you vanished. I fought Ugilovich in the real world. Why am I so tired?" he muttered, frustration bubbling to the surface.
The text vanished and reappeared in front of his face. "I was busy," it said simply.
Aether glared at it. "You're my starter pack," he muttered flatly. "My..." He paused, shaking his head as the world shifted around him. The dreamscape transformed into a vast, endless ocean, the horizon blending seamlessly with the sky.
"Aether, would you like to know what your soul looks like?" the text asked.
"My soul?" Aether replied, confused. He hesitated, then shook his head. "No."
He persisted. "Are you here to teach me another lesson? The Squidi were practically useless. I mean, the connections worked, but overall, it wasn't as you planned," Aether said, his voice tinged with frustration.
"Who is the best member of your team?" the text repeated.
"Mirakos isn't going to be fighting anymore," Aether replied, looking down at his feet. He wasn't falling into the ocean, but the sensation of standing on water was disorienting.
"I didn't mention Mirakos," the text said, sighing.
Aether turned, his expression thoughtful. "Elara is a great supporter. She should complement my attacks well. Anna, on the other hand, is a disruptor. I haven't seen her fight head-on, but with her abilities, she'd be good at it. And Zahra... she's more of a strategist. She works best on her own."
"Who is the best?" the text asked again.
"I answered the question," Aether snapped. "Now don't forget to answer mine. I'll be asking a lot of questions."
Before the text could respond, Aether felt himself falling. The ocean swallowed him, and he woke up.