Standing in the doorway was Mrs. Daphne, her brow creased in concern. "What happened here?"
Ashen quickly sat up, rubbing the back of his neck as his mind rambled for an excuse. "Uh—nothing! I, uh… I think the gravity stabilizer glitched for a second. You know, with the base's systems being underwater and all."
She frowned. "The gravity stabilizer?"
"Yeah," he said quickly. "One second I was sitting, the next—boom—off the bed. It happens sometimes, right?"
Daphne gave him a long, suspicious stare. She was too old to fall for his nonsense. But after a moment, she sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose.
"I'll have maintenance check the field emitters later," she said, clearly unconvinced. "For now, you can leave. Instructor Kieran's waiting for you in his office."
Ashen felt his stomach drop. "Kieran's office?"
"Yes," she replied firmly. "The others are already there. Try not to fall through the ceiling on your way there."
"…Right."
'Haha, I think she might be my type.' Nexis annoying voice rang out again.
"..."
He slid off the floor, wincing slightly as he straightened his back, and gave a small nod before heading for the door.
As he stepped into the corridor, the lights dimmed slightly, and the faint hum of the ocean's pressure vibrated through the walls. He could hear the distant pulse of the Academy's engines keeping the structure stable beneath the crushing depths.
'Smooth performance,' Nexis commented, voice dripping with amusement. 'Didn't even blink while lying through your teeth. I'm impressed.'
Ashen kept walking. 'Look, I don't know what you are, but we're not doing this. Keep quiet until I figure out what to do with you.'
'Oh, come on. You're acting like I'm the bad guy here.'
'You're literally inside my head without permission.'
'Semantics.'
Ashen fingers twitched in irritation.
This guy was worse than Renn
'Listen. I don't care what you think you can do or what game you're playing, but i can tell you want me to keep you a secret, so if you want this to work out, you better shut up and let me think?'
Nexis chuckled. 'You say that like you're in charge.'
Ashen sighed through his nose, massaging his temples. 'I'm serious.'
'Fine, fine. I'll keep my circuits shut,' Nexis said innocently. 'For now.'
Ashen's response was a low growl in his thoughts. 'I'll deal with you later.'
'Looking forward to it, roomie.'
Ashen ignored him and turned a corner, approaching Kieran's office.
The corridor was eerily quiet—no chatter, no footsteps—just the faint hum of distant engines. When he reached the door, he paused, drew in a slow breath, and pressed his palm to the scanner.
The doors slid open with a hiss.
The room was cold and brightly lit, walls lined with transparent panels showing the dark blue ocean outside.
Three figures stood silently near the center—Renn, Lira, and Jaro. None of them looked up as he entered.
At the far end of the room sat Instructor Kieran.
His posture was rigid, hands clasped together atop his desk, eyes fixed on the group with that familiar, unreadable calm. Only this time, beneath that mask of discipline, Ashen could see it—a simmering storm in his gaze.
He was clearly mad this time.
Ashen stepped in and saluted sharply. "Cadet Ashen Vale, reporting as ordered, sir."
Kieran didn't respond immediately, the silence pressed down like a weight. Even the air felt heavier.
Renn fidgeted slightly, his usual grin nowhere to be found. Lira's eyes were downcast, and Jaro stood stiff as a board, jaw clenched.
Finally, Kieran raised a hand, silencing any attempt at explanation.
"There's no need for you to speak," he said calmly. "I already have all the information I need."
Ashen's shoulders stiffened.
Kieran's gaze swept over the four of them, sharp and assessing. "You broke seven safety protocols. You left the designated boundaries without authorization. You risked exposure to open water pressure and Class-3 surveillance drones. And you nearly got yourselves killed in the process."
His tone remained level, but every word cut deep.
"You've all been trained to understand the value of regulation and the purpose of hierarchy. The Academy doesn't exist to babysit reckless children. We train soldiers, representatives of Earth. Yet this—" he gestured toward them, voice tightening slightly "—is what I get?"
No one spoke, the tension was suffocating.
After a moment, Kieran's gaze settled on Renn.
"Renn Yoshio."
Renn flinched slightly. "Y-yes, sir?"
Kieran leaned back in his chair, fingers interlaced. "Over the years, I've observed your… unique contributions to this team. You are talented. Brilliant, even. Your mechanical aptitude and comprehension of complex systems surpass your peers by a wide margin."
For a second, Renn almost smiled—until Kieran continued.
"But talent without discipline is a liability."
Renn froze.
"You lack restraint. You lack foresight. And your inability to consider consequences has infected your teammates. Every incident involving this squad traces back to your influence in some form or another."
"Sir, I—" Renn began, but Kieran's raised hand silenced him again.
"Enough," Kieran said quietly. "I've made my decision."
The words hung heavy in the room.
"Effective immediately, you are dismissed from this year's selection for the Dominion Games."
The silence that followed was deafening.
Renn's mouth opened slightly, but no sound came out. His face drained of color as the weight of the words hit him.
Kieran's voice continued, steady and final. "And also effective immediately, you are dismissed from H-Academy as a student. You will return home. A hover has been arranged to take you to your family. Your belongings have already been packed."
The air seemed to collapse.
Ashen's eyes widened in disbelief. He turned toward Renn, who was trembling slightly, his fingers tightening into fists at his sides.
It was true Renn had always been a headache—a walking mess of energy and trouble, but he was an incredibly valuable member of the team.
Like he said every student that was selected to join the Academy was the best of the best at a particular field the contributed overall to their mission.
An for Renn, it was his knowledge in mechanics and physics.
Ashen opened his mouth to speak—to say something, anything—but one look at Kieran's eyes stopped him cold.
There was no space for negotiation there.
For a long moment, no one moved.
Renn's shoulders quivered, his lips parted, but whatever words he had died before leaving his throat. He simply nodded once, stiffly, and turned toward the door.
Lira bit her lip, her eyes glistening.
Jaro's jaw twitched.
Ashen felt something heavy settle in his chest as Renn walked past him without a word, his footsteps echoing in the silence.
When the door shut behind him, Kieran's voice came again, quieter this time.
"You may all leave."
None of them replied.
They turned, one after another, and exited the room in silence.
The corridor outside felt colder than before, the hum of the ocean dull and distant.
No one spoke as they walked—Lira wiping her eyes, Jaro staring straight ahead, Ashen caught between unknown emotions.
And through it all, in the quiet of his mind, Nexis' voice whispered softly—
'Well. That could've gone better.'
Ashen clenched his fists, jaw tight, but said nothing.