The alert came at dawn.
A shrill, system-wide chime pulsed through every wrist-band in Aethelgard Academy, accompanied by Commander Selene's iron-calm voice projected into every mind:
"Corrupted incursion detected in Sector Theta-7, a low-population agri-world designated 'Veridia.' Scans indicate a foothold breach with a commanding entity present. All available Vanguard and Specialist teams are mobilized. This is not a drill. Report to Hangar Gamma in twenty minutes. This is a live combat deployment."
Echo was already awake, running energy-circulation drills. He felt Leyla and Mira jolt alert through the bond—shared adrenaline, sharp and clean.
They met in the common room already armored, weapons checked. No words were needed. This was what they'd trained for.
Hangar Gamma was chaos—squads of dragon-kin strapping on plasma casters, squads of tech-augmented humans syncing combat drones, mages from crystal worlds chanting pre-battle wards. The air smelled of ozone, sweat, and cold metal.
Commander Selene stood on a platform, her face a mask of grim focus.
"Veridia is a vital food supplier for twelve allied worlds. If the Corrupted establish a Spire there, they can poison the biosphere and spread to neighboring systems. Your mission: infiltrate the incursion zone, locate the commanding entity, and eliminate it. Secondary objective: gather intelligence on Corrupted troop composition. Tertiary: civilian evacuation if possible."
She looked over the assembled warriors. "Some of you will not return. Make your deaths count."
Transport shuttles hummed to life. Echo's team was assigned to Dropship Kilo, alongside a squad of hulking stone-like beings called Gravorgs and a pair of silent, hooded Phase Stalkers—assassins who could walk through walls.
As the shuttle tore into the dimensional slip-stream, Echo closed his eyes. His Error-Sight flickered, showing him not the shuttle's interior, but the bonds around him—Leyla's silver ferocity, Mira's blue calm, and the new, thrumming power of their Resonance Field connecting them.
We can do this, he thought, and felt their agreement echo back.