Several figures stood in a precise line, obscured by the deep shadows of the unfamiliar room.
"That's all of them?"
"Yeah."
The man, fit and short-haired, moved with purpose across the dark floor, tilting a figure's chin with a steady hand. A cloth had been stuffed into the figures mouth.
"How amusing."
"MMMGHHM!"
"Don't put on such a struggle. I'm sure they will arrive soon anyway."
The man stepped back from the figure, a thin, amused smile playing on his lips.
"You stay here, keep a watch on them. The rest of us will be roaming outside. It's just a matter of time."
"As ordered, Ruhen."
Ruhen snickered as his figure dissolved in the distance.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
"Hey, Mister Soke. So why exactly are we going to the Capital again?"
"The Chairman called us up, said it was an urgent mission and other cadet groups weren't available."
"Do you know what the mission is?"
"Not a clue."
We arrived at Central Tower, the same large doors opened to welcome us.
There stood the chairman, eyes gleaming as we entered the room.
"Welcome, Team Soke! It's a pleasure to see you after.. two days!"
We're Team Soke now?
"Yo, Chairman." Soke greeted him in return.
The rest of us bowed.
"I already said formalities aren't necessary."
Soke said the mission was urgent, I wonder what it is.
Sorren asked first. "Hey, er, Chairman Sir. Soke said the mission was urgent, ya wouldn't mind tellin' us about the details?"
A shadow crossed the chairman's face, his warm smile withering into an unyielding expression as he caught our eyes.
"Soke, is your team ready for something real."
Soke's ear twitched as his back leaned against the wall.
"They've, well, mostly got their charms fully manifested. And I'll be there for support. What's this something real of yours?"
Mostly, huh.
"As I've told you before, the remaining cadet squads are already on a mission, so right now you are the only people we can let handle the task as of now."
"Yeah, yeah. Enough of the why. We need the what."
A lump wallowed through the chairman's throat.
"You will travel to Verthasis."
Our eyes peeled open, mouths widening. Verthasis? We've only been a part of the cadets for this short while, and we're going straight to the opposing kingdom?
"Chairman. Explain. These kids have just gotten promoted, how do you-"
"Again, we are out of options. And our time is limited."
Soke calmed down, adjusting his pants as he regained his posture.
"We're travelling to Verthasis for?"
"A Verthasis rebel group that goes by the name of Black Rogues have recently infiltrated and left Aurelian borders without our notice. Along with them, were several hostages."
What? How could they have gotten in and out the border without notice? And hostages too??
"Children, the elderly, women. About 20 citizens have gone missing."
"THEY TOOK TWENTY!?" Soke burst in a fit.
"Calm down, Soke. We too aren't sure how exactly they were able to get in and out the kingdom unnoticed. It's a work in progress." The chairman took a seat. "But right now, what we need to do is save those hostages."
"Tch. And what do you expect us to do!?"
"They have you, Soke."
Soke's movements came to a halt, teeth loosening.
"And you yourself said they were ready for the stakes to rise."
"This is more than just a rise-"
"We have to try. Soke."
"You guys." His fists clenched. "Are you okay with this mission?"
More than okay. I'd be able to learn more about Verthasis, about the enemy kingdom we're somehow able to loathe despite not interacting for over a century.
I can try figure out. Something. Anything, that would help.
Help change.
"Don't worry, Soke. Yer underestimatin' us. We're determined to make this work."
"Yeah, Mister soke."
"Akio? Kai?"
We nodded.
"Well then, it's settled." The chairman cocked his head. "You are to infiltrate Verthasis and rescue the hostages. Engage in battle only if necessary, go in and out."
With a final nod, we pivoted and marched out of the office.
My eyes locked onto Kai's, my glare hardening as I tracked the dark veil shifting over his expression.
As if he was infuriated.
Upon exiting central tower, Hana raised a question.
"Mister Soke. How exactly are we going to get to Verthasis?"
"We have no choice but by foot. Transportation with ships doesn't exist outside Aurelian network. It'll be a day's trip."
"So I'm assuming we're camping out at night?"
"Yep. Also means we'll find a few demons, though I know of a route where unnecessary encounters can be avoided."
So Soke had infiltrated Verthasis before.
"Come on, we have no time to waste."
The capital's lights fell away behind us as we cleared the outer districts, stone roads crumbling into dirt paths before disappearing entirely. The outskirts stretched wide, darker and quieter than anything Aurelia had to offer. Soke kept a steady pace ahead, his yellow sparks barely a trail. By the time we'd pushed deep enough, the sky had darkened without announcement. Night had arrived.
Soke's boots hit the ground as we retreat from the trees.
"Alright. I'll set up a fire, one of you guys go and find some food."
"Arright! I'll go fetch us somethin' scrumptious."
Sorren's figure disappeared in an instant. It seemed he was quite enthusiastic for a mission.
But for a certain someone, it seemed the opposite.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Black Rogues. How stupid.
I'm sure Akio thought the same.
I perch up against a tree as cold bark against my neck.
I'll stop them. Whoever they are. And those hostages, for whatever they do.
I'll save you.
"Sorren! You got the food!?"
My eyes follow a dirt covered Sorren grabbing onto a chicken.
"Darn right I do!"
Soke and I roasted the chicken. The smell of it filled the camp, simple and warm.
The food was nice, not overly flavoured, I guess that's because our resources are lacking quite a bit.
The camp had fallen into a deep, rhythmic quiet as the others drifted off, Sorren's head rested in Soke's lap, while Hana had slumped sideways in a slumber, her weight settled firmly against Akio's shoulder.
The only one left awake was me. I leaned back against the rough texture of the tree, peeling off my outer layer and folding it to soften the edge of the wood.
As my eyes came to a close, I caught a glimpse of Akio. He'd gently settled Hana on the floor in an odd haste, dashing off into the distance. I regain my own senses, quietly following him.
His short trip ended right across a river. The only sound being his ghost-like release of breath.
White sparks engulf his arm, exploding in intensity.
Expanded.
Then condensed.
Controlled.
Then let loose.
Just then, the weight of his actions struck me. The desparation of a boy who, like me, wanted to change the world.
But couldn't get past the first hurdle.
My eyes formed a strange arc, teeth gritting as I grabbed hold of my chest.
Akio. You...
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
The sun rose, and our journey continued.
I soared through the air at a fast pace, Kai, Sorren, Soke, and Hana with me.
The kingdom came into sight.
Huge steel walls erupted from the earth to shield the kingdom, their massive plates only parting enough to offer glimpses of the towering buildings within.
"Alright, we'll be taking an underground tunnel?"
An underground tunnel?? We had one of those?
We stuck to the floor, Soke arrived at an oddly shaded patch of grass.
"This has been the main path for spy missions regarding the cadets. Our kingdom is much more technologically advanced than Verthasis, so I wouldn't have expected them to have something similar to this too."
"But-"
"Yeah, they were able to sneak in and out Aurelia without much effort. So it'd be safe to assume some sort of pathway exists."
Soke's palm rested on the ground, yellow sparks crackling around the patch until it fell apart.
"Come on now."
We slid inside the tunnel. Dark and narrow, the ceiling low enough that Soke moved with a slight hunch. Packed earth walls reinforced with old wooden beams, roots pressing through the soil overhead. The flashlights at their waists were the only light, cutting pale streaks through the damp air. It smelled of old ground and something metallic underneath. No visible end.
Minutes ticked by until Soke finally pried open a vent-like hatch, the five of us following his lead in creeping out silently.
Then, once we emerged, the sight had hit us.
The buildings rose wider and taller than Aurelia's, their stone facades carved with detail that suggested time had been spent on appearance rather than function. Arched windows, layered rooftops, structures that looked built to last rather than built to expand. But beneath the architecture, the city moved at a slower pace, seemingly no electric hum. Lanterns instead of streetlights, casting warm pools across cobblestone roads worn smooth from years of foot traffic.
It wasn't lesser. Just different. Older, maybe. Like a place that had decided what it was a long time ago and stopped asking the question.
Verthasis.
My gaze drifted across the streets. People walking with their families. Diners and street shops located across every road. Guards roaming around, except instead of cadets; they were called scouts.
Just like Aurelia.
And that sight forced me into a single, compressed thought.
Were we really all that different?