] Blake Hazar — 11:13 AM — 25 AUG 2316 [
Blake blinked against the morning glare and pushed himself upright. The sun hung high; he reached for his CAD and swiped through a flood of messages. As the group's reluctant people-coordinator, he fired off a couple quick replies, then showered and dressed.
When he stepped into the living room, music and laughter wrapped around him. Bjorn and Liam perched at the kitchen bar; Karina leaned against the counter by the coffee machine, two mugs suspended midair while a sponge—seemingly with a mind of its own—glided over them, scrubbing. A steaming mug by the fridge lifted from the counter and drifted toward Blake, offering its handle. He smiled—Karina was getting better at juggling objects with her magic—and took the mug.
"They'll be here around 1:00 PM," he said, glancing at Liam. "They have everything they want to bring? They know once we leave this basement, we're gone?" Liam shot back.
Blake nodded. "Yes, and yes. I told them months ago—we leave as soon as you're back."
Liam visibly relaxed. Blake understood why: Liam was carrying Raw Ether and would be the first to draw suspicion if anyone discovered their group had become TOTEs. Despite Liam's painstaking efforts to make his small supply untraceable, Blake knew the AFF could still follow a trail if they began combing records. Unregistered TOTEs were rare for a reason—Ether was hard to acquire, tightly regulated, and usually reserved for AFF indoctrination or wartime spoils. Blake had vetted the twins as discreetly as he could; only after he was confident did he use the remainder of Liam's Raw Ether from Region 1 to help both brothers open their Third Eyes.
] Marc Molte — 1:33 PM — 25 AUG 2316 [
"Hurry up, Max — we're already late!" Marc called as they left the parking garage and stepped into Federal Junction. Max picked up the pace, falling into a light jog to catch his twin. They slipped into an alley; Marc scanned the doors until he spotted the Basement and led the way inside. The blonde twins—average height and with opposite temperaments—entered the living room to find the three tenants looking mildly annoyed at their lateness.
] Liam Sawyer — 2:10 PM — 25 AUG 2316 [
Liam sat on the couch, studying the two new additions. The twins were slightly annoying but good people—he'd known them since they were kids—but in the post-Ether world you couldn't be too careful. They were polar opposites, and their magic matched their personalities. Both were roughly Blake's level, perhaps a bit weaker offensively because of their elemental focus. Marc conjured ice from thin air, shaping spikes or blades; Max produced fire, not to create but to consume and destroy.
Now that he'd assessed everyone's abilities, Liam sketched a combat formation for the group. He outlined patrol pairings and contingency roles for any engagement, then explained a few two-person scenarios so each person could understand it was imperative to link themselves in combat situations. Liam created a rule for what he called his "survival training". The rule was simple: never move alone.
He made sure everyone understood a TOTE fighting style that integrated their magic—coordinated, complementary tactics for offense and defense. In the ungoverned lands they planned to cross, opposition would be lethal; mastering that approach was imperative. Marc, Blake, and Bjorn would anchor defense, while Karina and Max were better suited to offensive roles.
After the little meet they got to work. Over three hours the six of them dug out another room—the largest yet, roughly half the size of a gymnasium. Liam then stood in the center and sent dummies through doors he pulled from his pocket dimension; the others paired off and took turns destroying them. They kept at it for two days, eating and sleeping in short shifts, training nonstop until they'd destroyed hundreds of practice dummies.
] Liam Sawyer — 10:11 AM — 28 AUG 2316 [
On the third day Liam called them to the center and had them pair off. He drew a foam arming sword. "Today's the last day—then we rest. By the end of today you should know what to watch for and what we'll likely face. Don't be discouraged; I'll be with you in a real fight. Use today to find your weak spots—your magic and skills will improve."
He explained the drill: each duo would face him, then after lunch they would all go up against him together.
Blake and Karina went first. Blake flexed his magic, summoning jagged stones; Karina launched them with precise telekinesis while Blake churned a wall of rock toward Liam. Liam opened a door to his pocket dimension beneath his feet and another behind the pair, dropped through, and reappeared behind them to tap each on the head with the foam sword.
The rest of the morning played out similarly. By lunch the group welcomed the break from Liam's relentless reach and the clack of foam on skulls.
] Karina Borae — 12:57 PM — 28 AUG 2316 [
After lunch Karina finally saw what Liam really was: a monster in the best sense—so fast and fluid he could open a door beneath himself and be behind you before you reacted. If he considered himself weak, what did that make her? The revelation stung, but it also clarified her path.
She pictured what she wanted her telekinesis to become: not raw, indiscriminate power, but precise control—sweeping blades suspended in the air, a raised platform under her feet, dozens of small objects moving in perfect formation. The inorganic limit on her ability no longer felt like a barrier; she could work around it with and she was comfortable never manipulating living beings. What mattered was strength and finesse. Now she had a clear benchmark for training—specific combat capabilities she needed to develop as a TOTE.
] Max Molte — 1:16PM — 29 AUG 2316 [
Max trudged back to the basement with his bags, buzzing with nervous excitement. He knew Liam was going to be pissed. Marc had left after they went to fetch the rest of their things from the car to put in Liam's dimension. Marc was the cautious one—Max knew it, even if Marc wouldn't admit it—and Liam's demonstration had made him more wary of the ungoverned lands. Not afraid of Liam, just aware of the stakes. Max didn't worry. He'd scavenged CAD forums for leaks about TOTE gifts and knew their powers weren't ordinary. He didn't fully understand why, only that with those abilities the group would be prized recruits if they opened their Third Eyes under the AFF.
This would upset everyone, but they were leaving tonight anyway. Max loved his brother, but now that they were TOTEs and the AFF would sniff them out, he had to do what was best for himself. Hopefully the group would still let him come—having such an open end could be a lot for most people to swallow.