By noon, the strategy room felt smaller than usual.
It wasn't that the physical dimensions of the room had changed; it was that the world outside had shifted on its axis. Kaida had the wall display split into six different screens, a fractured mosaic of a country in transition. On three of them, KAMB headquarters was a portrait of pure chaos.
Registration lines wrapped around the plaza like a living, breathing serpent. Reporters were practically climbing over one another to get a better angle, and temporary stations had been set up outside just to handle the overflow of people seeking answers or an audience.
Mira stared at one screen, then another, her eyes wide. "...That is an absolutely horrifying number of people."
"It's still increasing," Kaida said, her voice clinical but underscored by the rapid-fire tapping of her fingers against her tablet.
"That does not make it better."
Lucien leaned back in his chair, his hands laced behind his head, though his posture remained tense. "How long has that line been there?"
"Since shortly after the broadcast."
Seris folded her arms across her chest, her gaze fixed on the digital throng. "They were waiting for a reason to come forward."
Kairos looked at the screen quietly, his voice barely a murmur. "Or permission."
The room went silent for a beat as the weight of that word settled. Mira looked a little less amused than before, her usual sharp wit momentarily blunted. "That too."
Kaida switched one of the feeds. The recruitment statement for Tempest Choir filled the screen first, sleek and professional.
Mira pointed immediately. "There. See? I knew they'd move fast."
Iron Bastion followed shortly after, their announcement as sturdy and unyielding as their name. Garrick glanced at it and gave a single, solid nod. "Expected."
Then Crimson Banner appeared. Lucien read the bold text flashing on the screen and snorted in derision. "'Only strength earns a place.' That sounds exhausting."
"It sounds exactly like Crimson Banner," Seris said, her tone dry.
Mira frowned. "Do they do anything in a normal way?"
"No," Kaida said.
"That was rhetorical."
"It was still answerable."
Another screen was a chaotic blur of social media posts and public commentary. Aurora Covenant's name flickered through the feed often enough that Lucien finally noticed. He looked at the scrolling text and seemed to regret it immediately.
"...Why are there so many people talking about us?"
Mira looked genuinely offended on his behalf. "Because you're famous, Lucien."
"That is not comforting."
Kaida didn't look up from her work. "The first S-rank gate was broadcast live. Then the five-gate operation happened. Aurora was always going to be one of the names people latched onto."
Lucien slumped a little deeper into his chair, looking like a man who wanted to pull a hood over his head. "I liked it better when the apocalypse was less social."
"That was never an option."
Nox hadn't said much since they had sat down. He was a still point in the center of their collective energy. Lucien noticed that eventually and shifted his attention.
"You're doing the thing again."
Nox glanced at him, his expression unreadable. "What thing?"
"The quiet thinking thing."
"That narrows it down very little," Seris noted, though she too was watching him now.
Mira pointed across the table. "No, there's a specific version. This one means he's planning three disasters ahead."
"Four," Kaida corrected absently.
Lucien stared at her. "You are not helping."
"I'm being precise."
Garrick shifted his weight against the wall, the metal of his gear catching the light. "We should stay on topic."
"We are on topic," Mira insisted. "The topic is that the whole country is losing its mind and we need to decide whether we're becoming responsible adults."
"No," Lucien said, trying to reclaim the room. "The topic is recruitment."
"Same thing."
Kaida tapped the display and cleared the feeds. They were replaced by a single, simple heading:
AURORA RECRUITMENT
Mira sat up straighter, her eyes brightening. "Ah. A beautiful phrase."
"A dangerous phrase," Seris corrected gently.
Lucien looked at Nox, the playfulness dropping away. "Alright. We already agreed we're moving forward. So what exactly are we doing?"
Nox answered simply, his voice cutting through the lingering chatter. "Not rushing."
Mira made a face. "That sounded responsible."
"It was."
Kaida folded her arms. "We need standards before we start speaking to anyone."
Garrick nodded in agreement. "Agreed."
Lucien looked around the table, his gaze jumping from one teammate to the next. "So. What matters?"
"Strength," Mira said immediately.
"Not first," Seris countered.
"Fine. Strength eventually."
Kairos spoke up, his voice quiet but clear. "Control."
The room shifted toward him. He looked like he almost regretted speaking, but Seris nodded at once, a silent encouragement. "Yes."
Kaida followed the thread. "Authority type. Control. Stability. Adaptability."
Garrick added, "Discipline."
Orion, standing near the side console as a silent sentinel, finally spoke. "Temperament."
Mira lifted a finger. "And vibes."
Kaida closed her eyes for a second, a pained expression crossing her face. "No."
Lucien snorted. "You know what she means."
"I reject the wording on principle."
"Still counts," Mira insisted.
Seris leaned forward slightly, her expression thoughtful. "Motivation matters too. Why they want in matters."
"That should be obvious," Garrick said.
"It should," Seris replied. "That doesn't mean it always is."
Lucien drummed his fingers once against the armrest of his chair. "So what are we trying to be here?"
That quieted the room more effectively than anything else had. The air felt thick with the weight of their potential future. Nox looked around the table, meeting each of their eyes before answering.
"We're not recruiting just because the other guilds are."
Mira crossed her arms. "Good. I'd hate to be trend-driven."
Kaida ignored her.
Nox continued, his voice steady. "And we're not expanding for appearances. We recruit people we can build with. People who can survive with us, work with us, and strengthen the structure instead of straining it."
Seris was the first to nod. "That's clear."
Garrick gave a short hum of agreement.
Lucien looked at Nox for another second, searching for something in his friend's expression, then nodded too. "Alright. That works."
Kaida was already typing, her tablet glowing. "That gives us an intake framework."
Mira leaned toward the screen. "Can you include 'vibes' in the framework?"
"No."
"You're limiting the art of evaluation."
"I'm protecting it from you."
That almost got a laugh out of Kairos.
Lucien shifted the topic to the most looming practical issue. "Space."
That did it. Everyone looked around like the walls had personally offended them.
Seris spoke first. "The current setup won't hold a large intake."
Garrick nodded. "Not without turning daily life into a traffic problem."
Kaida brought up the second building plans without comment. This time, nobody reacted with surprise. They were past that, though Lucien still looked mildly betrayed every time the file appeared on the screen.
Mira pointed at the blueprint. "I would like it noted again that Orion casually owning a second building is still absurd."
"Noted," Orion said.
"That does not make it better."
Kaida zoomed in on the floor layout, her finger tracing the lines. "The current plan still makes sense. Original Aurora stays in the eight-floor building. New members go to the second building once the first renovation phase is complete."
Garrick studied the blueprint with a soldier's eye. "Housing first?"
"Housing and intake rooms," Kaida said. "Basic training space after."
Seris nodded. "That keeps the core team stable."
Kairos looked at the screen, then asked quietly, "Would they live separately from us?"
"For now, yes," Nox said.
Kairos nodded once, a small tension leaving his shoulders. Mira noticed. "That better?"
He hesitated, then nodded again.
Lucien looked at him more carefully, a flicker of concern in his eyes, but he let it pass. Kaida changed the display again. A list appeared:
INITIAL INTAKE
* Interview
* Authority assessment
* Stability review
* Team compatibility
* Trial assignment later if needed
Mira read it, then sighed dramatically. "That is extremely well organized."
"Thank you," Kaida said.
"It was not a compliment."
"I accepted it anyway."
Lucien leaned back again, his eyes on the list. "So the first people who came this morning—what exactly are we telling them?"
"That the process starts with evaluation," Seris said.
"Which means we can still reject them?" Mira added.
"Yes," Kaida replied.
"That felt cold."
"That's because it was factual."
Lucien looked at Nox. "You already decided to see them."
Nox met his gaze, unflinching. "Yes."
Lucien held it for a second, then nodded once. "Alright."
The room settled into something more focused after that. It wasn't tense, but it was prepared. Garrick moved two chairs into place on the far side of the table without being asked. Seris cleared the unnecessary files into a neat stack. Kaida closed the public feeds and left only the intake screen active.
Mira sat down, stood back up, then sat down again. Lucien noticed. "You're nervous."
"I'm not nervous."
"You're vibrating."
"I'm invested."
"That is a yes."
__
The intercom tone sounded, a crisp chime that cut through the low conversation. Everyone looked toward Orion. He checked the reception feed.
"They're here."
Mira straightened so fast her chair nearly tipped. "On time?"
"Yes."
"That's terrifying."
Lucien stood up, shaking out his arms. "Good."
Seris gave Mira a final, warning look. "No chaos."
Mira looked deeply wounded. "Why is that always directed at me?"
Lucien simply stared at her.
She sighed. "Fine. Minimal chaos."
"Better," Seris said.
Orion's hand rested on the console. "Send them up?"
No one answered immediately. Nox stood, his presence filling the gap in the room.
Then he said, "Send them up."
The elevator access unlocked with a soft, electronic tone. On the side monitor, the floor indicator began its steady climb.
One. Two. Three.
The room quieted with the rising numbers. Lucien glanced toward the doors. "Funny."
"What?" Mira whispered.
"We've spent months waiting for gates to open."
No one interrupted him. Lucien looked at the elevator display.
"This feels different."
Nox said, "It is."
The chime sounded outside the strategy room. Aurora Covenant turned toward the doors together. And for the first time, the next thing arriving wasn't a threat.