The Deep Underground: The Candidates of Shadow
Deep below the surface, where the light of the sun never penetrated, the air smelled of ozone and heavy machinery. In the heart of his metallic sanctuary, Gold sat motionless in his high-backed throne. His polished golden teeth reflected the light from the room .
six Underground Enforcers, their faces hidden behind dark, expressionless visors, their assault rifles held tightly against their chests sat at the back of gold.
Leaning against a nearby steel pillar was Malice, casually lighting a cigarette. The smoke drifted lazy and thick toward the ceiling. But today, there was a third person sitting at the table.
Cecil, the Commander of Sector 1's surface ,
he sat with his hands resting flat on his knees. His uniform was immaculate, but the sheer tension in his shoulders showed he knew exactly what kind of room he was sitting in.
Gold smiled, the metallic glare of his teeth reflecting sharply. "Cecil, you have a job. I want you to run for the upcoming Prime Minister election. After all, you are the Sector 1 Commander. It makes perfect sense to the public."
Cecil blinked, "But... Sir Gold, is it even possible for me to win? The Xenocides will definitely want someone from their own side to run. They have the public backing after the Sector 1 incident."
Malice took a deep drag from his cigarette, exhaling a thick cloud of grey smoke that twisted and formed the unmistakable shape of a grinning skull in the air. "Your job is to win it no matter what. Or I'll kill you."
Cecil's eyes widened to absolute circles. His chest heaved as his heart began to beat violently against his ribs, the sound of his own pulse echoing in his ears. The temperature in the room felt like it dropped.
"Calm down, Malice," Gold said, his voice smooth, waving a hand to dismiss the threat. "He was just saying out his mind. There is no need to frighten our candidate."
Gold turned his cold, calculating gaze back onto Cecil. "But he is correct about one thing, Cecil. You have to win, no matter what. Once you win, the Underground and the entire Border will be mine. Business will rise, and we'll make far more money than this continent has ever seen."
The fear in Cecil's face slowly receded, replaced by a greedy, ambitious grin. He leaned forward, tapping his fingers together. "I see, boss. Don't worry, I'm gonna win. But I'll need a little help with the vote count. The outer sectors are heavily controlled by military propaganda."
Gold's smile widened. "Don't worry. You'll be given resources that will help you win. Media, funding, and... structural adjustments at the polling stations."
Cecil stood up, bowing deeply before the golden-toothed mastermind. "Then consider it done." He turned and walked out of the sanctuary, his footsteps echoing down the metallic corridor until the heavy blast doors sealed shut behind him.
Gold leaned back into his throne, putting he's hand on he's head and smiling
'Once I have the Border, I'll be a step closer to defeating Valkhyre,' Gold thought to himself, his mind spinning through a thousand variables. 'And speaking of Valkhyre... he might try use this chance to take control of the border.
No... I doubt it. It's too obvious. He knows I'm watching. He's gonna try to stop me from taking the seat, so I'll use a doppelgänger to put him of target."
The Surface:
High above the reconstruction zones of Sector 1, the wind howled fiercely against the concrete edge of the central command roof. Dock Von stood with his boots right on the ledge, his heavy captain's cloak billowing out behind him. Beside him stood Zane, his hands shoved into his pockets, his gaze fixed on the dozens of construction cranes lifting massive steel beams to repair the fractured skyline below.
"Zane, I'm gonna run for Prime Minister," Dock Von said, his voice cutting through the whistling wind.
Zane didn't look surprised.
"Just as I expected... it will be good. We'll have someone to trust in the high chair for once."
"Yeah, plus winning is the problem," Dock Von sighed, rubbing his temples . "I heard that the Flare family are participating. Icarus Flare... the father of the head of the Flare family. I don't really trust that family, even though they fund a lot of things in the Border."
Zane's eyes flickered, his interest slightly piqued. "I see. Icarus Flare. I've never met him. Only his son. Speaking of the Flares, didn't they have a child in the Xenocides ?"
Dock Von nodded, his expression turning solemn. "Yeah, they did. But he quit. I haven't seen him make a public appearance since the day he handed in his badge. I think his name was Valerius Flare."
"Valerius... so that's his name," Zane muttered, looking up at the gray clouds gathering over the Border. He let out a long, heavy sigh, a rare look of anticipation crossing his features. "Things are about to get heated up."
The 10th Division Base:
Back at the 10th Division headquarters, the atmosphere was exactly what it always was—the rough, wild, and unpredictable 10th.
Drakye void walked down into the specialized training wing, going there to train.
When he opened the heavy reinforced door, he froze. Renji was standing in the center of the room, dripping with sweat, his shirt torn to shreds, his Star Eyes slowly fading from their bright crimson glow back to normal.
The kid looked completely different. His posture was harder, his eyes colder.
"Renji, so this is where you've been," drakye void said, stepping into the room. "I haven't seen you in a while."
Renji didn't offer his usual greetings. He grabbed a towel from the bench, wiping the sweat from his neck without breaking eye contact. "Yeah. Just following my routine."
Without another word, Renji walked right past drakye, his footsteps heavy and disciplined as he exited the room.
Drakye void stood alone in the empty training chamber, watching the door close. 'He's changed ever since the Sector 1 incident,' drakye void thought, a sudden wave of heavy insecurity washing over him. 'Well... who wouldn't? Zainab was right. If Elias, a rookie boy, could stop Xerxes on his own... then what are we doing? What example am I showing as a captain?'
With a frustrated grimace, drakye void removed his heavy captain's shirt, tossed it into the corner, and set the room's laser system to maximize his own limits.
He needed to sweat out the doubt.
Meanwhile, Elias was sitting lazily on a beanbag chair. His holographic device buzzed in his palm. He looked down and saw a message from Mira Ice, the 5th Division member
'Hmm, I think I remember her... oh yeah, I do,' Elias thought to himself, scratching his hair.
He opened the text. It read:
"Hey... can we like em go out to talk? For strategy only, and I'm not asking you, I know you wanna come."
Elias instantly made one of those classic, wide-eyed, completely blank anime reaction faces. His eyebrows twitched in utter confusion. "She's pretty weird," he muttered aloud.
He lazily texted back:
"I guess I'll come see you."
A second later, a digital pin with a location for a quiet cafe popped up on his screen.
Elias stood up, dusting off his black hoodie, and began walking toward the main exit.
Kealen looked up from his video game controller, his eyes narrowing. "Yo, Elias, where are you going?"
"Yeah, I'm going out with Mira. That ice girl, remember?" Elias said casually, his hand already on the door handle.
Sloane stopped reading her novels , her head snapping up with a massive, mischievous smile. "Damn! You're going on a date!"
Elias stopped in his tracks, tilting his head completely to the side. "What's a date?"
The entire room went completely, utterly dead silent. The game controller in Kealen's hand emitted a dull beep. Vela stopped stirring her giant pot of soup.
"Whatttt?!" they all screamed at the exact same time, their voices echoing through the metal pipes of the base.
"Are you serious right now?!" Cipher yelled, jumping over the back of the sofa, his jaw dropping. "You've been alive for how many years and you don't know what a date is?!"
"Wait, wait, wait," Jaxen said, . "Let me break it down for him. Elias, a date is when two people who like each other go to a specific location to eat food, talk, and build romantic chemistry. And other Hmm stuff which I can't say,".
"Exactly!" Mikasa chimed in, her mechanical arm whirring as she gestured wildly. "And you have to wear nice clothes, look them in the eye, and pay for the meal! You can't just wear that baggy hoodie!"
"Hold on, let's ask the real question," Rook laughed, crossing his arms with a smug grin. "Elias... have you ever had a crush?"
Elias blinked his large, silver eyes, his face remaining entirely blank. "What's the meaning of a crush? Like... crushing an enemy's core?"
"No, you dummy!" Vela yelled from the kitchen, holding up a wooden spoon covered in stew. "A crush is when your stomach feels all weird and loop-de-loop when you see someone! Like how I feel when I look at a perfectly roasted rack of barbecue ribs! But for a person!"
"That is a terrible analogy, Vela," Sloane laughed, turning back to Elias with an encouraging smile. "Look, Elias, it's a feeling where you can't stop thinking about someone. You get nervous around them, and you want them to notice you.Have you really never felt that?"
"Oh I get it , it's like when cipher was starring at that girl the vice captain of the 5th "Elias said
"Yes exactly" Sloane said, "huh wait why I'm I involved " cipher said blushing.
"So Elias have you "Mikasa asked. "Nope " Elias said bluntly.
"You are completely hopeless!" Kealen groaned, throwing his hands in the air. "Alright, listen to my advice. When you see her, do NOT talk about gravity, do NOT talk about Zethrian cores, and , just compliment her hair or something! Don't ask her if she has a fever and cipher note this down ".
"Wait why I'm I involved " cipher said
The entire room burst into laughter.
While the entire room continued to laugh ,tease cipher and advice Elias.
Nyx sat completely still in the far corner of the couch. She didn't say a single word. Her eyes were glued to the floor, her fingers tightly clutching the fabric of her tattered cloak.
Inside her chest, her heart was beating with a strange, heavy thud. It wasn't the fast pace of a battle; it was a slow, agonizing ache.
'What's this feeling?' Nyx thought to herself, her teeth biting down on her lower lip. 'Am I... jealous? But why would I be? Is it because of Elias?
.....Damn it... I've had this feeling for a while now, and it troubles me. I'm not usually myself when I feel like this. ... why does my chest hurt so much ? Damn it... what should I do?'
Elias simply waved his hand at the screaming squad. "Whatever. I'm leaving."
The cafe was a small, outdoor terrace with white tables and glass partitions
Mira Ice sat at a corner table, her pristine blue uniform immaculate, her fingers nervously tracing the rim of a glass of iced water. Her white hair was tied back, but a few strands kept falling out of place.
"Hey," a voice said.
Mira jumped slightly, her ice energy accidentally frosting the entire surface of the table for a split second. She looked up to see Elias standing .
"Y-You're late!" Mira snapped, her face turning a light shade of pink as she quickly wiped the frost off the table with her sleeve. "Sit down. I've already ordered."
Elias slid into the chair opposite her, staring at the elaborate ice cream parfait sitting in the center of the table. " Em so Sloane and Kealen said this is a date," Elias stated entirely .
Mira's brain completely short-circuited. A deep, bright crimson blush erupted across her entire face, extending all the way to the tips of her ears. She practically choked on her own breath, her posture turning rigid as a board.
"A-A D-DATE?!" Mira stammered, her voice cracking as she slammed her hands on the table, accidentally freezing her own water glass solid. "It's not a date! It's a meeting! A highly classified strategic consultation between the 5th and 10th divisions! Who told you that?! I'll freeze their mouth shut!"
"Oh. Okay," Elias said, completely unfazed by her outburst. He picked up a spoon and took a bite of the ice cream. "Good. Because they said a lot of things I couldn't keep track of."
Mira stared at him, her face still bright red.
The silence between them grew incredibly awkward. The only sound was the rhythmic clink of Elias's spoon hitting the glass as he happily ate the ice cream.
"So..." Mira muttered, her voice dropping as she tried to regain her composure, looking anywhere but at his silver eyes. "About... Sector 1. Your power. How did you do it?"
"I don't know," Elias replied honestly, "I just knew I had to defeat him".
Mira looked at him, her expression softening
As she saw he's emotion change.
"You're a fool, Elias. You could have died."
"But I didn't," Elias said, looking up.
"I know," Mira whispered, her fingers wrapping around her frozen glass. She looked at his face, her heart doing a strange little flutter that annoyed her. "Just... don't die ."
"Hey! Elias! Mira!"
A bright, cheerful voice shattered the awkward tension of the terrace.
Elias and Mira both turned their heads toward the walkway. Walking down the path with a bag of groceries in her arms was Lyra. Her eyes were wide with excitement as she spotted the two of them sitting together at the romantic corner table.
"Oh wow!" Lyra giggled, running over to the edge of their table with a massive, knowing smirk on her face. "Look at you two! I knew something was going on! Are you guys on a secret date?!"
Mira's face exploded into a completely new shade of dark red, a localized blizzard of tiny snowflakes literally manifesting around her head out of pure embarrassment. "L-LYRA! IT'S NOT WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE!"
Lyra heart began to beat "does he like her, ...."
She thought to herself