The academy bell rang before sunrise.
Its low, resonant chime echoed across stone halls and training grounds, stirring every team from restless sleep. Unlike the regular schedule bell, this one carried weight—urgent, commanding.
Kael opened his eyes instantly.
"That's not normal," Mira muttered, already sitting up.
Outside, the sky was still dark, clouds hanging low as if pressing down on the academy itself. Students poured into the central courtyard, murmuring uneasily as the mission board flickered brighter than ever before.
Captain Aldren stood with Iron Resolve, arms folded.
"This one matters," he said.
The crystal board finalized.
> Mission Rank: Mid-Tier
Zone: Blackreach Pass
Objective: Investigate Aether distortions
Note: Multiple teams deployed
Mira's brows knitted. "Multiple teams…?"
Taren swallowed. "That's not investigation. That's containment."
Kael's eyes narrowed.
Blackreach Pass lay close to the kingdom's borders—a place known for unstable terrain and old battle scars. Sending multiple teams meant the academy expected resistance.
Or casualties.
---
An Unwanted Reunion
As teams assembled, Iron Resolve felt it immediately.
The pressure.
Crimson Talon arrived.
Their presence was impossible to ignore—refined uniforms, controlled Aether, gold stars gleaming beside their names. At their center stood Rion Valeris, calm as ever, eyes sharp.
His gaze found Kael.
For a moment, the noise of the courtyard faded.
"You've moved up," Rion said, walking closer.
Kael nodded. "So have you."
Rion's lips curved faintly. "Still no Aether."
"Still chasing," Kael replied evenly.
Crimson Talon members scoffed.
Lyra stepped forward before Kael could respond, her Aether pulsing—controlled, contained.
"We'll handle our mission," she said coldly. "Worry about your own."
Rion's eyes flicked to her, intrigued.
"So that's Iron Resolve," he said. "Interesting mix."
Before tensions could rise further, the Overseer's voice thundered across the courtyard.
"Move out."
---
Blackreach Pass
The land beyond the academy felt wrong.
Aether flowed unevenly, like a river interrupted by unseen blockades. The air shimmered faintly, distorting distance and sound.
Iron Resolve advanced cautiously.
"Formation," Kael said quietly.
No one questioned him.
They moved as practiced—Taren anchoring the rear, Mira scouting ahead, Lyra controlling the center.
Then—
A scream echoed.
Not a beast.
A human voice.
Kael sprinted toward it.
They arrived to chaos.
A team—another academy squad—lay scattered, wounded. Dark symbols burned into the ground around them, pulsing with corrupted Aether.
"This isn't natural," Mira whispered.
Lyra's face went pale. "That pattern… it's forbidden."
The ground trembled.
Figures emerged from the shadows.
Robed. Masked.
Eyes glowing with warped energy.
"Followers," Kael muttered.
They attacked without warning.
---
The Cost of Hesitation
The clash was brutal.
One follower moved faster than expected, striking Lyra's barrier and shattering it instantly. She staggered back, breath knocked from her lungs.
"Lyra!" Kael shouted.
Taren raised stone—but it cracked under corrupted Aether.
Mira was flung aside.
For the first time since the trials—
Iron Resolve was losing ground.
Kael stepped forward, heart pounding.
Think. Don't panic.
He grabbed a fallen weapon, timing the enemy's movements, watching the distortions in the air.
"Lyra!" he yelled. "Compress—don't release!"
She met his eyes.
Trusted him.
She pulled her Aether inward.
The follower lunged—
Kael intercepted, taking the hit meant for her. Pain exploded through his ribs.
But Lyra struck.
A controlled, layered burst shattered the mask.
The follower fell.
The others retreated abruptly, melting back into the distortion.
Silence followed.
---
Gold and Blood
Crimson Talon arrived moments later, finishing off the remaining threat with overwhelming force.
Too late.
Rion stared at the fallen follower, then at Kael—bloodied, barely standing.
"You engaged first," Rion said quietly.
Kael nodded. "Someone had to."
The mission results updated before they returned.
Iron Resolve:
Black Stars – 5
Gold Stars – 2
Another black star erased.
Two gold stars earned.
Lyra stared at Kael, hands trembling.
"You didn't hesitate," she whispered.
Kael smiled weakly. "Neither did you."
Far away, deep in the shadows of Blackreach Pass, a figure watched.
Malrik Noctis's voice echoed softly.
"Good," he murmured.
"Let them learn what it costs to protect."
Iron Resolve limped home—wounded, exhausted, but unbroken.
They had crossed paths with rivals.
They had faced true enemies.
And they had survived.