The battlefield was still. Shattered. Littered with debris, cracked pavement, and the crushed remains of what had once been a Feral Crawler.
"We move now," Dane said, his voice firm, the limp in his step heavier than before. "Quick. Before more coming."
That made the others shudder. The thought of facing another monster was terrifying.
Dane carried a body over his shoulder—another Untuned, barely breathing, blood crusted around a torn helmet strap. He had given his rebreather to him.
They'd found him near the perimeter, buried under a collapsed overpass. Alive, but broken. His wrist monitor still blinked green.
The rest of their group followed behind in silence—Raith, Mira, Kev, and the Kid, with four more survivors trailing them cautiously.
Those four had emerged only after the monster stopped twitching.
They hadn't fought. But they'd seen. That was enough to make them follow.
The portal rippled like a wound in space as the last of them stepped through.
Raith's boots hit solid ground first.
Real ground. Not warped. Not cracked or fused with crystal.
They were out.
Behind him, Mira emerged, dragging one of the injured survivors with a grunt.
Kev followed, still gripping his cracked helmet like it might fly off.
The Kid stayed close, silent as ever. And Dane—his limp worse now—staggered through last, carrying the bloodied man across his shoulders like he weighed nothing.
The moment they stepped out of the portal, the soldiers moved.
"Hold!"
A row of Bastion Soldiers surged forward—shock lances drawn, exo-armor plates clanking as they closed in.
"Who told you to come out?" One of the soldiers asked.
Dane was the first to speak. "Monster's attack inside. We barely survived."
The soldiers looked at the conditions of the group. Cracked and broken gears. The injuries and one Untuned that was in a critical condition.
"Drop the body! Back away from each other! Hands up!"
Dane shifted, lowered the bloodied man carefully to the ground, then raised both arms. "He's still breathing. Took a hit near one of the ridges. Needs help."
"Don't teach us, kid. We know what and when to do it." One of the soldiers barked again, stepping closer.
Raith's group tensed. Kev muttered something sharp under his breath, and Mira looked ready to snap.
Then Dane, without flinching, turned his hand over—and took his glove off.
"Hey! What do you thi—"
A soft orange glow lit the back of his right palm. He showed his Mark of Fire to the soldiers. He had his reason for this.
"I've awakened," Dane said calmly, voice steady despite the slight rasp.
He then turned to the others from his group and nodded before adding, "We all have. We're not Untuned anymore."
The air shifted but then, the closest soldier scoffed.
"Then?" He looked him over like Dane was dirt under a boot. "You think that changes anything? You think the Bastion gonna kneel for a scrub who awakened too late to be useful?"
Raith's fists clenched, but Dane didn't even blink.
Another one chuckled. "You're what, twenty-something? You're already past your prime."
"Your Force must be unstable, low Flux reserve," someone muttered.
"Yeah. He must be burning himself with every spark," someone added.
A few even laughed. To these soldiers, those who awakened later than sixteen years old would not even considered worthy to receive the training and resources from the Bastion.
This was because their potential was limited. It would be impossible for them to reach a level higher than Level 20. Not even enough to become the lowest-ranked Haven Bastion Soldiers.
Unless their potential was at least A-grade or above. But, that was unheard of coming from the late awakeners.
Dane didn't flinch. He just stood there, showing the Mark.
"I know we don't mean much," he said calmly. "But, one of us awakened as a Duotune."
Despite learning that term just a while ago, he believed that it would be helpful in such a situation.
That stopped the laughter, just for a moment. Then another round of laughter burst out—louder, more mocking than before.
"A Duotune? From your group?"
"From a late awakener?"
"Don't make us laugh."
Kev opened his mouth, but Mira grabbed his arm and shook her head. Even she knew better than to argue.
Then another voice cut through the noise.
"Silence."
It was the female Enforcer. The same woman who'd briefed them before entering the Shatterveil. Her visor shifted slightly as she stepped forward, hands behind her back, voice calm and cold.
"Miss Ivara!" Everyone stood at attention.
Ivara continued walking toward Raith's group. "Prove it."
Raith turned to the Kid. He wondered if she would prove it to everyone. She'd been quiet the whole time. Still was.
But this time, she chose to step forward. No hesitation at all.
She raised her gloved hand, paused, and then pulled the glove off. The glow was immediate.
Two Marks burned across the back of her palm—one soft and circular, the other jagged and sharp, each pulsing with a distinct rhythm.
Two Forces. Unmistakable.
The Kid didn't speak. She didn't need to. The Marks she had revealed said everything to her. Silent but resolute, she stepped forward just as Dane had—hoping, perhaps, that showing the truth would change something.
She hoped that they wouldn't be treated like Untuned anymore. That someone—anyone—would see their worth now.
Maybe not as equals. But at least as something more than expendable. Something worth taking out of this place.
Silence dropped over the camp. For a few seconds, nobody spoke.
Ivara took a single step forward. Her visor tilted down slightly.
"Duotune…" she muttered under her breath, eyes fixed on the Marks.
She stepped closer, visor scanning until she could see the glow up close. No funny tricks were involved. No mistake.
She stepped back, just a little—barely noticeable, but enough to show her composure had cracked.
"The others? What are your Forces?" she asked quietly.
"Raith—Super Strength," Dane said, voice steady. "Mira—Sonic Blast. Kev—Rock Hardening. Me—Fire."
He looked to the Kid, then added, "Her? Healing and Telekinesis."
The soldiers didn't speak.
Some just stared. Others whispered behind visors. The tension cracked—not from threat, but confusion. They had sent in rejects. Throwaways.
Now five of them had come back transformed—each bearing a glowing Mark, something no one expected when they were first herded in as Untuned.
"Super strength and healing... Duotune... " Ivara muttered.
Three things caught her attention. Super strength and healing were considered one of the rarest Forces to be awakened. Then, there was a Duotune among the group.
She could not handle this lightly.
The soldiers nearby couldn't hide their confusion. Even Ivara, the Enforcer, who had kept her composure until now, watched them with sharp, unreadable eyes.
They said nothing at first, but all of them shared the same silent thought: something had happened inside that Force Field. Something that shouldn't have.
"You said there was a monster attack inside?" Ivara finally asked, her tone calm but clipped.
Dane nodded once, firmly.
She narrowed her gaze. This wasn't just about casualties anymore.
She turned to the soldiers around her. "Send five inside for recon. Full scan."
The others moved immediately. Because now, it wasn't just about retrieving the remaining shards or hauling out the dead.
They were going to send more Untuned in soon. They needed to make sure it was safe—or at least, survivable.
But more than that, she wanted to know what exactly had happened. It wasn't unheard of for someone to awaken inside a Force Field. A near-death trigger, a traumatic push, exposure to excess energy—sometimes it happened.
But five people? All in one run? And one of them is a Duotune?
That was too much.
She had to know what secret this Force Field was hiding. Maybe, just maybe, there was more to this F-grade Field that they needed to explore and uncover.
"Are we clear here?" Dane asked.
Raith watched Dane in silence. He stood straight despite the limp and the pressure.
Eyes calm. Voice controlled. Not arrogant—but not afraid.
Not the same man Raith had seen limp off that truck.
'Who are you really?' Raith wondered, chest tightening.
Dane met his eyes briefly—and smiled, just a little.
Then Ivara spoke again. "Keep your gloves off. You'll be escorted for proper verification and level reading. You'll be processed as Tuners, effective immediately."
She turned to the others. "And those without Marks—remain still. Medical will sort through you."
Raith exhaled slowly. His chest still ached. His muscles still burned. But they'd made it out.
Not as Untuned.
Not anymore.
They were something else now.
Tuners.
And for the first time in their lives… the Bastion had to see them.