Orea, Zara, Lynx, Rowynn, and Kymani strutted down the hall toward their quarters after a long day in the field. The echoes of their laughter bounced off the walls, their steps light with post-mission energy.
"I still can't believe you guys ran all the way to the hall on foot," Orea said with a chuckle, turning to Zara.
"What'd you expect us to do?" the wavy-haired girl shot back defensively. "None of us have powers that can teleport or fly!"
"Right?" Rowynn chimed in, popping her head into view with a grin.
"How'd you even come up with the sled-and-ice thing anyway?" she asked.
"That was all Lynx," Orea replied, throwing a fond smile toward him.
"Yeah, but your wind powers gave us the push we needed. And she handled the robots too," Lynx said with a smirk.
"True," she admitted, eyes twinkling with pride.
"So... we make a good team," he murmured, leaning in just enough for her to hear.
"Yeah," Orea replied, her voice soft. "I guess we do."
Growl!
"There goes my tummy," Kymani said suddenly, rubbing his stomach. His friends burst out laughing.
"I'm pretty hungry too," Rowynn added, quickening her pace. Kymani followed, the two of them racing ahead.
Behind them, Orea, Lynx, and Zara walked more slowly.
"I wonder if Valtor's back yet," Zara said suddenly, breaking the calm.
Orea's gaze shifted to her, attention caught. Zara continued, "We haven't seen him since he left during training."
"Yeah," Orea murmured, her gaze drifting down the hallway. "We haven't..."
..................
Valtor stepped out of a black, glass-tinted car parked just out of sight from the barracks. The car pulled away in silence, taillights fading into the night.
He glanced up at the sky. Nighttime.
Slipping the wristband his father had given him into his pocket, he turned and headed toward the gates.
Two armed guards stood watch at the checkpoint. Without a word, Valtor handed one of them a folded note—an "excuse letter" supposedly from the superintendent, written and signed.
It was forged, of course—by the professor.
The soldier read it over, then gave a nod to his partner, who stepped forward with a metal detector. A quick scan, a quiet beep. Nothing out of place.
The first soldier saluted. "Welcome back, Mister Steel."
"Thank you," Valtor said with a curt nod, then walked through the gate.
He moved quickly through the dim hallways toward the team's quarters. Reaching the boys' room first, he pushed the door open. Empty.
He knocked on the girls' door next. No reply. He entered anyway. Also empty.
With a small frown, he turned and headed for the training quarters.
With a full stomach and in a good mood, Orea waltzed out of the dining hall after dinner. Lynx followed subtly behind her.
"Hey," he called softly, loud enough for her to hear.
She turned around. "Hey," she replied casually as he closed the distance.
"What's up?" she asked, cocking her head with curiosity.
He hesitated. "I guess… I just wanted to say thanks for being my teammate." He paused, standing right in front of her. "I actually had fun today… surprisingly."
"Me too," she smiled. "You did promise we'd win, so I guess I should be the one saying thank you."
Lynx waited expectantly.
"That was it," she added, noticing his anticipation.
"Wait, that was my thank you?" he chuckled.
"Yeah," she laughed.
"Oh wow," Lynx dropped his head back, and they both burst into loud laughter. Orea's heart threatened to burst as she laughed so hard she nearly lost her balance.
"Easy there," Lynx said, stepping forward to steady her. His hands found her waist, drawing her close until she steadied herself-accidentally bumping into him.
She froze, suddenly aware of their close proximity. His gaze locked on hers, and she felt heat rush to her cheeks.
"I need you to be honest with me," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "What did you mean when you said you cared about me?"
His gaze didn't waver. "I meant that I like you…" His eyes flickered down to her lips. "Maybe more than I thought."
Orea's heart pounded as his palms cupped her face, holding her cheek firmly. Slowly, he closed the gap between them.
But then, a chill swept over her, a prickling sensation like a pair of eyes burning into her back. She pulled away, turning sharply.
At the end of the hall stood Valtor, his gaze sharp and unreadable. A swirl of emotions flickered across his face—anger, hurt, something darker.
Shit!, Orea thought, stepping back from Lynx.
She opened her mouth to speak, but before she could, Valtor turned and walked away as silently as he had appeared.