Reid woke to the sound of boots striking metal, the steady rhythm echoing through the barracks. He wasn't sure if it was the soldiers on patrol or the pounding in his own head that had dragged him from sleep. Sitting up slowly, he rubbed the stiffness from his shoulders and glanced around. Most of the others were already up, preparing for the day, their conversations hushed but filled with sideways glances toward him.
Their stares no longer carried simple suspicion; there was something else now—a mix of fear and reluctant respect. He strapped his knife to his thigh and met their eyes with calm indifference. They quickly looked away.
The Bond's voice slid into his thoughts like a whisper behind his ear. "They watch you because they know you're different. Soon, they'll bow to it… or break."
The mess hall buzzed faintly with conversation when Reid entered, but the volume dipped the moment he stepped through the doorway. Mara waved him over, her expression guarded but warm, a silent invitation. He took the seat across from her, ignoring the whispers.
"You look like you barely slept," she said, handing him a ration pack.
"Didn't have much reason to," he replied. "Council still breathing down my neck."
"They're not the only ones watching," she said, nodding toward the corner where several soldiers whispered to each other, their eyes flicking toward him. "Word about Sector Twelve is everywhere."
Before he could answer, Lira sauntered into the room, tablet tucked under one arm, her grin sharp. "Well, if it isn't our fearless hero. Still alive, still brooding, still stealing everyone's attention." She slid into the seat next to him, leaning back with casual ease. "Mara, you're staring again. Careful, people might start talking."
Mara's glare could have cut steel. "Don't you have work to do?"
"Plenty. But watching him eat is far more entertaining." Lira's grin widened. "Besides, I need to make sure my favorite project stays healthy."
Reid sighed, rubbing his temple. The Bond laughed softly. "They claw at each other for scraps of you. Enjoy it, host."
After breakfast, Holt called him to the yard. Selene stood there, arms folded, speaking with several council officers. The moment she saw Reid, she dismissed them with a wave. They left quickly, casting wary looks his way.
"Veylan," Selene said, voice calm but edged. "You did well in Sector Twelve, but don't think that buys you freedom. It buys you a leash."
Reid met her gaze evenly. "Leash or not, I'm still standing."
A faint smile tugged at her lips. "For now. The council is divided. Some want you dead, others want to use you. The wise course is to make allies before either side makes its move."
System text flickered faintly:
[Hidden Quest Activated: Gain Allies Within the Council]
[Tip: Influence through loyalty, strength, or fear.]
Selene stepped closer, her tone lower. "You intrigue me, Veylan. Intrigue buys time. Use it well." Without another word, she walked away, her presence leaving the air colder than before.
The Bond murmured. "She's a predator too. Careful, or she'll leash us in ways you won't like."
By midday, the training yard was alive with clashing steel and the low hum of rifles firing at distant targets. Initiates paired off, sparring with sharp intensity under Holt's watchful eye. Reid stepped into the yard, feeling every gaze turn his way. Some looked at him with awe, others with thinly veiled resentment.
Mara joined him, spear in hand. "You're still healing," she said, though her tone was more challenge than concern.
"I'll manage," he replied, drawing his knife. "You worried I'll outpace you?"
She smirked faintly. "Try me."
The spar started slow, their movements measured. Mara's strikes were precise, her footwork sharp. Reid matched her pace, blocking and countering, holding back just enough to keep the duel balanced. Around them, soldiers stopped to watch. The tension in the yard shifted; whispers rose, feeding the crowd's curiosity.
Lira leaned against the fence, watching with a grin. "Careful, Mara. Don't let him sweep you off your feet—unless you're into that." Her words drew chuckles from the onlookers.
Mara's strikes grew sharper. "Ignore her," she muttered, driving Reid back with a feint. He twisted, disarming her with a swift movement, holding the knife at her throat. For a moment, silence fell.
He stepped back, offering her weapon. "Good match."
Mara took it, her cheeks flushed. "You held back."
Before he could respond, another soldier stepped into the ring—Karven, the rival squad leader. His eyes burned with challenge. "My turn. Let's see if the council's pet is as tough as they say."
The crowd murmured. Holt crossed her arms, allowing it. "Keep it clean."
Karven attacked with brute force, his blade hacking down with raw aggression. Reid dodged, countered, and spun away, but Karven pressed harder, forcing him to use more of his speed. The Bond stirred eagerly. "Break him. Show them the difference."
Reid's movements blurred as he sidestepped, catching Karven off guard and twisting the man's arm until his weapon fell. In one motion, Reid swept his legs out and pinned him to the ground. Gasps rippled through the yard.
Reid stepped back, letting him up. "You done?"
Karven's glare could have burned a hole through steel. "This isn't over."
System text flickered faintly:
[Reputation Increased: Among Initiates]
[Bond Influence: Stable]
Lira clapped slowly, her grin sharp. "Well, that was fun. Who's next to get humiliated?"
Holt called an end to sparring, her tone clipped. "Enough. Back to work."
As the crowd dispersed, Mara stayed close to Reid, her expression unreadable. "You're making more enemies than friends."
Reid sheathed his knife. "Sometimes they're the same thing."
The Bond chuckled. "Yes. Let them hate. Fear will keep them honest."
After training, the yard slowly emptied, leaving Reid leaning against the fence, catching his breath. His shirt clung to him from the effort, and several initiates who passed by offered brief nods—some of respect, others of calculation. Every interaction felt like another thread pulling tight around him.
Selene appeared at the edge of the yard, hands behind her back. "Impressive," she said, her voice low enough that only he heard. "You manage to survive, win fights, and still not lose control. I wonder how long that will last."
Reid met her gaze calmly. "Long enough to keep breathing."
She tilted her head slightly, studying him. "The council debates what to do with you. Half see you as an asset, half as a threat. If you want to survive, you'll need allies—more than you have now." Her eyes glinted as she leaned closer. "Choose wisely who you let close, Veylan. People like me don't offer warnings twice." With that, she turned on her heel, leaving him with the cold echo of her words.
The Bond murmured, pleased. "She tests you. Predators always do."
Later, as Reid walked the factory's dimly lit halls, he nearly collided with Lira, who was leaning against the wall as if waiting for him. "You really know how to stir up a crowd," she said, a teasing edge to her tone. "Karven's fuming, Mara's glaring at everyone who looks at you, and Selene…" She smirked. "Well, I think she's interested in her own way."
"I'm not trying to stir anything," Reid said flatly.
"That's what makes it fun." Lira stepped closer, her voice dropping to a playful whisper. "You're a mystery, and people can't help but poke at mysteries. Especially me." Her fingers brushed his arm lightly before she stepped back with a grin. "Try not to get yourself killed before I figure you out."
The Bond's laughter curled around his thoughts. "Another one drawn to the fire. How many will burn before they learn?"
Meanwhile, in the upper levels of the compound, Selene spoke quietly with two council members. "He's gaining influence among the initiates," one said. "That makes him dangerous."
Selene smiled faintly. "Or it makes him valuable. Fear is a tool, and so is loyalty. If we control him, we control both."
"And if he slips?"
Selene's eyes hardened. "Then we end him."
When Reid returned to the barracks, Mara was waiting, leaning against his bunk with arms folded. "Lira was here earlier," she said, her tone sharp. "You really need to be careful who you trust."
"She's harmless," he said.
Mara narrowed her eyes. "No one here is harmless."
For a moment, silence stretched between them, thick with unspoken tension. Then she softened, stepping closer. "Just… don't push me away."
The Bond hummed with amusement. "So many hands reaching for you, host. How will you choose?"
Night had barely fallen when the alarms blared, their sharp wail cutting through the factory's routine hum. Soldiers scrambled into defensive positions, rifles raised toward the perimeter. Reid grabbed his gear, rushing to the outer wall with Mara at his side.
"What now?" she muttered, spear ready.
The fog near the fence stirred, shapes moving just beyond the floodlights. Then a figure emerged slowly, hooded and wrapped in dark, ragged cloth. The soldiers tensed, but it raised empty hands in a gesture of peace. Glowing tattoos pulsed faintly beneath its sleeves, and its voice carried clearly despite the mist.
"I come under truce," the figure said. "I seek the Marked One."
Reid froze. Eyes turned toward him. Holt's voice snapped through the comms. "Stand down but keep weapons ready." She strode forward, her expression hard. "Speak quickly, emissary."
The hooded figure's gaze found Reid, piercing despite the distance. "You carry the mark of power. Our people have seen it. We offer a message: destruction rises, and only you can hold back the tide."
The Bond growled in his mind, its tone venomous. "Lies. They know too much. Silence them before they speak more."
Reid clenched his fists. "Why me?" he called out.
The emissary's eyes glowed faintly. "Because the bond within you is not your curse—it is your key. But keys open many doors, and not all lead to safety."
Selene appeared behind Holt, her presence freezing the air. "Take one more step, and you die where you stand," she warned. The emissary didn't move, only inclined its head.
"We do not seek war," it said. "But our leader calls to the Marked One. Meet with us, and you will understand what hunts in the dark."
Before anyone could react, the emissary stepped backward into the fog and vanished, the mist swallowing it completely. Silence fell heavy on the yard.
System text burned across Reid's vision:
[Hidden Quest Activated: Parley with the Exiles – Accept or Refuse]
[Warning: Bond Influence Unstable]
The Bond hissed like a storm. "Don't trust them. They see too much. They see me."
Mara's hand gripped his arm. "Don't listen to them," she said firmly, but her voice trembled. Selene's gaze locked on him, unreadable, calculating.
The night air seemed to hold its breath, waiting for his next move.