The eastern mines had been sealed off with heavy barricades of steel braces and metallic fences hammered into place to keep the curious out. Inside the mine, the whole sections of the tunnels had collapsed: one fracture inward, swallowing stone and timber. This was caused due to the initial collapse; another fracture outward, where rock had vomited itself into the open clearing.
And in that clearing, like a beast crouched in stillness, rested a matte black ship. Its hull was a predator's skin with sharp angular ridges carving into the air, edges softened by subtle curves that lent it a near-organic menace. Along its flank shimmered the Federation's insignia, faint but unmistakable, a seal of authority that made even the hardest miners keep their distance.
A Vanguard ship.
Above the barricades, were awakened cadets moving around the mine. They vaulted scaffolds and leapt from high ledges to narrow ridges, landing with precision no human should have. Some crouched over the collapse. While others swept hand-held scanners that searched for life signs.
Below then, clusters of miners lingered around. Their helmets were off, they had their pickaxes slung loosely, they kept their voices low, though not low enough to escape the cadets' notice.
One spat into the dirt, scowling at the cadets above. "Why the hell are they still searching for that boy?"
Another shook his head, sounding bitter.
"Better this way. If they find nothing, the mine stays open. You want the whole place shut down? You want us jobless because some brat couldn't keep his skin intact?"
"Doesn't matter," a third muttered. "Accident happened on our watch. That alone's bad enough for us. If they dig too deep into it, we'll be the ones paying for not noticing something was wrong in the first place."
Silence hung heavy for a beat until one man slung his pickaxe over his shoulder with a grunt and deliberately shifted the subject.
"Anyway. Heard they started the exams again."
That caught a few ears.
"How's it done this time?" he asked. "Always changes, doesn't it?"
"First trial, they said," a grizzled miner spat, arms crossed. His lip curled. "Kids like that, given exams before they even know what a pickaxe weighs."
"Aye," another chimed in. "Heard the first test this time was all written." He chuckled, the sound dark and humorless. "As if words'll save you when a Wretch or an Aberrant comes crawling out of a corridor."
A third leaned closer, his grin wolfish. "Hey, Jarek… how'd your boy Ceyric do, then?"
The stocky miner addressed soot still clinging to his beard grunted. "Written exams are meaningless. What matters is strength. The ability to survive."
"Ohhh," the smirker sang, stretching the word. "So he botched it, eh? Couldn't even scribble his letters right?"
Laughter rippled through the group, half-suppressed behind calloused hands. Jarek's eyes flashed, but he turned away as his jaw clenched in annoyance."
Above them, some of the cadets broke stride, glancing down with thinly veiled annoyance. One girl crouched on a ledge, blowing a bubble of gum before snapping it sharp. She muttered, "Idiots," and leapt to another perch without looking back.
At the far end of the barricade stood a single young man apart from the rest. He was tall with blond hair tied back in a ponytail and his eyes closed as he moved around. His posture was loose, his movements looked unhurried yet something about him carried the grace of a predator conserving its strength.
"March."
The name came from a sharp, irritated voice. A woman strode toward him, her uniform dusted pale from stone. A sidearm hung at her hip, her expression was tight.
"Yes, Miko," he said, not opening his eyes.
She exhaled hard, irritation in every line of her face. "We've swept this place twice already. There's nothing left but rubble. This is a waste of time."
Another cadet joined them. "She's right. Whatever was here is long gone. Sitting around won't change that."
March tilted his head, still statuesque. His lips curled faintly. "Then you wouldn't mind writing the report, Duma. Tell them you found nothing."
He shifted, rising fluidly from his crouched position. Dust slipped from his boots as he leapt down from the perch, landing soft despite the drop. His hands disappeared into his pockets as he began walking lazily toward the ship.
"How unfortunate," he murmured, tone unreadable. "Another wasted day."
Then he stopped. His head turned slightly, chin angling toward the earth.
"…hmm."
His steps faltered. "Wait." His voice dropped low. "Did you feel that?"
Duma stiffened, gaze snapping to the ground. "What the hell—"
March's eyes opened for the first time. Brilliant blue eyes as sharp as blades. They widened at the disturbance.
"MOVE!"
The command cracked like thunder causing the cadets to leap away instantly, blurring into motion. Boots slammed stone and the miners shouted in panic. And then the ground erupted.
A deafening explosio tore upward, blasting stone and dust into a choking cloud. Shockwaves thundered outward, flattening the barricades. Miners screamed, thrown back as if the earth itself had risen to spit them out.
When the roar subsided and dust began to settle, March crouched low in front of a miner he had shielded. His white coat was caked gray, his breath steady. He straightened slowly, brushing stone fragments from his sleeves. His eyes narrowed at the smoking crater.
"What in all hells was that…"
Miko was already at his side, handgun drawn just as another cadet flanked her. They placed themselves between March and the settling dust, eyes sharp, waiting.
But March walked past them, unbothered. He moved closer to the crater, his gaze fixed, unblinking. The dust swirled thinner.
He stopped. His lips quirked.
"Oh," he whispered, voice low, sharp with interest. His eyes gleamed like a predator sighting prey. "Now isn't that… interesting."
Duma joined him, peering in. Her breath caught, words slipping out half-formed.
"Is that—"
The dust cleared fully.
At the crater's heart lay a naked body, pale against scorched earth. Its chest rose and fell, faint but undeniable.
Riven.
March's grin spread, wry and edged. His tone slipped into sarcasm.
"Well. Looks like our little waste of time wasn't a waste after all."
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