The crash wasn't soft.
When the dropship struck Earth, the impact ripped through metal and bone alike. Belts snapped. Lights burst. Sparks screamed from torn wiring as the hull buckled under the stress of re-entry.
For one long second it sounded as if the planet itself was tearing open.
And maybe it was.
Ares felt every vibration crawl up through the seat into his spine. His mind stayed unnervingly clear—too clear.
Every sound separated: the stutter of heartbeats, the hiss of oxygen leaks, the wet gulp of someone choking back panic.
He could smell fear. It tasted metallic.
SYSTEM NOTICE:Adrenal Response Detected
Temporary Stat Boost: Strength +1 | Agility +1
Bonus Active: Combat Reflexes (10 min)
So it scaled.
Good. He'd test that soon.
He released his harness while others clawed at theirs. Bellamy was already shouting orders, elbowing a lanky kid aside to reach the manual release.
Ares rose in one fluid motion. No stiffness. No tremor. The body responded like a precision-tuned weapon.
He was the apex predator in a cage of prey pretending to be wolves.
The hatch blew open with a grinding hiss.
Sunlight exploded inside—white, pure, violent. For a heartbeat, silence held. Then came the noise: shrieks, laughter, manic cheering as a hundred young convicts spilled into legend.
"We're back!" Bellamy roared, arms wide like a prophet. "We're free!"
Ares didn't follow.
Freedom was noise. Power was preparation.
He crossed to a cracked wall panel, pried it open, and found an emergency locker. Inside: a single Ark-issue coat, faded and stiff with age. He slid it on, the weight settling over him like command.
Prompt Detected:Review Current System? [Y/N]
He thought Yes.
⬛ [SYSTEM – PRIMORDIAL ASCENT v 1.1.3]
Host: Ares Drakon
Level: 1
XP: 0 / 1000
CORE STATS
StatValueDescriptionStrength11Enhanced muscle density, output forceAgility11Reflex speed, movement precisionConstitution10Damage resistance, stamina poolIntelligence12Tactical insight, learning speedCharm13Leadership presence, emotional influence
Human average = 5.
ACTIVE ABILITIES
Healing Factor Lv 1 – Minor wounds close in minutes; major injuries heal faster.
Body of Steel Lv 1 – Skin density +12%; reduces kinetic and cutting damage.
Blood of the Gods [Locked] – Unique Trait. Activates through a voluntary Rite; bonded adult gains 10–25 % stat share and permanent loyalty link. Bond cannot be externally overridden.
Minimalist. Efficient. Evolution, not fantasy.
Optimize first?
Yes.
Two pathways appeared:
Enhance Healing Factor – Adds toxin resistance.
Upgrade Body of Steel – Improves blunt-force defense, partial blade negation.
He chose two.
Body of Steel → Lv 2
New Trait Unlocked:Subdermal Reinforcement – Bone fracture risk –40 %.
Useful. He'd need that soon.
Footsteps—light, measured—approached. A voice followed, steady but wary.
"Ares, right?"
He turned. Clarke Griffin stood in the hatchway, arms crossed, eyes bright with caution. She studied him the way medics study wounds—gauging depth.
"You didn't follow the others."
"They're celebrating," he said. "I'm preparing."
"You don't think we deserve a minute to breathe?"
"The Grounders won't wait for us to catch our breath."
Her brow creased. "Grounders?"
She wasn't supposed to know that word yet.
Ares said nothing. The less they understood, the easier they'd follow.
He brushed past her and stepped into sunlight.
The world hit him like a living thing.
Warm air. The smell of soil and sap. Birds singing over the distant hush of wind through trees.
After a lifetime in metal corridors, the chaos of color almost hurt.
Beautiful.
Untamed.
His.
He felt the planet hum beneath his boots—as if Earth itself recognized something ancient in him.
Behind him, Clarke lingered, unease flickering across her face.
And far beyond the treeline, unseen eyes marked him: a Grounder scout, body painted in ash, spear poised, breath held.
Predator watching predator.
Soon, they would meet.
And one of them would kneel.