The knock did not wait for permission.
⸻
It struck the barracks door once.
Hard.
Final.
⸻
"Cadet Liora Vayne. Cadet Seraphine Vale."
A pause.
"You will report immediately."
⸻
No explanation.
No context.
Just orders.
⸻
The room was still half-asleep.
Dim light.
Unmade beds.
The quiet breathing of cadets pretending they weren't listening.
⸻
Liora was already awake.
⸻
She sat on the edge of her cot, boots half-laced, hands steady.
⸻
Seraphine looked over from across the room.
"…Now?"
⸻
"Yes," Liora said.
⸻
The officer outside spoke again.
"I will not repeat myself."
⸻
Seraphine stood.
Faster now.
⸻
Lerren didn't.
⸻
He was watching them.
Eyes sharper than they had been since the trench.
⸻
"…Where are you going?" he asked.
⸻
No answer at first.
⸻
Then—
"If it mattered," Liora said, finishing her laces, "they would have told us."
⸻
Lerren stood abruptly.
⸻
"That's not an answer."
⸻
"It is sufficient."
⸻
"No, it's not," he snapped. "You don't just—just walk out like nothing happened—"
⸻
Liora stood.
Turned.
⸻
"It did happen," she said.
⸻
"Then act like it!" Lerren shouted. "People died! We—"
⸻
"—survived," she cut in.
⸻
"That's not the point!"
⸻
"It is the only point that remains."
⸻
Silence.
Heavy.
Sharp.
⸻
Lerren stared at her like he didn't recognize what he was looking at anymore.
⸻
"…You don't feel anything, do you?" he said.
⸻
Liora considered that.
⸻
"I feel relief," she said.
⸻
"That's not enough."
⸻
"It is," she replied.
⸻
Seraphine stepped between them.
⸻
"Stop," she said quietly.
⸻
Lerren looked at her.
⸻
"…You're just going with her?" he asked.
⸻
Seraphine hesitated.
Just for a moment.
⸻
"…Yes."
⸻
"…Why?"
⸻
She didn't answer immediately.
⸻
"…Because she was right," she said finally.
⸻
Lerren laughed.
A hollow, exhausted sound.
⸻
"Right," he repeated. "Yeah. That's what matters now."
⸻
He stepped back.
⸻
"…Just go," he said.
⸻
Liora didn't hesitate.
⸻
She walked past him.
⸻
Seraphine followed.
⸻
Neither of them looked back.
⸻
⸻
The corridor outside was colder.
Not in temperature.
In intent.
⸻
They were escorted.
Not guided.
⸻
Bootsteps echoed in perfect rhythm.
Their own sounded…wrong.
Out of place.
⸻
"…This isn't standard," Seraphine muttered.
⸻
"No," Liora said.
⸻
"Do you know where we're going?"
⸻
"No."
⸻
"…And that doesn't bother you?"
⸻
"No."
⸻
Seraphine exhaled sharply.
⸻
"…It should."
⸻
Liora glanced at her.
⸻
"Why?"
⸻
"…Because we don't know what they're going to do with us."
⸻
"They already are," Liora said.
⸻
Seraphine frowned.
⸻
"…That's not reassuring."
⸻
"It is not meant to be."
⸻
⸻
The doors opened without ceremony.
⸻
Inside—
the same war room.
⸻
But this time—
fewer people.
⸻
And one of them mattered more.
⸻
Colonel Reinhardt Skel.
⸻
He did not greet them.
⸻
"Cadet Vayne. Cadet Vale."
⸻
They stepped forward.
⸻
"Stand."
⸻
They did.
⸻
A document was placed on the table.
⸻
"By order of Imperial Command," an officer began, voice flat, rehearsed, "effective immediately—"
⸻
Seraphine's eyes flicked to Liora.
⸻
Liora did not move.
⸻
"—Cadet Liora Vayne is promoted to provisional field rank: Senior Lieutenant, Tactical Casting Division."
⸻
Silence.
⸻
"…What?" Seraphine whispered.
⸻
The officer didn't look up.
⸻
"—Cadet Seraphine Vale is promoted to Lieutenant, Aerial Casting Division."
⸻
Seraphine stared.
⸻
"That's—this is—"
⸻
"Irregular," the officer finished.
⸻
"Yes," Liora said.
⸻
All eyes shifted to her.
⸻
"You understand that," the officer said.
⸻
"Yes."
⸻
"And you accept it."
⸻
"Yes."
⸻
"…Without question."
⸻
"Yes."
⸻
The officer's pen paused.
⸻
"…Why?"
⸻
Liora met his gaze.
⸻
"Because refusal is inefficient."
⸻
A faint murmur in the room.
⸻
Seraphine looked at her.
⸻
"…You're serious," she said under her breath.
⸻
"Yes."
⸻
⸻
Skel stepped forward slightly.
⸻
"You are no longer cadets," he said.
⸻
The words landed heavier than the promotion.
⸻
"You are no longer under academy jurisdiction."
⸻
A pause.
⸻
"You are now assigned to a specialized unit."
⸻
Seraphine swallowed.
⸻
"…What kind of unit?"
⸻
Skel's expression didn't change.
⸻
"One that does not exist."
⸻
Silence.
⸻
"…That's not possible," Seraphine said.
⸻
"It is preferable," Skel replied.
⸻
⸻
They were moved again.
⸻
No time to process.
No time to question.
⸻
The next room was colder.
Metal-lined.
Functional.
⸻
Equipment racks.
Weapons.
Casting units more advanced than anything they had seen.
⸻
A quartermaster stood waiting.
⸻
"Strip previous gear," he said.
⸻
Seraphine blinked.
⸻
"…Now?"
⸻
"Now."
⸻
They complied.
⸻
The new equipment was heavier.
Sharper.
More precise.
⸻
Liora picked up the gauntlet first.
⸻
"…Output increased," she said quietly.
⸻
"Forty-two percent," the quartermaster replied.
⸻
Seraphine looked at the flight unit.
⸻
"…This isn't academy-grade."
⸻
"No."
⸻
"…It's unstable."
⸻
"Yes."
⸻
"…What's the failure rate?"
⸻
The quartermaster didn't hesitate.
⸻
"Thirty percent."
⸻
Seraphine froze.
⸻
"…That's not acceptable."
⸻
"It is standard."
⸻
"…Standard for what?"
⸻
"For this unit."
⸻
Liora secured the gauntlet.
⸻
"Side effects?" she asked.
⸻
"Neurological strain. Muscular degradation. Potential long-term damage."
⸻
Seraphine turned to her.
⸻
"…You're not seriously—"
⸻
"Acceptable," Liora said.
⸻
Seraphine stared.
⸻
"…You didn't even hesitate."
⸻
"There is nothing to consider."
⸻
"Yes, there is!" Seraphine snapped. "Your body—your mind—this isn't—"
⸻
"It increases effectiveness," Liora said.
⸻
"That's not everything!"
⸻
"It is here."
⸻
⸻
The hangar was quieter.
⸻
Not empty.
Just…controlled.
⸻
Soldiers stood in loose formation.
Not like cadets.
Not stiff.
Not perfect.
⸻
Just ready.
⸻
They looked at Liora and Seraphine.
⸻
And immediately—
judged.
⸻
"…More children," one muttered.
⸻
"Command's getting desperate," another said.
⸻
Liora didn't react.
⸻
Seraphine stiffened.
⸻
A man stepped forward.
⸻
Older.
Scar across his jaw.
Eyes that had seen too much and decided not to care anymore.
⸻
"Major Kael Dorn," he said.
⸻
He didn't salute.
⸻
"I don't care what rank they gave you," he continued. "Out there, you're either useful… or dead."
⸻
Liora nodded once.
⸻
"Understood."
⸻
Dorn watched her.
⸻
"…We'll see."
⸻
Another soldier stepped closer.
⸻
"You're the one from Theta-Seven," he said.
⸻
"Yes."
⸻
"You got people killed."
⸻
"No," Liora said.
⸻
The man's expression darkened.
⸻
"No?"
⸻
"I prevented more from dying."
⸻
A pause.
⸻
"…That what you tell yourself?" he asked.
⸻
"It is what occurred."
⸻
The man scoffed.
⸻
"…We'll test that."
⸻
⸻
"Formation," Dorn called.
⸻
They assembled.
⸻
Quickly.
Efficiently.
⸻
"Simulation," he said. "Live-fire parameters."
⸻
Seraphine's eyes widened.
⸻
"…Already?"
⸻
Dorn looked at her.
⸻
"You wanted a real unit," he said.
⸻
A beat.
⸻
"Welcome to it."
⸻
⸻
The test was chaos.
⸻
Faster than anything they'd trained for.
⸻
Targets shifting.
Commands overlapping.
Pressure constant.
⸻
"Left flank—MOVE—!"
"Caster three—down—!"
"Adjust vector—ADJUST—!"
⸻
Liora moved through it.
⸻
Clean.
Sharp.
⸻
Too sharp.
⸻
"Hold formation!" someone shouted.
⸻
She didn't.
⸻
She broke.
⸻
Cut through the exercise faster.
More efficiently.
⸻
"Vayne—fall back—!"
⸻
She didn't.
⸻
She finished it.
⸻
The final target dropped.
⸻
Silence.
⸻
Then—
an explosion behind her.
⸻
A cadet—no—
a soldier—
hit the ground.
⸻
"…You broke formation," Dorn said.
⸻
Liora turned.
⸻
"Yes."
⸻
"You caused that."
⸻
"Yes."
⸻
Seraphine stepped forward.
⸻
"She ended the simulation—"
⸻
Dorn cut her off.
⸻
"I didn't ask what she achieved."
⸻
He stepped closer to Liora.
⸻
"I asked what she cost."
⸻
Silence.
⸻
"…One," Liora said.
⸻
Dorn's eyes hardened.
⸻
"…That's your answer?"
⸻
"Yes."
⸻
"…You don't get it yet," he said.
⸻
"No," Liora replied.
⸻
"…Then learn fast."
⸻
⸻
Later—
⸻
"…You can't keep doing that," Seraphine said.
⸻
They stood alone.
⸻
"You're going to get people killed."
⸻
"They are already dying," Liora said.
⸻
"That's not an excuse!"
⸻
"It is context."
⸻
Seraphine stepped closer.
⸻
"You said this was about survival."
⸻
"It is."
⸻
"Then why does it feel like you're becoming something else?"
⸻
Liora paused.
⸻
"…Because I am being used."
⸻
"And you're okay with that?"
⸻
"No."
⸻
"…Then why—"
⸻
"Because I will decide how."
⸻
⸻
The unit gathered again.
⸻
Dorn stood at the front.
⸻
"You've been assigned here because command thinks you're useful," he said.
⸻
His eyes landed on Liora.
⸻
"That means they'll spend you."
⸻
Silence.
⸻
"…Let's see if you're worth the cost."
⸻
⸻
Liora stood among them.
⸻
No longer a cadet.
⸻
No longer unseen.
⸻
The war had taken her.
⸻
And now—
everyone around her knew it.
⸻
And none of them trusted it.
⸻
Liora exhaled slowly.
⸻
If I am to be used…
⸻
Her eyes sharpened.
⸻
Then I will decide how.