The stale air in the ruined hallway lingered with the scent of scorched metal and blood. A suffocating mixture. The kind of smell that stuck to your skin no matter how long you scrubbed.
The girls had taken Halie aside, insisting—almost demanding—a moment to themselves. Not just to tend to her wounds, but for something deeper. Something personal.
Evie turned to the others with a tired glare. "No offense, but we smell like trauma and chemical waste. We're gonna go back and take our shower. We're not done—not yet."
Leon lifted his hands, half a smirk on his face. "Didn't say a word."
"You were thinking it," Frieda muttered, tugging at the hem of the robe she wore—ripped, stained, and hanging unevenly. "Let us have our damn moment. We earned it."
Maya stepped in, her voice cool and surgical. "We need to talk to the girl. We haven't even asked for her name yet. Girl to girl. She's traumatized, probably scared out of her mind, and she's not gonna say a word if the room smells like testosterone and old blood."
Jarad nodded once. "Fine. Clean up. Talk to her. We'll wait."
Evie gave a mock salute, the corners of her mouth twitching. "We'll call you when we're done looking like war criminals."
---
Outside – Behind the collapsed corridor
Leon leaned against a cracked support beam while Jarad stood silently beside him, arms folded, katana stabbed loosely into the ground like a warning. The wind whistled low through the broken walls.
Leon finally broke the silence. "So... the girl."
Jarad didn't respond.
Leon kicked at a rock, watching it disappear into a dark corner. "I thought it was just us, y'know? The last ones. The survivors."
Jarad's voice was quiet, but there was steel in it. "We weren't."
"You sure?"
"She moved like us," Jarad said. "Fast. Precise. No hesitation when it counted. That's not instinct. That's conditioning."
Leon exhaled, running a hand through his hair. "Another experiment."
"Yeah," Jarad muttered. "One they kept on ice. A backup."
Leon hesitated, voice dropping. "You think she remembers?"
Jarad stared at the jagged horizon. "She remembers enough to be dangerous."
---
Later – Inside the makeshift briefing room
By the time the boys were called back in, the air had shifted. The girls had changed into fresh ORPHANAGE staff uniforms—plain, sterile white—but even those couldn't wash off the weight in their eyes.
Halie sat quietly in the corner. She didn't fidget. She watched. Damp hair clung to her face, and despite her smaller frame, her gaze was sharp. Present.
Maya stood beside her, arms crossed. "She's alert now," she murmured. "Not safe. But present."
Then Jarad stepped in.
All eyes turned.
His presence felt... heavier. The armor he wore wasn't just protection—it was a statement. Obsidian-black, sleek, seamless. It clung to him like it had grown out of his skin, its surface shifting with an oil-slick shimmer. At his back, a jagged katana, the hilt looking as though it had been forged from some ancient ruin.
Evie blinked. "Uh... Jarad? When the hell did that happen?"
Frieda's eyes narrowed. "That's new."
Leon let out a low whistle. "Guy takes a walk and comes back lookin' like the final boss."
Jarad glanced down at himself, then back up. "It's a relic."
Maya stepped forward. "A what?"
Jarad tapped the chestplate. "After my trial... I ran into something. A monster. Shadow Spawn, I think it was called. Took it down. Got three relics out of it. And maybe... a new ability."
"Maybe?" Evie's voice went shrill. "You fought some hellspawn solo, walked away with loot and powers, and forgot to mention it?"
"What exactly goes on in that massive head of yours?" she added, exasperated.
Jarad scratched his neck, sheepish. "It was a long night."
Leon snorted. "Man's out here soloing nightmares while the rest of us are busy almost dying."
"Hey," Jarad said, raising a brow. "You guys got through your trials too, right? Maybe you got something."
Leon brightened. "Strength-based. Got a new ability—punch harder, hit stronger, lift more. Also found this badass hammer. No idea where it is, though."
Frieda rolled her eyes. "Muscle for brains."
Leon shot her a mock glare. "You wound me."
Frieda ignored him. "My ability's kinetic. I can store the force of any physical attack and return it... with interest."
"Wait—what?" Jarad blinked. "Like... you absorb the hit?"
"Yeah. And multiply it by two." She cracked her knuckles. "Speaking of which... punch me."
Jarad recoiled. "The hell? No!"
"Come on. I've done stupid stuff, sure, but not Leon levels of dumb. Trust me." She smirked.
Leon held up a finger. "Hey, I'm right here."
"Exactly."
Jarad sighed. "Fine. But everyone back up."
He stepped forward, tightened his fist, and struck her clean in the stomach.
POW.
Frieda skidded several meters back, sliding to a stop with a grin stretching across her face.
"Damn," she wheezed. "You could've pulled the punch a little."
A smoky aura shimmered around her as she absorbed the energy.
"Now," she said, her eyes gleaming, "I get to give it back."
The others didn't need to be told. They evacuated the room and watched from behind the safety glass.
Inside, Frieda planted her feet. "Brace yourself, Baby Boy."
Jarad barely got out, "Wait, what do you—"
BOOM.
The punch landed clean into his side. His armor rippled. Jarad staggered back several steps, breath catching.
Outside, Leon let out a sympathetic whistle. "Oof. That's gonna leave a mark."
Evie crossed her arms. "He'll live."
"Yeah, but he'll feel it."
Inside, Jarad straightened slowly, rubbing his ribs.
"You okay?" Frieda asked, half-concerned.
"Hell of a punch," he grunted. "But I'm good."
"Good." She turned away. "Not like I was worried or anything."
"Everyone can come in now," Frieda called.
The team filed back in. Maya stepped forward.
"Explain it," she said, pushing her glasses up. "Your ability."
Frieda grinned. "Absorb kinetic energy. Multiply it. Return it. Simple, really."
"Impressive," Maya said. "Very efficient in combat."
Frieda gave a mock bow. "I do try."
"What about you?" she asked Maya.
"My ability lets me interface with biological systems," Maya replied. "Not just my own—others too. At a cellular level. I can control neural pathways, immune responses... even force regeneration, given time."
Jarad raised a brow. "Useful."
"It's not flashy," Maya said. "But it gets results."
Then, quietly, Halie spoke. "I... got something too. It's hard to explain. It's tied to light. Reflections. Movement."
Jarad nodded slowly. "Makes sense. That's how you slipped around so easily. It's smooth. Dangerous."
Maya's gaze shifted back to Jarad. "Your relic... Do you know the classification?"
Jarad nodded. "Ardent Class. From what I understand, that's high. Not top-tier, but... close."
Maya's eyes narrowed slightly. "That kind of relic... they don't just show up. You were meant to find it."
Leon chuckled. "So we're collecting relics now?"
"We're surviving," Jarad said. "If that means scavenging from the wreckage of their nightmares, then so be it."
A heavy silence followed.
Maya glanced at Halie. "Good. Because we've got a lot more surviving to do."
Jarad's eyes shifted toward the girl in the corner. His voice dropped.
"Then let's start with her."