"This is the part where you’re supposed to be given a full briefing of why you were called here," Naephas started. "However, plans have changed. The titable has been moved forward."
He paused for a mont before continuing.
"You are to return to your barracks imdiately and pack your possessions—however few they may be. You have thirty minutes. Return here when you’re done. That is all. Go."
For a second, they blinked in surprise, caught off-guard by the abruptness of it all. But then instinct kicked in, and they saluted, before turning and exiting the office without another word.
Once they were out, they broke into short runs, making their way towards their barracks as fast as they could.
’When they say you have thirty minutes, it usually ans you’ve got fifteen.’
Xaren chuckled under his breath as that thought crossed his mind while stepping into the barracks.
As soon as he reached the familiar hallway of his bunkhouse, he spotted two familiar figures waiting for him—Carack and Bjorn, leaning casually against the wall as if they’d been stationed there specifically.
"Yo," Carack called out with a wave. "What’s up? Why’d they call you guys?"
Xaren shrugged and passed by with a sigh. "They didn’t say. Just told us to pack and co back."
"Just like that?" Bjorn asked, clearly surprised, and Xaren nodded.
"My guess? They’re probably sending us to that Area One place Colonel Floch ntioned."
Xaren said this as he stuffed his things into his magic pouch. After that, he retrieved his lightly damp uniform from the window it was hanging on, then continued.
"Apparently, they were supposed to brief us first, but they said everything’s been moved up."
Carack frowned at this. "Wait—where is this Area One, anyway?"
"We don’t know," Xaren replied, stuffing his boots into the pouch.
Carack’s expression shifted, disappointnt creeping into his features. "So... you guys are just getting sent off to who knows where?"
"Looks like it," Xaren muttered, putting his pouch into the inner part of his uniform.
The mood dipped after his response, and the silence that followed was tinged with sothing downbeat. It was the kind of quiet that settled in before a goodbye—awkward, unspoken, but heavy all the sa.
When Xaren stepped outside, he didn’t make it more than ten steps before he spotted two more familiar faces he hadn’t seen in a while.
"Yo, Kravok. You’re not dead?"
"Oy! Why’s that the first thing you ask?! You’re the one who sent that human to poison , aren’t you?!"
"Pfft...!"
Xaren burst out into laughter at Kravok’s response to his causal joke. Even the red-skinned demon beside him, Drog—the ’Self-Proclaid’ Chef—joined in the laughter.
Their laughter was short-lived, however, as Kravok shot them a sharp glare.
Once the laughter subsided, Drog wiped his eyes, still holding back his amusent, and turned to Xaren.
"Heard they pulled you two into so special unit or sothing."
"Sothing like that." Xaren shrugged in response.
At that, Kravok’s eyes narrowed, his voice carrying a hint of seriousness.
"Don’t forget us when you’re big shots."
He tried to play it cool, but the concern in his tone slipped through. Before Xaren could respond, however, soone tapped Kravok on the shoulder from behind.
"We’ll try not to."
"Ah, Captain Ilya!" Kravok exclaid, but Carack quickly shut him down.
"Don’t shout, you idiot. Don’t get the Cap in trouble."
Carack joined the group and casually ntioned Ralguth, who had been punished for a similar issue. But when Ilya heard the na, she montarily blinked in confusion, as if she genuinely couldn’t recall who he was.
The confused look on her face had both Xaren and Carack laughing, though neither of them bothered to remind her that she’d once severed the guy’s arm.
They exchanged a few more words, quick, and mostly light-hearted, but ti was ticking away. With a final wave, Xaren and Ilya turned and headed back toward the administrative building.
This ti, they were the first to arrive.
Without being prompted, they silently stood in the sa place as before, waiting until the other three eventually arrived, walking in one by one.
They were not brought back into Naephas’s office this ti. Instead, Naephas stepped out himself, the door sliding shut behind him with a soft hiss.
"Good. Now, all of you follow ," he said, already halfway out the door by the ti the words had reached their ears.
The five followed, boots echoing softly against the polished floor as they exited.
Just as they exited the conference room, they nearly ran into Floch, who glanced up from the papers in his hand and blinked in surprise at the sight of them.
"Oh, you’re done briefing them already, Sir Naephas?"
"Change of plans," Naephas replied without slowing even for a bit. "The ship’s already here."
The response made Floch even more surprised. He closed the files in his hand and fell into step beside Naephas while asking.
"Seriously? Why are those guys in such a hurry? Lord Xynax is not that eager for new recruits"
"This might have sothing to do with my mother," Naephas responded, heaving a tired sigh.
"Ah, I see. Of course. The Matriarch would definitely want you to return early."
Floch nodded in understanding while Naephas continued forward without a word.
The group ascended to the topmost level of the building, and as they stepped out onto the roof, Floch turned to Xaren and Ilya and spoke with a faint chuckle.
"Well, I guess this is it for the next five years," he said. "Maybe I’ll drop by and check on you guys soti."
"That’s not going to be possible," Naephas replied flatly. "You know Lord Xynax will never let you back into Area 1."
Floch laughed at that, shaking his head as he spoke.
"Ah, that’s actually true. He’ll never let back in. Damn that old man."
Naephas gave him a pointed look, and Floch flinched, straightening up as he corrected himself.
"I an—that great teacher. Sorry, Praise that great teacher."
Naephas silently rolled his eyes, not even bothering to dignify Floch’s antics with a comnt.
Instead, he turned to the empty rooftop and spoke with a frown, "They made change my schedule, and yet they are still late."
"Calm down, Sir Naephas. They’re already here," Floch said, pointing at the sky.
As if on cue, the clouds above began to shift, parting like drawn curtains.
A low hum echoed through the air as a VTOL-style craft descended from the sky, its thrusters glowing with a dull neon-blue as it levelled out and touched down on the rooftop.
The mont it landed, the doors slid open, and a few uniford personnel stepped out.
"You made wait," Naephas said coldly.
His displeasure was evident, and feeling the full brunt of his cold gaze, the crew imdiately bowed their heads.
"""Apologies, sir."""
Naephas waved them off with a dismissive hand, then turned to face Xaren, Ilya, and the three others.
"Get in."
As they stepped into the unfamiliar craft, Floch gave a small wave and called out,
"Don’t forget to tell Lord Xynax what I told you to!"
The door slid shut behind them before anyone could respond.
Inside, the five recruits found seats near the front, with Naephas seated directly opposite them.
No one spoke, though.
The air was too thick with nerves, caused by the knowledge that they were in the sa space as a High-Rank demon. The nervousness of the Low-Ranks was none of Naephas’ concern, however, as he simply stared out the window, expression unreadable.
The crew instructed Xaren and the others on how to buckle the seat belts, and after that, they took their own seats in a separate part of the craft.
The aircraft lifted off, its thrusters humming louder as it climbed rapidly, punching through clouds until they rose above them, blue skies giving way to sothing colder and darker.
In the cockpit, one of the pilots glanced at a monitor showing live footage of the passenger cabin. Once he confird that everyone was properly strapped in, he spoke calmly into the radio.
[We are about to make the jump. Steady yourselves and don’t get up.]
Almost instantly, the ship lurched upward, throwing the group back in their seats as the sudden shift in gravity jolted them.
The entire vessel shook as if it were tearing through sothing thick, trembling violently as the air pressure changed.
Outside the windows, the sky darkened, but not like dusk. This was a different kind of darkness.
The kind of darkness that swallowed everything.
There was no sun or clouds, only a seemingly endless void.
When Xaren noticed the sudden shift, his eyes turned toward the window, his breath catching as he noticed the tiny distant lights twinkling in that blackness.
"Space...," he muttered, the word slipping out without thought.
His voice was quiet, but Naephas heard it. The High-Rank turned his head briefly toward Xaren, then looked away, his expression visibly bored.
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