Near the corner of the room stood a young woman with short blond hair, her uniform a mix of military practicality and personal flair. The black and dark green outfit was reinforced with chest armor and kneepads, though the fit and polish hinted at her ticulous nature.
Her sharp gaze flicked to Elias as he entered, sizing him up with the detached focus of soone who had already judged him unworthy. Her stance was straight-backed and formal, yet there was an intensity in her eyes that made it clear she wasn't just following rules—she was the rules.
Dot hovered just over Elias's shoulder, her small form darting from one figure to the next. "Oh, look! That one's Ikona is waving at ," she giggled, pointing to a glowing, snake-like entity coiled lazily around its shard bearer's arm. Another Ikona—a small, bird-like creature—hopped on the shoulder of a red-haired woman who leaned against the wall, arms crossed, her dark eyeliner making her glare even more piercing.
Elias could feel the weight of their attention, though no one spoke outright. Their eyes betrayed curiosity, skepticism, and perhaps a tinge of boredom. It was clear this wasn't their first ti eting a newcor.
"Alright, listen up," Oliver said, his tone sharp as he addressed the group. "This is Elias Kael. He'll be joining A Block as the eighth mber. Treat him like any of you over the last two weeks since eting."
He glanced at Elias. "Go ahead and go around introducing yourselves or whatever. Elias, you have your exams in an hour, so move all of your junk into your pod and be ready to go at the top of the hour. It's only a ten-minute walk."
"Right, sounds good, sir," Elias replied, giving a small nod.
As Oliver walked toward the door, he spoke over his shoulder. "The other guy who left has been moved to D Block, by the way. There should be an increase in people coming in the next week, and once we get to forty, so further trials will begin. So keep up with the workout regin I set up for you all—especially those who haven't worked out in a while—and make use of your downti."
There was a small grunt and a nod from soone in the group as Oliver exited. Elias dropped his bags at the center of the room, giving a small stretch before saying, "Man, I really need to get out of these clothes."
The woman with blond hair approached him, her stride confident. "The na's Kikaru Yirazawa," she said, her voice steady and direct. "I'm the strongest Ikona user as of right now. If you'd like to fight , go ahead. I'll be the strongest no matter what—and I'll put Pri at peace."
"Wo-woah, the na's Elias Kael. Nice to et you, young lady," Elias said, extending a hand with an easy smile.
Kikaru glanced at his hand before slapping it away. "I am not young. Maybe to soone old, I guess," she replied, her tone clipped but carrying a hint of dry humor.
Elias chuckled lightly, retracting his hand. "Fair enough. Anyway, I've done enough fighting for today," he said, shifting the strap of his bag higher on his shoulder. "I still need to change and get ready for Lt. Oliver. After that, maybe we can all sit around and talk about our Ikonas—you know, figure out how we can work together or sothing."
A snort of laughter ca from the couch across the room. A man lounged there, tossing a knife into the air lazily. The blade spun, its shard tip catching the overhead light briefly before he caught it and repeated the motion.
"Good luck with that," the man drawled, his voice tinged with sarcasm. "Getting along with a bunch of people just because we all got skewered by so fancy shards? Yeah, sure. And those little creatures following us around? They don't make us heroes or villains—they're just here. I don't plan on making friends either. The sooner these tests are done, the sooner I can go back to my country and get back to relaxing."
Elias sighed, pausing for a mont before responding. "Well, that's fair, I guess," he said, his tone calm but thoughtful. "Still... why not make the best of a bad situation?"
Kikaru remained still, her hands resting rigidly at her sides as she continued to watch Elias. Her expression betrayed little, but there was a faint tension in the way she stood.
Elias stepped around her, lowering his voice as though speaking to himself. "Besides, like it or not—"
"I really don't," she muttered sharply, cutting him off.
"—we're different now," he continued, ignoring the interruption. "If what the Doctor said in that dream or whatever state that was is true, then there are only a hundred of us, at most. That's a pretty exclusive club, whether we like it or not."
Hoisting his bag higher, Elias made his way toward the row of tallic pods at the far end of the room. The eight capsules were lined up neatly, each one a smooth, seamless structure of reinforced tal. He walked to the farthest pod, his boots tapping lightly against the polished floor.
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