Elias watched as several sharply dressed Shard Users stepped forward, each one from different blocks he didn’t recognize. They introduced themselves one by one, speaking briefly with the mbers at the table, so exchanging polite words while others shared a history, prior connections evident in the way they addressed one another.
The process was starting to make sense. Each of them had been selected for this so-called Officer Program, but how? So had military backgrounds, others seed to have political ties, and a few carried themselves with a level of experience that suggested they had already been in leadership roles before.
Elias, on the other hand, had no idea why he had been picked.
He hadn’t saved anyone at the resort. If anything, he had slowed everyone down, barely keeping up in the fight. Even his final act—dropping Vincent from the sky—hadn’t finished the job. That thought gnawed at him. Is Vincent even dead?
His mind drifted, replaying the last monts of that battle, trying to recall if he had actually seen Vincent take his final breath. Before he could think too deeply, his focus snapped back at the sound of a familiar phrase.
"D Block."
Sothing clicked in his mory. Oliver ntioned soone was moved from D Block when I first arrived... why does that na sound familiar?
Elias turned his attention to the speaker.
A tall, lean man stepped forward, his movents smooth and practiced. His black hair was glossed to perfection, his uniform crisp, as if he had stepped right out of a high-society event rather than a military program.
"Good day, gentlen," he greeted, giving a small bow with a polite tip of his head. "My na is Asurik Gusn."
Elias wasn’t the only one watching him closely. To his side, Kikaru’s face twitched—just slightly, but enough for Elias to notice. She looked annoyed.
Interesting.
Asurik continued, his voice carrying a refined, rehearsed ease. "It is an honor to et you all today. My ti over the last few weeks has been nothing short of a rollercoaster—" he paused, then corrected himself with a knowing smirk, "scratch that, the last four years, really."
His tone shifted, gaining a certain weight as he placed a hand over his chest.
"It would be an honor to restore my family’s na and lineage through great service in this Officer Program—one that was so graciously put forth by our esteed Chairwoman, a leader who has bridged generations."
His words dripped with carefully chosen reverence.
Elias stole another glance at Kikaru. She had taken a deep breath, her fists montarily clenching before loosening again. Whatever was stirring inside her, she was forcing it back down, burying it beneath a practiced layer of composure.
Then, soone spoke up.
"Oh, she’s the daughter of the old general, right? I heard her father died during the last invasion."
A hushed murmur rippled across the room. So nodded in recognition, while others exchanged looks of curiosity.
Kikaru exhaled slowly, shoulders rolling back as she stepped forward. She didn’t react to the comnt, didn’t acknowledge it with so much as a flinch. Instead, her voice cut through the quiet with sharp clarity.
"Good day, everyone. My na is Kikaru Yirazawa."
Her words carried weight. A legacy tied to them.
"My family has been ingrained in the military since the second incursion, back when the war against the Southern Isles Mispotaptains threatened our borders. When my grandfather’s father was just a child, every generation of my family has given sothing to this nation. Sacrifice has always been expected of us, and we have never faltered."
A pause. She shifted her stance slightly, as if asuring her own words.
"I am not sure what exactly is expected of us in this eting or what the Honorable Chairwoman’s full intent is. But my honor and respect for this country extend far beyond the mont I received this shard. That mont did not define . I have always been a soldier, and I will continue to lead this world into prosperity in any way I can."
Silence.
There was no hesitation in her voice. No uncertainty.
One of the n seated at the table leaned forward, interlocking his fingers. His gaze was sharp, dissecting her words. "How do you know if you’re still you?"
Kikaru lifted her chin slightly. "What do you an?"
"How do we know you’re still... you?" His tone was pointed, laced with a cautious skepticism. "You bear a shard. We don’t fully understand what these things do to a person. How can we be sure that what stands before us is still Kikaru Yirazawa and not sothing... different?"
A calculated response could have sufficed. But Kikaru didn’t hesitate.
She exhaled through her nose, a slight smirk tugging at the corner of her lips before she shrugged. "I see it as just a new fancy tech upgrade. Like an exosuit that allows a soldier to punch harder, jump farther. The tech doesn’t change who they are—it just gives them more options to do greater good."
She gestured slightly, her Ikona flickering beside her. The room’s lighting caught the faint shimr of light energy forming along her fingertips.
"This is no different. A tool. A weapon, if necessary. But a weapon is only as dangerous as the one who wields it."
A mont passed before the man finally nodded, leaning back into his chair. "I see."
No further questions. No dismissals. Just that simple acknowledgnt.
Kikaru stepped back, her face unreadable as the attention shifted.
Now, it was Elias’s turn.
Elias exhaled through his nose and stepped forward, his hands sliding casually into his pockets. "Hey everyone, the na’s Elias Kael."
Before he could say anything further, murmurs rippled through the seated officials. One of the older n at the table leaned forward, eyes narrowing slightly. "Kael? Are you related to the Kael?"
Elias sighed, already knowing where this was going. "Yeah. My father was Dorien Kael. The one who died on Cradle Planet."
A few exchanged glances, while the man who had spoken let out a low hum. "I see. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, then. You’re a near spitting image of him back in his pri." He leaned back slightly. "I worked with him from ti to ti."
Elias blinked at that but didn’t press. "I’d love to hear stories about him one day." His voice was steady, but sothing in his chest tightened at the thought. "For now, does anyone have any questions for ?"
The sa man didn’t hesitate. "What are your goals?"
Elias tilted his head slightly, waiting for more, but the man continued.
"Listening to the others here today, it’s clear that they all have a deep passion for sothing—whether it’s honor, duty, or personal ambition. Passion shapes leaders. And leaders shape those who follow them. So, if no one else has a question for the son of Dorien Kael, I do." He folded his hands in front of him. "What are your goals, young man?"
Elias took a mont, rubbing the back of his neck as he thought about it.
"Well... my goals may sound a little basic, maybe even cliché. Before I had a shard, I was comfortable just being a cook. A damn good one, too." He smirked slightly. "Life was steady. But sowhere along the way, I gave up on my dream of traveling beyond the stars—seeing what’s out there, learning a hundred new ways to cook things no one’s ever tasted before."
His smirk faded slightly.
"But after getting this shard... I guess my goals have shifted. I want to change the world for the better. And whenever my ti’s up, I want to leave knowing I made things better than when I got here." He let his words settle for a mont before adding, "And I suppose, one day, I’d like to go to Cradle Planet myself—to give my father a proper burial. Last I heard, everyone there was left to die."
The man gave a slow nod, as if considering his words. "I see."
Another mont passed before he spoke again. "And how do you feel about being locked up here in the Cube X facility?"
Elias barely hesitated. "Oliver explained it well early on. It was a precautionary step, and clear asures have been taken to ensure shard users are well cared for."
A few of the officials exchanged unreadable glances, but the man simply nodded. "Very well. That’s all from ."
No one else spoke up. Elias took that as his cue and stepped back in line with the others.
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