I sprinted across the ice-crusted crossroads towards the moonlit courtyard at the hub. A gelid chill pressed my bones, and a fierce gust bit my face. I lobbed the spearhead on my shoulder and pressed my heels to the ground.
My eyes flicked to the side to find Nico, but he'd already rushed ahead.
I need to be faster
[Divum]
I sprang forward and darted, following Nico's shadowy trail.
The two of us raced, one behind the other, our boots echoing against the marbled floors as we spotted the formation already assembled ahead.
My heart dropped. We were late.
Nico and I swiftly slipped into position, but it wasn't before Professor Aluis had turned his piercing gaze towards us. An uneasy silence gripped our attention. Professor Aluis stepped to the front of the formation.
"Cadets Sylwyn and Reed," his voice was as frigid as the air it cut through. "Three minutes and forty-seven seconds."
Dozens of stares crawled across my skin like spiders; each gaze carried its own flavour of relief, judgment, and barely concealed satisfaction that someone else had fallen into Aluis's crosshairs.
"In a real emergency, you would both be dead." He paced to the right, circling our batch, towards us. "Your squadmates would be dead. Civilians under your protection, would-be-dead. Everyone here would. Be. Dead."
My throat went dry. Beside me, I felt Nico tense, his jaw clenched, and the subtle grit of his molars grinding together grated my ears.
"Have I made myself clear? Or do I need to spell it out for you two?"
I lowered my head.
"RESPOND GODDAMNIT." He barked and paced closer.
"No, Sir!" Nico fastened his hands behind his back.
Aluis stepped inches away from us, his boots clicking ominously against the stone. "Perhaps you believed that because your first assignment begins tomorrow, you could afford to let your guard slip tonight?"
He turned back to the rest, "That assumption, Cadets, is not just foolish, it's lethal."
The professor's gaze swept across the entire formation, but the weight of his disappointment seemed to press down on Nico and me the most.
"This was a drill." He announced. "A test to see how many of you had grown complacent, knowing your deployment was imminent." His eyes found ours again. "If you feel embarrassed, frustrated or dejected on being chided. Then remember that, and don't ever forget it. Never let this happen again."
The wind whistled through the courtyard, carrying with it the scent of coming winter and the metallic tang of fear from dozens of nervous cadets.
"A drill is still a lesson", Aluis continued, his tone shifting slightly, "And lessons must be learned. But let's move to the actual reason you've gathered here." He straightened, his presence commanding absolute attention. "Your batch will be split into teams of three and sent on your first field assignment. This will be your last night on campus until your missions are complete. By sunrise, you will have already departed."
The words struck us like lightning. Shocked whispers erupted, and the careful formation began to waver as confusion and panic rippled through our ranks.
"Silence." Aluis's voice cracked like a whip, instantly restoring order. "The confusion you feel, the panic, the uncertainty, this is your reality now. If you cannot adapt to the unexpected, you will not survive what lies beyond the academy."
"Your assignments will take place in the city of Marazan and the neighbouring city of Gerita," Aluis announced, his words sharp and final. "Your teams have been decided. When called, report to the front. Immediately."
The courtyard fell deathly silent, and every cadet held their breath.
"First team: Sylus Dale, Kami Chitoge, and Montgomery Burns"
Three figures broke from the formation, their movements crisp despite the obvious tension. They disappeared through the door behind Aluis that led to the Hub, like shadows swallowed by darkness.
"Second team: Nico Sylwyn, Kai Ashworth, and Sara Keene."
My blood turned to ice. Nico shot me a single, weighted glance before stepping forward. Kai's eyes found mine. He hesitated, then stumbled forward. I watched the two of them vanish into the night, leaving me surrounded by strangers and dread.
"Third team: Noah Reed, Darius Vale and Mira Hilston."
My name rang in my ears, and my legs moved automatically, carrying me forward alongside Darius and Mira—both of whom I barely knew beyond passing nods in the corridors. We were herded toward the Hub, where two professors I had never seen before waited like sentinels beside a complex teleportation array that pulsed with ominous energy.
Among them, one had his arm replaced by a prosthetic, and the other a leg. Both now carried brass-coated replacements that seemed to shimmer faintly in the dark.
"Your three teams will be heading to Marazan under squad three," One professor announced without preamble. "Mission details will be briefed upon arrival. Once there, you answer to the Awakened Corps third squad."
The second professor stepped forward, his expression carved from stone. "Mission failure or being judged unfit will result in severe evaluation penalties. There is no retreat, no early return; the Corps alone has the authority to bring you back, no matter how long the mission takes."
The magical circle beneath our feet began to glow, its symbols igniting one by one like a countdown. The air itself seemed to vibrate with barely contained power.
"Any questions?" the first professor asked, though his tone made it clear none would be entertained.
Before anyone could even draw breath to speak, the array erupted in blinding light. Reality shattered around us like broken glass, and the familiar stone of the academy dissolved into nothingness as the teleportation magic seized us with invisible claws.
The last thing I heard was a voice. "Good luck."
Then the world exploded into light, and we were gone.
-
Darkness clouded everything. My vision shattered into kaleidoscope shards that burst and recombined in impossible patterns until I materialised in a stark chamber and collapsed to my knees. My palms scraped against cold stone that felt like ice against burning skin, and a wave of nausea struck me with the subtlety of a sledgehammer, driving bile up my throat in acidic waves.
"—Can you hear me? Stand up slowly."
A man's voice echoed from somewhere ahead, distorted and hollow, as if dulled by something. His words bounced off the chamber and grated on my ears till I forced my eyes wide open, letting the lingering vertigo fade as my vision cleared.
I found myself kneeling within an intricate magic circle etched into black stone, its arcane symbols still glowing with residual energy that made my skin prickle with electric aftershocks.
Kai, Nico and the others were scattered around me, still gathering themselves on their feet.
Across from us stood a figure in a hooded military uniform, brass insignia gleaming against dark fabric. The number 3.3 was engraved on his sleeves in precise, official script.
"Follow me," he commanded, his voice carrying the crisp authority. "Stay close and keep quiet."
The rest grunted and groaned, and we formed a line that followed his trail through the cramped, narrow corridors lined with strange metal plates, pipes, and valves that fizzled with steam and were lit only by wisps of blue light that trailed our presence.
"You're stepping on my foot," Mira muttered.
"I'm not." Darius narrowed his eyes.
She dragged her foot forward and stumbled, "You are such a big oaf."
"Excuse me, can you not step on my shoes now, please?" Sylus adjusted his spectacles and chimed in.
"It's not me!" Darius groaned.
"It's you, I can see it clearly." Sara pushed the line forward with both arms.
"How can you see shit here? It's almost completely dark." Darius banged his head on a nook as the tunnel abruptly twisted to the right.
"Ignore him, he's clearly too dumb to fit in here." Nico chortled.
"Seeing him in the Demonology class gave me a much sharper impression. How disappointing." Kami Chitoge shook her head.
"Shut up, who even are you?" Darius retorted.
"Keep moving," Montgomery spoke up, shoving the line again. He was the last in line, and I could already hear his frustrated groans from being stuck behind everyone, having to move at a snail's pace.
I tuned out the rowdy bunch trailing behind me and focused on the surroundings.
Is this Marazan?
No. That didn't make any sense. The Marazan I knew had an open sky; it was a city built upon the sea itself. Akin to an Atlantis that had never sunk.
The corridors stretched into submerged tunnels ahead of us, their walls now fitted with massive glass windows that offered glimpses into the crushing depths of the dark sea beyond. Bioluminescent creatures drifted past like alien ghosts, their ethereal light casting shifting patterns across our faces.
A school of silver fish swirled beyond the glass, their movements creating hypnotic spirals in the blue-black water.
We're—Underwater?
"You're wondering where you are," our guide said without turning around, somehow sensing my confusion. "This is the Awakened Corps Third Squad base, operating beneath Marazan. We police and protect the city from threats most civilians never know exist."
Nico clicked his tongue behind me and sighed, but the rest were impressed the same as I was.
An underwater base was not something I expected. But this isn't quite bad.
The tunnels were cramped, and the corridors zigzagged like an impossible maze. Everything was made of brass, and the valves screeched with plumes of steam that hissed from pipe to pipe.
At least, I think it's not bad.
The tunnel gradually widened into a vast central chamber, its domed ceiling disappearing into shadows above. At the centre stood a man in an immaculate white coat, turned away from us as he spoke in low tones with a cluster of officers dressed in severe black uniforms.
Recognition hit me like lightning.
"Colonel Galahad!" I called out, my voice echoing in the cavernous space.
The man in white turned, and a genuine smile spread across his weathered features. "Noah." His voice carried warmth that seemed to chase away the chamber's chill. "I was hoping you'd be among the teams they sent. Welcome to Marazan."
He gestured for us to approach, and I noticed how the black-coated officers immediately straightened, their casual conversation cutting off mid-sentence.
"Let me introduce you to Marazan's command," Galahad continued, his tone shifting to something more formal. "These four lieutenants control the Third Squad's day-to-day operations."
Four figures stepped forward in sequence, each bearing distinctive brass insignia.
"Lieutenant Zamri," Galahad indicated a stern woman whose grey eyes seemed to catalogue every detail of our appearance. "Lieutenant Kayla," a younger officer with intricate tattoos visible on her neck. "Lieutenant Nomi," whose prosthetic arm gleamed with a familiar brass coating. "And Lieutenant Jamie," a stocky man whose scars spoke of countless battles.
"These four oversee all awakened operations within Marazan's jurisdiction," Col. Galahad explained, then his expression grew serious. "The reason I requested academy cadets is simple: you represent an opportunity we cannot replicate with our standard forces."
Lieutenant Nomi stepped forward, her mechanical fingers flexing with barely audible clicks. "With respect, Colonel, the risk level seems excessive for cadets."
Galahad's smile shifted, taking on an edge that made my stomach tighten. "The risk is precisely why they're needed." His fingers drummed against the table. "Whatever is operating in Marazan has shown remarkable intelligence. It makes itself scarce whenever our full squads patrol, as if it can sense the threat we represent."
The drumming stopped, and silence filled the chamber.
"We cannot patrol every street, every alley, every shadow day and night with our limited personnel, no, we do not have that luxury, lieutenant," he continued. "But cadets? Cadets appear vulnerable. Manageable. They might draw out what we cannot." His gaze swept over us with calculating assessment. "As for risks? Academy cadets must adapt to whatever obstacles they face. After all, it's survival of the fittest—they must learn to take calculated risks, or they'll never be fit for the field. Is that clear?"
Lieutenant Zamri's jaw tightened, but she nodded curtly. "Understood, sir."
Galahad turned his attention back to us, his demeanour shifting like a switch being flipped. "For the past month, people have been disappearing in Marazan. It started small, one or two per week. In a city of fifty thousand, such numbers blend into the background."
His fingers resumed their rhythmic drumming. "But the frequency has escalated to ten disappearances per week."
The sound matched our accelerating heartbeats.
"The timeline coincides with demon incursions at Southern Ridge, Malta, and Keequay. My working theory is that surviving demons have migrated here, seeking easier hunting grounds."
Lieutenant Nomi frowned. "Sir, the distance between Marazan and those cities spans the entire southern annex. If demons had crossed that much territory undetected..."
"Then we have a far larger problem than missing civilians," Galahad finished, his voice carrying deadly certainty. "Which is why we need answers. Quickly."