An hour wasn't nearly enough time to prepare.
The twins seemed unfazed — like they'd done this sort of thing before. Meredith checked over her gear with careful precision while Daniel, the maniac, simply sharpened his blade with a grin like it was all a game.
We reached the eastern lot where a massive military vehicle waited — an armored beast called the Gravehowl. It looked like a fortress on wheels, matte-black plating, broad tires with shock dampeners, leaf springs and a reinforced turret mount up top that hummed softly with resonance.
Standing beside it was a man clad in obsidian leather armor, streaked with faint crimson etching. He held a bizzare weapon of a kunai on a rope that shimmered faintly, pulsing like it was alive. He had the rope coiled on his waist.
He was from the Black Omen clan. You could tell before he even spoke.
"Let me get one thing straight, newbies," the man barked, voice rough as gravel dipped in command. "I am not your babysitter. You can die, and if that makes you nervous, turn around now."
He paced slowly in front of us.
"All we know is a gate opened near Research Site Eleven in another quarantine zone. Your mission is to extract Professor Neil. Mine is classified. Do not interfere."
He stopped, tilting his head just enough to flash the Black Omen crest on his neck.
"My name is Xae. Prime Resonant." His tone turned cold. "Don't think for a second that'll save you."
We all nodded instinctively. "Yes, sir."
Then we climbed aboard the Gravehowl.
The inside buzzed with tension and chatter — mostly excitement from the twins, nervous laughter from the rest of us. Xae, of course, just stared blankly out the window.
Malakai leaned forward, gazing out as ruined cityscape blurred past. He'd never been this far before. Never left the inner zone.
Then the outer walls came into view — tall, brutal things studded with floodlights. Soldiers patrolled in grim lines, their auras faint. Mundane. Just people in armor doing what they could.
"Wow…" Malakai whispered. "I've never been outside the quarantine zone. It's... massive."
"Hey, Kai," Neo chimed, "you know the history of Zone Alpha?"
Malakai blinked. "No. What is there to know?" He smiled, half-curious, half-wary.
Neo adjusted his gloves, looking wistful. "This city used to be called Sydney, way back in 2003. After the Great Breach, they evacuated the survivors and reformed what was left into centralized zones. I was just a kid, so I don't remember much."
He exhaled, eyes narrowing. "It's weird. Like history got stolen. Some people blame Sovereign, but honestly? I doubt it's even capable of communication — if it is listening, though, that's freaky."
"I lived in the slums," Malakai muttered. "Didn't get to learn much history."
Meredith glanced over, her expression soft. "Do you have any family?"
Malakai hesitated, then said quietly, "My parents died when I was seven. I had a little brother. He was four. The GRARC officers took him — said 'the system would care for him.' I left him a notebook… with everything. But I wasn't the best writer. He probably tossed it."
"That's awful," Meredith said, voice low.
"Can you tell Velnix to compress?" Daniel interrupted. "He's barely taking any space but Its not like I'm suffocating in his aura."
Malakai chuckled and nodded. With a thought, Velnix compressed into a small, shadowy orb that hovered just above his shoulder — pulsing softly.
As the truck slowed near the exit gate and Xae moved to hand over documents, conversation turned lighter.
"Aliases," Meredith said. "They're like battle nicknames — given after big moments. They're more than just cool titles."
"I got mine during the Dream Trial," Malakai added. "Forn called it, well half of it. Its Fateless Sloth, actually." He scratched the back of his head, nervous.
"It felt important. Still does. The description is and I quote"
"Fate fears you… but you choose not to act.
You are the pause between consequence and chaos — Fate refuses to include you in fear.
And when you finally move, the world learns why it should have begged you to stay still.'"
Daniel snorted. "That's actually pretty cool. You know… for a sloth."
He leaned back, arms crossed, eyes gleaming.
paused. "Mine's ummm"
He pauses and then looks at Forn while holding out his hand
Everyone looked at him confused
But forn understood and handed him the board.
He grinned whilst he was writing
"Crimson Moon"
"'You are fury without direction.
A call to war when none was made.
A red moon rises behind you, and things older than memory awaken when you scream.'"
Meredith rolled her eyes but couldn't hide the smile curling on her lips. "Of course it would pick an edgy alias," she teased, her voice playful as she leaned against the side of the truck, arms crossed.
She chuckled softly. "Mine's Mercy's Bloom."
There was a pause. Then, softly, like she was reciting a memory rather than explaining a name, she added,
"Over a battlefield soaked in blood… a single flower blooms. And somehow, those still fighting refuse to trample it."
The group went quiet for a second—respectful, maybe even moved.
Forn, who'd been sharpening a strange double-bladed spear in the corner, glanced up and put the spear down and wrote , "Neo, what about yours? Actually, we haven't heard either of your burdens yet—yours or Malakai's."
Neo groaned dramatically and slumped back against the seat, one leg draped lazily over the edge. "Mine changes daily. It's really annoying. Like today's burden? I can't produce blood." He flicked his fingers like he was tossing away a cigarette. "Which, I know, sounds cool until it isn't. This is the third day in a row I've had it. Frustrating as hell."
He exhaled sharply, then turned his head toward Malakai, smirking. "So, Kai… you gonna hold out on us?"
All eyes turned. Malakai shifted uncomfortably. He was seated beside Neo, hunched slightly, his fingers digging into the edge of the bench. The attention made his chest tighten.
He rubbed the back of his neck, eyes darting to the floor. "I'm... I'm sorry," he mumbled, voice barely above a whisper. "I'm not a social person. And, uh... I don't really care much about human life either. So this whole… talking thing? It's weird. I'm used to hiding from people. And trust? That's not really... uh... you know what? Sure."
He inhaled sharply, forcing himself to speak.
"It's… I can't ask for hel—"
The word snagged mid-sentence like a fishhook catching flesh. Pain exploded through his skull. He gasped, eyes going wide as he dropped to his knees, clutching the sides of his head. The air rushed from his lungs like he'd been punched in the gut.
"Woah! Are you okay?" Mattethis shouted—, but was forgotten about. He sighs and continues reading a book.
"You can't ask for… hel—help?" Meredith echoed, her voice tinged with concern.
Malakai gave a small, jerky nod, his face pale.
Silence.
It became clear in that moment—he literally couldn't say it. Couldn't ask for help. Not even speak the phrase without suffering.
Meredith's brow furrowed. She crouched beside him, her tone shifting to something more clinical. "That's actually… very important. Burdens evolve as we do. Yours sounds like the kind that could get much worse over time."
"Yeah... I guess," Malakai murmured, still winded, eyes clouded with something deeper than pain—shame, maybe.
Just then, the back doors of the truck clanked open.
Xae stepped inside, wiping dust from his gloves. "Paperwork's done. We're clear to leave."
He glanced over the group, barely reacting to Malakai still on the ground.
"There are hundreds of Rank 1 Demons and Riftborn scattered along the route. If any of you want target practice, feel free to go wild." He jerked a thumb toward the rear of the transport. "Guns are in the second room at the back. Pick your poison."
-
The truck rumbled down a cracked road flanked by rusted barriers and dried bloodstains older than the newest recruits. Inside, the cohort bounced slightly with every bump.
Forn sat cross-legged near the back, a whiteboard slung around her neck like a badge. She wiped it clean with her sleeve and began scribbling in quick, confident strokes.
"What boons and items did you losers bring?"
She held it up with a crooked grin and raised eyebrow.
Neo chuckled under his breath. "Longsword. Basic strength and endurance boosts. Nothing flashy—just enough to punch through a wall."
Meredith leaned against the side panel, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "Bow and quiver. Boon's telekinesis. Lightweight, controlled. I can flick a needle into someone's skull if I'm bored."
Mattethis opened his mouth, looked around, and stopped. He sighed and slouched. No one asked him anything. And by the time they'd look back, they'd forget he was even there, Neo noticed this and sighed.
Daniel leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "Didn't bring my knives. And my boon?" He smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. "It amps my bloodlust. The more I fight, the less I think. You get the idea."
"That means he thinks the more he fights believe it or not this knucklehead actually uses his brain in combat" Meredith laughed
Everyone turned to Malakai.
He flinched slightly from the sudden attention, scratching his arm.
"Um… I didn't really bring anything. I've got Velnix, so… no weapons. But I've got Residual Step. And Velnix has some abilities that help."
He hesitated, then pulled a black pack from inside his coat.
"Oh—and this."
A glow appears in his hand as he summoned his item and held it up between two fingers. Matte black soft-pack of cigarettes.
"It's my only soul item. Never-ending smokes."
The entire cabin went quiet.
Forn blinked. She flipped her board and wrote fast.
"That's a Class-A infinite cycle relic."
She flipped it again.
"You could trade that for pretty much anything! ."
Meredith gawked. "Those are worth millions, Kai. You just carry it around like a snack? A never ending water bottle sold for 3.8 billion last week "
Malakai looked confused, tilting his head. "R…really?"
"Really," Neo echoed, nodding slowly. "Someone would kill for that."
Meredith and Daniel moved to the window ports, casually taking turns launching practice bolts and flicking knives at metal signs and burned-out husks as the truck roared past the last outpost checkpoint.
Xae had been quiet until now. His voice was soft, but sharp.
"You didn't all go blurting out your aliases and burdens, did you?"
Neo smirked. "Maybe. So what?"
Xae didn't meet his gaze. "It's just… names and burdens are deeper than they seem. You let the wrong person hear one, you're giving away a weapon they didn't earn."
Forn nodded, expression darkening slightly. She scribbled again.
"he's right. Some burdens invite attention. Others invite death."
The truck began to slow.
They were nearing the quarantine zone.
A towering wall rose out of the dust ahead—concrete, metal, and faded banners flapping in dead wind.
No guards.
No drones.
No one on the ramparts.
Neo stood and narrowed his eyes. "That's not normal."
Xae reached for the comm. He tapped the driver, who looked just as unnerved, then pressed the intercom.
"This is Team Bravo requesting entry."
For a few seconds, there was only static.
Then—
A voice crackled through the speaker. Not a human voice. Not even synthetic.
Something ancient.
Wet.
Like a forgotten god whispering from behind thick glass:
"ᚲᛖᛚᛚᛖᚱ ᚨᚾᛞ ᚷᚱᛖᛖᚾ, ᛗᚨᛚᚠ ᚨᛊᚲᛖᛞ."
Everyone froze.
Forn's marker hovered over the board, unmoving.
Daniel stared at the speaker. "...The fuck was that?"
Malakai didn't respond. He didn't have to.
Because in that moment—
as the gates creaked open on rusted hinges,
as black mist rolled across the ground like spilled oil—
they all felt it.
They had just walked into the jaws of something older than war.
They had just stepped through the doors of hell.
"Prepare for combat" Xae commanded.
...
Malakai had a intrusive thought.
We're cooked