Tee sat around the kitchen table, wiping tears from her eyes. No one was around to notice. Her teammates hadn’t woken up yet. She was busy making an album with the photos they’d taken the night before but had paused to look through some of her own.

  Memories of Jack’s burns weren’t what made her tear up inside. It was seeing the angel with curly black hair and glasses, Tetra.

  Tee sensed the moment someone passed under the archway into the room. She quickly wiped her eyes, bit her lip, and leaned over her tablet to look busy—deep in concentration. If anyone asked, she could say she’d been working for hours and that the screen was hurting her eyes.

  Kie was usually the second person to come downstairs in the mornings. He passed her at the center table and poured a cup of the coffee she’d made. Tee wasn’t wearing the yellow dress, but every time he saw her, it reminded him of that day—how she looked like an oversized flower he wanted to pluck and keep for himself. He looked away and focused on drinking his coffee.

  It wasn’t long before the others came downstairs. Both Miko and Zod huddled behind Tee to see her progress.

  Tee activated the hologram so the pictures floated above her tablet in a soft carousel of light. She swiped left to move through them.

  Miko gasped. “Tee, you’re a professional!”

  Zod leaned back from over Tee’s shoulder. “It’s nice.”

  “I agree,” Miko said, taking the tablet for a better look. “Wow, so many people!” she exclaimed.

  Miko had chosen the checkerboard display, and all the photos on Tee’s device appeared at once—which unfortunately meant all her personal ones too.

  “What do you mean so many people?” Tee asked. “It’s only me, Tetra, and some of my friends.”

  “I never had friends before meeting you guys,” Miko said, her eyes sparkling as she stared at the hundreds of tiny photos.

  What was all the commotion about? Saeda left the ham she’d taken out to thaw—along with other breakfast ingredients—on the counter. She grabbed her second cup of coffee and stood behind the three gathered around the hologram.

  “We should start making breakfast,” Miko said with a bright smile.

  Saeda held her mug just below her lips. “Who’s that guy you’re always with? Is that your boyfriend?”

  “He isn’t!” Tee snapped.

  “Who is he then, your cousine—?”

  Kie had already heard enough and didn’t care who the guy was. He remembered they had training soon. “Miko’s right—we should be making breakfast. Training starts at six sharp, and we’re not going to be late.”

  Tee switched off her tablet, and the photos disappeared. “Yeah, we don’t want to be late for training.”

  She couldn’t care less about being early for training—but she had to avoid bringing up Jack. She needed to forget the guy who’d burned her so many times, even though she’d forgiven him for each one.

  After eating, they headed to training together like they did every morning. Zod was glad Saeda was back—everything they did as a group felt right again. Still, he realized he didn’t know much about his teammates, even after almost two months together.

  As he finished wrapping the bandages around his hands, he asked, “Is anyone here not single?”

  The others paused before walking again—slower that time. What kind of question was that, and out of nowhere?

  When no one answered, Zod kept going. “I have a crush back in my district. I wouldn’t call her my friend since I hardly spoke to her.” His voice softened. “I can’t help but wonder if she misses me. With Primus’s strict internet rules, I can’t even message her.”

  The silence that followed prompted his next question. “Why aren’t you guys answering me?”

  “What question?” Tee asked. She turned to Miko. “Did you hear a question?”

  Miko bit her lip. She knew Tee was fishing for an answer that wasn’t the truth.

  Zod shoved his hands into his sweatpants pockets. “How about you, Saeda? Who’s the crush you left behind? With such a nice father as yours, you must have one.”

  “Why must you drag me into this?” Saeda replied in her usual monotone. “Look, I know it’s obvious I’m back, but please—pretend you don’t see me.”

  “Ignore you? That’ll never happen. Besides, I don’t like it when people around me are too quiet.” He looked around at the group. “Makes me feel like they’re plotting something.”

  Saeda sighed. “I’ve never been interested in anyone. Some people are born into this world only to leave it more alone than how they entered. And honestly—being in a romantic relationship sounds like a nightmare. Nothing about it appeals to me.”

  Kie let out a long sigh. “Zod, Saeda is not interested in you.”

  Zod pulled his hands from his pockets and blurted, “What? I—I would never—”

  Tee burst out laughing, the only one who did. Saeda turned her head away, staring at the wall. It was Zod’s fault for starting the conversation in the first place.

  Kie nudged Tee’s arm. “What about you, Tee? Who’s the lucky guy you can’t take your eyes off?”

  Tee looked down at where he’d touched her, then up at him with half-open eyes.

  “Me?” she asked, raising her brows. She faced forward again, her brows drawing together at the sudden thoughts of Jack.

  What was she supposed to say? That she’d told someone she liked him, and he’d done nothing but ignore her feelings? That would make her the joke of the day.

  “I’m with Saeda—I’ve never been in a relationship before and I’m not interested.”

  Those words hit Kie like ice. He hadn’t expected that response—or maybe he hadn’t wanted to. But maybe it wasn’t so bad. That meant she was single—so he still had a chance.

  “You two are weird,” Kie muttered.

  They stepped into the elevator, the doors sliding shut with all five inside.

  “What’s so wrong with wanting to be single?” Saeda asked Kie.

  The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

  “Life’s too big to travel alone—you can get lost and lose yourself. Everyone needs that one person who can slap the sense back into them when that happens.”

  “That sounds like abuse,” Saeda replied flatly.

  Kie stared lost for a moment, as if struck by a dark thought. His voice dropped. “Trust me—you’re not the one to talk about abuse.”

  “Dude, do you have a crush?” Zod asked, leaning against the elevator wall.

  “I do,” Kie said simply.

  No one turned to look at him. Instead, they listened closely, waiting for him to spill the juicy details.

  “And since I’m going to be the god of this planet, I chose her wisely. I need someone like me—someone who can rule at my side. Not some weakling I’ll have to protect all the time. People would just use her to get to me.”

  Tee frowned. Why would anyone want to hurt Mister-Nice-Guy? Unless he wasn’t really nice at all—just pretending, like most MG officials. After all, he wanted to become one.

  “Someone like you?” Zod asked. His eyes shrank as a disturbing thought crossed his mind. “What do you mean by that?”

  Kie sighed. “It means one of the females in this confined space is going to spend the rest of her life with me. Oh—and we’re going to have lots of kids.”

  Jaws dropped, eyes widened. Kie knew it was bold—but it had to come out eventually. Maybe then, things could finally start.

  Saeda blinked three times, stunned by such a bold—and inaccurate—statement. By “three females,” he should’ve said “none.” She didn’t need to read minds to know what the others were thinking.

  Tee couldn’t hold it in any longer. Her lips split into a grin, and she burst out laughing—hard enough to press one hand against the door just to stay standing.

  Zod wanted desperately to believe it was a joke, but something deep down told him it wasn’t.

  Miko stood at Tee's side, away from Kie. Wasting no time, she mustered the strength to try and change her fate.

  She cleared her throat and said, "Kie, we would make a horrible combination."

  When Kie did not look her way, she found the courage to keep talking. The elevator doors opened, and Tee was the first to step through, nearly stumbling in the process from laughter.

  Miko was grateful for Tee’s loud noise—it drew some of Kie’s attention away from her as he glanced down at Tee, holding her stomach from laughing.

  "I like lots of guys, but none of those guys are you. But don't feel bad—they're all top star fashion models, and you could never measure up to their level."

  Tee stopped laughing. Miko clearly hadn’t seen Kie shirtless. He could easily pass for a model. So where was she getting at?

  Miko walked with her chest held high, unaware that all eyes had shifted to her. She got carried away talking about her obsession.

  “Most of the guys I like are superstars—well, if you don’t count the Commander—”

  Gasps filled the space.

  “The Commander?” Tee blurted.

  “—but there’s this one guy who is totally above all,” Miko gasped. “Oh my goodness, I have so many pictures of Caulon on my phone—you need to see them.” She wiped invisible sweat from her forehead, as if she were in heat. “He is so fine. He’s a model I met on a fashion tour with my dad, and he has the face of a goddess.”

  “I think you mean the face of a god,” Zod commented.

  Miko almost missed a step when she realized how keenly Zod was listening. She turned to her side to see all their eyes on her. She pursed her dry lips before adding, with less enthusiasm, “No, Zod, I mean goddess—because that’s how beautiful his face is.”

  Kie had heard enough. He began to walk off, and everyone else followed behind him.

  Miko was so close to stealing the chatterbox award from Zod—but she stopped speaking. She never said another word after Kie passed.

  Tee was sure of one thing, Miko valued good looks over everything else in a guy when evaluating her options. Besides the age difference, why else would someone consider their much older trainer a love interest? They hardly knew anything about him. She had a feeling he orchestrated that plane crash that should have killed them—and also cut Miko’s nails.

  The Commander had a clean face and was fit enough to be a model. Kie, even if his scars were fading, wasn’t going to make it on Miko’s list. The fact that Miko hadn’t mentioned anything about personality was even worse. She was the type of person who could end up in a toxic relationship.

  Tee remembered her non-romantic relationship with Jack. She wasn’t one to judge anyone. Yet why was she still obsessed with him even after he had made it clear, countless times, that whatever he felt for her was over? She had been nothing more than an opportunity for him—just someone to get laid. It had to be something about first love. She hated Zod for reminding her.

  The Commander appeared with his usual serious look. “Morning, cadets. Based on feedback I’ve received from your team leader, I will begin shifting your training away from what you’re used to.”

  Zod had a feeling it had to do with Kie’s mission brief—how he had sparked his guardian powers not once, but twice. Ultramana blasts from his palm and eye. Plus, Kie had saved his own skin with an impressive display of similar power. And Miko… she was the one who freed Saeda with her might. Zod realized she wasn’t just a pretty face who could cook.

  “Your unique abilities require individualized and specialized attention. But until then, enjoy training with each other.”

  Training eventually ended, and the five teenagers sat on the couches watching the credits roll for the movie they had just finished. All of them still had their mouths agape after the main character killed himself to be with his dead girlfriend, who was secretly a Xeno-victim.

  “What madness,” Zod gasped, turning off the telegram emitter.

  “Well, it’s getting late,” Kie said, standing and heading for the door.

  Zod followed, swaying slightly as he trailed toward the archway. “See you ladies tomorrow.”

  Tee and Miko followed, but stopped when they noticed Saeda still seated.

  “Saeda?” Miko asked.

  “I can’t stay in the dark. It reminds me of…” She couldn’t finish. Tears streamed down her face, and her lips trembled. “I’ll sleep here for the night. If someone can stay with me, that would be nice.”

  Miko gasped. “How about we both stay here for the night?” She dashed to her room and returned with a blanket in one minute.

  The girls took the three couches for themselves. Soon, they were all comfortable.

  “Good night,” Tee said.

  “Night,” Miko replied. “Sleep well, guys. See you in the morning.” She chuckled, never having had a sleepover before.

  Tee preferred her own room, but she was doing Saeda a favor, she told herself—a favor she might repay one day. Besides, having people who liked you was important. The person you helped could be the one to jump-start your dead car on the highway, minutes before global curfew.

  Tee lay on the couch, lifting her hands—but she didn’t get to clap to turn off the lights.

  “The light stays on,” said Saeda from another couch.

  “But I’m right here. It’s not like you can sleep with your eyes open all night—you’ll have to close them and face the darkness.”

  “The light stays on!” Saeda snapped.

  They both flinched at her bark.

  Tee turned her back to Saeda and buried her face in the couch to block the light. The longer she stayed at Primus, the more likely she was to become a nineteen-year-old afraid of the dark.

  Long after, Kie turned off the lights in the training room after spending overtime alone. He had sparked something during his last mission against the Harbingers. Though it wasn’t eye or hand blasts like Zod’s, it was lethal. He planned to push himself to the limit to master it. He was serious about becoming a god. All who had left him behind were going to pay.

  The morning sun had yet to rise above the ocean when a red vortex widened above the sand. The first being that stepped through turned its back toward the growing light, surveying houses filled with screams that had yet to shatter the silence. The second being flew into the air, soaring over rooftops to look down at the empty streets.

  Many of Legion’s dark souls had been destroyed by the red-eyed mortal. He no longer had nine million—and nine was his lucky number. It had been years since he last fed, and he intended to do so to care for his precious minions.

  He lifted his hands, and darkness erupted from every inch of black on his body, blocking the beams of the rising sun. The silence was replaced with loud shrieks, followed by blood-curdling screams.

  “Hey guys, check this out,” Zod said, flipping his laptop screen.

  “We’re not interested in your nerdy videos,” Tee said, sipping her coffee. She had hardly slept and her eyes ached.

  Saeda, Miko, and Kie watched a news broadcast showing an aerial view of a wide-scale energy orb created with Priman tech. Through it, they saw parts of a neighborhood completely devoid of life for miles. Everything looked trashed, as if after an extreme party.

  The reporter explained that a scientist in the area had unleashed flesh-eating pathogens, causing the horrific scene they were witnessing. Only skeletal remains of what had once lived remained.