Chapter Two: The Strange Man

  Their breaths caught in their throats as a man came into view.

  Pale-skinned and clad in a dark blazer with the top of his shirt undone, the tall stranger stood motionless. His dark hair was swept back, and his gaze so piercing it felt as if the temperature plummeted. A slow smile curved his lips.

  “And what do we have here? Children?” he said, his voice laced with a sympathetic sweetness.

  Odette’s hands trembled. “Wh-Who are you?”

  “Who, me?” he countered playfully.

  “Don’t play dumb! Who the hell are you?!” Nikolai scowled, his face contorting with suspicion.

  “Easy there, boy. No need to get fussy,” the man replied calmly. “The name’s Elias J. Anwir.”

  “Anwir? Why are you out here?” Nikolai shot back, his hands balling into fists at his sides.

  “Relax. I was curious,” Elias shrugged.

  “Well, uh…” Nikolai stammered, momentarily disarmed by the man's nonchalance.

  “Exactly!” Elias said, clinching the moment.

  Odette placed a steady hand on Nikolai’s shoulder and met Elias’s gaze. “Mr. Elias, what my friend meant to ask was…why you approached us, sir?” Her voice remained steady, despite the tremor in her fingers.

  “Well, my dear, it isn’t every day you find children emerging from a cave that’s been derelict for ages,” Elias replied. He glanced down.

  “And in…what are those? I haven’t seen those before, and those uniforms…” His gaze drifted over their matching white outfits. “My dear, are you from the high-N facility?”

  Odette’s heart skipped a beat. The High-N sector was notorious—ranked far above the lower facilities and considered impossible to escape.

  Julian stiffened. H-how did he know that?! he thought. Cold sweat beaded on his brow. He tried to speak, but his throat felt constricted.

  As if reading his thoughts, Nikolai barked. “How the hell do you know that, Anwir?!”

  It was impossible for Elias to have guessed that, wasn’t it?

  Elias opened his mouth to answer, but the rhythmic thump—thump—thump of approaching footsteps cut him off.

  His expression hardened instantly.

  Without a word, he pressed the children against the jagged cavern wall, shielding them with his own body. Nikolai prepared to protest—until he saw them.

  Men of metal emerged from the cave mouth. The sound of their titanium feet struck the ground with heavy, rhythmic clinks. Their polished steel chassis shimmered beneath the silver moonlight.

  Their glowing optics locked onto Elias.

  He didn’t hesitate.

  His hand flew to the dark hilt at his hip. with a sharp click, a holographic blade hissed to life. His eyes narrowed with lethal focus. The blade tore through the first machine with ease, the rest followed just as quickly.

  Their optics flickered and died. Cold, dark oil splattered across the grass and streaked Elias’s cheek. He didn’t flinch. A dark glint shone in his eyes as he exhaled a slow, controlled breath.

  The children stood paralyzed.

  Elias turned back to them, the holographic blade vanishing. “You ran from these, didn’t you?”

  They nodded in silence. A heavy quiet followed, broken only by the distant of chirping crickets.

  “Mr. Elias, that was…” Julian finally found his voice, swallowing hard. “That was marvelous. I’ve never seen swordsmanship like that.”

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  Does this idiot want to get us killed?! Nikolai thought, side-eyeing Julian.

  “Why, thank you…Boy Number Two,” Elias replied.

  “Julian! Julian Gray!”

  “Julian, huh? A fine name,” Elias praised.

  “Thank you, Mr. Elias!”

  A smile touched Elias’s lips, but his eyes remained cold.

  “Yeah, marvelous,” Nikolai muttered. “Now tell us why you saved us.” “Must I have a reason to protect the innocent?” Elias asked.

  “Don’t give me that crap. I can tell you’re hiding something. Spill it, Anwir.” Nikolai snapped.

  The Lumicrone hovered near Elias face, scanning him with a curious hum.

  “Are you from the military, Mr. Elias?” Lumi asked.

  “Was I that obvious?” Elias smirked.

  “Your precision gave it away,” Lumi remarked.

  “Are we seriously ignoring how dangerous this man is?!” Nikolai hissed.

  “Don’t you think you’re overthinking it, Nikolai?” Odette said softly.

  Nikolai opened his mouth, but Elias spoke over him. “Listen to your friend, Nikolai. I mean no harm. I am merely here to offer protection.”

  Nikolai grumbled, but remained silent.

  “Though,” Elias continued. “You children don’t exactly have a destination, do you? Considering how you’ve just fled from a high facility.”

  “That’s…correct, sir. We have nowhere to go,” Odette admitted.

  “Well, let’s rectify that, shall we?” A smirk spread across Elias’s face.

  “How would you like to stay in my facility?”

  “W-wait, really?” Julian’s eyes widened.

  “Yes, Julian. However, there is one condition,” Elias added, his grin turning predatory.

  “And what is it?”

  “You children must train to join the military,” Elias announced. A hint of a challenge entering his voice, a sly gleam reflecting in his cold eyes.

  The weight of the word “military” settled heavily in Odette’s chest. She hesitated, her brow furrowing.

  “We’ll do it!” Julian announced.

  Nikolai’s eyes snapped toward Julian, his jaw dropping with shock. I’m dealing with a complete idiot.

  “Great,” Elias replied. The silver Omni-link on his wrist buzzed. “Hold on. I need to accept this transmission; I’ll only be a moment.” He stepped away.

  “Are you insane, Julian?” Nikolai snarled the moment Elias was out of earshot.

  “Last I checked I was the ‘wise inventor’, so no, I’m not,” Julian shot back.

  “Who agrees to a life sentence like that?!”

  “Me!” Julian grinned, pointing at himself.

  Nikolai’s glare intensified. He couldn’t understand how Julian could be so reckless. They had just met this man, yet Julian was treating a life-or-death gamble like a game.

  “Don’t you notice how da—“

  The smooth cadence of Elias’s voice interrupted him as he returned. “Just the captain. Nothing to worry about.” Elias reassured them. “Is everyone ready?”

  “We are!” Julian beamed.

  Nikolai grumbled, his eyes fixed on the back of Elias’s blazer.

  Odette gave a solemn nod. “Lead the way, sir.”

  Elias swiped a finger over his Omni-link, projecting a holographic map. With a quick tap, he began leading the way toward the horizon.

  ***

  The facility loomed in the darkness, surrounded by a vast white field. Above, the Astro-hydro jellyfish glided through the atmosphere, their radiant bodies illuminating the sky and bathing the world in a bioluminescent blue glow.

  “It looks like a blue moon tonight,” Elias remarked, gazing upward.

  “The jellyfish seem joyous,” Julian replied, a bright smile lighting up his face. “I wonder what’s making them so lively.”

  Elias swiped his Omni-link against the scanner on the massive, dark gate. It swung open with a soft, metallic creak. A smile crossed his face—one that failed to reach his eyes.

  The gate shut behind them.

  Locked.