"Dear citizens of the Boa Country, this is Chaos, the arena gamemaster of the Herculean Tournament. This may have been my very first appearance and I am delighted that it contains some good and assuring news.
The previous Herculean Tournament had been canceled due to… unforeseen circumstances. After that, news about a certain mutiny and rebellion rising from several cities across the country had reached our ears.
I know everyone is deep in fear and anxiety. That is why I am here to give some reassurance. The government had disposed of the mutiny who called themselves the Seditionem Coeptabat.
As proof of the undeniably success of the government, we would be holding a Herculean Tournament for this year. I know, I know, we have canceled the Herculean Tournament for these past years but now we are returning.
And the contestants? They are none other than the rebels of the Seditionem Coeptabat.
Yes, the rebels who want to ruin our country would finally pay for their crimes.
The tournament will be held a month from now so I do hope you would all look forward to it.
Once again, this is Chaos. Boa country's one and only arena gamemaster"
The whole room fell quiet for a few minutes. On the screen, the smiling face of Chaos was seen. Everyone didn't know how to process the news that they had just watched.
Everyone except for Sol, Khel, Helios and Eos who were now seething with anger. They blame Chaos for the downfall of Artemis. They blame him for ruining a perfectly good family. They wanted him dead from the moment they saw that face once again.
"It's a trap"
Maki was the one who broke the silence. The elders who were holding their breaths only smiled at Maki.
"It is. That's what everyone in this room think so"
Eos answered Maki before proceeding to show a map on the screen.
"According to the most recent intelligence report, the next tournament would be held at Cujo Village"
The elders stole glances from each other until it landed on Kay who had her fists clenched tight. Eos, who was aware of her surroundings, carefully chose her next words.
"Kay, we need your insight"
Maia and Damian knew that Kay was formerly from Cujo Village. She had escaped right after the bombing happened. She was a survivor and she had saved atleast a hundred of their villagers. But they knew that she harbored resentment for using her once hometown as an arena.
Kay stood up and put on the holographic 3d view of the cujo village. The old woman swiftly shifted the map.
"Cujo Village is a village surrounded by hills. It is a village located in a middle of the circled hills"
Maia saw that the hills go in a circle and in the middle is the village.
"There are no rivers nearby, no ocean, and this village is isolated from any subways and roads. It's like they picked the perfect coffin for us if we go in mindlessly."
Maki shuddered at the thought of a perfect coffin. If they march in there to save their former comrades, he was sure that they'll rain bombs since the village was isolated already.
"Aside from that Cujo Village is situated between the Capital and the fronthouse. But since the fronthouse had been destroyed, the capital's main weaponry and research facility are sure to be ruins now"
"That would just leave us the capital"
Kay nodded at Arthur's insight. Bors who kept on tapping his index finger on the table looked up and finally spoke.
"They want a public execution and a show of power that no one could reach and defy the capital"
The whole room fell silent at his insight. Sure enough that was the Capital's plan from their point of view.
But, what if it wasn't?
That was what Maki had been thinking.
"That gamemaster, the one called Chaos, did you know him personally, Aunt Eos?"
Maki's question caught everyone off guard. Eos who was standing still felt her legs weaken. She didn't know how to answer Maki nor why he thought of that.
"Chaos was Artemis' boss, the one who urged her to join the Zareal Project. Why did you ask?"
Sol was the one who answered Maki. She knew that if her grandchild asked about it then it might have meant something.
"Just a speculation. If Chaos knew about the project, about us and our siblings. Then he knew what kind of power the seven of us hold. What if he deliberately wants us to go to the capital so he could usurp it?"
The elders and everyone else stared at Maki then to Maia. They thought, if Maia's strength was overwhelming even when it was just her, imagine multiplying that to seven. If the government lay their hands on them, then all hopes of winning this war would drop to 0.
However, the elders had already considered this possibility beforehand. They weren't the leaders just for formality.
"That's why you'll have a separate mission"
Maia and Maki stared at Arthur who was smiling their way.
"Why do you think the three of you weren't picked as commanders of the faction despite having the highest chance?"
Maia never gave it a second thought as she never really cared about positions but it was suspicious to say the least.
"Maki, Maia and Damian, we'll send you out on a search mission. Find your siblings and bring them into the pentagon."
"Wait grandma that's…"
"Sudden?"
Sol cut off Maia's abrupt reaction. She stared at her granddaughter, her white hair was turning more and more into the color of snow. Regardless whether Maia was a mutant now or not, she was still her granddaughter, she could accept that now.
"It's not just for the sake of having more power and advantage at the war Maia. I personally wanted our family to be complete now. I miss your brothers and sisters. I regret not being able to remember them for the longest period of time. But most of all I regret not being able to save them from your mother of all people"
Sol's confession rendered Maia speechless. She didn't know what to feel for her siblings, because she was too young to remember their memories together which makes it hard for her to miss them. But Sol was different and so was Khel, Helios and Eos. They had spent a large amount of time with her siblings.
"I have a brief idea where we would start"
Maki stared at her grandmother before staring at his sister who was now staring at a blank space.
"Yes, Magnus comes first, then everything else would follow."
"It will only be the three of you as this is top class information which cannot be leaked to everyone who is outside of this room"
Sol and Arthur, who were giving instructions, only nodded at each other. This would be enough.
"Then the Polaris faction would start a frontal attack towards the Cujo village"
"But, we would only do so when the certain circumstances are met. For now, we would place surveillance teams around the area."
"Train our armies before that happens"
Maia knew they were in the middle of a strategic meeting but her head was on clouds now.
Sure she wanted to search for her siblings and make sure they are alive but she didn't want to bring them to the pentagon. Maia glanced at Damian to search for his help only to find him staring straight at her.
Damian was the only person that Maia ever told about her dreams. Her dreams about a prophecy that her mother had once recited to her siblings.
The prophecy of how bringing the seven of them together would mean destruction.