The training room was filled with the sounds of grunts, shuffling feet, and the occasional thud as rebels sparred on the mats. Kaius felt a knot of anxiety form in his stomach. He'd never been the most athletic, and the idea of training in front of so many people wasn't exactly appealing.
Ella, noticing his hesitation, nudged him with a smirk.
"What's the matter? You afraid of a little workout?"
Kaius shook his head, forcing a nervous chuckle.
"No, just… trying to mentally prepare."
Ella's grin widened. "Well, no time for mental preparation. You're going straight to the ring."
Before Kaius could protest, Ella grabbed his arm and dragged him over to a large ring where two rebels had just finished sparring. The mat was stained with sweat, and the air was thick with the smell of exertion.
"Alright, tough guy," Ella said, patting him on the back.
"Let's see what you've got."
Kaius blinked, suddenly realizing what was happening.
"Wait, what? I thought we were starting with push-ups or something…"
Ella laughed, stepping back as one of the rebels, a tall, muscular man with a shaved head, entered the ring.
"Nah, we'll save the push-ups for later. You're going straight into the deep end."
Kaius felt a wave of panic wash over him as the rebel cracked his knuckles, his muscles rippling under his skin. This is not going to end well.
The fight was over in seconds.
Kaius barely had time to put his hands up before the rebel launched at him, delivering a flurry of punches that sent him sprawling to the mat. The crowd around the ring erupted into laughter, but it wasn't mean-spirited. Even Ella was doubled over, holding her stomach as she laughed.
"Well, that went about as well as I expected," she said between giggles.
"I gotta say, you've got a real talent for falling."
Kaius groaned, lying flat on the mat, his entire body aching.
"I think I'm dying."
Ella wiped a tear from her eye, still grinning.
"Come on, you've survived worse. Up you get."
With a painful grunt, Kaius pushed himself off the mat, shaking his head. The rebel he had fought offered him a hand, pulling him to his feet with a good-natured grin.
"Not bad for a first round," the man said, clapping him on the shoulder.
"You'll get the hang of it."
Kaius sighed.
"Sure. If I don't get knocked out first."
Ella, still chuckling, pulled him aside.
"Alright, now that we've got that out of the way, let's work on some basics. Push-ups, sit-ups—you know, stuff that won't get you punched in the face."
After some grueling push-ups and exercises, Kaius sat on the edge of the ring, catching his breath. His muscles ached from the exertion, but it was a good kind of ache—the kind that came from pushing himself. Ella stood nearby, her arms crossed, watching him with a satisfied smirk.
"You did alright for someone who looked like they were going to pass out a minute ago," she teased.
"Next time, though, maybe duck a little faster."
Kaius chuckled, wiping sweat from his forehead.
"I'll keep that in mind."
Just as he was about to say more, the door to the training room opened, and Sura stepped inside. Her usual serious expression was present, but there was something different—an urgency in her eyes.
"Kaius," Sura called, motioning for him to come over.
Ella raised an eyebrow, glancing at Kaius.
"Looks like the boss needs you. Better not keep her waiting."
Kaius nodded, getting to his feet and following Sura to a quieter corner of the room. She glanced around, making sure they were alone before speaking.
"I have news about the chip," Sura said, her voice low.
Kaius felt a jolt of anticipation.
"What did you find?"
Sura folded her arms, her eyes sharp.
"We've managed to crack a portion of the encryption, but there's a problem. Whoever encrypted that chip is watching us. Every time we try to make more progress, an external breach occurs. We've had to shut down the system several times to prevent them from accessing our data."
Kaius frowned, his mind racing.
"So someone else is trying to crack it too?"
Sura nodded.
"Exactly. We don't know who yet, but it's clear they have resources. This is bigger than we thought."
Kaius clenched his fists, his frustration growing. He had found that chip thinking it might be some random piece of tech, but now it was clear that it was tied to something much larger. Something dangerous.
Sura glanced at him, her expression softening slightly.
"We need your help, Kaius. Your knowledge of the chip might be the key to unlocking it. Can you assist us in cracking the rest of the code?"
Kaius hesitated for a moment, feeling the weight of her words. He wasn't sure if he was ready for this—ready to dive deeper into whatever mess the chip was connected to. But at the same time, he knew he couldn't just walk away from it.
"I'll do what I can," he said, his voice steady.
Sura gave him a small nod of approval.
"Good. We'll get you set up with the tools you need. Just… be careful. Whoever's watching us won't hesitate to strike if they feel threatened."
Kaius swallowed hard, nodding.
"I understand."
Later that evening, Kaius found himself sitting alone in a small room near the back of the base. His muscles were sore from the training, but his mind was far from tired. He stared at the walls, lost in thought, his fingers tracing over the equations he had been working on earlier.
"Dad," he muttered under his breath, glancing toward the corner of the room where Gareth sat, watching him with a faint smile.
"You did good today, son," Gareth said, his voice soft but full of pride.
"You're getting stronger."
Kaius nodded, feeling a strange warmth spread through his chest.
"I hope so. I don't want to let you down."
"You won't," Gareth assured him.
"Just keep pushing. You'll get there."
Kaius smiled faintly, leaning back against the wall.
"Thanks, Dad."
But as he sat there, talking to his father, something shifted in the air. A faint sensation prickled the back of his neck, and for a brief moment, he thought he saw something out of the corner of his eye—movement.
He glanced toward the door and spotted a shadow just outside the frame. His eyes narrowed, and then he realized… it was Ella, standing in the hallway, peeking into the room. She had been listening the entire time.
Kaius blinked, unsure of how long she had been standing there. When their eyes met, Ella gave him a strange look—part confusion, part concern—but she didn't say anything. She simply turned and walked away.
The next day, Kaius's routine continued. But something felt off. As he went through the motions of training, his vision started to blur. The strings—those same red, purple, and grey strings—began to appear again. He tried to ignore them, focusing on the task at hand, but the strings grew brighter, more insistent.
One string in particular, a faint red one, tugged at the corner of his vision. It led toward the exit of the tunnel—the same tunnel that Sura had warned him about before. His heart pounded, a sense of dread creeping up his spine.
What's waiting for me out there? he thought, his mind racing as the strings pulsed and flickered, beckoning him toward the unknown.
4 months later..