Asher's heart raced as Vice Captain Liora approached him, her crimson eyes focused intently on the cracked seal on his chest. Her hand moved to his chest, placing her palm over the seal. For a brief moment, Asher's thoughts drifted, and he couldn't help but admire her. She's hot… he mused, wishing his phone was with him to take a picture. But his attention quickly snapped back as he noticed her eyes widening slightly. She had spotted the damaged seal.
"This… this is a 6-gate seal of the Divine," Liora muttered, her voice betraying a rare note of surprise. "A seal this powerful takes a massive amount of mana to create. How did your power crack something like this?"
Keal, leaning back against the wall, raised an eyebrow as he watched Liora get to work, focusing her mana to carefully repair the cracked seal. Asher felt a strange warmth spread through his body as she worked, the chaotic energy inside him slowly calming. He watched her hands glow with a soft light, wondering what exactly had caused such destruction in him.
After a few moments, Liora stepped back, inspecting her work. "There," she said, slightly winded. "It's fixed for now, but if that happens again, we're going to need to figure out what's really going on inside you."
Keal finally released Asher from the bindings, and Asher stood up, stretching his limbs. Keal eyed him with interest, then asked, "So, kid, what are your plans now?"
Asher glanced at his hands, remembering the fire, the chaos, the power that had surged through him uncontrollably. But even more than that, he remembered his dream. "Growing up, I've always had a dream. It's the reason I joined the academy in the first place," Asher said, his voice gaining strength. "I want to be the Chief Commander."
Keal's face broke into a wide grin as he let out a hearty laugh. "You're a funny one, kid. The Chief Commander, huh? Aim high, I guess."
Asher looked at him, determined. "I'm not joking. For a long time, I've been neglecting myself, pretending that everything was fine. But I'm done with that. I'm ready to take control of my life."
Keal adjusted his glasses, still smiling. "Alright, kid. Tell you what—pass the exam, and we'll talk about your training. Maybe I'll even take you under my wing."
Liora, who had been silently observing their exchange, sighed loudly. "Great… I'm barely managing with one moron, and now another one's joining the squad."
Keal ignored her comment, still focused on Asher. He liked the kid's spirit, but he knew there was a long road ahead. This wasn't going to be easy for him, especially with that kind of power lurking inside.
As the three of them continued to speak, the receptionist appeared at the basement door. "Excuse me, Captain Keal, Vice Captain Liora… There are some people here asking about the two you brought in earlier."
Keal's expression changed instantly, becoming more serious. "Take me to them," he said, motioning for Asher to follow. Liora, however, was already losing interest, clearly ready to return to her room and resume sleeping. She stepped into the elevator, waving lazily as the doors closed.
Keal and Asher made their way to the front desk, where Bran, Mika, and Joshua were waiting anxiously. The moment they saw Asher, relief washed over them, but there was also concern. They all knew something had changed.