The following week after her first mission had been a relentless cycle of menial tasks. Being from Abyss and then working as a janitor for three months, Kiehra was no stranger to hard work—cleaning, scrubbing, keeping herself in the shadows—but now things were different. She wasn't sure what Riona (or maybe even Vela) did, but the whispers and glances she received since last week were heavier, more scrutinizing, like they were all waiting for her to collapse under the pressure of something everyone understood except her. Days stretched into nights, where she lay awake for hours in her flat bed, wondering just what she had to do to shake off the echo of the power she had unleashed in the Field of Fallen Gods.
Kiehra stared out of her camper window and into the streets—dusty alleys full of shifty figures, barely standing buildings and half-functioning machines. The Phantom Sentry headquarters stood tall in the distance, its pristine towers a reminder of where and why she didn't exactly belong. Even before she got this power from merging with Three, she had always been regarded as an outsider.
The gutter girl from Abyss who only managed to see the interior of headquarters because a kind commander and his squad had pity on her. Now that she thought about it, Payday had always been there since her arrival, popping in and out of her routine in a blur of cheerful chaos. The older lady was always offering little nuggets of advice or odd bits of encouragement. It was hard to tell just how much of it Payday meant, but at least she had always been there.
But the heaviness she felt was inescapable. There was no escaping the volatile force swirling inside of her, though she had fortunately gotten some semblance of control over it recently. She could walk and touch things without breaking the ground or shaking the air. Three, who had still been mostly quiet, explained it as her body automatically adjusting itself to suit the power she had been given. That explained how and why she had suddenly got even muscular despite never lifting any weights.
Other than that piece of information however, the spirit was silent. He would occasionally surface at irregular times, murmuring cryptically and giving her the sensation of being watched by another set of eyes, as well as foggy memories that weren't hers. Whatever was wrong with him—why he couldn't or wouldn't remember some things—only made her situation worse. Without his snide and playful advice in her head, she was truly on her own, with no further idea how to handle the power surging beneath her skin.
Worst of all, the clock was ticking. Each day she somehow went without being discovered was a blessing, but she could feel cracks forming. How much longer could she keep up the facade? It was only a matter of time until Vela got her to slip up, and she'd end up exposing herself. How much longer till she was put into a situation where she'd end up snapping, like she had during the spirit capture?
Her answer came in the form of a mission that arrived without warning.
The screen of her Emitter buzzed to life, flashing urgent red. An anomaly had been detected in the gold dust deserts beyond Abyss, otherwise known as the Golden Sea. Spirits had been reported, possibly of Tier-B or higher and the Phantom Sentry needed to investigate immediately. Kiehra's heart raced in anticipation when she saw her name listed among Initiates chosen for the mission. Finally, a mission of high enough risk that would catapult her to LV5 or LV6. She was one of the few LV4s who still hadn't ranked up—courtesy of Vela—but a field exercise like this was bound to elevate her, even if by just a little.
Her Emitter buzzed again. It came from an unknown sender, and the message was far more personal than she'd liked.
Vela is watching. I don't know what you did to him, but don't screw this up.
Kiehra's grip on the device tightened, the screen cracking slightly under the pressure of her fingers. She was mildly concerned about the identity of the sender, but even more bothered by the mention of Vela. She didn't need anyone to remind her, the man had been a constant thorn in her side since the spirit capture, ensuring she was stuck with useless jobs and unable to rank up properly. As if hating her wasn't enough, he was practically begging the gods for a reason to kick her out of the Phantom Sentry, constantly waiting for her to slip up. The fact he was watching the mission instead of interfering directly made her shiver, but it also confirmed that this expedition was completely out of his hands.
So long as she played her cards right, she'd be safe.
---
Kiehra gathered her gear and walked to the briefing room as quickly as she could. Her nerves twisting and turning with each footfall. When she entered, the room was already filled with LV5 and LV6 Initiates. Unlike the people she'd been working with this past week, these applicants were already battle-hardened by repeated missions around Gehenna, each of them clad in combat uniforms and wielding Spectral Harnesses. A few heads turned toward her as she walked in, their eyes carrying varying levels of disdain and curiosity. Kiehra did her best to avoid looking at most of them, but she couldn't escape the gaze of her second biggest hater, Riona.
Riona's dark maroon fur swayed gently as she shifted her weight, her face twisted into a scowl as Kiehra passed. Her sharp claws clicked together in agitation, extending slightly like she was just barely stopping herself from tearing Kiehra apart.
"Oi, look who it is—tha cleanup crew," Riona spat, her voice dripping with mockery and thinly veiled hatred. "Ya here ta mop up the spirits? O' maybe ya plannin' ta cheat ya way through anotha' mission?"
Kiehra's muscles tensed, but she bit back a retort. She couldn't afford to get into any petty fights, not with Vela watching her like a hawk. She walked past Riona, ignoring the taunts, though it took every ounce of restraint she had.
"Nothin' ta say, huh? Not surprisin" Riona muttered as Kiehra took her place with the rest of the squad. "Jus' remember, when tha real fight starts, ya gon' have ta show who ya really are. A fake who doesn't belong with tha rest of us."
Just like before, Riona's words cut deep, but Kiehra stayed quiet. She didn't know whether or not Riona was baiting her, but she couldn't give in, no matter how much she wanted to shove her hand through the girl's chest.
The tension in the room thickened when Rhys E. Spanner entered, the Initiate Supervisor commanding immediate attention. Her cold eyes looked over the group with wordless authority. Speaking wasn't always needed to command respect, and that was made exceedingly clear with Rhys. "This mission isn't like any of the others you've been on. We've detected a rogue one somewhere in the Golden Sea. Tier-B or possibly higher. Those without Spectral Interfaces should wait for me and those who have them to weaken the thing before attempting to capture it with your Spectral Harnesses. Should things go awry, don't hesitate to hit it with everything you've got. Do I make myself clear?"
The room remained silent, only interrupted by a certain someone clacking her claws together repeatedly. Kiehra could sense the nervousness in the rest of them. The Golden Sea was a treacherous region—an infinite desert of gold dust, punctuated by ancient ruins and the remains of past battles. Spirits roamed freely there for some reason, attracted to the strange energy that hung in the dry air. Most theorized that the reason for spirits being attracted to the desert was because the Golden Sea itself was created by a powerful individual with a primordial spirit bond.
Kiehra swallowed the lump forming her throat. This didn't feel like a regular mission at all.
Rhys's eyes stayed on Kiehra for a few seconds more, and Kiehra could feel the familiar weight of suspicion. But the supervisor said nothing, turning her attention to Riona instead. "You're the only Initiate LV6 here Hale, and your file says you already bonded with a strong spirit. I expect precision from you," Rhys said. "Don't disappoint me."
The squad put on their respective gear in silence, the air heavy with anticipation and unspoken tension. Kiehra silently followed their lead, adjusting her Spectral Harness and double-checking her equipment. She was excited to finally go on a field mission, but anxiety still tugged at her. What if she met a powerful spirit? What if she lost control of her power again?
She could only hope the Golden Sea would remain unaltered by her presence.
---
The journey into the desert was dreadfully dull, the convoy moving slowly across the shimmering dunes of gold dust. The Golden Sea stretched out in every direction, an endless expanse of sparkling particles that caught sunlight and reflected it like the surface of a thousand mirrors. Kiehra sat quietly in the back of the transport, putting great distance between herself and everyone else as she stared at the horizon. The rumors were true. The spectral energy in the air here was almost overwhelming for someone with senses as sharp as hers. It was like the entire desert was alive with unseen forces.
The ruins they passed were relics of the past—abandoned outposts, broken machines buried in the sand, and skeletal remains of inexplicable beasts long dead. A considerable amount of Gehenna's history took place in this region before it became what it was today. Battles were fought and lost, power taken and left behind. What could have turned the area into a desert was anyone's guess.
As they approached the coordinates given to them, the restlessness in the convoy rose. The LV5s readied their weapons, Harnesses flickering to life as they scanned the area for signs of the spirit. Kiehra didn't need to activate her weapons to detect it. Something was out there, watching them. She could sense its presence, and while not as overpowering as the spirit she encountered in the Field of Fallen Gods, it still had an oppressive energy that made her hair stand on end.
Suddenly, the ground beneath them shuddered. The sand spiraled unnaturally, twisting upward in a massive whirlwind of gold dust. From within the storm a giant figure began to take shape—a towering spirit, its body made entirely of shifting sand and glowing eyes. It rose from the desert, a living disaster with an overwhelming presence.
The squad and Rhys leapt into action, firing blasts of pure spectral energy from their harnesses, but the attacks barely made a dent in the spirit's form. It was simply too massive, the golden dust that composed most of its body simply reforming after each hit.
Kiehra was unsure how to feel. She'd met a spirit like this before and effortlessly demolished it with a simple backhand. This spirit was far weaker, though strong enough to hold off the entire squad at once. She hung back behind the rest of the Initiates, firing the occasional energy blast at it so she could blend in with the others. Everything was going fine till the spirit turned its full attention to her, its molten eyes locked unto her's. The spirit briefly stopped its attack, as if confused, its gaze lingering on Kiehra longer than it did on the others.
One of the LV5s shouted over the sounds of battle, "Why isn't it going after her? What's it waiting for?"
Riona snarled, pushing forward. "It don't matter! Focus ya dimwit! Take it down before it takes us out!"
Kiehra alone knew the answer to its actions. She could feel it—the spirit wasn't attacking her on purpose. It was…afraid. Afraid of her.
Riona rushed forward, razor sharp claws glowing with molten energy and making the temperature in the area rise. Tartarus, her bonded spirit and a lava elemental, made its presence known in her strikes as she carved into the spirit's body relentlessly, leaving long streaks of molten sand in her wake. The spirit reeled, its sandy armor crumbling in the face of the barrage, but still it refused to fall. The battle raged on for what felt like hours, with Rhys, Riona and the LV5s pouring everything they had into their attacks. Its form began to crack, but it wasn't enough. Kiehra's body trembled, the power inside her seemingly surging in response to being in such close vicinity of the spirit. It threatened to explode out of her, but she reigned herself in.
After a few minutes of fruitless attacking, the spirit let out a deafening roar, its voice shaking the air like the clash of hundreds of thunderstorms at once as it reverberated across the golden stretch of land. Its hulking form burst forward, a swirling behemoth of golden dust and raw fury. Its enormous fist shot towards Kiehra with terrifying speed. It was the spirit capture exam all over again.
For a second, Kiehra's instincts screamed at her to let go—to unleash just a bit of her true power once again. Blow it all away. She could feel it bubbling, waiting, desperate to break free. But she couldn't. She'd come too far to let herself go now. Something inside of Kiehra shifted, and she found her body listening to what she told it to.
Her fist clenched tightly, her knuckles white as she held the brimming power in check. Her entire body vibrated with energy, the air around her arm crackling under the weight of her restrained strength. She stepped forward, her movements a blur as she ducked under the spirits arm and moved to its side. She cocked her arm back and swung her fist with calculated force.
Her punch connected with the spirit's side, the impact resonating through its form like a shockwave. To her amazement, there was no eruption of destructive power—no uncontrollable, environment altering blast. Instead, the surface of its skin splintered, several deep cracks spreading out across its golden body. The spirit staggered, its invincible-looking form now breaking apart. Golden dust leaked from the cracks, and the glow of what looked to be its core flickered weakly beneath the shattered surface, It let out a guttural cry, stumbling forward in pain.
"Just die already!" Riona's voice cut through the chaos, sharp and animalistic.
Without hesitation, Riona launched herself forward at breakneck speeds, her movements feral and predatory. Her claws, shining in the harsh light of the desert sun, extended forward with frightening precision. In one swift, calculated strike, she plunged her claws deep into the spirit's exposed core, before blasting it apart with a concentrated burst of elemental spectral energy.
The spirit let out one final wail, a haunting sound that echoed across the desert as its body began to fall apart. Its massive body disintegrated, dust falling away like chaff in the wind until there was nothing left of it. All that remained was a shimmering mist that slowly settled onto the dunes.
The squad lowered their weapons, each of them giving a sigh of relief. The spirit was gone, and the tension of battle was gone. They had survived.
Kiehra stood frozen, her heart thundering in her chest, her fists still clenched tightly as her power died down inside of her. She couldn't believe it. She had controlled her strength properly for the first time. She half expected Three to come in with a proud remark of some kind, but he was still silent.
Rhys approached her slowly, her expression unreadable as she surveyed the area where the spirit once stood. The two of them stared at each other in silence, Kiehra's heart rate spiking under Rhys's contemplative gaze.
Finally, the Supervisor spoke, her tone firm. "Cracking its armor with a well-placed strike—well done." She paused for a moment, before turning away. "You're promoted to LV5." she added, almost like it was an afterthought.
Kiehra blinked, the words barely registering in her head. The promotion and the words of praise—all of it felt distant, like she was watching it happen to someone else. Was that it?
Before she could respond, Rhys walked away, turning her attention to Riona. "Using Tartarus to fight was a smart move. Taking out the core was impressive."
Riona stood tall, her fur rippling as she straightened, her claws retracting as she gave her superior a curt nod. The rest of the squad turned to her, their expressions filled with respect and admiration.
Kiehra felt a pang of pain in her chest. Even after everything—holding herself back and splitting the spirit's armor wide open so they could succeed—the attention still gravitated towards Riona. The praise and recognition she had been desperate for, it all flowed to her, leaving Kiehra standing in the shadow of her own accomplishment.
They would all be dead if I didn't get picked for this mission. She thought bitterly, her nails biting into her palms.
As the squad began to prepare for the journey back to Phantom Sentry Headquarters, the weight of the battle hung heavy in the air. Kiehra's heart was still racing, but now for an entirely different reason. She had done what she could, held back the storm that raged inside her, but the doubt lingered—was it enough?
---
Back at Phantom Sentry HQ, the mood was far from settled.
Vela sat alone in his dimly lit office, his eyes fixed on the glowing holographic screen in front of him. His sharp gaze scanned the footage from the mission, replaying every moment with cold, calculating precision. There was something about Kiehra—something just beneath the surface, something she was hiding.
His fingers tapped rhythmically against the desk as he narrowed his eyes. Kiehra hadn't done anything extraordinary this time—no massive display of power, no world-altering destruction. But he could sense it. He could see the restraint, the control she was struggling to maintain.
"She's holding back," he muttered to himself, his voice low and dangerous. "But for how long?"
His mind churned with thoughts, possibilities, and plans. If Kiehra wouldn't reveal the truth of what she was capable of, he would force it out of her. He would push her, test her, and send her on missions that would strain the very limits of her control.
And when she finally snapped, when her power erupted, he would be there to expose her for what she truly was.
"I swear," Vela vowed, his voice dripping with malice, "I'll expose her. I'll see her out of the Phantom Sentry if it's the last thing I do."
A dark smile twisted his lips as he leaned back in his chair, already plotting his next move. His plan was in motion, and soon enough, Kiehra would be forced to confront the storm within her.