Important Author's Note: I made a mistake publishing chapters yesterday, and the order it was uploaded was wrong. It has been fixed as of 19th November 2024, if you have read those chapters before then, please go back to have the story make sense.
Thank you all! please continue reading :)
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The Solaris representative extended his hand, his grip firm and steady. Talon felt the man's strength in that handshake, a wordless statement of respect and confidence.
"You must be Talon Graves," he said, his voice as solid as his grip.
"Yes, sir. Nice to meet you," Talon replied, his voice steady, with a slight smile tugging at his lips.
The man's face softened slightly, though his blue eyes held a cautious spark. "Leon Holt. I'll be your point of contact within the Concord, assuming you decide to join us." He released Talon's hand and adjusted the collar of his dark Solaris uniform.
Leon's presence radiated an easy confidence, a quiet strength that made Talon wonder how his first life might have gone under the Solaris Concord's guidance. Would he have become stronger with their mentorship and resources, especially as a Mythical?
Maybe they would have escaped the chaos of his first life, if it hadn't been for the World Ender.
As Talon mulled over these thoughts, Leon's brow furrowed slightly. "So, the name 'Graves'… Would you happen to be related to..."
"Talon." His mother's voice cut in before Leon could finish. She strode over, her posture regal but her expression a careful mask of pride. She wrapped Talon in a brief hug, though her arms felt more restrictive than warm. "I'm so proud of you," she said, her tone edged with forced warmth.
'She's definitely upset,' Talon thought as she released him.
"Miss Graves," Leon greeted politely, dipping his head in a slight bow. "It's an honor to meet you. I assume Talon is your…"
"My son," she interjected smoothly, a hint of finality in her tone. "He's my son. And the family is very proud of him, a rare, who would have thought. I'll be excited to know all about your power once we get home."
Talon knew her praise was less about him and more about keeping the Graves' image pristine in front of the Solaris. Her attention felt like a weight, a reminder of expectations he was determined to shake off.
Leon, seemingly unaffected, nodded respectfully. "I'm sure they are, Miss Graves."
They stood in silence for a moment, an awkward stillness stretching between them as the next person made their way out of the chamber.
Talon noticed Leon's eyes dart briefly to him, a hint of something unsaid in his gaze. Talon could sense that Leon wanted to speak with him about the Solaris Concord—likely to offer him a position within it. Yet, there was tension in the air, Leon's subtle awareness of the Graves family's influence tempering his approach. But even with his mother's imposing presence, Leon remained confident, standing his ground.
"So, Talon," his mother said, a faint smile playing on her lips. "We'll need to discuss what comes next and the family's expectations."
Talon took a step back, his face set in a calm but determined expression. He looked directly at her. "Thank you… but no."
Her smile faltered, her eyes narrowing slightly. "Excuse me?"
"With respect," he said, keeping his voice steady, "I've already made my decision. I'll be joining the Solaris Concord today and signing a contract with them for resources."
She opened her mouth to respond, but Talon cut her off. "My decision is final, Mother."
A chill settled over her gaze, her smile now entirely gone. Her silence spoke louder than words as she processed his defiance. Without another word, she turned on her heel and walked away, her posture stiff with controlled fury.
The facade of a loving mother had shattered for all to see.
The air seemed to lighten as she left, and Talon released a quiet sigh. Leon watched her go, then looked back to Talon with a nod, respect evident in his gaze.
"Strong words," Leon said, his voice steady, though his expression softened slightly in approval. "Not an easy choice, I'd imagine."
Talon returned Leon's look, a quiet resolve settling within him. "No," he replied, glancing in the direction his mother had gone, but he didn't elaborate.
Leon's gaze held steady, his lips curling into a faint smile. "Good. We could use someone like you. Now, shall we move on to what the Concord can offer and why you should work with us?"
He handed Talon a holopad. As a "rare," Talon knew he'd receive access to superior resources, training, and benefits compared to those with a lower rarity. Joining the Concord also meant that his service would extend beyond the minimum five years, committing him for twenty, a long time, but to Talon, the resources and support were worth it, especially considering his planned path within humanity's forces.
"Everything is outlined here," Leon said, gesturing to the holopad. "You'll also find offers from other factions for comparison. Feel free to take it to that side of the room for a closer look, and come back to me once you've made your decision." He pointed toward where Jason and Kieran stood, each holding their own holopads.
Talon nodded, eager to see what offers and benefits awaited him. "Thanks, sir."
"No problem. Give it some thought," Leon replied before turning back to the awakening chamber, dismissing him.
As Talon moved to join the other newly awakened cadets, he took in the scene around him. The excitement was palpable, electrifying the air. A few cadets exchanged grins, while others were flipping through their holopads with wide-eyed wonder, astounded at just what offers they had gotten.
In the background, a couple of students were practically bouncing on their toes, one even letting out a loud laugh as he nudged his friend, unable to contain his excitement as he moved faster than he had ever done before.
One person even stretched his arms and then jumped a few feet off the ground, testing his newfound strength with an experimental grin. A girl next to him cracked a smile, looking equally thrilled. Though the mood remained as respectful as possible to those who had not gotten awakened yet, there was no hiding the waves of relief and pride emanating from the group.
Talon approached Jason and Kieran. Kieran, still starstruck by his own rare status, turned to Talon with an expression somewhere between awe and disbelief.
"Talon, man, this is insane! We're both in rare ranks! Congrats!" Kieran slapped Talon on the shoulder, and Talon couldn't help but laugh, sharing in their amazement.
Even though they just met, the excitement of the situation and their shared rank brought them close quickly.
"Right back at you, Kieran!" Talon replied, his own grin matching Kieran's.
Then he turned to Jason, his eyes narrowing as he gave him a smug look, ready to ask about his friend's rank. But Jason's smirk was even more smug, as if he'd been waiting for this moment.
Leaning in with a teasing grin, he said, "Oho… Rare? That's cute, man. Really. Be proud of it."
Talon raised an eyebrow, slightly irked by Jason's tone. "Oh really? And what did you get?"
Jason's grin grew even wider as he shook his head, chuckling to himself. "Let's just say… you can't even see Mount Kai from where you're standing…"
Talon blinked, processing the joke, but ended up grinning, rolling his eyes. "Mount Kai? The Titan who is over 10 miles tall? Really?"
Jason laughed, giving Talon a playful shove. "I'm telling you, Talon, I'm on a whole other level here! But hey, I'm hyped for you too, man. Rare is amazing."
Talon chuckled, shaking his head. "So, are you going to tell me, or what?"
Jason threw an arm over his shoulder, pulling him in with exaggerated mystery. "I'll tell you all about it later. Right now, let's focus on these offers, we don't really have all day do we? We're gonna be unstoppable, man!"
I think this is a great addition! The text flows well and feels realistic as an introduction for new Supers weighing their options. The tone is clear and informative, with a slight air of formality fitting for a military or official setting.
"Yeah, yeah," Talon said, shaking off Jason's hold and rolling his eyes, though a smile still tugged at his lips as he turned his attention back to his holopad. His mind raced with possibilities as he skimmed through the offers he'd received, feeling a mixture of excitement and pride for the path ahead.
He opened to the first page, where a brief introduction and explanation awaited him.
Congratulations, new Awakened! This is a quick guide for those who may be unfamiliar with the offers before them.
The contracts you are viewing provide mutual benefits. As a Super, you'll need certain resources to grow stronger, training manuals, specific items for your ascensions, energy absorption techniques, energy crystals, all essential tools for each Awakened to ascend.
Now, there are two main paths available to you:
Option 1: Join a civilization or government and serve within their ranks. This option involves a commitment beyond the minimum service time, but it provides enhanced training, the latest resources, and cutting-edge energy manuals and techniques. This is the path if your goal is to grow stronger, as certain conditions a super needs to meet to ascend, are not provable by any party except the Solaris Concord, or those who work for it and humanity.
Option 2: Accept an offer from another party. This path offers basic manuals and standard support for your power. However, you will be limited to what they provide and have no access beyond the essentials, if you do not put your life on the line for humanity beyond the minimum amount of time, or are not willing, this is the choice for you.
The higher your rank, the more you will be offered to secure your commitment.
Choose wisely.