Cassian, known to TEC as Shade, sat behind his desk at their headquarters, idly fiddling with the two Bands before him.
The first Band was a mere D-Rank. The second Band was a C-Rank one.
Shade considered his predicament: possessing these Bands meant power and potential, but they also represented a burden.
Bands were fascinating artifacts in this world—both common and rare, revered and feared. Those fortunate enough to have a single Band often rose to prominence, making their way to the top of the food chain in all of society.
Cassian had three: the two on his desk and the one strapped around his wrist.
Each Band required not only physical compatibility but also mental adaptation. The transition from one Band's power to another was not often seen, since it required skill and a deep understanding of each Band's unique nuances.
Meaning, just because someone had them didn't mean they could wield them effectively.
Managing multiple Bands was akin to juggling knives; one slip and you could get cut in an instant.
Shade's thoughts turned to the AU and their legion of Bandits. They exploited every advantage their numerical superiority offered, managing a grip over the environment and their volatile opponents: the rebels.
Among those rebels, Libra aptly stood against them.
A soft knock was then heard. Nia pushed the door open. Venn followed closely, looking a little tense. For Venn to be here only meant one thing.
"Shade," Nia began, "we have important intel."
He leaned forward and asked, "What have you got?"
Venn stepped forward and said, "There's a rebel meeting in a few days. I've found out its location." He hesitated a moment until Shade gestured for him to continue. "They specifically want every important head to attend."
Shade was already aware of these meetings, but nobody within AU seemed to get any actionable intel on them.
"Where's it being held?" he inquired, narrowing his gaze.
"Velthoria," Venn replied.
"Interesting, huh?" Nia commented. "That's the same place the Hopeful Enclaves are. Also, getting there undetected could be a little tricky, but I've got a lead on a route."
Venn chimed in, "Nia and I will attend as your Alpha and Beta."
These meetings, from what Shade remembered, were rarely held. He didn't know much about them, but the last time AU tried to infiltrate one some years back, they failed horribly.
They first tried to send a spy, disguised as a rebel, and planted him in a group. That same rebel, although managing to keep his secret safe, was unable to provide any viable lead on these meetings.
That was because they were strictly only told to the very higher-ups within a rebel group. Even if that spy had become the leader, there was very little chance that he would be invited to a meeting.
Perhaps it is because they were selective, or perhaps that leader didn't contribute enough to be recognized as a real rebel. Regardless of that matter, TEC was chosen to attend.
"Have you gathered any intel about who's going to be there?" Shade wondered.
Venn shook his head and answered, "No. The information I received didn't mention it; I only got the information from someone breaching our secure network."
That was a serious ordeal. Someone capable of sending secret messages like that had to have been a Bandit.
"Then we'll just have to be prepared for anything," Shade said in a firm voice. "We leave in two days. Make the necessary arrangements."
Just like that, they nodded and left.
Days passed, and the moment finally arrived.
They took a discreet train to Velthoria. And as they approached their destination, things felt ominous.
There wasn't a single vehicle, flying or otherwise, present for miles.
They arrived at a nondescript building tucked between two larger, more imposing structures. A man in sunglasses awaited them at the entrance with a poised stance that made him look like a mannequin.
"Shade," the man greeted with a wry smile. "We've been expecting you."
'We?' Shade thought to himself.
Nia's eyebrows knitted together in suspicion, and she asked, "How do you know our leader's name?"
Shade shared her curiosity; after all, his identity, let alone his name, hadn't reached the greater public yet. Being a member of TEC, he had gone to great lengths to maintain secrecy so as not to attract the AU.
"I have my sources," the man nonchalantly replied, tapping his temple. Displaying his own Band on his wrist was a clear indication of what those sources were. "You should learn to appreciate the power of connections."
With a nod, Shade stepped inside with Nia and Venn at his heels.
The interior was a bit surreal; as they walked down the dark corridor, he secretly activated his Band to shake off this eerie feeling.
Then he saw a kaleidoscope of colors. The walls seemed to pulse with an almost liquid light, reminiscent of moving wax inside a lava lamp.
He focused his senses and made a mental note to ask Nia and Venn if they could see this as well.
"Can you feel or see what's around?" he quietly asked.
"No," Nia responded, peering around as if expecting someone to jump out. "Why? Do you sense anything strange or something?"
He chose not to answer, first wishing to understand what this was.
It was as if they were walking through a barrier of some sort. Something, likely a Bandit, was masking this entire building. And who knew how far it stretched?
The trio pressed forward, and after a minute, they arrived at a large room shrouded in darkness.
Shade took a seat on a chair that faced a huge board—his only visibility coming from the luminescence behind it. Nia stood resolutely beside him, while Venn stayed slightly on his opposite side, scanning the surroundings.
Suddenly, six other lights shone, revealing boards and silhouetted figures behind each of them. It was as if they were in a circle, sitting on high pillars.
The three couldn't even see the ground. But they could see a panoply of other figures lurking in the darkness.
This meeting was clearly buried beneath layers of subterfuge.
That's when one of the figures behind their board stood up.
"Everyone called has arrived," the figure declared, echoing the surrounding silence. "The meeting will commence."
As the murmurs of agreement faded, another figure rose. Shade focused on her, noticing the slight sway of her frame made her look as if she was a female. There was an edge to her voice that also strengthened that notion.
"I trust everyone here is aware of the recent changes taking place underground," she declared.
All heads shifted toward her, but aside from the shuffling of feet and the rustle of fabric, no one dared to respond.
"New leaders are emerging," she continued, "and with these shifts comes the necessity for new rules that must be acknowledged."
Shade almost hitched at that. The directness of her words was as if she were peeling back the layers of pretense enveloping their gathering.
He exchanged a sidelong glance with Nia and asked, "Why do I get the feeling this is all about me…?"
She leaned closer and whispered, "I've never been to one of these before since Kingston was never invited."
"What do you mean?" he queried.
"He never fit the criteria, I suppose," she continued. "The other rebels likely saw him as a threat rather than an ally."
That made sense since he thrived under many of their scrutiny, and they knew the impasse would require him to bend to their will. He wasn't the type to follow anyone's rules.
But Shade was different. He couldn't help but let that thought linger for a bit.
"I still can't see why we're here, though." Venn interjected. "I mean, it's not like we're that big or anything yet."
The woman who had risen earlier remained unperturbed, watching everyone.
"If anyone wishes to challenge the status quo," she began, "they must be prepared to face the consequences."
As if it wasn't already dangerous to be a Bandit. Being the leader of Bandits was even more unsafe.
They did, after all, have the highest mortality rate among the Bandits. That's why there were so few that could make a name for themselves, let alone be considered veterans, without enough members.
With more than a dozen rebel groups in Ekoris, only seven heads seemed to be here.