Tau slouched against the wall, still processing everything Cove had told him earlier about the Kai Workers and the Karoriens. Before he could think too deeply, Cove leaned forward, studying him with a casual grin.
"So," Cove began, "how old are you, kid?"
"Twenty-one," Tau replied, straightening up. "You?"
"Twenty-nine," Cove said, puffing out his chest with pride. "Still young, still kicking. Anyway, why'd you decide to join us? Not a lot of folks signing up these days."
Tau paused for a moment, carefully choosing his words. "I... I didn't want to feel useless anymore," he said, his voice steady and proud.
Cove blinked, a little taken aback by the seriousness in Tau's tone. "That's kind of interesting, I guess," he said, scratching the back of his head. Then, without missing a beat, he added, "Wanna know why I joined the Kai Workers?"
"Not really," Tau said flatly.
Cove ignored him. "Well, I joined because they have free gym memberships!"
Tau stared at him, his expression blank. "You're kidding."
"Nope!" Cove grinned, flexing his arms. "Gotta stay in shape to fight Karoriens, right?"
Tau sighed, utterly disappointed. "Right..."
Before the awkward silence could stretch too long, the door to the room burst open. Tau turned his head and immediately noticed the three figures entering.
The first was a strikingly handsome man with golden hair and golden eyes that seemed to shimmer in the light. He wore expensive clothes that looked completely out of place in the sterile room. The second was a woman with a katana strapped to her back. Her white hair cascaded down her shoulders, and her sharp red eyes gave her a dangerous, menacing aura. The last figure was the most surprising—a short man, barely tall enough to reach Tau's waist, with black hair and piercing black eyes.
Cove lit up as soon as he saw them. "Oh! You guys made it!" He ran up to them with open arms, then turned back to Tau. "Tau, meet your new teammates. This golden boy here is Averil Jan, 27 years old. The lady with the sword is Aisly Chun, 22. And this little guy right here is Aera Jin, 33."
Tau's jaw dropped. "Wait... the short guy is the oldest?"
Aera's face flushed red. "DON'T CALL ME LITTLE, YOU IDIOT! I'M OLDER THAN YOU!"
Tau raised his hands in apology. "Sorry, sorry!"
Aisly stepped forward, her sharp gaze fixed on Tau. "So, you're the new recruit?"
Tau quickly stood up straight. "Yes, ma'am."
Averil smiled charmingly, his golden eyes twinkling. "What's your ability?"
Tau hesitated for a moment, then said, "It's called Distance."
"Distance?" Averil asked, tilting his head.
"I can control the distance between myself and other objects or people," Tau explained. "For example, if someone is 10 meters away, I can make it 3 meters—or even more if I get better at it."
Aera snorted. "So it's basically teleportation but worse?"
Tau bristled at the comment but kept his cool. "Not at all," he replied. "Teleportation means you disappear and reappear in a different place. My ability doesn't move me; it changes the space between me and something else."
Averil nodded thoughtfully. "So you're kind of stretching the entire world, huh?"
Tau blinked. "I guess you could put it that way."
Aisly's gaze sharpened even more. "Show us."
Tau hesitated. "Don't get your hopes up. I'm still not very good at controlling it."
Aisly stepped forward. "I'll be the target," she said confidently, standing about three meters away from Tau.
Tau swallowed hard, focused, and raised his hand. He lowered his head slightly, opened his hand, then closed it.
In an instant, the distance between them shrank to just seven inches. Aisly's chest pressed against Tau's, and both of them turned bright red.
Aisly quickly stepped back and slapped Tau across the face. "Watch where you're aiming, idiot!"
Cove burst out laughing. "So your type is the scary ones, huh, Tau?"
Aisly shot Cove a death glare, and he immediately stopped laughing, raising his hands in surrender.
Aera smirked. "Your ability's perfect for long-range attackers. You'll make a great support member."
Tau frowned slightly. He had hoped to be a strong, frontline fighter, but he nodded. "I'll do my best."
The room grew quiet for a moment until the door opened again. It was Hail, the woman who had interviewed Tau. She looked serious.
"You all have a mission," she said. "A Grade 3 Karorien has been spotted near the Fuja Hazu Forest. You're needed there immediately."
Cove groaned. "Can't you send someone else? We were just about to have a welcome party!"
Hail raised an eyebrow. "There's no one else available. All the other parties from the 7th building have already been dispatched. You're the only team left."
Averil sighed, then gave Hail a reassuring smile. "We'll handle it."
Hail nodded. "Be careful."
As she left, the group exchanged glances. Cove grinned. "Well, looks like your first mission's coming sooner than expected, Tau."
Tau clenched his fists, a mix of excitement and nervousness coursing through him. "I'm ready."
"Let's hope so," Aisly said, her tone serious as she tightened the strap of her katana.
Averil placed a hand on Tau's shoulder. "Stick close to us, and you'll be fine."
Aera rolled his eyes. "Just don't get in my way, newbie."
With that, the team headed out, ready to face whatever awaited them in the Fuja Hazu Forest.