The enclave bustled with the usual noise of sharpening weapons and hasty whispers, but today, there was an undercurrent of something new, tension.
Tobi stood near one of the glowing blue stones embedded in the enclave's walls, its faint hum comforting against the din.
He clutched a scrap of paper he had found pinned to the notice board, a government announcement that had sparked heated discussions throughout the underground cities.
"Attention citizens: The Council of Unity has declared the surface safe for human reclamation. Radiation levels have stabilized, and Supes are now being recruited to spearhead humanity's return. Those selected will join the Vanguard Initiative, tasked with securing vital resources and restoring our world above. Glory awaits the brave."
Tobi's fingers tightened around the paper as he read it again.
The Council's decree seemed unbelievable, almost absurd. For generations, the surface had been a forbidden wasteland, a death sentence to anyone foolish enough to venture there. Yet now, they claimed it was safe?
Friend's voice broke his reverie. 'Sounds too good to be true, doesn't it?'
"Yeah," Tobi muttered under his breath. "But what if it's not? What if they're right?"
'And what if it's a trap?' Friend's luminous eyes narrowed. 'The government's never been known for its honesty, Tobi.'
Before Tobi could respond, Hiki's voice cut through the noise. "Meeting, now. Everyone."
The enclave's central hall filled quickly, its residents gathering in a rough circle around Hiki, Haisley, and a handful of other leaders. The tension in the room was palpable as murmurs about the announcement rippled through the crowd.
"You've all seen it by now," Hiki began, holding up a copy of the announcement. Her voice carried over the crowd, calm but firm.
"The Council's calling for Supes to retake the surface. They're promising safety, resources, and glory. But what they're not telling us is what's waiting up there."
"They wouldn't lie about the radiation," someone shouted from the back. "Would they?"
"The Council's lied about worse," Haisley interjected, her sharp tone silencing the room.
"But let's assume they're telling the truth about the radiation. That doesn't mean the surface is safe. We've all heard the stories about what's up there—the Hounds, the Stalkers, and whatever else the war left behind."
"Then why even consider it?" Moritaka's voice rang out, his arms crossed. "We've survived down here for generations. Why risk it now?"
"Because we're running out of time," Hiki said, her gaze sweeping the crowd. "The underground's resources are dwindling. The Council knows it, and so do we. If the surface really is safe, we can't afford to ignore it."
The room fell into a heavy silence. Tobi's thoughts raced as he looked at the faces around him.
Everyone had lived their entire lives underground, relying on the stones to light their cities and fuel their survival. The idea of stepping into the unknown world above filled him with equal parts fear and curiosity.
"What about the cultists?" Tobi's voice broke the silence. All eyes turned to him, and he felt his mark throb under their gaze.
"If we go to the surface, what's stopping them from following us? Or worse, getting there first?"
Haisley nodded approvingly. "Good question. The cultists won't stop just because the Council made an announcement. If anything, this gives them more reason to act. The surface is unclaimed territory, and they'll want it just as much as we do."
"So what's the plan?" another voice called out. "Do we join the Vanguard? Fight the cultists underground? What do we do?"
Hiki exchanged a glance with Haisley before speaking. "We split our efforts. Some of us will stay here, fortify our defenses, and keep the cultists in check. But we'll need volunteers to join the Vanguard Initiative, to see what's really happening on the surface."
Moritaka scoffed. "Volunteers? You mean cannon fodder."
"It's a risk," Hiki admitted. "But it's a chance to gain critical information. If the surface is safe, we need to know. And if it's not… we need to be ready for what comes next."
Tobi stood at the edge of the gathering, the words swirling around him like a storm.
The thought of going to the surface was terrifying, but it also stirred something deep within him: hope. A chance to see the sky, to walk in the open air… it was a dream he hadn't dared to entertain.
'You're thinking about it, aren't you?' Friend's voice was amused but tinged with concern.
"Maybe," Tobi admitted. "But not just for me. If the surface really is safe, it could change everything for us."
Friend's tail flicked. 'And if it's not?'
Tobi's hand brushed the mark on his chest. "Then we'll deal with it. Like we always do."
As the meeting broke up, Hiki approached Tobi, her expression unreadable. "You're thinking of going, aren't you?"
Tobi hesitated, then nodded. "Someone has to. If we don't see it for ourselves, we'll never know the truth."
Hiki clapped a hand on his shoulder. "Then be careful. The Council's promises might sound tempting, but they're playing their own game. Keep your wits about you, and don't let them control you."
"I won't," Tobi said, his voice firm. "But I have to do this."
The next day, Tobi stood among a small group of Supes who had volunteered for the Vanguard Initiative.
The decision hadn't come lightly, and the gravity of it was evident in every tense expression around him.
As they assembled near the enclave's reinforced gates, whispers of uncertainty rippled through the crowd.
As he scanned the group, his jaw nearly dropped in shock. Among the volunteers was Morikata, standing apart with his usual quiet intensity.
Morikata caught Tobi's incredulous stare and smirked slightly, hefting his blade onto his shoulder. "What?" he said with a casual shrug.
"Didn't think I'd let you have all the glory, did you?"
Tobi struggled for a moment to find his voice. Of all the people to join, Morikata was the last person he'd expected.
The man wasn't very selfless, but here he was, ready to face the unknown alongside the others.
Still surprised, Tobi walked over to him. "How about Hiki? Aren't you going to stay with her?" he asked, a hint of curiosity and concern in his tone.
Morikata's smirk faded slightly, replaced by a more serious expression. "I don't know. I couldn't find her when I woke up, so I came here," he replied, his words tinged with uncertainty.
Tobi frowned but said nothing. He hadn't expected Morikata to join the expedition, and the mention of Hiki's absence added a layer of unease. Was she avoiding the group, or was there something more to her disappearance?
"Maybe Hiki will meet us in the big city," Morikata added, as if reading Tobi's mind. His tone was casual, but there was a flicker of something deeper in his eyes—a quiet hope or perhaps a sense of resolve.
The surface, a place of mystery and danger was now within reach. For the first time in his life, Tobi would step beyond the underground, into a world that had been lost to humanity for generations.
Friend's voice was quiet but steady. "This is your path now, Tobi. Whatever waits up there, we'll face it together."