Noah woke to the sound of faint chatter and the smell of coffee wafting through the air. His entire body ached from the previous night's battle, but the stiffness in his limbs was nothing compared to the vivid memories of the fight in the Rift Node chamber. He sat up on the worn cot, wincing as his back protested.
The small room was plain but functional, with gray walls, a metal table, and a single window that let in weak sunlight. Alice was across the room, leaning casually against the table, a steaming cup of coffee in hand. She raised an eyebrow when she saw him stirring.
"Morning, rookie," she said, her tone teasing. "Thought you might sleep all day after your heroic antics last night."
Noah groaned. "If by 'heroic' you mean 'barely survived,' then sure. Let's go with that."
Alice smirked. "Hey, you did good. Most newbies don't even make it past their first Aberration, let alone take down a Rift Node."
Her words warmed him, though he tried to hide it. "So… what now? Are there more Rift Nodes to deal with, or can I actually rest for once?"
"Rest?" Alice snorted. "Not quite. The Rift Node wasn't the only problem—it was a symptom. If something's powerful enough to punch a hole in reality and set up a gateway, we're going to need more than just the two of us to handle it."
Noah frowned. "So, what does that mean?"
"It means we're meeting with a team," Alice said, draining the last of her coffee. "Other Grindstone Hosts. Specialists."
Noah blinked. "Wait, there are more of us?"
Alice set the mug down and gestured for him to follow. "Plenty. Some good, some… not so good. Come on. It's time you met the others."
The meeting room was larger than Noah expected, with a high ceiling and walls covered in maps, monitors, and glowing diagrams that pulsed faintly. At the center of the room was a circular table surrounded by people—four, to be exact.
Each of them was different, their appearances and auras reflecting their unique strengths.
The first was a burly man with broad shoulders and a deep scar running across his jaw. He leaned back in his chair, arms crossed, radiating an air of quiet confidence.
Next to him was a wiry woman with sharp eyes and dark hair pulled into a tight braid. Her fingers drummed impatiently on the table, and a faint glow pulsed from the high-tech gloves she wore.
Across from her sat a lanky guy with messy blond hair and an easygoing grin. He was twirling a small throwing knife between his fingers with practiced ease.
Finally, there was a young girl—barely older than a teenager—with a shy demeanor and a glowing book floating in front of her. Her eyes darted nervously around the room, avoiding direct contact with anyone.
Alice clapped Noah on the shoulder, pushing him forward. "Everyone, meet Noah Greene. Our newest recruit."
Noah felt the weight of their gazes on him. He raised a hand awkwardly. "Uh… hi."
The scarred man was the first to speak. "Newbie, huh? Looks like you survived your first fight. That's more than most can say."
"That's Dante," Alice said. "Heavy hitter. He's as strong as he looks."
"Flattery will get you nowhere," Dante said with a smirk.
Alice gestured to the woman with the gloves. "That's Mira. Tech specialist. Don't let her attitude scare you."
Mira rolled her eyes. "Let me guess—another clueless rookie who stumbled into a Grindstone. Great."
Noah bristled, but Alice cut in before he could respond. "Relax, Mira. He's tougher than he looks."
The guy with the throwing knife grinned. "I'm Ezra. Don't mind Mira—she's grumpy with everyone."
Mira shot him a glare, but he just winked at her.
Alice nodded toward the girl with the book. "And that's Lila. She's our magic expert."
Lila peeked over the edge of her glowing book, her voice barely above a whisper. "Hi."
Noah gave her a small smile. "Hi."
Dante leaned forward, his expression serious. "Alright, now that introductions are out of the way, let's get to business. Alice, what did you find?"
Alice crossed her arms. "We took out a Rift Node last night—pretty deep in the lower levels. That alone would've been bad enough, but the Aberrations guarding it weren't normal. They were stronger. Smarter."
"That's not good," Mira said, frowning.
"It gets worse," Alice continued. "The Node wasn't just some random gateway. It was part of a network."
Dante's expression darkened. "A network? You're saying there are more of these things out there?"
Alice nodded. "Exactly. And whoever—or whatever—is behind them is getting bolder."
Ezra whistled. "Sounds like we've got our work cut out for us."
"Wait," Noah said, holding up a hand. "What does this mean for me? I'm still figuring out how to swing a baton without falling on my face. You expect me to take on a network of Rift Nodes?"
"Relax, rookie," Dante said. "We're not throwing you to the wolves. You'll train with us, learn the ropes. By the time we go after the next Node, you'll be ready."
"Maybe," Mira muttered. "If he doesn't get himself killed first."
Alice shot her a warning look before turning back to Noah. "Don't let her get to you. You've got potential, Noah. The Grindstone wouldn't have chosen you otherwise."
Noah swallowed hard. Potential was one thing, but the thought of facing more Aberrations made his stomach churn. Still, he couldn't back down now—not when he'd come this far.
"Alright," he said, trying to sound more confident than he felt. "What's the plan?"
The meeting ended with a rough outline: reconnaissance, training, and preparing for the next strike. Noah found himself back in the training room, staring at a set of targets lined up against the wall.
Ezra stood next to him, tossing a knife lazily from hand to hand. "So, rookie, how good are you with throwing weapons?"
Noah blinked. "Uh… I've never tried."
Ezra grinned. "Perfect. Let's fix that."
By the end of the session, Noah's arms were sore, his aim was still terrible, and he'd managed to stick exactly two knives into the target. But for the first time in a long time, he felt like he was moving forward—like he was part of something bigger.
And as he lay in bed that night, the Grindstone pulsing faintly in his pocket, he couldn't help but wonder what challenges tomorrow would bring.
End of Chapter 12.