Loyalty and Oath

The day had ended. Our team—Luca, Camille, and Selena—had gathered at Camille's house. Magnus was absent once again. And it seemed like he wouldn't be coming back anytime soon. Thanks to the new information Luca had obtained, Magnus was quite preoccupied.

The team sat together, ready to share the information they had gathered and plan their next move. Meanwhile, Camille grabbed an energy drink.

"Does anyone want an energy drink? THEY RELEASED NEW FLAVORS, AND THEY’RE AMAZING!" Camille was incredibly excited and happy. She was grinning so much while drinking that she spilled some in the process.

"Is there nothing else to eat or drink in this house? How many times do I have to warn you not to drink energy drinks on an empty stomach? You’re harming yourself and your beauty, princess!" As always, Luca was worried about Camille’s health. So, he got up and started preparing food.

Even though Camille’s enthusiasm sometimes felt like the whims of a child, in difficult moments, she was the team's source of morale. Selena, on the other hand, was always calm and composed. Sometimes, Camille’s cheerfulness annoyed Selena, but the two balanced each other out. Camille’s energy tried to counteract Selena’s tranquility, and this balance extended to Luca as well. Beyond their roles, they were comrades and friends.

"The new flavor is amazing! You have to try it; even you’ll be impressed," Camille insisted on the energy drink. "But to be serious, Selena and I learned a few things today. There are definitely important things hidden in the depot we’ve been watching. Even if it’s not Chronotoxin, something highly illegal is going on. While we were observing, a truck arrived and emitted a pulse that disabled all our electronic devices. From what we saw, the truck was filled with strange materials. Getting inside will be extremely difficult."

Camille paused for a moment and took a deep breath. Then, Selena continued with a stronger tone. "The guards at the entrance belong to Valen Oryn. He’s a young prodigy. Since birth, his noble family trained him with strict discipline in loyalty and honor, shaping him into the perfect warrior. Right now, he’s a loyal dog of the administration—he obeys without question. Unfortunately, this dog is quite aggressive. Because of his strong moral values, we might be able to bring him to our side, but we’ll have to prove just how corrupt the government is to him."

Luca paused and thought.

And thought.

He thought long and hard. And finally, he said, "Alright, we can handle this. Today, I somehow gained Magnus’s trust. If things continue this way, I’ll become highly valued in his eyes. That means I’ll get access to the Chronotoxin storage. If we can convince Valen Oryn while I’m with Magnus, you two can sneak in and steal the records. Aldric Veil is one of the greatest warriors in history—if Valen Oryn speaks with him, he might be persuaded. Also, we have a voice recording, though it’s not substantial enough on its own."

Camille, Luca, and Selena spent the entire night thinking and planning. They were preparing for war. They also needed a name to address the people, so they called their group The Harbingers. Additionally, Camille was punished for drinking too much energy drink—Luca forced her to eat vegetables.

For the next two weeks, the team followed a strict routine. Luca began working closely with Magnus, making breakthroughs in research. Through this one-on-one work, Magnus had started to trust him.

Meanwhile, Camille and Selena continued surveying the depot twice a week, analyzing possible infiltration methods in case they had to enter covertly.

By the end of the two weeks, Magnus made a decision.

"Son, I think it’s time for you to learn some things. Are you ready? You’re about to receive a significant rank increase, but you’ll have to sacrifice certain important things in your life. If you accept, I will take you to my secret laboratory. However, you cannot take any of your work outside, you won’t be allowed to leave except on specific dates, and while inside, you won’t be able to use devices like phones, computers, or watches—except for what’s required for experiments. If you’re willing to give up these things, you will be part of a great advancement for humanity. A talent like yours only appears once in a lifetime. You and Camille are special in this regard. Unfortunately, my daughter, no matter how determined she is, is far too naïve in these matters." Magnus’s orders and expectations were absolute.

"Thank you for considering me for such a position, sir." Luca played the role of an innocent and enthusiastic young man. "Please give me some time to think. I’m still so young; I haven’t had the chance to experience life. The idea of spending my entire life locked in a lab scares me a little."

"I understand, Luca. You’re young, and in your short life, there are still so many things you wish to experience. Think carefully about your decision. If you’d like, I can show you the lab for a day. But in the meantime, for security reasons, you will be under constant surveillance. So, consider your choice wisely. This is a great responsibility for humanity."

Beneath Magnus’s offer, there was a hidden desire to test Luca’s hesitation. No matter how cautious Luca was, he felt like he had no choice but to accept. There was a silent agreement between them: if Magnus offered this great opportunity, Luca, in return, had to reinforce his loyalty and trust. Yet, Luca sensed that there was something more behind Magnus’s mask. Magnus was targeting his emotions, but Luca knew what a wretched man he truly was.

"Of course, sir. It is my duty to fulfill my role. After thinking it through, I will return with my answer." Luca continued his act flawlessly.

Once their discussion was over, Luca immediately shared the situation with Aldric first, then with Camille and Selena. The planning had begun.

The team sought out Valen Oryn. Thanks to Aldric’s influence, finding him was not difficult.

"You summoned me, Major Aldric. Is there something you need?" Valen Oryn was a man of great respect. Even his voice carried an air of nobility.

"Son, there’s something we need to discuss. But first, I want you to swear that this conversation will never leave this room—that you will keep it a secret." Aldric wanted to ensure his safety.

"I swear, sir." Valen hesitated at first but then remembered that the man before him was a high-ranking major. His doubts faded.

"I will show you a voice recording and a few documents. Study them carefully. Once you see them, you will understand what I mean." Aldric’s usually unstable demeanor was now calm. He was suppressing his emotions, speaking like a wise man to avoid ruining an important plan. "Forget everything else, Valen. Think. Listen to these. See for yourself, hear for yourself, and question everything you know."

Valen listened to the recording. He was briefly shocked. He understood that Aldric was planning a coup but tried to maintain his composure. Then, he examined the documents about the experimental materials. He read the reports on genocide. He listened to Aldric’s reasoning. For the first time, he found himself questioning everything.

For a moment, he felt as if he were falling. As if everything he had believed in had collapsed, and he was plummeting into an abyss of uncertainty.

"I understand what you are implying and what you plan to do, Major. However, I cannot be part of this. Because of my oath, I will act as though I never heard this. But if you launch an attack, I will have to stop you. I am the noblest warrior here. Protecting my people is my duty." Valen Oryn spoke firmly, but his mind was in turmoil.

"Didn't you hear, kid? Magnus plans to poison the very people you are trying to protect. And you are protecting the murderer who will carry it out. I told you to think. THINK. Would a president kill countless innocent people over a small mistake? Isn't a leader's duty to protect their people?" Aldric's words were seeping into Valen Oryn's mind. "I trust you, kid. You've always been a good child and a good student. You've always made decisions for the sake of good. And I know you'll do the same now. We'll proceed according to the plan—decide what you're going to do. Will you stand against us, or will you truly choose to protect your people?"

With those final words, Aldric left the room, leaving Valen Oryn drowning in his thoughts. No matter what he did, things would spiral out of control, and he would be the one caught in the middle. It was a difficult choice—either continue supporting the Administration he had fought for all these years or trust his master, Aldric Veil, and join the coup.

It was a difficult decision.

Was Aldric right? Would the Administration really commit such evil? Why would Aldric, a legendary soldier, stage a coup for no reason? He must know something.

Valen Oryn was caught in a deep moral dilemma. A single wrong choice could change the fate of the entire nation.

So… what should he do?