THE SELECTION

Three days had passed since the Seven Division Tournament.

The arena had already been cleared.

The spectators were gone.

For most of Ekklesia, life had returned to normal.

Zaki entered the briefing chamber.

The Industria Lieutenant, Serenity, stood near the central table with her usual calm, precise posture.

So was Klaus, the Humilitas First Lieutenant, composed and formal as ever.

Serenity noticed Zaki first.

“Lieutenant.”

Zaki gave her a small nod.

“Champion.”

“You don’t have to call me that.”

“Good. Because I wasn’t planning on making it a habit.”

A slight smile crossed her face.

That was enough.

Serenity had beaten him cleanly.

Zaki had no problem admitting that.

If anything, the fight had shown him exactly where he needed to improve.

That was useful.

The doors opened again.

Two Vice Captains entered.

The first was Celeste of Tolerantia.

She stood around five-foot-five with a compact athletic build, a brunette bob framing sharp hazel eyes. Painted nails and a small choker bearing a wind symbol added a bit of personality to her uniform, while an edged war fan rested at her side.

Young for a Vice Captain.

Confident enough that nobody would mistake that youth for inexperience.

Celeste swept her eyes across the room.

“Three Lieutenants. Nobody late.”

Her gaze stopped briefly on Zaki.

“Good start.”

Zaki smiled.

“I have those occasionally.”

Serenity glanced at him.

“Occasionally?”

“Don’t ruin this for me.”

Celeste’s mouth twitched.

The second Vice Captain stepped in beside her.

Mia of Largitio.

She stood around five-foot-eight with a strong athletic build, fair complexion, dark brown eyes, and dirty-blonde hair pulled into a thick braid down her back. Her Largitio uniform was practical and clean, marked by restrained gold accents and light reinforcement suited for mobility.

A spear rested easily in her hand, and the insignia of Largitio marked her uniform.

Where Celeste carried a sharper, more openly commanding presence, Mia felt grounded.

Steady.

The kind of person who looked perfectly comfortable letting everyone else talk until something actually needed to be said.

The officer leading the briefing checked the roster.

“Vice Captain Celeste of Tolerantia.”

“Present.”

“Vice Captain Mia of Largitio.”

Mia gave a short nod.

“Present.”

“Lieutenant Serenity of Industria.”

“Present.”

“Lieutenant Zaki of Continentia.”

“Here.”

“First Lieutenant Klaus of Humilitas.”

Klaus inclined his head.

“Present.”

The officer looked down once more.

“And Civitas Technical Specialist Micah.”

Someone near the back raised a hand.

“Present.”

Zaki turned.

Micah carried no obvious weapon.

Several narrow metallic spikes were mounted along his equipment harness.

A compact instrument rested against one forearm.

The officer continued.

“Micah is a Civitas geospatial systems engineer.”

Micah stepped forward.

“My job is basically making sure none of you get lost.”

Zaki gave him a small grin.

“Useful.”

Micah nodded.

“Very.”

He paused.

“And locating people, monitoring terrain, mapping movement, tracking structural changes, maintaining positional data—”

Mia looked at him.

“You could’ve stopped at lost.”

Micah nodded.

“I could have.”

A few people laughed.

The officer gestured toward Micah’s equipment.

“Micah’s survey anchors establish a mapped field around his position. His Manifestation allows him to interpret movement and spatial changes across that field.”

Micah removed one of the narrow metallic spikes from his harness.

“The more anchors I place, the better the map.”

His underlying Nature was Adaptation.

Though Micah had chosen Civitas rather than military service, his Nature remained his own.

The longer he remained exposed to an environment and gathered information, the more effectively his system adjusted to interference and changing conditions.

“If something moves inside my network,” Micah continued, “there’s a good chance I’ll know.”

Klaus studied the anchor.

“Provided the area has been sufficiently mapped.”

“Exactly.”

“So your effectiveness improves as the operation progresses.”

Micah pointed the spike toward him.

“You’re paying attention. I like you.”

Klaus’s expression barely changed.

“I’ll try to contain my excitement.”

The officer raised a hand.

“Introductions can continue after the briefing.”

The room settled.

Celeste moved to one side of the central table.

Mia took the other.

The lights dimmed.

A projection of Earth appeared above them.

Three separate locations illuminated.

Hundreds of miles apart.

The officer began.

“You were informed following the Seven Division Tournament that the evaluations served a larger purpose.”

The projection changed.

Three human settlements appeared.

Roads.

Homes.

Businesses.

Ordinary life.

Then the images shifted.

Collapsed structures.

Damaged streets.

Abandoned vehicles.

Smoke.

Signs of battle.

“Twenty-six days ago, three human settlements were attacked by Irano.”

Nobody in the room needed an explanation of what an Irano was.

Ekklesia had fought them for generations.

Zaki’s expression sharpened.

An Irano attack alone didn’t justify this meeting.

The officer continued.

“The attacks themselves are not why you are here.”

Three timestamps appeared beneath the settlements.

Only minutes separated them.

Serenity leaned slightly closer.

“Nearly simultaneous.”

“Yes.”

The projection changed again.

Recorded images appeared.

Irano moved through one of the settlements.

At first glance, it looked like any other attack.

Then the pattern became obvious.

Some Irano engaged defenders.

Others ignored the fighting entirely.

One group blocked a street.

Another redirected civilians toward a different section of the settlement.

Several moved around the main conflict instead of into it.

Serenity narrowed her eyes.

“They’re dividing responsibilities.”

The officer nodded.

“Exactly.”

A second recording played.

Then a third.

Different settlements.

Different Irano.

The same behavior.

Zaki folded his arms.

“They’re coordinating.”

“Yes.”

The footage continued.

Ekklesian reinforcements arrived.

The Irano reacted immediately.

Not with panic.

Not with a desperate final attack.

They disengaged.

One group pulled away.

Then another.

Within minutes, they were gone.

Celeste rested a hand against her war fan.

“They withdrew deliberately.”

Zaki nodded.

“Before they were forced to.”

“Yes.”

Mia’s expression hardened.

“So they knew when to leave.”

The officer changed the projection.

Human faces filled the air above the table.

“Thirty-seven civilians remain unaccounted for.”

The atmosphere in the room changed.

Zaki’s eyes moved across the faces.

Different ages.

Different lives.

All missing.

Mia stepped closer.

“Bodies?”

“None recovered.”

“Confirmed casualties?”

“Not among these thirty-seven.”

Klaus adjusted his monocle.

“Then the possibility of abduction is significant.”

“It is our leading assumption.”

Serenity looked toward the footage.

“Do we know why they were taken?”

“No.”

“Where they were taken?”

“No.”

Zaki studied the faces for another moment.

“Then that’s what matters.”

The officer looked at him.

Zaki’s usual lightness had disappeared.

“Find them first. Figure out the rest while we’re doing it.”

Celeste gave him a brief approving glance.

The projection changed again.

Three trails extended away from the attacked settlements.

“Initial investigators confirmed that groups of Irano departed each location following the attacks.”

The trails stretched outward.

Then ended.

“All three trails eventually disappeared.”

Micah stepped closer to the projection.

“Disappeared how?”

“No physical trail. No detectable continuation.”

Micah studied the map.

“Terrain?”

“Different in each location.”

“Weather?”

“Also different.”

“And they all vanished?”

“Yes.”

His eyes remained on the three routes.

“These are all trending toward the same general region.”

The officer highlighted a broad area.

“That was our conclusion as well.”

Klaus looked between the paths.

“Three coordinated attacks.”

Serenity continued.

“Three deliberate withdrawals.”

Mia added,

“Thirty-seven missing civilians.”

Micah finished.

“And three movement trails converging toward the same region before disappearing.”

Silence settled over the room.

Zaki looked at the map.

“That’s not random.”

“No,” the officer said.

“It is not.”

The display disappeared.

Four words replaced it.

VITA CONTROL

COMBAT INTELLIGENCE

NATURE MASTERY

MISSION APPLICATION

Zaki recognized them immediately.

The tournament evaluations.

“The Seven Division Tournament was never solely intended to determine its champions.”

The officer looked across the room.

“The preliminary evaluations, combat profiles, and tournament matches allowed the Council to observe personnel under conditions outside their usual Division environments.”

Unfamiliar opponents.

Different Natures.

Different Manifestations.

Pressure.

Decision-making.

“We already know who Ekklesia’s strongest officers are.”

Celeste leaned slightly against the table.

“If they wanted raw power, they would’ve called the Captains.”

“Correct.”

The display changed.

Six names appeared.

“We were searching for personnel suited to the operation.”

The names separated.

TEAM ONE

Vice Captain Celeste — Tolerantia

Lieutenant Zaki — Continentia

Lieutenant Serenity — Industria

Celeste looked toward Zaki and Serenity.

“You’re with me.”

Serenity nodded.

“Understood.”

Zaki followed.

“Yes, Vice Captain.”

The display shifted.

TEAM TWO

Vice Captain Mia — Largitio

First Lieutenant Klaus — Humilitas

Civitas Technical Specialist Micah

Mia looked toward the two beside her.

“Klaus.”

He nodded.

“Vice Captain.”

“Micah.”

Micah gave her a small salute with two fingers.

“I’ll keep you from getting lost.”

Mia stared at him.

Micah lowered his hand.

“Professionally.”

Zaki covered a small laugh with a cough.

Celeste glanced toward him.

He immediately straightened.

The officer continued.

“Micah was selected independently of the tournament. He is attached to this operation through Civitas because his expertise is considered essential to locating the missing civilians and tracking Irano movement.”

Micah tapped one of the survey anchors against his palm.

“That part I can work with.”

Three objectives appeared.

LOCATE THE MISSING CIVILIANS.

DETERMINE THE DESTINATION OF THE IRANO.

IDENTIFY THE CAUSE OF THEIR COORDINATED BEHAVIOR.

“This is an investigation and recovery operation.”

Celeste stepped forward.

“Our priority is the civilians.”

She looked directly at Zaki and Serenity.

“We are not deploying to hunt Irano.”

Zaki nodded.

“If they attack?”

“We respond.”

Serenity continued.

“But we don’t abandon the mission just to pursue them.”

Celeste nodded.

“Exactly.”

Zaki understood the point.

It sounded familiar.

Mission Application.

People first.

Mia looked toward Team Two.

“If the situation exceeds what six personnel can safely handle?”

Klaus answered immediately.

“We withdraw, preserve any intelligence recovered, and request reinforcement.”

“Good.”

Micah raised his hand slightly.

“And preferably before whatever exceeded six people starts eating us.”

Mia looked at him.

“I appreciate your optimism.”

“I provide several services.”

The officer returned the missing civilians to the display.

“You deploy immediately.”

Earth smelled like smoke.

Wet stone.

Dust.

And something metallic underneath all of it.

The two teams entered what remained of one of the attacked settlements.

The briefing images hadn’t captured the silence.

That was the first thing Zaki noticed.

A place built for hundreds of voices had none.

Windows were shattered.

Part of a building had collapsed into the street.

A vehicle rested on its side near an intersection.

Dark scoring marked the pavement.

Personal belongings remained where people had abandoned them.

A bag.

A shoe.

A child’s toy.

Zaki stopped beside it.

The others continued several steps before Celeste noticed.

She looked back.

Zaki stared at the toy for another moment.

Then stood.

“You good?”

“Yeah.”

His voice was quieter now.

He looked farther down the abandoned street.

“Just remembering what we’re actually here for.”

Celeste followed his gaze.

“Good.”

Zaki looked toward her.

“Good?”

“I’d be more worried if this didn’t bother you.”

Zaki nodded once.

Then his hand settled naturally near the hilts of his swords.

Not fear.

Readiness.

Behind them, Micah crouched.

He removed one of the metallic survey anchors from his harness.

THNK.

He drove it into the ground.

The compact instrument on his forearm flickered to life.

A faint spatial grid spread across its display.

Micah watched it for several seconds.

Then removed another anchor.

THNK.

Farther down the street.

Then another.

The map expanded.

Klaus watched the instrument.

“You’re already establishing the network.”

“No reason to wait.”

Micah pointed toward several structures.

“Buildings, elevation changes, major obstructions…”

His fingers moved across the device.

“…and now us.”

Six indicators appeared.

Zaki glanced over the display.

“You’ve got all six?”

“For now.”

Micah pointed toward the anchors.

“Better map, better data.”

Celeste looked toward Mia.

“We split here.”

Mia nodded.

“Team Two takes the eastern sector.”

Celeste pointed west.

“We’ll follow the western trail.”

Mia turned to Klaus and Micah.

“Stay close enough to support each other.”

Micah removed another anchor.

“That’s usually how teams work.”

Mia gave him a look.

Micah smiled.

“I’m adapting.”

Klaus sighed.

Zaki grinned.

Then the two teams separated.

Celeste moved first.

Serenity followed several steps behind.

Zaki took the rear without being asked.

Not because he was slower.

Because someone needed to watch their back.

The humor from the briefing was gone.

This was work now.

They moved deeper into the western section of the settlement.

Serenity stopped.

“Here.”

Zaki stepped beside her.

Deep impressions marked the damaged street.

Large.

Irregular.

Too deep for a human.

Celeste crouched.

“Irano.”

Zaki examined the spacing.

“They were moving fast.”

Serenity looked ahead.

“And together.”

The tracks continued past several destroyed structures.

Celeste stood.

“We follow them.”

Zaki glanced back toward the direction Team Two had gone.

“Micah should have coverage behind us soon.”

Celeste nodded.

“If anything doubles back through the mapped area, Team Two should see it.”

Zaki drew one sword.

Serenity looked at him.

“Expecting trouble?”

“No.”

He rested the blade against his shoulder.

“Preparing for it.”

That answer seemed to satisfy her.

The three continued.

Behind them, the ruined settlement slowly disappeared from view.

Ahead, the Irano tracks stretched farther into unfamiliar terrain.

Somewhere beyond them were thirty-seven missing people.

None of them knew why the Irano had taken them alive.

Not yet.

But the answer would be far worse than any of them expected.

The Irano were not simply gathering humans.

They were gathering what they needed to make more of themselves.