Chap 130: One Month Anniversary

“I damaged Sade’s face with that new ability,” Tee said, her voice echoing off the walls and chairs in the room. “Then I got swallowed by a vortex, spun around a few times, and soon after… I was back in the void.”

Tee uncrossed her legs so both high heels touched the floor. She lowered her hands from her mouth but kept her elbows on the desk as she continued.

“I don’t know why I was released.”

The unwanted silence that followed pushed her to speak again.

“Maybe it had to do with my glowing hands. Saeda hadn’t sparked that ability before getting trapped by Sade… so maybe that’s why he kept her.”

Kie folded his arms, the distant look in his eyes finally returning to normal. Elevated above everyone else on the desk while the others sat in chairs, he seemed to tower over the room. His full black attire made his red eyes stand out like daggers as he stared down at her.

Seeing Kie’s expression shift into relief made her strangely content. She wondered how things would be once they defeated the Harbingers and every lie she had ever told her teammates came to light—if they ever did. She had no doubt the elders would arrange for her team to learn about her hybrid status. And what about Kie?

The way he looked at her, as if she were a gem sparkling in the darkness, made her wonder. She had spent nearly three weeks with him, and he hadn’t shown any signs of corruption yet. But that could change once he knew what she was. In the movies, the lover who fell for the Xeno-victim usually did one of two things once they learned the truth. Despised them… or committed suicide with them. Tee was interested in neither outcome.

And what if her secret spilled before then? How would she survive a future drained of compassion and filled with hate and pain? If that happened, would it even make sense to help save the world? She would rather watch everything burn when the Harbingers won—

No.

That was not going to happen. And even if he did end up hating her, it’s not like she liked him or anything. She was just playing her part in the game.

“Well, that’s better than nothing,” Kie said. “Miko, note Tee’s new ability.”

Miko nodded and added the note to the hologram board.

“Oh!” Zod exclaimed, sitting up straighter. “Did I mention I can do long continuous blasts by holding my breath?”

Saeda rolled her eyes. “We all saw you. Stop showing off. It doesn’t suit you.”

Zod pursed his lips and slid down the back of his chair to slouch.

Kie folded his arms and inspected the notes they had so far. Everyone except Tee had triggered the ability to blast energy from their hands. Zod was closest to mastery and could release a continuous thrust. Kie himself had managed to engulf his entire body in energy when he faced Legion. As for unique abilities, Saeda had created an energy sphere.

“Great, now everyone has something to work on,” he said, shifting the subject. “I’ll focus on controlling my energy blasts. Actually, I’ll add engulfing my entire body again—to turn it into an indestructible armor.”

“I’ll try creating those energy waves from my swords like you do,” Zod said.

“I still can’t get my flash teleportation to work, even when I’m running,” Miko said with a nod. “I guess I’ll work on my blasts instead.”

“I’m guessing we should all be working on blasts, huh?” Saeda added. “I’ll focus on that along with my energy sphere. I still don’t know why my aura sensing works in solo training but hardly anywhere else.” She sighed.

Tee kept staring at her nails, deep in thought, so Kie answered for her. “And Tee will work on her glowing hands.”

When Tee looked up and caught his smirk, she recognized the playful mockery. She didn’t mind.

But he was wrong. She had claws, a dark energy sphere, and a destructive supersonic scream she could work on mastering. A smile stretched across her lips at how clueless he was. Though she was supposed to scrap her dark powers, she had to give them credit where it was due.

“Kudos to Tee for getting us our first fragment,” Kie added. “But remember, we’re not here to hunt fragments—we’re here to eliminate the Harbingers. So far, we’ve only rid them of one member—the bandaged one.”

He waved to Miko as a signal to clear the hologram board. She obeyed quickly.

“Now that we’ve got the ability report out of the way, we need to revise our battle strategy.” Kie folded his arms again but kept his serious gaze on the floor. “Maybe using the fragment as bait wasn’t the best plan. But if we allow the sorcerer to deactivate the defense, they’ll leave with the fragment. So how do we keep them there?”

“Well…” Miko said. “If they want to kill us too, maybe they won’t leave?”

Zod rubbed his chin. “That’s a good point, Miko.”

Miko smiled.

Saeda dropped the hand supporting her jaw, trying to look more alert. “Yes, isn’t that the reason they didn’t leave during our previous mission? We stand a better chance of killing one of them without the annoying Sealed Bond defense. I say we just let Sade do his work. Screw our first strategy.”

Kie didn’t like how strongly she opposed the plan he’d created. “Are you forgetting they’ve left us before?” he asked. “The second time we faced the Harbingers, they left when the fragment disappeared and left us to deal with the six-winged titan. The third time, they left with the fragment—and took you along…”

Saeda tucked her chin in and blinked twice.

“—The fourth time, neither side got the fragment. And from what I heard, the elders only came to our rescue because the Harbingers had already left. The fifth time—they left us again, but in the reset. The Harbingers are unpredictable. There’s no guarantee they’ll stay and fight again.”

He glanced at the time and pushed off the bench. As much as he didn’t want to see the Commander’s face, he needed to get the mission brief over with.

“I’m giving you more time to think over our new strategy. This session is dismissed.”

Tee heard the words she’d been waiting for over the past three hours. Kie would be occupied with the Commander for about an hour, but even his temporary absence wasn’t enough to push him from her mind. His face was clear of blemishes, and with his gorgeous eyes, he practically glowed. She hadn’t told him—and wasn’t sure she ever should.

Later that night, the gang spent the evening at the beach watching the moon rise. Miko didn’t fidget as much about being outside past global curfew—Primus had no Xeno-victims. She sat on the ground next to Zod, who was recalling a story.

Kie stopped turning the two wiener sticks above the fire and shuffled back to sit beside Tee. He handed her one, and she accepted it with a light smoosh on his cheek. The moon soon gave more light than the fire they sat around.

“Speaking of retreat,” Zod said, springing to his feet and kicking up sand as he ran to his tent. “I need to show you guys something on my tablet!”

He returned and turned the tablet toward them, explaining the two places for their next outing. When Kie wrapped an arm around Tee, pulling her closer, she felt his warmth. Her mind flickered to a world where Kie hated her—then Jack’s face flashed through her thoughts.

She wasn’t supposed to care about Kie or any of those petty matters. She needed to become the best Sentinel for all those like her who were suffering. That was her destiny, and she could not fail. She needed to work on getting her hands to glow blue again, not drown in dark thoughts. Evil always found time for idle minds.

Soon it was time to head into their tents. Unlike last time, Kie had built his own. A heavy, damp feeling settled in Tee’s chest. She intentionally stalled until the others were already inside their tents, then went over to him before he disappeared into his.

“Wow, you made your own tent this time,” she said. “I’m impressed.”

“Yeah,” Kie said, looking up at her while crouching at the entrance. “Thinking about it… I think it was rude of me to do what I did last time. So I built my own tent—”

“That’s nonsense,” Tee blurted.

Kie gulped.

“We can stay in your tent for the night.”

He shuffled aside to let her pass into his tent. His eyes narrowed with realization, but he kept his mouth shut. Was she going to ask him to sleep with her again? He decided to let her actions speak for themselves.

She thought of Jack, but she didn’t care. That guy had burned her too many times. If he was watching her with an MG-off wannabe, she hoped it stung.

“Night, Cooper.”

To Kie’s surprise, they simply cuddled and soon fell asleep. Not another word came from her for the rest of the night.

Tee woke early out of habit, without her alarm. She unzipped the tent, letting the early morning wind seep through the vent and tickle her nose. Marveling at the dark blue horizon and the seaview made her glad to be alive.

The gang packed their luggage and headed back to the living complex for tea and coffee. She sat on a lounge chair by the pool until she heard her teammates’ loud voices.

She walked over to the commotion, and they immediately dispersed. Zod shoved a bag of Jolly Ranchers back into the fridge. “I really think these make a great substitute for red berries.”

Miko giggled. “They don’t.”

Kie shook his head while mixing something in a bowl, an apron tied around his waist.

Tee asked, “What are you guys making?”

Saeda, tying the apron strap behind her, scoffed. “Why do you always ask if you’re just going to watch us do all the work?”

Tee reached for another cup of coffee. “How do you know I’m not going to help?”

Miko gasped dramatically and turned to her with wide eyes. “Tee?” Her voice rose into a high pitch. “You’re gonna help us make—”

“Hell no,” Tee blurted into her ceramic mug.

Zod shook his head. “Typical.”

“What’s worse is we know you can cook,” Saeda said.

Tee slammed the empty mug onto the table. Zod jumped and shot her a quick glance before looking away in fear.

“Why do we keep having this conversation? I already do the bloody dishes.”

“Oh, yeah,” Saeda mumbled as she passed Miko, nudging her. “I wouldn’t be surprised if you sit and watch Kie do all the dishes too.”

Kie chuckled.

Tee gasped. “Why are you laughing? You should be defending me.”

Soon breakfast and their warm-up training were behind them. They stood in a line in the training room before the Commander.

He yelled his usual morning greeting, “Good morning, cadets!”

“Morning, Commander!”

They followed him to their separate training. At Tee’s turn, the Commander said not a word about her telling—or anything at all. The vortex closed the second she stepped through. Tee turned around to look at the barrier and saw no Commander.

How rude. And he hadn’t given her a summoning glove.

She desperately tried to get her hands glowing again. Part of her wondered if she would see the sorcerer’s face again. That creep.

She sat with her legs folded, trying to recall the exact state she’d been in when her hands glowed. She closed her eyes, replaying the past events. After defeating those creepy green shape-shifting things—

Tee, focus!

The sorcerer had jumped down from a levitating mutt. She had to admit—nice boots, from the short view she got. The four-eyed bird had flown above her. And the question kept repeating. Why was she released from that red hell? And more importantly—why did she know Sade before coming to Primus?

Stop getting sidetracked. She needed to recreate the glowing hand. She was sure it had been nothing special anyway.

She tried to pick up the memory again. Yes—the levitating beasts attacked her. She didn’t remember the sorcerer doing much. Had the creep just watched the whole time? And him putting the crown fragment on his head… she shook her head. What a creep.

Her gut sank the same way it had when she felt the ground vanish beneath her back then. She grabbed her neck as phantom pain shot through her chest, jolting her upright. Her lungs seized. She was suffocating again.

Her eyes snapped open—just like they had when she felt the sorcerer’s hand on her shoulder. His black-filled eyes had reflected the blue glow of her own before her luminous hand cut the vision short. 

But how had that happened? She couldn’t let the Harbingers have her, and she needed to save herself without resorting to her dark powers. She never would have imagined that her Ultramana would spark on instinct. Not even in her wildest dreams.

Tee gasped, remembering Zod’s assumption. The will to do the impossible triggered their Sentinel powers. She had been suffocating, but still told herself she wouldn’t let them win—or discover what she truly was. Yes, she had made up her mind. She was willing to do the impossible.

She nodded to herself, opening her eyes as she leaned back onto her palms.

The low rumble of clouds gathering over the blue sky pulled her attention. A growl vibrated through the air—deep, unsettling. She rose to her feet, sensing danger long before she understood it. The environment shifted into what felt like a deserted, ancient village. Ahead, a massive metal cage stood wide open, its interior empty. Tracks in the dirt revealed something large had escaped.

The growls from behind her snapped every nerve awake.

Without her summoning gloves, she was dangerously exposed. Her heart hammered against her ribs—each beat a warning that she had zero room for error.

Bright orange fur erupted from the treetops, wide feral eyes locking onto her like she was prey. She stumbled back, gasping. Her fingers curled, her thumb twitching on instinct for a nonexistent glove. No shortcut. No magical security. Only her fists. Only her instincts.

She punched with everything she had, knuckles cracking against its jaw. The beast crashed into the earth, dirt and leaves flying in a chaotic burst. She stared, chest heaving, expecting it to stay down.

Then came the cracking—bones snapping, grinding, realigning in a grotesque rhythm. Its jaw reset itself. Limbs twitched. It rose.

No way…

It was coming back. And faster.

The creature lunged. Claws sliced the air inches from her face. She ducked, rolled, skidding through grass and debris. Pain flared where her skin scraped stone, but she forced herself up.

No time to think. No time to plan.

She snatched up a fallen branch and swung, the impact ringing through her arms as it struck the beast’s shoulder. It shrieked—an ear-splitting, glass-shivering sound—and adrenaline surged through her veins.

It barely slowed. Its glowing eyes followed her, jaws snapping like sharpened metal shears. It charged again, low and fast. She pivoted, swinging once more—only for the branch to splinter in her hands.

Moments later, she stood over its lifeless body, chest rising and falling in ragged breaths as purple blood oozed into the grass. She dropped the sharp-edged rock she had used to hammer into the beast.

She collapsed onto the ground, panting. Did the Commander really trap a Leak and make her fight it—without a summoning glove? That jackal.

After training, she grabbed her music-pod and earbuds to soothe her mood, slipping into the boots Miko had gifted her.Boots meant to boost her confidence.

She didn’t help with dinner. Instead, she wandered Primus with Kie. Both admitted they were getting tired of the place and were eager for their next outing.

Tee showed him the music device. It was illegal in some sectors.

“My first love—before he turned cold—we’d share a bud and listen to music before class. It had to be early, before most students arrived, so it was quiet enough to hear a Xenosapian shriek.”

Kie leaned closer, and she placed one earbud in his ear, the other in her own. Soft romantic music filtered through. Kie blinked, surprised. He had expected her to be a loud rock type. You learn something new every day.

She imagined Jack again—only for the thought to dissolve as quickly as it came.

Several days passed, marking their one month together. At least, that’s what they assumed when they saw the surprise cake baked for them, decorated with fancy lettering.

“Happy One Month Anniversary.”