Chapter 18: First Conflicts with Shards

Chapter 18: First Conflicts with ShardsThe driver hesitated, his brow furrowing as he gave Elias a once-over. "You're not even a recruit, right? What the hell are you planning to do?"

Elias's voice hardened, his grip tightening. "Buy you some time. That's what."

The driver hesitated, then unholstered a pistol from his side and shoved it into Elias's hands. "Be careful!" the driver snapped. "This thing could be an alien!"

Elias didn't respond, gripping the weapon tightly as he jumped off the bus. Outside, three other recruits were already on the ground, rifles raised and humming with an electric blue glow as they pointed at the transformed man.

"Stand down! Back away from the training officer!" one of the recruits shouted, his voice shaking slightly but steady enough to command.

Elias recognized the recruit's voice—it was Marcus. The large man was steady on his feet, his finger hovering near the trigger.

The transformed man turned his gaze toward them, his darkened armor glinting faintly in the glow of the rifles. He sneered, his tone cold and sharp. "Where's the kid with the shard?"

A chill ran through Elias as the words registered. He's here for me? he thought, his heart pounding. Why? How did he even find me? And why does he think I'm a kid?!

Dot hovered near his shoulder, her voice firm. "He can't know you're the one! Don't let him figure it out!"



Marcus stepped forward slightly, his rifle held steady. "Whatever you are," he growled, "I doubt you can handle 6,000-degree plasma rounds. So why don't you step back and leave the training officer alone?"

The man tilted his head, his lips curling into a smirk. "Go ahead," he taunted, his tone mocking. "Test the theory."

He paused, his gaze shifting past Marcus. His eyes locked onto Elias. The smirk faded, replaced by something far colder. S~eaʀᴄh the Nôvelƒire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

"You," the man said simply.

Before anyone could react, he charged. The recruits opened fire, blue plasma bolts slamming into his armor. The blasts hissed and crackled as the outer layer melted away, exposing raw, scorched skin beneath. The man let out a guttural growl of pain but didn't stop, leaping back to avoid a second volley.

When he landed, the ground cracked beneath his feet, leaving a deep, uneven impression in the roadway. He ducked low, then lunged forward, slamming his fist into the ground with a thunderous impact.

A shockwave erupted, dirt and rocks flying outward like shrapnel. The recruits were thrown back, their rifles clattering to the ground. The debris pelted the side of the bus, cracking the windshield and rattling the windows.

Elias raised an arm to shield his face, the flying debris scraping his skin and leaving small cuts as rocks skidded past. From the corner of his eye, he caught the man lunging toward him, fist cocked back for a devastating blow.

In an instant, Elias's vision darkened, his eyes turning jet black with a single red dot glowing in their centers. A sharp pain surged through his head, like a vice clamping down on his skull. Before he could fully process it, a chunk of metal materialized out of thin air in front of him, intercepting the brunt of the attack. The impact still sent Elias hurtling backward, skidding along the ground for over fifteen feet before slamming into the ground beside the injured officer.

Pain radiated from his side as he groaned, pressing a hand against his ribs. "That definitely broke a few ribs," he muttered, wincing.

Dot's voice trembled from within him. "I... uh, yeah, I think so."

Elias managed a shaky laugh, his breath hitching as the pain flared again. "Was that your doing?" He paused, his tone sharper now. "No, seriously. What the hell just happened?"

Dot's small form flickered faintly from within the shard, her tiny hands gripping its edges as she tried to explain. "We fused for a moment. My ability activated... I think. Some memories are starting to return, but I can use soul energy to materialize objects—pull them into reality."

Elias's brows furrowed, his voice low and incredulous. "You're telling me you just turned soul energy into a hunk of metal? And do all Ikonas have this convenient memory problem, or is it just you?"

Dot hesitated, her voice quieter now. "I... I'm not sure. Maybe it's just me?"

Before Elias could press further, the man roared, "Give me your shard already!"

Elias glanced up just in time to see the figure charging at him again, like a wild beast closing in for the kill. His voice cracked with urgency. "Dot! Make another shield or something!"

"R-right!" Dot stammered, her voice laced with panic. "Just like before!"

As the man barreled closer, Dot's form seemed to flicker deep within the shard. Elias's vision shifted again—his eyes going black with a sharp red glow at their center. This time, the world around him shifted entirely.



Everything turned a stark gray, as though all color had been drained, leaving the man in a cold, featureless form. Tiny, glowing points of light dotted the air around them, and in the corner of his vision, one of the points flared briefly before solidifying into the beginnings of another metallic object.

"Focus on the light!" Dot urged from within him. "It's forming again!"

Elias didn't hesitate. Rolling instinctively toward the glowing material, he reached out as the man's massive fist came crashing down just inches from where he had been. The force of the strike sent a tremor through the ground, kicking up more dirt and dust as Elias gritted his teeth and pushed himself upright.

Elias stared at the object in his hand, a flashlight, its battered frame still functional. He frowned. "A flashlight? What the hell am I supposed to do with this?" He glanced back toward the chaos, realizing it must have fallen off the officer's belt in the earlier scuffle.

Before he could think further, a volley of plasma rounds lit up the tunnel, slamming into the charging man from the side. The blue bolts sizzled as they made contact, chipping away pieces of the man's gray armor. Elias's gaze shifted to the man's face, which flickered yellow for a brief moment.

"What the hell is going on with my eyes?!" Elias shouted, stumbling backward.

Dot's voice cut through his confusion, sharp and urgent. "It's a perception ability! I think it's my ability you have access to in short moments. Just do something with it!

Elias's eyes darted to the man's left side, where cracks in the armor revealed exposed flesh. Blood seeped from the gaps as the man snarled and dropped into a low stance, slamming his fist into the ground. The impact sent debris flying everywhere, dirt and rocks pelting the recruits and Elias. A jagged piece struck his temple, drawing blood as he staggered, his vision blurring briefly.

Elias heard the scream of one of the recruits from somewhere in the dust cloud, pulling him back into focus. An idea struck him. He twisted the flashlight's settings, cranking its lumen output to maximum. "This better work," he muttered, sprinting into the debris-filled haze.

He coughed, shielding his face from the swirling dust, and pointed the flashlight ahead, the beam cutting through the chaos. The light caught the silhouette of the man, pinning one of the recruits to the ground. A spike protruded from the man's armor, its jagged tip pressing dangerously close to Marcus's chest.