Chapter 33: Core Issues

Chapter 33: Core IssuesElias rubbed the back of his neck, his thoughts spiraling. They're studying us. Watching our habits. Maybe they're waiting to see if we change how we act over time. He glanced around at the vast, high-tech space of Cell Block A. And this place was built before any of this even started... strange.

"I really hope this doesn't all go south eventually," he muttered to himself. He exhaled deeply, trying to push away the growing unease in his chest. "Though I'm sure—"

His train of thought shattered when the familiar voice of the knife-throwing man cut through the room.

"Hey, you want a beer or something? You've been standing there staring at us."

Elias blinked, glancing toward the lounging group. The man from earlier sat casually on a reinforced couch, lazily tossing his knife into the air again. A faint scrape echoed as the tip nicked the ceiling before he caught it with ease.

Beside him, a younger man with white hair blew a bubble with his gum, letting it pop before leaning back lazily. "Oh yeah, you're the new guy, right? Elias, was it? Name's Colby Tunsil." He jabbed a thumb toward himself. "And this here's Spock," he added, gesturing toward the small white Ikona perched on his shoulder.

The creature blinked slowly before settling comfortably.

Colby shrugged and turned back to his game console, his attention drifting from Elias just as quickly as it had arrived.

Elias shook his head with a faint smile. "No, thanks. Just getting a feel for everything. Kind of surprised to see so much... stuff in here."

"Well, they probably just want to keep us happy while they run their tests," the knife-thrower chimed in, spinning his blade in his palm. "Deciding if we're worth keeping alive or not, I guess. Not that I'm too worried about it. We're too valuable for them to do anything drastic. And hey, I'm betting they'll use us to track down the other Ikona. But me?" He shrugged, throwing the knife into the air again. "I'm just hoping to get this over with and head back home."

Elias nodded, folding his arms. "I suppose that makes sense. It's probably the most logical move when people with powers start popping up. But wouldn't it make sense to keep up with training? A solid workout regimen? Something?"

The knife-thrower smirked, catching his blade mid-air. "Not all of us are military brats looking to endlessly 'improve.' If there's no gain, I'm not interested. I'll just chill."



Elias frowned slightly, suppressing a flicker of annoyance. "What about the stat window we all saw yesterday?"


"And what of it?" the man replied with a shrug. "I don't care if I'm not fast enough or strong enough. Chasing numbers doesn't mean anything to me."

Elias sighed, walking over to the stainless-steel fridge against the wall. It opened smoothly with a soft hiss as he pulled out a bottle of water. Twisting the cap off, he took a long drink before turning back to the man.

"So," he began, "what does your Ikona do for you, anyway? I don't think I even got your name."

The man leaned back, propping his feet up on the low table in front of him. "Call me Tid Well," he said, lazily pointing to the small, puff-like creature resting on his shoulder. "And this little guy? He lets me bring clouds around my arms. It's weird, though—it's more like they make anything bounce off me. Not the most useful thing, but hey, I call him Puff. Fits, right?"

Elias gave a slight nod, his curiosity piqued despite Tid Well's laid-back attitude. Capping his water bottle, he leaned against the counter. "Interesting... well, I guess we'll see how all this plays out."

I'll need a notepad to keep up with all of this, he thought, already envisioning himself scribbling down details.

Dot's voice chirped unexpectedly. "Not needed. I can actually remember everything once I see it—it's almost like a photocopy."

Elias blinked and stared blankly at the tiny Ikona hovering above his chest. "Dot's... that's just called remembering. Never mind." He waved dismissively. "Go ahead and test out that incredible skill."

He turned back toward the entrance, taking in the expansive view of the facility. Behind him, the knife-throwing man glanced up, his dark hair falling into his face as he ran a hand through it, muttering something under his breath.

"So," Elias murmured to himself, "we've got a workout area, a gaming lounge, spacious sleeping pods... seems like this place has just about everything."

Before he could lose himself further in thought, a voice cut through the air behind him.

"So, are you going to follow the workout regimen, or are you going to be lazy like the other four?" Kikaru stated.

Elias signed as he slowly turned around.