Chapter 89: Behind the 8 Ball

Chapter 89: Behind the 8 BallDot’s spun mid-air. "That’s kind of weird."

"Yeah, tell me about it." Elias rubbed the back of his neck. "But from what the Doctor said, the system is making it simpler for now—probably won’t stay that way once we hit level two."

The ship rumbled to a stop, the engines cycling down as the exit ramp unsealed with a low hiss.


A final transfer.

Elias stepped off, now onto another waiting aircraft—this one sleeker, quieter, with a deep gray hull and no visible identification marks.

The moment the doors sealed behind him, they were airborne again.

- The New Location -

Hours passed.

Elias had lost track of direction a long time ago, but as he peered out the window, his surroundings began to shift.

No more coast.

The landscape below was something entirely different.



The sky had darkened, heavy with rolling clouds, the terrain below shifting into dense marshlands—winding rivers, sprawling wetlands, and thick patches of fog drifting between scattered islands of land.

It reminded Elias of the training grounds used by elite forces—brutal conditions, endless waterlogged terrain, and a humidity that would break even the toughest soldiers.

But this wasn’t just a swamp he noticed.

Scattered across the landscape were dozens of interconnected structures—long, reinforced barracks, watchtowers equipped with aerial scanners, and armored transport vehicles moving between bases on narrow, elevated pathways.

Finally, in the heart of it all, sitting on a massive lake surrounded by dense jungle, was the Cube X Facility.

Elias exhaled, watching as the aircraft descended.

This... was going to be different. He muttered.

One of the guards chuckled, stretching his arms as they neared the landing zone. "Glad I didn’t train here. I hear the swamp half-freezes in the winter, and they still make you do hikes through it. No thanks. I’ll take the crazy mountains in the heat any day."

The other guard snorted, adjusting his gear. "Nah, see, that’s where you’re wrong. Give me the cold over those hellish mountain trails. You ever try sprinting uphill with full gear in blistering heat? I’d rather deal with frozen toes than my lungs catching fire."

The first guard shook his head. "Insane."

The aircraft descended, the thrusters kicking up a whirlwind of damp air and mossy debris.

As the ramp lowered, Elias immediately spotted Oliver standing at the base of the bridge leading to the massive Cube.

His uniform was crisp, not a single wrinkle in sight, his hands clasped firmly behind his back.

Elias sighed internally. Still the same as ever.

Oliver’s sharp gaze locked onto him. "I take it your transport remained untracked?"

The guards snapped to attention, saluting. "Yes, sir. No complications. Elias Kael is ready for reintegration into the training facility."

Oliver nodded. "Understood. Take the rest of the day to recover, then report to your section leaders for your next assignment."

The guards saluted once more before boarding the aircraft again, the engines roaring to life as they lifted off, disappearing into the sky.

Elias glanced down at his wrist. "Uh, hey, they kinda forgot this."

Oliver arched a brow. "Hmm?"

Elias raised his arm, showing the red band still fastened around his wrist.

Oliver exhaled, shaking his head. "No issue. You’ll be keeping it anyway—it’ll be reused if you get sent out on missions."

He stepped forward. "I’m glad you made it back in one piece. Walking, no less. Though I’m still quite... irritated with your friend Elara."

Elias rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah... things got way out of control."

Oliver crossed his arms. "And?"

Elias sighed. "I did, however, get fitted for an exo-suit and learned a lot more about my Ikona. I’m actually starting to grasp how my abilities work."

Oliver gave him a look. "Exo-suit?"

They started walking toward the entrance bridge.

"Yes," Elias nodded. "Though in the footage you probably saw, I was wearing nothing but beach clothes."

Oliver shrugged. "Not exactly the image of combat efficiency."

Elias smirked slightly. "Blending in was necessary for the retrieval mission. We had to extract two shard users without drawing attention."

Oliver remained neutral. "And did you succeed?"

"Yeah," Elias said, then hesitated. "Both of them made it here safely, right?"

Oliver nodded. "They arrived last night. To avoid the risk of tracking, we staggered their transport times—just in case. No incidents occurred."

Elias exhaled in relief.

"The young boy will also be joining your eight-man squad," Oliver added as they passed through the massive Cube’s entrance doors.



The hallways inside were just as Elias remembered—sleek metal plating, reinforced bulkheads, and constant, quiet activity.

But his relief was short-lived.

A weight settled in his chest.

His voice came out quieter than he intended. "Colby... what happened to him?"

- Settling Back In -

Oliver’s expression remained unreadable as he walked alongside Elias.

"What happened to him is done. You won’t be seeing much of him for a long while—if ever again."

Elias’s steps faltered slightly.

"But he’s still alive?"

Oliver nodded. "Yes. He’s being taken care of. Just leave it at that."

Elias felt his jaw tighten. There was more to it, but pushing now wouldn’t get him anywhere.

Oliver exhaled as they neared A Block, the familiar corridors stretching ahead of them. "This whole ordeal could have gone so much worse... even with all the lives lost."

Elias clenched his fists. "I suppose so... but I swear, I’ll get strong enough to make sure no one else suffers again. Whether it’s aliens or... others."

Oliver glanced at him but didn’t react, simply shrugging as they reached the door to Elias’s quarters.

"Good to know. For now, get comfortable—get back into whatever routine you had before. The priority is keeping you all safe until we figure out the two-week timeline you shard users have been talking about."

Elias hesitated before asking, "Can’t they still track us?"

Oliver placed his palm over a security panel, the door scanning his biometrics before unlocking.

"We’ve upgraded the Cube with signal disruptors. Took a lot of resources, but it was necessary. Works kind of like your wristband—only on a much larger scale."

Elias let out a slow breath. "I see."

Oliver stepped back, but before leaving, he added, "I’ll be in touch. Guards will also perform regular checks. Tomorrow, you’ll receive your first note."

"Note?" Elias frowned.

"Your first graded report and payment," Oliver explained. "It’ll assess your current physical condition, as well as your ’spirit levels’—or whatever term you shard users are using. Additionally, we’ve allocated over 2.5 billion in exchange credits for developing customized suits. After Elara’s was stolen, adjustments had to be made."

Elias ran a hand through his hair. "I have more questions, but I think my brain’s at capacity for today."

Oliver smirked slightly. "That’s a first."

Elias shot him a look, but Oliver ignored it.

Instead, he added, "Keep an eye on Kikaru. She’s having a rough time."

Elias nodded, filing that away for later.

Without another word, Oliver swiped his hand over the door’s panel, and it slid closed, sealing Elias inside.

Elias stepped into the room, immediately recognizing the familiar layout. The same barracks, the same scent of recycled air, the same lingering tension.

His eyes flicked to the wall clock. 4:00 PM. Dinner time.

But the atmosphere felt off. Hushed voices filled the space, soft murmurs between shard users and their Ikona. Conversations were low, some distant, some urgent, but all weighed by the same underlying exhaustion.

Elias exhaled sharply. "Like a bunch of defeated dogs."

He scanned the room, eyes landing on Kikaru.

She was off in the training area, tucked in the corner, sitting on the step-up table. Her shoulders hunched inward, her face buried into her arms. She looked like someone who had lost everything.

Elias sighed. "Not the time to shut down," he thought, his fists clenching.

They got their asses kicked.



Colby was gone.

The whole world now knew about shard users.

Big. Fucking. Deal.

Shaking his head, he strode forward, his pace quick and deliberate.

Just before he reached her, a firm hand gripped his wrist.

Elias snapped his head back, seeing Tidwell standing there. His normal jet-black hair shimmered with strands of deep blue, catching the room’s dim lighting.

"Hey, what the hell happened out there?" Tidwell’s voice was low, but firm.

"Might be best to give her some space."

Elias yanked his hand free. "I don’t know, I was on another team. But it wasn’t good."

His voice hardened. "The entire world knows about us now. The existence of shard users isn’t a secret anymore."

Tidwell flinched.

"Not that it matters," Elias continued, pushing forward. "Life isn’t going to slow down just because we failed."