Seth sat in the front passenger seat of a sleek black sedan, relaxed. He enjoyed the chill of the air conditioning as Lara drove him to their destination.
With Trisha silently sitting behind, staring through the window, at this moment one would almost think she was enjoying the scenery — though that wasn’t possible since she was blind.
Something that Seth hoped would change, or at least become slightly better, after she ascended.
Before long, the car came to a slow halt as Lara switched off the engine.
Seth’s eyelids broke open, realizing that they had arrived at their destination. The place was unfamiliar, but just from the view beyond the parking lot Seth concluded it had to be a military facility of sorts.
"I assumed we would be heading to the Pentagon..." Seth remarked as he alighted from the vehicle, squinting at the unfamiliar construct in the distance.
Lara smiled and replied as she shut the door on her side, "Actually, the Pentagon is the headquarters of defense overseeing all other military branches in the country. It’s not suitable for what we are doing today."
Seth nodded, following behind as Lara led them forward through the parking lot and eventually into the massive building...
Wherever they passed, soldiers that caught sight of the three instantly saluted in respect, no one interrupting them or even trying to approach.
Lara glanced at Seth. Smiling at him, she asked, "Have you noticed anything special?"
Seth’s expression remained passive. Glancing at the few soldiers, he replied with a question of his own. "Is it that serious?"
Lara’s expression suddenly went grim. She remained silent for a few seconds and then nodded. "It’s getting worse. At this point the military is split into two factions — we, the new bloods, and those that hold on to the ideology of the past, the iron bloods."
Calling the names of the hateful bunch, a flicker of detest flashed in her eyes. She clenched tightly, as thinking about them seemed to fuel her burning fury.
Receiving this information, Seth just nodded silently. By asking if he noticed anything special, she was obviously pointing out the fact that the military personnel here seemed especially young.
And they all wore a sigil on their military uniform, one that didn’t align with any military branch he was familiar with.
It seemed the issue they had worried about back during the research facility incident was worse than they thought.
The military higher-ups really didn’t like the fact that young, uncontrollable teens seemed to be taking vital posts and wielding powers beyond their control.
The second part especially — they definitely weren’t happy that these children, in their eyes, carried a strength that they couldn’t control.
Even if Seth and the others, the Apex and Alpha team, cooperated for now, what if one day they suddenly decided to rebel?
What could the government do then?
They arrived before the metal double doors. Lara stepped forward and placed her card on the scanner, and with a green flash and a mechanical hiss the doors parted.
Within were six figures — the other members of Team Alpha, Lara’s teammates.
All six rose to their feet on seeing Seth, greeting him respectfully. Obviously, their competitive edge had long been filed blunt.
Especially since now they needed Seth in order to advance to a higher rank.
Seth waved his hands and gave a friendly smile. "It’s nice to see you all, but there’s really no need for this much courtesy, guys. We are all age mates. Doing this will only make me feel more awkward."
The six visibly relaxed, the tension in their hearts easing in response to Seth’s casual and friendly response.
Taking a seat, Seth relaxed and stretched. He glanced at Lara. "I was of the impression that we were going to initiate the ascension right away... it seems I was wrong?"
Lara also took a seat opposite him. Nodding, she responded, "As much as I’d love to initiate the process right away, you see, among the fifty evolvers only twenty-one are from the new blood faction."
Pausing, she sighed helplessly and continued, "While we are very ready on our end, the iron bloods aren’t. They say they need to speak to you before we commence anything."
Seth’s brows furrowed a little. "Well, that’s inconvenient. I would like to get this done with as soon as possible. I have other things to do, you know..."
But Lara quickly assured him, "Don’t worry, they shouldn’t take long—"
A sharp buzz rang out, cutting her off. Her eyes flashed as she rephrased her words. "It seems they are here already."
The metallic doors parted, revealing three figures in decorated military wear — an elder at the very front while the other two, a step behind, were middle-aged.
The three marched in silently... and instantly Seth could feel the tension.
All seven members of Team Alpha glared at the three with cold gazes and stoic expressions. Contrary to the respectful greetings they paid Seth, until the three took their seats the room remained silent.
Seth frowned. A conflict like this definitely wouldn’t benefit humanity, but it still showed the fragile bond of the human race. He couldn’t imagine how much worse it would get once other countries entered the picture.
At this rate, would unification even be possible?
They had a ticking clock on their heads. War would begin anytime soon, but that still didn’t discourage internal conflict.
The human heart really was fickle...
In tense silence, the three took their seats, their gazes tracing through the others until they halted at Seth’s frame.
But still they didn’t speak, merely staring, causing Seth’s frown to deepen.
"Ahem!" Trisha feigned a cough and spoke to lighten the atmosphere. "Since all parties are present, we should start the meeting in order not to waste time. We don’t have all day..."
The silence still lingered...
The elder figure centering the three newcomers relaxed his back, resting a single arm on his armrest. His gaze remained on Seth.
His lips moved, and a disciplined, bold voice rang as he introduced himself. "Well... you can call me Charles Holmes, Brigadier General Charles Holmes."
Seth nodded in slight acknowledgement. It wasn’t as though he didn’t have a bit of resentment for the other side — he recalled how he was treated back at the research facility clearly.
The two by the brigadier general’s side seemed upset by Seth’s reaction to their superior’s introduction, yet they didn’t say anything. They didn’t dare to.
Leaning forward a bit, the brigadier general explained the objective of this meeting clearly. "Sorry for the inconvenience, but would you walk us through the process of ascending the evolutional ranks?"
{A/N:} Okay guys, don’t forget to gift and vote — these are the fuel for my imagination and motivation. Plus, they support my work by providing visibility to the algorithm for future features and exposure. 🙏🙏