The lab was dimly lit, the faint hum of machinery the only sound cutting through the silence. Aiko sat at the edge of a long, metal table, hands folded as he tried to steady his thoughts. The weight of leadership was something he never thought he’d have to bear again. But as the seconds ticked by, the silence in the room grew heavier, each one more oppressive than the last. This wasn’t the quiet of a momentary lull; it was the kind of silence that came before a storm. And Aiko felt as though he were standing at its center, waiting for it to hit.

  Dr. Haraway moved about the lab, inspecting the various pieces of equipment that littered the workbenches—tools, devices, and papers strewn about in a manner that looked chaotic to the untrained eye, but to her, it was all part of a delicate symphony. Aiko wasn’t sure how she could work in such disorder, but he had learned over the past weeks that genius often thrived in mess. She’d been working non-stop, refining the Pact-Device, its promise hanging over them all like an unspoken question. Was it the key to humanity’s survival, or was it the very thing that would accelerate their downfall?

  “You’re quiet today,” Aiko remarked, his voice slicing through the tense stillness of the lab. He wasn’t used to this kind of silence—not when Aria was around. She usually filled the space with her sharp words or her ever-analytical observations, but today, she was unnervingly silent.

  Aria stood beside him, arms crossed tightly over her chest. Her posture was rigid, and her eyes flicked back and forth, scanning every corner of the lab, her senses on high alert as always. Her eyes narrowed slightly as they settled on the glowing Pact-Device, the object of so much hope and dread. It pulsed softly, almost as if it had a life of its own, and its faint light reflected in Aria’s eyes as she gave a sharp nod to Aiko’s words.

  “Just thinking,” she said, her voice low and measured. “Thinking about what happens after. After we use it. If we use it.”

  Aiko tilted his head slightly, studying her profile. “What’s got you so worked up?”

  Her gaze lingered on the device, then slid to the others in the room. “I don’t know. This... device. It could be a game changer, but it could also be a weapon. We’ve already seen the destruction the Anomalies are capable of. And now we’re going to weaponize them? Doesn’t sit right with me.”

  Aiko let out a soft breath. “I get it. We’re playing with fire. But sometimes, fire’s the only way to fight fire.” He looked at Dr. Haraway, who was adjusting the settings on the Pact-Device, her eyes narrowed in concentration. “What other choice do we have?”

  Aria didn’t respond immediately, her expression unreadable. She wasn’t sure whether she was talking about the device or the larger question they were all avoiding—the question of whether they were even doing the right thing. The weight of leadership loomed over Aiko like an invisible force. He’d never asked for this role, but it was thrust upon him, and now he had to carry the mantle.

  Suddenly, Dr. Haraway’s voice broke through his thoughts. “Everyone’s here,” she said, not looking up from her work. “Lumen, Kai, gather around. We need to discuss our next steps.”

  Aiko pushed himself up from the table and motioned for Aria to follow. They made their way to the far side of the room where Lumen, the engineer, and Kai, the mysterious figure, stood. Lumen was hunched over a set of blueprints, scribbling furiously on a pad of paper. His wild brown hair looked as though it hadn’t seen a comb in days, and his goggles were perched on his forehead, showing the signs of many long hours spent at the workbench. His eyes darted from the blueprints to the device, then to the screen displaying a map of Sector Prime. Despite his unkempt appearance, Lumen’s mind was sharp, calculating, and capable of seeing connections others missed.

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  Kai, on the other hand, stood opposite Lumen, his body stiff, his posture straight, and his hands clasped behind his back. His expression was stoic, giving nothing away, but there was something about him that unsettled Aiko. He wasn’t sure whether it was the rumors that swirled about Kai—about his mysterious past and potential powers—or the way the man seemed to be constantly observing everything around him, like a predator waiting to strike. Aiko had yet to learn the full extent of Kai’s abilities, but his instincts screamed that Kai was a wildcard. Dangerous, yet invaluable.

  Dr. Haraway clapped her hands together, drawing their attention back to the task at hand. “I’ve gathered you all because you are the best of what remains,” she began, her voice steady and unwavering. “This is our last chance. We need to move quickly. Time is not on our side.”

  Aiko stood up straighter, the weight of responsibility settling over him once more. The moment had arrived—the moment they needed to decide what their next step would be. “What’s the plan, Dr. Haraway?” he asked, trying to keep his voice steady despite the churn of emotions beneath the surface.

  “We’ve received intelligence that a powerful Anomaly is converging on Sector Prime,” she explained, her tone now laced with urgency. “It’s unlike anything we’ve encountered before, and if we don’t act fast, we’ll lose the city. That’s where the Pact-Devices come in.” She motioned to the device that lay between them, its light flickering in time with the beat of their racing hearts. “We need to gather those who can bond with these devices. That’s where you come in, Aiko.”

  Aiko blinked, momentarily stunned. “Me?” he asked, surprised that his name was being tied to such a critical task.

  “Yes,” Dr. Haraway replied, her gaze unwavering. “You’ve shown potential—an aptitude for leadership. You will help recruit those who can wield the Pact-Device’s power. You will help bind them to it and lead them into the field. They will be the ones to face the Anomalies, but only if you can unite them.”

  Aiko’s mind raced. He’d never seen himself as a leader—not in the traditional sense. Leadership had always been about survival—about making tough decisions, but this… this was different. This was about trust, about getting others to follow him even when he wasn’t sure where they were headed.

  Aria caught his gaze, sensing his hesitation. “You’re already a leader,” she said quietly, her voice steady and comforting. “You just haven’t realized it yet.”

  Aiko swallowed hard, trying to process her words. Could he really do this? Could he bring together a group of Bonders—individuals who could bond with the Pact-Devices—and lead them into battle? Aiko didn’t know the answer, but he knew one thing: he didn’t have a choice.

  Lumen, who had been silent up until now, lifted his gaze from his blueprints and gave a crooked smile. “I’m no leader, but I’ll follow whatever gets us through this alive,” he said, his voice laced with determination.

  Kai didn’t speak, but his gaze lingered on Aiko, intense and probing, as though he were trying to read the very essence of Aiko’s soul. It was unsettling, to say the least, but Aiko forced himself to meet Kai’s gaze. He had to. He was the one who had to make this work. Not just for him, but for everyone in this room.

  “We need to find the Bonders,” Dr. Haraway continued, drawing a series of coordinates on a map that appeared on the screen behind her. “These individuals are the ones who have the rare ability to bond with the Pact-Devices. We don’t know how many there are, but we have a few leads. They’re scattered across the ruins of different sectors. Some may be willing to help us, some may not even know their abilities. It’s up to you to find them, Aiko.”

  Aiko’s eyes scanned the coordinates. Each location was in a different sector, many of them perilous, crawling with Anomalies or hostile factions. Gathering the Bonders would be a monumental task, but it was their only hope.

  He exhaled slowly. “Where do we start?”

  Dr. Haraway smiled faintly, a look of quiet approval on her face. “Lumen has already pinpointed a few candidates. The first is in Sector Delta. A young girl named Mira. She’s a survivor, and the reports suggest she has the potential to bond with the device.”

  Aria straightened, her expression hardening. “Sector Delta. That’s one of the most dangerous sectors. If we’re going in there, we need to be ready for anything.”

  Aiko nodded, feeling the weight of the decision pressing down on him. “We go to them, then,” he said, his voice steady. “We find them, we convince them. Simple as that.”

  Lumen adjusted his goggles and grinned. “Simple? Maybe not. But we’ll make it work.”

  Kai remained silent, his eyes still fixed on Aiko. Aiko wasn’t sure if that look was one of approval or challenge, but he steeled himself. This mission wasn’t just about finding the Bonders