Seth's POV Ceres came back exactly ten minutes later.The door slid open without warning, and she stepped inside like she had never left, black coat moving slightly with the air behind her. Her eyes scanned me once, slow and precise, taking in the uniform, the boots, the way I stood.She nodded once. “Good. Follow me.”I stepped past her, careful not to rush, careful not to hesitate. Every movement mattered now. Every signal I sent could be read the wrong way. Ceres didn’t strike me as the type who tolerated uncertainty.We moved through the corridors in silence. No guards stopped us as doors opened automatically, hallways that had felt oppressive before now felt bare before me. Like the facility itself bent around her presence.That told me more than any briefing ever could.We climbed a set of stairs that hadn’t been there before or maybe they had, and I simply hadn’t noticed. The air grew colder the higher we went.When the final door opened, cold night air slammed into my face.I

Seth's POV I stayed silent beside her, still processing the gym session. The three other evolved, my unexpected sparring audience had left me and stood in front of a vehicle, presumably following us convoy to the main base. Their presence lingered in my mind, a reminder that this wasn’t some random gang. These were professionals, and I was slowly learning that Ceres wasn’t just a random operative. She commanded them with authority, and more importantly, they followed without question.Ceres finally broke the silence... “You’ve proven yourself. Now, any of them want to challenge you?”I glanced at her, confused, but she didn’t give me time to respond. She turned slightly to look back at the three in the other car, signaling something I couldn’t fully see. There was a brief pause, a flicker of hesitation from the other three, and then, predictably, none of them moved.Ceres exhaled softly, a half smile playing at her lips. “Figures. They know better than to test a freshly recognized as

After the meeting ended, no one spoke to me, well not immediately, anyway.One of the guards, dressed in black tactical gear with the Revolution’s insignia stitched faintly into his shoulder, gestured for me to follow. Ceres didn’t look back, didn’t say a word, she just walked out with the other captains like I was already old news. That alone unsettled me more than any threat could have.I followed the guard through a series of hallways that twisted deeper into the castle. The walls were stone, thick and ancient, but reinforced with modern steel frames and embedded lights that hummed softly. Whoever built this place had money, vision, and patience... A lot of patience.We stopped in front of a heavy door, much like the others, except this one had no visible camera and no external lock.“This is yours,” the guard said flatly as he opened it. “Personal quarters. You’re to remain inside the castle unless your captain gives permission. Training grounds and kitchen are accessible. Medical

Seth’s POVThe car smelled like oil, metal, and something burned into the upholstery long before I ever sat in it. The engine hummed low, steady, like it had made this trip too many times to care anymore. Ceres drove with one hand on the wheel, relaxed, as if we were heading to a meeting instead of a battlefield.I stared out the window, watching the dark blur past, trees thinning into broken land and concrete scars. Camps like this were never placed somewhere clean. They thrived in forgotten spaces. Places no one would miss if they burned.“Where are the others?” I asked, keeping my voice neutral.Ceres didn’t look at me right away. “Redeployed,” she said. “Different camp with a higher priority.”That answer sat wrong in my chest.“Just us?” I pressed.“For this operation,” she replied. “Yes.”The silence that followed was thick, heavy. I didn’t like being alone with her thoughts. Ceres was dangerous not just because of her ability, but because she enjoyed watching people figure out

Seth's POVA struggle like this lingered in me after the struggle itself.Not the movements. Not the blows. These faded quickly, stored away with the rest of the physical memories. But the sensation, the weight in my chest, the shakes long after the adrenaline left my system that stayed.I had raised my fists against my own people.No. That wasn’t true.I hadn’t fought them. I had fought the uniform, the orders, the situation.“That’s the lie I kept telling myself,” that's how I summed up... It was a quiet road from here to the castle. Too quiet. They drove along the road hugging the cliff, with the moonlit sea shimmering far below like a scattering of broken glass. The wind beat against the windows with a mournful, deep moaning noise, and I tried to hear what guilt sounded like when words failed.Ceres drove as if nothing had happened.One hand on the steering wheel, a relaxed posture, humming to herself as if after a successful training mission rather than a field where blood and sm