Inside the Joint Operations Conference Room of the compound…
Ethan and his team took their seats one by one, facing General Cross and the other senior officers.
Despite sitting across from the former Joint Base Commander—now the leader of a compound with over 300,000 survivors—none of them looked the least bit tense.
General Cross had the kind of commanding presence that came from years in power and a lifetime in the military. Most people couldn't help but feel the pressure when facing him.
But not these eight.
They sat calm, composed, completely unfazed.
That kind of ease didn't come from arrogance—it came from strength.
General Cross studied them for a moment, a flicker of emotion in his eyes. Maybe awe. Maybe respect.
It had been years since he'd seen young people who could sit across from him like this and not flinch. He'd had his doubts before, but now? He was almost certain.
No one could sit through his presence like that without serious power backing them up.
