he shuttle broke through the clouds of Velros-9 with a low hum. Kael stared out the window, expecting wildlands or ruins.
But what he saw… was a town.
Buildings stretched out in grids — shops, homes, forge yards. Steam rose from heat vents along the rooftops. Solar lights lined narrow streets. Farmers worked fields near the edges of the perimeter fences. Civilians.
"People live here?" Kael asked, more to himself than anyone else.
"Yeah," a cadet nearby answered with a shrug. "This place's cheaper than Earth. Safer too."
The ship touched down on a reinforced platform just outside the settlement walls. As the cadets disembarked, they were met by a waiting officer — a local hunter with rough skin and beastbone armor on his shoulders.
"Listen up, cadets," he barked. "This isn't a drill field. It's a real planet. That means no rules once you step past the outer fence. You've got one mission — secure a core from a low-class Velkra Coil. Bring it back. Don't die."
He handed out digital maps — rectangular wristbands that flickered to life with a 3D terrain model.
"Form squads of five. Your map syncs to your squad. Don't wander solo. Last group back buys cleanup duty for the whole batch."
Kael stood off to the side, waiting for the others to pair off. He knew how this went.
But this time… someone stepped up beside him.
"Join us," said a voice.
It was Feyla, the water girl from Group Two. She had three others standing behind her — cadets Kael vaguely recognized from drills.
"You sure?" he asked.
She nodded once.
Group Two – Unit 7 was formed.
Feyla, calm and focused Rin, a wind user who couldn't stop talking Mila, a grounded earth-type who gave no-nonsense orders Jaro, whose idea of fire control was more like heat maintenance
They weren't strong. But they weren't cruel, either.
That was enough for Kael.
The forest outside the settlement was thick with moss and hanging vines. The deeper they walked, the quieter it got. Occasionally, Kael spotted strange claw marks on tree trunks or scattered bones near dried-up creeks. Rin made jokes to cut the tension. Mila kept checking the map.
"Velkra Coil should be about two clicks northeast," she said. "Looks like two other squads already headed that way."
They moved carefully — sticking to shallow ridges and low cover — until they reached a slope overlooking a dried riverbed.
There it was.
The Velkra Coil lay stretched beneath the canopy — fifteen meters long, its scales rippling like polished armor. It was sleeping. But nearby, two smaller cadet teams were already moving into position, trying to circle it.
"This isn't our fight," Mila said. "Let them do the work."
"Cowards," Jaro muttered.
"No," Feyla cut in. "Smart."
They crouched and watched as the two teams launched their ambush — wind blasts, heat strikes, and sharp roots snapping from the ground.
The Velkra hissed awake, tail whipping through the air.
Kael felt his pulse spike. Even from a distance, the sheer force of the beast was terrifying.
As the fight raged, Kael shifted slightly to find a better view.
And that's when he heard it.
Footsteps. Behind them.
"Hey, well well — look who's sightseeing."
Kael turned.
Torrin Vale.
Flanked by two other Group One cadets.
The elite bullies.
"Didn't expect to see you out here, Blank," Torrin said. "Thought you'd be hiding back in the shuttle, sorting laundry."
Kael stepped between them and his squad. "We're not looking for trouble."
"Course not. You never are."
Torrin's gravity pulse hit Kael square in the chest, knocking him to the dirt.
Jaro flinched. Mila clenched her fists.
"Torrin, stop," Feyla warned.
Another pulse. Kael groaned.
"Let's see how far he can roll," Torrin sneered, raising a hand.
Feyla stepped forward. "Enough! You'll get us all disqualified!"
But Torrin didn't care.
One final strike hit Kael in the ribs.
The world spun.
He stumbled backward.
One step.
Two.
Nothing.
Just open air behind him.
Feyla screamed. "Kael!"
Kael's foot missed the edge. Gravity took hold.
He fell.
Off the cliff.
Off the mission.
Off the map.