"Sorry, we're late," the woman said as she reached where Kael and the others were.
Kael looked up, still catching his breath.
She was tall, moving with purpose, her dark skin smooth and glistening under the neon glow. Streaks of silver ran through her dark hair, and her presence carried both strength and beauty.
"The signal was seen too late," she explained, genuinely apologetic. "This is the outer district, and with so many invader sightings… there were no free gifted. We had to leave our team behind to come here."
The nanite barrier had been taken down, and Tarek and the other scavengers emerged cautiously, scanning the area.
"Sure you were," Tarek said bitterly, scowling. "Just admit they didn't want to associate with us, bumps."
Kael could feel the class divide, but he hadn't realized it was this extreme.
"Kid, you okay?" Tarek asked, eyes fixed on him.
Kael just nodded. He wasn't sure himself. The shock of what had just happened still lingered, but he knew one thing — he hadn't died. That alone made him grateful. And now… he had a new weapon.
"My axe?" he muttered, looking around.
"This?" The huge, muscular man — Kael noticed his left arm was mechanical — asked in a deep voice, holding it out.
"Yeah." Kael took it, and immediately felt a surge of energy flow through his body.
As the huge man handed the axe back, he exchanged a look with the woman. She returned it with a subtle, 'I don't know' expression.
"Anyways, let's move," she said, urgency in her voice. "It's dangerous to stay. There might still be more invaders."
But now, all eyes were on Kael — Tarek especially — staring at the glowing axe in his hands.
_____________
"Lura?" Kael asked as he stepped into her bar.
Immediately, a tentacle shot out, wrapping around him and pulling him inward.
"Kael!!" Lura exclaimed, a mix of panic and relief in her voice. Another tentacle curled around him, patting the top of his head as she held him close.
Kael froze for a moment, stunned, then allowed himself to relax slightly. The weight of everything — the invaders, the fight, the chaos outside — seemed to lift just a little in her embrace.
"You… you're okay," Lura murmured, voice softening. "I thought… I thought I lost you."
Hearing that made him happier than he expected. Someone was genuinely glad he didn't die. Someone cared.
He was so glad he met Lura. She was the only reason he didn't want to die, the reason he actually enjoyed living.
Kael swallowed, chest still pounding. "I… I made it." He glanced down at the axe in his hands, the faint glow reflecting in the dim light of the bar. "And… I've got this now."
"Ahem," the gifted woman fake-coughed, drawing everyone's attention.
They all followed him to the bar. Even Tarek.
"I'll get drinks," Lura said, moving behind the counter.
"First," the woman began, pointing to herself, "my name is Tessa. And this is Jax" — the huge man — "Soren, Dax, Lyra, and Stella," she added, gesturing toward her teammates.
"And I want to apologize for not coming earlier," she continued, her gaze shifting to Kael. "It was irresponsible and unacceptable. But I heard you were able to defend yourself out there."
Tarek scowled, letting out a mocking sound just as Lura returned with water.
"We weren't aware that there was an unidentified gifted in the outer district," Jax said, looking at Kael with suspicion.
"Yeah, kid," Tarek added, laughing but with a tinge of jealousy. "Why didn't you tell us you were special instead of doing small jobs like scavenging with the rest of us?"
Kael didn't know what to say. He couldn't tell them the truth — that he wasn't actually gifted, that he'd been given this axe by the gods, and that he hadn't even realized it until he was on the brink of death.
"Can't you see you're overwhelming him?" Lura said, stepping between Kael and the group.
The tension eased slightly, though suspicion still lingered in the air.
"Sorry," Tessa said, raising her hands. "It's just… we know that being a gifted is a dangerous job. People tend to not register themselves as gifted to avoid being sent on raids to fight the invaders. That's why it's actually a crime to hide the fact that you're gifted."
Kael blinked, caught off guard. A crime? He hadn't known. He'd only been in this world for three months, and everything was still new, still overwhelming.
He shifted in his seat, glancing down at the glowing axe. "I… I didn't know," he said slowly, forcing his voice casual. "I always thought… being gifted meant you had… magic. You know, shooting fire or something. I… I don't do that. And this," he lifted the axe slightly, "isn't magic either."
He couldn't tell them the truth, so he had to lie — even though he was terrible at it. Luckily, they seemed to believe him.
Tessa studied him carefully, expression unreadable. After a moment, she leaned back slightly, letting the tension ease but keeping her eyes sharp. "Not all gifted have the same abilities," she said. "Some can manipulate elements, others move faster, or see things others can't. But there's a rare few… with a power called Armament Genesis."
Kael stared, curious, but kept his tone casual. "Armament… Genesis?"
"It's the ability to materialize a weapon," Tessa explained. "Not many have it, and even fewer survive long enough to truly control it. You… you might be one of those."
Kael nodded, keeping it light, hiding the flicker of panic under a thin smile. "Ah… yeah, guess I just got lucky then," he muttered. "Never thought of it that way. Just… happened to get this axe, that's all."
Tessa's gaze lingered on him, sharp and calculating. "Having Armament Genesis doesn't mean you're safe," she said. "But you are special. The ability is powerful and could be useful in eradicating the invaders."
Kael forced a swallow and nodded again. Inside, his mind was racing. Everything was falling apart again. He now had to register as a gifted even though he wasn't, but he couldn't say anything. How else would he explain getting the axe? And now, he had to fight invaders — who could kill him easily — or risk being jailed.
"Sure," Kael said, forcing the words out. The last thing he wanted to do was fight, but deep down he knew he had no choice. Again.