Cold. That was the first thing Arin noticed—the room was unnaturally cold.
He stood in the center of a wide circular chamber, surrounded by elevated desks arranged in a crescent. Soldiers guarded the entrance. The air felt heavy, as if judgment itself was pressing against his chest.
His wrists were bound by metallic restraints etched with glowing glyphs. They weren't normal cuffs—they suppressed energy, making even movement slightly painful.
Across from him, five figures sat—watching.
The Council.
General Arkan sat in the center—his hard gaze like iron. Scars ran down his cheek, his uniform sharp and imposing.
"Subject: Arin. Age: 19. Unregistered. Uncontrolled anomaly. Nearly caused a massacre. State your origin."
Arin clenched his jaw. His mouth tasted bitter. He could feel something itching in his neck—a faint whisper… watching. Don't speak my name, Kalkin's voice flickered faintly in his mind, like a venom-laced warning.
He forced calm. "I was just… born somewhere else. I didn't mean for anyone to get hurt."
A low hum of disapproval passed through the room.
Elder Vardesh, draped in ceremonial robes with a wooden staff, leaned forward, his eyes cold like still water.
"Lies. I sense corruption in his spirit. The Mother rejects creatures like him. He is marked."
Arin's heartbeat hammered. His mind flashed back to Kalkin's mark burning into his neck. Did this old man sense it?
Dr. Ruelle, smiling with eerie calm, scribbled something on a tablet.
"If he is 'marked,' we should confirm it biologically. Dissection may reveal the external source of his power."
Arin's fists tightened inside the cuffs
Ruelle tilted her head, smiling too kindly for someone casually suggesting cutting him open.
"In fact… his regenerative rate was unnatural. He survived injuries that should have ended him. This requires medical investigation."
Lt. Kara, strict and unreadable, crossed her arms.
"Regulation Section 14: Any unregistered threat-level entity must be neutralized or detained indefinitely unless vouched for by a ranking officer."
General Arkan slammed a fist onto the table.
"And no one has vouched for him. Which means—execution is the most efficient route."
Arin stepped forward, breath sharp.
"Execution?! I saved them! I killed that monster because your soldiers were dying!"
General Arkan glared down at him.
"You also nearly wiped out what remained of Unit 3 when your aura spiked. You became a larger threat than the beast."
A murmur of agreement rippled across the council.
Arin bit his lip. Rage crawled up his spine. Behind his eyes, a faint echo of laughter…
Kalkin… whispering in delight. "Go on. Show them. They fear you. Make them kneel."
Arin inhaled sharply. Not now. NOT NOW.
Elder Vardesh raised his staff.
"He has tasted forbidden force. His presence rejects the Mother's blessing. He is cursed and must be purified—either by flame or blade."
Forbidden… cursed… must be purified. The words rang like knives.
Something within Arin's chest began to throb—dark, unstable. His pupils narrowed. The restraints creaked slightly as his muscles tensed.
One more insult.
One more accusation.
One more step toward losing control.
General Arkan stood.
"In accordance with military law and spirit decree—I hereby recommend immediate eradicat—"
SLAM.
The chamber doors burst open with a thunderous crash.
Bootsteps. Slow. Confident.
A voice drawled lazily:
"Oi. If you're gonna kill him, you better add my name to that execution list too."
Arin's eyes widened.
Standing at the doorway, grinning like this was just another sunny afternoon—
Om Sai.
Om Sai walked in as if he owned the place, tossing his coat over his shoulder.
He pointed casually at Arin with his thumb.
"That kid? Yeah, he's mine now. My responsibility. My future trainee. So if he screws up…"
He placed a hand casually on his own neck.
"You can put the blade here first."
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Arin didn't know whether to feel relieved, shocked… or terrified.
Because the idiot smiling at the council just risked his own life—
for him.
A cold silence filled the war council chamber. The silver insignias of authority gleamed across the long arc-shaped table where the high-ranking officials sat. Arin stood in the center, bound by glowing suppression chains etched with Astra symbols, each pulse draining his strength. The air felt heavy—not from physical pressure, but judgment.
Commander Aisha stood among the panel, her eyes unreadable but fixed. Shivani—still bandaged, still pale—was present too, standing behind the council with a tense jaw. Riku and Miran were not here; their injuries still required intensive care. Goru was in critical condition elsewhere. And Vayushri watched unseen, hidden in silence from within his soul link, trembling.
Arin said nothing. He simply stared at the floor, exhausted but unwavering.
A stern elder general slammed a palm onto the table. "Arin, temporarily enlisted MEU recruit… You wielded unknown, unauthorized power within a mission zone, disobeyed orders, endangered your squad, and nearly caused multiple deaths."
They didn't mention that he also saved them. The council wasn't here to praise—they were here to measure whether he was an asset or a threat worth erasing.
Another official continued. "Your power was not Astra. It was something else. Something violent. Something… unstable. Can you even explain what you are?"
Arin stayed quiet.
Another leaned forward. "Are you a threat to this city?"
Still… silence.
Shivani's fists clenched behind him. She couldn't speak—she wasn't authorized.
The silence turned suffocating.
A general stood. "If he refuses to speak or comply, the only logical conclusion is termination."
Shivani took a step forward unconsciously. Aisha's hand subtly blocked her. Arin slowly lifted his face.
There was no fear. Only tired acceptance. As if he'd always expected this.
The council head nodded grimly. "Execution—"
CRASH!
A loud crack exploded through the chamber doors as they were kicked open with absurd force.
Everyone turned sharply.
A man walked in lazily, hands in pockets, annoyed expression on his face as if someone interrupted his nap. His coat hung loosely, a cigarette dangling from his lips (unlit, because smoking inside the council hall was forbidden—but he did it anyway).
"Yo. Sorry. I overslept."
Om Sai.
Every soldier standing in the chamber tensed. Every council member frowned. Commander Aisha's eyebrow twitched—but only slightly.
The council head's face hardened. "Om Sai. You are not authorized to breach a trial session—"
Om Sai ignored him. He walked straight past them, stopping by Arin's side like he was checking on a buddy after a bar fight.
He scratched his head. "Man… look at you. Almost got executed before breakfast. That's rough."
The council head slammed the table hammer. "Om Sai! You are crossing the line—"
Om Sai finally spoke, casually but clearly. "I'll take responsibility."
Every official in the room froze.
"From this moment on," Om Sai continued, resting one hand on Arin's chained shoulder, "if this guy screws up—destroy me instead."
A gasp spread through the room like a shockwave.
The council head's eyes widened. "Do you understand what you're saying? You are the top-ranked entity in this region!"
Om Sai smirked. "Exactly. If even I can't control him, then you'll know he's truly dangerous enough to kill."
The room fell silent.
Shivani looked stunned. Aisha's eyes narrowed, assessing something deeper. One councilwoman leaned forward.
"Om Sai… are you sure?"
He smiled. "Yeah. I like this kid. He's interesting." Then his grin dropped, and a serious glint flashed in his eyes. "And I refuse to let someone like him be thrown away without knowing what he's really capable of."
Silence.
Then the council head gave one final warning. "Very well. But understand this: if Arin becomes a threat to this city… your life is the first cost we will collect."
Om Sai stretched lazily. "Yeah yeah, sounds romantic. Can we wrap this up? I haven't had breakfast yet."
The council gave final approval.
The chains binding Arin glowed… then released.
His body nearly buckled, but he stood on pure will.
For a moment… he couldn't speak. He simply stared at Om Sai.
The strongest man in the region had just bet his life on him.
Om Sai tapped his forehead lightly. "Oi. Don't look so dramatic. I didn't do it for you."
Arin blinked.
Om Sai's grin returned, lazy and sharp. "I did it because I'm bored."
Arin almost huffed a breath—something between disbelief and reluctant amusement.
But behind that casual grin… Om Sai looked like he'd already seen something terrifying deep inside Arin.
As Arin stepped out of the chamber with Om Sai, one councilwoman whispered to another:
"That boy's eyes… in that moment of silence… did you see it?"
The other replied softly: "Yes. For a split second… something ancient looked back at us."