The neon glow of Neo-Seoul's skyline was dimmed by the media storm that erupted after Min-jun Park's arrest. News channels looped grainy drone footage of the attack on his home, painting a grim picture: a high school boy, drunk on supernatural power, unleashing a Black Heart rampage that left Black Lotus thugs mangled—limbs torn, blood pooling in grotesque patterns—and two "innocent civilians" wounded. Headlines screamed: "Teen Vigilante or Monster?" Reporters, primed by government leaks, spun the narrative of Min-jun as a reckless menace, his shadow powers a threat to public safety. The public, still scarred by the Cataclysm's chaos, ate it up, fear and fascination fueling heated debates.
At the Korean Government Headquarters, Minister of Defense Jae-hoon Lee watched the broadcasts with a satisfied smirk, his fire affinity flickering in his clenched fists. "The boy's finished," he told his aide, Soo-min Park. "Civilian mana misuse, endangering non-combatants—he's ours now. The SDF can't shield him without breaking their own neutrality laws." The government's trap had worked: Min-jun, a civilian, was bound by their rules, not the SDF's special exemptions for members. Arrested and held in a mana-suppressing cell, his fate hung in the balance.
But at the SDF's Second Division Headquarters, Division Captain Ji-yeon Kim sat at her office desk, her earth manipulation powers subtly cracking the wood as she watched the news. She'd seen this coming—governments had long coveted Black Heart users, and Min-jun's controlled chaos was too tempting a prize. "They set him up," she muttered, replaying the drone footage. The "civilians" moved too deliberately, their wounds too convenient. She'd prepared for this moment, but her plan required approval from the top. She sent an encrypted request to the SDF Korean Branch Commander, calling for an emergency meeting of all five Division Captains.
The meeting convened in a fortified chamber at the SDF's Neo-Seoul base, mana-jamming fields ensuring secrecy. The Commander, a grizzled veteran named Hyeon-soo Choi with gravity manipulation powers, sat at the head of the table, his presence commanding silence. The five Division Captains—Ji-yeon (Second, earth), Min-soo Kang (First, lightning), Soo-jin Lee (Third, water), Dae-hyun Park (Fourth, telekinesis), and Eun-ji Choi (Fifth, illusion)—faced him, each a powerhouse in their own right.
Ji-yeon stood, her voice steady but urgent. "Min-jun Park is no ordinary civilian. His Black Heart power is unprecedented—he controls it, unlike any case we've seen. The government staged that attack, embedding fake civilians to force his hand. If we let them take him, they'll experiment or execute him. We can't recruit him directly; he's 17, underage by SDF law. But I propose a new diplomacy: establish a Recruit Squad Program for underage potentials."
The room stirred. Min-soo, the First Division Captain, raised an eyebrow. "A training squad for kids? That's a stretch, Ji-yeon."
She pressed on. "These squads would train to become full SDF members, granted privileges but not full rights until they're of age. To save Min-jun, we make him the captain of the first squad. As a captain, he'd gain full SDF membership status—rights, privileges, immunity from civilian laws. The government couldn't touch him without violating international treaties."
Soo-jin, the Third Division Captain, leaned back, her water affinity rippling in a glass nearby. "You're betting a lot on a kid who just tore through a house with shadows. If he's unstable, he's a liability to us, not just the government. And captaining a squad at 17? That's reckless."
Dae-hyun, Fourth Division Captain, nodded in agreement with Ji-yeon. "The boy's control is what makes him valuable. I've seen the footage—insanity should've taken him, but he pulled back. That's rare. A squad could keep him grounded, monitored."
Eun-ji, Fifth Division Captain, added, "We'd need at least four members for a squad, per SDF protocol. Pick from his school—Haneul Academy's crawling with potential. But Soo-jin's right: one slip, and he's a PR disaster."
Commander Hyeon-soo's gravity powers pulsed, silencing the room. "The government's playing dirty, and Black Lotus is still out there, hunting Black Hearts. If this boy's as powerful as you say, Ji-yeon, he's a weapon we can't let fall into the wrong hands—or a threat we can't ignore. Your plan's bold, but risky. I'll approve it, pending squad formation. Find three more recruits, fast. And keep the government out of it."
Back at Haneul Academy, Min-jun's absence left a void. Ji-hoon Kim, his best friend, was a storm of restless energy, his kinetic bursts cracking pavement during after-school training. He hadn't told anyone about Min-jun's Black Heart, bound by their childhood pact—when Min-jun had first unleashed it to save him from thugs, blood and screams painting the alley, only to beg Ji-hoon to kill him if he ever lost control. Now, with Min-jun in a cell, Ji-hoon trained harder, his smarts driving him to master his powers. "I won't let you fall, man," he muttered, slamming a burst into a dummy, splintering it.
Aiko Tanaka, meanwhile, was a whirlwind of guilt and determination. She'd slipped into the school's library, hacking SDF channels with Eclipse Collective codes to track Min-jun's case. Her family's mission—to stop Black Heart weaponization—aligned with saving him, but her growing feelings complicated things. She approached Ji-hoon during a break, her wind powers rustling her hair. "We need to get Min-jun out," she said. "The government's framing him. My people can help, but we need a plan."
Ji-hoon's eyes narrowed, his Asta-like energy tempered by suspicion. "Your people? You're not just a transfer student, are you? Spill it, Tanaka."
Before she could, Soo-jin Han approached, her illusion powers casting a soft glow around her. She'd been devastated by Min-jun's arrest, her crush fueling her resolve. "I overheard you," she said, voice trembling but firm. "I want to help Min-jun too. My illusions can fool security, maybe get us into wherever they're holding him."
The trio froze as Klara Weiss, the SDF's telepathic "instructor," appeared, her gaze sharp. "You three are loud," she said, her aura probing their thoughts. "Lukas sent me to find recruits. Park's situation just got complicated, and you're all on the shortlist."
As the government tightened its grip and the SDF moved to counter, Min-jun sat in his cell, shadows flickering despite the mana cuffs. His cool-headed mind pieced together the trap, but the Black Heart whispered, tempting him to break free in a storm of gore. The game was shifting—freedom meant becoming a captain, but at what cost?