Chapter 41: Spock and Colby
"Sure," a calm voice chimed, and Elias turned to see the man's Ikona. Spock was a small, fox-like creature with light gray stripes along its stomach and glowing yellow eyes. The tiny creature brought its hands together, pressing them against the shard embedded in the man's shoulder, where it stuck out faintly.
The air around the vortex shifted, condensing into a tangible form. Slowly, it took the shape of a hilt and a short blade, the edges faintly rippling like liquid.
Elias watched intently, his curiosity piqued. "That's... not bad," he said, nodding in approval.
The young man dismissed the blade with a flick of his wrist, the air dispersing harmlessly. "It's handy. Not as flashy as what you pulled earlier, but it works."
Dot floated closer, inspecting Spock with interest. "Pretty cool!" she chirped. "You guys make a good team."
Elias crossed his arms, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "Seems like everyone here has their own tricks. Makes me wonder what else I'm going to see."
The young man shrugged, chewing on his gum thoughtfully. "Who knows? Hopefully, we get a chance at fresh air soon. This place is nice and all, but being cooped up like this is draining. I get why they're doing it, but..." He hesitated, looking off into the distance. "It's still stupid."
Elias raised an eyebrow. "Really? You think so?"
"Yeah," the young man replied, his tone more serious. "I mean, imagine this: a bunch of people suddenly start developing superpowers while we're dealing with an alien threat nobody really understands. Sure, the government's keeping things tight-lipped, but what else can they do?" He exhaled sharply. "That said, if this drags on much longer, they'd better understand that I'll do whatever it takes to protect my little sister."
Elias leaned back slightly, digesting the words. "If push came to shove," the young man continued, "where would you stand? I know you just got here, but I imagine there's something—or someone—important to you too."
The sudden shift in tone caught Elias off guard. Dot whispered excitedly near his ear, "Ooh, this is getting interesting!"