Chapter 53: Opening Mission
Elara stepped through the front door, Elias following closely behind, his steps steady but hesitant. The crisp air outside greeted them, but before they could proceed, a sharp shout rang out behind them.
"Hey! Where the hell are you going with him?"
They turned in unison, both startled by the voice. Standing in the doorway was Oliver, his hair disheveled and his expression painted with panic. His breathing was uneven, and his eyes darted between them, carrying a sense of urgency Elias hadn’t seen before.
Elias froze for a moment, his eyes widening at the sheer panic radiating from Oliver. Why does he look so frantic? Is it because I’m leaving? The door was open—he couldn’t have been too surprised by this... could he? The words of the Doctor about perception echoed in his mind, sending a chill through him.
His thoughts were cut short by Elara’s commanding voice. "Warden Commander Exaizer directly assigned me and my team to locate and capture two new shard users off the coast of Veyrion, on Tuiyaki Resort. This mission is critical."
Oliver’s eyes narrowed, and his voice came sharp and unrelenting. "That’s fine, and you can take whatever team you want, Platoon Commander. But you are not authorized to take a shard user without explicit approval from Warden Commander Gera!"
Elias stood there, torn between speaking up and staying silent. The tension around them grew thick, and as he hesitated, the hairs on his arms stood on end. A sudden warmth bloomed in his chest, followed by a quiet but frantic voice.
Elara placed a hand on his shoulder and said, "Calm down; things will be alright. I’m here now... I’m sorry it took me so long."
"First Lieutenant Oliver," she continued, "I will not throw rank into this because I understand the situation and how our lives have been turned upside down over the last few weeks. But my main directive is to locate and bring in the two shard users on this island before they hurt someone, hurt themselves, or get attacked by the rebel group—or worse, get recruited by them. As of right now, we know they already have one shard user in the mix.