Chapter 106: Re-Stone
Elias barely stirred, still deep in his own much-needed rest.
A sharp beep jolted him awake. His eyes cracked open, adjusting to the glow of his pod’s internal display—17:00. He exhaled, rubbing his face as the lingering weight of exhaustion settled over him. Five hours. Not bad, but not enough.
His muscles protested as he stretched, the obstacle course still leaving its mark. He glanced down, sensing Dot’s presence in the shard—still quiet, still resting. Figures. She probably worked herself to exhaustion again.
With a sigh, he pushed himself upright. No time to drag things out. They needed to eat, and more importantly, they needed to talk.
Stepping out of his pod, he spotted Kikaru, Tidwell, and Junjio standing near the hallway intersection, already waiting.
Kikaru glanced at him. "Took you long enough."
Elias rolled his shoulders. "Yeah, well, five hours down and I still feel like I got my ass kicked."
Tidwell smirked. "That’s how you know it’s working."
Junijo chuckled, adjusting his sleeves. "Seems like none of us got much time to recover."
They fell into step, making their way toward the cafeteria. The halls were busier now, people moving in groups, quiet conversations passing between them. Most of it was about the same thing—the officer program, the system changes, and the looming uncertainty about the future.
Elias didn’t need to ask—everyone was thinking the same thing.