Chapter 22: Echoes of the Past
The announcement hit harder than any blade.
"All students," Instructor Doren declared, "will participate in a final field mission. You are to complete the same task previously assigned to Captain Lux's unit—investigate and eliminate the monster threat that caused the failure. Find out who or what is behind it."
A silence choked the hall.
Lux and Yuta froze.
The air grew heavy. For them, it wasn't just a mission. It was a graveyard.
Whispers spread like wildfire through the trainees.
"…Isn't that where Marcus and the others…?"
"They're sending us there again?"
"Why would they do this?"
Yuta's hands trembled slightly, his eyes distant.
Synoh stepped forward calmly, placing a steadying hand on Yuta's shoulder. Then turned to Lux.
"This time, we got this," he said firmly. "We're not the same as we were back then."
Lux gave a small nod, his light dimmed but not extinguished.
Synoh raised his voice, firm and commanding. "Everyone—quiet."
The murmurs died down.
"I know what you're all thinking. This place… it took something from us. Friends, comrades… trust. But we won't let that happen again." His golden eyes swept across them like a sharpened blade. "We're not walking into a deathtrap—we're marching toward justice. We finish what they started. We honor those who fell."
The silence that followed wasn't fear—it was focus.
Lux stepped beside him. "Captain Synoh will lead us. I'll support as vice. We've trained for this. We've bled for this. No more mistakes."
And in that moment, even the most doubtful trainees stood a little taller.
The past still haunted them—but now, they were ready to face it.