SHADOWS NEAR THE WAREHOUSE

The three of them—Ragra, Sky, and Elza—walked together back to the residential complex after their time in the simulation arena.

"That was intense," Ragra said, glancing at his two companions.

"Intense?" Elza laughed, brushing her hair back. "You did great, but you've got to start meditating more often. Your water jets were impressive, but they'll only get better with stronger inner reserves."

"I'll work on it," Ragra replied, smirking. "Still, I think I kept up pretty well for a first simulation."

"You did," Sky added, smiling. "And you'll get even better. But next time, try not to get distracted when I take out half the enemies with a solar flare."

"Distracted? You practically blinded me!" Ragra shot back, shaking his head.

The group laughed as they reached the residential complex.

"All right," Elza said, stretching her arms. "Let's rest up for a bit. Then we can head back out for more training later. There's no such thing as too prepared around here."

"Agreed," Sky nodded. "I want to try another simulation. Maybe something even tougher this time."

"Of course you do," Ragra said with a grin as they all went to their rooms.

Ragra closed the door behind him and collapsed onto his bed, his body still buzzing with adrenaline from the simulation. He shut his eyes, letting the quiet of his room settle over him. Suddenly, a soft chime broke the silence, and he sat up as the display screen on the wall lit up.

A message blinked in bold text: Urgent Mission: Please prepare and meet at the front of HQ for briefing.

Ragra's eyes widened. His heart began to race as he read the message again to make sure he wasn't imagining it. His first mission. Already.

"Nervous?" he muttered to himself, standing up and trying to shake off the anxiety. "Of course you are."

He quickly got ready, tying up his gear and heading down to the weapon counter. As he reached for his weapon—a polished wooden staff—he heard familiar voices.

Turning, he saw Sky and Elza standing at the counter, collecting their weapons.

"You two got the same mission?" Ragra asked, surprised.

"Looks like it," Elza replied, holding her katana. "Guess they're testing all of us early."

Sky gave him a confident smirk, holding her kunai and ninja stars. "Don't look so surprised. We are here for a reason. Of course, they'd want us on this mission."

Ragra laughed nervously, his fingers tightening around his staff.

Then he noticed two other figures by the counter: the two boys they'd seen in the simulation arena earlier.

The taller of the two, the one with long black hair tied into a bun, turned toward them. "Guess we're all assigned to the same mission," he said with a cocky grin. "My name's Reiten. And this guy here is Chosen." He gestured to the other boy, who stood silently beside him, his dreadlocks partially covering his face.

"Chosen?" Sky asked, raising an eyebrow. "That's an interesting name."

Reiten laughed. "It's not his real name. It's just a nickname I gave him. Short for 'The Chosen One.' In our hometown, he was so strong it became a running joke to call him that. I guess it just stuck."

As if on cue, Chosen smirked, his pistols hanging casually at his side. He didn't say a word, instead turning and walking toward the exit.

"He doesn't talk much," Reiten added with a shrug. "But don't let that fool you. He's stronger than most people you'll ever meet."

The group followed Chosen's lead, heading toward the HQ for their mission briefing.

As the five recruits approached the front of the HQ, they saw Cole standing near the entrance, clipboard in hand. His sharp gaze met theirs as they came to a stop before him.

"Welcome, everyone," Cole said, his voice steady and authoritative. "You five have been assigned this urgent mission. Let me give you the briefing—you'll need to head out immediately."

The group stood at attention, their focus sharpening as Cole began to explain.

"Our radars have picked up unauthorised personnel within the radius of a secure warehouse. This warehouse houses several ancient artifacts that are of immense importance to the Agency. From the movement patterns we've tracked, it seems they're plotting to steal these items. We've confirmed six individuals in the vicinity, but given their speed and coordination, there's a high probability they are Sicarii.

"At the moment, the warehouse is only guarded by standard security forces—nothing that can handle a Sicarii-level threat. Your mission is to secure the warehouse, assess the threat, and eliminate it if necessary. However, there's one caveat: the warehouse is near a residential area. That means we'll need to give you authorisation before engaging in combat to avoid collateral damage. Is that clear?"

The team nodded.

"The location is north of here, outside of Labre city. It's about a three-hour run under normal circumstances. But we need you there in two hours. Speed is critical. Reiten," Cole said, turning to the tall boy with the tied-back hair. "You'll be the squad leader for this mission."

Reiten smirked, adjusting his weapon holster. "Got it."

Cole handed him a small radio. "Use this to keep us updated. Radio in as soon as you locate the enemy, and wait for authorisation to engage. Any questions?"

Sky spoke up. "What's the terrain like on the way there?"

"Mostly open fields and light forest," Cole replied. "Shouldn't be too hard to navigate, but keep your eyes open. The Sicarii could have scouts ahead of their main group."

Ragra's heart raced as he processed the information. This was real. His first mission, and they were diving straight into enemy territory.

Elza gave him a quick nudge with her elbow, as if sensing his nerves. "Relax," she whispered. "We've got this."

"Good luck," Cole said, taking a step back. "Now, move out. Time is of the essence."

Without another word, Reiten turned and motioned for the group to follow. "Let's go," he said firmly, leading the way.

The mission had officially begun.