Next Stop; Geras

Elias scanned his surroundings, his eyes darting from one group of recruits to another as they sparred, jogged, and hauled equipment across the grounds. The clanging of weights and the sharp bark of commands filled the air. Despite the modernized look of the facility—the advanced equipment and sleek structures—the atmosphere was familiar, almost hauntingly so.

"This looks a bit different than I remember," Elias thought, his gaze lingering on a line of soldiers practicing formations in perfect sync. "But the atmosphere is much the same."

Dot's voice piped up from within, curious as always. "Are these good memories or bad memories?"

Elias sighed, his irritation slipping out in a low mutter. "It'd be nice if you'd just stay out of my head. They're called thoughts for a reason."

The recruits filing off the bus didn't seem to notice his small outburst as they formed ranks under the stern commands of an officer standing nearby. Draped in the usual crisp uniform wearing the sharply angled campaign hat, the officer barked orders, his voice cutting through the background noise with precision.

Elias lingered at the back of the bus, observing as Marcus was placed at the front of the formation. The bus driver, noticing his hesitation, closed the door behind the last recruit and addressed him. "I'll drop you off at the officers' training deck."

Elias raised an eyebrow. "Officer training deck? What about what we just passed?"

The driver glanced at him briefly before turning his attention back to the road. "That was the general rank training deck. You know the difference, don't you? Officers and enlisted—entirely different levels of training and responsibility."

Elias nodded. "Makes sense. It's just been… a while."

Dot's floated out slightly from his chest, tilting her head as she observed the scenery passing by. "I don't get it. Why do they look so much more uniformed and comfortable?"

Elias leaned back slightly, watching the rows of trainees march in unison through an outdoor obstacle course. The towering platforms and energy-field barriers glinted under the high-powered floodlights. "They've been through more training over a longer time," he explained. "Either through tough circumstances or by earning spots in service academies. Those places are everywhere now that the military has connected everything into one global web."

Dot's hummed thoughtfully, her tiny figure swaying with the movement of the bus. "Perfect upbringing, huh? That explains why they seem so polished."

Elias's gaze shifted as they passed another section of the facility. Rows of holographic shooting ranges flickered to life, recruits firing into projected targets that adjusted dynamically to their movements. Beyond that, he caught sight of a towering mech sparring with trainees in exoskeleton suits, their movements fluid but precise as they worked in tandem.

He shook his head lightly. "It's not just upbringing. Getting in at all takes effort, discipline, and maybe a little luck."

Dot's tilted her head as she spotted a group of recruits climbing a vertical obstacle that shimmered faintly with an electric charge. "That… doesn't look lucky."

Elias let out a faint chuckle. "Yeah, well, no one said it was easy."

The bus rolled on, weaving through the sprawling complex as the officer deck came into view. Taller and more heavily reinforced, the buildings here bore sleek designs with angular edges. Soldiers moved in calculated strides, their demeanor sharper and more composed than those they'd passed earlier.

The bus came to a halt in front of a stately, red-bricked building with an archway at its center. Double doors made of polished gold reflected the light, their surface engraved with the words: Enter Alone; Exit as One.

The driver turned in his seat and gestured toward the doors. "Alright, this is your stop. And... I've got to say, thanks for what you did back there."

Elias chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. "I wouldn't go that far. If Elara and her team hadn't shown up, things could've gone south real quick."

"True," the driver admitted, leaning forward slightly. "But you bought us the time we needed. Without that, I'm sure we'd be burying people instead of watching them change the world."

Elias felt a flicker of pride rise in his chest. He tried to suppress a grin but failed. "Guess that's one way to look at it. Thanks."

As the double doors of the bus opened, Elias stepped off with his bag slung over his shoulder. He had just started toward the building when the driver called after him.

"Hey! What's your name?"

Elias turned, hesitating for a moment. "Elias Kael."

The driver's expression shifted almost imperceptibly—a flicker of recognition in his eyes followed by a faint smirk. "I suppose that makes sense," he muttered before closing the bus doors and rolling off.

Elias stood there for a moment, puzzled, but the sound of approaching footsteps snapped him out of his thoughts.