Breaking Scene's

Kikaru blinked, momentarily taken aback before her lips curled into an amused smirk. "Damn, old man. That's pretty metal."

Still breathing heavily, Elias locked his gaze on her. "Don't…" he croaked, forcing the words out, "…don't forget what we're really fighting for here. Even if the Doctor wants to pit us against each other… we have to protect our planet above all else." He winced, his muscles protesting every word. "My perception is terrible… maybe I'm bad at seeing signs… but I know we need to have each other's backs."

Kikaru's amused smirk faded, replaced by a sharper edge. "Hey," she snapped, "those dumbasses had their chance for almost two weeks to train and work out. If they're falling behind because they were too lazy, that's on them."

"M-maybe," Elias struggled to say, his voice faltering under the weight of his exhaustion, "b-but we all have something to fight for… in one way or another."

Elias's vision finally began to stabilize, and his eyes focused on Kikaru as a quest window appeared before him, crystal clear:

Perform 200 pushups.

Manifest 10 objects.

Win a sparring match.

Reward: Level increase (1).

Elias stared at the glowing text, his resolve hardening as he took a shaky breath.

Kikaru sighed, brushing her yellow hair aside as she turned to Elias. "Well, don't stare at me too hard now. If you're serious about all this, we can start the normal workout plan in the morning. But for now, you should get some sleep."

 She glanced toward Paul and added, "Hey, Paul, can you help him to his bed? I'll check on the others and let them know what Elias managed to do—already getting on his feet. They need to know it's possible."

Paul nodded, rubbing the back of his head. "Right. I got it." The murmurs of the other shard bearers faded as they dispersed, some returning to their rooms while others remained engrossed in their new stat windows, examining their capabilities and pondering their next steps.

Meanwhile, an immeasurable distance away, on a scorched and dying world…

The ground was cracked and blackened, smoldering with the aftermath of devastation. A massive ship, its hull deep purple and jagged, loomed like a predator over the charred remains of a once-thriving city. Its engines hummed faintly, a sound that blended with the sporadic crackle of embers rising from the ground.

A blue-skinned figure stood over a man pinned to the dirt. The alien's staff pressed firmly into the man's chest, the shard embedded at its tip emitting a faint hum. The pinned man—clad in torn, soot-covered armor—gritted his teeth, his face a mask of anger and pain.

"You think this ends with me?" the man spat. "Kill me if you want, but my people will rise. You'll regret this!"

The alien stared at him with cold detachment, his black eyes revealing no emotion. He raised a hand to his communicator, speaking into it with precise calm. "Command, the receiver is active. I've confirmed its location. Do I have clearance to eliminate the rest of this planet?"

The communicator crackled to life, a deep and guttural voice responding. "Proceed. Ensure the surface is cleansed and prepare it for extraction. Secure 50 to 100 humanoids for processing. Prime Planet remains a priority. Their interference has cost us resources. Ensure we recover what was lost."

The alien gave a slight nod. "Understood."

He returned his focus to the man beneath him, who was struggling futilely against the weight of the staff. "Your defiance means nothing," the alien said coldly. "Your kind could have survived, but you chose this fate."

The pinned man let out a bitter laugh, coughing as the pressure on his chest intensified. "We'll see how long you last. There's always someone stronger. You're just too blind to see it."

With a look of indifference, the blue-skinned alien drove his staff into the pinned man's chest, silencing him for good. "If someone like that does exist," he muttered, almost bored, "they're doing an excellent job of hiding… Regardless, this should bring us one step closer to locating the remnants of that man."

Turning on his heel, he ascended the ramp into his massive ship. The hum of its engines was barely noticeable as he strode into the control room. A semicircle of similar blue-skinned creatures sat before illuminated consoles, their elongated fingers typing commands. The central monitor blinked with an incoming transmission. He tapped a key, and the screen filled with the shadowy silhouette of a figure.

"It's good to see you're still operational, Captain Vokar," the figure began, its voice cool and deliberate. "Your next mission is prepared. In quadrant three, a planet has surfaced with peculiar energy gems. These stones allow the inhabitants to manipulate and weaponize energy. You are to collect the core fragments of these gems and deliver them to the central planet for analysis and deposit."

Vokar tilted his head slightly, absorbing the information. "What about Prime Planet?" he asked. "There've been two failed attempts to subdue it for resource extraction. Shouldn't we refocus our efforts there rather than waste valuable time and resources elsewhere?"

The shadowy figure's response was immediate, almost dismissive. "Prime Planet is no concern of yours. Their technological defenses, while advanced, only succeeded against preliminary incursions. I will deploy a specialized squadron to handle it. Once they've destabilized the population, we'll send in the Executor to cleanse the planet."

Vokar frowned but kept his tone neutral. "And what about the infected world nearby? It's close enough to Prime Planet that there's risk of contamination. Are we not factoring that into the strategy?"

The figure leaned forward slightly, its tone turning sharp. "The infected world is a non-issue for your mission. Avoid it entirely. It's a risk we've calculated, and you're far too valuable to lose. Focus on the energy gems. That's your priority."

Vokar's fingers drummed lightly on the console in front of him. "Very well. And the reward?"

"As standard: a vault payout. Additionally, you'll be allowed to select a gem of your choosing from the batch. The rest will be drained of their energy for deployment."

Satisfied, Vokar nodded. "Understood. I'll also hold onto the receiver for now. Do you want it dropped off after this mission?"

"No need. Keep it with you until further notice. Once you've returned, we'll integrate it into our network and trace its signal to its next target."

"As you wish," Vokar said, inclining his head. "I'll ensure to avoid the Galactic Patrol's waypoints en route."

The figure's silhouette faded slightly. "That goes without saying. Keep me informed, Captain." The transmission ended abruptly, leaving the screen to project a star map filled with glowing planets.

Leaning back in his chair, Vokar placed a hand under his chin, his gaze locking onto a familiar blue and green orb on the map. "Prime Planet…" he murmured, his lips curling faintly. "Why does the thought of you make my blood race?"

He stared at the screen for another moment before turning away, his staff glowing faintly as he prepared for launch.

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