You are not Elias Arden

Chapter 9: You are not Elias Arden

The air inside the hive was heavy, oppressive, suffocating. With the hive leader defeated, the walls around them began to shake after a while, the organic material cracking as the structure threatened to collapse.

"Great, just as we were about to rest" Caden grumbled, wiping the blood off his katana before looking at the team. "We're done here. Move out now before this place caves in with us in it."

Ava leaned against a wall to steady herself, breathing shakily. "Not to ruin the moment, but I can barely feel my legs."

"We have to keep moving, Ava," Caden lifted her off the ground as Darius appeared exhausted and Miracle gave him an ugly glare. "I'm not going to haul you out of here. And you either, Darius. You're too heavy." 

"I am fine," growled Darius, his crackling armor with blood trickling from his side telling another tale altogether.

The strained silence in Caden's mind was cut short by the system's voice: **Structural integrity of the hive compromised. Collapse imminent. Evacuation recommended.**

"We don't have time to rest," he said sharply. He stepped out, letting him be at the front of the group. "Keep closer to me. If anything is moving, I'll take care of it."

Ava chuckled, shaking her head in a playful and teasing tone. "The new-and-improved Caden sure loves acting lone hero.

"It's called being sensible or you'd rather I let you deal with the next wave of Proximars?" he shot back, raising an eyebrow at her.

Sudden and more powerful tremors rocked the hive as chunks of organic debris started falling from above, accompanied by the shrieks of Proximars within the collapsing structure.

"Incoming!" Mira yelled, her pistols raised as a small swarm of Proximars surged through the corridor ahead.

Caden didn't waste a beat. A blur of unnatural speed, Ava found herself lying on his back as he surged forward with green energy encasing his katana in its soft glow and cutting through the air; the first Proximar had barely begun to leap when it was cleaved in half, the second lost its head in one fluid strike.

Behind him, Ava called out a psychic shield to deflect rocks hurled by the remaining Proximars. Mira fired with precision through openings in the shield, each shot hitting its target. Even gravely wounded, Darius flung a piece of debris at a group of several, instantly squashing them.

The horde didn't last very long. Within another moment, the cave was quiet once more-except for the bodies of their attackers that littered it.

"Nice work," Caden said, looking back at the team.

"You say that like we didn't do most of the heavy lifting," Mira shot back, though there was a hint of a smirk on her face and the cave shook again.

Caden turned a deaf ear to her and pushed forward, his gaze raking around for the slightest movement. They were near the way out now; faint daylight peeked through the cracks in the hive's walls.

The system's voice chimed once more: **Warning: Collapse in 30 seconds. Proceed with urgency.**

Caden turned back to face them then, his voice firm. "Run."

Nobody disagreed. The team sprinted down the corridor, dodging falling debris.

They sprang from the cave just in time for the hive to completely collapse, shaking the ground as it came down behind them. A thick cloud of dust and debris filled the air, forcing them to shield their faces in a scramble for distance.

Ava slid off the back of Caden, falling onto her knees. "I want to do that again." She said with a grin.

"You are insane," Mira said, falling onto a rock.

Caden said nothing but simply stood in continued surveillance of his surroundings, the katana still clutched in his hand as he scanned across the horizon of the planet spread endlessly in front of them-ruins of other hives, the concussive sounds of fighting hoarse and distant. He didn't unbend.

"We're not done," he finally said, low but resolute. "There are others out there who need help. We move in two minutes."

Mira groaned. "Two minutes? Are you serious?"

"People are dying, Mira, and don't forget we are soldiers in here, and we are to help our comrades either we like them or not, as oong as we are fighting for the same thing" Caden said, his eyes locking onto hers. "If we stop now, what was the point of everything we just did?"

The weight of his words had fallen, and the team was silent.

"Fine," Mira said with a scowl, finally standing up. "But if I die out there, then I'm haunting you, even as a ghost."

"You'll have to get in line but we need to rest. Unlike you, who always remains not exhausted, we need our rest. Our ability exacts stress on the body when used, and besides, we need to eat." Ava said, bringing out food from her space capsule. 

Caden didn't say anything, his attention already caught by the next step, the system's interface flickering before his eyes as it highlighted the nearest team position.

An hour later

The whole team including Caden sat down as they rubbed their full belly. "I didn't think someone with your stature could eat that much" Darius said as he looked at Mira who was still stuffing food in her mouth.

"My ability burns calories whenever I use it so my body naturally has a storage place for calories" Mira replied with her mouth full of food

Caden leaned back against a boulder, his katana laid across his lap as he studied the distant horizon. The air was still for now, but the faint echoes of battle could still be heard.

"Well, I hope your 'calorie storage' doesn't weigh you down when we're running again," Darius said mockingly as Mira shot him a glare.

Mira swallowed her last bite with flair and flexed her arms. "Oh, big guy, don't worry about me; after all, I could outrun you even after eating twice this much."

"Sure-if you're running downhill," he returned with a dig that finally brought a laugh from Ava.

Caden interrupted their banter, his voice cutting with quiet authority. "Enough. We're moving in five."

Mira groaned, falling back onto the ground. "Five minutes? You're like a drill sergeant from hell."

Caden tuned into the system interface, ignoring her. A ghostly map of their sector snapped into his vision, containing several blinking markers. He frowned. "There is a team pinned down three klicks east of us. If we hurry, we might be able to help before they're overwhelmed."

Ava stood, brushing herself off as her demeanor changed to serious. "How bad does it look?"

"Bad enough," Caden said, his voice flat. "The hive in their area is bigger than the one we just cleared, and they've got a swarm closing in."

Darius rolled his shoulders, testing his mobility despite his earlier injuries. "Then what are we waiting for? Let's move."

As they prepared to leave, Ava laid a hand on Caden's shoulder and spoke in a low tone that only he could hear. "You sure you're okay to keep pushing like this? You haven't rested since… well, since you changed."

Caden didn't meet her gaze. "I'm fine," he said shortly. "This isn't about me."

Ava hesitated but nodded and stepped back to join the others.

The team moved quickly across rough terrain, unhindered in its stride. It was a rocky planet full of ravines and unstable soil, and required quite a great deal of attention.

As they approached the coordinates, loud fighting sounds became louder-a high-pitched screaming of Proximars accompanied by clear-cut energy weapon blasts. In the distance, smoke billowed into the air, framing a place where the struggle took place.

Caden raised a hand, and the group went still. "We're close. Mira, go ahead and scout. Darius, back her."

Mira nodded, eyes scanning forward, weapons at the ready, as she padded silently toward the lip of a nearby ridge. Darius trotted along closely behind her, his large form remarkably quiet for a man of his size.

A moment later, Mira's voice crackled through their comms. "I've got eyes on them. It's bad. They're surrounded, maybe twenty Proximars, plus a Vanguard. They're running out of space."

"How many on their team?" Caden asked.

"Four. Two look injured," Mira replied. "If we don't move now, they're done for."

Caden's hand clamped onto the grip of his katana. "Ava, up-shield. Darius, you're with me on the Vanguard. Mira, pick off the swarm and cover the injured. Move!"

The team moved down the ridge with precision, bursting into action. Ava thrust a wide psychic shield to either side, deflecting the incoming projectiles and giving the pinned-down team a brief reprieve.

Caden and Darius charged the Vanguard, its hulking form turning to face them with a guttural roar. The creature swung a massive claw, but Caden ducked beneath it, his katana slicing through its leg in a flash of green light.

"Darius, now!" Caden shouted.

Darius barreled into the creature, his rocky fists slamming into its torso and sending it staggering backward.

Meanwhile, Mira's pistols chattered rapidly as each shot was into the head or chest of a Proximar, and those around them were completely in disarray under her attack to give any good chance for the injured team to rally once more.

"Ava, keep that shield up!" Caden called as the Vanguard dove at him again. He sidestepped and, with a radiating slash through its chest, cut its armor-like rock skin.

The Vanguard gave a last, guttural cry as it fell, its huge form crashing into the ground.

Their leader defeated, the remaining Proximars scattered to run back into the shadows of the mountains.

"Clear!" Mira called out, lowering her pistols.

Caden approached the injured team, his face unreadable. "You're safe now. Can you move?"

One of the students, a young man with a bloodied arm, nodded weakly. "We'll manage. Thanks to you."

"Don't thank us yet," Caden cut in, the sound of his voice sharp. "There's still more work to be done. Go rest and get your energies back then move".

As the survivors disappeared into the perspective, the team regrouped and worn-out, Mira slumped against a boulder. Her chest heaved up and down.

"Okay," she said, rubbing the back of her neck. "I get that saving people is part of the job, but you're going to wear us out, Caden."

Ava nodded, sitting cross-legged nearby. Her tone was softer but no less concerned. "Mira's right. You're pushing too hard, and for what? You don't need to prove anything to us."

Caden didn't turn away from the horizon, his face inscrutable. "I'm not trying to prove anything."

"Yeah, right," Mira said with a snort, her eyes rolling. "That's why you're throwing yourself into every fight like you've got a death wish."

Darius spoke up, leaning onto the ground for support. "Caden, we just went through hell together. We got your back, and we trust you, but it's like you're trying to treat this test like it's yours alone. You don't have to-it's a team job."

Caden's jaw clenched, his fingers tight on his katana as his tone dropped to that measured, icy tone. "You think I'm trying to prove myself to you? You don't get it. This isn't about you. It's about everyone else out there. If I stop now, people die."

"But it's more than that, isn't it?" Ava pressed softly, her green eyes searching his. "This… this is about him, isn't it? About Elias."

The name cut deep. Caden's shoulders straightened, and his gaze darted to Ava, sharp as a blade. "I'm surprised you guys know even his names when you're from a different plane," he returned ironically. "You all have been too pushy," he added, while the coldness in his tone replaced any shred of warmth.

"No, we're talking about this," Ava insisted, her voice level. "You're not him, Caden. You're not your father. No one here thinks you're a traitor, and you don't have to kill yourself proving it to people who never doubted you to begin with."

A silence lapsed in the group for a moment. Alien wildlife echoed softly in the distance, while the muted rumble of the planet's unstable terrain filled the gap.

Mira's voice, breaking the silence, was unusually somber. "Ava's right. You just keep charging in like this, trying to save everyone, but who's saving you, huh? We're not asking for perfection, Caden. Just don't make us watch you burn out trying to fix a reputation that doesn't need fixing. We will burn out before you do."

Caden exhaled, and with that, some of the tension left his frame. He looked down at his katana-the blade caught the faint glow of the planet's strange sunlight.

"You don't understand," he said quietly, the slightest trembling of his voice showing a vulnerability they rarely heard. "The surname 'Arden' isn't one that inspires trust; it does the opposite. It inspires fear, doubt, betrayal. I carry that with me the moment anyone looks at my face. And if I don't give them all that I have, why would they think any different-that I'm his son?"

Darius stepped forward, placing a firm hand on Caden's shoulder. "We see you, Caden. Not as Elias's son. Not as some guy trying to make up for what someone else did. Just… you. And you're already enough."

Caden's gaze met Darius's, and for the first time, the mask of calm confidence slipped just slightly. "If I stop—

"Stopping doesn't mean failing," Ava cut in softly. "It means trusting us to help you carry the load. We're a team. Let us be one."

"Fine," he said, his voice softer now. "We'll rest. But only for a little while."

Mira quirked an eyebrow faintly, though the warmth of her tone never wavered. "See? That wasn't so hard, was it?"

Ava handed him a canteen of water, a slight curving of the lips. "Drink. Rest. And when we move again, we move together."

Caden took the flask but didn't drink at once, his gaze swinging out to the far horizon, where another column of smoke etched the battle-scarred landscape. But just for this minute, he let be stillness, his shoulders a little lighter.