Between Two Factions, Beneath One Name

[Location: Nova Academy – Central Assembly Chamber | One Day After the Hybrid Incident]

The skies over Eterna were a heavy shade of gray.Not because of weather, but because something far weightier loomed overhead.

Inside the Academy's Assembly Chamber, pressure weighed on the air like gravity turned up a notch.

The atmosphere was formal—too formal.Rows of representatives from the two powerful factions—Astrelis and Thalros—filled the seats like opposing lines of an invisible battlefield.

I sat in the back row. Hoodie up.Thermos half-full.Expression: "Please don't involve me."

To my right, Ryn. Sharp-eyed, serious.To my left, Nala. Silent, but always ready.Kael? He was outside—banned after telling the guards:

"I demand entry. My friend got kidnapped into political drama!"

[The Hearing Begins – Sparks and Accusations]

At the podium, the Astrelis delegate spoke first.Calm voice. Cold eyes.

"Thalros has employed restricted technology in their recent field tests.We possess video footage, recovered devices, and most notably...a visible Eidolon insignia on the hybrid."

A low murmur swept the room.

The Thalros rep stood without flinching.

"We retrieved salvaged tech from abandoned ruins.We did not create that creature.Perhaps the real question is...Why such technology was ever allowed to leak?"

Heads turned.Eyes locked onto me.

I sipped my tea slowly and whispered to Ryn:

"So I'm officially a 'perhaps,' huh?"

Ryn didn't reply.Just stared at the center of the room like someone watching a fire about to spread.

[Upper Observation Deck – Nayra and Tessan]

"They've started pointing fingers," Nayra said quietly.

"And all the trails—direct or indirect—lead back to Eidolon," Tessan answered flatly.

"Which means the question isn't who did it...""...but who knew and said nothing."

Nayra's eyes narrowed toward the back row.

"And who actually understands how those devices work."

[Interlude – Quiet War Behind Closed Words]

During a recess, a Valdheim delegate approached me.

She was tall, deliberate, and wore a steel tower insignia—Valdheim's emblem of control.

"Deren Arkwright.We'd like to speak after the session."

I didn't look up from my tea.

"If this is about licensing my old schematics, my rates start at—"

"It's not about price.It's about power.The world is shifting.And we need to know…Whose side you're on."

I sighed.

"I'm on the side of warm instant noodles and a soft mattress.If your side offers those, we'll talk."

She studied me.Then smiled—just barely.

"Funny.But even the funny ones stop laughing when the bullets start flying."

[Interruption – Ryn Steps Forward]

The session resumed—and tensions spiked.

The debate turned to accusations.Blame was traded like currency.

But before it exploded—

Ryn stepped forward.

"This isn't the time to assign blame.Both factions failed in controlling the flow of dangerous tech.One rogue hybrid—and you're more concerned with pointing fingers than preventing the next breach."

He held up his tactical tablet.

"These are the overlap zones between your 'disputed' facilities.Fix your firewalls before throwing each other into one."

The room fell silent.

Even the senior reps stared.

Tessan whispered to Nayra:

"He's either learning from Deren...Or watching him too closely."

[Outcome – A Temporary Pact]

After several tense exchanges and silent recalibrations, the decision came.

The Declaration of Technological Ceasefire.A temporary collaboration between Astrelis and Thalros—

To jointly investigate the leak,Contain unregistered hybrid projects,And monitor the rise of third-party factions—especially any signs of Eidolon influence.

Everyone signed.But no one believed it would last.

[Closing Scene – A Message in the Dark]

Later that night, I returned to my hiding place.

Server Room Omega-2—Long abandoned.Perfect for napping without judgment.

The terminal blinked.A new message from Clarice.

"Deren.Two new names appeared in the underworld's data web.One of them used a prototype sequence from your 5-year-old experiments.Sending the log tomorrow.Don't sleep yet."

I stared at the screen.

Then pulled a blanket from my bag, shoved a small pillow into the creaky chair, and muttered:

"Fine. I'll sleep here. Same difference."

The lights dimmed.

But in the corner of the ceiling,A hidden camera whirred softly—Still watching.

Still recording.

Still waiting.