SUBJUGATION (1)

OLAMILEKAN:

The hum of power filled the air as Joshua and I stood before the island's teleportation portal. The sea lay behind us, ocean breeze heavy with salt that clung to my skin. Before us was the dense jungle with its abnormally hushed quietness, partially shrouding the NSDA training center, a steel and reinforced concrete fortress constructed into the rock face.

Joshua exhaled a hard breath, shrugging his shoulders. "Why did they call us over? Didn't they give us a week to go visit our parents?"

I kept my eyes forward, my hand resting on the pommel of my sword. "I don't know myself. Whatever they called us back for must be some kind of emergency."

The sound of gravel crunching beneath our feet was the only thing we had to listen to as we walked. When we reached the door of the facility, Joshua grinned.

"You made a good choice."

I raised an eyebrow. "What choice?"

Joshua's grin widened. "Turning down Temi's confession. Keeping your distance from her. It would have caused trouble for the two of you if you hadn't."

I clenched my jaw a bit, attempting to brush aside the pang in my chest. "I know."

Something then fell into place in my mind, and I scowled at him. "Wait—how do you know about that? You spied on us?"

Joshua whistled carelessly before dashing off towards the facility doors. "Gotta go!

I swore under my breath before I took off after him.

The moment we arrived at the facility, all jesting ceased. Fredrick Robertson stood waiting for us, his intensely piercing eyes shooting back and forth between us before he whirled on his heel. "Follow me."

We followed him, into a room of strategic operations that had holographic projections and stacks of papers. Officers and analysts moved about, speaking in low tones. The room was suffocating.

Fredrick nodded toward a large holographic projection of a ravaged city.

"That's New Dakar, once known as Queenstown, located at the southwest of New Zealand South Island. One of the many cities that we've suffered from the attacks of the mutated beasts. We've managed to keep the situation in hand up until now, but it's getting out of hand. The beasts are destroying nearby cities and are on the rampage. They must be dealt with immediately."

Joshua folded his arms.

"How bad is it?

Fredrick waved his hand over the screen, zooming in to give aerial views. "Level five and six-class mutations. They are highly aggressive, highly intelligent. Civilians are still stranded, and we cannot afford to have them get turned into beast food."

I studied the map carefully. "What's the plan?

Fredrick nodded. "Your task is to neutralize the monsters. Once the situation is under control in the region, extraction forces will be dispatched to bring out survivors. You'll be accompanied by three other mage cadets."

He wiggled his hand, bringing about three profiles. "Leila Rodriguez, gravity magic. Dorian Scholes, skilled in energy-based combat. And Amira Kuti, healing magic. They're excellent. All you need to do is work together."

Joshua cracked his joints. "And when do we leave?"

"Tomorrow morning. Sleep tight. Your dorms have been refurbished as a reward for your past missions. Enjoy them."

I nodded, the weight of the mission on my shoulders.

---

The next morning, Joshua and I stood in front of their dorm mirrors, dressed in navy blue tops and black jackets adorned with the NSDA insignia. Our black tech-wear pants were fitted with reinforced plating and tactical holsters.

I fastened the sheath of my sword to my belt, adjusting the balance. Joshua stood beside me, fastening the straps of his twin blades before glancing at our reflections in the dorm mirror.

"Damn, we look good."

I snorted. "Try not to ruin your outfit after the first five minutes."

We emerged from our dorms and fell in with our team at the hangar. The jet loomed in front of us, sleek and deadly, its AI system, Percy, coming to life as we arrived.

Leila Rodriguez, a tan-skinned, tall woman with blue eyes like shards of glass, nodded to us. "Hope you boys can keep up."

Dorian Scholes, a blonde-haired man sporting pale white-blond hair, leaned against the airlock of the jet. "No need to hope. We already know we're the best."

Amira Kuti, the sole individual who didn't boast loudly, nervously tweaked her gloves. "Let's just make sure we all get back alive."

The jet came online, its engines humming softly. Percy's smooth synthetic voice greeted us. "Mission coordinates set. Estimated arrival time: three hours. Please secure yourselves."

As we settled, I glanced at Joshua. He smiled, hands on the hilts of his swords, sitting loosely.

This was it, the moment we had trained for.

---

Several hours later, the jet hovered above New Dakar. The city lay spread out below us in ruin, smoke billowing from fallen buildings. Distorted roars echoed through the vacant streets.

"Deploying now," Percy stated.

We were standing at the edge of the open hatch. I didn't hesitate, gripping the hilt of my blade, and leaped off, plummeting into the chaos below.

The hunt began.