before the storms outing

After entering the portal, Harkel and the rest of the group returned to Wren's training area. The system itself had tons of upgrades that Riven hadn't even looked through yet—one of them being that bonded party members could now also place items into the storage space. Using that upgrade, they stored the portal away safely… but after doing so, none of them really knew what to do next.

"So what now?" Kira asked. "I know he wanted us to stay here until they come back, but who's to say they actually will come back? Even with the amount of units we were able to get, that doesn't change the fact that some things can't be bought with just money."

The rest of the group knew Kira was right. If the others wanted to get out of the Grand Capital, they needed more than just currency—they needed credentials. Something they didn't have.

"We can do nothing but wait. Luckily, I know Jude. If they have some dumb plan, she'll shut it down immediately," Nico said, trying to ease the group's anxiety.

"Okay, even if that's true—what about us?" Luka added. "Most of us are commonly seen together, and like Wren said before we entered the portal, both she and Harkel have family ties here. They can't be missing all day without someone asking questions. Same probably goes for Joey as well."

"Then when we get out of here, we stick together," Wren replied. "We can't make it obvious that five of us are gone. And since we're still a new group, if all of us are together, they likely won't suspect anything."

"It's dark—we should go to our rooms and grab our covers, pillows, and blankets," Wren continued. "Harkel and Joey, make sure you guys collect Riven and Jordan's things as well. I'll get Tessa's and Leo's—luckily, she told me where his room is."

With that, the whole group left the training room to gather their things.

⸻

Back with the group of five, they all stood breathing hard in a vast, silvery-white chamber humming with energy. The walls shimmered faintly, laced with reinforced alloys and kinetic-absorption panels that pulsed faint blue from residual impacts. Equipment hung from modular rails overhead—gravity-suspended dumbbells, magnetic gauntlet chargers, and power-calibrated feedback rigs. Massive metallic punching bags, dented and scorched, swung slightly from earlier hits—each one designed to withstand ton-force blows or plasma strikes. At the far end, a treadmill the size of a small car rumbled softly, capable of accelerating to inhuman speeds and shifting inclines mid-run. The floor flexed subtly beneath their feet—a synthetic steel surface programmed to simulate terrain: sand, rubble, even ice. At the center hovered an AI-controlled drone, waiting silently for a sparring command.

This wasn't just a gym. It was a battleground.

A yellow-haired man clapped his hands slowly—Phineas.

"You kids are surprisingly impressive for your age. No wonder they want you out of everyone," Phineas said with a grin. "Now, my new guildmates… I'd say you all rank around B-tier—except that girl right there she's probably a c-tier."

He pointed directly at Jude. Everyone knew why. Jude had the weakest stats. She had only recently joined the group and hadn't had enough time to grow.

"When it comes to physical ability," Phineas continued, "this doesn't count your evolved abilities, obviously. But here's the truth: your evolution is only as powerful as your body can handle. Everyone has a limit—most of it boils down to raw physicality."

Despite his youthful appearance—maybe late 20s or early 30s—Phineas spoke with a strange kind of wisdom, the kind that made people listen and reflect.

With one final, louder clap, he finished.

"Now that that's settled, we'll call it a night. You'll be staying in the same apartment as Emmett. I'll personally bring you all sheets and pillows."

Without waiting for a reply, Phineas turned and walked off.

"Geez… he couldn't decide if he wanted to stay or leave," Tessa thought aloud through the party's telepathic link.

"Honestly, we don't have much choice in this," Jordan added. "He gives off the vibe of someone who stays true to his word, but still… he's weird. And don't forget what he said earlier—there's an organization that might come after us just because we defended ourselves during the werewolf attack."

They pulled their hoods up and made their way to Emmett's apartment. Inside, five sets of sheets and pillows were already folded neatly on the bed.

"How fast is this guy?" Jude muttered.

They each grabbed a set and claimed a corner of the room.

"I didn't notice before, but this room is so bland. Worse than our dorms at the Academy," Leo commented.

"Yeah, sorry it's not flashy," Emmett replied. "It's not like I'm here 24/7 to enjoy it."

Leo quickly apologized, realizing he had spoken his thoughts out loud.

As the others settled down, Riven re-invited the rest of the party into the link to give an update.

"So tomorrow you're going on an outing with this guy? Did you even set up the portal yet?" Harkel asked.

"No," Riven replied flatly.

"Well, like you said, luckily he doesn't know your names. But he knows your faces. I'd say stick with him for now—at least until he gives you the okay to come back," Nico said, trying to be rational.

"But that leaves one big question…" Luka added. "What do we do with Emmett?"

"…Do we kill him?" Joey asked bluntly.

Everyone went silent.

"Joey!!" Riven shouted in his mind. "We've never killed anyone—how can you say that so casually?!"

"We were prepared to kill those experiments," Joey replied plainly.

"That was different! You know that was different!" Harkel snapped. "Our lives were on the line."

"Like now," Joey said coldly. "If Emmett tells the principal we can teleport to Earth whenever we want, who knows what they'll do to us."

"But there's a hole in that logic," Wren cut in. "If he does tell them we have a way to reach Earth or the Storm Guild, they're going to ask how he got that info. Remember what the Storm Guild Master said—Emmett has his family's wealth and safety on the line. He won't say anything unless he's ready to lose it all. Besides, he doesn't even need to know about the system. All he knows is that we built some kind of teleporter."

⸻

Back at the Academy, Wren's training room remained quiet. Thankfully, the room was located between the Academy and Sigil Gate City, just like several other special rooms—likely built for students with deep family connections. The rest of the group sat in a circle, each wearing a different expression as they processed what they heard through the link.

"Good point," Jordan said. "But here's something to think about: it seems like the system rewards us for having more party members. I mean, the fact we can combine unused attribute points and send them to someone else… or even use them for different skill trees—that's huge."

"Hmm… are you sure Riven was the game addict?" Kira teased with a smirk.

The other four teens in the apartment could see Jordan rubbing the back of his hair awkwardly.

"What is happening right now?" Luka muttered, rubbing his forehead, visibly annoyed by the thought of his sister dating.

"Chill, Luka. It's not like that," Kira said, glancing at him.

"So… what are you guys gonna do now?" Skye asked.

"We're gonna do what he said," Riven answered, a nervous look on his face. "We're going on their outing."

⸻

In a dark, blood-slicked lab, bodies were strewn in a row—mutilated and torn as if a beast had ripped through them. A massive bald man dangled in the air, suspended by the claws of a monstrous creature gripping his shoulders.

He and the other teachers had sold everything—possessions, morals, dignity—just to afford a place in this lab. They had defected. They had followed Kael to survive.

"You said… you'd let us live…" the bald man stammered.

"You're right—I did. And I'm not gonna kill you… I think," Kael said, opening his jaw. "When I was with a subject," he turned his gaze to a man with fur sprouting from his arms and face, bearing a much smaller bite wound than the others, "I saw something. It wasn't the bite that killed him. He was turning. His body just couldn't handle it. But maybe… you can."

Kael leaned in and bit the bald man. It was a small bite—but the pain sent the man screaming, writhing on the floor. Fur sprouted rapidly from his skin. His body grew larger. His nose stretched into a snout, and his ears extended into pointed tufts.

The man had transformed into a beast like Kael—only with glowing blue eyes, not red.

Kael grinned, and the remaining teachers shivered in terror.

"This… this will be our revenge on the Broken Veil!" Kael declared.

The teachers looked confused, and Kael smirked wider.

"Think about it. You wouldn't even be here if it wasn't for them creating me. You'd be home with your families. But thanks to them, you're here. You have just as much reason to hate them as I do."

His crazed smile sent chills down their spines as he crept closer.

⸻

In Emmett's apartment, silence fell. Most of the group was asleep—except for Riven, Leo, and Jude.

"So… how long were you planning to fake sleep?" Leo asked, staring at the top bunk.

"You knew?" Emmett said with a nervous grin, sitting up.

"What's your story?" Jude asked. "We're gonna have to work with you. Might as well get to know each other."

"My story?" Emmett repeated, as if weighing the words.

"Yeah. How'd you become a spy?" Riven asked.

"For family," Emmett said softly, preparing to continue.