The rest of the day passed slowly, and for once, none of them minded.

They stayed at Moon’s accommodation, sprawled across the living room in various states of relaxation.

They played a few card games, Yara had long since picked up card skills during her time spent with Selene.

Selene won most of them, which she attributed to strategy.

They watched the tournament highlights on the large screen mounted on the wall. The commentators were loud and dramatic, turning every decent exchange into the greatest moment in tournament history. Selene critiqued the fighters’ techniques under her breath. Yara pointed out when someone’s footwork was sloppy. Moon noted which ones appeared to be hiding their true strength and which ones were at their limit.

When the highlights got repetitive, they switched to the news. More coverage of the tournament. An interview with a Second Star Evolver who predicted he would win the whole thing. A segment about rising star candidates that neither Selene nor Moon appeared in.

Evening came. They ordered food once again. Ate too much again. Yara fell asleep in the armchair after finishing her last plate.

During a quiet moment, Moon pulled out his phone and sent Tom a message.

It was short and direct. He knew that the old man did not like beating around the bush, and honestly, neither did he. He wanted to meet, at Tom’s earliest convenience.

He checked for a reply an hour later, but found nothing.

Moon didn’t send a follow-up. Tom was an Ascender and the chairman of one of the most powerful groups in the kingdom. The man’s schedule wasn’t something that bent to accommodate a text message.

’The old fox is probably busy with whatever Ascenders are busy with.’

Moon pocketed his phone and leaned his head back against the sofa.

Tomorrow, the tournament’s next phase would begin. The real competition.

He closed his eyes and let himself rest.

♢♢♢♢

In a barren land where only those with the worst tendencies and darkest records survived, a facility sat hidden from every sense. No scanner could find it. No probe could reach it. It existed in the cracks between what the world acknowledged and what it chose to forget.

The room inside was dark. A handful of torches mounted on the walls provided the only light, their flames weak yet strong, steady...yet unsteady, casting shadows that swallowed the faces of those gathered within.

Three figures sat around a stone table. The shadows didn’t just cover them. They clung to them, as if the darkness recognized its own.

"Where is the master?!" The smallest of the three spoke first, frustration creeping into his voice. "We haven’t seen them for months, and that kid’s show is about to begin. The plan is in place. We can’t mess it up now."

The largest figure, nearly double the size of the first, leaned back in his chair. A sneer crept across the sliver of his face visible beneath the shadow.

"Your patience is as short as yourself, like always."

The smaller shadow’s fists clenched. "Ian...you little shit."

"Baaron...you little midget..."

"Enough!"

The third voice interrupted them both. Despite his soft tone, a single word was enough to gain the silence of being so powerful, they could turn mountains into rubble.

The two stopped immediately.

"You two are always bickering like a grumpy husband and wife. Take that love somewhere else. I brought you here for an important meeting."

Both scoffed but said nothing further, waiting.

The third figure placed his hands on the long table separating them, his fingers laced together.

"I spoke with the master a few weeks ago. They were still occupied within the Sanctuary, preparing certain, important arrangements. The last thing they told me was that they would be present when the time mattered."

He paused.

"However, they also mentioned that the timeline coincided with their own breakthrough. Since we have yet to hear from the master, it means one of two things. They are busy with something critical, or they are in the process of advancing.

Either way, our orders are clear. We proceed with the plan. With or without the master’s presence. Those were their exact words." The figure stopped speaking for a moment, remembering another part of their conversation.

"Right, and masger told me to warn you two."

The two shadows frowned. "Warn us? Of what?"

"I was told to warn you about an Evolver named Moon Outlaw."

Silence held the room for a beat. Then both of them burst out laughing. For the first time, the two were perfectly in sync, their voices filling the dark chamber in uniso§n.

"Warn us about an Evolver?" The smaller shadow wiped his eye. "The master told you to warn us about an Evolver? Are you joking? Because that is one hell of a funny joke."

"No." The third figure’s voice didn’t waver. "I’m being dead serious. I wouldn’t dare joke about the master’s orders."

The laughter died a second later. Although the third figure’s face remained hidden in shadow, the other two could feel the seriousness radiating from him.

The room went quiet for a moment before Ian spoke first,

"Moon Outlaw, isn’t that the kid who entered as part of the group to clear the first S-Rank gate of the First Order not so long ago?"

"Yes. That’s the one."

Ian crossed his massive arms. "Sure, we can admit the kid is stronger than most his age. And exiting an S-Rank gate while pulling the other kids out has its own merit."

He leaned forward.

"But surely, it’s not enough for an Ascender like me to worry about such a small existence. Besides, wasn’t he an Awakener not so long ago? What could possibly be dangerous about him? Even if he evolved the day he exited the portal, he couldn’t have possibl—"

Baaron stopped mid-sentence.

His mouth stayed open, but the words had dried up. Something flashed behind his eyes, a thought forming that hadn’t been there a second ago.

"Wait." His voice dropped. "Are you saying that...the kid might have gotten something really powerful from the S-Rank gate?"

Author’s Note: In regards to mass release, that will be coming within the next three days. 5 Chapters, as promised.