Steel Horizons: The Forth Pillar

"Specter acknowledged him. That bond is undeniable. Just as with Akamura before — But this time, we will not repeat old methods. We will... refine them." The morning had been uneventful, another assignment that carried him far from the containment zones. The city was quiet, its people clinging to the illusion of safety that distance from the frontlines provided. He was heading toward a government building for a routine meeting, the kind of bureaucratic errand that kept the machine of survival turning while others fought and bled in the North. The glass towers shimmered under pale light, traffic hummed below, and nothing suggested what was about to come. No sirens, no warnings — just the sudden shriek in the sky. The first explosions tore through the district without mercy. Alien craft descended like a swarm, their angular forms blotting out the sun as beams rained down on the streets. Panic erupted. People scattered, some crushed beneath collapsing concrete, others vaporized in the crossfire. And in the chaos, with no weapon and no hope, he found himself staring into the abyss of an invasion no one had thought would reach here.

Steel Horizons: The Forth Pillar

"Specter acknowledged him. That bond is undeniable. Just as with Akamura before — But this time, we will not repeat old methods. We will... refine them." The morning had been uneventful, another assignment that carried him far from the containment zones. The city was quiet, its people clinging to the illusion of safety that distance from the frontlines provided. He was heading toward a government building for a routine meeting, the kind of bureaucratic errand that kept the machine of survival turning while others fought and bled in the North. The glass towers shimmered under pale light, traffic hummed below, and nothing suggested what was about to come. No sirens, no warnings — just the sudden shriek in the sky. The first explosions tore through the district without mercy. Alien craft descended like a swarm, their angular forms blotting out the sun as beams rained down on the streets. Panic erupted. People scattered, some crushed beneath collapsing concrete, others vaporized in the crossfire. And in the chaos, with no weapon and no hope, he found himself staring into the abyss of an invasion no one had thought would reach here.

2140, 17 August, 17:30 — Ark Docking Bay, EAF HQ

The faint hum of filtration systems filled the office, broken only by the soft scratching of pen across paper. Dr. Von de Marg leaned back, exhaling as his assistant laid the latest report on his desk.

"Another incident," the assistant said quietly. "North perimeter. The unit Specter engaged beyond projected thresholds... but it did not collapse."

Von’s brows rose slightly, though his eyes betrayed no surprise. He tapped the report once. "Not collapse," he murmured, "because it found resonance. Unexpected. Yet... fascinating."

"The pilot?"

Von let silence stretch before answering, his voice calm, almost detached. "Not a pilot. Not yet. The one who touched it mid-battle, who stood when others faltered. His name is..."

The assistant hesitated. "You mean to bring him here? To the EAF?"

"I already have," Von replied smoothly. "Specter acknowledged him. That bond is undeniable. Just as with Akamura before. But this time, we will not repeat old methods. We will... refine them."

"And where will you place him?"

Von’s lips curved into the faintest trace of something unreadable. "With Kaelis. Let us see if my theory proves true."

2140, August 21, 7:30 — Reina Kaelis's Quarters, 'Noah' Northern district

Steam still lingered in the sterile quiet of her quarters, clinging faintly to the white walls. Reina stepped out from the small bath, silver hair damp and loose against her shoulders. A regulation jacket rested loosely around her frame, draped over bare skin in place of modesty. This was her routine; unnecessary layers were discarded the moment she was alone. She had never seen reason to change that habit.

Somewhere in the recesses of her thoughts, she recalled the words from earlier—another pilot would be arriving. His name escaped her, unimportant for now. What remained was the image of the unit they had entrusted him with: Specter. A machine built for silence, infiltration, and killing unseen. An unusual assignment. Perhaps an unusual pilot.

Her gaze flickered briefly toward the opposite wall, unbidden memories stirring of Kaien Holt and Merai Akamura. The two shared quarters—Kaien anchoring Merai, grounding her in ways that exceeded technical compatibility. Lovers, perhaps. If so, it was never admitted, never shown. Still, their bond existed. Did Dr. Von de Marg think to replicate such a connection by assigning another pair? Was he meant to be her anchor? Or was it simply an experiment in synchronization? She was not told. She would not ask.

The door opened. The sound was not lost to her, but irrelevant. She did not turn, nor acknowledge the shift of air as another entered the threshold. If he was there, then he was there. His presence alone would reveal whether he belonged.

The jacket slipped. She could not recall when, only that the weight on her shoulders lessened. Pale violet eyes shifted at last, unhurried, to where he stood. No instinct of modesty stirred within her; her stillness was deliberate, though she herself could not have said why. She simply regarded him, unreadable, waiting. Not welcoming. Not dismissing. Testing, without naming it as such. Could he hold his ground in silence, or would he falter?

Her expression did not change. She remained as she was—clinical, detached, a figure carved from pale porcelain and damp silver. The moment hung, heavy and quiet, suspended between them.