Zora sighed.
"Do I really have to? I just mopped the floor with everyone. Can't I be the mysterious girl with unknown powers?"
Tori scoffed.
"Mopped the floor? You only won because—"
Jason held up a hand.
"You're the captain of this squad now. If you're going to lead, they need to trust you. Same as you'll need to trust them."
Zora's smile faded. She closed her eyes—and immediately, the image of Tariq walking away flooded her mind.
His silhouette. The fire. Her final words.
She swallowed. I have to move on.
Opening her eyes, she nodded and stepped forward.
"Zora Wendell. I have one Eidolon... but it manifests as five different powers."
The stars around her orbited gently. She gestured toward them.
"We've been working on full manifestation, but I can only use one at a time. Spark—come say hello?"
Spark zipped down in front of her, jittering nervously.
"NO! I DON'T LIKE THESE PEOPLE!"
Zora gently cupped him in her hands.
"It's okay. They're friends now. We have to get along, remember?"
Spark buzzed for a moment, then settled.
"Okay!"
He zipped forward, hovering at the center of the group. With a tiny grunt of effort, he brightened—becoming a brilliant, pulsing orb of light.
Everyone gasped.
"Hi! I'm Spark! I control gravity!"
He zoomed around them in wide loops.
Lena clapped her hands over her mouth.
"He's SO cute," she whispered, reaching out like one might for a kitten.
Even Tori, arms crossed and brow raised, watched him with reluctant wonder.
Jason grinned.
"Good to see you again, Spark."
"Jason!!" Spark chirped and zipped circles around him.
Zora chuckled.
"Okay, enough chaos for now. Siri—your turn."
Siri floated down and materialized in a blink. The air shimmered around her.
"I'm Siri. I move through space," she said flatly, then zipped back up above Zora.
Zora smirked.
"She's a teenager of few words."
"Nexus."
A flash of fire erupted midair—startling Tori into a defensive stance.
"I am Nexus," she said smoothly. "I control the elements—earth, fire, water, and air."
Paul's eyes widened.
"You can control earth?" he muttered, clearly shaken.
Nexus turned towards Jason.
"Oh, hello again, Jason."
Jason nodded back.
"Good to see you too, Nexus."
"Next up: Aegis."
Aegis floated down slowly, his light flickering like candlelight.
"Greetings. I'm Aegis. Husband to Nexus. Father to the two brats you met earlier."
Zora rolled her eyes. *Here he goes*
Aegis rose a bit higher.
"I specialize in creating armor and enchanted weapons. As long as Zora knows the construction, I can craft it."
"He talks a lot, but he's got nothing on Ricochet." Zora said giggling
She nodded upward.
A moment passed, then a voice rolled out from above.
"I am Ricochet," he declared, dragging the 'R' like thunder. "I absorb and redirect kinetic energy. Father to Aegis. Grandfather to the brats."
Everyone slowly turned their eyes back to Zora.
Their faces were a mix of awe, disbelief... and something deeper.
Wonder.
"Whoa..." Lena breathed, her eyes wide.
Ivory stepped forward, arms folded thoughtfully. "So... you only have one Eidolon? And you can do all of that?"
Zora offered a small, sheepish smile. "Yeah. I can only control two of them at a time right now—and even then, there are drawbacks."
She let out a half-hearted laugh, but it didn't quite mask her fatigue.
"Talk about feeling inferior," Tori muttered under her breath, crossing her arms.
Jason waved his hand, and the illusion around them shimmered. The cavern vanished—replaced once again by the pristine, sterile command room they'd started in.
"Alright," Jason said, walking toward Zora. "Now that we've established our team leader, I'm officially handing over control of this room to her."
He placed a hand on her shoulder.
Zora flinched.
A searing pain bloomed beneath her skin, like something hot and ancient had been carved into her soul. She grit her teeth but said nothing.
Jason gave her a knowing nod. "You and General Vance are now the only people who can change the shape and function of this room."
He turned to the group. "You'll all live, eat, and train here. Zora controls the room's configuration—so if something's off, let Terri know and she'll reset it."
He gestured to the folders on the table. "I strongly recommend you read those cover to cover. Your first mission is in a week."
The air shimmered again as he walked toward the glowing portal.
"One more thing—this unit is now designated as Task Force Polaris. You've all been assigned call signs. Commit them to memory."
And with a final shup, he was gone.
Tori collapsed into her chair with a dramatic sigh. "Ugh. I need a nap."
Zora chuckled as the others followed suit, groaning into their seats.
"Okay, okay," she said, waving a hand. "Take the rest of the day off. We'll start fresh tomorrow."
Ivory sat up suddenly. "Hey, team leader!" she called with mock desperation. "How about beds? Y'know... for your exhausted, overworked squad?"
Zora paused mid-step. "I… don't know how. But I'll try."
She closed her eyes.
Okay… Something relaxing. Something that doesn't feel like a warzone.
She imagined a sleek beach house—spacious, warm, with five separate rooms. King-size beds. Each room with its own bathroom. A salty breeze. Sunlight. Soft wood flooring and open-air windows. Peace.
She waved her hand.
The room transformed instantly.
The sterile walls melted into whitewashed planks. The scent of ocean air rushed in like a memory. The ceiling lifted. Sunlight streamed down from nowhere.
A soft hush fell over the group.
"My god," Paul whispered. "A real bed!"
He bolted for the nearest room. A moment later—a whump, followed by immediate, deep snoring.
Zora turned toward the others, still stunned at the transformation. "Well? What're you waiting for? Go enjoy it."
They didn't need to be told twice.
"A beach," Tori mumbled, eyes wide in disbelief, slowly backing into the hallway.
Zora smiled, watching them disperse, then turned back toward the portal. She stepped through, the sound of waves and snoring fading behind her.