The halls of the England GSSA headquarters carried a different kind of presence.
Calm.
Orderly.
Disciplined.
Yet beneath it… power.
Footsteps echoed softly.
Measured. Steady.
Draven Ashford walked forward, his silver coat resting over his shoulders.
At just sixteen years old…
He was already a Warden.
The youngest in the nation's history.
Eyes followed him as he passed.
Some filled with admiration.
Others with quiet envy.
But most…
With respect.
"Your office is just ahead, Lord Draven," the escorting officer said.
"You are permitted to command from the palace if you prefer—"
Draven shook his head slightly.
"Thank you," he replied calmly. "But I'll be working here."
His tone was polite.
Not forced.
Natural.
The officer nodded.
"…Understood."
They stopped at a large door.
It opened.
Inside stood five individuals.
Three girls.
Two boys.
All around his age.
The moment they saw him—
They froze.
Of course they did.
Everyone knew him.
The prince.
The prodigy.
The youngest Warden in history.
Draven stepped in calmly, offering a small, polite smile.
"Good morning."
That alone broke the tension slightly.
He walked forward and took his seat.
"I'm Draven Ashford," he said. "I'll be leading this squad."
His tone wasn't commanding.
It didn't need to be.
"O-Oh—um… Jane!" one of the girls said quickly.
"Daisy," another followed.
"Dani."
"Bill."
Then—
"…Alfred."
Draven nodded to each of them.
He remembered every name.
"Nice to meet you all," he said.
Simple.
Sincere.
The atmosphere eased.
Just a little.
Except—
In the corner of the room—
Alfred remained still.
Watching.
His expression unreadable.
But his thoughts… sharp.
Draven leaned forward slightly.
"You've all been selected for a reason," he said.
"I trust that means you're capable."
A small pause.
"But titles don't matter here."
His eyes moved across them.
"What matters… is how well we work together."
No arrogance.
No pride.
Just calm leadership.
"You are now part of a unit," he continued.
"My unit."
A brief silence.
"The Order of Light."
The name settled into the room.
Uniforms were brought forward.
Black, like standard GSSA gear—but marked with a refined insignia.
Light… cutting through darkness.
"These are your uniforms," Draven said as they were handed out.
"To be worn on duty."
He stood.
"We'll train together. Improve together."
A faint, almost reassuring tone entered his voice.
"And we'll look out for each other."
That line landed differently.
They weren't just being commanded.
They were being led.
"You're dismissed," he said.
No pressure.
No intimidation.
Just calm authority.
They began to leave.
More relaxed now.
More comfortable.
"Wow… he's actually really nice," Daisy whispered.
"Yeah… I thought he'd be strict," Dani added quietly.
Bill nodded. "He feels… different."
Alfred walked behind them.
Silent.
His expression darkened slightly.
Of course they like him.
Prince. Prodigy. Perfect image.
His jaw tightened.
He didn't go through what we did.
Didn't struggle. Didn't fight for it.
He looked back once.
At the office.
Ain't no way…
I'm letting that kid control me.
He turned.
And walked on.