The command console in General Kaine's office was a storm of pulsing amber lights. He leaned forward, his fingers tapping a relentless rhythm against the metallic desk as he initiated the override codes for the third time. On the primary display, the icons for General Silas and General Varick remained stubbornly gray.
"Answer the damn channel," Kaine muttered.
The silence of the room was broken only by the hum of the cooling fans. Finally, after another grueling minute of encrypted ringing, the screen split into two distinct feeds. On the left, Silas appeared, his face partially obscured by the shifting shadows of a moving transport. On the right, Varick's feed was a blur of motion, the background a streaking mess of cityscape.
"This had better be urgent, Kaine," Silas said, his voice crackling with static. "I am in the middle of a border redistribution."
"The High Kings have unlocked the files for vane." Kaine said, cutting through the greeting. "Every General has full clearance as of ten minutes ago. Vesper already called me. She is on her way to Valis."
There was a sharp, collective silence on the line. Varick's feed suddenly stabilized as he adjusted his pace. His eyes were wide, reflecting the blue glow of his own HUD.
"The Kings authorized the release?" Varick asked. "The files has been under a black site seal since the boy was found. If they are letting us see it now, the evaluation period is over."
"It means the boy isn't just an Omen transfer anymore," Kaine replied. "He is a global variable. I need both of you at Valis. Now. We are holding an emergency session."
"I am already on my way," Varick said, a faint smirk touching his lips. "I will be there before your next sip of coffee."
The feed cut out instantly as Varick disconnected to focus on his travel. Silas nodded slowly, his expression grim. "I will redirect my transport. Expect me within thirty minutes."
At the edge of the Valis district, the air hummed as a streak of silver moved through the smog. Varick didn't use transports. As a General who specialized in kinetic displacement, he moved with a precision that made mechanical travel look sluggish. His boots touched the landing pad of the Valis Command Spire with a controlled thud. He didn't wait for the automated doors to cycle. He moved through the entrance and stepped into the hallway.
He was inside Kaine's office moments later, his breathing steady despite the distance he had just covered.
"You're late," Varick said, though he was the first to arrive. He leaned against the wall, adjusting the collar of his uniform.
Kaine looked up from his desk, unfazed. "You're early. Vesper is still five miles out."
Back in the main training hall, Vane remained seated on the high benches, his chin resting on his palm. Below him, the students continued their frantic drills. The air was filled with the smell of scorched air and the heavy thud of bodies hitting the floor. Vane watched a pair of students clash, their Spark energy flaring in bright, inefficient bursts.
Nora sat beside him, her gaze alternating between the combat below and the exit. She stood up abruptly, smoothing out her blazer. "Come on. We're leaving."
Vane looked up at her, his expression neutral. "Where are we going?"
"To the scientific wing," Nora said, her voice dropping to a whisper. "I am sure they have something for your issue. Sitting here isn't doing you any favors."
Vane stood up slowly, looking back at the training floor one last time. "Ok. Lead the way."
Far above the concrete sprawl, a sleek, tungsten plated shuttle descended through the purple haze. It moved with a heavy, inevitable grace. The hull was etched with the jagged crown of Zenith Academy, the metal gleaming despite the filth of the Valis air.
Inside the cockpit, General Vesper stood behind the pilot, her eyes fixed on the distant silhouette of the Valis Spire. Her hand remained on the hilt of her blade, her thumb tracing the familiar notches in the guard.
"General, we are approaching the primary hangar," the pilot reported. "General Varick's signature is already detected on site. General Silas is closing in on our rear."
"Let them gather," Vesper whispered, her voice cold and steady.
The shuttle's landing gears hissed as they locked into place. Vesper stepped toward the exit ramp before it had even fully lowered. She could smell the faint ozone from Varick's arrival and the heavy scent of Kaine's industrial sector.
The three Generals were converging on a single point, and at the center of it all, Vane was walking toward a lab, unaware that the highest powers in the world were currently standing in a room discussing his existence.