Chapter 43
It begins
The tent rustled softly in the wind, its canvas walls fluttering like uncertain breaths. The air outside was thick with overcast grey, but within, there was only the low sound of movement, the tension of unspoken words.
IAM crouched by his gear, methodically checking every item. He slid magazines into the inner straps of his cargo pants, the click of plastic and metal strangely comforting. His fingers were fast but careful, every motion deliberate. The cold metal of his weapon felt heavier today.Everything needed to be exactly where his hands would reach when the time came. No mistakes. Not today.
He adjusted his backpack, now loaded with spare clothes, food, and filtered water packs. Every motion was practiced, but underlined with tension.
He double-checked his mech holster at his hip, giving the handle a firm pat. The mech, still unnamed, sat snugly inside its housing. IAM stood upright and gave himself a once-over, tapping each pocket and strap. It was all there. He was ready—or as ready as one could be.
Across the tent, Kepa sat quietly, back straight but eyes restless, flicking now and then to IAM. His arms were crossed loosely over his chest, not out of confidence but tension he didn't want to show. He'd been in his own head the whole time IAM packed.
A brief moment of stillness passed between them before IAM turned to look at Kepa directly.
but now something in him snapped forward.
Kepa stepped toward him, boots crunching lightly against the tarp-lined floor. He opened his mouth to say something but paused. Instead, he reached out suddenly and pulled IAM into a strong hug. It wasn't soft or shaky. It was firm. Protective.
"Please…" he muttered under his breath. "Come back alive."
IAM blinked, caught off guard. He didn't freeze up, but he took a second before awkwardly patting Kepa's back with one hand, then the other.
"Of course," he said, his voice somewhere between cocky and soft. "Those little pieces of shit out there? They don't got nothing on me."
Kepa let go just as suddenly, stepping back with a clearing of his throat. His face returned to its usual relaxed look, but his jaw was tight. He cleared his throat and muttered something about dust.
IAM gave him a small nod, but before he could turn, he locked eyes with Hen—his other tentmate. Hen was standing a bit to the side, arms at his sides, expression unreadable. He'd kept his distance since IAM's ill-timed "cock" joke a while back. IAM wasn't sure where they stood.
But then Hen gave him a nod. Simple. Short. But it was something.
IAM returned the nod, and just then, the tent flap rustled. A figure stepped inside.
It was Ryan.
He walked in with a quiet confidence, his presence louder than his footsteps. The air around him seemed to hum with something unseen—something potent. His black hair looked fuller now, clean and brushed, almost styled. His green eyes shimmered, unnervingly sharp beneath the light.
The boy IAM once thought naive now carried himself with unnerving confidence. There was something sharp about him—his movements smooth, practiced, calculated.
At his hip was a long sword strapped in place. It looked new. Or maybe it was just polished to a gleam. He smiled the way he always did—bright and wide.
IAM's face twitched slightly. He still couldn't shake the strange feeling that clung to Ryan like a shadow, but he didn't let it show. He gave him a nod and was about to walk past when—
Ryan wrapped him in a hug.
It was unexpected and tight. Too tight. Like a leash pulling him, commanding—like a leash being clipped on.
"Make sure you come back alive," Ryan said, the words thick with weight. "I'll be deployed soon too. I plan to return—so should you. Don't forget where we came from. Don't forget the place that told us we'd die. Let's make Hope's End proud."
IAM felt a strange jolt ripple through his body. Ryan's Path, subtle and suffocating, coursed beneath his skin like static—like something viscous and unnatural. His body is filled with vigor and energy, He shuddered and pulled away, nodding shakily. He hoped the effect would wear off soon.It felt like poison disguised as a prayer. Still, IAM nodded, trying not to show how wrong it felt.
"I won't," he said quietly.
He arrived at the gates near the gap between the Hold and the outer towers. A large transport truck waited, its engine growling low. It was the same type of vehicle Regina once arrived in. Mia stood near the back, arms folded and posture steady, her ever-stern gaze scanning the team.
Kon stood nearby, relaxed but alert, eyes glinting like he was waiting for a challenge. Leovico leaned against the truck with a mischievous grin playing on his lips. His arm hung casually around Jasmine's shoulders—Jas, as he liked to call her. Jasmine didn't shake it off, but she also didn't lean in. She offered IAM a calm, encouraging look.
Bryan slouched near the back of the truck, gaze distant. He looked half-asleep, he gave a lazy upward tilt of the chin.
IAM stopped mid-step when he noticed two unexpected figures waiting off to the side.
Regina, arms folded, gave him a cool, unreadable nod. And beside her stood Raj.
Raj offered a short wave. "Here to wish you luck," he said with a smirk.
IAM smiled faintly. "Appreciate it."
Raj stepped closer, grabbed IAM's shoulder with a strong grip and lowered his voice. "I don't know what you're expecting out there, but trust me—it's worse than you think. Don't be afraid to be afraid. That's human. And hey… sometimes it's okay to run."
IAM swallowed hard and nodded, trying not to let the lump in his throat rise too high. It meant something, coming from Raj.
Before he could respond, another voice cut through the tension.
"Hey! Make sure you come back with all your body parts. Don't make healing you harder than it already is!"
Althea approached, tall and striking, her pale skin almost glowing against her blood-red lips. She walked up to IAM, her expression unreadable, then pulled him into a brief hug.
IAM stood stiff for a moment. They weren't that close. Since when did—
She patted his head softly, and whispered, "You remind me of him."
Him? IAM didn't know who she meant, but something about her voice made it feel important. He didn't ask. He just nodded.
The team gathered around the truck, and IAM felt something stir inside him. It wasn't fear—not exactly. These people… they cared about him. He had come into this world alone, but now....
He wasn't just fighting to survive anymore. He was fighting for them too.
He looked up at the dome one last time. Its red flag fluttered high and proud above the towers, like a defiant challenge to the world outside.
"I'll be back," IAM said under his breath.
He climbed into the back of the truck, where metal benches ran along the sides. Kon gave him a fist bump. Leo smirked and patted the empty space beside him. Jasmine nodded again.
The truck rumbled as it started moving. Two others followed, each carrying another rookie team heading into the unknown.
As they passed beneath the tower archway, disappearing into the fog—
—two soldiers stood atop the wall, saluting silently as they watched them go.
They saluted like they had seen this before. Like they already knew most of them would never return.
The unmoving clouds watched as IAM and the rest disappeared into the Deadline.