Kael woke up to the smell of smoke and the sound of boots.
For a second, he didn't move. His body ached, his clothes were torn, and the Spiral inside him was barely alive. He lay under a ridge, hidden by rocks and dirt. The wind was cold now, and his skin felt like ice.
Then he heard voices.
Soldiers.
He tried to crawl away, but a sharp pain in his leg stopped him. He had twisted it badly while running from the scavengers the night before. He was stuck.
Then he saw her.
A girl in dark blue armor stepped into view. Her uniform had a silver crest shaped like a bird with seven wings, it was the mark of one of the ruling families. Kael didn't know which one, but he had seen symbols like it on GenCore's high-security reports.
She was young, maybe a few years older than him, but something about the way she stood told Kael she was in charge.
Her eyes landed on him.
"Hold fire," she said to her squad.
Kael tried to speak, but his throat was dry.
She knelt beside him and scanned him with a small device. It beeped strangely when it passed over the Spiral mark on his chest.
"You're not just another scavenger," she said quietly.
Kael tensed. "Are you going to take me back to GenCore?"
She looked at him for a long moment. Then she shook her head.
"No. But I should."
"Then why?"
"Because whatever you are... GenCore wants you dead. That makes me curious."
She stood up and signaled her team. "We're taking him with us."
One of the soldiers hesitated. "He's flagged, Commander."
"I know," she said. "And I don't care. He's under my protection now."
Kael blinked. "Who are you?"
She looked down at him and smiled just a little.
"Commander Aria Velar. House Velar. And you just became my problem."
------------------------------------------------
End of Chapter 3 of volume 2