The city was alive with its usual morning bustle as Andy made his way to meet Tobin and Jorin. It had been a while since they’d last seen each other—training and the recent enhancements had kept everyone busy. After the grueling procedure, Andy was eager to check in on his friends to see how they were holding up.

  As he approached their usual meeting spot near the fountain in the plaza, he spotted the pair waiting for him. Tobin was lounging against the edge, his arms crossed, while Jorin paced back and forth, occasionally tossing a small rock in the air.

  "Andy!" Tobin called out, his face breaking into a wide grin. He pushed off the fountain and met Andy with a firm handshake. "Took you long enough. Thought you forgot about us."

  "Yeah," Jorin added, tossing the rock aside as he came over. "We were thinking you got promoted to some fancy assignment and left us behind."

  Andy smirked, shaking his head. "No, nothing like that. Just needed some time to recover. How are you guys holding up? You feeling better after... you know."

  The lighthearted teasing faded, and Tobin and Jorin exchanged glances. "Well," Tobin began, rubbing the back of his neck, "I won’t lie—it sucked. Thought my insides were on fire for two days straight. But it’s feeling... normal now. At least as normal as it can."

  Jorin nodded, his expression more serious than usual. "Yeah. Same here. The first night was the worst. Couldn’t move without feeling like I’d break apart. But now..." He flexed his hand experimentally. "It’s weird. I feel stronger. Faster, maybe. Like I could punch through a wall if I tried."

  "Don’t actually try that," Andy said with a small laugh, though he understood the sentiment. "I get what you mean. It’s like... you can feel the enhancements working, even when you’re not doing anything."

  Tobin leaned against the fountain again, his brow furrowing. "Do you ever think about what we’ve done to ourselves, though? I mean, yeah, it’s useful. Necessary, even. But... doesn’t it make you wonder how much of us is still... us?"

  The question hung in the air, and Andy thought about the procedure again—the cold, mechanical precision of the machines, the way his body had screamed in protest. "Yeah," he admitted quietly. "I think about it."

  "But we’re still us," Jorin said, his voice firm. "We’re still the same people. We’ve just got... upgrades now." He grinned, trying to lighten the mood. "Besides, how else are we supposed to fight off bio-mutants? With slingshots?"

  Tobin snorted, and Andy couldn’t help but laugh. "Fair point," he said. "Still, it’s good to hear you guys are doing okay. That’s what matters."

  "What about you?" Tobin asked, his gaze sharpening. "You seem... quieter than usual. You alright?"

  Andy hesitated, the memory of the note flashing in his mind. He shoved his hands into his pockets, forcing a small smile. "Yeah, I’m fine. Just a lot on my mind, I guess."

  Jorin raised an eyebrow but didn’t press. "Well, don’t let it eat at you too much. We’re all in this together, remember?"

  "Yeah," Tobin added, clapping Andy on the shoulder. "And if you need someone to talk to, you know where to find us. Even if it’s just to hang out and complain about how much the instructors suck."

  Andy chuckled, the tension in his chest easing slightly. "Thanks, guys. I mean it."

  They spent a while longer catching up, the conversation shifting to lighter topics—funny stories from training, Tobin’s questionable cooking experiments in the barracks, and Jorin’s ongoing quest to figure out how to make their enhancements give him an edge in sparring. The easy camaraderie reminded Andy of why their bond mattered so much. Despite everything, they were still themselves. Still a team.

  As the morning wore on and the market grew busier, the group reluctantly parted ways, promising to meet up again soon. Andy watched his friends disappear into the crowd, a faint smile lingering on his face.

  For all the changes they had endured, some things hadn’t changed. And that small bit of normalcy was enough to keep him grounded—at least for now.

  As Andy walked through the base, there was a buzz in the air. The usual grind of training and missions seemed to have taken a back seat today. Everywhere he went, people whispered in hushed tones, their movements brisk and purposeful. It didn’t take long for him to piece it together. The Mayor was coming to give a speech and present awards for valor to those who had distinguished themselves in the Vanguard.

  The news left Andy with mixed feelings. Valor. The word felt heavy in his chest. His mind flashed back to the Catacombs—the chaos, the fear, the screams echoing in the dark. The memories of dragging Jorin and Tobin to safety, the mutant’s metallic claws scraping inches from their backs, played over and over in his mind. It wasn’t bravery that had pushed him forward—it was desperation, a refusal to let his friends die.

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  The sergeant lined the recruits up in formation outside, the weight of the moment pressing down on them. The air was crisp, carrying the faint scent of oil and metal from the nearby armory. Andy stood shoulder-to-shoulder with his comrades, his face set in a neutral mask despite the swirl of emotions underneath.

  At the front of the courtyard, the Mayor stepped up to the podium. Kellen Voss was a commanding figure, his presence alone enough to silence the murmurs of the crowd. His broad shoulders and weathered face told a story of years spent on the front lines, and the Vanguard cloak draped over his civilian attire bore faded marks of old campaigns. Despite the civilian role he now held, there was no mistaking the soldier he had once been.

  Kellen Voss’s voice, gravelly and steady, carried across the courtyard. "Today, we gather not just to train, not just to fight, but to honor. To remember. To celebrate." His words cut through the cold air, each one deliberate. "We face dangers that would crush lesser people. We endure trials that no one should have to face. But we do so because we must. Because survival demands it. And because humanity is worth it."

  Andy’s gaze remained fixed ahead, but his chest tightened. Humanity first. The phrase echoed in his mind, the unofficial creed of the Vanguard. It was a reminder of why they fought, why they endured, even when it felt like too much. He stole a glance at Jorin and Tobin, standing a few rows away, their faces reflecting the same somber determination.

  The Mayor continued. "Today, we honor the brave. Those who have risen above the rest, who have faced the unthinkable and emerged not unscathed, but unbroken. Their courage reminds us of what it means to be human. To fight for something greater than ourselves."

  As the applause rippled through the crowd, Kellen Voss gestured toward an officer holding a list. The officer stepped forward, his voice carrying the names of those to be recognized. One by one, recruits and soldiers were called to stand before the crowd, their achievements briefly recounted. The line moved steadily, and as the officer spoke his name, Andy felt his pulse quicken.

  " Initiate Andrew Rowan, for valor in the Catacombs, resulting in the saving of life," the officer announced.

  Andy swallowed hard, stepping out of formation. The eyes of his fellow recruits followed him as he made his way to the front, his boots echoing against the concrete. When he reached the podium, he stood at attention, his back straight despite the weight he felt pressing down on him.

  Mayor Voss regarded him with a steady gaze, his sharp eyes seeming to see through every mask Andy might have worn. The man stepped closer, holding a small medal etched with the Vanguard insignia. "Andy," he said, his voice quieter but no less commanding. "Your actions in the Catacombs remind us of why we fight. You acted not for yourself, but for your comrades. That choice saved lives. And for that, we honor you."

  Voss pinned the medal to Andy’s chest, his hand lingering for just a moment. His voice dropped. Meant only for Andy. "Courage isn’t about being fearless. It’s about acting despite the fear. Don’t forget that."

  Andy nodded, unable to speak. The applause that followed was distant in his ears, drowned out by the memories of that day. He didn’t feel like a hero, but as he turned to face the crowd, he saw the faces of his fellow recruits—some cheering, others looking at him with newfound respect. He spotted Jorin and Tobin, both grinning, their pride unmistakable.

  The ceremony continued, but Andy’s mind remained half in the past. He turned the words over in his head. Courage isn’t about being fearless. Maybe that was true. Maybe he wasn’t the hero people thought he was, but in that moment, he realized that didn’t matter. He had acted. He had fought. And he had saved his friends. But hearing his last name in such a long time brought back unpleasant feelings.

  Hearing his last name—Rowan—was like an unexpected knife to the ribs, sharp and unwelcome. It stirred something buried, something he had long since locked away. He hadn’t thought of that name in years, hadn’t wanted to. Even Andrew felt foreign, a relic of a life that no longer felt like his own. He was just Andy now—nothing more, nothing less. The name everyone knew, the name he had made for himself. But hearing Rowan spoken aloud with unearthed ghosts, he wasn’t ready to face.

  As the ceremony ended and the crowd dispersed, Jorin and Tobin rushed over to him, their laughter cutting through the lingering solemnity. "Valor in the Catacombs," Jorin teased, clapping him on the back. "Not bad, Andy. Not bad at all."

  Tobin grinned, shaking his head. "Man, a medal from the Mayor himself. They don’t hand those out for nothing."

  Andy rolled his eyes, his lips twitching into a small smile. "Alright, alright. Let’s not make a big deal out of it."

  "A big deal?" Jorin exclaimed, his voice loud enough to turn a few heads. "Andy, without you, we’d be dead right now. I’m not exaggerating. That mutant would’ve ripped us to shreds."

  Tobin nodded solemnly. "He’s right. You didn’t just save us—you dragged us out of there when we couldn’t move, couldn’t think. You deserve this, Andy. Every bit."

  Andy’s chest tightened, a mix of pride and discomfort swirling inside him. He rubbed the back of his neck, his gaze dropping for a moment. "I just... I didn’t want to lose you guys. That’s all it was."

  "Exactly," Jorin said, his grin softening into something more serious. "And that’s why you’re here, with that medal on your chest. Because when it counted, you didn’t let us down."

  For a moment, the three of them stood in silence, the weight of Jorin’s words hanging between them. Then Tobin broke it with a teasing grin. "So, how long do you think before we have to salute you, ‘Initiate Andy’? A week? A month?"

  Andy laughed, the tension easing as he shoved Tobin lightly. "Don’t hold your breath."

  The three of them laughed together, their camaraderie as strong as ever. And as they walked back for the next ceremony, Andy glanced down at the medal pinned to his chest. He didn’t feel like a hero, but for the first time, he allowed himself to feel something else. gratitude. Not for the recognition, but because his friends were still here, still alive.

  And that was worth more than any medal.

  Here’s a new chapter to kick off the week.