Lunch at Veritas was never long—twenty minutes if you were lucky—but today, even the noise felt lighter.
Trays clattered into the wash one by one.
Ayasha nudged Lior with an elbow. “You’re quiet.”
He blinked, halfway back from thought. “J— just tired.”
“Mm-hmm.” She stacked her tray. “Come on. Fresh air.”
Team SnapBack, Vitalis, Pulse, and Seraph followed Team Titan to the East wing.
They filed out through the rear doors into The Arcway—a stretch of open concrete between two walls, sun spilling in through the high arch above.
A few benches sat on the edge. The air smelled like steel and salt from the sea beyond.
Cael stretched his arms overhead. “Finally. Oxygen.”
Perma looked around. “Now what?”
Speedy flopped onto a bench. “We stand here until one of us invents fun.”
Ayasha crossed her arms, scanning the emptiness. “This constant standing around talking is boring, right, Lior?”
He was staring past them, lost somewhere else.“Right, Lior?”
He blinked. “Y… yeah. Right.”
Perma sighed. “So what is there to do?”
Ayasha’s eyes narrowed in thought. Then a grin slid in. “Thorn… Arcline… K—come with me.”
They exchanged glances, but followed.
?
Ten minutes later the doors hissed open again.
Ayasha led the trio back out—two aluminum trashcans clutched upside down, bottoms cut clean off.
Arcline walked behind them, holding a rubbery orange ball—about basketball-sized, but definitely not regulation.
Speedy raised a brow. “Uh… why do I feel like this is about to involve injury?”
Ayasha ignored him. “Sunstrike—mind lending a hand?”
Sunstrike looked up from her seat. “Sure. What do you need?”
Ayasha pointed to the steel wall on each side of the Arcway. “Melt these there and… there.”
Flame flicked to life—
WHSHHH—
The metal rims fused to the wall, sagging slightly but holding.
Perfect.
Ayasha dusted her hands, then snatched a stub of chalk from her pocket.
She knelt, sketching fast white lines across the concrete—free-throw arcs, three-point curves, and a center circle.
Speedy tilted his head. “Construction class?”
Ayasha stood, satisfied. “Basketball.”
He blinked. “Basket-what?”
“I learned it on the Lior mission,” Ayasha said, setting the ball down. “Two teams. The goal is to get the ball in the basket.”
“Without killing anyone,” Cael added.
Ayasha continued, patient but firm—demonstrating dribbling, passing, shooting.
The everyone’s first few tries were chaos.
The ball bounced sideways, smacked K in the lip, and ricocheted off Perma’s shoulder.
Speedy tripped over nothing.
THMP—CLANG!
Laughter broke across the court.
Grid sat nearby, back against the wall, watching in silence.
After a few minutes he sighed and pushed to his feet. “Forget the dribbling. Make it a Niche-battle game.”
Ayasha turned. “Meaning?”
“The trick’s simple. You take the ball from the other team and put it in the goal. Twenty seconds once your team controls the ball. Timer resets if it hits the rim. Same point rules as your game.”
He looked around the group, half-smile tugging at his mouth. “Once someone shoots it towards the basket, it can’t be touched. Call it Niche-sketball.”
The others exchanged glances.
“Let’s pick teams,” Cael said, stepping back and pulling a small whistle from his pocket.
Everyone stared.
Speedy squinted. “why do you have that?”
Cael turned to him with a proud look on his face. “For situations such as this one.”
Arcline squinted. “Bro… you carry that??”
“Always,” Cael replied, dead serious.
Ayasha clapped once. “Okay. Team names first so we don’t get mixed up. We’ll do Team LeBron and Team Curry.”
Silence.
Everyone stared at her like she’d just made those names up on the spot.
Speedy squinted. “…Who?”
Ayasha blinked—then let out a small laugh at herself. “Right. You guys have never heard of basketball.”
She rolled the ball lightly between her palms. “When Cael and I were on our mission in Canada, I joined a school basketball team. Ended up playing for four years. I watched a lot of pro games too.”
A light smile came across her face, as she remembered something warm. “LeBron James and Steph Curry. Two of the best players to ever touch the court.”
Speedy pointed slowly at the trash-can hoops. “So this is… like… their thing?”
“Yep,” Ayasha said. “Well—normally with less bruising. And way more rules.”
Replica nodded once, graceful. “So these names represent excellence in this field.”
“Exactly,” Ayasha said.
Silverline lifted her chin, accepting it with quiet poise. “Then I will lead Team Curry.”
Ayasha mirrored her stance with a steady, competitive smile. “Then I’ll take Team LeBron.”
?
Silverline stepped forward.
Ayasha mirrored her—steady, relaxed, almost playful.
But when the idea of team captains settled, something shifted between them—small, silent, inward.
They both glanced at Lior in the same heartbeat.
The exact same thought.
At the exact same time.
As if their minds had been linked by Sync himself.
First pick gets Lior.
Lior let out a slow, easy breath—the kind that doesn’t sound like relief, but feels like it. “I think I’ll just watch this one,” he said, tone smooth, casual. “Legs are still fried from the trials.”
The air didn’t freeze — but it thinned.
Ayasha’s smile didn’t break, although her eyes narrowed just a shade—the kind of look she only used when she knew someone was lying.
Silverline noticed it too—a flicker of awareness behind her calm expression—but she tucked it away, quiet and composed.
Cael didn’t say anything.
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No one challenged him.
Cael raised the whistle to his lips. “Alright—picks go back and forth. Silverline, you get first.”
Each of them picked three.
Only two remained: Perma and Speedy.
Speedy immediately threw his hand up like a flare. “Clearly—clearly—this is where you choose unmatched talent and—”
Silverline didn’t even look at him. “Perma.”
Perma stepped forward smoothly, expression steady.
Speedy froze mid-gesture. “Wow. Okay. That was—fast.”
Ayasha exhaled slowly, like she’d prepared for this exact moment. “Speedy.”
Speedy pointed at himself with both thumbs.“Finally! The secret weapon is selected.”
Arcline blinked. “You call yourself that?”
Speedy nodded hard. “Yes. And I stand by it.”
Ayasha clapped once. “I guess we will have to win in spite of you. Welcome to Team LeBron, Speedy.”
Teams Set:
Team Curry (Captain: Silverline)
? K
? Sunstrike
? Thorn
? Perma
Team LeBron (Captain: Ayasha)
? Arcline
? Cascade
? Replica
? Speedy
Cael lifted the whistle. “Before we start—somebody’s got to keep time.”
Ayasha paused, remembering. “Oh—right.”
She patted her pockets and pulled out two slim timers—one in each hand. “Glad I grabbed two.”
She tossed both to Halo. “You don’t mind keeping time for us, do you?”
Halo caught them easily, one in each hand. “Not at all. How long?”
“Twelve minutes on one,” Ayasha said. “And use the other to track the twenty-second possession. Reset if it hits the trashcan or possession changes.”
Halo nodded once. “Got it.”
Ayasha and Silverline stepped into the center circle.
Cael raised the whistle.
Halo adjusted the timers—one thumb on each.
Arcline bounced once on his toes.
Thorn rolled his shoulder, smile getting larger as he waited to start..
“Alright,” Cael said. “When the ball is tossed up and hit by either captain the game is live. Once your team gets control, Halo starts the twenty. You shoot—no one touches the ball till it lands. Understand?”
Both captains nodded.
Cael stood in between Ayasha and Silverline, both in a jumping position.
He tossed the ball up—
FWIP—!
Ayasha tipped it—
—and the Arcway instantly dissolved into pure, unstructured chaos.
Arcline burst forward grabbing the ball, static snapping, TSHH-ZAP, off his arms.
Sunstrike shot across the court in a streak of heat FWOOF-KHHH, leaving glowing scorch Trials.
Replica split into three illusions at once—shfff—paft—paft—paft—none of them going in the same direction.
K collided with Thorn.
Thorn called every loose ball his, loudly.
Voices layered:
“Mine—!”
“Watch it—!”
“Speedy, what are you doing —!”
The ball hit Grid, Blueprint, and one poor bench.
Ayasha tried to direct—
but Arcline and Speedy were already sprinting circles around the court chasing the loose ball.
Silverline tried to call a play—
but Sunstrike sat down in the middle of the drawn court, “this is worse than training.!”
It was complete nonsense.
Absolute, beautiful, catastrophic nonsense.
And then—
Cascade stopped.
Sweat clung to her hairline.
She pulled the tie loose with a quiet breath—
letting long, ocean-dark waves fall and settle across her shoulders.
Speedy, who was finally in control of the ball and headed to the basket, saw.
His eyes turned into hearts.
Like he had never seen another human of the opposite gender before. “Whoa!”
But—
His feet never stopped moving.
BAM!
Straight toward the wall.
He fell flat.
Arms out.
Face down.
Body planked like a chalk outline.
For one heartbeat there was silence.
Then—
Cascade laughed.
A loud, bright, shoulder-shaking laugh—
HA—HAHAHA—AHA—
The kind of laugh that sounds like someone who has never been allowed to laugh before.
Everyone froze.
Then everyone broke.
Replica placed a gentle hand on Cascade’s arm, voice soft and sure. “You should do that more. It suits you.”
Cascade went still—face flushed— embarrassed, still covering her mouth.
Speedy, still on the ground, raised one limp hand. “Someone… check if I’m alive…
I think I just saw heaven…”
Ayasha shook her head, smiling. “Get up. We got a game to win.”
Sunstrike, dragged him up by the hood. “It’d be great for all of us if you did see heaven.”
Laughter rolled again.
And finally—
Grid stood.
An annoyed look on his face. “Okay,” he sighed. “I can’t watch this anymore.”
Blueprint, at the exact same time. “Me either, please stop.”
They blinked at each other.
Grid pointed at Team LeBron.
Blueprint pointed at Team Curry.
“Huddle. Now.”
Everyone obeyed.
Chaos finally had coaches.
Team Curry huddled on one side; Team LeBron on the other.
Grid and Blueprint spoke low—quick, efficient—strategy and structure.
Teams broke their huddle.
Halo raised a hand. “Timer’s ready.”
“Six minutes left,” she called. “Score is zero–zero. Team Curry is your turn to get the ball.”
The whistle blew.
Arcline passed the ball into Replica.
Replica split into three—shff—paft—paft—paft—illusions scattering in different directions. Sunstrike hesitated—one beat too long—trying to read which was real.
“Now!” Grid barked.
Replica threw the ball down-court—to no one.
Until—
ShwOOOM—BAM!
Ayasha’s Kinetic Vault activated—stored force releasing at once.
She launched forward, caught the pass mid-air and flicked it to Arcline who had begun to trail after passing the ball in.
Layup.
2-0, Team LeBron
After the shot Thorn passed the ball in..
Cascade caught it.
Sunstrike flashed past her, Burn Wake, fire trailing behind her—FWOOOSH-KHHHH!—heat bending the air.
Cascade swept her arm.
Shhhhh-KLOOP!
Water sprayed the flames—SHHH—steam roared up—vision gone.
Aqua Bullet.
Grid didn’t panic.
Speedy—run circles. Push the steam away!
Fffwip–BLAM!
Speedy blurred into motion, red streak circling the steam cloud—Blind Rush
The fog ripped apart like curtains—
and when it cleared—
The ball was gone.
Blueprint threw a fist pump. “Yes, just like I thought it would play out.”
Silverline had been given the ball before the steam cleared and was already down-court.
Layup.
2–2.
Thorn pointed at Blueprint. “All you, Blue!”
Before they could celebrate, Ayasha had already put the ball into play… passing to Speedy.
Speedy puffed his chest. My moment.
He took off—
Fffwip–BLAM!
Light red sparks flashing past everyone as Speedy's eyes were locked on the goal…
He did not notice Thorn.
ZWHUUUUM—
Stillpoint Bloom.
Speedy froze mid-stride, mid-smirk, mid-hero-fantasy.
Then gravity collected its debt.
THMP.
Face-first.
Replica turned away, shoulders shaking, while Cascade laughed with her.
Everyone else laughed out loud.
The Score stayed 2–2.
Eyes flared. Scores climbed.
4–2
6–5
8–7
10–10.
Breath loud. Sweating hard. But smiling.
Team LeBron ball.
KRSSHH!
Perma activated Glacier Shock—creating a streak of ice as she skated across the court.
K received the pass—only to slide uncontrollably on it—
“Nononononono—!”
Sunstrike darted in, stole the ball— “Thank you!”
She pushed up-court—but Arcline sparked forward—Current Break.
TSHHH–ZAP.
A light shock.
Just enough.
The ball popped loose.
Ayasha and Speedy both dove for it—
BLAM.
They collided.
Hard.
Both down.
Silverline stepped in clean, collected the ball,and threw it towards the trashcan from behind the 3-point line..
The release looked good—
but the angle was way off..
Shhhhh-KLOOP!
Cascade, almost on reflex, shot a water bullet clipping the ball changing its trajectory.
CLANK—
RIM—
roll… roll…
Then the ball went through the trashcan basket.
Team Curry 13 – Team LeBron 10.
?
The court below pulsed with motion — laughter, sprinting footsteps, shouts bouncing off the Arcway walls.
For a moment it didn’t look like a training ground at all.
It looked like a place where kids were allowed to be kids.
Hiroshi stood beside Titan, one hand resting lightly on his cane. His eyes didn’t track any one player in particular — just the energy, the life of it all.
“None of them will ever really get to live ordinary lives,” he said quietly. But at least they get to feel what it’s like. Even if only for a moment.”
Titan didn’t answer at first. He watched the court the same way Hiroshi did — seeing past what was happening and into what was coming. “They won’t get many,” he finally said.
Hiroshi nodded once. A small, tired smile touched his face “But even a small moment is worth it,” he said, quiet. “Come on, let’s not keep the Directors waiting.”
Titan stepped away without hesitation. Hiroshi walked beside him, the tap of his cane falling into a steady, almost peaceful rhythm as they left the overlook.
The game went on below — loud, joyful, alive.
A small pocket of sunlight in a world already gathering storms.
?
Halo lifted a hand. “Fifteen seconds remaining.”
Team LeBron scrambled.
K was passing the ball into play.
Everyone else was covered.
K looked for someone open, and as if it was planned, there was only one person open— Speedy.
Not Speedy.
The ball hit his palms.
Time slowed—
not from a Niche—
just from Speedy’s delusion. This is it. This is where the secret weapon saves the day.
Ayasha broke free. “Speedy—PASS ME THE BALL!”
He didn’t hear her, all he saw… all he could hear was opportunity.
Halo’s voice cut through the court—
“9… 8… 7…”
Speedy stepped up.
“3… 2…”
He threw the ball.
The release, the arc, the line were beautiful.
The ball rose towards the trashcan.
It rose right above the trashcan.
And rose past the trashcan.
And sailed clean over the Arcway wall into open sky.
Everyone was silent. “…Where did it go?” Perma said eyes wide
Thorn had a big grin on his face. “With his speed behind that throw, the moon probably.”
K, arms crossed, turned and walked towards the benches. “K!”
Grid walked back to his original seat, pulling his headphones over his ears.
“Well that was a useless use of my energy.”
Speedy remained in perfect follow-through position like a broken statue.
Halo’s timer beeped.
“GAME OVER. WINNER…”.
“TEAM CURRY!”
Cheers came from Team Curry,
Ayasha walked over, placed one hand on his shoulder, voice gentle and lethal. “We are going to bury that shot in the deepest ocean trench in existence and never speak of it again.”
Speedy nodded, still staring at the goal the ball missed. “I understand.”
Laughter rolled across the court.
It felt like living.
Ayasha turned to say something over her shoulder—
—but the bench where Lior had been sitting was empty.
No one had seen him leave.
Her smile fell, and faded into something else. Worry.
Cael stepped up beside her, hands in his pockets, eyes still tracking the others as they caught their breath and cooled down. “He’ll be okay,” Cael said, tone low. “He always is.”
Ayasha nodded. “Yeah.”
She didn’t sound convinced.
But she let it go.
The sunlight across the court shifted—brighter for a breath—then dimmed, like a cloud passed overhead.
?
By the time Hiroshi and Titan opened the door to enter, the room was already assembled.
A long, quiet chamber of steel and glass — the silence in the room shaped by people who had seen war, and learned not to waste words. Six captains on one side. Eight Directors on the other.
Hiroshi walked with a steady rhythm. Titan matched his step, hands behind his back.
Snapback glanced over, eyebrows raised. “Well damn,” he murmured. “I beat both of you here. I must not be myself today.”
Titan gave him a single nod.
Hiroshi’s eyes closed just slightly, a quiet hint of a smile.
Nothing more needed.
The rear doors opened.
President Seraphina Kaelen entered.
Everyone in the room stood.
She didn’t speak until she reached the head of the table and placed one hand on the chair and the other on top of that one. Only then did the room sit again.
Her voice was calm. Steady. Absolute.
“Thank you for assembling so quickly,” she said. “We have a developing situation… one that affects not only Veritas, but the world itself.”
The room didn’t move. Didn’t breathe differently. But something tightened. Quietly. Deeply.
Her gaze lowered for a moment — not in doubt, but in something like sorrow, or memory.
“While they laugh,” she said, voice softer, “the world shifts beneath their feet. Their peace will end faster than it should.”
Outside the glass, faint — distant — a burst of laughter echoed from the Arcway.
It faded.
The room stayed still.
Seraphina lifted her eyes.
“Let’s begin.”
End of Chapter 40
