Jacob followed her through a series of reinforced corridors, each one more imposing than the last. Thick metal doors lined the walls, some marked with warning symbols, others guarded by armed soldiers standing at rigid attention. The hum of generators echoed faintly beneath everything, steady and powerful, like the heartbeat of the facility itself.
Wherever they were, this place wasn't temporary.
"Jacob finally said, breaking the silence. "is this some sort of base"
The woman glanced back at him. "yesit is One of several."
That answer only raised more questions, but Jacob kept them to himself. His leg still ached with every step, though the pain was oddly manageable like it had dulled overnight.
They entered a large briefing chamber. Rows of seats descended toward a circular platform in the center. About two dozen people were already seated men and women of different ages, some injured, all wearing the same confused, look on their faces.
"Take a seat," the woman said.
Jacob obeyed, lowering himself carefully into an empty chair near the back. She stepped away, joining a group of officers near the platform. Moments later, the doors sealed shut with a heavy clang.
The lights dimmed.
A man stepped forward, his expression calm and unreadable.
"Before we begin," he said, his voice firm and authoritative, "I am Captain Richard Duncan, head of this facility. To my right is Sergeant Steven Walker, our Head Trainer." He gestured briefly. "And to my left is Lieutenant Victoria Watkins, Head of Field Operations."
"Now," Captain Duncan continued, "before we proceed, everyone will be given a form to fill out. Please do so now. I know you're confused, and I know you have questions but all will be addressed during this meeting."
Sergeant Walker began handing out the forms.
When one reached Jacob, he glanced down at it. It looked like a standard application basic questions, nothing unusual.
Name. Age. Date of birth.
Jacob frowned but filled it out anyway.
Name Jacob Kole.
He finished the rest quickly and handed the form back to Walker, then waited, tension coiling in his chest.
Once all the forms were collected, Sergeant Walker returned to the front of the room.
Captain Duncan nodded. "Now that everyone has finished, we'll begin."
The room went silent.
"Let's start with why you're all here," Duncan said. "Each of you has shown signs of being a Marked or potentially Awakened individual."
Murmurs rippled through the room.
"Marked individuals are people who possess or will soon develop superhuman abilities. We don't yet fully understand how or why this happens. However, intelligence suggested an upcoming catastrophe."
Jacob's stomach tightened.
"In preparation," Duncan continued, "thousands of small, self-sustaining bases were constructed worldwide to shelter civilians. In addition, seven specialized facilities were built for one purpose to house and train Marked individuals."
A few people exchanged nervous glances.
"None of you currently bear a visible Mark," Duncan said, scanning the room. "But your actions during the attack suggest you may possess the affinity required to awaken one. You fought. You survived."
Sergeant Walker stepped forward and held up a small object.
It was black metal, dark as obsidian, etched with faint silver runes that seemed to shimmer under the lights.
"This," Walker said, "is called a Runeshard. It's an extremely rare metal."
He turned it slightly so everyone could see.
"The creatures you encountered earlier were the weakest of their kind. They can be killed relatively easily."
Jacob stiffened.
Easily?
It had taken everything he had just to kill two.
"But the creatures that will come next," Walker continued, "cannot be killed by conventional weapons. Only weapons forged from Runeshard can harm them."
Shock rippled through the room.
Jacob swallowed hard.
If those were easy... what comes next?
Suddenly, the doors at the back of the room opened.
A man stepped inside, wearing a black tactical vest and matching pants. His presence felt different focused, controlled. A faint, glowing purple line ran in a jagged pattern across the back of his hand, pulsing softly.
Captain Duncan gestured toward him.
"This is Alex," he said. "He is a confirmed Marked individual."
Alex raised his hand slightly.
Purple electricity crackled to life across his palm, sparks snapping through the air with a sharp hiss. The room filled with gasps as the energy danced between his fingers before fading away.
Jacob stared, heart pounding.
Alex gave a brief nod and exited the room, the doors sliding shut behind him.
Captain Duncan cleared his throat. "That's all the time we have for today."
A ripple of unease passed through the group.
"You'll now be given a brief tour of the housing quarters," he continued. "Each of you will choose a room. Every room comes equipped with a bed, a dresser, a mini fridge, a television, and a private bathroom."
That earned a few surprised looks.
"You'll also be shown the dining quarters. Eating there is optional. If you choose not to, the only other authorized locations for meals are your personal room and your training classroom."
He paused, letting the information sink in.
"These are the only areas you'll be shown for now. Don't worry you'll be introduced to the rest of the facility in due time."
Captain Duncan's gaze swept across the room. "I know you still have questions. Those will be answered soon but not today."
A collective sigh followed.
"For now, the tour will begin shortly. I have important matters to attend to."
With that, he stepped back, signaling the end of the briefing.