Chapter One

It was one of those perfect summery days filled with sunshine and gold.

Luca wiped the sweat from his brow with the back of his hand when he had jumped back from his teammate's attack, panting slightly as perspiration dotted his brow and dripped down his face. He felt sticky and dirty, muscles aching as newly formed bruises blossomed into his skin where he'd taken a few hits. His gym attire was caked with dried mud and he was slightly dismayed that he'd already have to put it to the wash considering that he had merely just done a fresh batch of laundry.

The russet-haired man opposing him, with almond eyes and a pouty cupid's bow mouth, went by the name of Ian Keller. He was still in his signature stance, arms positioned at the ready and with his right foot forward. He was about to go for another jab — maybe hit Luca on his left side this time— before he was interrupted by the toll of the clocks.

Lunchtime, they both thought in unison.

"That was intense," Ian quickly ruffled a hand through his locks as they walked over to their belongings. He tossed a towel and a bottle in Luca's direction, who grabbed it with much practised precision. " You kicked my butt, Wang."

"I was just getting started," Luca sent a cocky smirk, which resulted in Ian slapping the younger soldier with his towel.

"You and your ego," Ian rolled his eyes as they fell into step beside each other and made their way towards the Lunch Hall, "I won't go so easy on you next time."

"We'll see about that." Luca replied sassily.

"Do you think the rest of them are up yet?"

Luca shrugged, sending his older friend a pointed look, "It's Saturday. I don't think soldiers are alive before 3pm on Saturdays."

"I don't get it. How can humans sleep for so long?" Ian started rambling about the importance of sleep and Luca took this opportunity to drift off in his own thoughts, already accustomed with the way Ian entertained himself by holding up his own conversation and replying to his own thoughts. He was weird that way but it turned out to be a good thing since Luca wasn't much of a talker.

Luca's muscles were still tense from training. He could already feel the soreness seeping through his bones, a reminder that he hadn't bothered stretching after their session, and a sour groan rose at the back of his throat at the thought of waking up tomorrow morning with sore limbs.

Not that it was a surprise. He had grown used to it, eventually.

He remembered vaguely the day his life had been changed; it was the day his smaller sister had been kidnapped from the South, their home, to be shipped to the polar extremity of the world, away from their safe haven. He had only been five years old at that time, merely a child that had no idea what had been happening.

But he could still see her small palms reaching out to him, the memory of her being dragged away and shoved in the backseat of a cart as he had stood there with a quiet scream falling from his lips. They had been out in the backyard, playing a game of hide and seek where he had been the one searching for her. And she'd been good at hiding, too good. It wasn't long before he heard her cries, but by the time he had scrambled to get over the bushes that separated his garden from the streets, It was too late. Her mouth was wide open, screaming for help and lashing out with her feet in an attempt to stall her attackers.

But fear had taken over Luca's body and the only thing he could do was to watch, watch as they took her away never to be seen again.

She had been one of the many children that the North had taken during the ongoing war that had caused the world to fall into four divided sectors. But while the South, East and West Coast had all fallen on some agreement and mutual understanding, the North had been selfish, and had wanted to take over the world with the advanced technology they'd acquired. It was for equality, they had stated, for the future of all the people.

But all they had wanted was for child donors in order to test out their experiments, which explained how Luca had grown up with a limited amount of friends.

His earpiece suddenly buzzed, signalling a call from one of the teammates. Exchanging a meaningful glance with Ian who had his own hand at his ear, Luca reached up to accept the call.

"Meeting with the Higher Order in ten minutes."

"Why?" Luca asked, trying not to sound too pressured at the thought of having to face one of the Higher Orders.

He heard his leader sigh at the other end of the line, "Don't know. It's probably another mission." "We just got back from the last one," Ian piped up from his own earpiece.

"I know, but they can't seem to find any other available team."

"Bullshit, Adam. You know that's not true."

Their leader didn't try to stop them from complaining and instead repeated himself to assure that they would turn up at the right time. As leader, he had the responsibility of being prompt and being responsible for his team's reputation, and that included tardiness. Just like Luca, Adam would rather be found sleeping in on the weekends, lounging about on his bed and reading one of the latest novels he had checked out from the library (and never actually finished) but orders were orders, and though he was team leader, that didn't make him any more important enough to make a valid opinion of what they could and couldn't do.

The rest of the team members were waiting by the set of elongated stairs made out of glass and steel. Luca watched them as he approached with Ian, fierce affection blossoming through his chest as he gazed at each familiar face that counted as more than just family. There were seven of them in the team, seven individuals with all unique, different personalities that somehow managed to mesh together and work as one.They were brothers, went through thick and thin together, had sweated and cried and bled together only to arrive at this point in the Terminal where they could finally be of service and get paid as official soldiers of the Terminal.

Adam Jelani was there, arms crossed and feet tapping impatiently on the floor. He looked up as the pair approached, a glimpse of sunlight kissing his milk caramel skin and reflecting the mocha of his deep, dark pupils framed by lashes as long as a doe's. Adam looked like he could be in a fashion magazine and sometimes Luca wondered whether choosing the Terminal and military had been the right career path. His leader had an air about him, an aura that drew people in and attracted crowds. There was no doubt that he was fit to be a leader, but underneath the determination and fiery spirit he'd been trained to uphold throughout all these years, he was a gentle soul, a soul of a poet, one that could write about life and conjure the most meaningful messages through words.

Luca only knew this because he accidentally stumbled upon his poetry stash once when he had snooped around in his room. Not that he was going to tell him that, heck no. Not if he wanted to be beaten to death.

"I can't believe they're making us work on a Saturday." Eli Talcott flicked his mud brown hair out of his eyes. The sunlight cast upon their figures like an eternal halo as they ascended the stairs, warm and friendly down their backs.

Ian let out a snort, "I guess this is what happens when you actually get promoted to being a working Terminal soldier."

"No more playing around on the weekend, no parties, nothing." Eli sighed dramatically before waving his hands in the air in a mock gesture of surrender, "How am I going to survive this?" He wailed.

Jin Tian, the young man with an angular face and clear, pale skin that almost looked like porcelain, who reached out to pat his shoulder sympathetically, "There, there. It's not that bad. I'm sure it's just a simple city mission like buying groceries for a random old lady or something."

Although Luca's parents were also from asian descent, he'd acquired sun-kissed skin from the never-ending training under the hot scorching sun, and while Jin had also been part of this process, his naturally fair skin turned him into a pink prawn instead.

"Oh stop whining, Talcott." Another young man with a British accent snapped. With pale silver hair like liquid gold and icy blue eyes, Joshua Barr was the perfect description of an Atlantic prince. He had a skinnier, leaner frame and spent most of his free time figuring out how machinery worked. He had a passion for building helicopters and if it weren't for his role at the Terminal, he'd probably be working as an engineer of some sort.

"Nobody asked you to do this. You signed yourself up." Joshua added, to which Eli rolled his eyes and replied, "Loosen up, Josh. You're always so friggin' uptight it's like you got a stick up your ass or something."

"Do you two ever stop fighting?" Luca commented.

"I don't fight." Eli pointed out, jabbing a finger in the blonde's direction, "I'm just stating a point."

"That's enough," Adam reprimanded as they reached the top end of the staircase. Before them were a set of double doors made out of dark wood, probably like mahogany, and it wasn't until Luca had ascended to the top that he realized that one of their teammates wasn't to be found.

Frowning, he asked, "Where's Ryder?"

"Probably still sleeping. You know how he is." Jin said.

"Yeah, he does have a way to be on time without actually being—"

"I'm here!"

They all turned to see the last and final member of their team, Ryder Black, panting and straightening his clothes. His hair was dishevelled, curly dark locks sticking up in all directions as his amber eyes squinted with fatigue. He held onto his side, his voice barely coming out when he asked, "I'm not too late, am I?"

"Where were you?" Adam barked, "You were just behind me in the elevator."

"I know but I got caught up talking to one of my friends." Ryder shrugged, "She was one of my classmates. I couldn't get away fast enough."

Luca rolled his eyes at that. Ryder was a social butterfly but had a temper quite like any other. He would do anything to get what he wanted and yet was very protective of those he actually cared about. If he were to compare Ryder to an animal, he could range from being a fearless ferocious tiger to a tiny kitten.

The doors opened, silencing any other attempt of conversation. The Higher Order's head poked out, her emerald eyes scanning over the group quickly and efficiently before she beckoned them inside. Her office was warm, with pale yellow walls and a huge window that overlooked the entire training field and beyond, letting in so much light that Luca had to squint so as not to be blinded. Her desk was made out of the same wood as the door, wide and smooth as it formed a circular shape around her. Her desk was clean, with only a computer monitor and a few files stacked upon each other, a pencil holder case and a framed picture of her and a man that bore the similar fiery red hair and emerald eyes.

Luca always had a fascination with the Phoenix. That was her name, given because of her fiery red locks that glowed like fire in the sunlight. There were several Higher Order members that rotated their places every five years, changing after their contract ended with the Southern government. But the Phoenix had been there for as long as he could remember, renewing her contract and ensuring the safety of the South. Without her, the Terminal would just be burnt to ashes, it would've been nothing if not for her effort and hard work. To them and all the rest of the Terminal community, she was seen as a legend, a hero that had saved them from crumbling and getting stepped on by the North.

Not to forget that she was the most beautiful thing that he had ever laid his eyes upon.

Her green eyes flashed in the soft yellow beams hanging from the ceiling, "Greetings, Cubs."

The term 'Cub' was given to the rookies or newcomers that had just joined the official team of battle. It had taken years of training for Luca to actually end up as part of the official military team and this was just the tip of the iceberg. There were four more years to go before he would graduate with an official title as an acquired soldier of the Terminal. Nevertheless, he was proud to hear the word falling from her lips.

They bowed formally. The Phoenix raised her glass of wine to her mouth and took a sip of her drink, eyeing them from behind the rim, "Congratulations for passing the first Level, you're officially fledglings of our Faculty now"

They all bowed again and thanked her with big grins adorning their faces, while her eyes flickered from one young man to the other. A small smile curled up the edges of her lips as she regarded them with amusement.

"You're all so stiff," She remarked then, "Relax kiddos, I won't eat you"

Luca couldn't help but squirm and shuffle in his place, uncomfortable with the attention. Though he wasn't particularly scared of her like she was suggesting, he still felt very intimidated by her presence. It wasn't everyday that he had the opportunity to share a room with one of the most powerful and respected soldiers of his lifetime.

"I know it's been just a few weeks since you joined the Terminal, but I think that this particular mission is a good opportunity for you all to actually get a good sense of how the Outside looks like."

A visible breath was sucked out from the group, turning the room rigid with tension. The Outside was something forbidden, a place where no one ventured out without any purpose. It was dangerous and dark and nobody dreamed of being stuck outside in that place where so many things could happen to you.

"A group is being sent to the North. I don't know if you all are aware of this, which you should be by the way." She sent them a pointed look before continuing, "But one of our soldiers has found an opening in the Northern Headquarters, and they are taking this opportunity to try and break into the system in order to get more information on the enemy in question."

She crossed her arms over her chest and locked her gaze onto Adam's, "They will need backup, and that's what you guys are assigned to do. Adam, I want you to lead this group to support the Elder soldiers. Think you can handle that?"

Adam nodded mutely in response.

"As for you, Cubs" She turned to the rest of them, "Your presence and attention are very vital in this execution. This is no game, not some kind of simulation training where you can do anything you want. I'll expect you all to be alert and on your best behaviour."

They all nodded in agreement and she extended a pack of documents to Jin, who took it gratefully as she jerked her chin at them, saying, "These are everything you're supposed to know. You start at dawn tomorrow, meet your Elders at the entrance of the Terminal."

"Dismissed," they all started shuffling towards the exit when she called out, "Luca, stay back. I need to talk to you."

Luca shuffled his weight uneasily from his left foot to his right, nervous from the fact that he had never been alone in a room with the Phoenix before. The thought rendered him restless with slight anxiety. After all, she was respected, well praised, not just someone that you could be with so easily.

"I have a personal mission for you" her words filled his ears so suddenly he jumped. Luca looked at her like she had grown five heads all at once. Him? A personal mission? It didn't make sense. If one was to get a personal mission, he'd thought that it would've been one of the older members of the group. He was still a Cub after all, and one of the youngest. Personal Missions were usually acquired with experience, something that Luca didn't have, having barely been an official member for not even a year.

The Phoenix chuckled at his baffled expression, "Don't look so surprised. You have talent Luca. The kind of talent that can't be ignored"

He swore he heard himself gulping, "You think too highly of me"

"Oh trust me," she leaned back in her seat, a Cheshire smile dancing across her face, "Everyone thought I was crazy when I mentioned that they should give this mission to you. A rookie, a newly bound fledgling,

not even a leader of a group. They asked me if I was out of my mind and wanted you dead. But you have it in you, Luca. I can see it and its best to start when you're still fresh and young. The faster you get into it, the faster you'll learn and get better. So what do you say?"

"I haven't been trained for it yet" he argued stonily, "I don't even know what to do"

"Luca" her rough voice caused a shudder to crawl up his spine, he wasn't sure whether it was because of the fear or excitement at the prospect of having his own mission, "No one can be taught how to deal with personal missions. They are the same as Team missions. The only catch is that if you fail, you suffer the consequences alone"

Her emerald gaze burned through his skull with an intensity that made Luca want to look away.

But a fighter never gave up, never feared anything.

That was their purpose. They were brave.

He was brave.

"I know you can do it."

He took a deep breath. Inhaled. Exhaled. He stepped forward then, "What's the mission?"

----

Another blow brought her to her knees, biting her mouth so hard with her teeth that she drew blood from beneath the flesh. Her muscles were sore, her skin raw and bleeding from being tied to the ropes for too long. It left her back exposed for better access to receive blows. She had tried moving, tried untying herself by twisting her wrists in all sorts of directions, but the ropes only cut through her skin and burned whenever she tried moving. She reeked of blood, she knew it even without sniffing the air, even without looking back at the individuals standing in line stonily while another crack of the whip signalled another blow either to her lower back or in between her shoulder shades, she couldn't distinguish one from the other. It all felt the

same, the pain had dulled into a soft echo at the back of her head. The only thing she knew was that she was the one receiving it. She closed her eyes and waited for the pain to strike her one more time.

It had been three nights since she'd been deprived of their water stock, their 'life source' as they called it. The guards had made sure that she received a punishment that let her feel everything that was going on throughout her body. The emotions were rolling up into her on the third day. The fear, the anger, the anxiety and the frustration of being held up in such a small place. She had not known how to name all those feelings that rushed through her like a breath of air, but somehow she was aware of the different components, the things her body was telling her brain. They had wanted this punishment as severe as possible so that she would not lie down peacefully for days on end, they wanted to let her know that there was no such thing as living with emotions, with feelings and ties with other people.

In the North, there was nothing of the sort.

There were three rules: Train. Kill. Survive.

Her head bobbed back with the impact of the final blow landing right across her spine, the sensation of the whip licking at her skin and causing it to explode into a thin, red line of blood. She coughed some out of her lips and looked at the ground where it lay, sizzling red against the cold stone tiles of the floor. People watched, but didn't care enough to stay and really look beyond what they saw. They were emotionless, robots that only did what you ordered them to.

No smile, no wave, nothing as such as even a nod from a passerby.

It had never been this way initially. She remembered her childhood very vaguely, but it was there, they were present. The happiness, the laughter and the smiles of many grazing her memory like vintage old photographs. However, they all dulled out, they were unrecognizable now, her memory distorted. It wasn't long before she even forgot what was her name or her family in this society. She had no idea why was she the only one that could somehow resist against the robotic pull of the solution, but once everyone started using it as their new water source, the village had turned cold and mean, the welcoming aura dissipating only to be replaced with coldness and void nothingness.

"I hope this is enough to bring you back to your senses" the minister walked up to her, tilting her chin up with his coarse hand. She hated the feeling of it, his rough skin against her flesh like an ant bite. If only she had the guts to throw it away from her face and out of her sight.

"Rules cannot be broken in the compound. Don't you dare forget that" He hissed in her ear before a set of rules were barked out. "Bring her back to her cell", he said with authority in his voice, "bring her back and make sure that she drinks at least 3 litres of life source"

Just a few more moments of emotional pain before the guards would dull it. Although the sensation of her freshly whipped back brought tears to her eyes, she found it better to live that way rather than being detached from everything. Their souls were repressed, caged in their ribs, trying and failing to call out for help. The feeling of helplessness was always there when life source was instilled in their bloodstream. She was present, but not really. Her actions weren't hers, the orders followed by the Ministry weren't her own, the fights she won or lost were not her doing.

She wanted to get out of here.

She wanted to survive.

----

It was always good to come back to a place your heart knew off by heart, always a relief to see that there was at least one place in this entire world that shielded you from the ugliness that the world has become, and that was home for Luca. He didn't care if it was slowly falling to pieces, it didn't really matter to him either if the paint was ebbing away to give way to the grey, chipped pieces of cement underneath, it didn't matter if the furniture had lost its shine, or mold was growing on the side of the wall where they never managed to clean because it was unreachable. To Luca, it was everything he loved, everything he cherished and remembered from his past, a piece of his childhood that no one could take away. The world was collapsing, but coming here and seeing everything was just the same, to note that the routine hadn't changed, it gave him hope and comforted him.

He saw his mother through the kitchen window, probably baking again. Ever since he was a child, he clearly remembered the smell of freshly baked brownies oozing with chocolate on the inside, the taste of deliciousness as it exploded on his tongue that gave him the satisfaction of a sweet tooth he had been looking for all day, the cake crumbling under his palate like a softened marshmallow. There never was a time where the household had run out of things to eat, because his mother made sure that there was always food on the table, at their disposition.

He loved her selflessness, loved her caring nature and most of all, how she really looked blissfully happy when cooking, like it had been something made specially for her, like she could somehow transfer her happiness over to them through her meals, washing away their fears and worries with the taste of fresh, sizzling dishes.

The bell chimed as he pushed open the door, and he smiled unconsciously. It brought back memories of coming home after a tiring school day. He missed how carefree he had been back then, without a care in the world.

"I'm home" he called out. A flurry of footsteps padded through the kitchen as he was removing his shoes, and upon looking up, he caught sight of his mother peeking out at him from the kitchen with a welcoming grin on her old, weathered face. She was barely over fifty, but her face held an open, genuine kindness that was hard to find these days, motherly love softening her eyes with warmth.

"Luca," she greeted, "What brings you here?"

"Oh, you know. Was just passing by and thought I'd drop in to let you know I'm still alive" He casually leaned against the wall, trying not to let his face show that he was going on another mission. But his mother knew him too well, for she read his features like she would read inked words on paper.

Realization dawned in her brown, slanted orbs, and she frowned, "Not another mission?" "Yes."

"They really should stop sending you to all kinds of places"

"Mother, I'm a soldier. That's my job."

"I don't care. It's dangerous. And you just got back a few days ago" She glanced over at him disapprovingly and he felt the guilt washing through his body at the thought of having to leave her alone once more.

Ling Wang had the typical straight black hair and pale skin, thin lips and flat nose. She had been a gorgeous woman in her young days, and he wasn't saying that because it was his mother, but had overheard most of

the elderly folk speaking of her with such fond terms. His father died a few years after his sister's disappearance; he had never been himself since they'd stolen their precious second child away. People wondered whether it was because he had been gravely tackled down by the heart disease he'd acquired or because of his broken heart. Luca had to admit that he had always favoured his younger sibling, not that he minded for his mother doted more on him.

"Two weeks. Three at most, they said" Luca sat himself at the dinner table. Mrs. Wang placed a cup of strong, bitter coffee in front of him, with milk and two spoons of sugar just as he liked it.

She sat on the chair opposite, folding her arms across her chest with a frown, "You've got all your stuff? Food, clothes, Emergency first-aid?"

"Mhm," He sipped the burning hot liquid, not minding the fact that it scalded his insides, "It's not an attack mission this time. There's a lesser chance of fighting. They're sending us out to scout the Northern Territory"

"You stay clear of danger, do you hear me?"

"Yes, Mom."

"Don't just 'yes, Mom' me. I know how you are, being stubborn and all."

"I'll have to fight one way or another," He took another sip of his coffee, "I'll be back in no time."

"Sure, with a broken leg and a black eye"

"Mom."

"What? I'm just telling the truth." She went to check on her soup and Luca's mouth watered when the delicious scent wafted throughout the room and up his nostrils. His mother's cooking was one of the things he missed dearly in the Terminal, it was one of his small guilty pleasures.

"Are you going to eat here?" She asked casually, as if it was no big deal if he decided not to. But deep down, he heard her desire to dine one more time with him, as if that memory would be her last to keep during his absence. How could he say no to the woman who practically gave up everything to make sure he had a wonderful education and entered one of the best academies of the City? He owed her so much. Surely, he could do this little thing for her, and he wanted to. Luca might not have been the best at communicating his feelings but he dearly loved his mother with all his heart.

So he nodded and flashed her a soft, but weary smile, "Sure."