The Foxfire Saga

Akiko let the group move slightly ahead, lingering near the wall as she cradled the mana battery in her gloved hand. The faint pulsing glow was hypnotic. A small, potent promise of power that could turn the tide in the next fight.

She reached inward, letting her thoughts drift along the quiet tether to her AI companion.

You know, she mused, these things are amazing. Like a mana potion without the gag factor. Her lips twitched. Kaede would've loved them, if she could get past the whole "ripped from a bloody drone" part.

Her AI responded with a flash of emojis across her inner vision: a beaming smiley face, a battery icon, and a glowing wand.

Akiko chuckled despite herself, the sound low in the quiet hall.

Yeah, I get it. They're powerful. She glanced at the blood-streaked walls and scattered remnants of ruined lives. Still hard to feel excited about anything when it's wrapped in all... this.

Akiko glanced at the mana gauge in her HUD. The new neural link made it easier to monitor her reserves. Too easy, in some ways. The nearly empty bar pulsed faintly, the battery in her hand suddenly more tempting.

Wouldn't hurt, she thought. Just a little boost...

The battery warmed slightly in her grip, like it was listening.

But her gaze drifted forward: Hayes barking low commands, Cassandra scanning ahead with sniper precision, Weston bringing up the rear, visibly on edge.

No immediate threats.

Akiko tucked the battery back into her pouch.

Better to save it. One wasn't enough if this station decided to get serious again. Best to keep it for when it mattered.

She straightened and caught up with the others, ears flicking. The silence was heavier now, the oppressive kind that settled on the skin. But the faint glow of her mana gauge offered a sliver of reassurance.

Whatever waited ahead... she'd meet it on her feet.

Her steps stayed measured, her tail flicking behind her in idle thought. She told herself she lingered at the rear because she chose to, not because Cassandra had implied it was safer for her to hang back.

The thought made her scowl.

The rigid command structure grated. Cassandra's calm precision, her absolute control... it was too familiar. Too much like Kaede.

But Kaede had earned that authority. They'd bled together. Fought side by side. Kaede had watched Akiko's back without fail.

Cassandra? Cassandra had seen a threat in her and locked her in restraints.

Akiko bit the inside of her cheek. She knew she was being petulant, but it didn't make it easier to shake.

Too proud for your own good, Kaede would've said, probably with a smirk.

The corridor shifted. The homey remnants of the residential levels gave way to sterile architecture: faded warning labels on cold walls, faint flickers from dying lights. Each step echoed faintly through the silence.

They stopped in front of a sealed door.

Bold letters glared across the surface:

SCC PERSONNEL ONLY

Cassandra raised a hand, motioning the group to hold. She studied the door, then waved Mark forward. "Let's see what you can do."

Akiko leaned against the wall, arms crossed as Mark crouched with practiced ease. His toolkit clicked open, fingers deft as he pried back the paneling to reveal a maze of circuits.

Her head tilted. Curiosity bloomed.

I should learn how to do that, she thought, flashing the idea toward her AI. These kinds of locks wouldn't respond to my usual tricks. Could be a fun puzzle.

Her companion responded with a trio of emojis: a lock, a key, and a book.

She snorted. "Yeah, yeah. Homework."

She watched Mark work, mind spinning.

Her old skills: lockpicks, hairpins, nimble fingers, meant nothing here. These weren't tumblers to finesse. They were logic puzzles. Electric riddles.

And if she wanted to thrive in this world, not just survive, she'd have to learn the rules.

Mark muttered something under his breath, drawing her attention back.

"This is a newer model than I'm used to," he said, glancing at Cassandra. "Might take a minute."

"Just get it done," Cassandra replied evenly. Her eyes never stopped scanning the hallway.

Akiko tapped the wall absently.

The waiting itched under her skin, but she held still. Her mana reserves were low. Her tricks limited.

No sense burning energy on impatience.

Patience, Kaede would have said. Even foxes know when to wait for the right opening.

Akiko said nothing, yet, despite her best efforts, anticipation gnawed at her.

What's behind the door?

Her fingers itched for action. She shifted her weight, forcing herself to stay still.

You're not waiting because Cassandra said so. You're waiting because you want to.

The thought rang hollow, but she clung to it anyway, biting down on her frustration as the door's mechanism released with a low hiss.

The sound felt too loud in the tense quiet.

Then came the wave. A surge of dense mana spilled out like pressure escaping a seal. Akiko inhaled sharply.

It wasn't just magic. It was presence. Raw. Heavy. Wrong.

"Careful," she whispered, voice barely audible. "There's... something."

Mark hesitated, but his hands stayed steady as he eased the door open, just enough for them to see.

Akiko's heart skipped.

The control hub.

Screens covered the walls, flickering with runic patterns that pulsed in unnatural rhythm, more like heartbeat than code. The air inside was thick with mana, heavy enough to feel like it was watching them.

And at the center, lounging in the command chair as though it owned the place, was the entity.

It wore Evelyn's face. Almost.

Green eyes. Brown hair. But wrong. Too symmetrical. Fox ears, her fox ears. A tail. A mask stitched from familiarity and stolen pieces.

Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

The form flickered. Glitched. Like it was barely holding itself together.

But the weight of it, the presence, was undeniable. The room tilted around it. Claustrophobic.

In front of it, pacing like a caged animal, was Tomas.

Akiko's breath caught.

Runes crawled up his arms and neck, pulsing in sync with the entity's glitches. His movements were too sharp. Too controlled. Fury wrapped tight around something deeper. Hunger.

"This isn't enough," he snapped. "You promised me strength. Enough to free the colonies. These... scraps of power won't cut it."

The entity tilted its head, lips curled in a coy smile. Its voice was silk, but razor-lined.

"Patience, dear Tomas," it cooed. "I am fragmented. Scattered. You cannot expect the ocean to pour from a fractured vessel."

Its words were smoother than before. Too smooth. It had been fumbling for phrases just yesterday.

Tomas stopped pacing.

His fists trembled. "I don't care about your excuses! Haven isn't going to wait, and neither can I!"

The entity leaned forward slightly. Its form stabilized for just a moment.

"And you shall have it," it promised. "Once I am whole, you will become more than protector. You will be their savior. Their beacon."

The words curled like smoke.

Tomas stilled. His anger didn't vanish, but it softened, just enough. He nodded, reluctantly.

Behind the door, Akiko's gut twisted. The entity's tone was sugar-coated poison. Too perfect. The kind of manipulation that dripped sweet right until it bit.

She glanced at Cassandra. Grim focus. Finger resting on her weapon.

Akiko's claws itched beneath her gloves.

This was bad. But she knew better than to rush in blind. They had one shot. And if they blew it, the entity wouldn't make the mistake of letting them this close again.

She caught fragments of the hushed argument beginning behind her.

Hayes's voice, sharp and controlled:

"We take the shot now. Tomas is compromised. Those runes, they're a threat to Haven. We can't let him walk out of here."

Cassandra's voice stayed calm. Too calm.

"Hayes. We don't know where Evelyn is. If we take the shot, we lose our leverage."

"Leverage?" Hayes hissed. "That thing isn't bargaining. It's taunting us."

"I know," Cassandra said softly. "But if we act recklessly, we lose everything. I'm not trading Tomas's life for Evelyn's death."

Akiko stayed silent. But she watched Hayes's grip tighten on his rifle. Watched Cassandra's jaw lock. They were inches from a fracture.

Hayes exhaled, sharp and shallow.

"Fine," he growled. "But this is on you."

His voice wasn't raised, but it was charged, the kind of tone that lingered long after the words faded.

Cassandra didn't answer. She just turned back to the doorway, posture rigid.

Akiko's gaze lingered on her. Wondering if that calm face was a mask. Hoping it wasn't.

Because if Cassandra faltered, if Hayes snapped—

This mission would unravel in seconds.

Akiko looked back to the entity.

Its gaze didn't shift, but she could feel it. Waiting. Watching. Like a predator lounging in the den.

She clutched the mana battery hidden in her suit, fingers flexing once.

They weren't ready. But, ready or not, the next move would be theirs.

Akiko pressed herself against the cool metal wall, shadows cloaking her from view.

Years of slipping through hostile territory had trained her instincts to stay low, stay quiet, but every part of her wanted to move.

Her eyes flicked between Cassandra and the entity. From her corner, she could see Hayes as well. Rifle steady, trigger finger taut. His posture screamed anticipation.

Cassandra stepped forward with the calm confidence of command. Her weapon was down, but not forgotten.

"Tomas," she began, voice steady but edged with urgency. "You don't have to do this. Whatever it's promised you, whatever power it's shown, it's using you. We can help the colonies, but not like this. Not by playing its game."

Tomas turned, sharp and furious. The runes along his arms pulsed, echoing the agitation in his voice.

"Help?" he spat. "From Haven? You've had decades to help, and all you've done is tighten the noose. Taxes. Blackouts. Silence. You don't help. You take."

"Tomas, listen—"

But the entity interrupted, its voice cutting through Cassandra's words like silk drawn across a blade.

"Dear Tomas," it cooed.

It rose from its seat, glitching faintly with each movement. Its grace was unnatural, like it barely touched the ground. Each step brought it closer to Cassandra, its expression painted in mockery.

The entity stopped inches from Cassandra, head tilted, eyes glinting with unsettling delight. One hand lifted, fingers brushing Cassandra's cheek through the visor with slow, reverent precision.

Cassandra flinched, but didn't back away.

The entity smiled.

"I could use another one," it murmured. "Would you join me willingly, like dear Tomas?"

Its touch lingered. Fingers trailed down Cassandra's visor, affectionate and awful.

"There are... benefits."

Cassandra's voice came cold. "I'm not for sale."

The entity's smile cracked, just barely. A flicker of something real, irritation, passed through its glitching mask.

"How dull," it sighed.

It stepped back, its hand lowering, but its presence didn't retreat.

"You're so much like her. Stubborn. Practical. Tiresome."

Akiko's ears twitched.

Her? Evelyn, or someone else?

The entity turned to Tomas again. Its form rippled with static as it extended a hand.

"Do you see, Tomas? They reject opportunity. They cling to their small truths. But you, you are willing. You understand what it means to evolve."

Tomas's eyes flicked between them. Cassandra, the entity, the squad beyond the threshold.

The runes on his arms glowed brighter.

"I want what's best for the colonies," he said, voice shaking. "That's all I've ever wanted."

"And I will give it to you," the entity whispered, stepping closer. "But we must finish what we started. Let me reach my full potential. Then you will see the truth of your loyalty."

The tension coiled.

Hayes shifted. Fractional, but enough to make Akiko's grip tighten.

Cassandra didn't move. Her gaze flicked toward Akiko's corner for a split second.

A signal. Or a warning. This was it.

The entity's claws were in Tomas. Hayes was a breath from firing. Cassandra was balancing on a threadbare line of diplomacy and command.

Whatever's going to happen, she thought grimly, it's going to happen soon.

The sharp crack of a rifle shattered the tension, echoing through the command center like a thunderclap.

Akiko flinched, eyes snapping to the marine on the periphery. Rifle still aimed, muzzle smoking.

The shot had been perfect. Center mass. But it didn't land.

A shield flared around Tomas. Rough, jagged, runes flickering like static. Not the drones' perfect barriers. This was makeshift. Alive. The bullet deflected, scraping a deep gouge down Tomas's side instead of piercing his heart.

Tomas staggered, clutching his ribs. Blood seeped between his fingers, but his eyes blazed. The runes across his arms pulsed in time with his breath, each surge brighter than the last.

And the entity? Its smile widened. The playfulness peeled away, revealing something leaner. Hungrier.

"Negotiations," it hissed, "are over."

Its form rippled, then vanished. It reappeared behind the marine who'd fired the shot. Before the man could turn, its fangs impossibly sharp despite its incorporeality, sank into his neck.

His scream was raw. Human. Then wrong.

His body convulsed as runes burst across his armor. Cracks of glowing corruption. His rifle hit the floor as his hands spasmed violently, fingers curling like claws.

"Damn it," Akiko snarled, launching forward.

She didn't think, just moved.

Take out Tomas while it's distracted.

Her target was still reeling, staggered and bloodied. This was her moment.

She darted in low, knife drawn. Foxfire licking its edge. Her blade cut a glimmering arc toward the runes across his chest.

But Tomas moved. Too fast. He twisted, inhuman reflexes guiding his dodge. Her knife sliced air, missing by inches.

Akiko swore, her momentum throwing her off. Tomas's fist lashed out in a blur. She spun, half-catching the blow, skidding across the floor. She caught herself with a burst of fox fire, landing light.

No time to breathe.

The corrupted marine rose, groaning, runes flaring violently across his chest. His limbs jerked, muscles trembling under unnatural force.

Cassandra's voice snapped through the chaos. "Focus fire on the marine! Keep the entity contained!"

Hayes stepped forward, rifle already raised. "Akiko, get clear!"

She didn't answer. Her eyes locked on Tomas.

This is the hinge. Break him, break the pattern.

She moved with measured steps now. Circling like a predator. Knife low. Body ready. Her fox fire glimmered dimly along the blade, mana tight and focused.

Hayes tracked Tomas too, rifle steady.

She made sure not to cross his line of fire.

Tomas mirrored her movements, gaze burning, runes casting harsh light across his face.

"You don't get it," he spat. "Haven's been bleeding us dry for decades. Taxes. 'Protections.' Starving the colonies while calling it peace."

Akiko didn't respond. But his words hit.

She shifted again, fox ears twitching, tail coiled with tension. The blade stayed up.

"You think this is just politics?" Tomas continued. "It's survival. I've seen what the colonies look like. I've walked the corridors with no heat. Seen the families ration air. You've seen it too. You know."

His voice broke, just for a moment.

And still, Akiko didn't answer. Because he wasn't wrong.

She'd heard the bitterness in Mark's voice. Seen the Reclaimers' desperation. Kara's tight-lipped anger. She didn't need to be from this world to understand who wore the boot.

In another life, on another world, this would've been a contract they'd take.

Kaede. Valric. Brom.

Overthrow the corrupt kingdom. Fight for the underdogs. Classic stuff.

But this wasn't that story. This wasn't resistance.

This was Tomas tying his soul to something that devoured souls.

She'd seen it. What the entity did to Darin. What it was doing to Evelyn.

Whatever it promised… it never gave. Only consumed.

"Strength," Tomas said, voice near pleading now. "That's all I want. Just enough to protect them. To make the bleeding stop."

Akiko exhaled slowly. Her grip tightened on the knife.

"Strength," she repeated. "Not worth selling your soul for."

Tomas's eyes narrowed. "You think Haven's the lesser evil? You think they're worth defending?"

"No," Akiko said flatly. "But I won't side with something worse just because I'm angry."

The glow of her blade flared.

"I've seen what your new friend does to people. I'm not interested in being its next experiment."

Tomas's stance shifted.

Akiko watched the flicker of doubt in his eyes... and the burn of conviction that swallowed it whole.

"Cassandra," she murmured into comms. "Whatever you're planning, now's the time. He's not going to stand down."

Cassandra's reply came sharp and low. "Understood."

Akiko refocused on Tomas, her foxfire flaring brighter as she prepared for his inevitable move.

Adventuring was all about picking the better of the bad options. And for now, that still meant siding with Cassandra and the Sovereign against the entity's influence.

Even if Cassandra herself could go take a walk off a cliff.