[Ken's POV]
As soon as we hit the ground, I felt the brutal force from diving straight through Albion's atmosphere.
Even with my psychic energy and the advanced suit absorbing the impact, the landing still rattled my bones.
The second we touched down, we split into our assigned teams.
Theo and I immediately broke off, sprinting north into the dense forest.
It was night, but our suits' enhanced vision systems allowed us to see clearly, painting the world in ghostly shades of green and black.
We spent the next hour and forty-five minutes scouting the northern sector, but found nothing — no creatures, no movement.
As we pushed deeper into the woods, I couldn't shake the question gnawing at the back of my mind:
What the hell happened to the first squad that was sent here?
So far, Theo and I hadn't found anything.
I just hoped the other teams were having better luck.
Before I could get lost in thought, something moved — fast — from the shadows.
A blur lunged at me, materializing out of thin air.
Instinct kicked in, but before I could react, a barrage of psychic blasts tore through the creature mid-air, ripping it apart in an instant.
I spun around to see Theo, his suit helmet folding back as he grinned at me, spinning his twin rifles casually.
"Surprised, huh?" he said, flashing a cocky smile. "You thought I only brought the Vel'korr Talon, right?"
I didn't say anything — not because I didn't have something to say — but because I refused to indulge him.
Theo chuckled, sliding his rifles back into his digital storage.
"The Vel'korr Talon's great for long-range," he said, "but it's trash up close. That's why I picked up these babies — Hornets. Fast rate of fire, perfect for close-quarters."
I just stared at him in silence before turning back to the creature's mangled corpse.
Theo followed me, curiosity flashing across his face.
"Does albion have any creature's like this in the database?" I asked.
Theo shrugged and raised his hand, pulling up a small holographic screen from his suit.
"Let me check."
While he sifted through the data, I extended my hand. A red scanning beam swept over the creature's remains.
When the scan results came back, my face hardened.
Cold anger simmered beneath my skin.
"Don't bother," I said, my voice low.
Theo glanced at me. "Why?"
"This thing's not native to Albion," I said flatly. "It's made entirely out of magical energy. It's a summoned beast."
Theo's expression shifted instantly.
"That means..." he started.
"There are Mages or Paladins here," I finished grimly.
Theo cursed under his breath and immediately activated his comms.
His voice was sharp and professional as he reported:
"Theo to all squads. Be advised: we've encountered a hostile summoned creature. Magic signature confirmed. Possible presence of enemy Mages or Paladins. Stay alert. Proceed with extreme caution. Repeat — magic users confirmed.
He ended the transmission and turned to me, grimacing.
"This just got a lot more complicated, didn't it?"
I didn't answer.
I just stared at the creature's remains, my hands tightening into fists as silent rage boiled inside me.
Finally, I spoke.
"Let's stick to the plan. We head for the colony. Regroup with the others."
Theo sighed.
"Really? Come on, between the two of us, we could probably take out the Mage who summoned that thing."
I shot him a cold look.
"And what if it's not a Mage? What if it's a Paladin?"
Theo hesitated, then chuckled awkwardly.
"Yeah... okay, that'd be a problem."
"Exactly," I said. "We regroup. Find out what the hell's going on with this damn planet."
Without another word, we set off toward the colony, pushing deeper into the forest.
The colony was located further north — about a ten-minute sprint at full speed.
---
After twelve minutes, Theo and I arrived at the colony gates.
Most of the other squads were already there — except Astrid and Darius.
I immediately walked over to Calder.
"Has Astrid returned yet?" I asked.
Calder shook his head.
"No. We just got here ourselves."
A bad feeling twisted in my gut.
I switched my comms on.
"Ken to Squad Leader Astrid. Do you copy?"
After a few seconds, her voice crackled through the channel.
"Astrid here."
"What's your status?" I asked. "All teams have regrouped at the colony except yours."
"We're exploring deeper into the forest," she replied.
"I picked up a Psychic Crystal Core signature. Same energy type that powers Imperial Empire ships.
We're investigating."
"You need backup?" I offered.
"No," Astrid said. "You guys stay at the colony. Talk to the colonists. Find out the current situation."
"Understood," I said.
"If anything happens," Astrid added, "I'll release a huge pulse of psychic energy. You'll be able to track us immediately."
Something about the way she said it unsettled me, but I just responded, "Copy that. Ken out."
I closed the comms just as Calder and Theo walked up.
"What did she say?" Calder asked.
"They found something. She's investigating," I explained.
"We're supposed to stay here, question the colonists, and figure out what's been happening at the site."
Together, we turned toward the colony gates.
According to the information High Lord Inquisitor Marcos had given us, this was supposed to be a mining colony.
But nothing about this mission felt normal anymore.
---
[Astrid's POV]
Darius and I stood at the edge of what looked like a crash site.
No debris.
No wreckage.
Only a faint psychic signature leaking from beneath a pile of jagged rocks.
I crouched down, reaching toward the source.
The readings were undeniable.
Without a doubt, this was the Psychic Core from the first squad's ship.
And whatever or whoever had brought it down… was still out there.