The Medical Department smelled like antiseptic and lavender.

  Cookie lay on a padded table, bandages wrapped around her ribs. Her tail thumped weakly when she saw them.

  Ethan knelt beside her. "Hey, girl. You did good out there."

  Cookie's tongue lolled out. Still fighting.

  A woman in a white coat approached—late forties, sharp eyes, calm demeanor. "She'll recover in a week. Bruised ribs, minor lacerations. Nothing permanent."

  Ming stood by the window, arms crossed. "Thank you, Doctor."

  The woman nodded. "She's tougher than most humans I've treated."

  Elena reached out, gently scratching behind Cookie's ears. The dog leaned into her hand.

  For a moment, no one spoke.

  Then Ming straightened. "Let's go. Her Highness wants to see you."

  The Chamber was quieter this time.

  Softer light. Fewer shadows.

  Eva stood near the center, hands folded in front of her. She smiled as they entered.

  "How do you feel? After your first mission?"

  Ethan hesitated. "It's... hard to describe. It was different. Exciting. And there was this... sense of accomplishment? Like I actually did something."

  Eva's smile widened. "That's good."

  She turned to Elena. "And you?"

  Elena's jaw tightened. "What happens to Jeremy? Does this happen to everyone who Awakens?"

  Ming stepped forward. "I'll explain that part."

  He gestured as he spoke. "It's not just memories that return. Personality comes with it. For Jeremy, his current self and his past life—Thomas Grayson—are fundamentally different people. Their values, their behaviors, their identities are in conflict. That conflict causes mental instability."

  Ethan frowned. "What about you? Does it affect you too?"

  Ming shook his head. "My current personality and my past life are similar enough that there's no major conflict. I adapted relatively easily."

  He paused. "But every case is different. The Awakening is unprecedented. Even Her Highness doesn't have all the answers."

  Eva inclined her head. "Thank you, Ming."

  She looked at Elena. "What about you? How do you feel now?"

  Elena exhaled slowly. "To be honest... at first, I didn't care about Harvest. I didn't care about any of this. I just wanted to protect Ethan. Make sure he stayed alive."

  She met Eva's gaze.

  "But now? I've changed my mind. I'll help you. I'll help Harvest achieve your goal."

  Relief flickered across Eva's face. "Thank you."

  She turned to Ming. "Explain to them what REAPER is trying to achieve."

  Ming's expression darkened. "Listen carefully."

  He stepped to the center of the room.

  "Even though Adam cannot use his first power—Death—directly, he can use it through a ritual."

  Ethan's stomach dropped. "A ritual?"

  "Yes. To complete it, Adam needs four things."

  Ming counted them off on his fingers.

  "First: Mass death in war."

  "Second: The death of a prime minister."

  "Third: Fragments of a meteorite."

  He paused.

  "The fourth requirement is unknown. We haven't been able to confirm it yet."

  Elena's voice was tight. "And once he completes this ritual?"

  "He'll use it to end the Earth." Ming's tone was flat. Certain. "That's the last intel we received from a spy who infiltrated REAPER before contact was lost."

  Ethan stared. "I knew this was big, but... this is on a completely different scale."

  Elena nodded slowly. "These requirements aren't random. Any one of them would cause worldwide panic. Mass death. Political assassination. A meteorite impact. He's not just trying to destroy the world—he's trying to terrify it first."

  Eva's voice was soft. "Exactly."

  She stepped forward. "Which is why you both need to keep honing your skills. Time is precious. Make full use of it."

  Ming turned toward the door. "Understood. I'll—"

  "Ming," Eva said gently. "Could you step out for a moment? I'd like to speak with Ethan and Elena privately."

  Ming paused. Glanced at the siblings. Then nodded.

  "Of course, Your Highness."

  The door closed behind him.

  Elena's eyes narrowed. "What do you want to discuss with us privately?"

  This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

  Eva's smile faded.

  She took a breath.

  "There's something I need to tell you both. Something only a few people know."

  Ethan leaned forward. "What is it?"

  "I'm becoming human."

  Silence.

  Ethan's mouth opened. Closed. "What?"

  "I'm losing my divinity," Eva said quietly. "Slowly. Over time. Eventually, I'll become a New Human—no powers, no memories of being a goddess. Just... human."

  Elena's voice was sharp. "Why? What's the reason?"

  Eva met her gaze. "It's necessary. In case Harvest fails to stop the ritual."

  Ethan shook his head. "I don't understand."

  "There's an ancient Law of Earth," Eva explained. "It allows a god or goddess to trade their identity for greater power. I've already begun the process. It cannot be stopped."

  Her eyes were steady. Resolute.

  "If Adam succeeds, I'll need that power to stop him. Even if it means losing everything I am."

  Ethan's fists clenched. "That's insane. You're sacrificing yourself for—"

  "For the world," Eva finished. "Yes."

  Elena stared at her. "What happens next?"

  Eva stepped closer. "Now, I'm going to assign each of you a personal quest."

  She placed a hand on Ethan's shoulder. Her touch was warm. Almost burning.

  She leaned in and whispered something only he could hear.

  Ethan's eyes widened. Then he nodded slowly.

  Eva turned to Elena.

  Her hand rested gently on Elena's shoulder. She whispered again—different words, quieter, meant only for her.

  Elena's breath hitched.

  Silence stretched between them.

  "Will you accept?" Eva asked softly.

  Ethan nodded immediately. "Yes."

  Elena hesitated. Then nodded. "Yes."

  Eva smiled.

  And for a moment, something shifted in their eyes—a faint glimmer, like starlight catching on water.

  Outside the Chamber, Ming waited with Cookie.

  The door opened. Ethan and Elena stepped out.

  Ming frowned. "What happened in there?"

  Their eyes were different. Brighter. Sharper.

  And in each pupil—a faint star-shaped mark. Like wearing contact lenses, except it wasn't contact lenses.

  Like something had ignited behind them.

  "Secret," Ethan said, grinning.

  Elena just smirked.

  Ming stared at them. "You're both terrible liars."

  General Marcus appeared from down the hall, chuckling. He clapped a hand on Ming's shoulder. "Your kids are in rebellion."

  Ming sighed. "They're too old to have a rebellion phase."

  Marcus grinned. "Apparently not."

  The next day, Ethan and Elena returned to the Weapons Department.

  Ethan resumed his shooting drills. His accuracy had improved—seven out of ten shots now hit center mass.

  Elena approached Yoichi. "I want to train in martial arts."

  Yoichi raised an eyebrow. "You have experience?"

  "Judo. Years ago."

  "Good foundation." Yoichi turned to Ming. "We have someone for that."

  An hour later, a man entered the training hall.

  Early thirties. Compact build. Calm, controlled movements.

  "Kanō Jigorō, age thirty-three," he said, bowing slightly. "Founder of Judo. Adept in Jujutsu. You can call me Kanō."

  He looked around. "Who's looking for me?"

  Ming and Ethan both turned to Elena.

  Kanō's gaze settled on her. "So you're the one."

  Elena stepped forward. "Pleased to meet you, Mr. Kanō. I'm Elena. I look forward to learning from you."

  Ming crossed his arms. "Actually, both of them should train with you. Ethan could use hand-to-hand skills too."

  Kanō nodded. "Fine by me. Let's begin."

  Days turned into weeks.

  Ethan's shooting improved. His grip steadied. His breathing controlled. Ten shots. Eight hits. Then nine.

  Elena worked with Kanō—drilling throws, counters, pressure points. Her body remembered more than she thought it would.

  They sparred together. Ethan learned to defend against grapples. Elena learned to close distance against an armed opponent.

  At night, they reviewed first aid protocols. Tourniquet placement. Wound packing. Shock treatment.

  They were ready.

  Or as ready as they could be.

  One evening, Yoichi found Ming in the observation deck.

  "They've changed," Yoichi said quietly. "The vibe. The aura. Especially their eyes."

  Ming nodded. "I noticed."

  "What happened?"

  "Details aside," Ming said, "we need to make sure they're ready for whatever comes next. In the shortest time possible."

  Yoichi studied him. "You think it's coming soon."

  "I know it is."

  The siblings sat across from Ming in the Strategy Department briefing room. A whiteboard behind him listed skillsets, tactical roles, and mission requirements.

  Ming tapped the board with a marker. "You've both been training for two weeks now. It's time to finalize your roles."

  Ethan leaned forward. "What do you mean?"

  "In the field, chaos is the default. If everyone tries to do everything, no one does anything well." Ming drew two columns on the board. "You need defined roles. Specializations."

  Elena crossed her arms. "So what are you suggesting?"

  Ming pointed at Ethan. "You're improving with firearms. Fast reflexes. Good instincts under pressure. You should focus on that. Primary weapons. Combat specialist."

  Ethan nodded slowly. "Makes sense."

  Ming turned to Elena. "You have experience behind the wheel. You're calm in emergencies. Your martial arts are progressing faster than expected. You should handle driving, first aid, and close-quarters combat when needed."

  Elena frowned. "You want me to be a glorified chauffeur and medic?"

  "I want you to be the person who keeps us mobile and alive," Ming corrected. "In the field, those are the most critical roles."

  Silence.

  Ethan glanced at Elena. "He's right. You're already better at staying calm than I am."

  Elena exhaled. "Fine. But I'm not just sitting in the car if things go south."

  "I wouldn't expect you to," Ming said. "But know your strengths. Play to them."

  He capped the marker. "Agreed?"

  Ethan nodded. "Agreed."

  Elena hesitated. Then nodded. "Agreed."

  Ming wrote their names in the columns.

  ETHAN WALKER: Primary Firearms. Combat Specialist.

  ELENA WALKER: Martial Arts. Driver. Field Medic.

  "Good," Ming said. "Now train accordingly. Relentlessly. We don't know when the next mission will come."

  One night, Ethan knocked on Elena's door.

  She opened it, surprised. "What?"

  He held out the Nikon camera. "This is yours."

  Elena stared at it.

  "I know you're not ready to use it yet," Ethan said. "But you will be. Someday."

  He placed it in her hands and walked away.

  That night, Elena sat by her window.

  The stars were clear. Bright.

  She turned the camera over in her hands. Opened the viewfinder. Scrolled through the old photos stored inside.

  Daniel. Sophie. Smiling.

  She stared at them for a long time.

  Then she carefully placed the camera into her bag.

  Not throwing it away.

  Not hiding it.

  Just... keeping it close.

  The next morning, Ethan's phone buzzed.

  MING:

  Emergency mission. Briefing in 20 minutes. Come armed.

  Ethan sat up, heart pounding.

  He texted Elena.

  ETHAN:

  You awake?

  ELENA:

  Already dressed. Meet you at the armory.

  He grinned.

  Then grabbed his vest and ran.