Loki stepped out of the room and into a corridor that stretched before him. Arrows were painted on the walls, pointing forward. He followed them.
His room had a tag: *1*.
He passed five more doors before the arrows directed him to a door at the end of the corridor.
Voices came from inside loud, casual. He pushed the door open.
The room beyond was circular, with desks arranged around the edges.
Two women in the same blue-and-grey attire he wore hoods down sat at a corner desk, chatting.
Two older men stood near a window, speaking with a boy who looked Loki's age. The boy had blue streaks in his dark hair and one blue eye, the other black
.
Then Loki saw him.
Priest Light stood near the center of the room. He wore the same evolver attire now, his green robes gone. His hood was down, revealing a head of white hair and calm blue eyes.
"Oh, here we go! Second one's up!"
One of the women threw her arms wide as she rose from her desk. Loki ignored her. He walked toward Priest Light with a focus that emptied the room of everything else.
Priest Light opened his arms as if to embrace him.
Loki's fist connected with his face.
The impact numbed his hand, but he didn't stop. He tackled Priest Light to the ground, screaming, his fists rising and falling, each punch carrying every hour of mining, every night of hunger, every tear Mari had cried in the dark.
"You took everything from me!"
He punched again. And again.
Priest Light didn't block, didn't fight back. His calm blue eyes stared up at Loki with something that looked like sorrow.
It made Loki angrier.
A spark flickered in his vision. His fists kept falling.
"Why!"
Punch.
"Why!"
Punch.
He kept swinging until his hands were raw, until tears blurred his vision, until he was screaming without words.
A hand touched his shoulder. Gentle, but firm. It pulled him back from Priest Light and into an embrace.
Loki struggled at first, rage still burning through his veins. But the arms around him were strong and steady, and something in their stillness broke something in him. He leaned into the embrace, his body shaking, his screams dissolving into sobs.
"It's okay," a calm voice said. "Let it all out."
He wept. He didn't know for how long. When the tears finally stopped, he pushed away from the embrace and looked up.
The woman who had held him was tall, with white hair and blue eyes. She studied him with quiet understanding.
"What is this?" Loki's voice was hoarse. "What madness is this?"
Priest Light had gotten up. He stood at the edge of the room, his face unmarked, his expression still calm. It was as if Loki had never touched him.
Loki's fists clenched again.
"You're Loki, right?" The white-haired woman extended a hand. "I'm Lisa. Second stage evolver."
Loki stared at her hand, then at her face. He nodded slowly.
Footsteps approached. The others gathered around.
"I'm Joycelyn!" The woman who had shouted earlier grinned at him. "Second stage evolver. Nice to meet you."
Before Loki could respond, a young man with a scar across his face stepped forward. "I'm Jon. Second stage."
A man with white hair and an eyepatch leaned against a desk, one blue eye watching Loki with amusement. "Hey, hothead. I'm Lucas. But you can call me the One-Eyed King. Third stage evolver."
The boy Loki had noticed earlier gave him a small wave. "I'm Ken. First stage evolver. Camp 10."
Loki looked at each of them in turn. Their faces were open, curious, unafraid. They had seen him beat a man to the floor and scream until his voice broke, and they were still standing here, still watching him like he was something worth watching.
"And so what?" Loki said finally. "What madness is this?"
Lisa gave him a look that made something cold settle in his stomach. "Kid, I think it's nice for you to introduce yourself too."
He swallowed. "I'm Loki. First stage evolver. Camp 12."
"Nice to meet you, Loki," Joycelyn said, and the others nodded before returning to their desks.
Loki's gaze drifted back to Priest Light. He was about to move when a strong hand grabbed his arm.
"Don't press your luck, kid." Joycelyn pulled him toward Lisa's desk. "Sit."
Loki stared at her, his jaw tight. The rage was still there, simmering.
"Hey." Lisa's voice was soft, making a gesturing sign with her book but carried an edge as that made his spine stiffen. "Sit."
He sat.
Joycelyn dropped into a chair across from him. "You know, you're really brave. Ken over there was shaking when he first saw the Captain. Nearly collapsed."
"Captain?"
"Yeah. That's the Captain." Joycelyn pointed at Priest Light.
Loki's hands curled into fists again.
Joycelyn watched him for a moment, her expression softening. "I get the feeling I was the only survivor of Camp 12 two years ago."
Loki looked up.
"You know what, Loki?" She took a long drink from a jar. "It gets better."
He opened his mouth to ask about Tars, but a scream echoed through the corridor before he could speak.
"You asshole! Where's Loki? Who are you? Where am I?"
Tars burst through the door, her blue hair wild, her one yellow eye and one blue eye blazing. She wore the same evolver attire, and her fists were raised like she was ready to fight the whole room.
"Tars!"
She saw him and ran. Loki rose from his chair and met her in the center of the room. They crashed together, arms wrapped around each other, holding so tight it almost hurt.
"You're safe," Tars whispered. Her voice cracked. "You're safe, Loki."
He felt her fighting back tears, trying to be strong.
He fought back his own for the same reason he had to be strong for her. They stood there for a long moment, two survivors holding each other in a room full of strangers.
The squad introduced themselves again, slower this time, giving Tars space to breathe. She kept her hand wrapped around Loki's.
"I'm Tars," she said when they finished. "First stage evolver. Camp 12."
"I know you have questions," Joycelyn said. "Just like your friend here. But this isn't the time." She walked behind them and pushed them toward the chairs by Lisa's desk.
"Heard there were four survivors this year. Two more to go."
Loki and Tars sat, their hands still linked, and waited.
Two more teenagers arrived within the hour. . Both froze when they saw Priest Light. Both screamed. Jon had to lead them away, speaking in low, calming tones. The squad introduced themselves, the two teenagers were; the first was a boy with brown hair and blue eyes Pan from Camp 1. The second was a girl with white hair and brown eyes Mary from Camp 2
When they finally settled, Joycelyn and Lisa rose from their desks. Joycelyn gestured for Loki and Tars to follow.
They walked to the center of the room. The other evolvers gathered around, forming a loose circle. Priest Light stood at the head, his white hair catching the light.
He lowered his hood fully...
"You know me as Priest Light," he said. "I am Ray. Third stage evolver."
He gave a small smile and added
"I welcome you all to Lightning Squad A."