Mariah Ardent stood near the long conference table, hands resting lightly against its edge as she looked out through the reinforced glass wall overlooking BayPort City.
From this height, the city felt distant and—traffic reduced to neat lines, the harbor calm, the morning sun glinting off glass. It was a view meant to inspire confidence.
For Mariah it didn't, actually it did the exact opposite.
Mariah sat with an easy, athletic elegance, her posture relaxed against the chair but far from slouching. Her dark hair, cut short and neat, brushed her jaw as she turned her head, a sharp contrast to the thin-framed glasses resting on her nose. Behind the lenses, her golden-brown eyes remained fixed on the sprawling city below. She was lost in the quiet of her own mind then a voice cut through her thoughts, "Enjoying the scenery?"
Mariah turned at the sound of the voice.
Tessa StoneHeart sat beside her, arms crossed, expression openly curious. Her silver hair was pulled back into a loose tie, thick strands slipping free around her face as if she hadn't bothered fixing it more than once. Sharp blue eyes sparkled as she leaned against the back of the chair.
Mariah raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "It's impressive," Mariah said. "In the way cages usually are."
Tessa huffed a laugh. "Yeah. It's always something like that."
She leaned forward. "Figured since OverSeer Ardent is running late, we might as well get pleasantries out of the way. How have you been Mariah?"
Mariah shrugged. "You know, the usual since we left the academy."
"Missions for your grandmother and training," Tessa added, like it was already obvious.
Mariah's mouth curved slightly. "Yes, that's about right."
Tessa's eyes lingered on Mariah for a beat longer than necessary. "So it was you."
Mariah tilted her head slightly. "Depends who's asking."
"The girl who froze a Rift breach shut and held it at bay until backup arrived," Tessa said. " People are still talking about it."
Mariah shrugged. "They talk too much."
Tessa laughed. "Yeah, I'm guessing you haven't seen the alliance media pages."
She shifted her weight, studying her openly now.
"Guess that makes sense. They don't put just anyone in a room like this."
Mariah met her gaze. "You say that like you don't belong here."
"Oh, I definitely do," Tessa said. "The last three evaluations put me at the top of my class. Fastest clearance time. Most field hours logged by a cadet."
"And yet," Mariah said calmly, "you're still waiting in the meeting room like the rest of us."
Tessa grinned. "Fair."
A brief silence settled between them—not awkward, more comfortable than anything.
"So," Tessa said, her voice dropping a fraction, "you've heard the rumors too?"
Mariah didn't need to ask which ones. "If you mean the part where my grandmother is personally hand-picking a team? Then yes."
"That's the one." Tessa uncrossed her arms, leaning in. "What have you heard?"
"A little more than the rest," Mariah admitted. "Not specifics, exactly. Just… concepts."
Tessa's eyes sharpened. "Perks of being the granddaughter, I guess."
"Don't get used to it. She doesn't tell me much—just enough to stay ready."
"Ready for what?"
Mariah hesitated before the word left her lips. "A unit."
Tessa let out a low, slow whistle. "A Soma team? Or some kind of personal guard?"
Mariah shrugged. "My guess? Both."
"Well, that explains why Overseer Ardent has been breathing down my neck."
"I might have dropped your name to her," Mariah added with a small smile.
Tessa nodded, the gears visibly turning. "I appreciate that. It makes sense, really. Different specialties, good chemistry—we're a solid foundation."
"There's going to be more of us," Mariah said.
Tessa looked up, her expression tightening. "How many?"
"Three," Mariah replied. "At least."
Tessa blinked. "Five total?"
"Five," Mariah confirmed.
Tessa leaned back against the chair, processing.
Tessa's grin crept back in, this time edged with excitement. "So we're being built."
"Or tested," Mariah said.
Tessa laughed softly. "Same thing, usually."
She glanced at the doors again. "Any idea who the others are?"
Mariah shook her head. "Names haven't come up. My grandmother only commented that they're… skilled and unique."
Tessa's eyes lit slightly. "Skilled how?"
Mariah met her gaze. "Enough that an Overseer wants them in the same room."
The silence between them stretched, growing heavier.
Tessa finally straightened, breaking the tension. "Well. I guess this makes us teammates again."
Mariah gave a single nod, then casually added. "One way or another, someone has to lead."
Tessa stared at her, the implication hanging in the air.
A small, knowing curve touched Mariah's mouth.
"And since it's my grandmother making the rules, I have a feeling that part is already settled."
Tessa blinked, and just stared some more, not surprised in the slightest.
Mariah didn't bother hiding her smugness as the doors slid open without ceremony.
The conversation died the moment Selene Ardent stepped inside. The soft, measured strike of her heels against the floor somehow carried through the entire room as she paused to take it in.
"Good," she said. "You're early."
Tessa and Mariah stood, straightening their posture on instinct.
"Welcome, Overseer," they said in unison.
Selene's gaze flicked toward the city skyline before settling back on them. "Please, take a seat."
As she moved toward the head of the table, Mariah realized for the first time that her grandmother wasn't alone.
A young man followed half a step behind her.
Not imposing. Not loud. Average height, modest build, the kind of frame that looked almost skinny until you noticed the way he moved. Athletic, but not bulky. His dark hair was a little unkempt, like he hadn't bothered fixing it, and his eyes—
Mariah lingered there longer than she meant to.
Tired. Slightly shadowed. The kind of sleepy gaze that looked like it had seen too many late nights and didn't care to hide it. Calm and Observant.
Exactly her type.
She straightened immediately, annoyed at herself.
Tessa noticed him a second later.
Selene stopped at the head of the table, her presence commanding the room. "Before anyone asks," she said evenly, "yes. The rumors are true. It's not exactly a secret."
Her gaze settled on Mariah. "You already suspected as much from our last conversation."
Mariah met her eyes without flinching. "A team."
"A unit," Selene corrected. "And a specific one."
She planted her hands on her hips, her expression hardening. "I am forming a SOMA unit."
Mariah's breath caught before she could stop it. SOMA units weren't rumors. They weren't theory. They were the Alliance's sharpest tools—small, permanent strike teams authorized for high-risk containment, deep Aetheria incursions, and threats that didn't fit conventional response models.
Tessa let out a low whistle. "You don't build that type of team out of cadets."
"You do," Selene replied, "when the cadets will outperform veterans in the future."
She continued without pause. "This unit will consist of six members."
Mariah blinked. Six?
Less than a week ago, Selene had said five.
She opened her mouth—
"No interruptions," Selene said calmly.
Her eyes flicked to Mariah, sharp and commanding.
Mariah stiffened instantly and went quiet.
"Questions can wait," Selene said, her voice softening just a fraction. She folded her arms, her gaze sweeping over the seated group.
"You all know why you're here. You are exceptional—and you don't need flattery to know it. But before we get into the details, let's make the introductions official."
She watched Jeremiah as he moved away from her side. He walked to the opposite side of the table, taking a seat directly across from his two new teammates.
To anyone else, he looked calm, even aloof. But Selene knew him too well; she could see the tell-tale tension humming in his shoulders as he settled in.
She turned her focus first to Mariah. "Mariah Ardent. Ice-element practitioner. Battlefield control and combat specialist."
Mariah held her posture, her expression a mask of steady focus.
"She will be the unit's captain."
The words settled in Mariah's chest—not as pressure or surprise, but as something warmer. Trust. Her grandmother didn't hand out titles lightly. If Selene was saying this out loud, it meant she believed Mariah could carry the weight.
"Tessa Stoneheart," Selene continued,
gesturing to the girl beside Mariah. "Lightning-element practitioner. Assault and close-quarters combat specialist."
Tessa smirked, leaning back in her chair. "It still sounds good hearing it out loud."
Selene didn't acknowledge the comment. Instead, she shifted her gaze across the table.
"And Jeremiah."
He looked up, meeting her gaze.
"Quadra-elemental mage," Selene said. "Though in practice, he's a sword fanatic."
Mariah's head snapped toward him. Even Tessa's easy smirk vanished, her expression shifting into something more guarded.
Quadra-elemental?
Selene's voice remained flat, unimpressed by the weight of the title. "He is the one you call when something needs to be dead."
A heavy silence followed. Jeremiah let out a quiet breath through his nose, rubbing the back of his neck as he looked away. "You really don't have to say it like that."
Selene glanced at him. "I do."
"Every time," he muttered, wincing.
"That," Selene continued evenly, "is because every time, it has been accurate."
She turned her attention back to the table, her tone becoming more professional.
"Unfortunately, you won't find reports or files on him at your current clearance levels. Unlike the two of you, he didn't come through the Academy—but we have been working together for some time. He is a capable mage."
Jeremiah lowered his hand, resigned to the introduction. Oh gods, he thought, now she's made it sound even worse.
Tessa stared at him.
Mariah watched him closely now. The reaction didn't match the reputation her grandmother had just painted—no pride, no posturing. Just mild discomfort, like someone being introduced with an exaggeration they'd heard too many times.
That only made it worse.
She'd never heard of him.
Neither had Tessa, if her expression was anything to go by.
That bothered her.
Selene leaned back slightly. "You'll have time to process that later. For now, understand this: every person in this room was chosen because you do not break under pressure.
You are the exceptional of your generation."
Her gaze swept across the table, pinning each of them in turn.
"This unit will not operate strictly under the Alliance. You report to me. It will not be easy, and it will not forgive mistakes. For now, you are not an official SOMA unit—not until we meet the full requirement of members—but for all intents and purposes, consider yourselves one."
The only requirement," she added, her voice dropping to a dangerous level, "is that you grow stronger."
She leaned forward, a devilish grin spreading across her face.
"Welcome to SOMA."