My Shard Bearer System - Elias's Legacy
Chapter 104: New Motives

Chapter 104: New Motives

The robot launched another fierce series of strikes, forcing Elias to dance back, sidestep, and counter with carefully timed blows, each move becoming more precise and confident.

Finally, spotting an opening, Elias lunged forward decisively, slipping past the robot’s guard and striking its exposed flank. Sparks flew as it staggered backward, momentarily stunned.

A bell chimed softly overhead.

"Obstacle eleven completed. Total time: 26 minutes, 8 seconds."

Breathing heavily, Elias straightened, staring thoughtfully at the robot. "Why did that feel so familiar...?"

Elias stepped into the final chamber, muscles aching and sweat trickling down his temples. The room was vast, empty except for a dimly glowing circle in the center. He approached carefully, senses sharp and alert, muscles tensed in anticipation.

A sudden hum filled the air as a figure emerged in front of him, forming from the ground upward—pixels rapidly assembling into a familiar silhouette. Elias blinked, astonished, as he found himself staring at an exact replica of his own figure.

"This is... new," Dot murmured, floating nervously around Elias’s shoulder. "Be careful."

"Thanks for the advice," Elias responded dryly, adopting a cautious stance. The duplicate mirrored him perfectly, reflecting every subtle twitch of muscle and shift in posture.

Elias took a cautious step forward, and so did the robot, mimicking him exactly. He tilted his head; it tilted its head. Every movement, down to the rhythm of his breath, was duplicated flawlessly.

"This could get annoying," Elias muttered, experimentally stepping forward. The copy matched him step for step. Curious, Elias feigned a strike. Immediately, the robot mirrored him, perfectly synchronized.

"Wait," Dot interjected, realization dawning in her voice. "It reacts exactly as you do—but what if you don’t think?"

"Easy enough to test," Elias replied, shifting his stance and abruptly lunging forward without planning. The robot hesitated just slightly, its mimicry delayed by mere fractions of a second.

Taking advantage, Elias moved erratically, unpredictably shifting his weight from side to side, weaving in confusing patterns. Each unplanned action slowed his opponent’s responses further. Elias’s breathing steadied as he felt control returning to him.

"Now!" Dot shouted, sensing his moment.

Without hesitation, Elias lunged forward, driving a sharp fist directly into the replica’s chest. The figure shattered instantly into fragments of pixels, dissolving into thin air.

"Obstacle twelve complete," chimed a gentle mechanical voice. "Final time: 28 minutes, 12 seconds."

Elias stepped through the final door, chest heaving as he spotted Oliver waiting on the other side. The officer wore an approving expression.

"Good job," Oliver remarked with a faint smile. "Not a bad run at all."

"Thanks," Elias replied, wiping sweat from his forehead. "Though, that last fight was a bit underwhelming. Felt like it was missing something."

Oliver nodded, eyes thoughtful. "It was intentionally simpler than it could’ve been. The highest difficulty settings weren’t activated. This course was designed to prepare you and the others for far worse—alien incursions, terrorist attacks. Though, in your case, the threat is already here."

He folded his arms. "Eventually, we’ll have you rerun small portions with your Ikona, but things will be tougher. That’s for another time. For now, let’s get you back. No signs of the terrorist group moving lately. I suspect they’re regrouping, just like we are."

Elias glanced at him. "Things got harder now that we’re tough to track, huh?"

Oliver smirked. "Exactly. Works in our favor. The difference is we have resources—unlimited, really. The best of you will hold military ranks soon enough. We’re lucky not too many have tried to go rogue."

Elias caught that. "Most? So some have?"

Oliver exhaled. "I can’t say much, but yeah. Three specifically. One learned the hard way not to go on a rampage. The other two... they’re still in lockdown. Something broke in them. Now they attack anything in front of them."

He slid his hand over the door scanner, the lock disengaging with a quiet beep. "Anyway, we’ll be in touch Monday. We’ll go over the Officer Program and assign your group. But honestly?" He glanced at Elias. "I can’t be sure what’ll happen day to day. Just stay ready."

Elias nodded. "That’s all we can do, I suppose." He hesitated, then asked, "What about Elara? I haven’t heard from her. She okay? She got roughed up just like me."

Oliver’s expression tightened. "She’s been isolating in her training room since she recovered. No one can enter without risking frostbite."

Elias raised an eyebrow. "That bad?"

"Yeah. She shuts down like this when someone dies," Oliver admitted. "But this is the first time she’s straight-up lost a fight. No idea how long she’ll be like this."

He checked his watch, then nodded toward Elias. "I need to head out. Good day."

Without another word, he stepped away, leaving Elias standing at the door, thoughts lingering on Elara.

Elias slid his hand over the door scanner. The lock disengaged with a low click, and as the door slid open, he stepped inside.

Everyone was lined up in two rows, standing across from each other. His eyes flicked over the group, quickly taking in the scene. Faye—the singer with the Ikona that manipulated sound—stood in position, her posture relaxed but focused. Tidwell, gripping a large Bowie knife, stood about sixteen feet away, his stance low, muscles coiled.

Kikaru raised her hand in a sharp motion. "Begin."

The instant her hand dropped, they moved.

Faye’s voice rang out—clear, smooth, and sharp. "Your body will slow the closer you get to me."

Her Ikona released a wave of music notes, each one pulsing with energy as they scattered through the air, weaving toward Tidwell like an invisible web.

Tidwell didn’t hesitate. He stomped his boot against the ground, kicking up a burst of thick cloud that spread instantly. Using the cover, he leapt high, flipping over Faye’s position.

Elias watched as Tidwell dropped in behind her, knife flashing in his grip. He thrust the blade toward her neck—

His movement stalled mid-strike.

His momentum slowed to a crawl, his muscles locking up as Faye pivoted smoothly. She swept his leg out from under him, her voice carrying into a new melody.

"My music will make your body more prone to pain."

Tidwell hit the ground hard, his body barely reacting as the impact rattled through him. Gritting his teeth, he slapped a hand to the floor, and an eruption of dense cloud shot from his chest. The sudden burst engulfed Faye, sending her skidding back as she disappeared into the swirling mist.

Elias stepped up beside Kikaru, arms crossed. "What the hell is going on?"

Kikaru kept her gaze on the fight. "The officer program starts soon. I want everyone to start training now—learning how we fight, how our Ikona adapt in real combat."