My Shard Bearer System - Elias's Legacy
Chapter 106: Re-Stone

Chapter 106: Re-Stone

Elias barely stirred, still deep in his own much-needed rest.

A sharp beep jolted him awake. His eyes cracked open, adjusting to the glow of his pod’s internal display—17:00. He exhaled, rubbing his face as the lingering weight of exhaustion settled over him. Five hours. Not bad, but not enough.

His muscles protested as he stretched, the obstacle course still leaving its mark. He glanced down, sensing Dot’s presence in the shard—still quiet, still resting. Figures. She probably worked herself to exhaustion again.

With a sigh, he pushed himself upright. No time to drag things out. They needed to eat, and more importantly, they needed to talk.

Stepping out of his pod, he spotted Kikaru, Tidwell, and Junjio standing near the hallway intersection, already waiting.

Kikaru glanced at him. "Took you long enough."

Elias rolled his shoulders. "Yeah, well, five hours down and I still feel like I got my ass kicked."

Tidwell smirked. "That’s how you know it’s working."

Junijo chuckled, adjusting his sleeves. "Seems like none of us got much time to recover."

They fell into step, making their way toward the cafeteria. The halls were busier now, people moving in groups, quiet conversations passing between them. Most of it was about the same thing—the officer program, the system changes, and the looming uncertainty about the future.

Elias didn’t need to ask—everyone was thinking the same thing.

They stepped into the cafeteria, grabbing trays of whatever passed for a decent meal here. The usual mush, protein bars, and questionable vegetables.

Kikaru sighed. "I don’t even know why I hope for something better."

"Because you’re in denial," Tidwell muttered, stabbing at his food with zero enthusiasm.

Elias smirked. "At least it’s edible."

As they ate, the conversation naturally shifted.

"So," Elias asked between bites, "how’s everyone handling their skill trees?"

Kikaru let out a dry chuckle. "Oh, you mean the constant reminder that we’re basically unfinished prototypes? It’s fantastic."

Tidwell shrugged. "I don’t mind it. It’s just another system to optimize. The more we fight, the more we unlock."

Junijo sighed. "It’s the locked paths that get to me. It feels like we’re being pushed toward specific choices, but we can’t even see what’s possible until we hit some invisible requirement."

Elias nodded. "Probably to force us to experiment. If we could see every upgrade from the start, we’d just pick the strongest ones and call it a day."

"That," Kikaru muttered, "or it’s another way to control us."

No one argued.

As they finished eating, Kikaru’s entire demeanor shifted.

Elias noticed first—her posture tensed, eyes narrowing slightly as she stared at someone across the cafeteria.

As they finished eating, Kikaru’s entire demeanor shifted.

Elias noticed first—her posture tensed, eyes narrowing slightly as she stared across the cafeteria.

Following her gaze, he spotted Asurik.

The tall figure with dark hair stood near another group, relaxed, unreadable, like he had nothing to worry about. He wasn’t looking their way, but Kikaru’s grip on her fork told Elias all he needed to know.

Junijo caught on too. "You good?"

Kikaru’s fingers tightened around the utensil before she let out a slow breath. "Yeah. Just... old business."

Tidwell glanced at her, then at Asurik. "You wanna handle it?"

Kikaru’s jaw tensed, but she shook her head. "Not here. Not now."

Elias didn’t need to ask for details. Whatever this was, it wasn’t over.

The air at their table felt heavier, the conversation from before momentarily drowned out by the unspoken history between Kikaru and Asurik.

After a few more minutes, Kikaru finally pushed her tray aside. "Let’s head back."

Back at A Block, the four of them gathered in the common space.

Kikaru sat on the edge of a table, arms crossed. Her mind was still elsewhere, but she wasn’t saying anything.

Elias leaned against the wall. "Alright. Time to address the obvious."

Junijo sighed. "Yeah. The system’s message. The total number of Shard Users is dropping to 90."

Elias exhaled. "And we still don’t know how."

Kikaru crossed her arms. "That’s the worst part. We don’t know if it’s a test, an elimination event, or something worse."

Tidwell’s expression darkened. "Doesn’t really matter. Bottom line is, ten people won’t make it past this phase. Whether that means they’re kicked out, they quit, or they don’t survive... it’s happening."

Elias frowned. It wasn’t just about numbers. It was about survival.

Junijo hesitated. "And that’s assuming it stops at ninety. What if it keeps lowering every phase?"

The thought sat heavy between them.

Kikaru finally spoke. "We can sit here guessing all day, but the truth is, we won’t know until it happens. So we need to plan for the worst."

Tidwell leaned forward slightly. His voice was casual, but his words were anything but.

"Look, I know this is gonna sound a little... off, but hear me out."

Elias raised an eyebrow. "Go on."

Tidwell exhaled. "We don’t know what’s coming. We don’t know how the system decides who stays or goes. But I do know one thing—we’d be idiots to think we can handle it alone."

Kikaru narrowed her eyes. "You’re suggesting what I think you are?"

"Yeah," Tidwell said plainly. "An alliance. Us four. No matter what happens, we have each other’s backs."

Junijo’s face was unreadable, but he didn’t shut the idea down outright.

Elias folded his arms. "And what happens when we’re forced into situations where we have to make hard choices?"

Tidwell smirked. "That’s exactly why we do this now. So when the hard choices come, we already know where we stand."

A silence passed between them.

Then Kikaru nodded. "Fine. I’m in."

Junijo exhaled. "I don’t love the way this sounds, but logically? You’re right. If the system forces us into survival, better to do it with allies than alone."

Elias glanced at each of them before finally nodding. "Alright. We stick together."

Tidwell grinned. "Good. Let’s make sure we’re still here to see how this whole thing plays out."

The others gave short nods, the weight of their agreement settling in as they went their separate ways.