“Good night, Ashira, see you tomorrow.”

“Night, Warden!”

The owner of the gym waved him goodbye as Warden left. It was already late, and the streets were empty. His place was close to the gym, a 10-minute walk through a forgotten part of the carrier. He enjoyed these late-night walks after working out.

From the corner of his eye, he noticed forms moving through the shadows. Three people, pretty skilled at covert actions, but not skilled enough for Warden’s Scout instincts. Despite being aware of their presence, he paid them no mind, after all, he was already used to being followed home by them.

The First Scout Team is usually sent in Wilder Subjugation missions that could take months to complete. Once home, they would get a few weeks off before being sent again. Every day, while home, Warden would go to his local gym and work out for a few hours. Every day, after the gym, he would go home, followed by these three individuals. It all started a year ago after Warden burned down his former house and moved on to The Director land carrier.

“Guys, I’ll get something to eat, want me to grab you anything?” He asked without turning around. Nobody answered.

“Suit yourself.”

Warden entered a corner shop. He picked something and quickly left. He was still followed. His walk came to an end as he reached his home. A large house built at the base of a tower. It held the bigger structure while not being connected to it in any way. Before going in, he turned around for the first time. The three people that were following him were standing in the middle of the street, watching his every move while being silent as the night. He nodded to them, then got inside. A few minutes later, they left. This was their daily routine.

Holt was on TV. He explained to the reporter the details of their previous mission. Finding Aaleph, the Wilder capital, could be considered an important achievement and was definitely portrayed as such by the media. He prepared some food for the morning and put it away in the fridge. Holt was already done with his interview, and now, important guests were debating what was the next step humans should take, regarding the Wilder menace in the Blacksteel Forest. The debate was fierce, with each side presenting their arguments and rebuffing the other’s arguments.

“Tomorrow, I need to get my equipment from the mender.” He wrote in a small notebook.

The debate was over. He switched off the TV. Without its brightness, the room was pitch dark. He didn’t feel like sleeping. Without a second thought, Warden grabbed his jacket and went out. Walking around at night was pleasant for him. Without a doubt, as soon as he left his home, three shadows followed.

He wandered around, thinking, and pondering, wondering what he should do during these few weeks home. Besides the gym, he had no other hobby, and his only friends were his teammates. Holt was busy with administrative tasks every time they returned from missions. Ellie and Nuk lived on a different land carrier, and because of their age difference, the things they could enjoy together were limited.

What should he do?

“Warden?”

He suddenly sprung back from his thoughts, surprised by someone’s voice calling him.

“Ashira, what’s up?” It was the gym owner.

“Everyone’s gone home, I’m closing shop for tonight. You’re taking a walk?”

“Yeah, I can’t sleep that well at home right after coming back.”

“Walk me home then.”

He nodded and the two walked away.

“I’ve watched your captain on TV. He’s a smooth talker.” Said Ashira. Her praise was usually hard to get. “It’s hard to imagine him taking on wilders hundreds of kilometers into the Forest though.”

“He’s strong. He can hold his own against a few measly wilders, but his true strength comes from his freaky machines. He’s able to control them with his mind.” Responded Warden in a praising tone.

“That’s... Interesting.” She was creeped out. Few people knew about Holt’s ability. All of his teammates were strange that way, holding powerful artifacts that made them special. Compared to those monsters, Warden was just a human with nothing special about him.

“You were the talk of the gym today, you know? The people banded together to make you something special.”

“Something special?” He responded. His expression showed genuine surprise, something he wouldn’t usually do with other people.

“You didn’t hear this from me, but they wanted to make a photo board, a sort of hall of fame, with your picture at the top. After all, you’re our gym’s pride!”

“That... Doesn’t seem necessary.”

“Don’t be a fool! Rumors about your brawl with the leader of the Wilders circulated all week. Hey, tell me, is it true you subdued him with your bare hands?” Ashira stopped and faced Warden. She seriously wanted to know. He had no way of escape. He had to tell the truth.

“I did fight with the Wolv. He wasn’t the leader of all wilders, but he was an infamous pack leader. We brought him down on our way back from Aaleph. I had to hold him in place while Nuk dealt the finishing blow.”

“You held him in place? Was he big?”

“About 4 meters tall.”

“That sounds scary, but you must see them differently from up there. How big are you even, like 3 meters tall?” She raised her hand, trying to reach the top of Warden’s head.

“2.6 meters.”

“All the same, I’m only 1.8. You’re practically towering over me.”

“You’re not fighting Wilders every day for your life, so anything over that would be a waste anyway.”

“Yeah, maybe you’re right.” She suddenly tensed up. Without warning, she started walking away. Warden quietly followed.

Ashira’s apartment should’ve been close by. This was the first time Warden walked her home, even though they’ve known each other since the first day Warden moved on to The Director.

From time to time, Ashira sneaked glances at him. Even Warden noticed she was acting quite strange. After a few more minutes, they finally reached one of the elevators going down to the second layer of the carrier. After taking the elevator, her apartment was just a few steps away.

“Thanks for the walk, see you tomorrow!”

“Sure.”

It seemed like she wanted to tell him something else, but nothing came out. The elevator doors opened, and Ashira boarded. Warden watched as the door closed. He was alone now. He looked around, trying to find his spooky followers, but they were nowhere to be found. Something didn’t feel right.

Ashira was alone in the large elevator room. She looked at herself in the mirror with a somewhat smug expression. A gym owner had to maintain a certain standard for her body, and she killed that look. Almost instantly, her thoughts returned to Warden. She was certain that they were being followed not by one but three individuals. She was afraid to bring it up then, but maybe it wasn’t such a big deal. Warden was an important person, maybe those were some sort of bodyguards. But, even if they had bad intentions, they were going against Warden, the “strongest human”.

The elevator stopped and its doors opened.

“Hah... I hope he’s alright.”

“You should worry about yourself first.”

A voice suddenly spoke. In an instant, a strange man grabbed her hand and forcefully dragged her out of the elevator. Ashira reacted instinctively and pushed the man away with all her might. Surprised by her abnormal strength, the man lost balance and stumbled back.

“Haha! She’s pretty strong!”

“Tsk!”

Another voice rang out, from the second elevator.

“Two against one? That’s hardly fair.”

“Hold up, lady, we’re not going to mug you or anything. We’re only here to get some answers.”

The second man stayed back, cautiously keeping his distance. His friend has also recovered and stood in front of her.

“What’s your relationship with Warden?” Said the second man.

“Huh?”

Ashira was confused. This seemed like the plot of some teenage romance show. Were they jealous that Warden walked her home? Their expressions were dead serious.

“What do you mean? Who are you guys anyway?”

The first man’s expression suddenly got worse. He slowly unzipped his jacket and took out a large blade. As he was pointing it at Ashira, the tip of the blade slowly turned glowing orange.

“Don’t mess with me. Tell us what we want to know.”

Ashira suddenly realized the severity of her situation. These guys were seriously going to hurt her.

“I’m the owner of the gym that Warden comes to! Nothing more!”

“What do you know about him? What has he told you?”

“Huh? Nothing! He doesn’t speak much! I only know what I hear on the TV!”

“What about his past? Does he talk about his parents?”

“Parents? No! Why would he? We’re not even that close!”

The elevator’s door suddenly opened. Ashira quickly turned, hoping somebody would be here to save her. Instead, the masked face of another unknown person appeared.

“What are you doing here?! You were supposed to keep an eye on Warden!” Shouted the second man.

“Ashira, duck.”

Hearing Warden’s voice, Ashira instinctively acted. In an instant, the third man’s body flew towards his companions hitting both with enough force to knock them down. Warden emerged from the same elevator, looking down on the three with bloodshot eyes.

“You made the wrong move going after my friend.” His voice shook the narrow corridor.

“Sorry about this, Ashira, I’ll make sure these guys never bother you again.”

Ashira was still on the ground, stunned by what just happened. She was saved. The people threatening her were going to be dealt with, but her fear hadn’t subsided yet. Instead, it seemed to increase with each passing moment.

“Warden! Don’t kill them!” She suddenly shouted.

The three were cowering on the ground, waiting with terror to be stomped by the “strongest human”. Warden stopped. He pondered for a moment, then the anger in his eyes faded. He looked back at Ashira that managed to get up. She seemed scared of him, holding dearly to her bag, and keeping her distance.

Warden was used to this reaction. He turned back towards the trio and kneeled beside them.

“Following me is fine, but never go after my friends, understood?” He said as if talking to children.

All of them nodded with tears in their eyes.

“Alright. Words may not be enough, so I’ll give each one of you something that will help you remember. Gentlemen, hold out your hands for me, please.”

They immediately did as they were ordered to. One by one, Warden grabbed them and shook their hands, grinding their fragile bones to dust. Despite his expectations, all of them took it pretty well, without too much screaming.

“Now, scram. Don’t bother her again.”

In an instant, the three boarded the elevator and vanished. Now, only he and Ashira were left. Warden couldn’t bear to look at her, so he quickly dusted himself off and walked away without a word.

“Wait!” Said Ashira.

He stopped.

“Sorry about this. They came after you because of me.” He couldn’t see her, but she must’ve felt scarred and angry at him. After this, she probably didn’t want him around the gym anymore.

She slowly walked up to him and pinched the back of his shirt.

“You batter be at the gym tomorrow...”

“Of course.”