Thalora

Chapter Eleven: Into the Fire

The cafeteria hummed with the usual low buzz of recruits swapping stories, teasing one another after another grueling combat training session. Alyssa sat at a table with Kai and Lucas, pushing food around her tray without much thought. She hadn't taken more than a bite, her appetite long gone. Her mind was elsewhere, a swirling storm of doubt and confusion. She couldn't shake what Troy had shown her—the truth about the Academy, the Eldarii, and the Colossal Gods.

Across the table, Lucas was animated, going over their latest combat session with a grin on his face. "I swear, Kai, you're gonna get yourself killed showing off like that."

Kai leaned back in his chair, tossing an orange from hand to hand with a smug grin. "You're just mad 'cause I nailed every target and you barely hit half."

Lucas scowled, jabbing his fork in Kai's direction. "Hey man, I hit most of them."

Kai snorted. "Uh-huh, yeah."

Lucas was about to fire back, but his attention shifted to Alyssa, who was unusually quiet. She had been distant for days, ever since the strange conversation she wouldn't talk about. He nudged her gently with his elbow.

"Earth to Alyssa," Lucas said, his voice light but laced with concern. "You good?"

Alyssa blinked, her thoughts snapping back to the present. She forced a smile, but it didn't reach her eyes. "Yeah. I'm fine."

Kai wasn't buying it. He set his orange down, his grin fading as he leaned forward. "You sure? You've been off lately."

Alyssa's grip on her tray tightened. She could feel their eyes on her—Kai's searching, Lucas's concerned—but she couldn't explain. Not to them. How could she begin to describe the voices, the weight of what Troy had revealed? The truth was too overwhelming, too dangerous. And worse, she wasn't even sure she could trust Troy. Not with everything the Academy had said about him.

"I said I'm fine," she snapped, sharper than she intended.

The table fell silent. Lucas and Kai exchanged a glance, both surprised by her tone. Before they could ask more, though, the room's lights flickered. Alyssa's gaze lifted, her chest tightening. Something was wrong.

A sharp, shrill alarm suddenly cut through the air, making everyone in the cafeteria freeze. The overhead lights dimmed, flashing a harsh red. It felt like time had slowed, like everything around them had come to a standstill.

Kai's brow furrowed. "What the hell?"

The intercom buzzed to life, the voice of the Academy's security chief booming over the speakers: "This is not a drill. All recruits are to evacuate and shelter in their dorms immediately. Repeat: this is not a drill."

Panic surged through the room as students scrambled to their feet, the cafeteria erupting into chaos. Alyssa's heart raced as she turned toward the large windows. Beyond the glass, in the sky above the Academy, ships descended through the atmosphere—massive and foreboding. Her stomach dropped.

"Belaaki raiders," she whispered. A deep, sickening dread spread through her.

The Belaaki were feared throughout the galaxy. Humanoid shapeshifters with dark, lizard-like skin that gleamed a deep, almost iridescent blue. They were more than just pirates and raiders. They were conquerors. Colonizers. They moved from one system to the next, devouring entire civilizations, their bloodlust insatiable. Their long, serpent-like eyes glowed faintly beneath their thick brows, and their sharp, fang-like teeth were always bared in what seemed like a permanent sneer.

As the Belaaki ships hovered above the Academy, Alyssa could see the flashes of their figures—tall, imposing, with armor that melded with their scaly skin, moving like liquid as they shifted forms mid-battle. They were relentless in their assault, and there was no mistaking their intent. They weren't here just to raid. They were here to destroy, to consume everything in their path.