The tranquility of the base was broken by the shrill sound of an alarm. A red warning flashed on all the monitors.
"Outer perimeter compromised! Hostile movement three kilometers away!" shouted a voice over the comm.
Kael stood up from where he was meditating. The heat of the sun still vibrated in his body, as if the connection had not been broken with the alarm. He looked at the others — Selene, Daz and Ryo — and noticed something different. They were calm. Ready. Energy flowed naturally through them.
"This is a test," Kael murmured. "Let's show what we have learned."
Aria appeared in the command room, already armed.
"HelionTech has sent a containment team. They're more organized. They must be looking for the files we recovered."
"Then let's welcome them," Daz said, slamming his fist into his palm.
With no time for elaborate plans, the four of them raced toward the point of impact. On the horizon, armored vehicles cut across the dirt road, charging hard. Drones circled the sky like metallic predators.
Kael raised his arms. The midday sun responded immediately. His body emanated a golden heat, pulsing in waves.
"Ryo, you take care of the sky. Selene, go with him. Daz, with me on the ground."
"Understood," they answered in unison.
Selene closed her eyes for a brief second. The light around her wavered, and when she reopened, her silver eyes reflected the moon, even in broad daylight. A field of cold energy enveloped Ryo, who leapt into the air, propelled by gusts of wind that spiraled around him. Above, the drones began to malfunction.
Daz stamped his feet, and cracks formed toward the vehicles. Stone rose up like natural walls, slowing the enemy's advance. One of the armored vehicles exploded when it collided with one of these barriers.
Kael felt the solar energy dance within him. He didn't have to force it. He just let it flow. A golden beam shot from his hands, straight into the ground in front of the HelionTech soldiers, creating a curtain of light so intense it temporarily blinded them.
The enemy tried to retreat, but they were surrounded by forces they didn't understand. Living, connected forces.
"They don't know what they're dealing with," Selene said, landing next to Kael with Ryo close behind.
The remaining soldiers dropped their gear and fled. It was more than tactics—it was fear. Not of weapons, but of what they could not control.
When the field fell silent again, Kael and the others looked at each other. None of them were exhausted. Not like before. The energy seemed to nourish them, not drain them.
Aria arrived soon after, observing the damage and the harmony of the group.
"You not only won… you evolved."
Kael looked up at the sky and felt a shiver run down his spine. For the first time, he understood what the sun wanted to show him: that its light was not a gift, it was a calling. And he had begun to respond.