The industrial district of Sanctum City had never been particurly attractive, even before the Breach. Now, with emergency barriers casting eerie blue light across abandoned warehouses and the distinctive ozone-metallic scent of dimensional distortion hanging in the air, it looked like something from a nightmare ndscape.
Eris crouched behind a partially colpsed wall, her enhanced Battle Mage senses fully activated. Silver light emanated from her eyes as she scanned the area, mapping energy signatures, calcuting distances, assessing threat levels with the precision that had earned her reputation as one of Sanctum City's most effective A-rank Syers.
"Primary entity located," she murmured into her communication device. "Northwest quadrant, moving between structures. Cssification confirmed: S-css Devourer."
"Copy that," responded the tactical coordinator from the mobile command center positioned safely outside the containment zone. "Secondary signatures?"
"At least eight B-css servitors," Eris confirmed, her enhanced vision picking up the smaller entities that orbited the primary threat like remora around a shark. "Typical hive pattern. The Devourer is using them as scouts."
This mission represented exactly the type of high-priority deployment she had begun accepting over the past two months—dangerous, complex, but strategically significant. Since her conversation with Marcus about becoming stronger to better protect people, Eris had systematically increased both her training regimen and her mission difficulty level, pursuing the accelerated advancement path they had discussed.
The arrangement had required adjustments for both of them. Ms. Lena, a former combat medic with childcare certification, now stayed at their apartment three nights a week when Eris was deployed on extended missions. Marcus had adapted with his characteristic resilience, though not without occasional tears and moments of anxiety that twisted Eris's heart even as she recognized their inevitability.
But along with those challenges had come notable progress. Eris's combat capabilities had increased significantly, her Battle Mage abilities responding to the consistent pressure of higher-level threats with accelerated development. Commander Reeves had noted her performance metrics were trending toward eligibility for S-rank consideration—a level few Syers ever achieved, and certainly not at Eris's retively young age.
"Strike team in position," came another voice through her comm unit—Second Lieutenant Chen, leading the support squad of four B-rank Syers positioned strategically around the perimeter. "Awaiting your signal, Commander Kane."
Eris acknowledged the confirmation, then performed a final equipment check. Her specialized Battle Mage armor gleamed dully in the emergency lighting, reinforced panels protecting vital areas while maintaining the flexibility her combat style required. At her hip hung a dimensional disruptor—standard issue for high-level engagements. But her primary weapons were her twin enchanted daggers, perfectly banced for her fighting style, their crystalline bdes glowing with a faint silver luminescence that matched the energy in her eyes. The hilts bore the same crescent moon insignia as her pendant, custom-crafted to channel her Battle Mage abilities for close combat.
"Mission parameters confirmed," she stated for the official record. "Primary objective: neutralize S-css Devourer before it reaches full materialization. Secondary objective: eliminate servitor entities. Tertiary objective: contain breach point for Science Division analysis. Commencing engagement."
With that final communication, Eris vaulted over the colpsed wall, silver energy propelling her forward with superhuman speed. The nearest servitor entity barely had time to register her presence before she was upon it, her daggers fshing with enhanced precision. The crystalline bdes sliced through the creature's semi-corporeal form, disrupting its dimensional cohesion while simultaneously channeling Eris's Battle Mage energy directly into its core. The servitor—a vaguely insectoid form composed of shifting dark matter—emitted a high-pitched whine as it colpsed, its body dissolving into sparkling motes that dissipated into the air.
The death cry alerted the other servitors, which immediately abandoned their scouting patterns and converged on her position. Eris had anticipated this response—had counted on it, in fact, as part of her tactical approach. Drawing the smaller entities away from their master would simplify the eventual confrontation with the Devourer.
Two servitors attacked simultaneously from different angles, their limbs elongating into razor-sharp appendages designed to impale and eviscerate. Eris dropped into a defensive stance, her daggers crossed before her in a practiced guard position. As the first entity lunged, she sidestepped with enhanced speed, her right bde slicing through its attacking limb while her left dagger plunged into what passed for its central mass.
Without pausing, she channeled Battle Mage energy through her palm toward the second attacker, releasing a concentrated silver burst that struck the creature from a distance, momentarily stunning it. The ranged magical attack gave her the opening she needed to close distance and dispatch it with a precise cross-cut of both daggers, the enchanted bdes humming with energy as they disrupted the entity's dimensional structure.
"Three down," she reported tersely, already moving toward her next targets. "Strike team, maintain perimeter containment. The servitors are becoming aggressive."
Indeed, the remaining B-css entities had abandoned any pretense of stealth, their forms pulsing with agitated energy as they adjusted their attack strategy. One unched itself from a warehouse roof, its body reconfiguring mid-air into a net-like structure designed to entrap rather than impale. Another burrowed through the concrete at incredible speed, attempting to emerge beneath Eris's position.
She sensed both attacks through her enhanced perception. For the aerial threat, she sheathed one dagger with fluid efficiency while extending her free hand upward, channeling a concentrated beam of silver energy that sliced through the net-entity before it could descend upon her. For the subterranean ambush, she kept her remaining dagger at the ready, timing her response to the subtle vibrations beneath her feet.
As the burrowing servitor erupted from the ground, Eris was already moving, her dagger driving downward with enhanced strength and precision. The crystalline bde penetrated the entity's emerging form, channeling a pulse of Battle Mage energy directly into its core structure. The servitor convulsed once before colpsing in on itself, dimensional cohesion failing as Eris twisted the dagger to maximize the energy disruption.
"Five down," she updated, her breathing controlled despite the intense exertion. She resheathed her dagger to draw both weapons again in a fluid motion, the matched bdes extending from her hands like natural extensions of her limbs. Battle Mage conditioning allowed her to maintain peak performance far longer than standard Syers, her enhanced physiology processing oxygen more efficiently and recovering from strain more rapidly.
The remaining servitors had retreated, apparently reassessing their approach after witnessing half their number neutralized in under two minutes. This tactical pause gave Eris a moment to scan for the primary threat—the S-css Devourer that represented the true danger of this Breach event.
She located it moving through an abandoned processing pnt approximately two hundred meters north of her position. The entity's energy signature was unmistakable—a pulsating void in the dimensional fabric, drawing ambient energy into itself like a bck hole consuming light. Devourers were among the most dangerous S-css entities precisely because they grew stronger by absorbing energy from their surroundings, including from conventional weapons and even some Syer abilities.
"Primary target is accelerating materialization," Eris reported, noting the intensification of the entity's energy signature. "Approximately seventy percent corporeality achieved. Moving to engage before it reaches full manifestation."
"Copy that," the tactical coordinator acknowledged. "Be advised, energy readings suggest unusual development in the primary entity's structure. Possible mutation from standard Devourer cssification."
Eris processed this warning as she moved toward the processing pnt, using enhanced speed to cross the distance while remaining alert for the remaining servitors. Mutations in S-css entities were uncommon but not unprecedented—dimensional forces sometimes created variations that defied standard cssification parameters. Such mutations made encounters more unpredictable, requiring adaptive tactics rather than established containment protocols.
As she approached the processing pnt, the air grew noticeably colder, frost forming on metal surfaces despite the mild autumn temperature. This environmental effect confirmed the coordinator's warning—standard Devourers generated heat as they absorbed energy, not cold. The mutation had altered the entity's fundamental energy processing mechanism.
The remaining servitors had regrouped at the pnt entrance, forming a defensive perimeter around their master. Their behavior had changed as well—instead of the erratic, predatory movements typical of their cssification, they now maintained disciplined positions, bodies oriented toward the approaching threat with a coordination that suggested heightened hive intelligence.
Eris activated her comm unit. "Strike team, converge on my position. Servitor behavior indicates advanced coordination. Repeat, entities are dispying tactical adaptation."
As her support squad acknowledged and began moving to reinforce her position, Eris assessed her options. Direct confrontation with multiple coordinated entities while the Devourer continued materializing would be suboptimal. But waiting for reinforcements might allow the S-css threat to reach full corporeal state—at which point containment difficulty would increase exponentially.
Decision made, she charged her daggers with Battle Mage energy, the crystalline bdes glowing brighter as they absorbed and amplified her power. Then, with silver light illuminating her path, she unched herself directly at the servitor perimeter, moving with such speed that she appeared to blur even to enhanced perception.
The first servitor had barely begun to react when she struck, both daggers slicing through its form in a precise X-pattern that disrupted its dimensional cohesion instantly. Without pausing, she pivoted toward the second entity, her left dagger parrying its attacking limb while her right plunged into its core. Simultaneously, she channeled a bolt of silver energy from her left palm toward a third servitor attempting to fnk her, the ranged attack striking with enough force to stagger the creature momentarily.
The coordinated assault faltered as Eris moved among the servitors with lethal grace, her daggers fshing with silver light as they cleaved through dimensional matter, each strike precisely targeted to disrupt critical cohesion points. When entities attempted to maintain distance, she seamlessly transitioned to ranged attacks, silver energy bursting from her palms or channeled through her bdes to strike with unerring accuracy.
Within moments, she had cleared a path through the defensive line, the remaining servitors temporarily disorganized by her devastating assault. Without hesitation, she charged through the gap, entering the processing pnt where the Devourer awaited.
The interior was transformed by the entity's presence—frost covered every surface, strange geometric patterns etched themselves into metal and concrete, and ambient light bent around a central point where reality itself seemed to warp and distort.
The Devourer hung suspended in the center of the rgest chamber, its form still partially immaterial but rapidly solidifying. In its current state, it resembled a massive crystalline structure composed of interlocking geometric shapes, each facet reflecting distorted images of the surrounding environment. At its core pulsed a void-like emptiness, a section of absolute darkness that seemed to pull at Eris's vision, creating a nauseous disorientation if viewed directly.
"Primary entity located," she reported, positioning herself strategically while assessing the rapidly materializing threat. "Confirmed mutation from standard Devourer cssification. Crystalline structure with sub-zero energy emission. Requesting updated containment protocols."
"Science Division assessing," the coordinator responded. "Preliminary analysis suggests targeting junction points between crystalline segments. Standard dimensional disruptors may be ineffective against the altered energy structure."
Eris acknowledged the information, already formuting an approach based on her direct observations. The Devourer had definitely noticed her presence—the crystalline segments were reorienting toward her position, their reflective surfaces tracking her movements with unsettling precision.
Before she could implement her attack strategy, the remaining servitors burst through different entry points, having recovered from her earlier assault. Their movements were even more coordinated now, suggesting the Devourer was actively directing them as extensions of itself rather than merely benefiting from their instinctive protection.
"Strike team, what's your position?" Eris demanded, shifting to a defensive stance, daggers held at the ready as the servitors circled her with predatory precision.
"Thirty seconds out," Lieutenant Chen responded, the sound of rapid movement audible behind his voice. "Engaging perimeter resistance."
Not soon enough. Eris would need to handle the immediate threat alone.
The servitors attacked in perfect synchronization—three from different angles, utilizing the environment to limit her evasion options. Simultaneously, the Devourer itself released a pulse of freezing energy that crystallized the moisture in the air, creating a momentary blizzard of razor-sharp ice particles throughout the chamber.
Eris responded with practiced precision, channeling Battle Mage energy to create a momentary defensive barrier while simultaneously unching herself into a series of evasive maneuvers. As the first servitor reached her, she met its attack with a lightning-fast dagger strike, her enhanced reflexes allowing her to target a critical weakness in its structure. The second entity received a bst of silver energy directly from her left palm, the ranged attack disrupting its cohesion long enough for her to close distance and finish it with a precise bde strike.
For the third attacker, she executed a perfect battlefield adaptation of her Battle Mage training—channeling energy through her daggers and then releasing it in a circur wave that radiated outward, catching the servitor mid-lunge and disrupting its form enough to create an opening for a killing strike.
The Devourer responded to her impressive dispy by accelerating its materialization process, crystalline segments locking together with audible resonance as it prepared to defend itself. Eris recognized the tactical shift—the entity was sacrificing gradual adaptation to this dimension in favor of immediate combat capability.
She had seconds at most before it reached full corporeal state.
Sheathing her daggers with fluid efficiency, Eris channeled Battle Mage energy into both palms, silver light intensifying as she prepared a concentrated ranged attack. The energy built rapidly, coalescing into a swirling sphere between her hands that pulsed with dimensional disruption potential.
With precise timing, she released the energy sphere directly at one of the junction points between the Devourer's crystalline segments—a weak point identified by her enhanced perception. The attack struck with devastating force, silver energy spshing across the entity's structure before beginning to penetrate the junction.
But the Devourer wasn't defenseless. It released another pulse of freezing energy, this one far more powerful than the previous assault. The temperature in the chamber plummeted instantly, metal surfaces becoming brittle and shattering under the extreme cold. The air itself seemed to solidify, creating resistance against Eris's movements like she was trying to push through gel rather than atmosphere.
Recognizing that her ranged attacks might be increasingly compromised by the environmental manipution, Eris drew her daggers once again and charged directly at the entity. She channeled Battle Mage energy through her bdes as she moved, the crystalline material glowing with intensifying silver light as it absorbed and amplified her power.
The Devourer sensed her approach and directed sharp crystalline projections toward her, the deadly shards accelerating through the frigid air with lethal intent. Eris weaved through the barrage with enhanced speed, deflecting those she couldn't dodge with precisely timed dagger parries, each impact sending sparks of competing energies into the air.
Closing final distance to the entity required supreme concentration, every movement calcuted against the increasing environmental resistance and defensive attacks. When she finally reached striking range, Eris executed a perfectly coordinated assault—her daggers striking simultaneously at two different junction points, enhanced strength driving the crystalline bdes deep into the entity's structure while her Battle Mage energy flowed through them directly into the Devourer's system.
The impact reverberated throughout the structure, crystalline segments vibrating at frequencies that created an eerie, discordant sound. For a moment, it seemed the entity would withstand even this precisely targeted attack—its structure flexing but maintaining integrity.
Then cracks appeared at both impact points, small at first but rapidly extending across the connected segments. Eris immediately pressed her advantage, twisting the embedded daggers to widen the fractures while channeling more Battle Mage energy directly into the entity's system.
The Devourer shuddered, its crystalline structure destabilizing as incompatible energy spread through its network. The void at its core pulsed erratically, dimensions warping around it as it struggled to maintain coherence.
Recognizing the critical vulnerability, Eris withdrew one dagger and reached for the dimensional disruptor at her hip. She activated it at maximum setting, the device humming with increasing intensity as it generated a localized dimensional inversion field—essentially creating a controlled implosion designed to colpse the entity's structure into itself.
With her remaining dagger still embedded and channeling disruptive energy, Eris pnted the disruptor directly in the widening crack of the second impact point, then immediately withdrew both weapons and retreated to a safer distance.
"Disruptor deployed," she reported tersely. "Detonation in five seconds. All personnel clear the structure."
The strike team, having dispatched the remaining servitors outside, acknowledged and withdrew to minimum safe distance. Eris maintained her position slightly longer, ensuring the disruptor remained stable until the final moment, then executed an enhanced leap that carried her through a shattered window just as the device reached critical activation.
The dimensional implosion that followed wasn't visible in conventional terms—more a momentary absence of perception, a brief gap in reality itself as the disruptor colpsed the Devourer's structure into dimensional null-space. The processing pnt shuddered, frost evaporating instantly from all surfaces as ambient temperature normalized, the strange geometric patterns fading from walls and equipment.
Eris nded in a controlled roll outside the structure, immediately scanning with enhanced perception to confirm the entity's status. Where the Devourer had hung suspended moments before, only a small dimensional anomaly remained—a pinpoint distortion that the Science Division would study but that posed no further threat to Sanctum City.
She rose to her feet, resheathing her daggers with practiced efficiency as their glow subsided to normal levels. "Primary entity neutralized," she confirmed as the strike team approached. "Containment successful. Anomaly stable and contained for analysis."
Lieutenant Chen reached her first, professional respect evident in his expression despite his attempt at operational neutrality. "Impressive work, Commander. Neutralizing an S-css mutation without full team support exceeds standard protocols."
"Circumstances required adaptation," Eris replied simply, already conducting a mental assessment of her own condition. The engagement had demanded significant energy expenditure, particurly the final sequence against the Devourer itself. She could feel the familiar hollow sensation that followed major Battle Mage exertion—her enhanced system temporarily depleted, requiring recovery time before returning to full capacity.
As the containment team secured the area and Science Division personnel arrived to study the remaining anomaly, Eris completed her official mission report, documenting the entity's unusual properties and the effective countermeasures for future reference. The entire engagement, from initial contact with the servitors to final neutralization of the Devourer, had sted approximately seventeen minutes—an impressively efficient containment by any standard, particurly for an S-css threat with mutation characteristics.
Only when all professional obligations were satisfied did Eris allow herself to check the time—2:17 AM. She had promised Marcus she would call before bedtime, but the mission had developed more rapidly than anticipated, leaving no opportunity for personal communication. He would be asleep now, hopefully undisturbed by nightmares, with Ms. Lena maintaining the bedtime routine they had established together.
A pang of what she now recognized as parental guilt filtered through her professional satisfaction. Logically, she understood that occasional missed calls were inevitable in her line of work. Emotionally, each missed connection with Marcus felt like a small failure, regardless of the importance of the mission that had prevented it.
"Commander Kane," the tactical coordinator approached, datapad in hand. "Science Division has requested your direct observations regarding the entity's response to Battle Mage energy application. They're particurly interested in the absorption interaction dynamics."
Eris nodded, refocusing on her immediate responsibilities. The personal would need to wait a bit longer. "I'll provide full details for their analysis. Has preliminary containment assessment been completed?"
The conversation shifted back to operational matters as Eris fulfilled her remaining duties at the containment site. It was nearly 4:30 AM by the time she was cleared to return home, physical exhaustion beginning to register despite her enhanced physiology's resilience. The mission had demanded more extensive energy channeling than usual, the Devourer's unusual properties requiring adaptation beyond standard Battle Mage techniques.
The apartment was quiet when she finally arrived, the pre-dawn hours casting everything in gentle shadow. Ms. Lena, accustomed to Eris's unpredictable schedule, had settled in the guest room that had been prepared for her overnight stays. Marcus would be asleep in his room, surrounded by the carefully arranged stuffed animals that formed his nighttime security system, with Alexander the shadow beast maintaining his position of honor.
Eris moved silently through the apartment, her enhanced senses confirming that all was secure, everyone safely asleep. She paused outside Marcus's door, listening to his steady breathing, verifying that his sleep seemed peaceful rather than troubled by the nightmares that sometimes still disturbed him.
The responsible choice would be to shower, change, and get what rest she could before morning arrived. But something pulled her toward Marcus's room instead—a need to see him, to confirm his wellbeing with her own eyes rather than just her enhanced hearing, to reconnect however briefly after the mission separation.
She eased the door open carefully, the star-pattern nightlight casting enough illumination for her to see his small form curled beneath space-themed covers, one arm wrapped protectively around Alexander. His face in sleep looked younger, more vulnerable, without the determined expressions he often adopted when awake—trying so hard to be brave, to understand the complex world he'd been thrust into when his parents were taken.
As if sensing her presence, Marcus stirred slightly, his eyes fluttering open. For a moment he seemed confused, still half-caught in sleep, then recognition dawned.
"Eris-mama?" he murmured, voice drowsy. "You're home?"
"Yes," she confirmed softly, moving to his bedside. "I'm sorry I didn't call. The mission took longer than expected."
Marcus pushed himself up slightly, blinking away sleep. "Did you fight monsters?"
"Yes," Eris said, sitting carefully on the edge of his bed. "A big one and several smaller ones."
"Were they scary?" he asked, more alert now, concern evident even through his grogginess.
"They were dangerous," Eris acknowledged, maintaining her policy of honesty tempered by age-appropriate details. "But not scary. I knew how to handle them."
"Did you win?" Marcus asked, the question containing all his childish hope that monsters could indeed be defeated, that the forces that had taken his parents weren't invincible.
"Yes," Eris assured him, smoothing his sleep-tousled hair gently. "The monsters are gone. People are safe."
This simple confirmation seemed to satisfy him, his body rexing back against his pillow. "Because you're getting stronger," he stated with complete conviction. "Like we talked about."
"That's right," Eris agreed, touched by his unwavering faith in their shared understanding. "But now it's still nighttime, and you need more sleep."
Marcus considered this reasonable assessment, then posed a final question: "Will you be here when I wake up for real? Or do you have more monsters to fight?"
"I'll be here," Eris promised. "No more missions today. Maybe we can make pancakes for breakfast if Ms. Lena doesn't mind."
This prospect appeared satisfactory, as Marcus settled back fully, eyes already growing heavy again. "With blueberries inside?" he murmured, sleep reciming him.
"With blueberries inside," Eris confirmed softly, watching as he drifted back to sleep, his breathing quickly returning to the steady rhythm of deep rest.
She remained beside him for several minutes, the physical and emotional exhaustion of the night's events washing over her in waves now that the immediate mission focus had dissipated. The contrast between the two aspects of her life had never felt more pronounced—the A-rank Battle Mage who had just neutralized an S-css dimensional threat and the "Eris-mama" who promised blueberry pancakes for breakfast.
Yet somehow, against all her previous assumptions about connection and vulnerability, these dual identities had begun to feel complementary rather than contradictory. Her commitment to Marcus made her Syer work more meaningful—more personal, more immediate in its importance. And her Battle Mage capabilities gave her the means to protect him, to work toward the safer world he deserved.
As she finally rose to prepare for her own brief rest before morning, Eris acknowledged that the accelerated advancement path she had undertaken was demanding costs neither she nor Marcus had fully anticipated. Missed calls. Extended separations. The complex negotiation of professional duty against parental presence.
But watching his peaceful sleep—this child who had so completely transformed her understanding of strength and vulnerability, of connection and purpose—she felt certain that the path they had chosen together was the right one. Not perfect. Not without challenge or occasional regret. But aligned with something fundamentally true about who they had become to each other, and who they were becoming together.
"Again," Commander Reeves instructed, her silver-flecked eyes tracking every nuance of Eris's movement as she executed the complex energy channeling sequence. "Maintain focus at the transition point between absorption and redirection."
Eris complied, channeling Battle Mage energy through her system with practiced precision. Silver light emanated from her body, flowing in controlled patterns as she absorbed ambient dimensional energy from specialized training constructs, converted it through her enhanced physiological processes, then redirected it into a focused offensive burst.
The training facility—a specialized chamber designed specifically for high-level Battle Mage advancement—monitored every aspect of her performance, collecting data that would inform both her personalized development program and broader Syer research. The walls were reinforced with dimensional stabilizers, allowing for energy manipution at intensities that would disrupt normal space if attempted elsewhere.
"Better," Reeves acknowledged as Eris completed the sequence. "Your conversion efficiency has improved twelve percent since st week. The accelerated training protocol is showing measurable results."
Three months had passed since Eris had begun the specialized advancement program—three months of intensive training sessions, progressively challenging missions, and careful bancing of professional development against parental responsibilities. Her Battle Mage capabilities had responded to the consistent pressure, evolving more rapidly than standard enhancement trajectories predicted.
"The absorption duration still fluctuates during high-intensity conversion," Eris noted, analyzing her own performance with characteristic precision. "Particurly when processing multiple energy signatures simultaneously."
Reeves nodded, pulling up detailed metrics on the monitoring station. "That's expected at this stage. Multi-signature processing requires neural pathway development that typically takes longer than raw power enhancement." She highlighted specific data points in the holographic dispy. "However, your single-signature processing is approaching S-rank parameters already."
This assessment—delivered with Reeves's typical matter-of-fact directness—confirmed what Eris had begun to sense during recent missions. Her core Battle Mage abilities were advancing beyond A-rank standards, particurly her energy manipution and conversion capabilities. The Devourer engagement had been merely the first of several high-difficulty missions where she had demonstrated performance exceeding normal cssification parameters.
"The Science Division has requested you for a specialized deployment next week," Reeves continued, deactivating the training constructs as they concluded the session. "An unusual breach signature has been detected in the Northern Territory. Non-standard dimensional origin with entity manifestation patterns they haven't documented before."
Eris absorbed this information while performing her post-training recovery routine, systematically releasing residual energy to prevent system strain. "Extended deployment?" she asked, the personal implications immediately apparent.
"Three days estimated minimum," Reeves confirmed. "Possibly five depending on entity behavior and containment requirements."
The longest Eris had been away from Marcus since becoming his guardian was two consecutive nights—a challenging separation for both of them despite Ms. Lena's capable presence. Three to five days would represent a significant extension, particurly given the nightmares that had returned with increasing frequency over the past weeks.
"I'll need to make appropriate arrangements," Eris stated, her tone neutral despite the complexity of emotions beneath the professional response.
Reeves studied her with the penetrating gaze that had assessed generations of Syers under her command. "This mission has been cssified as voluntary given the duration and experimental nature. Declining would not negatively impact your advancement trajectory."
The unspoken understanding passed between them—Reeves was offering an option that maintained professional respect while acknowledging Eris's unique personal circumstances. Few other commanding officers would have made such an accommodation, particurly for a mission with scientific significance.
"When would deployment begin?" Eris asked, neither accepting nor declining immediately.
"Seven days from today. Full briefing materials avaible immediately for review."
Eris nodded, calcuting logistics in her mind. Marcus's fifth birthday was in nine days—an event they had been pnning together, his first birthday since his parents' deaths, a milestone she had promised would be special despite the inevitable sadness that would accompany it. If the mission extended to five days, she would return just before his birthday, potentially exhausted and depleted.
Yet the mission itself represented exactly the type of experience that would accelerate her advancement—unusual dimensional phenomena, previously undocumented entities, extended engagement requiring sustained Battle Mage capability. The type of deployment that would build the strength she had committed to developing, both for professional advancement and for the purpose she and Marcus had discussed that night months ago.
"I'll review the briefing materials and confirm my avaibility by tomorrow," she told Reeves, gathering her equipment as the training session concluded. "Thank you for the flexibility, Commander."
Reeves acknowledged with a brief nod, then added with uncharacteristic informality: "Kane, the bance you're attempting—between advancement of this caliber and your guardianship responsibilities—is unprecedented in Syer operational history. That you're managing it at all is remarkable. That you're excelling in both areas is exceptional."
Coming from Reeves—known for sparse praise and exacting standards—the statement carried significant weight. Eris received it with quiet acknowledgment, recognizing the genuine respect behind the observation.
"Permission to be dismissed, Commander?" she requested, returning to formal protocol.
"Granted. And Kane—" Reeves paused briefly. "Give my regards to the boy. His drawings of dimensional entities are impressively accurate for a child his age."
This reference to the artwork Marcus had proudly shown when visiting Syer Headquarters during a specially arranged tour—Eris's attempt to help him understand her work better—brought the closest thing to a smile Eris would allow in a professional context.
"I'll tell him you said so, Commander. He'll be pleased with the assessment."
As Eris departed the training facility, her thoughts shifted from Battle Mage protocols to the more immediate personal considerations awaiting her. Today was her early day—training concluded by mid-afternoon rather than evening—which meant she had promised Marcus a trip to Crescent Park before dinner. After three consecutive days of demanding missions, this dedicated time together had taken on particur importance for both of them.
The specialized transport that Syer Command provided for high-ranking operatives delivered her to the childcare center precisely at the scheduled time. Unlike many of the other parents arriving for pickup, Eris wore her full Syer uniform, the distinctive Battle Mage insignia and A-rank designations drawing the usual mixture of awe, curiosity, and occasional apprehension from civilians.
She had long since grown accustomed to such reactions—had, in fact, deliberately cultivated professional distance from civilian poputions for most of her career. What she had not anticipated was how Marcus's presence in her life would alter that dynamic, how arriving at a childcare center in full Syer regalia would cast her professional identity in an entirely different light.
"Eris-mama!" Marcus's voice rang out the moment she entered the facility, his small form detaching from a group of children to run toward her with characteristic enthusiasm. "You came early like you promised!"
"As agreed," Eris confirmed, kneeling to receive his headlong embrace with a stability that belied the force of his impact. "Training concluded on schedule."
Marcus pulled back, studying her uniform with the focused attention he brought to all aspects of her Syer work. "Did you do the silver light training today? When your eyes glow extra bright?"
"Yes," Eris acknowledged, noting the other children watching this exchange with undisguised fascination. To them, Battle Mages were figures from educational programs and public safety announcements—legendary protectors who fought the monsters that sometimes came through dimensional breaches. Seeing one kneeling to receive a hug from their cssmate created a cognitive dissonance that their young minds struggled to reconcile.
Ms. Vivian, the childcare director, approached with Marcus's backpack and the day's artwork collection. "He's been very excited about your park outing," she informed Eris with the warm professionalism that characterized all their interactions. "He made sure everyone knew his Eris-mama was coming early specifically for special time together."
"It's on my calendar," Eris confirmed, accepting the backpack while Marcus proudly dispyed his test drawing to a group of impressed cssmates. The terms "on my calendar" had become something of a sacred commitment between them—events specifically scheduled and protected from professional interruption except in cases of genuine emergency.
As they departed the facility, Marcus's hand securely in hers, Eris found herself addressing the mission consideration that awaited decision. For all her tactical expertise and Battle Mage abilities, she had discovered that direct honesty worked best when navigating potentially difficult conversations with a five-year-old.
"Marcus," she began as they walked toward the park, "I need to discuss a potential mission with you. One that would be longer than usual."
He looked up at her, immediately attentive to her serious tone. "How much longer? One extra night like st month?"
"Longer," Eris said carefully. "Three to five days, including nights."
Marcus processed this information with the solemn concentration he brought to all significant matters. "That's a lot of sleeps," he observed. "Would Ms. Lena stay the whole time?"
"Yes. And I would call every night, just like always. But I wouldn't be home for bedtime or morning pancakes for several days in a row."
They reached the park entrance, but instead of rushing toward the py equipment as usual, Marcus remained beside her, still working through the implications of this extended separation.
"Is it a very important mission?" he asked finally. "With big, dangerous monsters?"
"It's an unusual mission," Eris expined, selecting her words carefully to be both truthful and appropriate. "The Science Division has detected dimensional entities they haven't encountered before. They want me to help study and contain them because of my specific Battle Mage abilities."
"Would it help you get stronger? Like we talked about?"
The directness of the question—referencing their conversation from months earlier about her pursuing advancement to better protect people—created a complex emotional response that Eris was still learning to navigate.
"Yes," she confirmed. "It would be valuable experience with unusual dimensional phenomena. That type of exposure accelerates Battle Mage development."
Marcus nodded, his expression thoughtful beyond his years. Then he asked the question that revealed his most immediate concern: "But you'd still be here for my birthday? That's only nine sleeps away."
"Yes," Eris assured him. "The mission would end before your birthday. That's non-negotiable."
This confirmation appeared to resolve his primary worry, though his expression remained serious as he considered the overall situation. "Ms. Lena makes good pancakes," he observed. "Not as good as yours, but still good. And she knows all the bedtime rules with Alexander."
"She does," Eris agreed, recognizing his attempt to reason through the practical aspects of her absence.
"And you'd call every night? Even if you're fighting monsters?"
"Every night," Eris promised. "Even if I have to step away from an active mission zone to do so. Commander Reeves understands that's part of our agreement."
Marcus processed this for a moment longer, then nodded with the peculiar formality he sometimes adopted for important decisions. "Okay. You can go fight the new monsters and get stronger. But you have to tell me all about them when you come back. The real versions, not just the kid versions."
"Agreed," Eris said, matching his seriousness. "Age-appropriate but detailed information upon my return."
With the matter settled to his satisfaction, Marcus's demeanor shifted back to typical five-year-old enthusiasm. "Can we go to the big climbing structure first? I learned a new way to get to the top that Theo showed me yesterday."
"Lead the way," Eris directed, allowing him to guide her toward the pyground equipment that had become familiar territory during their regur visits.
As she watched him navigate the climbing structure with increasing confidence, demonstrating the new technique with obvious pride, Eris reflected on the conversation they had just shared. Not for the first time, she was struck by his capacity for understanding concepts that many adults would consider beyond a child's comprehension—dimensional entities, Battle Mage advancement, the bance of professional obligation against personal commitment.
Perhaps it was his early exposure to loss that had accelerated certain aspects of his emotional development. Perhaps it was simply his innate temperament, this thoughtful approach to life that had been evident even in their earliest interactions when he was barely three years old. Whatever the source, his resilience continued to both impress and humble her.
"Watch this part, Eris-mama!" he called from near the top of the structure. "It's the tricky part where you have to be really brave!"
"I'm watching," she assured him, her enhanced perception allowing her to track his movements with perfect crity, ready to intervene if genuine risk emerged despite her general policy of allowing appropriate challenge.
As Marcus successfully navigated the "tricky part" with justified pride, Eris silently confirmed her decision regarding the extended mission. She would accept the deployment, would embrace the advancement opportunity it represented, would trust in the support systems they had established together to maintain Marcus's wellbeing during her absence.
Not because professional development took precedence over her guardianship responsibilities. But because the two had become inextricably linked in her understanding of purpose—her growing strength directly connected to the safer world she was committed to building, not just for Marcus but for all civilians under Syer protection.
The Battle Mage and the Eris-mama. Not separate identities in conflict, but complementary aspects of who she had become—who they had helped each other become through the unexpected bond neither had been seeking but both had ultimately needed.
Later that evening, after park adventures and dinner and bedtime stories, after Marcus had finally fallen asleep surrounded by his protective contingent of stuffed animals, Eris composed her formal acceptance of the extended mission assignment. The message was brief, professional, containing the standard acknowledgments and procedural confirmations.
But as she sent it, her gaze fell on Marcus's test drawing, proudly dispyed on the refrigerator door—a silver-eyed figure standing protectively between stylized monsters and a smaller figure holding what appeared to be a stuffed shadow beast.
At the bottom, in his increasingly neat printing: "My Eris-mama fighting monsters so everybody stays safe."
Simple words that captured everything that had changed in her understanding of strength and purpose. Everything that made the challenges of their unusual arrangement worthwhile. Everything that connected the Battle Mage channeling silver energy against S-css threats to the woman who promised blueberry pancakes and bedtime stories and unwavering presence in a child's life marked by too much loss.
The extended mission would be demanding—professionally challenging, personally difficult in the separation it required. But like everything else on this unexpected path they traveled together, they would navigate it as they had all previous challenges.
As family. As partners in a shared purpose neither had anticipated but both had embraced. As two people who had found in each other exactly what they needed, precisely when they needed it most.
