The locker room air hung thick with tension, like humidity before a storm.

  Magi sat on the bench, examining his bare hand while his teammates formed a half circle around him, their shadows overlapping on the tiled floor.

  No one spoke for fourteen seconds.

  He counted.

  "So," Layla finally broke the silence, her voice bouncing off the metal lockers, "are you going to tell us what the hell that was?"

  Magi glanced up. Four pairs of eyes fixed on him with varying levels of confusion, suspicion, and something that looked uncomfortably like awe.

  He'd seen that look before. It usually preceded questions he didn't want to answer.

  "I told you. Energy management." He reached for his water bottle.

  Layla stepped forward, planting herself directly in his line of sight. Her height forced him to tilt his head back to maintain eye contact.

  "Cut the crap. What school of magic are you from? What techniques are you hiding?" Her fingers tapped against her armor plating. "I fought next to a man who stopped a golden deathblow with his bare hand. I deserve to know who I'm fighting beside."

  Magi took a slow sip of water. "I don't belong to any school."

  "Bullshit." Jax pushed off from the locker he'd been leaning against. "That was master level technique. Nobody just figures that out."

  "I did."

  Eli, who had been silent until now, stepped between them. "How did you learn to control energy at that level without formal training?"

  Magi shrugged. "Practice. Trial and error." He looked at their skeptical faces and sighed. "I focused on basics because that's what made sense."

  Marc, who had been standing by the door, cleared his throat. The sound pulled everyone's attention away from Magi.

  "That's enough questioning," Marc said, walking toward them with measured steps. He held up a thick document bound with a silver clip. "I think our porter's been sufficiently interrogated for one day."

  "Porter," Jax snorted. "Right."

  Marc ignored him. "Besides, I believe I can clear up some of the confusion." He placed the document on the bench beside Magi. "This is a Non Disclosure Agreement. I need everyone to sign it before we continue this conversation."

  "A what?" Layla frowned.

  "It's a contract that legally prevents you from discussing certain information with parties outside this room," Marc explained. "Standard procedure when dealing with... sensitive equipment."

  Magi glanced at the document, then at Marc. His team leader gave him the slightest nod.

  "Equipment?" Eli repeated, her silver eyebrows drawing together.

  Marc nodded, his expression serious. "Magi uses a rare Discharge Artifact. Very specialized. It neutralizes energy attacks by matching their frequency and grounding them, just as he described."

  The team looked at Magi, who nodded enthusiastically. "Yes. Very expensive. One time use. Don't ask me to do it again."

  "You expect us to believe you had some million credit artifact and used it in a sparring match?" Jax asked.

  "It was a dangerous situation," Marc countered smoothly. "Keller's attack exceeded safety protocols. The artifact prevented potential death or serious injury."

  Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

  "So where is this artifact now?" Layla asked, crossing her arms.

  "Discharged," Magi said. "Used up. Gone." He wiggled his fingers. "That's why my hand was smoking."

  Eli reached for the NDA, flipping through it with practiced ease. "This is quite comprehensive for equipment protection."

  "High end artifacts often come with strict confidentiality requirements," Marc said. "The manufacturer doesn't want their techniques leaked. You understand."

  "And why didn't you tell us about this before?" Jax pressed, eyes narrowed at Magi.

  Magi scratched his neck. "Didn't seem relevant until now."

  "Not relevant?" Layla's voice rose. "You had a one shot defense against death and didn't think to mention it?"

  "I prefer not to rely on it," Magi said. "Too expensive to replace."

  Marc placed pens on top of the NDA. "The point is, we need to keep this internal. The Guild Association is already asking questions. Let's present a unified story."

  One by one, they signed. Eli first, then Layla. Jax hesitated longest, his eyes flicking between Marc and Magi. Magi maintained his neutral expression, despite the lie unfolding around him.

  It wasn't that different from quarterly performance reviews. Everyone pretended things were one way when they were clearly another.

  Jax finally signed with a sharp scrawl. "I don't buy this artifact story," he said quietly, "but I respect what you did out there." He gestured toward the arena. "Whatever you are, you're strong. That's enough for now."

  Magi nodded. "Thanks."

  Marc collected the signed document and tucked it into his jacket. "Now that's settled, we have some official business to handle. We need to register our team name with the Guild."

  "Team name?" Magi asked.

  "All official Guild teams need a registered designation," Marc explained. "It's on our paperwork."

  Layla immediately straightened, her earlier suspicion replaced with enthusiasm. "I've been thinking about this! How about 'Titan Slayers'?"

  Jax rolled his eyes. "We haven't slain any titans."

  "Yet," Layla countered. "It's aspirational."

  "How about 'Balanced Approach'?" Eli suggested. "It reflects our diverse attribute composition."

  "Boring," Layla groaned. "We need something with impact."

  Magi thought for a moment. "Logistics Team 4?"

  The room went silent. Then Jax started laughing.

  "What?" Magi asked. "It's accurate. We handle logistics."

  "We're not calling ourselves 'Logistics Team 4'," Layla said. "That sounds like we deliver packages."

  "We kind of do," Magi pointed out. "Monster cores. Rift materials."

  "No," Layla said firmly. "We need something powerful. Memorable."

  "How about 'Echo Squad'?" Marc suggested. "Simple, professional, with some mystery."

  They all considered it.

  "I can work with that," Layla conceded.

  "It's not terrible," Jax agreed.

  "What does it mean?" Magi asked.

  Marc shrugged. "Whatever we need it to mean. That's the beauty of it."

  "Echo Squad," Eli tested the name. "Yes, I think that fits."

  Marc nodded. "Echo Squad it is. Let's make it official."

  They left the locker room and headed to the registration desk. The clerk processed their paperwork with practiced efficiency, stamping each page with more force than necessary.

  "Team name?" the clerk asked without looking up.

  "Echo Squad," Marc answered.

  The clerk entered it into the system. "Registration complete. As a newly formed C-rank team, you're eligible for immediate assignment." She pulled a tablet from beneath the counter. "Here's your first official Guild mission."

  Marc accepted the tablet, scanning the details. His expression shifted subtly.

  "What is it?" Layla asked, trying to peek at the screen. "Something good? A monster hunt? Rift exploration?"

  "C-Rank Sanitation," Marc read aloud. "Sewer maintenance."

  "Sewers?" Layla's face fell. "You're kidding."

  "Apparently there's a blockage in the northern sector. Possibly monster related," Marc continued. "Guild needs it cleared before it affects water treatment facilities."

  Jax groaned. "This is punishment for embarrassing the Golden Lions, isn't it?"

  "Possibly," Marc admitted. "But it's also standard for new teams. We have to start somewhere."

  "The sewers," Layla repeated, her enthusiasm completely deflated. "This is not the glorious beginning I imagined."

  "I don't see the problem," Magi said. "Sewers are just underground water redistribution systems. Reasonably stable infrastructure."

  "They're full of shit, Magi," Jax said flatly.

  "Oh." Magi considered this. "Well, that's what boots are for."

  Eli checked her equipment list. "I'll need to acquire waterproof containers for my components."

  "And nose plugs," Layla added grimly.

  The clerk cleared her throat. "Mission details are on the tablet. Report to the northern access point at 0800 tomorrow. Standard C-rank hazard pay applies."

  As they walked away, Jax nudged Magi. "Still happy you joined our team, Mr. Basic Attributes?"

  Magi thought about it. Despite the questioning, the NDA, and the sewers, he felt oddly comfortable. This team asked questions but didn't push too hard. They accepted his presence even if they didn't understand it.

  "Yes," he said simply. "It beats doing quarterly reports."

  "I have no idea what that means," Jax replied.

  "Count yourself lucky," Magi said.

  Ahead of them, Marc was already organizing their approach, listing equipment they'd need while Layla complained about the smell and Eli calculated the most efficient route through the sewer system.

  Magi listened to their voices bounce off each other, creating a rhythm of planning, complaint, and solution. Like an echo.

  Maybe the name fit after all.