-Saturday 10:30 pm, Ishida House-

  "You two could've snuck in."

  "It's not like it didn't cross our minds."

  When Amy's brother brought Jake home, the rest of his family were worried about his early return and even more worried about the incident that had occurred. His mother frantically asked questions, checked his face for bruises. After calming down upon finding nothing wrong, she served him tea and went to bed. The siblings retreated to his bedroom to talk, away from their mother's ears.

  "You could've scared him by changing your eyes between red and their normal color."

  "I had ideas to scare him, but none of that happened. I didn't want him to cause a scene or else my picture would've been taken and sent to some nutty conspiracy group. I don't need Lance and the rest to interrogate me."

  "'Guess what, supernatural enthusiasts! The Crimson Guy of the Sentai 9 is among us!'" Tina waved her hands dramatically while making whooshing noises. "That headline will catch the attention of weirdos."

  The boy snorted. "Yeah, probably." His face softened as he eyed the girl carefully. "How are you?"

  The young girl snorted. "I'm fine, you don't sense anything do you? If you did, you'd be on edge."

  Jake grimace. "I don't, but I still need to know."

  "Jake." Tina sighed. "All I feel is an attachment kind of issue. A gift from grandpa is gone. Luka wants to see me on Monday, and I'll use that day to see it."

  "Hmm." Jake nodded. "Okay."

  "And don't blame yourself if something happens." Tina scolded. "Besides, you promised to protect me."

  Jake grinned. "I intend to keep that promise"

  Suddenly the closet door suddenly opened, causing them to jump in surprise. Jake quickly transformed, but fortunately, it was just Reinstar.

  "Yo." she waved casually.

  "Damn it!" Jake reverted to normal. "Why?"

  "It's a classic reenactment of our first meeting. Also, Pilot's back. Report to Hub tomorrow around 10am. Got it? Wonderful. Bye bye."

  She quietly and slowly closed the door, staring at them with a mischievous grin. Once the door shut, Keiko immediately burst into the room with a bat

  "What happened?"" She yelled out, looking around the room.

  Tina scoffed. "A strange woman emerged from Jake's closet."

  "Oh." Keiko let out a relieved sigh, but then paused. She turned to the closet, then back at them. "Wait, what?"

  Jake held up his phone. "Sorry, just a clip on the internet. Shouldn't have put it on full blast."

  The mother giggled. "As long as you're okay. I'll be in bed. Get some sleep, kids." She immediately went to her bedroom and closed the door.

  Jake smacked his face, an exasperated groan left him. "She did that on purpose!"

  "She's just reminiscing about your first meeting."

  "That was the second, the first was briefly with Pilot." He paused, realizing what the elf woman said. "Wait… did she say Pilot's back?"

  Tina perked up. "Yeah. Looks like we'll be seeing him again."

  "Great." Jake's tone was less than enthusiastic. "Wonder if he will be mad.""

  -Sunday, The Hub, Conference Room-

  Pilot stood before the seated Radiant, his expression unreadable. The air in the room felt tense, making the group feel nervous. He crossed his arms and gave a small nod

  "First, I want to say I'm glad you all successfully completed your missions while I was away. Jake, Christina, Tanya, Sam, Amy, and Ryu, congratulations on improving yourselves."

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

  The group nodded, each saying thanks.

  "Jack Vincent, Lina O'Grace, and Blair Agnes, congratulations on the success of your missions and safe return."

  "Thank you, sir." replied Jack. "Heard a lot about you."

  Blair gave an awkward nod, while Lina simply said, "Aye."

  "I read all the reports." The canokian grimaced. "I agree with Guardian's decision to classify the temple as off limits. I'm relieved you chose not to sacrifice yourselves for a temporary solution."

  "Lina made the decision." Amy interjected. "We just followed her choice."

  "I wanted more details." Lina said. "I was curious about their intentions and whether there were repercussions to the wishes. The exact phrasing of words and whether it drew power from itself or the user made me extremely cautious."

  "Right," Christina nodded. "We shouldn't trust something like that, even if we think we worded it perfectly.

  "Correct." stated Pilot. "Every choice we make will have an impact on the future. Piper's decision eliminated him. While his intentions might seem noble from one perspective, I'm sure you've thought about the repercussions had he accomplished his goal.

  "Agreed." the terra warrior nodded. "Too many disasters, especially if it is an actual djinn."

  "And the situation in Rye." said the red headed canokian. "The Count's actions cost that town their lives. I spoke to Luka about the situation. She informed me that three colleagues from Galvania will be checking on them for a year. Despite their decreased lifespan, they want to know if the children are able to live past their adolescence."

  Blair looked hopeful. "Will they?"

  Pilot sighed. "Before you all acquired the crystals, you had enough mana for your entire lives. They believe there is a slight chance the younglingsmightregain their mana since they are young."

  "But." Jake interjected, frowning.

  "That's something Luka and the others are hoping for, despite evidence suggesting the opposite. Perhaps this will be the rare exception." He grimaced. "As of now, the younglings have not regained a miniscule of their mana. The team will monitor them for a year until evidence shows itself or lack of."

  "How horrifying." whispered Tanya. "I hope that braggart feels humiliated in prison."

  "All because he thought it was his right." the light warrior closed her eyes. "Just a selfish man."

  "There are artifacts that steal your mana, but you are able to regain it naturally or by disposing of the objects. However, the speculums and the transfer method are examples of an artifact that should be eliminated. The gateway has been destroyed."

  "Oh." Ryu perked up. "So… there won't be a situation for them to return?"

  "The Mirror World is permanently cut off." stated Pilot. "Just as the Temple of Desire, no one shall ever walk the grounds and the Count is locked up for life." He shook his head. "I heard he was very indignant at first, but Zeracakja silenced him with fear. Many in Guardian won't tolerate his verbal abuse. If he knows what's good for him, he will silence himself in prison."

  "Or pick on the biggest guy in the yard to prove he's stronger." snarked the lightning warrior.

  "Unlikely." The Crimson Blade. "He'll most likely be killed if he tries to fight or negotiate. Many of our prisoners won't tolerate an outsider trying to persuade him. Guardian was very clear. So far, he's behaving."

  "Too bad." scoffed the terra warrior. "But he'll most likely try." He stared at Blair. "It's best to leave him out of your mind."

  The shadow warrior gave a silent nod.

  "Agreed." stated Pilot. "I'm glad you kept up with your training alongside other projects. The princess and the Emperor send their regards."

  "Even the Emperor." whistled the wind warrior. "We haven't met the big man, and it feels like the pressure is on."

  "When you arrive in Galvania, you won't see him immediately. You'll stay in Havenguard, the city Guardian HQ is located in. Havenguard is situated between the Kingdom of Chiara and another province. You may visit Chiara or other places when you have the opportunity. The princess would love to see you again, but visiting another world gave everyone anxiety." He turned to Jack. "I commend you for leading her away from thugs, even if she could fight them. There doesn't need to be an incident."

  Jack gave a curt nod. "Understood."

  "Good. Learn what you can from the recommendations. Let it be something that benefits you." His tone shifted, expression darkened. "There is another matter that needs to be addressed. Jake, you should've told us about the feather as soon as you sensed mana."

  Intimidated, the fire warrior nodded. "Yes sir."

  "We don't need more enigmas added on to an already list of problems. You are the leader, Jake Takeshi Ishida. You should've brought the feather to us, regardless of how your sister feels. Any object with the slightest trace of mana should be reported immediately. I hope you're ready for the full weight of your responsibility because the promise you made to her feels hollow."

  The boy felt a lot of weight on him after hearing his full name. The tone cut deep, leaving him bitter and sullen. When he looked into the man's disappointed gaze, the sting of letting down someone who helped train him made him feel bad. Many thoughts swirled in his mind: Would he be dismissed? Would the crystal be taken? Shaking his head, he forced the negative thoughts aside.

  "Yes, sir," he said firmly

  The Crimson Blade closed his eyes. "There are artifacts that may not seem dangerous, but if used improperly will cause repercussions. Reinstar and the others chose to observe. Personally, I would've confiscated it. My experience has taught me to be wary. It's fortunate it protected Tina from the Piper, but now it's under observation. Christina, Tanya, Sam, Amy, Ryu, you all should've encouraged him to report it. I don't need to know why you didn't, but do so in the future. Am I clear?

  "Yes, sir!" replied the five teens.

  "Jack, Lina, Blair," Pilot's tone firm. "This applies to you as well."

  "Yes, sir!"

  Pilot nodded. "Good. Every artifact you discover must be reported to us. Failure to do so invites disaster upon us. You've already seen three examples of what happens when an artifact is left unchecked. Do you understand?"

  "Yes, sir." They replied in unison.

  "Good," The canokian moved toward the door. "Follow me to the Training Room."