Kill to evolve: A system that demands blood
Chapter 49: sealed fate

Chapter 49: sealed fate

Chapter 49

"Come over to the meeting room, the others are already waiting." Nathaniel ordered before cutting the call.

Jordan arrived twenty minutes later.

The hall was cold,high ceilings, steel beams, and reinforced glass lining the upper edges. Designed for power and defense. He passed through two security doors before finally stepping into the chamber where the other squad captains had already gathered.

Six in total, excluding squad four captain who was injured. It was usually rank one to seven, with each captain seated according to number.

He spotted Nathaniel at the head of the oval table. Calm as always, fingers crossed and his jaw leaning against them, his expression unreadable.

Jordan gave a silent nod and took the empty seat beside him, the fifth one from the left. Though the one which was supposed to be Siena’s seat was left empty. The tension in the room was thick, and no one said a word until the door sealed behind him with a soft mechanical click.

"Good," Nathaniel began, his voice low but firm. "We’re all here."

Squad One’s captain leaned forward. He was a tall, broad-shouldered man with streaks of silver in his dark hair and a presence that made the air feel heavier around him. His name was General Aldric Kael, and he was a legend.

An S-rank Harbinger at the peak of the classification. Ruthless in battles. Respected by all and feared by most.

Nathaniel nodded toward Jordan. "Give us your report."

Jordan spoke clearly, evenly. "He’s stable. For now. But according to what he just told me, I believe Ronan... was in control. That’s what makes it dangerous. The system controlled him to some point, but it’s more like, he let it control him."

A moment passed.

"Controlled destruction," Aldric said, deep voice carrying. "That’s always worse than chaos."

"Exactly," said Captain Elira of Squad Two. She was sharp-eyed, her short platinum hair tucked behind one ear, her posture pristine like everything she did was by the book. "This isn’t a system anomaly anymore. It’s a behavioral issue. If he felt empowered by the fear in that room, then we’re no longer dealing with corruption, we’re dealing with indulgence."

Captain Thorne of Squad Three tapped his fingers on the armrest of his chair. "So what are we saying? That we keep him in active service and hope he doesn’t snap during a mission?"

"We’ve kept worse on the field," muttered Captain Dax from Squad Seven, arms crossed over his thick chest. "Remember the berserker incident last year? Kid couldn’t even sleep without bloodlust kicking in."

"Ronan isn’t some random recruit," Jordan said sharply. "He’s different."

"Yeah," Dax replied with a humorless laugh. "Different in the way a loaded gun in a nursery is different."

Captain Vira from Squad Six, younger than most at the table but wise beyond her years, leaned forward slightly. "So what’s the plan? Containment? Strip him of his system access?"

"We can’t," Nathaniel said. "You try to sever the bond between a Harbinger and their system without proper recalibration protocols, and you’ll kill them. Or worse."

A quiet scoff came from Elira. "Then hand him over to HQ. Let the central force deal with him. You know they’ve been waiting for a chance to take him in."

"No." Nathaniel’s voice cut through the room like steel. "HQ doesn’t see potential. They see threats. If we hand him over, he might be executed before morning. You know that."

Silence fell for a moment.

Then Thorne gave a dry laugh. "Well, whose idea was it to bring him into Sentinel order in the first place?"

Every eye shifted toward Nathaniel.

Even Jordan.

Nathaniel didn’t flinch. "Mine."

"Then maybe you should answer for what he’s become," Thorne added coldly. "You vouched for him. You fought the board to bring him in. Maybe if you’d done your job, we wouldn’t be sitting here trying to figure out how to fix your mistake."

Jordan rose slightly in his seat, but Nathaniel lifted a hand, halting him.

"You think I don’t know that?" Nathaniel said, calm but ice-edged. "I brought him in. I ordered he be trained. And if you think I haven’t considered the cost of that decision, then you don’t know me at all."

A sudden spike of mana pulsed through the air.

It was small,barely visible, but it was sharp, immediate, and undeniable.

Aldric had leaned forward, releasing just a thread of his power. The floor vibrated. The reinforced glass along the walls groaned under pressure. The room turned cold as frost kissed the edge of the table closest to him.

"Enough," he said simply.

And just like that, the room fell dead silent.

The air returned to normal as Aldric reined his power back in, folding his arms across his chest once more.

"No more finger-pointing. No more egos. We’re here to make a decision, not tear each other apart."

The silence lingered for a beat longer until finally, Captain Vira cleared her throat.

"Then what if..." she began carefully, "we stop treating him like an unstable recruit and start treating him like a weapon?"

All eyes turned toward her.

"I’m not saying let him off the leash. I’m saying... we leash him better. If he actually evolves like captain Siena previously reported, then put him where that energy can be controlled and channeled."

Dax snorted. "You wanna use him like a nuke? Just point and fire?"

"No," Vira said. "I’m saying give him to someone strong enough to stop him if he turns."

A pause. Then she looked at Aldric.

"We give him to you."

The room went still again.

Elira blinked. "You’re suggesting we put that volatile system under the command of Squad One?"

"He’ll be under constant observation," Vira continued. "And if there’s anyone who can keep him in check, it’s General Kael."

Jordan shifted, uncertain. Nathaniel said nothing, eyes flicking briefly toward Aldric, who hadn’t spoken yet.

Finally, Aldric spoke.

"I’ve dealt with monsters before," he said. "And sometimes, the worst ones aren’t the ones who lost control... but the ones who chose not to stop. I won’t promise to save him."

"Then what would you do?" Elira asked.

"If he stays stable, he becomes an asset. If not..." Aldric’s gaze was firm. "I end it myself."

That statement hung over the table like a death sentence.

And yet, no one argued.

Even Nathaniel whose jaw had tightened only nodded slowly.

There were no better alternatives.

And no one else was strong enough to take that risk.

No vote was needed. Ronan’s fate was sealed.

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