Nola didn't look back when she left Eldhollow. The school had been a vital part of her life, but she felt no tether now, no hesitation.
She wore a university hoodie, black leggings, and scuffed sneakers, a deliberate disguise to make her look like a regular eighteen-year-old student heading off to some underwhelming liberal arts college. Her real destination was anything but that.
The airport was a cramped regional hub two towns over, mostly used for charter flights and aging business travelers. Nola walked through security with a blank face and a calm heartbeat, her forged documents checked without question.
She sat near her gate, backpack under her feet, and watched the world move past her: families arguing over boarding passes, a man sneezing into his hand, a baby wailing three rows down.
She was invisible. Just another kid with earbuds in and a hoodie drawn tight. But inside, her mind buzzed. She was leaving. Not for freedom, but for duty.
When the flight landed in Scotland, the skies were smeared with rain and fog.
A black SUV waited just outside the terminal, the driver standing beside it with a clipboard and a subtle glint of something military under his civilian windbreaker. Nola walked toward him without breaking stride.
He nodded at her. "Nola, right? Comet Legion intake. You're the last."
There were already four others inside the vehicle. She climbed in and sat in the third row, where one of the rear seats had been left open. The doors shut, the driver slid behind the wheel, and the SUV pulled away from the curb, gliding into the grey wash of foreign roads.
"So," said a voice from the middle row, "we doing names or what?"
The speaker was a boy with dyed silver hair and a wide mouth made for grins. He wore a patched jacket with obscure band logos, and his accent was American west coast.
"I'll go first. I'm Tris. Short for Tristan, but only my mom calls me that. I was in the comet tower of Eldhollow and just joined along.
He pointed at the girl next to him, a tall, dark-skinned teen with sharp cheekbones and an air of tired competence. She didn't smile.
"Ari. Short for nothing. I was in the Moon tower. My will is Tarchon, the Elder."
Next was the boy sitting on the opposite window seat in Nola's row. He was small, pale, and looked younger than the rest. His voice cracked a little when he spoke.
"Felix. I am from Eldhollow, Eclipse Tower. I read everything about the Comet Legion when I was twelve. There was a base near my town in Norway, and I used to camp outside it to watch the patrols. I knew about it since my dad is part of Comet Legion. My will is Bizhan, the Iranian warrior."
The girl next to him nodded. She had a strong Eastern European accent, close-cropped hair, and the upright posture of someone who'd been taught discipline before she could read.
"Vera," she said. "My parents were part of the Comet Legion as well. Both were killed in operations. I was raised in the fold. I could have left. I didn't. I'm here to fight. And to make sure they didn't die for nothing."
Four pairs of eyes turned to Nola. The SUV hummed beneath them, and the rain beat steady against the windows.
She looked at each of them, one by one. Then said:
"Nola. I was in the Sun legion. My will is Watanabe no Tsuna, the demon-slayer. It is nice to meet you all.
A pause. Then Tris whooped softly.
"Alright, Nola. My will is Thach Sanh by the way."
Felix smiled, and Vera gave a nod. Even Ari's mouth twitched, like the shadow of approval.
The SUV climbed into the Highlands. The road narrowed, the trees thickened, and the mist hugged the ground like a secret. Somewhere ahead, hidden behind ancient forests and remote glens, the Comet Legion base waited, part military facility, part school, part myth.
Hours passed. They talked more. Not just about why they were going, but who they were.
Tris had a knack for defusing tension. He cracked jokes, did impressions, and insisted on guessing everyone's favorite movie.
Ari, despite her hard edge, revealed she kept a sketchbook of anatomical drawings and monster autopsies.
Felix admitted he was terrified but thought maybe fear made you sharper.
Vera talked about old Legion rituals, the ones the higher-ups tried to scrub from the official handbooks, and the quiet power they held.
And Nola, she just listened. Asked questions. Absorbed everything.
There was a rhythm to the group now. Not friends, not yet. But a forming constellation. Five stars caught in the same orbit.
By the time the SUV pulled through the outer gates of the Legion compound, the sun had long set and the fog had thickened to soup.
The headlights bounced off stone walls and high fencing. Beyond them, strange shapes loomed: towers with antennae like insect limbs, training yards lined with scorched earth, and a statue near the entrance that looked half-human, half-angel, wings folded in defense.
The vehicle stopped.
The driver turned around. "Welcome to Comet Legion Base Seven. Intake starts at dawn. Get some sleep. You'll need it."
They filed out, grabbing their bags. No more disguises now. No more pretending to be normal kids on a strange trip. They were initiates of the Comet Legion.
As they stepped into the fog, Nola felt the weight of it settle in her bones.
She was here. She wasn't alone.
And the real work was just beginning.