(Kaelan sat on the ruins of what used to be Sector 7's base. The evening wind carried fine dust through the air. He took a long breath in, then exhaled slowly.)
Kaelan:
> "Haaa… a lot has happened, huh."
(looks up at the sky)
"Trinity stopped attacking… Echo's being handled by Kora now. So… what am I still doing here?"
(He chuckled lightly, though his eyes looked empty.)
Kaelan:
> "Yena's sacrificed so much already. It feels selfish dragging her everywhere. She deserves some peace… to rest, with Rustbucket too."
(He looked down, his voice soft, like he was talking to himself.)
Kaelan:
> "Sometimes I think… maybe it's time to retire. Stop being the guy who's always 'ready' for everything."
"'Cause honestly, I'm tired. Tired of pretending to be calm, pretending to be strong, pretending I don't care."
(He glanced toward the distant barracks, where a few female members were still training.)
Kaelan:
> "I always try to stay neutral with the girls, but… yeah, I'm not that strong."
"Helping, listening, smiling — but inside it feels like I'm being pulled in two directions."
(He rubbed his face, somewhere between embarrassed and frustrated.)
Kaelan:
> "And yeah… there's no other guys here. No one I can really talk to who'd understand what it's like."
"So in the end, it's just me, my thoughts, and the silence."
(He paused. The wind stopped. His voice softened, honest.)
Kaelan:
> "Maybe that's enough. I've done my part. Maybe it's time to let the world move on without me…"
(He closed his eyes, a faint smile on his face — somewhere between peace and sorrow.)
---
But just as Kaelan was about to contact Dr. Aris about all this, the doctor suddenly made an announcement — with his usual calm wisdom, he declared that the team needed "social reintegration" after everything they'd been through.
"All of you aren't war machines." she said one morning in the briefing room. "Kaelan, especially you. You need to balance your life as a pilot and a normal teenager."
Kaelan frowned. "What do you mean by that, Doc?"
With her trademark seriousness, Dr. Aris said,
>We will begin the social reintegration program!!!!
---
SOCIAL REINTEGRATION PROGRAM — DAY ONE
Monday started with a surprise. Sofia, usually graceful with her Stormdancer, turned out to be Kaelan's first mentor in the program.
"Your movements are too stiff," Sofia said during simulator training. "You treat Rustbucket like a machine, not a partner."
Kaelan frowned.
> "Huh? Isn't that how it's supposed to be? We're built for battle, right?"
Sofia smiled.
> "Not this time. This isn't about combat — it's about lifestyle. Using your Artifact beyond just fighting."
She demonstrated with Stormdancer, moving like a dancer in motion.
"See? Harmony is like dancing. You have to feel the rhythm."
Kaelan tried copying her, but Rustbucket moved like a drunk robot.
"This is hard! Rustbucket wasn't made for smooth moves!"
Sofia laughed.
"That's because you're not relaxed. Try imagining you're dancing with… a partner."
The silence that followed was awkward. Kaelan almost choked inside his cockpit.
---
TUESDAY
Riko's turn. The usually serious analyst became surprisingly flustered while studying Kaelan's… body movements.
"Data shows your posture affects 67% of your Artifact synchronization," Riko said, cheeks red. "I, uh… need to analyze how you walk."
Kaelan had to walk up and down the hallway while Riko took notes — very intensely.
"Why are you staring at me like that?" Kaelan asked.
Riko jumped. "I-I'm just collecting data! Not for any other reason!"
---
WEDNESDAY
Things got tense. A routine recon mission with Lena near the old mines took an unexpected turn.
"You know, Kaelan," Lena said, leaning close, "I'm used to reading people. But you… you're different."
She smirked. "I wonder what makes a male pilot sync so well with his Grit."
Kaelan almost dropped his binoculars. "I—I don't think that's relevant to the mission!"
---
THURSDAY
Finally, a calm day — with Kora.
They sat in the academy garden, surrounded by flowers. Kora, the shy one, turned out to be the easiest to talk to.
"Echo says your energy feels… warm," Kora whispered, staring at the petals. "She's never felt that from another pilot."
"Warm energy?" Kaelan blinked.
Kora nodded, blushing. "Like… sunlight in winter."
---
FRIDAY
Marcus approached Kaelan in the morning, scowling.
"Hey, Mr. Pilot Boy," he grunted. "I saw you getting close with Sofia."
Kaelan coughed. "What? No! We were just training!"
Marcus crossed his arms. "Sofia's my friend. Hurt her, and—"
His Guardian mech raised its arm menacingly.
"Marcus, that's not—"
"Enough!" Dr. Aris' voice cut through. "Marcus, no threats. Kaelan, you've got one last session today."
---
THE FINAL SESSION: COOKING.
"Basic life skills," Dr. Aris said through the intercom. "It might also improve your hand-eye coordination."
Kaelan didn't expect everyone to show up in the kitchen.
"I'll handle the measurements," said Riko, holding a digital scale.
"Cutting requires the right technique," added Sofia, graceful as ever.
"I know an easy family recipe," Lena offered.
"I-I can… taste-test," Kora mumbled.
Marcus leaned against the door. "I'm here to make sure no one dies."
The result? A hilarious disaster. Kaelan, who had never cooked before, somehow produced something… barely edible.
Everyone tried to help in their own way, which only made the chaos funnier — but filled with laughter instead of stress.
---
That night, Kaelan sat alone in Rustbucket's hangar.
Yena's voice came through the mech's speaker.
"Analysis: Kaelan's stress levels dropped by 40%. Social interaction increased by 75%. Team effectiveness improved by 20%."
Kaelan sighed. "They're all… different. I didn't think this program would help me understand them more."
"Conclusion: Dr. Aris was right. Humans need emotional connection, not just combat efficiency."
Kaelan smiled faintly, looking at Rustbucket's new purple swirl pattern.
"Tomorrow's a new week. Wonder what's next."
Yena paused.
"Prediction: Probably more social chaos. But… fun."
Kaelan laughed softly — for the first time in a while.
Maybe Dr. Aris was right.
They weren't just a combat unit anymore.
They were a group of young people trying to find their place in a complicated world.
But somewhere out there, unseen eyes were still watching.
And this "social reintegration" program… might just make them easier targets for what's coming next.