"Good morning."

Sheronica looked up and smiled.

"Good morning." She replied brightly.

Izzudin walked into the kitchen, still in his t-shirt and pants that he wore to bed. He sat on a chair, ruffling his sandy brown hair. He groaned softly as he placed his elbow onto the countertop, propping his head.

Sheronica chuckled. "Rough night?"

"You bet. That Number guy, Alex kept on talking in his sleep." He grumbled about his new roommate.

"About what?"

"I don't know. Super saian or something." He answered, took an apple from a small basket on the table and bit into it.

She laughed and continued making breakfast. Izzudin ate in silence, already halfway through his apple.

"Hi guys." A low voice greeted. Sheronica glanced back and replied, smiling and all.

"Hello, Zul."

When she turned to her work again, Izz nudged Zul.

"Talk to her." He mouthed, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively. He took another apple and before Zulfikar could reply, he stood up, purposely making a loud dragging sound with his chair.

"I'm going to shower." Izz said in a singsongly voice and sprinted out from the kitchen, leaving Zul looking dumbfounded.

"Are you hungry, Zul?" The girl asked, oblivious to what happened behind her just now.

He cleared his throat. "Yeah, a bit."

She placed a bowl of scrambled egg infront of him, and a plate of chicken sandwich next to it, which she made during Zul and Izz's quiet 'conversation'.

"Coffee or tea?" She asked.

"Nevermind, I can get it myself." He answered immediately. "Thank you."

Sheronica replied with a smile and turned back to do her job, however was stopped by Zulfikar.

"Wait, why don't you have breakfast with me? It's awkward to eat alone." He said, mentally crossing his finger for her to agree.

She cocked her head, seemed to contemplating the offer for a moment.

"Oh, why not?" She answered and he visibly exhaled.

She sat on the chair beside him, her feet dangling above the floor. She grabbed a sandwich of her own, happily munching on it as she looked out to the massive glass window overlooking the practice field. There wasn't anyone there yet, it was still early in the morning so most of the members are still asleep.

Zul ate a spoonful of scrambled egg as he stealed look after look at the girl. When she caught him staring a while after, he choked on his sandwich that was currently filling his mouth.

"Eat slowly, silly." She chuckled.

He was already washing up the food in his throat with his coffee when she just finished the last bit of her breakfast.

"Mmm, can you hand over my glass, please?" She tried to talk with half mouthful, without sputtering what's inside her mouth on the pristine countertop.

Zulfikar handed the pink and white mug filled with coffee to her, his cold fingers brushing with her warm ones.

She nodded a thank you, and sipped on her coffee that was starting to lose its warmth.

"How are you doing, Sher?"

Sheronica was surprised by the sudden question. She snapped out from her thought and hopped down from the chair to wash her empty mug.

"Fantastic, Zul. How about you?"

"Actually, that's not what I want to say. I..."

"Hi!" Someone yelled, surprising both Zulfikar and Sheronica.

"Lissa," Sheronica chuckled. "Help yourself with a breakfast. I'm going to my room for a while."

She smiled to Lissa and Zulfikar who looked like he wanted to say something, and fled to her room.

Lissa watched the retreating form of her look-alike and turned to Zul.

"Did I come in the wrong time?" She asked, cocking an eyebrow. It was only a second later that she realised everything and let out a gasp.

"Were you going to confess?"

Zul's face turned beet red as he groaned. He glared at her and went to wash his plate and mug. Lissa seemed flustered and embarrassed.

"I'm going out for some air." He mumbled slowly, swinging the back door open, revealing the patio.

He heard a fleeting 'Sorry' before the door closed.

***

Miezza was sitting alone on the patio that afternoon, watching as Izzudin talking with Farra from a distance. A while later, Sheronica came and joined the little chit chat, laughing at something he said.

Hisham stepped out from the kitchen and spotted Miezza. He quietly walked behind her and looked where she was looking.

"What are you looking at?" He asked suddenly and Miezza jumped in her seat.

"Gosh, Hisham, you scared me." Miezza gasped.

"I caught you eyeballing our leader." He wiggled his eyebrows.

Miezza looked away almost instantly.

"I don't know what nonsense you're talking about." She murmured.

Aieyn had just joined them, and Izzudin was now teasing her. She raised one hand and shoot a small fire on his feet. He jumped into the air and fell on his bum. The girls laughed.

"When are you going to tell him?" He asked.
Miezza shook her head. "I still don't understand what you're saying."

"Of course you do." Hisham said, taking a place beside her on the steps.

They were both watching as the originals teased each other. Even Aieyn was smiling, something that she didn't do all the time. They never saw their leaders laughed or joked around as they do amongst themselves. Maybe because they felt they needed to be serious around the new members.

Maybe the only thought that came to the group of leaders about the new members is burden.

"How about you?" Miezza asked after a while.

Although it was afternoon, the sun wasn't as striking as it always was. Instead cold wind blew, raising small bumps on Miezza's skin. She unconsciously rubbed her palms on her bare hands.

Hisham smiled. "I tried. But she got me talking about something else."

Miezza nodded quietly.

"You should talk to him, you know. For all we know, we might not have the chance anymore." Hisham said, letting his words to settle itself on the girl's mind.

She bit her lip. She knew that. She had her eyes open most nights just thinking about that. While Jyra and Lily were fast asleep, she was tossing around on her bed, lost in the thoughts about that blue eyed guy.

They were busy preparing for a war, and although none of them actually said it out loud, she knew some of them might not make it out alive. Maybe she was just too scared to admit it.

That she didn't want to lose him.

"Useful advice from the guy who haven't confessed yet." She joked, turning to her side.

Hisham grinned. "Come on, let's go inside. It's starting to feel cold outside."

He hopped onto his feet and rushed inside. Miezza took one last look at him and turned to enter the house.

***

"I'm not sure if you guys know about this.." Farra said, her eyes was locked on the fire, as everyone else turned to her.

They were sitting comfortably in the Living room, as Sheronica served them each a mug of hot drink. They mumbled a thank you when they received the warmth from the hot tea.

"I'm going to give this to Izz." Sheronica said after handing the last mug to Farra.

The Leader nodded and smiled at her friend before Sheronica quietly slipped out of the room to Izzudin's office. Zulfikar watched her retreating form until it disappeared.

They were now sipping on their own drinks when another thunder rumbled. It was raining a lot recently, and that night was no exception. It was why they grouped up in the Living room instead of outside, where they always sat around a fire, enjoying the sound of crickets and slow breeze.

"You know that we are getting close for the war, there is no stopping it from happening." Farra continued, hands securely wrapped around her steaming mug. "And there's no confirming that we will win it, let alone survive the entire attack. There's no promise that we will be alive after."

She raised her eyes and looked at each of her members. Some of them courageously returned her stare while others just decided to avoid her eyes, probably thinking about what will happen to them. Finally she trailed her gaze to a guy who sat near the kitchen entrance, his bright blue eyes sparkled under the light emitted from the fire, and he was already watching her.

She felt their connection sizzled like hot wires under their locked gazes, and it seemed like he could feel it too. She saw various images on the back of her mind, one was an image of her dying. Her eyes widened.

She just got glimpses of his deepest nightmares.

When she was back to her stance, she saw his face contorted into what it seemed like shock.

He knew. She looked away.

She cleared her throat. "I will do anything in my power for us to win this, but I can't promise you safety." She took a breath. "So that's why I'm granting you a chance to withdraw from this fight." She added and she heard gasps from around the room.

Jyra sat up straight, and Miezza scrunched up her forehead in confusion. Lily looked just as confused. Zulfikar and Danish were whispering quietly while Noorizan stared from Farra and Aieyn who was still sipping on her tea like nothing happened.

"And you, what will you do?" Noorizan shot, his jaw was clenched. Farra didn't answer, instead, Aieyn leaned forward and placed her mug on the coffee table in the centre of the room.

"We will still fight, of course." Aieyn answered calmly. "After all, this is our fight. We were born for it, we were chosen for it. Right, Lissa?"

Heads turned to Lissa who was quiet about the whole thing. She nodded. It was true, there was no way to avoid the war that was bound to happen. It was destined since before the human even found fire.

"Then I'll fight with you." Aieyn raised her eyebrow on Noorizan's answer.

"Me too. There's nothing left for me out there anyway." Lily smiled. "My family's dead. I'm going to avenge them. Well, try to."

Miezza patted Lily's shoulder in a comforting gesture. "I'm in."

"Where else can I use my powers?" Danish joked. "Man, there's no way I'm giving up the opportunity."

He then bumped fists with Zul who muttered, 'me too'.

"I'm in too. I have my reason." Hisham said, looking at Farra who only glanced at him.

Now everyone was looking at Jyra who seemed intrigued by her fingernails.

"What?" She asked. "Do I look like a quitter?"
Miezza chuckled.

"Way to go sister." Lily grinned and Jyra simply shrugged.

Farra smiled at the sight of her new members, who were overflowing with enthusiasms. Aieyn nodded in satisfaction.

"Plus, you have us." A cheerful male voice said.

Lily rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I forgot about you." Dylan glared at her.

"I know everything about the Numbers, as well as the Elites' powers and defense. So I know what their weaknesses are." Alex continued, his smile was still on his face.

"That's right. Alex is one of our top fighter." Lissa gushed.

His face reddened. "Oh, Lis, you're exaggerating. Dylan is also great, especially hand in hand combat. I can never exceed him in that."

Dylan replied with a 'hmph' and finished the last gulps of his tea, while Lily muttered something about showing off under her breath.