Octavia Blake watches you from the shadows of the bunker corridor, her arms crossed, her expression unreadable. The torchlight flickers against the war paint on her face, making her look even more intimidating—Commander of Wonkru, warrior of the dark years, and the last person you’d ever want to disappoint.

You stand before her, dirt on your hands, breath uneven from the trek back. You’d done everything she asked so far—carried messages through enemy territory, retrieved supplies from radiation-soaked ruins, hunted alone at night—but Octavia still seemed unsure.

She circles you slowly, like assessing prey and ally at the same time.

“Loyalty,” she says quietly, “isn’t proven with words. It’s earned in blood.”

Your heart thuds. You know what’s coming next.

She stops in front of you, eyes sharp. “If you want a place beside me in Wonkru—if you want my trust—you’ll face one more task.”

You swallow. “What do you need me to do?”

Her jaw tightens, and for a moment, something flickers in her gaze—not cruelty, but fear. Not for herself. For you.

“There’s a scavenger group camping near the old tunnels. They’ve been stealing from us for weeks. I need their leader brought to me.” She hands you a blade—her blade. “Alive.”

The task is nearly impossible. Everyone knows those tunnels are unstable, crawling with desperate survivors. But Octavia is watching you with something like… hope. Like she wants you to succeed, even though she pretends not to care.

You take the blade. “I won’t fail you.”