The enforcer spat a mouthful of dark phlegm onto the wet concrete.
"Whenever you're ready, ghost. People are freezing out here."
Nexar didn't answer.
He didn't take a martial stance.
He didn't pull his arm back.
He simply walked toward the Kinetic Compression Pillar.
Rainwater ran from his hair and down the side of his face. The pillar stood in front of him, scarred from years of testing, its blast-alloy surface covered in dents and old cracks.
Nexar raised his right hand.
His palm touched the metal.
Cold.
He leaned forward slightly.
Then—
Thump.
The sound was strangely quiet.
For half a second, nothing happened.
Then a deep crack rolled through the testing ground.
Not the sharp metallic ring of a powerful punch.
This was different.
It sounded like something heavy had been dropped onto solid ground.
The pillar groaned.
A small section of the blast-alloy buckled beneath Nexar's palm.
The digital display above the machine flickered.
Once.
Twice.
Then settled.
2,801 KG
Nobody spoke.
Nexar looked at the number.
He wasn't impressed.
He wasn't even surprised.
He simply lowered his hand.
Across the testing area, Maria Joy stared at the display.
Her expression had finally changed.
2,801.
One kilogram.
That was all.
One kilogram more than her.
But Maria knew exactly what her own number had cost her.
She had pushed her altered body to produce that 2,800.
Every part of her had worked for it.
And this man—
He hadn't even made a fist.
Maria's eyes narrowed.
What the hell is he?
Julian Vance was staring at the pillar.
His mouth was slightly open.
A moment ago, he had been ready to laugh at the Unclassified nobody who had barely passed the earlier test.
Now he couldn't think of anything to say.
His eyes moved from the number to Nexar.
Then back to the number.
2,801.
"That's..."
The word came out quietly.
He stopped.
There wasn't anything useful to say.
One of the guards standing behind him noticed Julian's expression and moved closer.
Julian didn't tell him to.
He didn't have to.
His body had already made the decision for him.
He took half a step backward.
The arrogance he'd been carrying around all morning was gone.
Not completely.
But enough.
The enforcer stared at the console.
Then at Nexar.
Then at the damaged pillar.
He had seen strong people before.
He had seen genetically enhanced soldiers break testing equipment.
He had seen Aura users push machines past their limits.
But those people always looked like they had done something.
They strained.
They shouted.
Their Aura flared.
This man had simply touched the pillar.
The enforcer swallowed.
"Gate Four."
His voice had lost some of its earlier confidence.
He slapped the manual release.
CLACK.
The iron turnstile unlocked.
"Unclassified holding," he said.
A pause.
"Get moving."
Nexar looked at him for a second.
The enforcer immediately looked away.
Nexar wiped the rain from his palm against the side of his coat.
Then he walked through the gate.
No celebration.
No glance back at Julian.
No attempt to see Maria's reaction.
Just footsteps.
The sound of his boots slowly disappeared into the arena tunnel.
Maria continued watching the darkness where he had vanished.
Her eyes remained fixed there.
"He wasn't using Aura," she said quietly.
The enforcer heard her.
"I know."
"Then what was that?"
The enforcer didn't answer.
Because he didn't know.
Inside the tunnel, Nexar walked beneath rows of dim lights.
The noise of the testing grounds faded behind him.
For the first time since arriving on Earth, he felt something he hadn't felt in years.
Not fear.
Not excitement.
Recognition.
That strength had come from his body.
From the Manipura Chakra.
But the strange thing was—
the pillar hadn't felt difficult.
Not even close.
Nexar looked down at his right hand.
The golden warmth beneath his chest pulsed once.
Then disappeared.
He kept walking.
Ahead of him was Gate Four.
Beyond it waited the combat arena.
And somewhere inside that arena was Julian Vance.
Nexar didn't know how strong Julian really was.
He didn't know what an Aura user could do.
He didn't know how this world fought anymore.
But he had survived fifteen years on Sector 0.
He had learned one rule there better than any other.
Never underestimate something just because it looks weak.
His footsteps slowed.
Then stopped.
Nexar looked toward the end of the tunnel.
A faint golden pulse travelled through the floor.
His Third Eye opened.
For less than a second, he saw it.
That same thin golden thread.
Running beneath the city.
Running beneath the academy.
Running somewhere far deeper than it should have been possible.
Then it vanished.
Nexar's eyes narrowed.
"So you're here too."
He started walking again.
This time, toward the arena.