Dawn on the orbital campus wasn't heralded by a sun, but by the harsh, pervasive glow of the energy dome intensifying, simulating daylight. Kael awoke to the sterile hum of the dorm, Jacob already grumbling below as he pulled on his grey Academy fatigues.
"First day," Jacob muttered, stretching with a crackle of shifting stone beneath his skin. "Combat Fundamentals. Try not to embarrass our room number, Sparky."
The mess hall was a controlled cacophony of nervous energy and clattering trays. Kael spotted Maya waving wildly from a table, Klea beside her radiating an aura of cool disdain that seemed to lower the ambient temperature. Ember and his crew sat diagonally across, their gazes predatory when they landed on Kael. Rank 302 was easy to spot.
"Morning, Roomies!" Maya chirped as Kael and Jacob sat down. "Sleep well? Jacob snore like a landslide?"
"Only when dreaming of dropping mountains on annoying windbags," Jacob retorted, shoveling synth-eggs into his mouth.
Klea's ice-blue eyes flickered to Kael. "Your posture suggests inadequate rest, Rank 302. Stress inhibits performance." It wasn't concern; it was clinical observation.
"Just adjusting," Kael replied, keeping his voice neutral. The Crucible hummed: **SOCIAL INTERACTION: LOW THREAT. MAINTAIN DEFLECTION.**
Combat Fundamentals was held in a cavernous, hexagonal chamber with reinforced floors and shimmering energy dampeners on the walls. Proctor Varrus, a grizzled man with eyes like chips of flint and kinetic-reinforced knuckles, stood at the center. His bio-signature, sensed by Kael's **Energy Sense**, was a tightly coiled spring – Grade 2, possibly peaking towards 3.
"Welcome to the grind," Varrus barked, his voice echoing. "Rank means nothing here. Only discipline, control, and the will to *learn* matters. Today: Basic energy projection and defensive integration. Pair up!"
Kael found himself facing a nervous-looking boy with water affinity (Rank 278). Across the room, Klea paired with a top-tenner – Jaxon Blitz (Rank 7, Kinetic Acceleration), who looked annoyed. Maya partnered with another wind-user, and Jacob with a sturdy-looking metal-shaper. Ember, Spark, and Brick deliberately clustered together.
"Exercise one!" Varrus commanded. "Offensive partner: Project a low-grade, *controlled* energy pulse at your defensive partner. Defender: Deflect, absorb, or redirect *without* collateral damage. Control is paramount! Begin!"
Kael's partner, Arlo, summoned a wobbling sphere of water. Kael focused, calling forth a flicker of Lightning. Not a **Bolt**, just a weak, crackling spark dancing between his palms. He pushed it forward slowly.
Arlo yelped, flinging his water sphere. It splashed harmlessly against Kael's controlled spark, fizzling into steam. It was underwhelming. Varrus passed by, his gaze sharp but unimpressed. "Adequate control, James. Minimal power. Push harder, Arlo. Water can be a shield, not just a splash."
Kael saw Klea out of the corner of his eye. Jaxon Blitz launched a kinetic pulse, a visible ripple in the air, fast and sharp. Klea didn't flinch. A pane of crystalline ice, no thicker than glass, formed instantly before her. The kinetic pulse struck it with a dull *thud* and dissipated. The ice didn't crack. *Perfect efficiency.* Jaxon scowled.
"Exercise two!" Varrus called. "Reversed roles! Defender becomes attacker. Same rules! Controlled output!"
Now Kael was on defense. Arlo concentrated, forming a more stable water lance. Kael prepared to dodge or deflect physically. He couldn't risk **Blink** or **Foresight**. As Arlo thrust the water lance forward, Kael sidestepped, letting it shoot past. Varrus frowned. "Evasion is valid, James, but this is about *energy defense*. Use your affinity! Intercept it!"
Kael gritted his teeth. He summoned Lightning again, forming a weak, crackling net between his hands. He thrust it towards the water lance. The lightning crackled over the water, dispersing it messily into vapor and harmless droplets. It worked, but it was crude, energy-inefficient compared to Klea's flawless shield. **ENG: -10.**
"Clumsy," Varrus noted. "But functional. Work on finesse, James. Arlo, better focus."
As the drills continued, Kael deliberately held back. His Lightning responses were always just enough, never impressive. He felt Klea's gaze on him more than once, cool and analytical. Ember's crew, however, seemed bored, their own controlled fire and kinetic displays flashy but contained enough to avoid Varrus's wrath.
During a water break, Maya bounced over. "Saw you dodging, Lightning-bug! Smart. Why waste energy blocking when you can just not be there?" She winked. Jacob joined them, wiping sweat from his brow. "Easy for you to say, Featherweight. Some of us have to stand our ground." He nodded towards Brick, who was effortlessly absorbing weak kinetic pulses with his hardened skin. "That guy's a walking bunker."
Suddenly, Proctor Varrus clapped his hands. "Final drill! Obstacle evasion with active suppression! Defenders, you're now mobile obstacles. Attackers, navigate the course while defenders attempt to impede you with *low-grade, targeted* energy projections. No direct hits! Goal is disruption, not injury. Understood?"
The chamber floor shimmered, rising sections forming a simple maze of low walls and pillars. Students paired off again. Kael was paired as an attacker; his defender was, unfortunately, **Spark** (Rank 42, Fire/Electric Hybrid). Spark grinned, a cruel spark dancing on her fingertips.
"Ready to dance, Rank 302?" she sneered.
The signal chimed. Kael darted into the maze. Immediately, a sizzling ember shot past his head, scorching the air. **Foresight** screamed to activate, showing him a future where a low electric pulse tripped him. *No!* He forced it down, relying on **PER 15** and **AGI 14**. He saw the telltale shimmer of Spark gathering energy near a pillar and juked left as a weak, crackling jolt snapped the air where his ankle would have been. **ENG: -0 (Pure Evasion).**
He weaved through the obstacles. Spark was relentless, firing quick, stinging embers and disruptive zaps designed to throw off his balance. Kael moved like smoke, using the walls for cover, his movements sharp and economical. He saw Klea navigating effortlessly, her defender's water pulses freezing into harmless patches of slick ice under her feet before she glided over them. Maya was a blur of wind, easily blowing aside weak earth projectiles.
Kael rounded a corner, momentarily clear. The exit was just ahead. Then, Spark appeared around a different pillar, too close. Her eyes gleamed maliciously. She didn't aim for disruption. She aimed a concentrated, palm-sized fireball *directly* at his chest. It wasn't lethal, but it would burn, hurt, humiliate. **Foresight** flashed: *Impact in 0.5 seconds. Severe burns likely.* **Blink** screamed to be used. *5m to safety! ENG cost: 5!*
The instinct was overwhelming. Space *itched* around him. He started the spatial fold…
**WARNING! UNAUTHORIZED SPATIAL DISTORTION DETECTED!** The thought slammed into him, not just from the Crucible, but echoing the Academy's pervasive monitoring. Klea, near the exit, snapped her head around, her eyes widening fractionally. Proctor Varrus's gaze sharpened.
Kael aborted the **Blink** with a surge of will (**WIL 18**). It was a jarring, internal wrench. Instead, he twisted desperately, throwing himself sideways. The fireball grazed his upper arm, searing through the fatigues and scorching the skin beneath. Pain lanced through him. **MINOR BURN DAMAGE. VIT CHECK PASSED (17).**
He hit the ground rolling and scrambled the last few meters out of the maze, gasping, his arm throbbing. Spark sauntered out behind him, a false look of concern on her face. "Oops! Slipped! You okay, 302? Should really work on your reflexes."
Varrus was there instantly, his flinty eyes boring into Spark. "That was not low-grade or targeted for disruption, Cadet Spark. That was a deliberate strike. Report to disciplinary after class. 50 demerits." He turned to Kael. "Medical bay for that burn, James. Then report to my office. I want to discuss... *control*."
Kael nodded, clutching his arm. He felt Klea's icy gaze on him, sharper than before. She hadn't just seen the near-hit; she'd sensed the aborted spatial distortion, the impossible flicker he'd barely contained. Ember watched from across the room, a satisfied smirk playing on his lips. Spark's attack had served its purpose: it had forced Kael to the edge of revelation.
As Kael walked stiffly towards the med-bay, the Crucible's analysis was grim:
**CONCEALMENT COMPROMISED: NEAR-BREACH EVENT (SPACE).**
**OBSERVERS:**
* **KLEA STORM (RANK 3):** HIGH PROBABILITY OF SUSPICION CONFIRMED.
* **PROCTOR VARRUS (GRADE 2+):** AWARE OF ANOMALOUS ENERGY FLUCTUATION.
* **EMBER'S CREW:** AWARE OF VULNERABILITY EXPLOITED.
**OBJECTIVE UPDATE: DAMAGE CONTROL IMMEDIATE. EXPLAIN ANOMALY AS LIGHTNING FEEDBACK/MONITOR GLITCH. MAINTAIN PRIMARY DECEPTION AT ALL COSTS.**
Rank 302 had just become infinitely more complicated. The mask was cracking, and the watchful eyes within the Academy's gleaming walls saw everything.
**<<< STATUS SNAPSHOT >>>**
**HOST:** Kael James
**LEVEL:** 10
**EXP:** 70/1100
**ENG:** 110/120 *(Burn: Minor - Treatment Required)*
**GRADE 2 PROGRESS:** 73%
**RANK:** 302
**CONCEALMENT STATUS:** **COMPROMISED (Space - Near Breach)**
**THREATS:**
* **Ember's Crew:** **ACTIVE & ESCALATING (Spark Disciplined, Retaliation Expected)**
* **Klea Storm:** **SUSPICION CONFIRMED (High Alert)**
* **Proctor Varrus:** **INVESTIGATING (Anomaly Detected)**
* **Academy Monitoring:** **HEIGHTENED SCRUTINY**
**NEXT:** Medical Treatment > Proctor Varrus Meeting > Damage Control