The sterile chill of the med-bay felt like a prelude to the cold of the grave. Kael lay on the diagnostic bed, the Crucible's deep thrum a comforting counterpoint to the frantic pounding of his heart. **ENG: 45/125 (Regen Accelerated Post-Evolution).** Klea stood sentinel near the door, her back rigid, her face a pale, impassive mask that couldn't completely hide the turmoil beneath – the shock of witnessing his ascension warring with ingrained Ascendancy doctrine. Her icy gaze flickered between Kael and the corridor entrance. She knew what was coming.
The hiss of the doors was harsh, final. Proctor Thorne entered, flanked by Proctor Varrus and two impassive, black-armored guards whose bio-signatures radiated controlled power – easily Grade 3. Their helmets hid their faces, but their presence screamed *containment*. Behind them, a hovering gurney drone awaited.
"James," Thorne stated, her voice devoid of warmth. "Your anomalous energy signature during and after the duel presents an unacceptable risk to Academy stability and Order protocol. Containment Protocol Alpha is enacted. You will be transferred to Isolation Wing Gamma for comprehensive neural scanning and threat assessment."
Varrus's flinty eyes scanned the med-bay drone's readings displayed above Kael. "Bio-signature remains erratic. Core energy density spiked off the charts. Residual signatures... unclassifiable. Definitely not standard Grade 2 Lightning." His hand rested near the kinetic disruptor on his hip.
Klea took a half-step forward, positioning herself subtly between the Proctors and Kael's bed. "Proctor Thorne," she began, her voice cool but lacking its usual absolute certainty, "his performance, while unorthodox, adhered to the Challenge rules. His victory over Ember was achieved using declared Lightning affinity and environmental manipulation. The anomalous surge could be attributed to extreme duress triggering a... profound awakening event." She stressed the last word. "Isolation seems premature before full physiological stabilization."
Thorne's gaze snapped to Klea, sharp as a scalpel. "Premature, Cadet Storm? We felt that energy. *You* felt it. It wasn't awakening; it was resonance with something *old* and forbidden. Something chaotic." Her eyes narrowed. "Your objectivity seems compromised."
Klea didn't flinch, but Kael saw the subtle tightening of her jaw. "My objectivity stems from observation. His current readings, while elevated, are stabilizing within Grade 2 parameters. The initial surge is receding." She gestured to the display. "See for yourself."
Kael focused inward, pouring **Willpower 19** into the Crucible. **DIRECTIVE: MASK SYSTEM SIGNATURE. PROJECT STABLE GRADE 2 LIGHTNING MANIFESTATION. UTILIZE ENERGY INFUSION TO SIMULATE POST-AWAKENING FLUCTUATIONS.**
**ACKNOWLEDGED. ENGAGING DECEPTION PROTOCOLS.**
He felt a subtle drain as the Crucible worked, not on his external power, but on his internal energy signature, weaving a complex illusion for the scanners. He triggered a minor **Energy Infusion (Convert 10 VIT → 50 ENG).** It wasn't painless; a wave of deep fatigue washed over him as vitality was sacrificed. **VIT: 18 → 17. ENG: 45 → 95.** Crucially, the infusion created a controlled *surge* in his Lightning core, visible on the scanners as a bright, chaotic spike that quickly dampened back to a strong, stable Grade 2 hum. The underlying, ancient thrum of the Crucible was buried deep beneath layers of simulated post-breakthrough instability.
Thorne and Varrus watched the display. The chaotic spike appeared, then subsided, leaving readings that, while strong and unusual for a fresh Grade 2 Lightning wielder, were no longer screaming "cosmic anomaly." They showed powerful Lightning, residual stress from the duel and the forced awakening, and the expected volatility of someone pushing their limits.
"Hmph," Varrus grunted, lowering his hand slightly from his disruptor. "Big spike. Settling fast though. Looks like... a messy, high-stress breakthrough. Pushed himself too hard, broke something loose." He glanced at Thorne. "Still anomalous, but less... apocalyptic."
Thorne's expression remained granite, but a flicker of uncertainty crossed her features. The data Klea pointed to was compelling. The guards stood impassive, awaiting orders.
Klea seized the opening. "Isolation in his current state risks damaging a potentially powerful asset. Grade 2 Lightning, even messily achieved, is significant. Subjecting him to invasive scans now could fracture his control, creating the very instability Protocol Alpha seeks to prevent." She paused, then delivered the calculated blow, her voice dropping to a colder register. "Would it not serve Order better to observe him *within* the structure? To channel this... awakened potential... under controlled conditions? Removal might only confirm his status as an outsider, fostering resentment, not compliance." She met Thorne's gaze squarely. "Containment through integration, Proctor. Not isolation."
The silence stretched. Thorne stared at Klea, then at Kael, then back at the scanner readings. The data showed volatility, power, but not the world-ending threat she'd felt in the arena. Klea's argument was logical, pragmatic, and subtly challenged Thorne's own authority by implying overreaction. It was a masterstroke of cold persuasion.
Finally, Thorne spoke, her voice tight. "Your point is noted, Cadet Storm. Objectivity, however strained, is valuable." She turned to Varrus. "Continuous remote monitoring. Tier 3 bio-signature dampeners installed in his quarters. All training, social interactions, and energy usage logged and flagged for *my* direct review." Her gaze locked onto Kael, filled with profound suspicion. "One flicker, James. One flicker of that *other* energy, one step outside the lines of controlled Lightning, and Protocol Alpha is enacted immediately. You will be dismantled to understand what you are. Do you comprehend?"
Kael met her gaze, his own carefully guarded. "Understood, Proctor Thorne." His voice was hoarse but steady. *Dismantled.* The word hung in the air.
Thorne gave a curt nod to the guards. They turned and left, the gurney drone following. Varrus lingered a moment, his flinty eyes sweeping over Kael and Klea, before turning to follow Thorne out.
The med-bay door hissed shut. The tension didn't dissipate; it condensed into the space between Kael and Klea. Kael slumped back, the fatigue from the infusion and the mental effort of deception hitting him hard. **ENG: 90/125. VIT: 17.**
Klea remained standing by the door, her back to him for a long moment. When she turned, her face was still pale, but the mask was back – colder, harder, forged in the fire of her defiance. Her ice-blue eyes held no warmth, only a glacial, terrifying intensity.
"That," she stated, her voice like chips of falling ice, "was not Lightning. That was deception. Sophisticated. Powered by something... deeper." She took a step towards the bed. "You manipulated the scanners. You manipulated *them*." Another step. "You used me as a shield for your lies."
Kael held her gaze, the Crucible humming a warning. There was no point denying the core truth she'd witnessed. "You stood up," he rasped. "You could have let them take me."
A flicker of something unreadable crossed Klea's features – anger, confusion, perhaps a sliver of that terrifying fascination. "I stood up for Order," she corrected, her voice sharp. "For the logical path. Not for *you*." She stopped beside the bed, looking down at him. The distance felt immense. "But know this, Kael James, Rank 25. I see the lie now. I see the fire beneath the ice you project. Thorne watches. Varrus watches. *I* watch." She leaned down slightly, her voice dropping to a whisper colder than the void. "Your 'controlled conditions' are a prison of my making. You will perform. You will excel. You will be the perfect Grade 2 Lightning wielder. And every step you take, every spark you summon, will be under my scrutiny. I *will* unravel your secrets. Not for Thorne. Not for the Ascendancy. For *me*. To understand what force could fracture Order so profoundly... and what it truly wants."
She straightened, her posture regal and utterly remote. "Rest. You have classes tomorrow. And a reputation to maintain... *Lightning Lord*." The title was delivered with icy sarcasm. She turned and walked out, leaving Kael alone in the sterile silence, the weight of her scrutiny heavier than Thorne's guards, the Crucible's hum a constant reminder that his greatest threat might not be the enemies who wanted to dissect him, but the brilliant, furious Ice Queen who had just become his jailer, his protector, and his most dangerous observer.
**<<< STATUS SNAPSHOT >>>**
**HOST:** Kael James
**AUTHORIZATION:** Adept (2)
**GRADE:** 2
**LEVEL:** 15
**EXP:** 100/1500
**ENG:** 90/125
**VIT:** 17
**RANK:** 25
**CONDITIONS:** Monitored (Tier 3 Dampeners - Active), Klea Surveillance (Extreme)
**ABILITIES:**
* **Energy Infusion:** Cooldown (23:59:00)
**CRUCIBLE ANALYSIS:** **CONTAINMENT AVERTED (TEMPORARY). PRIMARY THREAT SHIFTED TO KLEA STORM (MOTIVE: PERSONAL INVESTIGATION / UNDERSTANDING). RISK OF EXPOSURE REMAINS HIGH.**
**OBJECTIVES:**
* **Maintain Grade 2 Lightning Facade:** Excel under scrutiny.
* **Achieve Grade 3:** Unlock Combat Protocols & Tier 2 Origin Data.
* **Manage Klea:** Deflect investigation, exploit potential fascination.
* **Evade Extinction Protocol:** Avoid Aethelgard signature detection.
* **Recover VIT:** Restore sacrificed vitality.
The immediate dissection was avoided, but Kael James now walked a razor's edge within a gilded cage of Klea's making, the Ice Queen's piercing gaze more terrifying than any isolation cell. The War God's successor had survived the knife, only to find himself under the microscope of his most formidable, and conflicted, adversary.
He needed to achieve Grade 3 as soon as possible because everyone in top 20 were Grade 3. He needed to get as powerful as possible and quickly