The artificial sun had begun to set across the academy dome, casting the sky in hues of deep gold and violet. Shadows stretched long over the training grounds as most students headed toward the dorms, exhausted from the day's weapons session.
Kael lingered in the hallway outside the dormitory wing, drying sweat from his brow with a towel. His muscles ached, but it was the good kind of ache—the kind that came from growth, not punishment.
Still, something felt off.
He noticed it in the silence that followed him, the way voices hushed when he passed. It wasn't just curiosity anymore.
It was tension.
[Caution, Kael.] Nathan's voice murmured in his ear, subtle and low.
[Pressure in the air is not just from your progress. You're being watched.]
Kael glanced around. Nothing. Just the hallway. Just the dying light.
The Plan
Elsewhere, in the maintenance tunnels beneath the east training yard, Torrin stood with his usual group—Zane, Dren, and Luro. The four had gathered around a flickering display they'd ripped from a training monitor.
Torrin stabbed a finger into the display map.
"He walks back from the courtyard along this route. Same every night since the mission. Always alone."
Zane scratched his neck. "You sure you want to do this now? Instructor Korven's already suspicious after how fast his stats are climbing."
Torrin didn't blink. "Exactly. That's why we move now—before someone starts protecting him."
He turned to the others.
"We separate him near the cargo bay. Just a bit of pressure—nothing permanent. Just enough to remind him of his place."
Luro cracked his knuckles. "You want it quiet, or…?"
Torrin smirked. "Quiet. For now."
The Walk
Kael turned the corner toward the cargo corridor. His HUD flickered slightly as he passed into the low-signal zone—an older wing of the academy with fewer upgrades.
His eyes darted across the empty hallway.
He wasn't imagining it.
The quiet was too loud.
He paused.
And then—
"Look what we have here."
Torrin stepped from behind a corner, flanked by Zane and Luro. Dren blocked the exit behind him, arms crossed.
Kael's breath caught.
He didn't say anything. He'd learned by now—words were wasted on people who'd already decided who you were.
Torrin took a few slow steps forward, circling Kael like a predator.
"Top ten, huh?" he said, his voice dripping with mock admiration. "From blank to rank eight in six days. That's got to be some kind of academy record."
Kael stayed still. His fingers itched.
[Kael. Don't react yet. Let them move first. Let them reveal their intent.]
"Why are you really mad?" Kael asked, calm but firm. "Because I didn't stay down?"
Torrin's grin twisted. "No. Because you're pretending to be something you're not. You don't deserve it. You got lucky. That's all."
He stepped closer—too close.
Then raised a single hand.
Kael saw it glow—red and gold, like molten iron. The power wasn't pure fire, but a pressure-based ability. A force emitter.
Before Kael could move, the air around him slammed inward like invisible arms. He was lifted off his feet and hurled backward—thud—into the steel wall.
"Urgh—!"
His limbs locked as the pressure pinned him. His breath hitched.
Torrin's eyes narrowed.
"Let's see how strong you are without your little miracle comeback…"
Kael's vision blurred slightly. His HUD glitched. The system flickered.
And then—
[WARNING: External Force Detected]
[Matter Suppressed. Body Movement Restricted.]
[Awaiting sync permission.]
Kael's wrist began to burn again. That familiar warmth.
But it wasn't pain.
It was waking up.
Torrin stepped forward again, about to speak.
And Kael's fingers—slowly—began to twitch.