Day seven. The last day.
Kaelen woke early, still undecided. Part of him wanted to leave immediately, get away from Marcus's influence before it became permanent. Part of him wanted to stay, learn more, maybe even contribute to the "reasonable" parts of Marcus's goals while avoiding the catastrophic ones.
That second part was growing louder every day.
He dressed and wandered the cathedral complex, thinking. The grounds were larger than he'd realized—multiple buildings, training yards, research facilities. He'd been confined to the main areas, but his last-day status apparently came with fewer restrictions. Guards nodded to him instead of redirecting.
He found himself in an unfamiliar wing, drawn by curiosity.
The corridor here was older, less maintained. Fewer students came this direction. Kaelen heard sounds ahead—moaning, like someone in pain.
He followed the sound to a heavy door. Not locked. He pushed it open.
The room beyond was a nightmare.
A dozen people lay on stone slabs, restrained with magical bindings. All showed advanced Shadow Scarring—not the controlled corruption of Marcus's students, but the wild, spreading kind that came from forced channeling. Their eyes were vacant, minds clearly gone.
And standing over them, making notes, was one of Marcus's senior researchers.
"What is this?" Kaelen demanded.
The researcher looked up, startled. "You're not supposed to be in here."
"I asked what this is," Kaelen repeated, his hand moving toward Soulrender.
"Research subjects," the researcher said carefully. "People who volunteered for accelerated corruption studies."
Kaelen moved closer to the nearest subject. Up close, he could see they weren't just restrained—they were drained. Shadow magic being extracted forcibly, leaving them hollowed out.
"They're dying," Kaelen said.
"They're contributing to important research," the researcher corrected. "Understanding corruption mechanisms requires test subjects. They understood the risks when they volunteered."
"Volunteered," Kaelen said flatly, looking at faces twisted in agony. "These people don't look like volunteers."
"They signed agreements—"
"Under what conditions? With what information?" Kaelen's voice rose. "Marcus said you were researching corruption management, not creating it."
"We research both," the researcher said. "Understanding prevention requires understanding cause. These subjects help us map corruption progression, test countermeasures, develop new techniques. Their sacrifice serves the greater good."
It was the same utilitarian logic Marcus used. *Sacrifice some to save many.* But seeing it applied to actual suffering people—seeing the cost up close—broke something in Kaelen's growing acceptance.
This wasn't reasonable pragmatism.
This was torture dressed in research terminology.
"I'm telling Marcus about this," Kaelen said.
"Marcus authorized it," the researcher replied. "He reviews all our experiments personally. Where do you think the corruption cycling technique came from? We tested it on thirty subjects before achieving success. Most didn't survive the process."
Kaelen felt cold spreading through his chest.
"He never mentioned that," Kaelen said quietly.
"Why would he? Students don't need to know the cost of their knowledge. They just need to benefit from it." The researcher turned back to their notes. "Now please leave. You're disrupting my work."
Kaelen left, but not to go away. To find Lia.
---
He found her in the library, as usual. Pulled her aside despite her protests.
"I need to show you something," he said urgently.
"Kaelen, I'm busy—"
"This is important."
He led her to the research wing, to the door he'd left open. The researcher had gone—probably to report Kaelen's intrusion—but the subjects remained, still suffering, still dying slowly.
Lia's face went pale as she took in the scene.
"Oh gods," she whispered.
"This is how Marcus develops his techniques," Kaelen said. "Test subjects. People who 'volunteered' under conditions we don't know. Thirty people died so I could learn the corruption cycling. Thirty."
Lia moved to the nearest subject, her diagnostic runes appearing. Her expression grew more horrified as she worked.
"Forced channeling," she confirmed. "Their bodies are being used as magical batteries. They're conscious, can feel everything, but can't resist. This is..." She couldn't finish the sentence.
"This is what we've been learning from," Kaelen said. "All of Marcus's reasonable arguments, all his research, all his techniques—they're built on torture. On people who didn't meaningfully consent, who are suffering for his 'greater good.'"
"We need to leave," Lia said immediately. "Now. This minute."
"Agreed."
They ran back toward their quarters to grab essential supplies. Guards were already moving toward them—word of Kaelen's intrusion had spread.
"Stop!" one called. "Master Marcus wants to speak with you!"
"We're done speaking," Kaelen shouted back, drawing Soulrender.
They fought through—not killing, just incapacitating. Ronan's training made the guards manageable, and Lia's barriers kept them safe from magical attacks.
They reached the main courtyard where Elena and several other students blocked their path.
"You're leaving early," Elena observed. "Find something you didn't like?"
"Found your research wing," Kaelen said. "Found where Marcus's 'reasonable methods' actually come from."
Elena's expression didn't change. "You saw the test subjects."
"You knew?" Lia demanded.
"Of course I knew. Everyone who's been here more than a few months knows." Elena seemed genuinely confused by their reaction. "That's the price of advancement. Some people suffer so others can prosper. It's no different than what the kingdoms do—they just hide it better."
"It's exactly different," Kaelen said. "Those people are being tortured."
"Those people are criminals and volunteers," Elena replied. "Offered reduced sentences or payment in exchange for service to research. They chose this."
"Did they?" Kaelen challenged. "Or did they 'choose' between torture and execution? Between starvation and experimentation? That's not choice—that's coercion."
"Semantics," Elena said dismissively. "The result is the same—knowledge that saves lives. Including yours. You benefited from their sacrifice. Don't develop morals now that it's convenient."
She had a point. Kaelen had learned the techniques, had reduced his corruption, had benefited directly from those suffering people.
But that didn't make it right.
"We're leaving," he said firmly. "You can let us go, or you can try to stop us. Your choice."
"Marcus won't like this," Elena warned. "He invested significant time in your training. He'll want return on that investment."
"Then Marcus can be disappointed."
Elena sighed. "I liked you two. Genuinely. But if you're leaving as enemies..." She drew her blade. "I can't let you take his knowledge and use it against us."
The other students drew weapons as well.
"One more fight then," Lia said quietly to Kaelen.
"One more fight," he agreed.
They activated resonance armor—full power, knowing this was probably Lia's last safe activation. The hybrid energy exploded outward, buying them seconds of advantage.
Kaelen used those seconds to charge the cathedral's outer wall. Soulrender struck stone with enhanced force, and the wall cracked, then crumbled.
They ran through the gap into the city beyond.
Behind them, alarms blared. Marcus's voice echoed across the compound, magically amplified: "Let them go. They've made their choice. We'll see how long they survive without our support."
Kaelen and Lia ran for ten minutes before stopping, both exhausted, Lia's echo-scars darkened dangerously from the resonance activation.
"Did we just make a huge mistake?" Lia asked between gasps. "We had access to resources, knowledge, techniques we desperately need."
"We had access to knowledge built on torture," Kaelen corrected. "I don't care how useful it was. Some costs are too high."
"But now we're back to dying slowly," Lia pointed out. "We learned basic techniques, but not the advanced ones. Not enough to truly solve our problems."
"Then we find another way," Kaelen said. "We figure it out ourselves, or we find other teachers, or we accept shorter lives. But we don't compromise our principles for convenience."
"Principles don't matter if you're dead," Lia said.
"Then I'd rather die principled than live compromised," Kaelen replied.
They looked at each other, both knowing they'd just burned their most promising option for survival. Both knowing they'd had no other choice.
"What now?" Lia asked.
"Now we report to the Shadow Hunters," Kaelen said. "Tell them everything we learned about Marcus's operation. Then we figure out how to stop him before he releases the Shadow Lord. The real way—not the reasonable-sounding way he sells, but the actual catastrophic way we saw evidence of."
"That's a suicide mission," Lia observed.
"Probably," Kaelen agreed. "But we're pretty good at those by now."
They started walking back toward the Shadow Hunter headquarters, both injured, both exhausted, both facing shortened lifespans and impossible odds.
But at least they were facing them as themselves.
Not as whatever Marcus would have turned them into.
That had to count for something.
---
Behind them, in the cathedral compound, Marcus stood in the ruined research wing, surveying the damage.
"They found it," Elena said, appearing beside him.
"I know," Marcus replied. "I wanted them to find it."
Elena looked surprised. "You did?"
"They were developing too much commitment," Marcus explained. "Beginning to actually consider joining us. That would have been... problematic. I need them opposed to me, not allied with me. Opposition can be calculated. Allies develop expectations."
"So the entire week was theater?" Elena asked.
"The techniques were real," Marcus said. "They benefited genuinely from the training. But I couldn't let them join—they're too useful as external agents. This way, they leave thinking they've rejected us, when actually they're doing exactly what I need."
"Which is?"
"Learning to survive," Marcus said. "Growing stronger. Developing their resonance technique further. And most importantly—drawing attention away from my real preparations while everyone focuses on the Forbidden Blade wielder who escaped my influence." He smiled. "They think they've won their principles. In reality, they're playing their assigned role perfectly."
Elena was quiet for a moment. "You're more ruthless than they realize."
"I'm exactly as ruthless as necessary," Marcus replied. "Now clean up this mess. I need new test subjects—our research continues regardless of who knows about it."
He walked away, leaving Elena to manage the aftermath.
The game continued.
And Kaelen and Lia, thinking they'd escaped, were still caught in its web.
Just from a different angle than they realized.