The medical evaluation room smelled like antiseptic and cold metal.
The walls were white—too white—smooth to the point of being sterile, as if color itself had been deemed unnecessary. Mana-dampening panels lined the ceiling in a precise grid. Even the lights were muted, soft enough not to interfere with readings.
Auro sat on the edge of a reinforced examination table.
His boots didn't quite touch the floor.
He rested his hands on his knees, back straight, breathing steady. If not for the faint tension in his shoulders, he might have looked bored.
Inside, his body told a different story.
Something was wrong.
Not catastrophic. Not yet.
But constant.
Like a leak that didn't drip loudly—only enough that you noticed the level lowering when it was too late.
A crystal lens hovered near his chest, rotating slowly, its surface filled with crawling lines of light. Numbers updated in real time. Most of them meant nothing to him.
The medical examiner stood a few steps away, tablet in hand.
He was middle-aged, hair cropped short, expression professional to the point of emptiness. He had done this many times before. That much was obvious.
Behind a reinforced glass panel, Iris Vale stood quietly.
She wasn't supposed to interfere. Observers never were.
But her eyes never left Auro.
"Subject Cain," the examiner said, voice neutral, "we will now conduct controlled activation tests."
Auro nodded once. "Understood."
"Begin with the lowest-output skill," the man continued. "Sleep Curse."
Auro's jaw tightened almost imperceptibly.
Lowest-output.
He closed his eyes.
The moment he reached inward—toward that cold, settled presence in his chest—the system responded.
Not eagerly.
Precisely.
—
Skill Selected: Sleep Curse (Basic)Target: Dummy — Class II Mana Construct
Warning: Curse Cost Will Apply
—
The dummy stood three meters away. Humanoid. Featureless. Mana signature steady.
Auro focused.
The curse moved.
It didn't surge like fire or lightning. It slid forward like breath on glass—unseen, inevitable.
The dummy stiffened.
Then collapsed.
Lights dimmed across its surface, signaling a successful effect.
At the exact same instant—
Pain bloomed inside Auro.
Not sharp enough to make him cry out.
Deep.
Internal.
Like his organs had been squeezed by an invisible hand.
His vision blurred. His knees weakened. He caught himself on the table, fingers digging into the edge hard enough that the metal creaked faintly.
The crystal lens flared red.
Numbers spiked.
Auro inhaled slowly through his nose, exhaled through his mouth.
Don't react.
That was his instinct. On the farm, pain never waited for permission. You learned to endure it quietly or it owned you.
The examiner watched closely.
"Describe the sensation," he said.
"Sudden weakness," Auro replied after a beat. "Pressure in the chest. Heat in the abdomen. Fatigue."
"How severe?"
"…Moderate."
The man nodded, fingers flicking across the tablet.
Behind the glass, Iris's hands had clenched.
The system chimed again.
—
Cost Applied: Minor Lifespan ErosionCurrent Status: Stable
—
Minor.
The word lingered unpleasantly.
The examiner gestured. "Next. Paralysis Curse."
Auro didn't hesitate.
Hesitation wasted time.
The system interface responded instantly.
—
Skill Selected: Paralysis Curse (Basic)Target: Dummy — Class II Mana Construct
Warning: Increased Cost Detected
—
The curse struck faster this time.
The dummy froze mid-motion, joints locking, mana pathways stuttering into static.
Auro's body reacted violently.
His heart skipped.
Actual pain tore through his abdomen, sharp enough that a sound escaped his throat before he could stop it. His vision darkened at the edges. For a fraction of a second, he thought he might fall.
The room tilted.
Then steadied.
He forced himself upright, sweat beading along his spine.
The crystal lens screamed red.
The examiner's eyebrows rose slightly.
"Higher impact," the man noted. "As expected."
Auro swallowed.
His throat felt dry.
—
Cost Applied: Moderate Lifespan ErosionAccumulated Degradation: Noticeable
—
Accumulated.
Iris's breath caught behind the glass.
"Stop the test," she said suddenly.
The examiner didn't turn. "Observer, remain silent."
Her jaw tightened, but she obeyed.
Auro looked at the dummy.
Still immobilized.
Efficient.
Clean.
He felt… hollow.
Not drained of energy.
Drained of something harder to quantify.
The examiner studied his tablet for several seconds before speaking again.
"One more," he said. "Weak Poison Curse."
Auro met his eyes.
"You've seen enough," Auro said calmly.
The examiner regarded him for a long moment.
Then he shook his head. "We need a full profile."
Of course they did.
Auro exhaled.
"Proceed."
The system responded.
—
Skill Selected: Weak Poison Curse (Basic)Target: Dummy — Class II Mana Construct
Warning: Biological Cost Will Stack
—
The curse settled into the dummy slowly, like rot setting into wood. Mana readings dipped gradually.
Auro's body reacted just as gradually.
Pain crept rather than struck.
A burning sensation spread from his gut outward, threading through his veins. His muscles weakened. His fingers trembled.
This time, he couldn't hide it.
He doubled forward slightly, one hand pressed against his abdomen, teeth clenched hard enough that his jaw ached.
The room seemed too bright.
Too loud.
The crystal lens pulsed violently.
Then stabilized.
—
Cost Applied: Moderate Lifespan ErosionAccumulated Degradation: Severe (Early Stage)
—
The examiner raised a hand.
"Enough."
The curse ended. The dummy flickered, then shut down completely.
Auro sat there, breathing heavily, sweat dripping from his chin.
The pain receded slowly, leaving behind an aching emptiness.
Like soil stripped too many times.
The examiner stepped closer.
His voice was still calm.
Clinical.
Cruel in its neutrality.
"Based on observed degradation rates," he said, "and assuming minimal unauthorized usage, projected survivability is—"
He paused, checking his tablet.
"—before twenty-five."
The words landed without ceremony.
No dramatic pause. No sympathy.
Just data.
Auro absorbed them silently.
Before twenty-five.
He was eighteen.
Seven years.
Less, if he fought.
Less, if he lived.
Iris pressed her palm against the glass.
Her voice was steady when she spoke, but only just. "Is there reversal?"
The examiner shook his head. "Curse damage is irreversible. At best, it can be… delayed."
Auro straightened.
"How much usage before it accelerates?" he asked.
The examiner met his gaze.
"You don't want that answer."
"I do."
Another pause.
"Repeated activation will shorten that estimate significantly. Especially under stress. Combat conditions would be… unfavorable."
Auro nodded.
Information received.
No panic.
No denial.
Just facts.
Inside him, the system pulsed once.
—
Evaluation Complete
Summary: Curse-Type Exclusive Awakening
Risk Classification: Extreme
Note: Host Survival Dependent on Usage Efficiency
—
Usage efficiency.
Auro almost smiled.
Iris entered the room as the examiner stepped aside.
She stopped in front of him, searching his face.
"You don't look surprised," she said quietly.
"I am," Auro replied. "Just not confused."
Her eyes softened, then hardened again. "You heard him."
"Yes."
"You're dying."
He considered the word.
Then corrected it.
"I'm paying," he said.
She flinched slightly.
The examiner cleared his throat. "Subject Cain will be placed under observation. Military and administrative review pending."
Of course they would watch him.
Auro swung his legs off the table and stood.
The weakness was still there, but manageable.
He felt the clock now.
Not ticking loudly.
Just… moving.
As he took his first step toward the door, the system screen flickered one last time.
—
Cost Registered.
—
Auro kept walking.