Here's the rewritten Chapter 82, expanded to meet the desired word count while keeping the language simple and details clear.
Chapter 82 – I-Island: First Steps
The private jet, a sleek, quiet marvel of modern engineering, glided down from the bright blue sky. Below it, I-Island's massive landing strip stretched out like a giant, white hand reaching for the ocean. The concrete was so clean it almost shimmered, reflecting the strong afternoon sun. As the jet slowed and turned, coming to a gentle stop, Lena pressed her face against the window, her breath fogging the glass.
The island was even more amazing than she'd imagined from pictures and videos. It wasn't just a place; it was a vision from a future dream. Tall, shining white towers pierced the sky, their glass sides glinting. Giant glass domes sparkled like bubbles, covering huge areas. Everything looked so perfect, so clean, so… untouched by the messy reality of the world outside. It felt like stepping onto the set of a science fiction movie, where every building was a work of art and every path was perfectly paved.
A soft hiss sound broke Lena's trance as the jet's door slowly swung open. A wave of warm, humid air rushed into the cool cabin, carrying the faint scent of salt from the ocean. Lena took a deep breath, trying to calm the nervous flutter in her stomach. The "Hole" inside her was quiet right now, almost holding its breath, like it knew something big was about to happen.
She stepped out onto the ramp, Kyoka Jiro right beside her. Kyoka's face was serious, her eyes constantly looking around, taking everything in. She put a comforting hand on Lena's back, a silent message of support.
At the bottom of the stairs, a small group waited. Lena's eyes immediately found the man at the front. It was David Shield. He looked just like he did in the news and hero magazines: kind eyes, a gentle smile, and an air of deep intelligence. Seeing him in person, Lena felt a tiny bit of her worry ease. He was taller than she expected, and his presence felt warm and calm, like a wise old teacher. Beside him stood a woman with neat, short brown hair and very focused, serious eyes. She looked like she knew everything about everything. Lena guessed this was one of David's top assistants, someone who helped him with his amazing inventions.
David Shield stepped forward, a welcoming smile on his face. "Lena Oxton," he said, his voice calm and clear, like a gentle stream. "And Young Jiro. Welcome to I-Island." He reached out a hand, and Lena slowly took it. His handshake was firm and warm. "I am Dr. David Shield. It is a true honor to finally meet you, Lena, though I sincerely wish it were under less… worrying circumstances." His gaze, though kind, held a deep, knowing understanding of her situation, as if he could already see the strange, powerful Quirk humming inside her. "Your father, Winston, has told me much about your very unique abilities. Please know that we are ready to offer you every single resource we have here to understand and, most importantly, to help make your Quirk stable."
Lena took a small, shaky breath. "Thank you, Dr. Shield," she managed to say, her voice a little weak. "It's… it's a lot. The Quirk, I mean. It's really hard to control. And it's getting… bigger." She hesitated, wanting to explain more, but the words felt too big, too strange.
"Indeed," David replied, his smile still kind and patient. He nodded slowly, listening closely. "And that's precisely why you're here. We do not see this as a 'problem,' Lena, but rather as an extraordinary phenomenon. A truly rare and powerful Quirk that simply needs extraordinary solutions. We are quite excited to work with you." He made it sound less scary, more like a grand puzzle they were eager to solve. He then gestured towards a sleek, shiny, self-driving vehicle that waited nearby, humming softly. "Come, let's get you settled. I'm sure you're tired after your long journey."
As they got into the comfortable, spacious car, Lena sat by the window, her eyes wide, taking in everything they passed. The streets were incredibly clean and quiet, unlike the busy, sometimes messy, streets of Japan. There were no loud cars honking, no crowds of people. Everything was orderly, almost perfect. The buildings they passed were all wonders of science, with smooth, curving lines, impossible glass structures, and green spaces designed with careful thought. There were no old buildings here, no signs of wear and tear. It truly felt like a place completely separated from the rest of the world. It felt safe, yes, but also very far away from everything familiar, from her friends, from UA.
Kyoka, sitting next to Lena, seemed to sense her unease. She quietly squeezed Lena's hand, a silent comfort. Kyoka herself looked impressed by the technology around them, but her eyes held a steady, watchful look, always making sure Lena was okay.
The car moved smoothly, almost silently, through the complex. It eventually stopped in front of a large, modern building, sleek and white like all the others. Inside, they were led through clean, quiet hallways to a comfortable, modern living area.
"This will be your home during your stay on I-Island," David explained, his voice warm as he gestured to two simple, clean, but very well-furnished rooms. They had comfortable beds, small desks, and large windows looking out onto a beautiful, controlled garden. "You'll have access to all necessary amenities here. We want you to feel as comfortable and at ease as possible while you are with us. This is your personal space, a place for rest and quiet."
Lena looked around the room, a strange mix of relief and emptiness washing over her. It was nice, yes. Very nice. But it wasn't her dorm room at UA. It wasn't home.
After giving them a short time to settle in and offering them some refreshments, David returned. "If you're ready," he said, his smile encouraging, "I'd like to show you where the real work will begin."
He led them deeper into the research complex, through more secure doors and spotless corridors, each one humming faintly with hidden machinery. Finally, they arrived at a large, double door that slid open silently. What lay beyond took Lena's breath away.
It was David's main laboratory, a space that seemed to stretch on forever, filled with a soft, glowing light. It was enormous, easily bigger than the entire UA training ground Beta. The air hummed with a quiet, powerful energy, a feeling that strangely resonated with the deep "Hole" inside her. Everywhere she looked, there were glowing screens displaying complex data, strange machines with intricate wires and shining parts, and large, clear glass chambers of various sizes. Some were empty, others held intricate devices. It was unlike any lab she had ever seen, more like a control center for an entire world.
"This is it," David said, his voice filled with a quiet pride. "The heart of my research into Quirk mechanics, particularly those with… unique energetic signatures." He walked them towards the center of the lab, where a single, very large, empty chamber stood, taller than a house, made entirely of thick, transparent material. It seemed to pulse with a faint, almost invisible light.
"Lena," David began, his voice turning serious as he pointed to this large, central chamber. "This is our Temporal Stabilization Chamber. It's built specifically to create a completely controlled environment for Quirks like yours. Its purpose is to carefully push and pull on the energies that are currently making your Quirk unstable. My idea, based on years of research and the data we've gathered about your specific energy signature, is that by precisely mimicking the conditions under which your 'Hole' expands and acts chaotically, we can then introduce specific, opposite energies. We hope this will guide it, gently, into a steady, predictable rhythm." He spoke clearly, using simple words even for such complex scientific ideas, making sure Lena could follow. "Think of it like trying to calm a wild ocean. You don't just build a bigger wall against it. Instead, you study its waves, understand its currents, and then introduce counter-currents that help it find its natural, peaceful flow."
Lena looked at the vast chamber, a nervous flutter in her chest turning into a full-blown swarm of butterflies. "So… you're going to make it stronger, first?" she asked, her voice small. "To make it calm down?" The idea of making the "Hole" stronger before it got calmer seemed backward and terrifying, but David's calm face gave her some trust.
"Exactly," David confirmed, a thoughtful look on his face. He walked closer to the chamber, gesturing with his hand. "To truly guide its energy, we first need to understand its full power, its natural rhythm, its limits. Only then can we safely guide it to stability. It will be safe, Lena. Every single part of this chamber, every bit of energy, will be monitored by our advanced systems. My team and I will watch every single tiny variable. Your well-being is our absolute main concern throughout this process. We will take it slow, step by step." He gave her a comforting smile, sensing her fear. "We'll start the initial phase tomorrow morning. It will be a scientific way to understand a power we are just beginning to learn about, a power that, once understood, could be truly amazing."
Kyoka stood quietly, watching David, then the massive chamber, then Lena. Her face was serious, her usual playful spark dimmed by the gravity of the situation. She could tell David was truly brilliant, a genius beyond anything she'd seen. But this felt like a huge leap of faith, a giant step into the unknown for Lena. Lena's eyes, wide and filled with a mix of fear and a strange, almost curious wonder, showed that she knew it too. This was it. The real work was about to begin. The fight for control, the fight to understand the "Hole," would start inside that glowing chamber.