The palace's upper levels had become a war zone where reality itself seemed unstable. Interdimensional raiders phased through walls while royal guards struggled to protect Academy students who possessed no defense against enemies that could manipulate the fundamental laws of physics.
Kael reached the Academy student quarters to find Princess Avaline locked in desperate combat with Professor Morvaine, while Lyralei and several other students huddled behind improvised barriers that were rapidly failing against interdimensional assault.
Time to end this permanently.
"Professor," Kael called out with the cold amusement that had made Marcus Chen's enemies wish they'd never been born, "I have to say, your commitment to student education is impressive. Even death couldn't keep you from your lesson plans."
Professor Morvaine spun toward him with obvious shock, her magical signature flickering between human and something distinctly alien.
She's not just alive—she's been enhanced by interdimensional energy. That explains how she survived my knife to the throat.
"Mr. Vorthak," she replied with predatory satisfaction, "how delightful. You've saved me the trouble of hunting you down personally."
Classic villain mistake. Engaging in conversation instead of immediate attack.
Kael activated his newly acquired phase-shifting ability, becoming partially intangible as he moved through Professor Morvaine's defensive spells and appeared directly behind her with a knife at her throat.
"Professor, I think it's time for your final examination."
But instead of collapsing, Professor Morvaine laughed with genuine amusement.
"Did you really think the same trick would work twice?" Her form shifted, becoming fully interdimensional as his knife passed harmlessly through her neck. "I've learned so much since our last encounter."
She's been upgraded by her interdimensional allies. This is going to be more challenging than expected.
[COMBAT ANALYSIS: PROFESSOR MORVAINE ENHANCED]
[NEW CAPABILITIES: DIMENSIONAL PHASING, REALITY MANIPULATION, UNKNOWN INTERDIMENSIONAL ABILITIES]
[THREAT LEVEL: MAXIMUM]
[RECOMMENDATION: TACTICAL RETREAT OR OVERWHELMING FORCE]
Overwhelming force it is.
The battle that followed was unlike anything Kael had experienced in either of his lives. Professor Morvaine fought with capabilities that defied conventional understanding, while he countered with absorbed interdimensional abilities and system-enhanced reflexes.
She's not just using magic—she's rewriting local reality to make her attacks more effective.
"Kael!" Lyralei called out desperately as the combat spilled across the guest quarters, "The other students—they're taking them!"
Interdimensional raiders are using the battle as cover for systematic acquisition.
Kael's enhanced perception confirmed the worst-case scenario. While he fought Professor Morvaine, interdimensional entities were methodically extracting Academy students through dimensional portals.
I can't protect everyone simultaneously. Time to make tactical choices.
"Princess Avaline," he shouted while dodging a reality-warping attack, "evacuate Lyralei and anyone else you can save. I'll handle Professor Morvaine."
"We're not leaving you to fight alone!"
Heroic loyalty is admirable but tactically counterproductive.
"This isn't a request!" His voice carried the absolute authority that had made Marcus Chen's subordinates obey without question. "Get them out of here now!"
[LEADERSHIP ASSERTION SUCCESSFUL]
[PRINCESS AVALINE COMPLIANCE: CONFIRMED]
[ASSET PROTECTION PRIORITIZED]
As Princess Avaline began evacuating the remaining students, Professor Morvaine's attacks grew more vicious.
"You can't save them all, Mr. Vorthak. The interdimensional organization has clients waiting across multiple realities. These students represent inventory that's already been sold."
Sold. She's talking about people like they're products.
The fury that rose in Kael's chest was immediate and overwhelming, amplified by the interdimensional abilities he'd absorbed.
Time to demonstrate what happens when someone threatens my investments.
He stopped fighting defensively and went on the offensive with a combination of system-enhanced abilities and interdimensional powers that Professor Morvaine clearly hadn't anticipated.
Phase-shifting to bypass her defenses, gravity manipulation to control the battlefield, and good old-fashioned violence to finish the job.
"Professor," he said as his attack overwhelmed her enhanced capabilities, "class dismissed."
[COMBAT VICTORY: PROFESSOR MORVAINE (ENHANCED)]
[POWER ABSORPTION ACTIVATED]
[WARNING: TARGET CONTAINS INTERDIMENSIONAL CONTAMINATION]
[PROCEED WITH ABSORPTION? Y/N]
Interdimensional contamination versus letting her escape to threaten my assets again. Easy choice.
"Proceed."
[ABSORPTION COMPLETE]
[NEW ABILITIES ACQUIRED: REALITY MANIPULATION, DIMENSIONAL ANCHOR, INTERDIMENSIONAL COMMUNICATION MASTERY]
[WARNING: HOST CONSCIOUSNESS EXPERIENCING MULTIVERSE AWARENESS]
The absorption hit Kael like a tsunami of alien knowledge and twisted perspective. Suddenly, he could perceive not just this reality but dozens of others layered around it like translucent sheets.
This is what true interdimensional awareness feels like. I can see other versions of this palace, other versions of these people, other versions of myself.
But along with the expanded perception came disturbing knowledge about the interdimensional organization's true scope.
They're not just operating across multiple dimensions—they're farming entire realities for resources and talent.
"Kael!" Princess Avaline's voice cut through his dimensional fugue. "Are you all right? Your magical signature just became... incomprehensible."
Right. I'm still in the middle of a battle, and I need to appear functional despite having my consciousness expanded across multiple realities.
"I'm fine," he managed, though his voice carried harmonics from several dimensional layers. "Did everyone get evacuated safely?"
"Most of them. But Kael, there's something you need to see."
She led him to the guest quarters' main window, which offered a view of the palace courtyard below. What he saw made his newly enhanced perception reel with implications.
Darius stood in the center of the courtyard, surrounded by interdimensional entities in what appeared to be a coordinated briefing rather than combat.
He's not just working with them—he's commanding them.
"Your brother," Princess Avaline said quietly, "isn't just a recruitment agent for the interdimensional organization. He's one of their regional directors."
[FAMILY DYNAMICS UPDATE]
[DARIUS VORTHAK: INTERDIMENSIONAL ORGANIZATION LEADERSHIP]
[IMPLICATION: FAMILY REUNION IS ACTUALLY HOSTILE TAKEOVER ATTEMPT]
Regional director. That means he's responsible for operations across multiple kingdoms, possibly multiple realities.
"Princess, I need you to coordinate with royal security to establish dimensional barriers around the palace. The equipment should be in the royal magical research facility."
"Dimensional barriers? That's theoretical magic at best."
"Not anymore." Kael's smile was sharp and predatory. "I just absorbed knowledge about interdimensional manipulation from someone who'd been enhanced by the organization. I know how their technology works."
And more importantly, I know how to disrupt it.
As Princess Avaline coordinated royal response efforts, Kael made his way toward the palace courtyard with the grim satisfaction of someone preparing for a battle that had been years in the making.
Time to have a conversation with my dear brother about family loyalty and business practices.
But as he approached the courtyard entrance, his enhanced interdimensional perception detected something that changed everything.
Darius isn't just commanding interdimensional entities. He's been enhanced by the same technology that modified Professor Morvaine.
Which meant the brother he remembered from the original Kael's fragmentary memories no longer existed in any meaningful sense.
The family reunion is going to be more complicated than I expected.