The tungsten doors of the Valis Command Spire hissed open. General Vesper strode inside. Her boots clicked against polished metal. The sound echoed with the cold discipline of Zenith Academy. General Kaine sat behind his desk. Blue monitor light carved deep shadows into his face. General Varick leaned against the wall. He looked like a coiled spring.
Vesper stopped. She did not salute. The time for formalities had passed when the High Kings released the lockout.
"You took your time," Varick remarked. He pushed off the wall. "I have been here long enough to memorize the wallpaper."
Vesper ignored him. She turned her attention to Kaine. "Silas should be arriving in five minutes. His transport just cleared the secondary perimeter."
Kaine nodded. His hands were clasped over a console that remained dark. "We wait for him. The Kings gave the authorization to all of us. I am not opening that file until the full council is present."
"You are being unusually formal about a transfer student history," Vesper said. Her eyes narrowed.
"The High Kings do not keep secrets this deep for standard transfers," Kaine replied. "We wait for Silas."
Across the campus, the sterile white hallways of the scientific wing felt colder than the rest of the academy. Nora led the way with a purposeful stride. Her boots echoed against the tiles. Vane followed a few paces behind. His expression was unreadable as they passed through several biometric scanners.
They reached the primary laboratory hub. A team of researchers in silver lab coats moved between humming machines. Nora stepped up to the lead scientist. The man had thin spectacles and a sharp, clinical gaze.
"I need a suppression consultation for Vane Obsidian," Nora said. Her voice was firm. "We need to look into a way to dampen his output so he can participate in standard drills."
The scientist did not even look up from his data pad. "No."
Nora blinked. Her brows furrowed. "Excuse me?"
"I was told helping Vane Obsidian is not allowed," the scientist stated flatly. "Unless he is severely wounded or his friends are, my team is not to touch his core. Those are direct orders from the upper administration."
"Why?" Nora demanded. "What possible reason is there for keeping him restricted like this?"
The scientist simply shrugged his shoulders. He turned back to his work. Another researcher, a girl with her hair pulled into a tight bun, looked over at them with pure disdain.
"I would not dare help him anyway," she muttered. Her eyes fixed on Vane with a cold bitterness. "Not after what he did to Kaelen. Some things should not be fixed."
She had been very fond of Kaelen. The sight of the boy who had broken him standing comfortably in her lab was clearly more than she could stomach.
Vane remained still. The weight of the room pressed in on him. He looked at the girl. His voice was calm and devoid of malice. "Your reasons are understandable. And i'm sorry for what I did to Kaelen."
The girl flinched. She bit her lip and turned away. She was unable to meet his eyes.
Vane felt the weight of being an outcast. He was a ghost in his own school. He was a figure of fear for some and a target of hatred for others. No one wanted him there. No one wanted him to be normal.
"Forget it," Nora said. Her voice was tight with frustration. "Let us go to the cafeteria."
Vane followed her out. His silence was deeper than it had been when they arrived.
Back in the Command Spire, the heavy thud of the reinforced doors signaled the end of the wait. General Silas stepped into the room. His uniform was dusted with the grit of the borderlands. He looked at the three other Generals and nodded once.
"I am here," Silas said. His voice was like grinding stone. "The perimeter is secure. Open it."
Kaine stood up. He turned toward the central hololith. The four generals gathered in a circle as Kaine entered the final authorization code. The screen flickered. The red Classified warning dissolved into a stream of data that none of them were prepared to see.
"The meeting is now in session," Kaine said. "Let us see who Vane Obsidian really is."