By midday, the school no longer sounded like a place for classes.
It sounded like a market.
***
"—I told you, G+ has better stability."
"Stability isn't guaranteed."
"It's still higher than standard G."
"Only if your compatibility matches it."
"Mine does."
"Of course it does."
***
Kael stepped into the corridor and slowed slightly.
The noise wasn't random anymore. It circled around one thing, tightening with every hour.
Reagents.
Everyone was talking about them now—not in theory, not like before. Names, types, sources. Prices.
Comparisons.
***
Near the central hall, a group had formed around one of the display terminals. Numbers flickered across the screen—compatibility charts, gene classifications, sample success rates.
Someone laughed sharply.
"Eighty-two percent? That's basically guaranteed."
"Nothing's guaranteed," another voice cut in. "You still have to survive the integration."
***
Kael didn't stop, but his eyes moved across the screen as he passed.
Percentages.
Ranges.
Probabilities.
***
Too clean.
***
Real outcomes weren't that neat.
***
"Kael."
He turned slightly.
Mira stood a few steps behind him, arms folded. "You already registered yours?"
"Not yet."
She raised an eyebrow. "You're late."
"It's not scheduled until tomorrow."
"That's for normal slots," she said. "People with actual resources already booked early scans."
***
Kael glanced toward the terminal again.
The crowd hadn't thinned.
If anything, it had grown.
***
"Does it change anything?" he asked.
Mira shrugged. "If your compatibility is high, they prioritize you. Better timing. Better supervision."
A small pause.
"If it's low…" she added, "you'll want more time to think."
***
Kael nodded once.
"Thanks."
***
She studied him for a second, then said, "What are you using?"
"Sharp Mantis."
***
Mira didn't react immediately.
Then—
"That's… not bad."
Not praise.
Not dismissal either.
***
"Balanced output," she continued. "Lower rejection variance than heavier types."
Kael glanced at her.
"You've looked into it."
"I'm not planning to fail," she said flatly.
***
A group nearby burst into louder conversation.
"—I got mine through my family contact. Direct extraction."
"No way. What type?"
"Enhanced wolf-line. G+."
"Of course…"
***
Kael's attention shifted briefly.
Enhanced line.
That explained the confidence.
***
Mira followed his gaze, then looked back at him.
"You're not worried?" she asked.
***
Kael considered the question.
***
"…I don't think worrying changes the outcome."
***
"That's not what I asked."
***
He exhaled lightly.
***
"It's not the best reagent," he said. "But it's stable. That matters more."
***
Mira watched him for another second, then gave a small nod.
"Yeah," she said. "It does."
***
She turned and disappeared back into the crowd.
***
Kael remained where he was for a moment longer.
***
Not the best.
***
That part was obvious.
He didn't have access to better.
Didn't have backup options.
Didn't have a second attempt if something went wrong.
***
His grip tightened slightly against the strap of his bag.
***
Absorption resets everything.
***
For some people, that meant opportunity.
***
For others—
***
It meant risk.
***
He moved again, this time toward the lab wing.
***
The atmosphere changed the closer he got.
Less noise.
More control.
***
The corridor outside the registration rooms was quieter, but not empty. Students stood in smaller groups, voices lowered now, tension more contained.
A digital panel displayed queue numbers.
All full.
***
"Next available slot: Tomorrow."
***
Kael glanced at it, then stepped aside to let someone pass.
***
The student stopped at the scanner terminal, placing his hand against the surface.
A faint glow passed through it.
Data streamed across the screen.
***
"Compatibility: High."
***
A small ripple of reaction moved through the nearby group.
***
"Of course it is."
"Lucky."
"That's not luck…"
***
Kael watched for a second, then looked away.
***
High compatibility.
Better chances.
Better outcome.
***
Cleaner path.
***
Something shifted.
***
He stilled.
***
That same sensation—
***
Faint.
***
He focused.
***
It was there again.
Not tied to the scanner.
Not tied to anything outside.
***
Inside.
***
A subtle response.
Like something reacting to the concept itself.
***
Then it faded.
***
Kael frowned slightly.
***
That wasn't random.
***
And it wasn't the first time.
***
He turned away from the terminal.
***
If that thing inside him—
whatever it was—
responded before absorption…
***
Then the process he had been preparing for…
***
might not be starting from zero.
***
Kael adjusted his grip on the bag and walked toward the exit.
***
He didn't need a better reagent.
***
He needed to understand—
***
what was already there.