Kirima remained seated across from Naji, her eyes resting calmly on him. The words she had just spoken seemed almost too ordinary for what they meant. "You're officially being accepted into the CDA as a trainee." Naji stared at her for a moment. He glanced at the suppression collar around his neck, then back at her.
«Naji: "So… I'm not being executed?"»
Kirima's expression barely changed.
«Kirima: "Was that your main concern?"»
Naji considered it.
«Naji: "It seemed important. plus i did ask about food"»
For the first time, the corner of Kirima's mouth almost moved.
The door opened behind her. Two CDA operatives entered, their uniforms immaculate and their expressions unreadable. One approached Naji and unlocked the restraints around his wrists. The collar remained firmly around his neck. Naji slowly stood, rubbing one wrist. He could feel it immediately—the difference between being treated as a prisoner and being treated as a recruit was almost invisible. They were still watching every movement he made. Still keeping his abilities suppressed. Still making sure he couldn't become a threat. So I'm free… but not really. Naji glanced at Kirima. She seemed to understand the thought without him saying it.
«Naji: "Where are we going?"»
Kirima picked up her file.
«Kirima: "You're being transferred."»
«Naji: "Where?"»
«Kirima: "The CDA Academy for Trainees."»
Naji frowned slightly.
«Naji: "That sounds like school."»
Kirima turned toward the door.
«Kirima: "It is."»
Naji sighed.
«Naji: "I never liked school."»
Kirima stopped for half a second.
«Kirima: "You weren't particularly fond of being alive either, yet here you are."»
Naji stared at her back.
«Naji: "…That's a strange way to encourage someone."»
Kirima continued walking.
The operatives escorted Naji through the corridor while Kirima followed behind. As they passed through the security doors, Naji noticed the facility differently than before. Earlier, every hallway had felt like a prison. Now he could see something else beneath the security—the organization was enormous. There were people everywhere. Researchers. Medical personnel. Operatives. Mutants moving between departments. It was less like a prison and more like a machine that never stopped functioning. Naji quietly watched it all. What exactly did I just get myself into?
But before he could find an answer, Kirima stopped at an intersection.
«Kirima: "Take him to the aircraft."»
One operative nodded. Naji looked toward her.
«Naji: "You're not coming?"»
Kirima's eyes settled on him.
«Kirima: "I have something to handle first."»
She turned away. Naji watched her disappear down another corridor. He didn't know it yet, but the decision concerning his future had not been as simple as she had made it sound.
Several floors above, Kirima entered a quiet briefing room. The door sealed behind her. For a few seconds, there was nothing but silence. Then the lights dimmed. Blue holographic projections appeared around the circular table, revealing the faces of senior CDA officials from different locations. None of them were physically present. They had been waiting for her.
«Superior: "Kirima. We've reviewed the footage."»
Another projection followed immediately.
«Superior: "We've also reviewed your interrogation report."»
Kirima placed Naji's file on the table.
«Kirima: "Then you already know what I found."»
«Superior: "We know enough. That mutant is too dangerous."»
Another projection nodded.
«Superior: "An unidentified individual with an undocumented second awakening, abnormal perception, and multiple high-output techniques cannot simply be released."»
Kirima remained silent.
«Superior: "The safest option is elimination."»
Kirima finally looked up.
«Kirima: "Safest for whom?"»
The room paused.
«Superior: "For everyone."»
Kirima's expression remained perfectly composed.
«Kirima: "Then your proposal is based on fear, not evidence."»
The first superior's voice hardened.
«Superior: "We witnessed what he did. He stopped attacks without visible effort, crushed a target with gravitational force, launched another across a street, and produced an attack powerful enough to compromise containment equipment."»
Kirima nodded.
«Kirima: "Correct."»
«Superior: "Then why are you defending him?"»
Kirima folded her hands.
«Kirima: "I'm not defending him. I'm questioning your conclusion."»
She leaned slightly forward.
«Kirima: "If his objective had been to harm civilians, why did he spend the battle protecting them?"»
Nobody answered.
«Kirima: "If he intended to attack the CDA, why did he surrender once surrounded?"»
Still nothing.
«Kirima: "And if he's incapable of controlling his abilities, why did he demonstrate controlled output under interrogation?"»
Another projection spoke.
«Superior: "Control can be temporary."»
Kirima smiled faintly.
«Kirima: "So can fear."»
The official frowned. Kirima continued before he could respond.
«Kirima: "You want to kill him because you don't understand him. But if you kill him now, what have you learned?"»
Her eyes moved across the projections.
«Kirima: "Nothing. We lose the only living subject who has experienced this phenomenon firsthand."»
She tapped the file.
«Kirima: "A second awakening has never been documented by the CDA. His energy architecture is abnormal. His perception is abnormal. His abilities are abnormal. And instead of studying the anomaly, you want to destroy it."»
One of the holograms leaned forward.
«Superior: "That anomaly could become a disaster."»
Kirima's answer came without hesitation.
«Kirima: "Yes. It could."»
Her voice remained almost gentle.
«Kirima: "But so could every mutant currently sitting inside a CDA facility."»
The room went silent.
«Kirima: "The difference is that we know what most of them are capable of."»
She paused.
«Kirima: "We don't know what he is capable of."»
Her eyes sharpened.
«Kirima: "Which is precisely why killing him would be stupid."»
The discussion continued for several minutes. Every objection was met with an answer. Every proposed restriction already had a countermeasure. Every argument for elimination slowly collapsed beneath Kirima's reasoning. She never raised her voice. She never appeared frustrated. In fact, there was something almost unsettling about how calm she remained. Internally, she was enjoying herself. They came prepared to convince me. Her eyes briefly narrowed with amusement. They forgot to prepare for me.
Finally, one of the senior officials asked:
«Superior: "Then what exactly are you proposing?"»
Kirima leaned back.
«Kirima: "Naji Kang becomes a CDA trainee."»
Several projections reacted immediately.
«Superior: "Under whose supervision?"»
Kirima answered without hesitation.
«Kirima: "Mine."»
The room became still.
«Kirima: "He will be trained. His abilities will be monitored. His energy architecture will be studied. His restricted techniques will remain restricted."»
She paused.
«Kirima: "And if he becomes dangerous, the Third Division will deal with him."»
One official stared at her.
«Superior: "You're willing to take responsibility?"»
Kirima's smile was almost invisible.
«Kirima: "I already am."»
The debate ended not because everyone agreed with her, but because she had left them nowhere else to go. One by one, the holographic projections disappeared. The room returned to silence. Kirima stood alone beside the table, looking at Naji's file. Her composed expression finally loosened by the smallest amount.
«Kirima: "Interesting."»
Then a voice came from behind her.
«Rohan: "Your manipulation knows no bounds."»
Kirima didn't turn.
«Kirima: "You stayed."»
Rohan Matsu stepped into the room with his usual relaxed smile.
«Rohan: "I wanted to see whether they'd finally notice."»
«Kirima: "Notice what?"»
«Rohan: "That they haven't been making decisions for the last twenty minutes."»
Kirima finally looked at him.
«Kirima: "You talk too much."»
Rohan shrugged.
«Rohan: "You manipulate too much. We're even."»
Kirima picked up the file.
«Kirima: "You're escorting him."»
Rohan's smile widened.
«Rohan: "I knew there was a reason you called me."»
«Kirima: "Don't make me regret it."»
«Rohan: "Too late."»
He glanced toward the door.
«Rohan: "So that's the famous unidentified mutant?"»
Kirima's eyes narrowed slightly.
«Kirima: "He's Naji Kang."»
Rohan chuckled.
«Rohan: "You corrected me very quickly."»
«Kirima: "Because names matter."»
Rohan studied her for a moment.
«Rohan: "You really are interested in him."»
Kirima walked past him.
«Kirima: "I'm interested in unanswered questions."»
Rohan followed.
«Rohan: "That's what you call it?"»
«Kirima: "Yes."»
«Rohan: "Convenient."»
By the time they reached the aircraft bay, Naji was already waiting beside the transport. He looked from Kirima to Rohan.
«Naji: "who' is he?"»
Rohan smiled.
«Rohan: " not important kid, what is, is that We're escorting you."»
Naji glanced at the aircraft.
«Naji: "Am I supposed to be worried?"»
Rohan smiled.
«Rohan: "Only if you hate flying."»
Naji looked at him.
«Naji: "I don't know."»
Rohan blinked.
«Rohan: "You've never flown?"»
«Naji: "Not unless falling counts."»
Rohan laughed. Even Kirima's eyes seemed to soften for a fraction of a second. Naji stepped aboard. The aircraft doors closed behind them.
Once the aircraft rose into the sky, Naji sat beside the window. The city gradually disappeared beneath the clouds. Rohan sat opposite him, relaxed as though they were taking a casual trip instead of transporting one of the CDA's biggest unknowns.
«Rohan: "So, Naji, what do you think of the CDA so far?"»
Naji looked at him.
«Naji: "They shocked me."»
«Rohan: "Good or bad?"»
«Naji: "They shocked me."»
Rohan laughed.
«Rohan: "You're difficult to read."»
Naji looked back through the window.
«Naji: "People say that."»
Rohan glanced at Kirima.
«Rohan: "He's surprisingly calm."»
Kirima answered without looking up from her tablet.
«Kirima: "He's exhausted."»
Naji nodded.
«Naji: "That too."»
Rohan leaned forward.
«Rohan: "Do you understand what being a CDA trainee means?"»
Naji thought about it.
«Naji: "I get food?"»
Rohan stared at him.
«Rohan: "That's your first concern?"»
Naji shrugged.
«Naji: "It's important."»
Rohan laughed again.
«Rohan: "You're going to be interesting."»
Kirima finally looked up.
«Kirima: "Don't encourage him."»
«Rohan: "I'm not."»
Rohan smiled.
«Rohan: "I'm observing."»
Naji looked between them.
«Naji: "Are you always like this?"»
Kirima answered immediately.
«Kirima: "Unfortunately."»
Rohan placed a hand over his chest.
«Rohan: "That hurt."»
Naji almost smiled.
The aircraft continued toward its destination. Naji rested his head against the seat and watched the clouds. For the first time since his awakening, he wasn't moving because he was running from something. He was being taken somewhere because someone had decided he still had a future. He didn't know whether that future would be good. He didn't know what the CDA wanted from him. He didn't even know if he could trust Kirima. But beneath all those questions was something unfamiliar. Maybe I can start over. His eyes closed briefly. For once, the thought didn't feel impossible.
When the aircraft began descending, Rohan looked toward the window.
«Rohan: "There it is."»
Naji opened his eyes. Below them stood an enormous complex surrounded by reinforced walls and multiple defensive structures. Training fields stretched across the grounds. Towering buildings rose beyond them. Even from the air, Naji could sense countless energy signatures moving below. He stared silently.
Rohan smiled.
«Rohan: "Welcome to the CDA Academy for Trainees."»
Naji looked at the massive facility.
«Naji: "It's bigger than I expected."»
Kirima closed her tablet.
«Kirima: "You haven't seen anything yet."»
The aircraft descended toward the landing platform. Naji watched the academy grow larger through the glass. He could already see figures moving across the grounds below. Cadets. Instructors. Operatives. An entire world he knew nothing about waited beyond those walls. He touched the collar around his neck. Soon, he would have to learn how to live among people who possessed abilities like his own. Naji looked at his reflection in the window. His strange eyes stared back at him.
So this is where my life goes now?
The aircraft touched down.
The doors opened.
Naji stepped toward the unfamiliar world waiting beyond them.
And for the first time since he in his life, he wasn't entering somewhere as a survivor.
He was entering somewhere as a CDA trainee.
To Be Continued...