The lights came back wrong.
Too dim.
Too slow.
Aiden felt it immediately—the pressure behind his eyes, the subtle drag in the air. The System wasn't just observing anymore.
It was adjusting.
[ENVIRONMENT STABILIZING…]
[THREAT PARAMETERS UPDATED]
Kade didn't let go of Aiden's shoulder.
"Don't move yet," he muttered. "They're rewriting something."
Aiden smirked weakly. "Of course they are."
The observation chamber sealed with a heavy hiss.
The Evaluators stood behind reinforced glass now.
That alone said enough.
The man's voice came through the intercom—controlled, clipped.
"Aiden Vale. Effective immediately, you are removed from standard candidate evaluation."
Aiden tilted his head.
"Oh? Promoted already?"
The woman ignored the sarcasm.
"You are now classified as a Hostile Variable."
The words landed heavier than any punch.
[STATUS CHANGE CONFIRMED]
[HOSTILE VARIABLE DESIGNATION: ACTIVE]
[RESTRICTIONS APPLIED]
Aiden's chest burned—the mark pulsing once beneath his shirt.
Kade cursed under his breath.
"Damn it… they went that far."
Aiden exhaled slowly.
"So what does that mean? Kill-on-sight?"
The man paused.
"…Not yet."
That was worse.
"It means," the woman continued, "your future evaluations will occur under containment conditions."
The floor beneath Aiden vibrated.
Metal plates slid into place around the room—too thick, too precise.
[CONTAINMENT PROTOCOL INITIATED]
Aiden's smile faded.
"Yeah," he said quietly. "That tracks."
The System flickered again—hesitant.
[SUPPORT FUNCTIONS: LIMITED]
[RECOVERY RATE: REDUCED]
Kade stepped forward, voice sharp.
"You can't do this. He hasn't violated any core rules."
The man looked at him like he was naive.
"He violated assumption," he said. "That's worse."
Aiden felt something shift inside him—not power.
Resolve.
"Let me guess," Aiden said. "Special trial. No safety nets."
The woman met his gaze through the glass.
"Yes."
Aiden chuckled softly.
"Perfect."
A door opened on the far end of the chamber—dark, yawning, wrong.
No arena lighting.
No exit indicators.
Just a descending ramp.
[TRIAL TYPE: ADAPTIVE SUPPRESSION]
[OBJECTIVE: SURVIVE]
[FAILURE CONDITION: TERMINATION]
Kade's grip tightened.
"Aiden—"
Aiden peeled his hand away.
"If they're testing me," he said, eyes fixed on the darkness, "then I'm done being careful."
The mark on his chest pulsed again—once, slow, deliberate.
The System reacted late.
[WARNING: UNREGISTERED SIGNAL DETECTED]
The Evaluators stiffened.
"What was that?" the man snapped.
The woman's eyes widened slightly.
"…That wasn't us."
Aiden stepped toward the ramp.
"Guess I've got friends in low places."
He didn't look back.
The door sealed behind him.
The darkness swallowed him whole.
And somewhere deep beneath the academy,
something smiled.