The sterile white walls of the Veyron Hospital ward were a stark contrast to the chaotic purple sky Kaelen had seen during the breach.
As the healing nanites in his bed worked to repair the microscopic tears in his nervous system, a group gathered around his holographic display.
It wasn't just his parents and Mina. Two investigators from the Core Security Bureau (CSB) stood at the foot of the bed, their uniforms dark and sharp.
The Black Market Deal
"You did something very brave, and very reckless," one of the investigators said, tapping a command onto his wrist-link.
A 3D map of the Capital appeared in the air, highlighting the jagged energy spike from Lane 4.
Mina's father leaned in, his brow furrowed. "How did a group of pirates get past the City AI? The Aurelian Singularity's grid should have detected a portal that size instantly."
"They didn't just 'open' a hole," the investigator explained. "They had help from the inside."
"A pirate syndicate known as the Void-Reapers provided the Orcs with a Federation-grade cloaking frequency."
"In exchange, the Orcs brought something the pirates couldn't get anywhere else: Star-Iron."
Why the Breach Happened
The investigator explained the mechanics of the crime. The pirates weren't trying to start a war; they were running a high-stakes trade.
The Resource: Star-Iron is a mineral found only in the low level universes where Orcs live.
It has a unique property: it can absorb and neutralize the energy of a Level 100+ Ribbon thread.
The Motive: For pirates, Star-Iron is the ultimate tool. A bullet or blade coated in this mineral can cut through a Loom Phase shield like a hot knife through butter.
The Failure: The pirates used a Frequency Jammer to mimic the city's background radiation.
This created a "blind spot" in the AI's vision. To the AI, the alley looked perfectly normal, even as the Orcs were stepping through the portal.
"They chose that specific alley because it sits on a ley-line of the artificial sun's power grid," Lyra added, her voice professional yet tinged with a mother's worry.
"The pirates needed that extra juice to stabilize a portal for creatures as heavy as Orcs."
The Radical Truth
Kaelen sat up, his chest still tight. "So the Orcs weren't just looting for food. They were being used as miners."
"Exactly," Alrin said, his voice dropping to a low growl. "The pirates wanted the iron to build weapons against the Federation."
"If you hadn't disrupted that portal, Kaelen, they would have finished the shipment and vanished."
"Because you stalled them, the energy spike became too large for the jammer to hide. That's when the AI finally saw them."
The investigator looked at Kaelen with newfound respect.
"Your 'overdraw' didn't just close the door; it caused a feedback loop that fried the pirates' cloaking device. You didn't just fight; you broke their machine."
The Cost of Potential
Once the investigators left, the room went quiet. Kaelen looked at his hands, which were still trembling slightly from the neural strain.
"They're going to keep coming, aren't they?" Kaelen asked his father. "The pirates, the looters... the system has gaps."
"There are always gaps where there is greed," Alrin replied. He sat on the edge of the bed, his presence grounding the room.
"This is why the second year is different. You saw it today—your mind was ready to fight, but your body can support only so much."
"Your Thread is growing faster than your physical frame can handle."
Lyra checked the monitors one last time, her eyes scanning the fluctuating graphs of his energy output.
"His Level is spiking, Alrin. The stress of the fight pushed his core to adapt. He's nearing Level 25 already."
"Then we start the Body Hardening early," Alrin decided.
"No more libraries for a while, Kael. Next year, you're going to learn how to turn your skin into armor."
"Because next time, the Mecha might not arrive in time to save you."
As the golden light of the Capital's sun began to set, Kaelen felt a new kind of resolve.
The pirates had shown him that the galaxy was a chess board—and he was tired of being just a piece.