Eve was officially released from the medical facility two days ter. Her energy levels had stabilized and seemed to have somewhat dissipated, yet the readings remained distinct enough to keep the department intrigued—and cautious.

  Courtney returned that morning to go over some details, she made it clear that, due to Eve's energy readings, enrolment in the Academy was mandatory for at least six months. The directive came from higher up, framed as the best fit for Eve's safety—and for those around her. It was, unofficially, also a way to monitor her more closely.

  Despite the undertone of surveilnce, Eve found herself leaning forward with interest. There was something exciting about the Academy—something that called to her in ways she couldn't expin, a pce she could get her questions answered. She was so swept up in all the changes and new information that she sometimes found it hard to remember that she had a life before this.

  Later that day, Eve was escorted by car to a facility on the outskirts of the glowing city. Towering trees bordered sleek white buildings that shimmered faintly under Terra's light. The pce looked like a cross between a university and a high-tech military base.

  She was first shown a modest apartment block, where she would be living. It was clean, modern, and surprisingly cosy. A government representative accompanied her throughout the process. People they passed on campus gave her mixed looks—some curious, others judgmental. Word must've already spread that she wasn't from this world. From what Eve had already been told and seen on the news, it seemed that only certain people in this world could wield the otherworldly energy—and those people typically came from elite bloodlines. Families in charge of government, military command, tech dynasties, and powerful institutions. To them, she was an outsider.

  Her induction began shortly after with a warm, slightly eccentric staff member who welcomed her with a kind smile and a sleek tablet in hand. They walked the halls of the Academy, weaving between study rooms, open atriums, and polished corridors humming with hidden tech.

  "You'll be pced into a schedule by the end of the week after we've run a few tests to see what your abilities are like and where you'd be best pced."

  The highlight of her tour was the state-of-the-art combat facility. Towering windows let in waves of light across gleaming floors. Training zones were divided by translucent walls, and inside one, Eve saw a group of students mid-exercise.

  They were incredible.

  With fwless grace, they moved as one unit—leaping, striking, energy radiating from their bodies in bursts of color and force. Fmes licked through the air. Lightning cracked across the ground. Eve could feel it—the raw charge of their abilities stirring something deep inside her.

  After observing the session, she was led into a high-tech testing room nearby. Part of the room was divided by the same kind of transparent energy barriers she had seen on the combat floor.

  The attendant directed her into the enclosed space and carefully fitted her with a sleek bracelet and colr.

  "These will monitor your vitals and energy fluctuations," the attendant expined calmly.

  As Eve stepped inside the zone, more staff gathered on the outside to observe.

  A digital target appeared across the room.

  "Hit the target," someone instructed.

  Eve blinked. "With what?"

  "Use your energy," came the reply.

  She turned slightly, bewildered. "How do I do that?"

  The familiar woman from earlier smiled gently and stepped closer to guide her.

  "Just focus. Aim at the target. And see what happens..."

  Eve felt a sudden wave of nervousness rise inside her. She took a steadying breath and closed her eyes, reaching inward. There was something there—something she'd never felt in her previous life. As she exhaled, a surge of energy sparked from deep within, crawling up her arms and down to her fingertips.

  In a moment of instinct, she raised her hand toward the glowing target. A jolt of raw energy sparked from her palm—moderately powerful but cking precision. The bolt of blue lightning veered off course, missing the target entirely and striking the barrier instead, which cracked with a jarring hum and flickered under the sudden impact.

  Before she could even process what had happened, her knees buckled. She colpsed to the floor, gasping. The colr around her neck lit up and began to emit a low, pulsing shock that sent pain shooting through her body. She cwed at it in a panic, feeling as if she were suffocating.

  Attendants rushed in.

  "It's okay!" one of them said urgently. "Just standard precautionary measures. It's reguting the surge—hold on."

  The pain dulled, then ceased, as someone adjusted the settings. Eve was gently helped to her feet, her body trembling.

  "Your output of energy is more than we anticipated from someone who crossed through a portal here," another technician said, studying her vitals. "But the ck of control triggered the suppression system. You're not stable yet."

  They guided her to a nearby bench where two staff members began analysing data on their tablets, fingers flying across the screens. They worked quickly to recalibrate the colr and bracelet to suppress any further bursts.

  "We'll need to limit your output for now," someone muttered. "Until you learn to control it."

  After another hour or so of testing, Courtney caught up with Eve again. She walked her back to her apartment and expined that she would be paired with a mentor the following day to begin her training and csses. Given the ck of control seen earlier, they were keen to get Eve started at the Academy as soon as possible.

  As Courtney was seeing Eve off at her front door, she added one more thing, handing Eve a sleek tablet and a phone. "As standard for anyone traveling here from another world, you've been given some starter credits to help you adjust until you begin earning your own income. Since you'll be training at Aegis Academy, you'll have the opportunity to take on duties with our security teams when you're ready to earn more."

  She smiled warmly. "We hope the amount is compensatory enough to get you started in this new world. I can't imagine how hard it must be to rebuild your life from scratch in a completely unfamiliar pce. You can start by buying some clothes and furniture for your apartment—I've already linked some options to your tablet. If you order tonight, they can be delivered tomorrow."

  Courtney tapped Eve's phone. "I also loaded a travel pass valid for the next year so you can get around and explore. Oh—and one more thing. Your personal effects from when you arrived have been pced inside."

  With that, she gave a gentle goodbye and departed.

  Eve was now alone in her new apartment. She looked around a bit more—it was nice. She had everything she needed. But it still didn't feel real that this was hers. That this was her life now.

  Her chest felt heavy as she picked up her original phone. It still worked, but there was no signal. She stared at the lock screen—a picture of her and Derrick smiling at a park. A fissure of rage cracked through her. Without hesitation, she turned the phone off and set it aside.

  She turned her attention to the new devices she'd been given. Following Courtney's links, she began ordering a few items for herself—trying to forget everything from before.