High above the chaotic sands, the observation deck offered a sterile contrast to the violence below.

  ?The automated doors slid apart. A procession of senior faculty stepped into the room. Low murmurs filled the space as the professors analyzed the recruits. Eventually, most eyes drifted toward the man sitting in the central chair.

  ?Cornelius stared down at the simulated skyscraper. His gaze lacked the cold arrogance typical of Council members. Instead, it carried a quiet warmth.

  ?"Careful, children," Cornelius murmured. A faint smile touched his lips as he watched Jordan’s squad struggle against the golems. "Ether always extracts a price. Don't burn yourselves out."

  ?"You show them too much mercy, Headmaster."

  ?Cornelius turned his head. Professor Elwyn, head of the Arcane Archives, stood beside Silas Vane. Both men looked visibly haggard.

  ?"Elwyn. It has been a while," Cornelius offered a polite nod. "Take a seat. The evaluations just started."

  ?"I lack the stomach for spectacles right now," Elwyn declined, leaning over the chair. His voice dropped to a frayed whisper. "I have a critical report. It is a matter of absolute security."

  ?The smile vanished from Cornelius’s face. "Explain."

  ?Elwyn swallowed hard. "Last night... someone opened the subterranean vault." He gripped the leather upholstery. "No forced entry. No wards tripped. The intruder bypassed the entire system. And they took the Eternus dossier."

  ?The Headmaster went completely still. The warmth in his eyes died, replaced by a chilling clarity.

  ?"Eternus," Cornelius repeated the name like a curse. "A bloodline eradicated twelve years ago. Why would anyone risk the Black Site for dead history?"

  ?"Security is investigating," Elwyn sighed. "That file contains the origin records of the first ether lines. If dissidents acquire it... or worse, someone trying to resurrect that House... the geopolitical fallout will be catastrophic."

  ?Cornelius didn't reply. He looked back through the reinforced glass, watching the teenagers fight for their futures on the sand.

  ?"I only hope," Cornelius said, his voice tightening, "that the shadows of our past do not fall on these kids."

  ?Down in the lobby, survival was measured in seconds.

  ?Valerie’s bladed boot slammed into a golem’s baton. Sparks showered across the concrete. She pivoted, driving her heel into the machine’s neck joint. Steel sheared. The golem collapsed.

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  ?Instantly, four more stepped over the wreckage to fill the gap.

  ?Her martial arts were flawless. Her physical conditioning was elite. But she was fighting a wall of solid iron, and her lungs were already burning.

  ?"Dammit! I can't break the line!" Valerie cursed, ducking an ether-bullet that scorched the air above her head. She tapped her earpiece. "Jordan! Raw kinetic force isn't denting them! We have thirty minutes before this building drops on our heads!"

  ?Behind the massive wall that was Brook, Jordan bobbed his head. Blood leaked from his nose, staining his shirt, but a manic grin split his face.

  ?"Heard you, Princess! You want the fast lane? J-Flow provides!"

  ?Jordan inhaled sharply. His chest expanded. He adjusted the dial on his headphones. The blue ether swirling around him tightened, vibrating with a frantic frequency. He dropped a new beat. It was vicious.

  ?"Yo! Clock is ticking, no time to wait!

  Shatter the chains, Val, annihilate!

  Speed times three, leave the metal in the dust!

  J-Flow commands it, turn the iron into rust!"

  ?A concussive wave of acoustic ether slammed directly into Valerie’s earpiece.

  ?Her body seized. The Toll demanded its payment immediately. Every nerve ending in her skin ignited. The ambient dust floating in the lobby felt like stinging acid against her face.

  ?But gravity lost its hold on her.

  ?"Perfect."

  ?Valerie’s eyes flared. She launched herself forward.

  ?She ceased being a person and became a blur of dark plum. She zig-zagged through the mechanical horde. Her bladed boots sheared through iron plating and severed hydraulic lines. She decapitated five golems in a single rotation.

  ?Machine heads clattered against the tile. Valerie carved a path composed of leaking oil and severed wiring, breaking out of the encirclement. She sprinted straight for the elevator shaft.

  ?"Path is clear! I'm going for the bomb!" she yelled over the comms, leaving Jordan and Brook to hold the ground floor.

  ?The projection screens displayed Valerie’s inhuman speed to the entire arena.

  ?The viewing stands sat in stunned silence.

  ?Ethan’s jaw hung open. He pointed a thick finger at the screen. "Are you kidding me? He’s spitting rhymes to make them punch harder?! That is insane!"

  ?Marcus leaned against the railing. He didn't yell, but he couldn't hide his shock. He watched the street-style rhythm perfectly dictate the flow of combat.

  ?"It is not merely a performance."

  ?Vanessa spoke up. Her green eyes narrowed, dissecting the footage with academic precision. "The rhythmic vocalizations are an acoustic medium. He is casting enhancement theory directly through sound waves."

  ?She pointed at Jordan’s face on the screen. He was still smiling, still rapping, but the blood flow from his nose had thickened.

  ?"Do you see the hemorrhage?" Vanessa looked at Marcus and Ethan. "That is merely the preliminary symptom."

  ?Marcus frowned, his survival instinct kicking in. "Preliminary? What's the rest of the bill?"

  ?"Forcing the human anatomy to operate at triple velocity, or compressing muscle mass to the density of iron... it violates foundational ether laws," Vanessa explained grimly. "If my analysis of his exchange ratio is correct..."

  ?She paused, watching Jordan gasp for air between verses.

  ?"...The moment his spell concludes, or the buff expires, Jordan will face the absolute deficit. He is going to absorb every ounce of physical fatigue, muscle tearing, and lactic acid from his teammates. He takes all their pain onto himself."

  ?Ethan swallowed hard.

  ?Marcus tightened his grip on the metal railing. The guy wasn't just an arrogant loudmouth. He was acting as the squad's shock absorber.

  ?"Makes sense," Marcus muttered, his voice dropping in respect. "That's why he's pushing Valerie to end it fast. If she takes too long... his engine is going to blow out."