The control room of Zarek Technologies buzzed with quiet intensity, screens casting cold light across the faces of those gathered. Evelyn Zarek stood with her arms crossed as footage of the rift echo simulation replayed for the sixth time—Lucian at its center, surrounded by swirling patterns of unstable energy, his body pulsing in perfect sync with the simulated rift.
"Pause there," Ava said, pointing to the timestamp.
The footage froze just as Lucian's energy spike intersected with the simulation's pulse. The rift echo blinked—once—then warped. A faint ripple disrupted the projection before it realigned and stabilized.
Quinn narrowed his eyes. "That wasn't part of the echo, was it?"
"No," Ava said. "That was Lucian. His resonance altered the signature. Briefly."
"It shouldn't be possible," Quinn replied. "There's no documented case of an Esper influencing a rift from outside its dimensional field."
Evelyn looked to Rowan, standing beside Lucian at the edge of the room. "You said you felt something during the session. Something not of him."
"I did," Rowan said. "It wasn't just Lucian's energy. It felt like... a tether. Something responded to him when I reached into the corruption. It wasn't human."
"During my guiding in the past," Quinn interjected, his tone clinical. "There was no such feedback. No external tether. I only felt Lucian."
That quiet statement filled the room with an even deeper silence.
Ava's brows drew together. "So Rowan's bond isn't just stabilizing Lucian. It's amplifying what he connects to."
Lucian folded his arms. "You're all talking like I'm a signal tower."
"You're more than that," Evelyn said. "You're a point of convergence. The rift didn't just affect you. It responded to you."
"And now what?" Lucian asked, voice low.
Evelyn turned to Rowan. "You stay close. Monitor his corruption. Observe his dreams. His resonance. His breathing patterns, if you have to."
Rowan blinked. "Are you asking me to—?"
"Move in with him," Evelyn said without hesitation. "At least for now. We need continuity in your bond. His stability might depend on it."
Lucian snorted. "Didn't know Zarek ran matchmaking services now."
Rowan elbowed him lightly. "You'll behave, or I'm redecorating your quarters with throw pillows."
"Monstrous," Lucian muttered.
Later that evening, the two stood in the corridor outside Lucian's quarters. Rowan carried a duffel bag over his shoulder, more amused than uncomfortable.
Lucian unlocked the door and gestured theatrically. "Welcome to the Den of Brooding."
Rowan stepped inside. The space was sparsely decorated—neutral tones, a cluttered desk, and a surprisingly clean couch. "Not as dark and moody as I expected."
"Give it time."
They settled into an easy rhythm, Rowan arranging his things in a side cabinet, Lucian flopped onto the couch. It was quiet. Companionable.
"Do you believe it?" Lucian asked suddenly. "That I'm tethered to the rifts?"
Rowan sat beside him. "I believe you've been altered by them. But I don't think that defines you."
Lucian didn't respond right away. But he nodded.
The next day, the team gathered in the main simulation chamber.
"New test," Quinn explained. "Based on yesterday's anomaly, we've reconstructed the exact pulse that triggered Lucian's external feedback."
Lucian stood at the center again, with Rowan at the interface.
"Same parameters," Evelyn instructed. "But if his levels rise beyond threshold, abort."
The simulation began.
Rowan's mind met Lucian's in the guiding link—and there it was again. That distant pressure. That other.
"Lucian," Rowan said quietly, "do you feel it?"
Lucian's brow furrowed. "Yeah. It's like... something leaning too close."
Outside the simulation, Quinn monitored data. "Corruption stable. Slight fluctuations."
Rowan focused, breathing in time with Lucian.
Then something changed. The simulated rift pulsed—and Lucian's power pulsed back.
"Abort!" Ava shouted.
The simulation ended. Lights flickered back. Rowan caught Lucian as he staggered.
"I'm fine," Lucian muttered. "I'm fine."
In the training arena later that afternoon, Lucian stood across from Ari Winters. Both were suited in light, reinforced armor. The energy between them crackled.
Rowan, Quinn, and Ava watched from the gallery above. Further back, quietly leaning against a railing, was a young man none of them had seen enter. He had ashen-silver mid length hair, sharp eyes with a pale-grey sheen, and an almost fragile presence. A faint sheen of corrosion-like residue clung to his gloves—subtle, but unmistakable. He said nothing, simply observing the match with unreadable intensity.
"First to land three solid hits," Quinn called. "Non-lethal force only."
Lucian cracked his knuckles. "Ready to get bruised, Ari?"
Ari grinned. "You say that every time, and I still walk away prettier."
The buzzer sounded.
Ari launched forward, fast and agile. Lucian parried, stepping back with perfect control. They exchanged blows—precision versus force, instinct versus discipline.
Ari twisted mid-air, landing a knee against Lucian's ribs. He caught her leg and swung her back, but she tucked and rolled, rebounding off the wall.
Lucian grinned. "You've gotten faster."
"You're just getting rusty."
The final exchange was electric. Ari used a burst of kinetic shock to disarm Lucian's balance. He absorbed the force, twisted behind her in a blur, and executed a sweeping strike that knocked her flat on her back.
Lucian stood over her, hand extended.
"Match point," Quinn announced and shuffled towards Ari.
Ari took Lucian's hand, laughing. "Okay, okay. You win this round." She placed her arm around Quinn's waist to steady herself.
"You say that like you'll get a rematch," Lucian teased.
"Count on it."
From the shadows, the quiet observer gave a subtle nod, his eyes briefly glowing as he noted Lucian's power fluctuations. He said nothing, and just as silently as he had appeared, he turned and walked away.
After training, the group found themselves back in the cafeteria. The mood was relaxed, tension replaced with banter and the clink of cutlery.
Ari sat next to Rowan, stealing fries from his plate.
Lucian returned with two drinks, sliding one toward Rowan without comment.
"What's this?" Rowan asked.
"Caffeinated lemon water. You looked like you needed hydration and judgment."
Rowan smirked. "You're getting soft."
"You're imagining things."
Ava and Evelyn joined them briefly. Quinn relaxed for once, cracking a smile at one of Ari's jokes about rift-fighting fashion.
It was the first time since the incident that they all felt like a team.
Later that night, Rowan stepped out onto the balcony attached to Lucian's quarters. Lucian followed, a blanket draped over his shoulders.
They didn't speak at first.
"I keep expecting it to all fall apart," Lucian said.
Rowan nodded. "Same. But it hasn't."
Lucian looked at him. "You sure you want to be stuck with me in here?"
Rowan met his gaze. "Lucian, if I thought this was just a job, I wouldn't still be here."
Lucian's expression softened. "I know."
They sat together, silence falling again—but this time, it was warm.
The kind of quiet only possible between people who had shared war and chosen to stay.