Kalazan clapped his hands together with genuine enthusiasm. “Excellent! Now, let’s see what you two can do.”

  Nate and Yoli exchanged a quick glance, a mix of nerves and excitement flickering between them.

  Kalazan turned and gestured to the door he had entered from earlier. “Right this way.”

  They followed him into a much larger chamber. The moment they crossed the threshold, the surroundings completely shifted in tone. The room was expansive and pristine with sleek white panels covering the floor, ceiling, and walls. The environment inside was almost sterile, like stepping into a high-end surgical theater crossed with a futuristic dojo.

  Kalazan spread his arms wide, “This is my training room.”

  Yoli raised her eyebrows, her eyes scanning the blank expanse. “Looks like someone cleaned out a hospital.”

  Kalazan chuckled. “I discovered, over my years of service, that most people want to jump straight into testing their abilities the moment they attune. So I had this scenario chamber custom built. State-of-the art, fully configurable. It only appears to be empty.”

  “Uh, yeah, I noticed." Nate said, glancing around. “Kind of anticlimactic.”

  “Hah! Just give me a moment.” A soft whir came from the floor in front of Kalazan as a panel silently slid upward. A small pedestal emerged from the floor and was holding a large modified link-style device and two white square patches sealed in translucent backing paper. Kalazan retrieved them and crossed the room, handing one patch each to Nate and Yoli.

  “These are temporary implants. Strip off the backing and stick them to yourself. Anywhere is fine, though I recommend the upper arm for comfort.”

  Nate and Yoli followed his instructions. The moment the patch adhered to Nate’s skin his vision flickered. A flash of white engulfed the edges of his sight, and then a translucent loading bar appeared in the center of his field of view.

  “These are lite versions of a full link interface." Kalazan explained, watching them closely. “I had them specially made to suit my teaching style. In a moment, you’ll start seeing a few things in your vision. First should be a green status bar along the bottom. Then a setup window.”

  As he spoke, exactly that happened. Nate blinked as a transparent green bar stretched across the bottom of his vision. A semi-opaque settings window appeared in the center, labeled “Initial Configuration.".

  “When it appears, just think of yourself tapping the close button in the top right corner the same way you would on your link.”

  Nate focused on the small ‘X’ in the top corner of the window. His hand instinctively moved to touch the button and as he did, the interface responded instantly, vanishing from view as if responding to his attempt to touch it.

  Yoli smirked at him from the side. “You look like you’re trying to wave away a fly.”

  Kalazan continued, “Now, in the top-left corner of your vision, you should see three horizontal lines, this is your menu. Access that menu, then select Abilities.”

  Nate thought about it and sure enough a new translucent black-paneled window appeared labeled “Abilities.” Two lines were listed beneath it.

  Repulsion Shield– Manifest a small field of gravity anywhere on your body that forcefully deflects anything attempting to breach it.

  Warp Step– Fold time and space to your will and instantly move from one point in space to another.

  “I got a shield and I can teleport!” Nate shouted, grinning. “I can teleport!” Nate shouted, nearly bouncing in place. “I can freakin’ teleport!”

  Kalazan burst out laughing, deep and full-hearted. “Ah! This is why I do what I do. And you, Yoli?”

  Yoli’s brow furrowed slightly as she scrolled. "Mending. Says I can heal minor injuries in an instant. The other one is Calm Mind. Says I can produce an aroma when I touch someone that induces a calming effect… matched to the receiver."

  Dalma entered the room silently as the two were exploring the interface and learning about the new abilities. She raised an eyebrow, then smirked. “Perhaps you should use that on your brother." she said, glancing at Nate who was now grinning so wide, his face looked like it might split in half.

  “Didn't I say he was going to be impossible after this?” Yoli muttered.

  Kalazan noticed a subtle shift in Yoli’s posture. Her shoulders dropped slightly, her gaze lingered on Nate just a little too long. “What’s on your mind, child?” he asked gently, tilting his head.

  Yoli shrugged, offering a small smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “I guess… I kinda wanted something that could hit back.”

  Kalazan chuckled softly. “You still have your fists and feet, don’t you? Why would someone so dedicated to healing, want to hurt? Deep down your true desires manifested these abilities.”

  “Yeah." Yoli said, kicking at the floor lightly, “but it’s not like I can teleport or defend myself.”

  Kalazan flashed a smile that showed his years of wisdom. “The universe has a way of giving us what we need, not always what we want. I assure you, you’ll find satisfaction in what you’re able to do. Why don’t we try it out?”

  He raised his hand, palm facing up. From the center of his palm, a thick green vine began to slither out and coil around his wrist, snaking its way up his arm like a living rope. Once it reached his shoulder, the vine went slack, slipping off in a single fluid motion. Kalazan caught one end of it as it fell and snapped his wrist sharply.

  CRACK!

  The vine lashed across Nate’s lower leg.

  “OW what the hell was that?!” Nate yelped, stumbling back and clutching his shin.

  Yoli gasped. “Are you serious right now?”

  Kalazan remained calm, folding his hands behind his back. “Yoli, go help your brother. Ease his pain. It’ll take a little practice, but walk over to him… and will him to be calm.”

  Nate was now sitting on the floor, groaning as he rubbed his leg. Yoli hurried over, crouching beside him and placing a steady hand on his shoulder. She exhaled, focusing. Her pores started to tingle across the entirety of her body and a familiar smell filled the surrounding air. To her surprise, Nate’s breathing began to slow. His tensed shoulders relaxed. He blinked, looking up at her with mild confusion.

  “That’s… actually helping.” He muttered.

  “Now, try healing the bruise.” Kalazan instructed.

  Yoli nodded, rolling up the pant leg over Nate’s shin. A bright red welt was already forming.

  You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

  “You must will it to become whole.” Kalazan added.

  Yoli closed her eyes and concentrated. She thought back to her time at medical school. Those long nights during her clinical rotations, icing minor sprains at the instant-care clinics. She imagined cooling the skin, easing the inflammation, restoring balance. She placed her hand gently over the mark. Her hand glowed with the softest shade of green, almost imperceptible, the tingling feeling she felt earlier was now focused in her hand. To both their astonishment, the redness began to fade. In seconds, the swelling subsided, and the pain melted away from Nate’s expression. They stared at each other in awe.

  “Smell." Kalazan nudged them with a whisper. “Nathan, I believe your sister’s ability is tied to scent. What did it remind you of?”

  Nate hesitated, his voice soft. “Mom’s marinara… and Charlie’s fur after we've been around the park for a bit.”

  Then it hit him, he had to will his ability to manifest. “MY TURN!”

  In a blink, he vanished, leaving behind a swirling ripple in the air like someone had thrown a pebble into the fabric of space. An instant later, he reappeared beside Kalazan, who looked down at him, clearly delighted.

  “Very good!” Kalazan grinned. “Let’s see what your other ability can do.”

  He raised his palm once more, and the vine whip retracted into his hand like a tape measure snapping shut. Then, he turned his palm to the ceiling. A hatch opened above, and from it descended a menacing gun turret with blinking lights and a quiet mechanical hum.

  “Uhhh…” Nate said, eyes wide.

  “This won’t hurt you." Kalazan assured, his tone light and far too amused, “but if you don’t block the rubber balls it fires… it won’t feel great either.”

  The turret locked onto Nate and with a loud thunk fired a rubber ball rocketing straight toward his chest. Nate warped away in a flash, just as the projectile tore through the space he had occupied.

  The turret swiveled with a sharp mechanical whir, instantly locking onto Nate’s new position. Without hesitation, it fired again.

  Nate instinctively threw his hands up to shield his face, flinching as the rubber ball rocketed toward him. He braced for impact then… nothing. Instead, he heard a distinct boing sound as the ball bounced harmlessly against the far wall.

  Cautiously, he opened one eye. Hovering in front of his palms was a black disc with a white glowing outline, about the size of a small pizza. It rippled gently, like a still water pool disturbed by a stone being thrown in, similar to what was left behind by his teleport ability. Nate stared at it, wide-eyed, watching the ripples dissolve into nothing as he lowered his hands. The disc faded into the air, leaving no trace behind. His jaw dropped. Across the room, Yoli’s eyes were bulging. She looked like she was about to leap out of her own skin.

  Kalazan’s voice rang out, gleeful and loud. “AGAIN!”

  Thump! Another shot fired.

  Nate didn’t flinch this time. He moved fluidly, sliding his hand into the ball’s path. A second later, the projectile collided with the shield and launched away, ricocheting like it had hit a spring-loaded surface, arcing across the chamber before slapping into a far wall with less force than before.

  Kalazan stepped forward, eyes glittering with curiosity. “Nathan? Will you try something for me?” He called.

  He raised a finger, and a rubber dummy descended from the ceiling, suspended by thin wires. It dangled lightly a few feet away from Nate.

  “Hit it." Kalazan instructed. “Just a normal punch.”

  Nate stepped up, planted his feet, and let a casual jab fly.

  The dummy rocked back on its cords, swaying gently. It wasn’t nothing, he’d clearly made contact but the hit barely ruffled the thing. His knuckles tingled with mild soreness, but it wasn’t nearly as bad as that vine-whip sting earlier.

  “Now power your fist. Think about the soreness in your hand, and will it to not happen again as you make contact with the dummy.”

  Nate nodded, cracking his neck. He turned back to the dummy, narrowed his eyes, and pictured his obnoxious boss’s smug face pasted onto its squishy rubber head. He swung.

  As his fist traveled through the air, a black vapor bloomed around his arm like ink spreading in water. The space behind his knuckles seemed to bend and ripple, a swirling distortion left in the wake of his motion, like his hand had passed through a curtain stitched from raw space-time.

  His fist connected with the dummy’s face, and the result was explosive. The dummy tore free from its suspension lines, sailing backward like it had been launched from a cannon. It tumbled end over end, bouncing across the chamber floor before coming to a stop a good fifteen feet away.

  Nate slowly opened his hand. The black aura dissipated, fading from his skin like steam.

  He turned back to Kalazan, wide-eyed. “That… was awesome.”

  Kalazan simply smiled, hands behind his back like a proud teacher. “Just as I expected.”

  He turned, beginning to pace slowly as he spoke. “I checked the Dex for information on your specific ability, Nathan, and found nothing. As you’ll quickly learn, most of the entries regarding your abilities are vague, untested, blank or not even listed.” Kalazan paused and looked Nate directly in the eye. “You’re going to write a portion of the book on these abilities, Nathan, if you choose to of course.”

  He turned back toward the center of the room and gestured to the small white patches still adhered to Nate and Yoli’s arms. “Now, an important thing to remember: those patches, or with implants in general should you ever choose to get them, can offer insight into your abilities because they’re made by those attuned to Connection.”

  “These patches and implants were made to read the signature of your attunement and interpret what it's become. That’s how the interface knows what your ability is and what it can do. Without a Connection enhanced implant, you’d have to discover it the old-fashioned way: through pain, error, and guesswork.”

  Yoli raised a brow. “So it’s basically magic reading magic?”

  Kalazan chuckled. “That’s the best explanation the Intelligence Consortium’s ever come up with. They call it the “Arcane Thread", some intrinsic magical connection between all the cosmic powers. No one fully understands it. Skilled fabricators, those attuned to Connection, have found ways to use that thread to create incredible things. Tools, Weapons, and more.”

  He stopped pacing, realizing he was on the edge of rambling. “But I digress. The point is this: because your interface was crafted using a Connection gem, it can interpret your soul gem and give you an initial understanding of your abilities.”

  Nate looked down at his hand, flexing it slowly. “So... that’s why I know what it does. Why I saw the name ‘shield’ instead of just guessing.”

  “Exactly." Kalazan confirmed. “But here’s the catch: pay attention to the wording. At first glance, “shield," sounds like a defensive move. A shield. But as you just demonstrated, it can just as easily be used for offense. Intercepting, deflecting, even redirecting force.”

  He gestured with his hand again, mimicking the flick of his vine whip. “As I showed you earlier, intent matters. You need to focus. Your ability only works when you want it to and when your mind is clear on what you want it to do.”

  He folded his arms, gaze distant for a moment. “I mentioned earlier that your attunement to the Void gem seemed... fated. Several events came together to make it possible. One of those was the return of an old friend, someone Hal and I both know very well.”

  Kalazan turned back to face Nate directly. “He’s the only person I’ve ever met who’s attuned to Void from a long-standing patriarchal tradition in his culture. His knowledge of the Void gem is unparalleled. More importantly, he’s the only one I trust to train you further.”

  He looked at Yoli. “He’ll train you as well. He’s brilliant, especially when it comes to unconventional thinking. He’ll help you see past the surface of your abilities, help you unlock what they’re really capable of. No two attuned are alike, and with the number of affinity combinations out there… you can’t even begin to count the possibilities.”

  Kalazan smiled again, faintly nostalgic. “He’ll get you both ready physically and mentally for the Contractor Academy.”

  Nate took a step forward, his voice steady and clear. “When can I meet him?”

  “Soon enough." Kalazan replied with a wry smile. “He’s a bit of a hermit. Doesn’t answer his link quickly and keeps it stored somewhere far from where he actually is. Old habits, old suspicions. But don’t worry, we’ll get in touch. And when we do, he will train you.”

  He held his hands out like he just finished some sort of presentation. “Now! What an exciting day we’ve had, wouldn’t you say?”

  He looked between the two of them with something close to wonder in his expression. “It’s been decades since I’ve seen a Void user in action. And you, Yoli, you may not realize it yet, but you're on the verge of ushering in a new era of healing on your world. Something far beyond syringes and scalpels.”

  Yoli smiled, a glimmer of hope shining through the self-doubt she hadn’t quite shaken. Compared to Nate’s flashy abilities hers had felt underwhelming… but Kalazan’s words made her heart swell with purpose. Maybe her abilities were a bigger deal than they seemed.

  “Thank you, Kalazan." Nate stepped forward closer to Kalazan. His voice was quiet but sincere.

  Kalazan gave a small bow and a kind almost Fatherly smile. “The universe weaves strange threads my friends. I’m honored to have witnessed this moment in yours.”

  Dalma gestured toward the hallway. “If you’ll follow me Mr. Kalazan has another appointment arriving shortly.”

  Nate and Yoli both gave a polite wave as they turned to leave, following Dalma back through the polished corridor toward the lobby. The pleasantry was a polite gesture they both gave, as if the day hadn't changed them completely. Whether they realized it fully or not, their future was beginning to take shape.