The first screen showed Elias's starting numbers in clean white text.
Strength 5, Speed 3, Intelligence 25, Endurance 25, Perception 2, Instinct 50.
The Doctor tapped the air with his cane, and the numbers shifted.
Strength 7, Speed 4, Intelligence 28, Endurance 38, Perception 3, Instinct 72.
Elias stared at the increase in instinct and the insult that was still his perception.
"That feels like improvement and humiliation at the same time."
"Accurate reading of the situation tonight," the Doctor said. "You survived because instinct carried you through gaps perception should have covered, which is useful once and dangerous as a habit."
A second screen opened over Dot.
Creationist skill profile. Conjure Object 1/5. Knowledge Recall 1/5. Energy Amplification 1/5. Construct Stability 1/5. One locked branch unavailable.
Dot reached toward the words and stopped before touching them.
"I have names for things I do not remember learning."
The Doctor's face softened for half a second.
"That will happen often, so do not chase every missing piece at once."
Elias looked from Dot to him. "Why is Dot so important here?"
The Doctor's hand tightened around the cane.
"If you fail and someone comes for her, do not let them take Dot. Not the government, not the rebels, and especially not the Anacraids."
The name made Dot shrink closer to Elias.
"Who are the Anacraids exactly, Doctor?" Elias asked.
"A consuming race that invades, studies, takes, and folds what it wants into itself. The attacks on Prime Planet were not random, because they came because of the cube, what it can lead them to, and because I failed to hide my work well enough."
Elias felt anger rise cleanly this time.
"So Prime was attacked because of your cube."
"Because of several mistakes, mine included. I created the cube and the Ikonas to harness soul energy and change a doomed situation, and I was late, desperate, and not in full control of what followed."
"That is not much comfort to the dead."
"No, it is not comfort at all," the Doctor said, then looked at Dot.
"A handful of Ikonas are structural pieces. If the wrong enemy captures them, entire paths open that should stay closed. Dot is one of those pieces. She is not only a companion. She is a key someone else may learn to turn."
Dot's voice came small. "I do not want to be a key."
"Then stay with someone who will treat you like a person."
Elias did not like how the Doctor looked at him when he said it.
The screen shifted again before Elias could ask more.
Requirement threshold: Strength 15, Speed 15, Intelligence 5, Endurance 10, Perception 12, Instinct 18.
Below threshold: Strength, Speed, Perception.
Penalty applied: reversed action response. Shard advancement withheld until correction or task completion.
Elias read it twice.
"Reversed action response means what exactly?"
"When you intend left, your body may move right. When your focus rises, it may drop. Reach too quickly, and your hand may betray the motion. You will function, but every simple task will require attention."
"That is insane as a punishment."
"It is corrective pressure, because you cannot keep surviving only after a mistake reaches your skin."
"Give him something possible to finish," Dot said. "He got thrown around enough today."
"I am giving him one, because if he completes a task before the next full cycle, the penalty ends early. He will also receive a small soul energy reward."
A final screen appeared.
Task: perform 200 push-ups, manifest 10 stable objects with Dot, and win one sparring match.
Elias almost laughed, but it came out wrong.
"You call that task possible tonight?"
"Possible is not the same as kind," the Doctor said.
Dot looked at the soul energy line. "The shard moves soul energy through him, then?"
"Close, because soul energy is everywhere and inert by itself. The shard gives it routes, the Ikona gives it shape, and the bearer gives it intent, though none of you are doing it cleanly yet."
Elias rubbed at his face. "I understand maybe half of that."
"Half is enough for tonight anyway," the Doctor said as his outline began to thin.
Elias stepped forward. "Why is my perception so low?"
The Doctor looked almost sad.
"You wait too long to read people, then ask instinct to rescue you. Watch smaller things like tone, breath, posture, hesitation, and hands. Low perception means the world warns you and you miss the warning, so learn faster."
Elias opened his mouth for another question.
The blue space collapsed.