Mu Chen barely slept. When the morning alarm finally went off, it felt like it was ringing from deep inside his bones. He splashed cold water on his face until his skin went numb, then got dressed quietly. He clipped on his badge and wiggled his fingers inside the black gloves Ye Fan had given him. The warmth was gone, but the memory of it lingered.
Lin Lan was waiting in the hallway, standing tall and composed, her tablet held like a shield at her chest. "Ready?" she asked. Mu Chen just nodded. "Yes."
They headed towards the institute wing. Mu Chen didn't look back; he didn't need to. He could feel Ye Fan behind them, not close enough to be an escort, but visible if someone were looking. A shadow at the edge of his vision, a presence in the air. Lin Lan noticed it too. Her mouth tightened, but she didn't turn her head.
The institute doors scanned them, a green light, a click, and they opened. The same woman from yesterday was there, a polite smile fixed on her face. "Lieutenant Mu Chen," she said. "This way."
Lin Lan stepped forward. "I'm his escort."
The woman's smile didn't waver. "Escort may wait outside."
Lin Lan's jaw clenched. "I have clearance."
"Updated clearance," the woman repeated. Mu Chen watched Lin Lan's grip tighten on her tablet. Her voice dropped. "Mu Chen. Same rules." He nodded. "I know." He followed the woman inside.
The test room was different this time. Not the cozy, dim room from before, or the sterile white interview room. This one was gray and clinical. A single chair sat in the center, a thin sensor band on a nearby table, and a screen on the wall displaying his name, badge number, and a large header: OUTPUT CONFIRMATION.
Dr. Qiu was there again, smiling as if they were just meeting for tea. "Good morning, Lieutenant Mu," he said. "Please sit." Mu Chen sat. Dr. Qiu placed the sensor band on the table. "This will read your output under simple tasks. No pain. No risk. No tricks." Mu Chen kept his face neutral. Dr. Qiu's smile widened, as if he relished being disbelieved.
"Before we start," Dr. Qiu continued, "we updated your file." Mu Chen's fingers tightened in his gloves. "Updated how?" Dr. Qiu tapped the screen. A file window popped up, mostly blacked out. Locked. Only a few lines were visible:
Guide class: C-class (provisional)
Recommended: further review
Notes: unusual stabilizing effect on A-class sentinel Ye Fan
Mu Chen's stomach dropped. It was written down. Not whispered, not hinted at. Written. Dr. Qiu watched his face intently, clearly waiting for fear or anger. Mu Chen gave him neither. "You locked the file," he said quietly. Dr. Qiu nodded, pleased. "For confidentiality." Mu Chen's voice remained calm. "For control." Dr. Qiu chuckled. "Control is safety, Lieutenant. Especially for guides." Mu Chen didn't reply.
Dr. Qiu picked up the sensor band. "We will begin. First task: produce a calming field at standard C-class level for thirty seconds." Mu Chen looked at the band. "How do you define C-class level?" Dr. Qiu smiled. "The band does." Mu Chen understood. They didn't want his class; they wanted his obedience. He slid his hands onto the sensor band, the cold metal meeting his gloves.
Dr. Qiu started the timer. Mu Chen breathed in slowly, letting his power rise just enough to register. A soft, thin calm, like turning down a radio a notch. Nothing more. The band beeped once. A line moved on the screen. Dr. Qiu watched it with the intensity of a gambler. "Good," he said. "Hold." Mu Chen held for thirty seconds.
The timer beeped. Dr. Qiu tapped again. "Second task: increase output by ten percent." Mu Chen kept his face impassive. "That's not C-class." Dr. Qiu smiled. "C-class is a range." Mu Chen said nothing, but he increased his output slightly. The line on the screen rose. Dr. Qiu's eyes brightened. "Third task," he announced. "Increase again." Mu Chen's stomach tightened. This was the push, the attempt to see where he'd draw the line. He breathed out, increasing his output a little more, still within what could be argued as upper C-class. The line rose again. Dr. Qiu leaned forward. "Very good. Again."
Mu Chen looked at him. "No." Dr. Qiu blinked. "No?" Mu Chen's voice stayed quiet and flat. "You asked for C-class confirmation. That is enough." Dr. Qiu's smile thinned. "Lieutenant Mu, refusal can be noted." Mu Chen met his gaze. "Then note it."
Silence fell over the gray room. Dr. Qiu stared at Mu Chen for a long moment, as if seeing him clearly for the first time. Then, leaning back, he spoke softly. "You really don't understand your position." Mu Chen's voice was simple. "I understand it perfectly." Dr. Qiu's smile returned, but it held no warmth. "If you refuse, we will request a pairing review. We will place you where you can be monitored safely." Something hard and cold settled in Mu Chen's chest. Anger, clean and quiet. He didn't raise his voice. "With who?" Dr. Qiu's eyes gleamed. "With someone compatible." Mu Chen stared at him. Dr. Qiu said the name as if it were already decided. "Ye Fan."
The room turned icy. Mu Chen's mind sharpened with a clarity that felt like ice. He understood the trap now. They didn't need to prove he wasn't C-class; they just needed to put him in a cage next to Ye Fan and call it a safety measure. Mu Chen forced his breathing to stay even. He lifted his hands off the sensor band and stood. Dr. Qiu raised his eyebrows. "Sit." Mu Chen looked at him. "My test is done." Dr. Qiu's smile remained fixed. "No. It isn't." Mu Chen's voice stayed calm. "Then you should have brought guards." The words were soft but landed like a blow. Dr. Qiu's eyes narrowed. A door opened behind Mu Chen.
He didn't turn. Lin Lan stepped in, her face tight, tablet raised. "Time," Lin Lan said. Dr. Qiu's smile became strained. "We were in the middle of—" Lin Lan cut him off. "Your approved slot is over." Dr. Qiu's eyes remained on Mu Chen. "We will continue another day." Mu Chen didn't answer. He walked out beside Lin Lan. Only when they were swallowed by the institute hallway did Mu Chen finally exhale. Lin Lan didn't look at him. "Did he push?" Mu Chen nodded. "Yes." Lin Lan's voice stayed flat. "And you refused." Mu Chen glanced at her. "Yes." Lin Lan finally looked at him, her eyes sharp. "Good."
They reached the final scanner door. Green. Click. Open. Back to the normal, cold base, back to cameras that didn't smile. Mu Chen stepped into the corridor and saw Ye Fan at the far end. Not standing close, not escorting. Just there. As if he'd been holding his breath the entire time. Ye Fan's eyes locked onto Mu Chen. Mu Chen felt that pull again, unnamed, unallowed, unsafe. Ye Fan took one step forward, then stopped, his jaw tight, remembering the rules. Mu Chen walked past Lin Lan and kept moving towards him anyway. He didn't stop close enough to touch, but close enough to feel warmth again.
Ye Fan's voice came out rough and low. "Did you hold?" Mu Chen nodded. "Yes." Ye Fan's eyes searched his face. "Did you break?" Mu Chen answered softly, "No." Ye Fan's shoulders relaxed by a fraction, and the relief in that small movement did something dangerous to Mu Chen's chest. Then Ye Fan said, quieter, "Good." Just one word. Simple. True. Mu Chen felt it more than he should have. Because in a base full of locked files and cold lights, Ye Fan's "good" felt like the closest thing to being chosen.