9 unease twisted in my stomach.
A figure stepped forward — part human, part living tech. Silver hair streaked with neon-blue filaments shimmered faintly, reflecting the arcs of energy overhead. Cybernetic lenses glowed softly, scanning every floating display. Holographic tattoos traced along his forearms, shifting with streams of schematics, while thin Aether filaments ran from his gloves to orbiting tools like obedient satellites.
"Kael," he said without looking up, voice calm but precise. Then his gaze landed on me — analyzing, measuring, noting. "And who's this?"
"She needs a suit check," Kael replied, nodding toward my gloves.
The technician gestured toward a large scanning platform rising from the floor like a translucent pedestal. "Step up."
I hesitated, feeling the lab's energy thrumming beneath my feet. Sparks leapt from my gloves, tiny but insistent. Kael's hand brushed mine briefly. "You'll be fine," he said, though I caught the tension in his eyes.
I placed my feet on the platform. Blue light swept over my body, scanning every inch of the suit. Sparks of Aetherflow twisted, dancing like living threads. The technician's brow furrowed, fingers flying over a holo-keyboard. Panels unfolded around him, projecting more lines of energy than I could comprehend.
"Where… where did you get this suit?" he asked.
"I…" Kael began, but I shook my head. "I don't know exactly."
The man's lenses glimmered, scanning again and again. Streams of glowing symbols traced patterns in the air, responding to the arcs of energy on my gloves. "It's… unlike anything I've ever seen. The energy lines aren't just circuits—they're alive. They react to her. Almost symbiotically."
"Alive?" Kael asked, voice low, concern creeping in.
The technician leaned closer, tracing the suit's conduits as if coaxing secrets. "It's synchronizing with her Aetherflow patterns. She isn't just wearing the suit — her body is conducting it. That's… extremely rare."
A chill ran down my spine. Sparks twisted and curled with my pulse. I could feel the energy — not just as danger, but as rhythm, flow, life. Fear rose. What if I can't control it? What if it kills me?
Kael's jaw tightened. "I've seen rare users before… but never like this."
The suit armature rose from the floor, wires and glowing conduits extending like electric tendrils, hovering beside me. A soft hum vibrated through the air as it aligned, scanning.
"Let's enhance your suit," the technician said, voice calm but sharp. "We'll synchronize it fully with your body. You won't just survive Aetherflow — you'll control it."
I hesitated. Sparks leapt higher, brushing the platform with soft hisses. A faint ripple ran through the lab — something outside the walls, maybe the city itself, reacting to the surge.
Kael's hand brushed mine again. "Ready?"
I nodded, pulse racing.
The armature activated. Glowing lines flowed from the suit into mine, weaving and threading like living wire. A surge of Aetherflow shot through me, electrifying every nerve. For a heartbeat, panic flared. I almost lost control. Sparks shot higher than ever — some arcs danced toward the relic in the corner.
It pulsed back. Faster. Stronger. Alive.
The technician's eyes widened. "That… wasn't supposed to happen. The relic is reacting to her."
I froze. Kael's voice was tight. "Don't… don't push it."
The relic pulsed again, light stuttering in erratic patterns, and somewhere, on a hidden holo-screen, a faint signal blinked — someone was watching.
My breath caught. Is it danger? Or curiosity?
I let the energy settle, sparks curling harmlessly around my gloves. The city reflected in each tiny arc — neon streets, sky highways, towering buildings — condensed into threads of energy spinning in my palms.
Kael's voice broke the trance. "You're ready… but not everyone will see that as a good thing."
The lights flickered. The relic pulsed again. The hum of drones and panels felt sharper, like the lab itself was aware of us.
And I knew, for the first time, that what I had just done wasn't just an upgrade — it was a signal. Something was waiting. Watching. And this was only the beginning.