The door didn't open right away.
There was a brief pause after the man stepped forward, like something on the other side was checking before letting them in. Then a muted click followed, and the door slid inward with a low mechanical hum.
James stepped through first.
The room beyond wasn't what he expected. It wasn't empty—there were markings on the floor, reinforced walls, equipment built into the sides—but it felt… contained. Like everything inside it had a purpose, and none of it was meant for casual use.
The air itself felt heavier.
He slowed slightly, glancing around. "Yeah… this doesn't look like a place people come to mess around."
"No one does," the man replied as he walked in behind him. "Not here."
Mira followed, her eyes moving across the room in a quick, quiet sweep. She didn't say anything, but the way she adjusted her stance told James she'd picked up on the same thing.
This wasn't a training hall.
It was something else.
"Stand there," the man said, nodding toward a marked circle in the center.
James walked over, stopping just inside it. The markings weren't painted—they were carved into the surface, thin lines forming a pattern that almost seemed to shift if you looked at it too long.
He glanced back. "Before we start… you want to tell me what this is, or am I just figuring it out the hard way?"
The man moved toward a panel on the wall, pressing a few controls. A faint vibration ran through the floor.
"You showed interference earlier," he said. "This lets us see how far it goes."
"That's… still pretty vague."
"Yeah," the man replied. "It is."
Mira let out a quiet breath from the side. "They're not big on explanations. You'll notice that pretty quickly."
"Already did," James said. "Thought I'd try anyway."
A second door opened across the room.
James turned as someone stepped in.
He recognized him immediately—the same guy from earlier, the one who'd ended that spar without effort. Up close, the difference was clearer. He didn't look tense, didn't look like he was preparing for anything. Just… steady.
"That him?" he asked, glancing toward the man by the panel.
"Yeah."
The guy's attention shifted to James, taking him in properly this time. "You've been here, what, a few hours? And you've already got people watching you."
James shrugged faintly. "Wasn't really aiming for that."
"Yeah, it usually isn't on purpose," he said. "Still happens."
Mira pushed off the wall slightly. "Try not to shut him down too fast. We actually need to see how it works."
He glanced at her. "I'll try not to make it boring."
"That's not what I meant."
"I know."
James exhaled quietly, rolling his shoulders once. "You've got a name, or am I just guessing?"
"Ethan."
"James."
"Yeah, I figured."
There was a brief pause—not awkward, just the kind that came before something started.
Ethan stepped forward first, settling into position with an ease that made it look like he'd done this a hundred times.
"Alright," he said, glancing at James. "Let's see what this thing of yours actually does."
James didn't answer right away. He focused instead.
The faint buzz under his skin stirred, responding slowly. It wasn't something he could just switch on, not yet—but it was there. He could feel it, like something waiting just beneath the surface.
Ethan moved.
No hesitation.
James stepped in to meet him.
Their movements connected—
And the shift followed.
It wasn't sudden this time. It spread more naturally, like it had already been there and just needed the right moment to surface. A thin pressure settled into the space between them, subtle but unmistakable.
Ethan's next movement didn't stop.
But it slipped.
Just slightly.
His timing dragged by a fraction, enough to notice if you were looking for it.
"…Yeah," Ethan muttered under his breath. "There it is."
James didn't respond. He pushed forward instead, trying to hold onto that feeling before it disappeared again.
This time—
It didn't.
The pressure stayed.
Not strong, not overwhelming, but present. Like something invisible had settled into place around them.
Ethan adjusted quickly, tightening his movements, testing instead of committing. His next step was cleaner, more deliberate—
Still off.
Not by much.
But enough.
James felt it clearly now.
Not just between them.
Around him.
The space itself felt different, like it wasn't lining up the way it should.
He stepped in again—
And for a moment, everything clicked.
Then it snapped back.
Hard.
A sharp jolt shot through his arm, breaking his focus instantly. His grip faltered, his balance shifting just enough to force him back.
Ethan pulled away at the same time, creating distance.
"…Yeah, that's not normal," he said, flexing his hand once.
James exhaled, steadying himself. The pressure collapsed, pulling inward like it had never been there.
But he'd felt it.
Stronger this time.
"Go again," the man near the panel said.
James looked over at him. "You're just going to ignore that part?"
"We'll talk after. Keep going."
James let out a short breath. "Right. Of course."
Ethan reset his stance. "You good?"
"Yeah."
"Try not to lose it halfway through this time."
James gave him a look. "I'll do my best."
Mira spoke from the side, her tone lighter. "At least it's consistent now."
James glanced at her. "That's one way to describe it."
"Better than it going off randomly," she said.
He wasn't sure he agreed with that.
They moved again.
This time, James didn't wait for contact.
He focused on the feeling itself—on the way it had spread, the way it had stayed for that brief moment. He didn't force it, just pushed slightly, enough to bring it closer to the surface.
The air around him reacted.
Subtle.
But there.
Ethan stepped in—
And slowed.
Not by choice.
His movement dragged, like something unseen had caught it mid-motion.
His expression shifted, just slightly.
"…Okay," he said quietly. "That's new."
James felt it too.
Not just between them anymore.
Around him.
Thin. Unstable.
But wider.
For a brief moment, it held.
Then it collapsed again, snapping back just as abruptly as before.
The room went still.
Ethan stepped back, lowering his guard slightly. "That's going to be a problem."
"No," the man said as he stepped away from the panel. "That's going to be useful."
Mira tilted her head, watching James more closely now. "If he figures out how to control it."
James let out a quiet breath, still feeling the aftereffects. "Working on that."
The man approached them, stopping a few steps away.
"That's enough for today."
James frowned slightly. "That's it?"
"For now."
Didn't feel like a real answer.
Ethan shrugged lightly. "Works for me," he said, turning toward the exit. "I've seen enough."
Mira stepped closer this time, her attention still on James. "That drop—every time it snaps back—you feel it, right?"
"Yeah."
"That's going to slow you down," she said.
"I noticed."
She studied him for a second, then gave a small nod, like she'd decided something.
"Still," she added, "not bad for a first day."
James let out a quiet breath. "Second time I've heard that today."
"Maybe there's a reason."
"Maybe."
The man looked at him. "You'll be back tomorrow."
James met his gaze. "And if I'm not?"
There was a brief pause.
"Then we'll come get you."
Same tone.
No threat. No emphasis.
Just certainty.
James held his gaze for a second longer, then nodded once.
"…Yeah," he said quietly. "Figured as much."
Because at this point—
It wasn't really up to him anymore.