The next morning, Gabriel woke to find his dormitory room empty. Marcus's bed was neatly made, his belongings still in place, but his roommate was nowhere to be seen.He's afraid, Umbrix observed quietly. Most humans would be.Gabriel sat up and looked at himself in the small mirror above his desk. He looked the same thin, ordinary, fifteen years old. But his eyes held something different now. Depth. Shadows that moved when the light caught them wrong.His uniform collar, which had glowed red for three years, now pulsed with steady blue light. Rank 156. The Academy had officially reclassified him overnight, placing him in the jumping straight to A-rank. Smart, Gabriel thought. Less dramatic, less likely to cause panic.Though after yesterday's display, he doubted anyone was fooled.They're managing the narratory, Echo said. Making your rise seem gradual rather than explosive.Gabriel dressed quickly and gathered his books. The hallways would be full of students heading to breakfast, a

Three days after Gabriel's revelation to Emma and Zara, the Federation came calling.Gabriel was in Advance combat theory when professor Hendrick was interrupted by a sharp knock on the classroom door. A woman in a crisp Federation uniform entered, her face professional neutral but her eyes sharp as knives. Behind her stood two guards in full tactical gear, their hands resting casually on weapons that hummed what contained magic.“Gabriel Stone,” the woman said, her voice carrying across the suddenly silent classroom. “You're to come with us immediately.” Every head turned towards Gabriel. He felt fifty pairs of eyes watching him, waiting to see if he would resist. The entities inside him stired with immediate alertness.Trouble, Umbrix said simply.Should we fight, Soulrender asked eagerly Absolutely not,Echo replied sharply. We co operate and observe. Learn what they want before deciding how to respond.Gabriel stood slowly, gathering his books. “Am I being arrested?”“You're bein

Two weeks after Commander Cross's interrogation, Gabriel's life had settled into a strange new rhythm. Classes during the day where students still avoided him. Training sessions in the abandoned basement at night where he learned to truly control his power. And secret meetings with Emma and Zara where they planned something that grew more dangerous with each padding day.Tonight's meeting felt different. Zara had sent an urgent message during lunch three quick taps on the table, their signal that something important had developed.Gabriel arrived at the study room to find Zara already there, her usual smile replaced by serious intensity. Emma arrived moments later, slightly out of breath from hurrying.“My mother came through,” Zara said without preamble, spreading papers across the table. “Full records in a holding facility two hours from here. Security protocols, staff schedules, and most importantly detailed information on the entity being held there.” Gabriel leaned forward, stud

Gabriel ran through the mountain forest with federation guards hunting him like an animal.His shoulder burned where Cross's bullet had torn through muscle and bone. Blood soaked his shirt and left a trail through the snow that even a child could follow. His breathing came in ragged gasps, and every step sent a fresh wave of pain through his body.You're losing too much blood, Umbrix warned. We need to stop and heal.Stopping means capture, Echo countered. Keep moving.Let me cut the wound closed, Soulrender suggested. Quick and effective.Gabriel stumbled over a root and barely caught himself against a tree. Behind him, the searchlights were getting closer, voices shouting coordinated to each other. They were coordinating the hunt, boxing him in"There!" someone shouted. "Blood trail leads northeast!”Gabriel changed direction, splashing through a half frozen stream to break the trail. The icy water shocked his system but also cleared his head slightly. He needed a plan beyond just r

Four hours until transfer. Gabriel lay on the cot, eyes closed, breathing steady. To the guards watching through the door slot, he appeared to be sleeping or perhaps resigned to his fate. Neither was true.The suppression field pulse every twelve seconds, Umbrix observed, their consciousness mapping the magical energy flowing through the walls. There's a brief moment of weakness during the transition.Twelve seconds isn't enough time to fully access our power, Echo said. We'd need to test thirty to manifest anything useful.Unless we don't try to fight the suppression, Gabriel thought. What if we work with it instead?Explain, all three entities said in unison.Gabriel's mind raced through the training sessions in the abandoned basement, remembering how Umbrix had taught him to weave shadow rather than create them. The suppression field didn't eliminate magic it dampened it, compressed it, force it down to manageable levels.What if we let the field compress our power, then release it