January brought the annual winter break and unexpected visitors.Carter had remained at Star Academy during the holiday closure, as usual. His family was in Brooklyn. His teammates had scattered to their various homes and obligations. The campus was quiet, nearly empty, its reduced population consisting of international students, research staff, and those with nowhere else to go.He was training alone in the competition facility when Omar appeared."I thought you were visiting your family," Carter said."I was. I returned early." Omar's expression was unusually serious. "My analysis of Grace family strategic partner documentation has produced concerning conclusions. I require your attention."Carter paused his training. "What kind of conclusions?"Omar spread documents across the training floor. Financial records, corporate filings, government procurement contracts, personnel assignments. His analysis was characteristically thorough."The Grace family's strategic partners are not mere

The investigation took three days.Carter remained in the Grace family medical suite, isolated from external contact except for Dr. Chen's monitoring visits and Reginald's brief updates. His Protocol remained stable but subdued, its Tier 5 indicators fluctuating without resolution.The attackers had been identified as independent contractors with prior military service, employed through a series of shell companies ultimately traced to a corporate research competitor. Their objective had been capture and extraction, not elimination. Carter's lethal response had not been anticipated."The competitor's neural interface program has been significantly delayed by this incident," Reginald reported. "Their security contractor's failure resulted in termination of their research partnership and withdrawal of investment funding."Carter absorbed this information without response."Your value to the Grace family has increased substantially. Your demonstrated combat effectiveness against trained m

July brought heat and the annual pre-competition training intensification.Carter threw himself into preparation with obsessive determination. His hesitation duration continued its slow, incremental decrease. His offensive capability continued its gradual, incomplete development. His team coordination value remained significant.Victor observed his progress without comment. Colonel Chen adjusted his training protocols with clinical precision. Omar monitored threat indicators with analytical detachment.Carter trained.He trained because training was controllable. Training had predictable inputs and measurable outputs. Training did not require him to confront the psychological complexity of his kill or the strategic implications of his value or the existential uncertainty of his identity.He trained because training was easier than thinking.But thinking was unavoidable.Dr. Chen's quarterly evaluation forced confrontation with his psychological state."Your dissociation has decreased

March arrived cold and gray.Carter woke on the first day of the month to find his enhancement displaying a new notification.TIER 5 FUNCTION UNLOCKED: IDENTITY ANCHORABILITY: MAINTAIN COGNITIVE CONTINUITY UNDER EXTREME PSYCHOLOGICAL STRESSCOST: 1 POWER POINT PER HOUR OF ACTIVE MAINTENANCEEFFECT: PRESERVES ACCESS TO AUTHENTIC MEMORIES, VALUES, AND SELF-CONCEPT DURING PERIODS OF IDENTITY DISRUPTION OR PERFORMATIVE EXTENSIONWARNING: THIS FUNCTION REQUIRES ESTABLISHED BASELINE OF AUTHENTIC SELF-KNOWLEDGEWARNING: THIS FUNCTION CANNOT COMPENSATE FOR ABSENT OR UNDERDEVELOPED IDENTITY FOUNDATIONCarter stared at the notification.Identity Anchor.The Protocol had evolved to help him remain himself.Not through external capabilities or enhanced performance. Through internal preservation of his authentic memories, values, self-concept.The Protocol was preparing to help him survive sixteen years of impersonation without losing himself completely.He didn't know if his identity foundation

August brought heat and the annual pre-competition training intensification.Carter trained with obsessive determination. His hesitation duration stabilized at 0.5 seconds. His offensive capability remained limited but increasingly accessible. His defensive specialization continued its evolution toward near-impregnability.Victor's assessments became marginally less critical. "Your individual combat progression remains suboptimal but no longer deficient. Your team coordination value remains significant. Your overall contribution to team objectives is adequate."Carter accepted the assessments without comment.His Identity Anchor remained active at low intensity, preserving his authentic self-concept through the extended performance demands of training and competition preparation. His journal documented his continued self-exploration.*August 8. Fifteen years minus twelve years, ten months.**I dreamed about my mother again. Not the cancer, not the hospital, not her funeral. Earlier. S