"Your powers are known now," Jade said, pulling up security footage on the holographic display.
It showed Kínitos fighting in The Stack—purple suit glowing, moving with impossible speed, standing immovable against attacks, his fist tearing through a zombie with unstoppable force.
"Multiple cameras witnessed you using at least three distinct paradox abilities. Immovability. Speed. Unstoppable momentum. That's… unusual. For someone at your level"
Dante leaned forward in his seat, suddenly very interested. "Ohhhhh, make sense why he's an unbound"
Jade tapped the display, and the footage disappeared. "I wiped the tapes. All of them. Building security, street cameras, everything within a three-block radius." He looked at Kínitos. "No one knows your ability. Not the Saint Patro. Not the man in white. And we're keeping it that way."
"Wait," Vex said. "You wiped everything? How did you even—"
"Later," Jade cut her off. He turned back to Kínitos. "Your paradox is Unstoppable Force and Immovable Object. The classic philosophical paradox. What happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object?"
Kínitos nodded slowly. "Yeah. I figured that out."
"When?" Jade asked.
"Tonight. When I was fighting." Kínitos looked down at his bandaged hand. "The immovability makes me impossible to move. Like I'm anchored to reality itself. Nothing can budge me."
"But you also can't move yourself," Jade added. "You become trapped in that state."
"Right. And the unstoppable momentum—when I move with that, nothing can stop me. I go through whatever's in my way. Destroys it. Leaves holes."
"And the speed?" Violet asked.
Kínitos hesitated. "I thought it was a separate thing at first. But…"
"It's not," Jade finished. "You're buffing your muscles with paradox energy. Naturally. Instinctively."
Kínitos blinked. "What?"
"When you think you're activating 'speed,' you're actually just flooding your body with raw paradox energy," Jade explained. "Enhancing your physical capabilities. It's not a separate ability—it's you unconsciously channeling power to move faster, react quicker."
"Like what I do with my strength," Monti added, understanding. "The purple smoke enhances my muscles."
"Exactly," Jade said. "Every paradox user can do it to some degree. Channel their energy into physical enhancement. Most of us do it without thinking." He gestured to himself. "I use it for reflexes when I'm in combat. Axe uses it for raw power. You—" He pointed at Kínitos. "You're channeling it into speed and reaction time."
"So it's not part of my paradox," Kínitos said slowly.
"Not directly," Jade confirmed. "Your paradox is Unstoppable Force and Immovable Object. Two states. The speed is just you being a paradox user with good instincts."
Violet made a note on her tablet. "That actually explains why you can use it while switching between immovable and unstoppable. It's a baseline enhancement, not a third state."
"Having an unbound is crazy, that shit is crazy rare" said Dante
"Unbound you said that earlier what does that fully mean and why they rare?" Asked Sarah
"My thought exactly" said Monti and Kínitos
"Well Unbounds have something called a State" responded Axe " It is a thing only unbound have kinda super stead any other rules in laws," he continued
"Two extreme states," Jade corrected. "Immovable—you can't be moved. Unstoppable—you can't be stopped. Everything else is just you learning to use paradox energy efficiently."
Dante grinned. "Still pretty badass though."
"It's also incredibly dangerous," Jade said.
"Each state has limitations. Immovable means you're stuck. Unstoppable means you destroy everything in your path. And the physical enhancement—" He looked at Kínitos. "How do you feel after using it?"
"Tired," Kínitos admitted. "Like I'm burning through something. Energy. Stamina. Something."
"Your paradox energy," Violet said. "Every time you shift states or enhance yourself, you're expending power. The more extreme the shift—immovable to unstoppable, or vice versa—the more it costs."
"Not only that it stress out your anchor. Which is why we need to test you," Jade said. "Find your limits before you hit them in combat. Learn to transition between states efficiently. And figure out if there are other applications we haven't seen yet."
He looked directly at Kínitos. "And because you so badly want to use your power without understanding it, Dante will test your energy levels. Then we'll test your ability properly."
Kínitos frowned. "My energy levels?"
Dante grinned from his seat, already pulling out a tablet. "Oh man, you don't know about the energy levels it's a test to see how many joules of energy you have for your paradox energy. Do you know the star system yet?"
"Star system?" Kínitos asked.
"Yeah, we rate paradox users by stars. One through five." Dante pulled up a chart on his tablet. "One star is basic. You've got your paradox ability, but you barely know how to use it. You can do simple physical enhancement—make yourself faster, stronger, whatever—but your actual paradox power? Inconsistent at best. You tire out after like five minutes of active use."
He scrolled to the next section. "Two stars is when you're actually *using* your ability. You understand what your paradox is, you can activate it consciously, and you don't immediately pass out from the effort. Most new recruits operate here for their first year or so. You can fight, but you've got hard limits."
"Three stars," Dante continued, "is where it gets interesting. You're using basic magic *and* your paradox ability efficiently. You can channel paradox energy into different applications—not just your core power, but variations on it. You've got control. Stamina. You can fight for extended periods without burning out. That's where most of the team operates." He gestured around the room. "Me, Vex, Violet, Sarah—we're all three stars."
"What about four stars?" Monti asked, curious.
Dante's expression shifted to something like awe. "Four stars are people who are *so good* with their abilities, it's like breathing. They don't think about it. Don't strain. They just *are* their paradox. Their energy reserves are massive, their control is perfect, and they can do things with their power that shouldn't be possible." He pointed at Axe, then at Jes. "Those two. Four stars. Watch them in combat sometime—it's scary how effortless it looks."
Axe rumbled from his seat. "It's not effortless. Just practiced."
"For twenty years," Dante shot back. "That's what it takes to hit four stars. Decades of training, combat experience, pushing your limits until your paradox becomes second nature."
"And five stars?" Kínitos asked.
The room went quiet.
Dante's grin faded into something more serious. "Five stars… there's only one person we know who's at that level." He looked at Jade. "Grandma."
"Grandma?" Monti said. "Who—"
"She's crazy powerful," Dante said, his voice dropping slightly. "Like, reality-warping, laws-of-physics-don't-apply-to-her powerful. Her paradox ability isn't just strong—it's *absolute*. She can use it indefinitely, with zero strain, and do things that make four-star users look like children playing with toys."
Jade's expression was unreadable. "Grandma is… unique. We don't fully understand the extent of her abilities. But yes, she's the only confirmed five-star user we've encountered."
"Where is she?" Kínitos asked.
"Somewhere safe," Jade said, his tone making it clear the subject was closed. "The point is, you need to understand where you stand on this scale. Right now, you're probably a low two-star. You can use your immovable and unstoppable states, but inconsistently. You burn through energy fast. You don't have control."
"Tomorrow," Jade continued, "Dante will assess you properly. Figure out your exact star level, your energy capacity, how efficiently you channel paradox power. And then we'll train you to get better. To move up the scale."
"How long does that usually take?" Kínitos asked. "To go from two stars to three?"
"Depends on the person," Dante said. "Some people plateau at two and never get higher. Others make the jump in six months. It's about talent, training, and how well you understand your own paradox." He grinned again. "Lucky for you, we've got the best training program around. Jade will run you through hell, but you'll come out stronger."
"Assuming you survive it," Vex added helpfully.
"Very encouraging," Monti muttered.
Jade ignored them. "The star system isn't just about power. It's about control, efficiency, and mastery. A three-star user who knows their limits will beat a two-star user with raw power every time. Understanding where you are—and where you need to be—is essential."
He looked around the room. "Any questions?"