The containment wing was silent except for the faint hum of the monitoring systems.
Aiden Kurovale lay on the metal cot, staring at the ceiling. His arms and legs ached from yesterday's dungeon mission. More than the fatigue, however, the burn in his chest the Fragment stirring refused to fade.
The system's interface hovered before him: black, cold, and pulsing faintly.
[Power Output: 0.01% Containment Stable]
[Authority Fragment: Dormant Residual Stimulation Detected]
He frowned. Residual stimulation?
Aiden pushed himself upright, sitting cross-legged on the cot. The world felt heavier than usual, as if every surface pressed down subtly, urging him to stay restrained.
A soft chime alerted him to a message. Not from a human. From the system itself.
[Evaluation: Tactical Assessment Required]
Aiden exhaled slowly. He had learned by now that ignoring the system's messages was… unwise.
[Your performance in dungeon containment mission #1 is below threshold]
He blinked. Below threshold? He had followed every instruction. He had restrained the Fragment. He had saved the child.
[Improper control detected Neural Feedback Advisory: Medium]
Aiden groaned, pressing his face into his hands. The system didn't reward good behavior. It punished mistakes. And sometimes, it punished success.
A knock echoed through the containment wing. Hana entered, her usual calm expression unreadable.
"You're awake," she said flatly. "The system didn't kill you, so that's… something."
"I survived," Aiden muttered. "Barely."
Hana raised an eyebrow. "Barely? You've survived two near-death events in less than forty-eight hours. That's not 'barely.' That's… abnormal. Even for anomalies."
Aiden didn't respond. He just stared at the floor.
The system's voice cut through the silence.
[Assessment Pending: Authority Fragment Growth: 0.07%]
He felt it stir faintly. Just a whisper. A twitch. And then it was gone.
Hana noticed his unease. "The Fragment is waking faster than we anticipated," she said softly. "The system is… curious about you. You've exceeded its predictions for control. That's dangerous."
"I'm dangerous," Aiden said flatly.
"Yes," she admitted. "And the system knows it. That's why you're being… monitored more closely."
The director appeared on the projection panel, her gaze piercing. "Kurovale," she said, her voice neutral. "You performed under extreme stress yesterday. Containment remained stable, but your reaction to residual stimuli is concerning."
Aiden sat up straighter. "Concerning?"
"Yes," she said. "You interfered indirectly. The child's release should have been the S-rank team's responsibility. You acted when the system instructed restraint. That is… unacceptable."
"I didn't choose to act," Aiden said. "It happened on its own."
The director's eyes narrowed. "The system does not care whether it was intentional. Your output is your responsibility. You are an SSS+ anomaly. You exist beyond the bounds of normal control. That is your burden. You will learn it."
The words struck him like a blade.
Yes. He was alive.
Yes. He had power beyond comprehension.
But the system and the world treated him like a ticking bomb.
Hours later, Aiden was escorted to a special observation chamber. This one was different. The walls shimmered faintly with complex containment arrays that reached far beyond the normal suppression levels.
"This is Phase One Testing," the director explained. "You will face a controlled threat inside this chamber. No S-rank Hunters will assist you. You are alone. The system will monitor every impulse. Every micro-movement. Every surge of the Fragment will be recorded."
Aiden's stomach twisted. Alone. That word had never felt so heavy.
Hana glanced at him. "Remember what I said. Control. Not power. Always restraint."
He nodded. Words felt useless anyway.
The chamber doors sealed.
Inside, the air shimmered. Shadows coalesced from the corners, forming humanoid shapes. They moved unnaturally, warping mid-step. Aiden's body tensed as the black interface pulsed.
[Power Output: 0.01% Containment Stable]
[Authority Fragment: Partially Stimulated Threshold Warning]
The first shadow lunged. Aiden did nothing. The system intervened instantly, sending a faint jolt of pain through his spine. Neural feedback. Reminder. Restraint.
Seconds later, another shadow advanced. This one was faster, reacting directly to him. His heart pounded. His muscles twitched. Do something, the Fragment whispered. Just a nudge. One push.
He clenched his fists. The air around him warped faintly. Just enough for the shadow to stumble and dissipate. Not enough to break containment.
The system pulsed:
[Containment Stable: Output 0.02%]
Aiden collapsed to the floor, sweat and exhaustion mingling. He was barely breathing, yet a faint thrill stirred inside him. I can control it.
Not fully. Not yet. But enough to survive.
After what felt like hours, the chamber doors opened. Hana and a junior analyst entered cautiously.
"You've passed Phase One," Hana said. "Barely. But the system… acknowledged your control. That is rare."
Aiden shook his head. "Barely? That felt like death."
"Because it was," Hana admitted. "And the next phase will be harder."
Aiden clenched his fists. The Fragment stirred faintly in response, teasing him.
He could feel it growing.
Learning. Waiting.
The system was watching. The world was watching.
And he was alive.
For now.
That night, in his containment wing, Aiden lay awake again. The black interface hovered silently, calm, patient, and merciless.
[Observation: Ongoing]
[Authority Fragment: Dormant Residual Growth Logged]
He stared at it for a long time. I survived Phase One. The system tested me. The world tested me. And I didn't break.
A cold certainty settled in his chest.
Next time… I will be ready.
And for the first time since the Abyss Gate, Aiden allowed himself a small thought: Perhaps I can survive this world. Perhaps I can survive myself.