A shimmering blue barrier of pure energy pulsed between Zane and Pierce, holding them apart. Kaelen stood at the entrance to the training ground, his outstretched hand the source of the force field, his face a mask of annoyance.
"What is the meaning of this?" Kaelen said, his voice flat, edged with a weariness that spoke of patience worn thin.
Zane's blood-fueled fury, though still simmering, began to recede, replaced by a more familiar irritation. He let the last vestiges of the blood mask drain from his face, leaving him panting slightly, his eyes still narrowed. "He stole my katana," Zane stated, his voice a low growl, "and then attacked me."
Pierce, despite being forcefully separated and clearly having been on the back foot, managed to regain his composure, a snarky tone returning to his voice. "This brute was contaminating my training ground with his disgusting blood tricks." He gestured dismissively at the lingering crimson stains on the dummies.
Zane's eyes flared, and the bloodlust threatened to surge back. "I will rip your lungs out," he spat, his voice laced with venom, taking a step forward only to be halted by the unyielding force field. Pierce, for all his bravado, flinched slightly at the raw aggression in Zane's tone, his smug expression faltering for a split second.
"Silence!" Kaelen's voice cracked like a whip, firm and unyielding, cutting through the volatile air. The blue force field pulsed, a silent emphasis of his command. He lowered his hand, and the barrier dissipated, but Kaelen positioned himself squarely between the two boys, his arms crossed over his chest, his gaze sharp and unwavering. "This is a sanctuary, not a fighting pit for unruly children. We face threats enough from outside these walls. We do not create them within."
He looked at Zane, his expression hardening. "You, Zane. You have been through a great deal. You awakened a power, yes, but that power is a double-edged sword. It demands control, not reckless abandon. Your actions were fueled by anger, not strategy."
Zane bristled. "He started it! He took my katana, he taunted me, he attacked me! What was I supposed to do, just let him run wild?"
Kaelen shifted his gaze to Pierce, his voice dropping to a dangerous calm. "And you, Pierce. Your arrogance is a luxury we cannot afford. Your abilities, like Zane's, are formidable, but they are gifts, not toys to provoke and antagonize. This is not your private playground. It is a shared space, essential for our survival. Your provocations could have had dire consequences."
Pierce shrugged, though the defiance in his eyes was muted by Kaelen's firm gaze. "He was disrupting my focus. And his power… it's messy."
"Messy or not, it is potent," Kaelen countered, his gaze sweeping between them. "And it is a power that may well be necessary. Both of your abilities are. But they must be honed, disciplined, understood. Not wielded like blunt instruments by temperamental brats."
Zane clenched his fists. "He attacked me first. I was just defending myself."
"And you enjoyed it," Kaelen stated, his eyes piercing, seeing beyond Zane's protests. "I saw the bloodlust. The thrill of the fight. That is a dangerous path, Zane. It will consume you if you let it."
Zane's jaw tightened, unable to fully deny the truth in Kaelen's words. The sheer exhilaration of unleashing his blood control, of overpowering Pierce, had been undeniable. It was a terrifying realization.
"And you, Pierce," Kaelen continued, turning back to the metal manipulator. "Your control over metal is impressive. But you allowed your ego to dictate your actions. You are not the only one here with unique capabilities. You will learn to respect them, and each other, or you will find yourselves excluded from this sanctuary."
Pierce scoffed, but the challenge in his eyes had diminished considerably. "Excluded? Where exactly would we go?"
"Back to the surface, perhaps," Kaelen said, his voice devoid of emotion, "to face the hunters who are undoubtedly still searching. Or back into the depths, to contend with the horrors you both so readily stirred up." He paused, letting the weight of his words sink in. "This place offers protection, but it demands discipline. And cooperation."
He picked up Zane's katana from where it had clattered against the dummy. He examined the faint, dry bloodstains, then held it out to Zane, hilt first. Zane took it, the familiar weight a comfort, but now imbued with a new, unsettling significance.
"Your abilities, Zane," Kaelen began, his tone shifting, becoming more instructive, "the ability to manipulate your own blood… it is a rare and powerful gift. But it is also inherently dangerous, a constant draw on your life force. You felt the drain, did you not?"
Zane nodded, remembering the sudden onset of weakness after his fight with the humanoid, even after his recovery period. "Yeah. It's… taxing."
"Very," Kaelen confirmed. "And the more you use it, the greater the strain. The more aggressive your manipulation, the more potent the draw. It is a power best used sparingly, strategically, or when absolute necessity demands it." He looked at Zane intently. "That mask you formed… that feral state… it is a manifestation of the bloodlust. It is a sign of your power becoming untamed. You must learn to control that as well, lest it control you."
Zane swallowed, the image of his own distorted, blood-covered face flashing in his mind. He hadn't realized he had even created it. The primal roar, the animalistic movements… it had all felt like pure instinct, a desperate unleashing.
Kaelen then turned his attention to Pierce. "And your ability, Pierce, to manipulate metal. It is equally rare, equally potent. But it is also a resource-dependent ability. You rely on what is available around you. In the right environment, you are a formidable opponent. In the wrong one, you are vulnerable."
Pierce grumbled but listened.
"Both of you possess extraordinary capabilities," Kaelen continued, his voice rising, addressing both boys now with a renewed sense of purpose. "Capabilities that were likely enhanced, or perhaps even awakened, by the experiments conducted in the facility above. They are not merely genetic quirks. They are… reactions. Evolutions."
Zane's mind reeled. Experiments? Evolutions? This was far more complex than just escaping a prison.
"What do you mean, experiments?" Zane asked, his voice low.
Zane was already aware of the experiments they conducted, but the way Kaelen spoke of them made it sound more sick and twisted than he had originally thought.
Kaelen sighed. "The facility is not merely a prison. It is a research and development complex. They seek to harness abilities like yours. To understand them. To control them. And then, to weaponize them."
"Weaponize what?" Pierce asked, his earlier arrogance momentarily forgotten, a flicker of genuine alarm in his eyes.
"Life itself," Kaelen replied, his voice grave. "They seek to rewrite the rules of existence. To create super-soldiers, living weapons, or perhaps even… new forms of life entirely. They have been doing so for decades, harvesting, experimenting, perfecting."
"That grotesque thing I fought…" Zane mumbled, the memory chilling him.
"One of their successes, perhaps," Kaelen said, a grim line forming on his lips. "Or a twisted failure. The creatures you encountered below, the shadowy forms, the disfigured humanoid… they are all products of the facility, in one way or another. Some are biological weapons, others are… entities corrupted by their tampering with the very fabric of reality."
The air in the training ground grew heavy with the weight of Kaelen's words. Zane felt a cold dread settle in his stomach. This wasn't just about escaping anymore. It was about stopping a monstrous entity, a scientific horror beyond anything he could have imagined.
"And Elias," Zane said, his voice barely a whisper, the true horror of Alden's cryptic words finally dawning on him. "Alden said she was 'the final piece of the puzzle.' What does that mean?"
Kaelen's gaze softened, a profound sadness entering his eyes. He looked at the quiet corner where Elias still lay, thankfully unaware of the conversation. "Elias… she is unique. Her connection to water, the very element of life, is beyond anything they have created. They believe her to be the key. The perfect conduit. The ultimate subject for their grand design."
A surge of protective fury, hotter and more intense than any bloodlust, coursed through Zane. He remembered Elias's vulnerability, her quiet strength. She was just a child. They were hunting her.
"We have to stop them," Zane said, his voice firm, resolute. "No matter what."
Kaelen nodded. "That is my intention. But we cannot act recklessly. They are powerful. Their resources are vast. We need a plan. We need allies. And you two," he looked pointedly at Zane and Pierce, "need to learn to work together. Your combined strengths will be necessary if we are to have any hope."
Pierce eyed Zane warily, then looked away with a scoff, but didn't protest further. Zane, for his part, managed to keep his temper in check, though the memory of Pierce's taunts still grated. The revelations about the facility had overshadowed their petty squabble.
"For now," Kaelen concluded, his voice softer, "you both need to learn control. You will train. Together. And you will learn to trust each other, for your lives, and the lives of countless others, may depend on it. Now, Zane, your katana. And Pierce, disperse your metal. We will begin with basic control exercises. No more… theatrical displays."
Zane nodded, tightening his grip on his katana, a newfound determination in his eyes. Pierce, after a moment of hesitation, slowly released his mental hold on the scattered metal, allowing it to fall back to the dusty ground with a series of clangs. The air in the training ground, though still heavy with the weight of Kaelen's revelations, seemed to clear, replaced by the quiet hum of impending work. The fight was over, but a far greater one was just beginning.