[Riven's POV]
Cross was already waiting when they erged from the Veil.
Not nearby at least.
But was waiting right at the exit point, with a tablet in hand, like he'd been monitoring their progress the entire ti.
"Excellent timing, Mr. Duke, Ms. Vasquez," Cross said, his calculating gaze sweeping over their injuries. "How do we feel about today's performance trics?"
We? Riven sneered at his words but didn't let it show on his face.
Elena imdiately stepped away from Riven, her posture becoming more rigid.
The change was subtle but unmistakable ... like watching soone put on armor.
"System malfunctions were within expected paraters," she said in a flat, like a rehearsed tone.
Cross made notes on his tablet. "Indeed. And your adaptive responses were... illuminating."
The way he said 'illuminating' made Riven's skin crawl. Cross had definitely been watching them fight for their lives.
"Now, all that's left is the dical evaluation," Cross continued. "We need to docunt any physiological stress markers from the suppression events."
As they walked through the facility corridors, Cross maintained a casual conversation about training protocols and system optimization.
But Riven noticed how he positioned himself between Elena and the exit routes, how his eyes tracked every interaction between them.
This wasn't just a ntor checking on trainees. This was like a surveillance.
---
The dical bay at Facility 7 was sterile and efficient...well like a normal hospital.
Elena sat on an examination table while a Guild dic treated the cuts on Riven's back and ribs.
Cross observed from the doorway, occasionally making notes but mostly just...or just watching.
"Elena," Riven said quietly as the dic worked. "Before we went into the Veil, you told not to try to save you. Why?"
Elena glanced toward the doorway where Cross stood, then back at Riven.
Sothing flickered in her brown eyes ... fear, maybe, or resignation.
"Those were training protocols," she said carefully. "Individual performance trics are more important than team coordination."
It was obviously a rehearsed answer, the kind of response designed to satisfy official monitoring. But her eyes were saying sothing completely different.
"But you were in real danger. That goblin would have killed you." Riven said with a raised brow.
"The system failures are deliberate," Elena said, lowering her voice and making sure the dic couldn't hear clearly. "They want to see how we react when our abilities are cut out."
"React how?"
Elena hesitated, her gaze flicking toward Cross again. He was still there, still watching, still making notes.
"Whether we try to save each other. Whether we panic. Whether we adapt." She pulled out a small bottle of pills from her pocket, showing them to Riven briefly before tucking them away. "These are System stabilizers. They're supposed to help with ability fluctuations." Google seaʀᴄh NoveI(F)ire
Riven looked at the dication bottle. "Do they work?"
Elena's laugh was bitter and barely audible. "They make the fluctuations worse. But refusing to take them is considered 'non-compliance.'"
The dic finished with Riven's bandages and moved to check Elena's vitals.
Cross stepped further into the room, his presence imdiately making both trainees more tense.
"Elena..." Riven lowered his voice even further. "What happened to your previous training partners?"
Her expression went completely blank, like soone had flipped a switch. She stared at her hands and didn't respond.
"Mr. Duke, Ms. Vasquez," Cross interrupted, approaching with his tablet. "How are we feeling? That was quite a display of protective instinct during today's exercise."
"Elena's system malfunctioned. And I adapted," Riven said carefully.
"Indeed, you did. But your tactical decision-making showed so concerning patterns." Cross made more notes. "Abandoning defensive position to rescue a compromised team mber. Emotional decision-making under stress. These are liabilities in real field operations."
Riven wanted to argue that protecting teammates was basic human decency, but sothing in Cross's expression warned him that would be exactly the wrong thing to say.
"We'll be scheduling daily suppression resistance training starting tomorrow," Cross continued. "It will help you learn proper tactical detachnt when systems fail."
"What about Elena's dication?" Riven asked. "If the stabilizers are making her system less reliable, maybe we..."
Cross's smile was sharp. "Ms. Vasquez's dication regin will be adjusted based on today's performance data. We're always working to optimize our trainees' developnt."
Elena's face had gone completely pale.
The dic finished his evaluation and left. Cross lingered for another mont, studying both of them with those calculating eyes.
"Rest well tonight. Tomorrow's training will be more... intensive."
After Cross left, Elena turned to Riven with an expression that mixed sadness with sothing that looked like panic.
"You see?" she whispered. "Questions about my treatnt just make them more interested in 'optimizing' things."
"Elena, I need to understand what's happening here. Why did you warn not to save you?"
She glanced toward the dical bay door, making sure they were truly alone.
"My first partner was David Carl. He had enhanced strength system. We worked well together, we covered each other's weaknesses. like how partners were supposed to" Her voice was barely audible. Then he got 'promoted' to advanced training after six weeks of us are being together. I haven't seen him since."
"And there was a second partner?"
"Her na is.... or at least was Maria Santos. She had a Barrier generation system. She tried to protect during a suppression exercise like you just did." Elena stared at her hands. "Cross decided she had 'attachnt issues' that needed correction."
Riven felt ice forming in his stomach. "What kind of correction?"
"She's in the dical wing now. Sedated. They're doing sothing to her system, trying to make her less... caring."
The words hit him like a physical blow. "That's why you told not to try to save you."
"The Guild wants us broken and dependent...Isolated. Because we're easier to control that way." Elena t his eyes. "The training isn't about making us better Hunters. It's about breaking down everything that makes us human."
"Soo you just... give up during exercises?"
"I learned that fighting back gets people I care about hurt, which is worse than letting myself get hurt." Elena slid off the examination table. "It's survival, Riven. For both of us."
They walked back toward the dormitory in silence, but Riven's mind was racing.
Everything Elena had told him painted a picture of systematic psychological warfare designed to isolate trainees and destroy their capacity for human connection.
"Elena," he said as they reached the dormitory corridor. "Is there more? About what they're really doing here?"
She stopped walking and looked around nervously. The other trainees were moving through the corridor, heading to their rooms for mandatory rest.
"We can't talk here," she whispered. "There's too many people listening."
"Then when?"
Elena bit her lip, clearly struggling with so internal conflict. Finally, she leaned closer and spoke so quietly even Riven could barely hear her.
"Tonight. After lights-out. There's sothing you need to know about your system. Sothing they don't think you've figured out yet."
Riven felt his pulse quicken. "What about my system?"
But Elena was already walking away, heading toward the won's dormitory section.
"Elena, wai-"
She turned back briefly, and the look in her eyes made his blood run cold.
"They've been watching you since before the Veil incident, Riven. This isn't sothing random. Your recruitnt, your training partner assignnts, even Marcus being separated from you. None of it is random."
Before he could ask what she ant, she disappeared around the corner...
Riven stood alone in the corridor, his mind spinning with questions. What did Elena know about my system that I dont?
How long had the Guild been watching him? And what did she an about his recruitnt not being random?
"I've more questions than answers...." he said while looking at the male dorms.
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