Zaeryn stepped into the medbay, the door sliding shut behind him with a soft hiss. The space was surprisingly cozy for a medical facility, warm lighting, organized shelves of medical supplies, the faint hum of diagnostic equipment creating an almost soothing ambiance.

A woman with dark hair streaked with silver looked up from her console. Her eyes immediately zeroed in on the burn mark near his eye, and he watched her professional assessment kick in instantly.

"Hello?" Zaeryn greeted awkwardly, unsure of the protocol. He didn't know if she was the stern, no-nonsense type or the friendly, conversational type, so he erred on the side of polite caution.

"Hey, the director told me to expect you," the medic said, rising from her seat. She winced, a flicker of professional sympathy crossing her features as she got a better look at the angry red mark marring his face. "Ouch. Looks like someone got on the wrong side of a pyrokinesis drill." Her voice was surprisingly smoky, low, smooth, almost melodic.

Before Zaeryn could respond, she gestured to a diagnostic chair that looked far more comfortable than Professor Jade's interrogation seat. "Come on, sit. Let's see the damage."

"Is it that obvious?" Zaeryn muttered, sliding into the chair. It molded to his back with a soft hum, adjusting to his body's shape.

The medic leaned in close, her scent a clean, sharp smell of antiseptic mixed with something faintly citrus. Professional but not unpleasant.

Her fingers gently probed the skin around the burn. Zaeryn had to fight the urge to flinch as she examined the angry red mark near his eye with careful precision.

"Lucky it's near the eye and not actually in the eye," she noted, her tone matter-of-fact. "This isn't a standard energy burn, though." Her gaze sharpened as she analyzed the tissue. "This has a necrotic signature. Cold fire, life-draining properties." She pulled back slightly, her eyes narrowing. "You sparred with Leia, didn't you?"

Zaeryn blinked, genuinely surprised. "How'd you know?"

"I'm Dr. Aveline," she said, pulling up a small, floating holo-display with a flick of her wrist. Medical data scrolled past in luminous text. "And I'm the one who patches up all the cadets Leia uses for target practice. You're just the first... male one I've treated for it."

Her eyes met his, and there it was, that same familiar, intense curiosity he was getting used to seeing in people's faces. The look that said, ' anomaly, interesting specimen, what makes you different?'

"Hold still," she instructed. "This might sting."

She pressed a sleek, silver dermal regenerator to his cheek. A cold, tingling sensation washed over the burn, instantly dulling the persistent throb. It felt like ice water on sunburned skin, uncomfortable for a moment, then deeply relieving.

"So," she continued conversationally as the device hummed, working its medical magic, "you're the anomaly everyone's whispering about. The one who can use Vitae despite being male."

"Guilty," Zaeryn said, his voice slightly muffled by the device pressed against his face.

Dr. Aveline worked in silence for another moment, then pulled the regenerator back. It beeped softly, indicating treatment completion. "There. Your own Vitae is already accelerating the healing. Interesting metabolic response, by the way. The necrotic energy has been neutralized, but it's still going to be tender for a day or two. Try not to aggravate it."

"Thanks, Doctor," Zaeryn said sincerely, touching his cheek experimentally. The sharp, burning pain was completely gone, replaced by just a dull ache that was infinitely more bearable.

"Word of advice?" Dr. Aveline said, her lips quirking into a small smile. "Try not to get on Leia's bad side again. Or the bad side of any Tier 2 students in your first week here. It's terrible for my workflow."

"I'll do my best," Zaeryn replied with a charming grin. "But to be fair, she started it."

"I'm sure she did," Dr. Aveline replied dryly, her smile lingering a moment longer than strictly professional. "Now get out of here. I have actual work to do, and you're taking up valuable space."

But her tone was warm, teasing rather than dismissive.

---

Zaeryn left the medbay feeling significantly better, his face still tender but no longer on fire. The medic was cool, another small win in a day absolutely packed with complications, revelations, and near-death experiences.

He headed back toward the main concourse, his mind already shifting to more immediate concerns. Classes were over. He had no other obligations today. Home sounded really good right now. A nap until tomorrow morning sounded even better.

'I think I'll just sleep for the next twelve hours,' he thought, already imagining collapsing onto his comfortable bed the moment he got back to home and entered his room.

As he walked through the hallway, lost in thoughts of sleep and recovery, he spotted two familiar figures ahead.

Ingrid and Leia stood in the corridor, deep in conversation. Their body language was tense, Ingrid leaning casually against the wall but her posture alert, Leia with her arms crossed defensively, her whole stance radiating barely contained irritation.

Zaeryn slowed his steps, not quite close enough to hear clearly but picking up fragments of their conversation.

"You could've at least gone easy on him," Ingrid's voice carried, sharp but controlled. "You didn't have to give him a burn that bad."

Zaeryn hung back, curiosity winning out over the social awkwardness of obviously eavesdropping. This was about him, after all.

Leia's arms crossed tighter, her defensive posture screaming, 'I did nothing wrong'. "Oh, come on, Ingrid. It was just a simple spar. He signed up for it the moment he stepped into that ring. And besides, I wasn't trying to maim him. If I'd actually gone full power, he'd be in the medbay for a 'week' not walking around like nothing happened an hour later."

Ingrid rolled her eyes in that effortless way she had. "That's not the point. He's new here, Leia. Barely got his feet under him, and you're throwing necrotic flames at his face? What if you'd actually hit his eye? I swear, if you'd blinded him, I would've had your head."

"I'm surprised you're not mad at him," Leia countered, her tone shifting to something more accusatory. "He took your powers. Mimicked them. That doesn't bother you even a little?"

"He only copied them," Ingrid corrected firmly. "He didn't steal them from me. I still have everything I had before. We're bonded."

Leia's expression shifted to pure confusion. "Bonded? What do you mean by that?"

Ingrid's cheeks flushed slightly, visible even from Zaeryn's distance. "It means he and I have a connection. That's how he was able to copy my powers. It's not theft. It's... synchronization."

Leia stared at her friend like she'd just spoken complete nonsense. "A connection? What kind of mystical nonsense is that—"

"It's complicated," Ingrid cut her off, her voice taking on that defensive edge. "It's not a normal mimic ability. It's tied to... an intimate connection. He can only mimic the abilities of people he's genuinely close with. People he's formed a real bond with."

"Nonsense," Leia said flatly. "If that's what he told you, then he's lying. Playing you. Using some made-up excuse to justify what he can do."

Ingrid's jaw tightened. "It's not made up—"

"A connection?" Leia repeated, her voice dripping with scorn. "You can't seriously tell me you're emotionally bonded with him already. You've known him for barely twenty-four hours!"

"It's not about time!" Ingrid shot back, her cheeks flushing deeper. "I can't explain it properly, but it's real. I felt it. He's not a threat, and he's not a parasite."

"He's an anomaly who lied about the full extent of his powers and used a cheap trick to win a spar," Leia countered coldly. "And now you're blindly believing whatever explanation he feeds you? My guess? He's lying to you. Claiming he can only mimic powers after forming some mystical 'bond' so that you won't question his intentions when he starts collecting abilities like trophies."

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