The escorts came ten minutes after Juno left. Two stone-faced Crown hunters in full gear, rifles slung but hands ready. No words—just a gesture toward the door.
Kai stood, rolling his shoulder. The stitches pulled, but the pain was manageable. Aria was already moving, posture perfect, like she'd been waiting for this.
They walked corridors that all looked the same—white walls, soft blue lighting, the faint hum of tech Kai couldn't name. Elevators. More corridors. Finally, double doors that slid open into a dim amphitheater. Tiered seats empty except for a handful of silhouettes high up. Big holo-screen on the far wall. A single table in the center, two chairs.
Vera Shen waited there, tablet glowing. Beside her stood an older man—fifties, maybe, salt-and-pepper hair cropped short, scars crisscrossing his neck and hands. Guild leathers faded, no Crown insignia. His badge read CONSULTANT ROOK, H.
He didn't smile.
"Sit," Shen said.
They sat. Three meters apart felt like a continent now. The tether hummed faintly in Kai's chest, a constant reminder.
Rook leaned forward, elbows on the table. His voice was gravel. "I've seen three pair-bonds in my career. Two ended in bodies. One ended in ghosts. Yours is the fourth."
Aria's eyes narrowed. "Registry says pair-bonds are theoretical."
"Registry says a lot of things." Rook tapped his temple. "Higher than S-rank, some truths get redacted. Soulmate Sync isn't new. It's controlled. Or it was."
Shen flicked her tablet. A holo-file projected between them—redacted blocks everywhere, but the header clear:
SYNC EXPERIMENT LOG
SUBJECT 07
STATUS: ACTIVE
Kai's stomach dropped. "Experiment."
Rook nodded. "Six before you. All forced pairs. All pushed hard. All pruned when they didn't meet parameters." He met Aria's gaze. "Pruning isn't gentle. System forces a trial. Fail, and it cuts the weak link. Sometimes both."
The 48-hour countdown ticked in the corner of Kai's vision, gold numbers cold and steady.
47:22:11
Aria's voice was ice. "Who authorizes this?"
Rook's scarred mouth twisted. "Not Crown. Not any guild. The System itself. Or whatever's behind it."
Shen interjected smoothly. "Consultant Rook is here on loan from Ironwake Guild. He has… relevant experience. Crown's interest is in containment and study. If the pair stabilizes, you become an asset. If not—" She shrugged.
Rook ignored her. "The bond feeds on proximity and trust. Distance kills slow. Distrust kills faster. You've already seen accidental fusion. That's the carrot. Pruning is the stick."
Kai leaned forward. "So we play nice for forty-eight hours, pass whatever pop quiz the System throws, and we're golden?"
"No," Rook said. "You survive the quiz. Then the real tests start. Previous pairs hit walls at Stage Two. Couldn't trust enough. Sync Damage tore them apart from the inside."
Aria's fingers curled on the table. Lightning flickered, then died. "I don't trust anyone."
Rook looked at her—really looked. "Then you'd better learn. Fast."
Silence stretched. Up in the seats, shadows shifted. Board members watching like this was theater.
Kai's mind raced to Mom. Dockside. Bills. If he died here, who paid? Who told her?
He cleared his throat. "Before we play happy couple, I need a call. My mom thinks I'm dead in a ditch."
Shen glanced at Rook. Rook nodded once.
"Supervised," Shen said. "Five minutes. After this briefing."
She slid a comm device across the table. Kai took it, hands shaking just enough to annoy him.
Rook stood. "One more thing. The System logs emotional spikes. Positive or negative. Both feed it data. So fight, flirt, whatever—but feel something. Indifference is death."
He walked out. Doors hissed shut behind him.
Shen tapped her tablet again. The holo-file zoomed on a single line, unredacted:
EXPERIMENT 07 OBJECTIVE: ACHIEVE STAGE 3 MINIMUM
FAILURE PROTOCOL: TERMINATE PAIR
The countdown ticked louder in Kai's head.
47:19:44
Aria stared at the projection like she could freeze it solid.
Kai met her eyes. "Guess we're on the clock, partner."
Her jaw tightened. For the first time, the Ice Queen looked cornered.
Then the lights dimmed further, and a new golden line scrolled across both their visions—slow, deliberate, personal.
[Pruning Trial selected.
Domain type: Mirror.
Initiation in 24 hours.
Rule set: One truth per room.
Lie, and the mirror takes its price.]
(To be continued...)