Two months later, the rehabilitation division’s conference room held only three people. Elena Voss sat at the head of the table with a thick report open in front of her, Dr. Hart beside her, and Felix across from both of them.
Elena turned a page. "Combat capability?"
"Approximately A-rank," Felix said, leaning back.
"Approximately?"
"Her core’s still S-rank, but her proficiency hasn’t caught up to it yet. She can hold her own against A-rank opponents now. Putting her against a competent S-rank hero would still be irresponsible."
Elena nodded. "Elemental proficiency?"
"Water’s reached High III."
Evelyn’s eyebrows went up. "That quickly?"
"She learns fast." Felix smiled. "Very fast."
"Can it go higher?"
"Not without real combat experience. She’s past the point where drilling against stationary targets does anything useful, she needs to actually fight something."
"And lightning?"
"Mid II."
Elena closed the report. "So you’re telling me she’s ready."
"Ready enough. She can join my team on rift missions under supervision, obviously, to start."
Elena was quiet for a moment before opening a second file. "There’s one concern."
"Her personality," Felix said, already serious.
"Yes. According to every report, Seraphina behaves almost like an ordinary young woman when she’s with you: calm, talkative, occasionally funny, reading, training voluntarily. The moment anyone else walks in, all of that disappears."
"She’s still completely withdrawn with everyone else," Felix confirmed.
"Exactly. Which is why she needs to start interacting with other people," Evelyn said.
"Her team."
"Yes. If she’s eventually going to fight alongside humanity, she can’t spend the rest of her life only functioning around you."
"Fair point."
Elena slid another document across the table. "The Association’s approved the terms of her service. Standard A-rank work schedule: Monday through Wednesday, assigned to your team."
Felix scanned it.
"Standard A-rank compensation."
"And if she keeps a clean record for a month straight, two days of supervised freedom outside the facility."
Felix’s eyebrows rose. "That’s generous, considering where she started."
"It’s an incentive," Elena said. "Explain the contract to her."
"Sure."
Evelyn closed her own file. "There’s one more change. Your sessions with her are over."
Felix blinked. "Already?"
"Her rehabilitation’s reached a point where continued individual therapy isn’t considered necessary. You’ll still supervise her combat development during missions, but the Thursday and Friday sessions are cancelled."
Felix thought it over, then nodded. "All right."
Evelyn reached for another file and set it in front of him. Felix looked at the name on the cover.
**LIORA MORVEN**
"Her?"
Evelyn nodded, and he opened it, basic information first, then criminal record, mission report, medical reports, psychological evaluations.
His expression shifted page by page. Multiple failed rehabilitation attempts. Psychologists unable to establish any real communication.
One healer left with severe psychological backlash. Another forced to discontinue treatment entirely.
He turned another page and stopped.
*Incident: Four years prior.*
He read it in silence, and by the time he reached the end, the usual smile was gone from his face.
"She’s very different from Seraphina," Evelyn said, watching him carefully.
"Clearly."
"We don’t fully understand what we’re dealing with."
"Her ability."
"Among other things." Evelyn’s voice dropped, dead serious. "Don’t get too close. Don’t assume you understand her. Don’t try anything reckless."
"You’re telling *me* this?"
"Yes."
"That probably means I should actually listen."
"It means you absolutely should."
Felix looked back down at the file. "So what do you want me to do?"
"Your usual work. Talk to her, observe her, try to build trust."
"And if she doesn’t cooperate?"
"You keep trying."
He grinned. "Sounds dangerous."
"You enjoy dangerous things," Evelyn said, sighing.
"Maybe." He closed the file. "Fine. I’ll do it."
**Acheron Deep — Training Facility**
Seraphina was mid-drill when the door opened, and the moment she saw who it was, her whole expression changed, the cold focus dropping away, her eyes brightening instantly.
"Felix."
"How’s my favorite student?" Felix asked, strolling in with his hands in his pockets.
She gave him a flat, unimpressed look. "I’m your only student. Don’t flatter yourself."
"A minor technicality." Felix grinned, stepping up to the edge of the training ring. "First place by default is still first place."
"It means you have no standard of comparison," she shot back, though the faint twitch at the corner of her lips betrayed her. "Which explains your low expectations."
"Ouch. And here I thought three days without me would make you appreciate my company."
"The silence was actually very productive," she said smoothly.
She tilted her hand, drawing his attention to the condensed water sphere hovering above her palm, flawlessly still, without a single ripple or tremor. "See? No explosions. The walls survived."
Felix looked from the water to her, a genuine smile replacing the smirk. "Look at that. You actually practiced instead of just plotting revenge."
"Both, technically."
"I can respect the multitasking." He walked closer, and she immediately started running through everything from the week: the mistakes, the techniques, what had finally clicked. He listened to all of it, the way he always did.
Somewhere along the way, without either of them marking the moment it happened, Seraphina had become a close friend.
He didn’t need to know every detail of her past to know that. He’d never once pushed her to talk about it, if she wanted to tell him someday, she would, and if she never did, that was hers to decide.
His job had always been simpler than that: keep her stable, keep her from becoming a threat, and eventually get her fighting alongside his team.
That was enough. At least, that’s what he told himself.
They ended up back at her cell, and he handed her the contract. "Official schedule starts Monday."
She read through it. "Monday to Wednesday?"
"Yes."
"With your team?"
"Exactly."
"Congratulations. You’re employed."
A faint smile.
"And after a month, two days outside."
Her eyes widened slightly. "Outside?"
"Under supervision, obviously."
"That’s good."
"It is." He stepped toward the door. "I’ll see you Monday."
"Monday?" She looked up. "You’re not coming Thursday?"
He stopped. "Oh, right. The Association’s decided the therapy sessions aren’t necessary anymore."
Her expression barely moved, but the brightness dimming a fraction. "Oh."
"Don’t look so disappointed."
"I’m not."
"You’re a terrible liar," he said, smiling, and she looked away instead of arguing the point.
"I’ll be taking on another patient now, though," he added, more casually than the words deserved.
Her fingers tightened around the contract. "Another prisoner?"
"Yeah."
"Who?"
Felix hesitated, just slightly. "Someone new. I’d rather not say more than that, it’s not really mine to share."
Something in Seraphina’s chest tightened anyway, sharper for not having a name to attach it to.
Logically she should have felt nothing but relief, she’d be spending three full days a week with him now instead of two, which was more, which was *better.*
So she couldn’t explain why the thought of him sitting across from someone else, someone she couldn’t even picture, made something low in her chest start to burn. She’d never felt anything like it before.
Her expression stayed perfectly composed. "That’s good," she said, and made herself smile.
"See you Monday," Felix said, smiling back.
"See you."
The door began to close. She kept the smile in place until he was gone from view and the second the door sealed shut, it vanished completely.
She stared at the closed door, hands tightening slowly in her lap.
*Someone new.*
She didn’t know who. She’d never met her, had no name to hold onto, no face, nothing at all to justify what she was feeling.
And some part of her had already decided she hated her anyway.