The accusation hit the chamber like a physical force, silencing the crowd instantly.

A Vitae thief. Someone who could steal the signature abilities of others. The concept was foreign, taboo, the stuff of horror stories whispered in training halls. Powers were supposed to be earned, inherited, developed through blood and sweat and years of discipline.

And a male with that ability? That made it exponentially worse in a female-dominated society.

"You stole her power?" Leia's voice dropped low, vibrating with contempt that made several nearby cadets take an unconscious step back. "That's how you're doing this? You're not a warrior. You're a parasite."

Zaeryn, still breathing hard, pushed himself fully upright despite the exhaustion weighing down his limbs. He glanced at Ingrid's shocked face, saw the confusion and maybe, maybe, a hint of betrayal there. Then he looked back at Leia.

He hadn't meant to expose his mimicry ability. Especially not like this, in front of dozens of witnesses. But he was done being cornered, done being defensive.

"I don't steal anything," Zaeryn said, his voice steady despite his hammering heart. "It's called an ability. You should try getting one that isn't just 'burn things' or 'suck the life out of people.'"

"You!"

That was it. The final insult. The thread holding Leia's control snapped like an overstressed cable.

She didn't wait for Zelda's command. Didn't waste time with ranged attacks or calculated strategy. She exploded forward, her crimson aura flaring wildly, not with the controlled necrotic flames, but with pure, concussive heat born of raw fury.

She was done playing. Done testing. She was going to put him down. Hard.

"Leia, wait!" Instructor Zelda shouted, but it was already too late.

Leia's fist, wreathed in scorching flames, shot toward Zaeryn's face with devastating speed and intent.

Zaeryn's Combat Instincts flared to life like an alarm bell in his skull. He didn't consciously think about dodging. His body just moved, muscle memory and enhanced awareness taking over.

He sidestepped the fiery punch, feeling the heat sear the air millimeters from where his head had been. At the same moment, acting on pure instinct, he reached for another of Ingrid's abilities.

Concussive Blast.

He didn't know the proper form, didn't know the technique. He just focused on the center of Leia's mass and pushed with his will.

A bolt of invisible kinetic force erupted from his palm, slamming into Leia's stomach with shocking impact.

"Ah!"

Leia was sent stumbling backward, her feet skidding across the mat as she clutched her abdomen. She hadn't expected him to use another of Ingrid's abilities. She'd left herself completely open, charging in blind with rage.

She dropped to one knee, gasping, one hand pressed to her stomach where the blast had connected.

The crowd went dead silent. Again.

Ingrid was perhaps the most shocked of anyone present. Her mouth hung open, her mind struggling to process what she'd just witnessed. "Am I dreaming?" she whispered. "Did he just use a, "

"Yep," Genevieve confirmed, her own voice tinged with disbelief. "I don't know what's going on or how he got them, but Zaeryn is definitely using your powers. Multiple ones."

"We should ask him about that later," Morticia observed from nearby, her usual disinterest replaced by genuine fascination. "But this is... really strange. And honestly? Pretty impressive."

Instructor Zelda was equally shocked, though she hid it better behind her professional mask. She hadn't expected Zaeryn, who'd reportedly possessed only a handful of basic Vitae abilities when he'd arrived, to suddenly demonstrate three additional powers. It was like he was developing abilities on the spot.

That shouldn't be possible. Couldn't be possible.

But knowing his status as an anomaly, she realized it was probably entirely possible with him.

On the mat, Leia struggled back to her feet, her face flushed, whether from exertion, embarrassment, or pure rage was impossible to tell. Her aura flared brighter, hotter. She was done holding back. Done treating this as a spar.

She was about to turn up the intensity to levels that would push the dampeners to their absolute limits.

"Alright, ENOUGH!" Instructor Zelda's voice cracked through the chamber like a whip, amplified by her own Vitae. "It's a draw!"

Both combatants froze, turning to look at her.

"But, " Leia began, her voice raw with protest.

"I said ENOUGH!" Zelda repeated, her expression brooking no argument. She stepped fully into the combat circle, her own formidable presence filling the space. "This stopped being a spar thirty seconds ago. You both proved your points. Zaeryn, you can adapt and fight creatively. Leia, you have superior technique and control. Consider your egos sufficiently satisfied."

She looked between them, her gaze hard as iron.

"This is over. Now." Zelda's gaze swept across both of them one final time, her expression unreadable but her authority absolute. "Zaeryn," she said, her voice carrying that same commanding weight but slightly softer now. "Go change back into your uniform. Then meet me in director Sorina's office. Immediately."

The words fell like a guillotine blade. But he could understand why. Hell, he might even be in trouble now. Zaeryn felt his stomach drop. 'Shit.'

"Instructor, I…. " he began.

"Now, Cadet," Zelda cut him off, her tone leaving zero room for argument. "We need to have a conversation. A private one."

She turned and walked toward the chamber exit without waiting for confirmation, her posture rigid, radiating the kind of barely contained intensity that made even the most confident cadets nervous.

The crowd began to disperse slowly, conversations erupting in hushed, excited whispers. But all eyes remained on Zaeryn, watching him like he'd just sprouted a second head.

'I'm fucked,' Zaeryn thought, his mind racing. 'I exposed myself. Showed everyone I can mimic powers. Now they are going to think I'm a parasite.'

"Zaeryn." Genevieve's voice cut through his spiraling thoughts.

He turned to find her and Ingrid approaching, their expressions a mixture of concern and something else, curiosity? Wariness? Ingrid in particular didn't look like she was happy at all, knowing that he copied her powers without her knowing.

"We need to talk," Ingrid said quietly, her arms still crossed. "About what just happened. About my abilities."

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