Ezra held Daphne's gaze, her violet eyes glinting with a mix of challenge and intrigue that made his skin prickle.
She wasn't completely leaning into him, but she was close enough for her scent to reach him—something cool and clinical, yet maddeningly feminine.
What was she playing at?
He wanted to push the moment further, to test her in return. But he couldn't tell if she was genuinely interested or just playing another power game. She looked like the type who could kiss you one second and gut you the next.
So, he didn't move.
Unfortunately, his other self had no such hesitation. his downstairs brain had already voted, with a full salute beneath his trousers.
To be fair, it wasn't Ezra's fault. Anyone would've reacted the same way, with a seductive woman like Daphne practically breathing on him like she was testing more than just his vitals. So really, if you think about it, his other self was just being polite.
"Careful, Dr. Virellith," he said, voice low. "Keep this up, and I might start thinking you're more interested in me than your tests."
Daphne's lips curved into a slow, dangerous smile, her hand still resting lightly on his chest.
"Oh, Zaeryn, I'm very interested. But don't flatter yourself—it's your anomalies I want to dissect, not your ego."
The other scientists shifted, their reactions a mix of discomfort and curiosity. They exchanged uncertain glances.
It had to be said—this was a shocking sight. Chief Scientist Daphne Virellith wasn't known for being flirtatious. Hell, she was known for speaking very negatively about males.
Cold, brilliant, ruthless? Yes. But this?
This was new. And unnerving.
Whatever game she was playing with their new subject, it had clearly thrown the entire room off balance. She looked like someone testing a volatile substance, not afraid of it, but enticed by the risk.
Dr. Sylis cleared her throat, her datapad flickering back to life as she forced her attention to the screen. "Let's stay focused," she said, her voice sharper than before, though the flush in her cheeks betrayed her. "We need to initialize the scan."
Dr. Lirien stepped closer to the examination chair, her amber eyes flicking between Ezra and Daphne.
"She's right. The Council's waiting for answers, and we don't have all night."
Her tone was professional, but the slight tilt of her head and the lingering glance on Ezra, suggested she wasn't entirely immune to being captivated by his handsome form.
Dr. Aurena, still by the console, tapped in a sequence of commands. The sensor arrays on the chair lit up brighter, their faint hum rising in pitch.
Ezra's eyes widened slightly as he heard a tickle of movement behind his back, followed by a mechanical hiss, just below his neck.
Shit! He wasn't ready for this.
For a second, he thought needles might shoot out and jab him like some sci-fi torture device.
He tensed, shoulders stiffening—just slightly. Then, a sharp, stabbing pain shot out from his neck as a needle pierced his skin and extracted some blood.
He suppressed a grimace of pain. The electric noise continued as the chair scanned him.
Dr. Sylis moved to his side, her datapad now projecting a holographic model of his neural network, glowing lines weaving like a constellation.
"Your synaptic activity is… unusual," she said, her voice clinical but tinged with fascination. "There's a secondary pattern here, almost like an overlay. It's not Fade corruption, but it's not entirely human either."
Ezra's heart skipped. He could guess what that was, but he kept his face neutral.
"Maybe I'm just gifted," he said, flashing a grin that made Lirien's lips twitch in amusement.
"Gifted? More like you're cursed," Daphne murmured, circling the chair like a predator sizing up prey. "Seeing as it's going to make your life harder, I wouldn't call it a gift, young Mr. Noctis."
"What do you mean by making my life harder?" he asked, eyes narrowing.
Daphne paused behind him, her voice low but clear.
"The Matriarch won't tolerate a male who poses a threat to the order of things. You being here, being this—is already a risk. But that?" She nodded toward the projection, where neural threads shimmered with impossible geometry. "That could be reason enough for them to erase you before anyone asks questions."
A cold silence settled over the room. Well. That escalated quickly didn't it. They were now talking about erasing him?
Dr. Lirien said, "Or maybe… you'll be useful. Since you're immune, the Matriarch could use you to find the cure for the Fade."
Ezra turned to look at her. There was a faint glimmer of hope in her tone, maybe even admiration—but it was buried beneath professional detachment.
Dr. Aurena frowned. "Isn't the Fade a curse? How can it be cured?"
Dr. Sylis responded, eyes never leaving her data: "It's not a curse. That's just the dogma. Genetically, it's a degenerative neurological collapse, triggered only in males. But… this overlay—"
She zoomed in on the neural diagram.
"This isn't just resistance. His brain built around the infection. Like it adapted in real time. That's not survival. That's… evolution."
Ezra raised a brow.
Unlike them, he knew the truth: it was a curse. And not a natural one. The Fade came from the Dragon Lord himself.
So the idea of curing it? Laughable.
Still, he kept his expression unreadable. If he told them what he knew now, they'd only start asking how he knew it—and he had no way to explain that without opening a dozen other dangerous doors.
"I like the sound of that. And I don't mind being a cure," he said casually. Anything to buy himself time—until he was strong enough to bend the rules.
Daphne stepped closer again.
"Don't celebrate yet. Evolution can be as dangerous as it is miraculous. And if you're the first sign of a shift we didn't control…"
She let the threat hang like a blade.
Ezra sighed, muttering under his breath,
"Right. Evolve and die. Stay normal and die. I'm starting to see a pattern here."
Lirien tilted her head, her voice softer now, laced with something warmer.
"High Commander Lysara seems intrigued by you. So I doubt she'd approve any neutralization order. You're too unique. If I were them… I wouldn't want to harm you. I'd want to…"
She trailed off, eyes widening as she realized where her mind had wandered. She bit her lower lip, visibly flustered—but then a slow, crooked smile curled her lips. "Well. Let's just say their priorities might be... different from mine. If it were up to me, I'd keep you very close."
A beat passed.
Aurena didn't even look up from her console. "Wow. You have no shame."
Ezra didn't need to guess, what Lirien meant by those words. Her bond stats had just spiked. He felt it, the subtle ripple in the system UI, Lirien was slipping, drawn in deeper by him. And even Daphne, for all her cool control, wasn't entirely immune.
He glanced at the violet-eyed lead scientist. She was interesting, to say the least.
"Lysara," he said aloud, shifting the topic before things got even more awkward. "Is she like… the highest authority here?"
Aurena shook her head. "She's the highest-ranking commander at the Citadel, yes. But not the entire Government."
"This facility operates as a strategic response hub," Sylis added. "Any threat in this sector? It comes through us first."
Aurena crossed her arms, expression sharp. "But even Lysara answers to the Matriarch herself. If they decide you're a risk—her interest won't save you."
Ezra nodded slowly, filing away every word. If he was going to rise in this world, he needed to understand its power players. Lysara. The Council. The Matriarch. One by one.
And when the time came, he'd make his move.
"Alright, I think that's all the tests we need for now." Aurena said, after she was done discussing something with the other three. "Mireille you can take him back now." She announced into a comm.
Moments later, the door slid open and Mireille stepped inside.
Without a word, she gestured for him to follow.
As Ezra stepped out of the sterile chamber and into the corridor, a familiar voice greeted him.
"Zaeryn!"
It was Arya.
"How'd the tests go?" she asked, scanning his face for clues. She looked genuinely concerned.
Before he could answer, Mireille cut in, nodding toward the exit. "Someone's waiting for you outside. Your girlfriend and your guardian?"
Ezra blinked, then smiled in relief, "Oh, Ysmeine and Sage?"
Mireille nodded. "That's them."