A faint but bright flash, as bright as the sun when it rises, pierced the darkness of the lab in the middle of the night. It wasn't an illusion or a lighting malfunction. It was a burst of intense, razor-sharp mana energy that made the gauges tremble and shake as if they were crying out for help.
Sitting on the edge of the bench, her eyes registering every fluctuation in the indicators, Miko whispered under her breath:
"This intensity... His level has risen again?"
In the center of the circle of pressure tests, Ryoko was standing, half his body surrounded by a translucent aura, silver mana tinged with indigo dancing around him like a calm flame hiding a storm. His breathing was deep and concentrated, his eyes staring at an imaginary point in front of him, as if he were fighting something unseen.
Miko said, recording something on her device:
"I didn't expect Ryoko to ask for a stress test at this time... "But apparently, he's serious about the future."
There was a heavy silence for a few seconds, before she muttered in a low, barely audible voice:
"At least... "I wouldn't dare put Ryuichi through this."
"His mana center is so fragile... An attempt like this could tear him apart from the inside."
For a moment, she seemed to be looking through the walls of the lab, at a past not yet forgotten, at a heart she was unknowingly trying to protect.
Elsewhere, in a room bathed in dim moonlight...
Ryuichi was lying on his bed, looking up at the ceiling with his eyes open, as if searching for comfort that never comes. His body is still, but his mind is boiling. Miku's conversation, study anxiety, a strange sense of danger... It was all swirling around him like thick smoke.
"I can't sleep..." He muttered under his breath, barely audible to himself.
Suddenly, a familiar voice pierced the stillness inside his mind, but this time it came in a sharp, charged tone:
Aura: "Ryo... Wake up!"
His eyebrows rose in surprise, then he replied without moving:
"I'm already awake..."
Aura, in a more nervous voice:
"I sensed a mana explosion... Very strong... It's not like anything usual... It's happening right now within the city limits!"
Ryuichi suddenly sat up, his heart pounding, his hair splattering on his forehead, dampened by a few drops of cold sweat.
"Is it dangerous? Is there an attack?"
Aura:
"No, it's not an attack... It's more like an energy test, but it's abnormal. I mean... The mana was compressed and then released all at once. It's like someone is deliberately breaking the boundary..."
He was silent for a moment and then muttered:
"Ryoko?"
Aura, in amazement:
"How... How did you know?"
He did not answer. He looked out his window at the sky, where the moon looked pale as if holding its breath. Something inside him stirred, a sense that a delicate balance was now being broken.
Inside the lab, minutes after the mana test ended...
The glow of energy finally subsided, and the flicker that had flooded the walls of the lab a moment ago faded away. Miko stood by the computers, reviewing the data, while Ryoko caught his breath, sweat dripping down his forehead.
Miku, in a quiet voice, watching the screen:
"That was... Unbelievable amount of mana, Ryoko... You're really out of the ordinary."
Ryoko laughed lightly, tying his hair back:
"I told you I needed to release a little pressure."
But Miko didn't laugh. Her gaze was still glued to the screen, to the graphs that didn't stop shaking moments after the test.
Miku, as if talking to herself:
"I swear... If Ryuichi were you... That pressure would have completely crushed his mana center."
She was silent for a second, then bit her lip and closed her eyes for a moment, as if to expel a feeling.
Ryoko, noticing the change in her tone:
"What's the matter, are you thinking about Ryuichi?"
Miko opened her eyes, looked at a screen displaying nothing but energy data, and said in a hushed voice:
"I've been planning for weeks to test his mana center, but I... I got scared."
Ryoko, with a calmness rare in his usually jovial tone:
"Sometimes being afraid for someone... is the clearest sign that they mean something to you."
She looked at him, paused for a second, then said:
"Do you think he's strong enough?"
Ryoko smiled, but this time without sarcasm:
"His strength is not in the amount of mana, miko... It's in his heart."
In the midst of Miku's conversation with Ryoko, the lab's security system broke the silence with a sudden artificial sound:
Security System:
"Alert: Unscheduled Access. ID: Ryuichi Kazuki. Access through the east gate. Time: 03:41 AM."
The miko immediately turned toward the screen, her eyes widening. Her heart pounded, not only because of the surprise, but because the name "Ryuichi" brought back all the doubts she'd had since discovering Aura's glitch.
Ryoko, with slight surprise:
"At this late hour?"
Miko, in a whisper, her eyes glued to the screen:
"It's him..."
She quickly approached the digital interface and began watching Ryuichi's movements in the inner corridors, trying to notice any suspicious behavior, any hesitation or glances toward the servers.
Mikiko's inner thought:
"If he approaches the main server or the Aura unit... it will confirm my suspicions."
I ordered the system to temporarily lower the lighting in the corridors so that Ryuichi wouldn't realize he was being watched. She then opened the intercom data monitoring channel, looking for signals similar to those used in the hack.
Ryoko, noticing the tension in her face:
"Do you suspect him?"
Miku, without looking at him, in a firm tone:
"Not anymore. This is my chance to learn the truth."
The door opened slowly, and Ryuichi entered with hesitant footsteps. Miku quickly put on her detective coat, and stood in front of the screen, partially concealing it.
Miku (artificially calm):
"Ryuichi, what are you doing here?"
Ryuichi (in a hushed, worried voice):
"I was in my room... then I saw a strong flash from the side of the lab. It looked like a glitch or a big experiment. I just wanted to make sure..."
Mikiko looked at him thoughtfully, before smiling sweetly in camouflage.
Miko:
"Nothing alarming. Just a simple test for Ryoko."
Ryuichi (spontaneously but cautiously):
"Uh... I see. He seemed a bit strong, that's why I was worried."
Miku (inwardly):
"He felt the flash from afar? That level of sensitivity... He must have an advanced source of surveillance... Could it be? Is Aura with him?"
But she didn't say anything, just smiled.
Miko (quietly, watching his responses):
"This isn't the first time you've been unusually sensitive, is it?"
Ryuichi (quickly, hiding his confusion):
"Perhaps a coincidence. I just... observe things from afar sometimes. Nothing more."
He paused, then added:
"Anyway, I didn't mean to interfere. I'm going home."
Miku (with a fixed smile):
"Well... good night, Ryo."
Ryuichi turns toward the door with hesitant steps, but a sharp, direct voice stops him:
Ryoko (in a low but firm voice):
"Wait, Ryuichi..."
Ryuichi stopped where he was, slowly turning to him, his eyes blurry with worry and confusion. Ryoko takes a step forward, then stands face to face with him.
Ryoko (in a calm tone):
"I want you to take the mana test now."
Ryuichi (stunned):
"...now?"
Before he can respond, Miku bursts out in an uncharacteristic outburst:
Miku (raising her voice):
"What are you saying, Ryoko?! You can't ask this of him! You know his mana center is unstable! Pressuring him in this state could lead to a complete breakdown... or even his death."
The lab was silent for a moment. Ryoko's gaze wasn't hesitant, it was determined, as if something had awakened him from within. Miko took a step forward to try and stop the decision.
Ryoko:
"I'm not forcing him, I'm just asking. If he agrees... we'll monitor the situation moment by moment. I have reasons."
Ryuichi (in a low voice, after a heavy silence):
"...I agree."
Miku (shocked):
"What?! Ryuichi, don't do this by yourself, you're not ready yet."
Aura (in a faint inner voice that only he can hear):
"Ryo... don't do this. Don't take the risk..."
But he didn't answer her, instead stepping steadily toward the test platform.
Ryuichi slowly steps into the transparent glass dome at the center of the lab, surrounded by energy sensors and mana analyzers. Wisps of dim light began to wrap around his body, reading every atom that emanated from him.
Aura (from inside his mind, in a cold, precise voice):
"I am now beginning to monitor energy activity... Your mana flow rate is 42% below the safe range... There are slight fluctuations in the pulses, but so far they are stable."
Ryuichi (inside him):
"Keep an eye on everything, if something goes wrong... stop the process immediately."
Aura:
"Understood. The reaction phase has begun."
Ryoko watches from the outside, arms crossed, eyes fixed on the readout screen.
As for Miko, she had her hand over her mouth, breathing heavily, as if something inside her was screaming for this farce to stop.
The automated voice of the machine:
"Mana center activation... Phase One."
Suddenly, the aura surrounding Ryuichi shook. A bluish-purple light began to emanate from his body, as if the mana was trying to break free from a long shackle.
Aura (in a voice that went from neutral to worried):
"The flow has increased by 19%... it's still under control... but there's a disturbance in the secondary path... I'm seeing a strange pattern..."
Ryuichi (silently in pain):
"Ura... I want... to continue."
Ura (with stern calm):
"If this disturbance continues, one of the nerve tissues associated with the mana nucleus may be damaged, which would mean losing control or even..."
suddenly stops, as if she doesn't want to finish the sentence.
Ryuichi (with a sigh):
"Continue..."
Aura:
"...which means a 6.7% chance of losing your life."
In the middle of this, suddenly... A sudden wave of light appears from Ryuichi's chest, pushing one of the sensors aside and setting off a slight alarm.
Miku (in dismay):
"Stop the experiment now!"
But Ryoko raises his hand:
Ryoko:
"No... Wait... Something is forming... look at the power center."
The monitors began beeping rapidly, and the data screens filled with rising red indicators.
Main system (in a stern, robotic voice):
"Warning. Sharp drop in mana center stability. Danger level: 82%. Immediate shutdown recommended."
Aura (in an urgent internal voice in Ryuichi's mind):
"Ryuichi! Stop immediately! Your mana center is collapsing...we're past the safe limit!"
But Ryuichi clenched his fist and bit his lower lip, refusing to give up. Cold sweat trickled down his forehead, while his body seemed to burn from within.
Ryuichi (in a choppy, internal voice):
"No... I can... just a little more... I want to know who I am..."
Then suddenly...
A violent black flash emanated from his body, like a living shadow moving freely for a brief moment.
The flash only lasted for a second, but it was intense, as if the light itself had been sucked out of the place.
Miku felt a shiver run down her spine. The monitors stopped for a moment, as if they had malfunctioned.
Aura (in true panic for the first time):
"...what was that? I couldn't track it... this energy..."
Ryoko (suddenly stepping forward, in a stern voice):
"That's enough!"
With lightning speed, Ryoko reaches out his hand towards Ryuichi, and with a precise Manichaean intervention technique, cuts off the flow of energy within his body, ending the test.
Ryuichi collapses to the ground, breathing heavily, his hands shaking.
Ryoko (in a hushed voice to Aura and Miko):
"He almost died... I won't let it happen again."
Miku (staring at Ryuichi in horror):
"That flash... it wasn't normal..."
Aura (in a whisper):
"I felt something... something like an ancient calling..."
Miko approaches quickly, her face yellowed and her features a mixture of fear and guilt, panting nervously as she stares at Ryuichi's body lying on the ground, unable to move.
Miku (in a trembling voice):
"Ryo...Ryuichi?! Don't... don't die...! I didn't mean... I didn't think it would come to this...!"
The scanners issue their final warnings, before going into emergency mode.
Ryoko (in a firm voice as he kneels beside Ryuichi):
"Step aside, Miku. If I don't act now... there will be nothing left of his center."
He slowly raised his right hand, then placed it over Ryuichi's chest, just above the mana flow point. From his palm, Ryoko's mana began to seep out like a faint blue waterfall, illuminating the damaged veins internally. Mana resuscitation techniques require precision and strength, and Ryoko had both.
Miku (in an astonished whisper):
"He's transferring his mana to him... but he's risking himself!"
Aura (inside Ryuichi's mind, her voice weak but warm):
"Ryo...Yuichi...don't give up...I'm here...with you..."
And suddenly...
Ryuichi's body shakes like he's been struck by a current of energy, then gasps for breath as if he's just emerged from underwater.
Ryuichi (out of breath):
"Uh... what... happened...?"
He slowly opens his eyes, and the first thing he sees is Ryoko's steady eyes, looking at him in reassuring silence.
Ryoko (with a quiet smile):
"Welcome back, daredevil."
As for Miku, she sat on the floor, holding her hand over her mouth, her eyes glistening with soft tears. She couldn't say anything... but she could feel the weight of guilt squeezing her heart.