Chapter 187: Chapter 187: Order From Above

There was a brief silence before the high commander spoke up. "The situation was... sensitive, Director," Lysara finally replied, her voice as flat and cold as winter stone.

"Sensitive?" Sorina’s laugh was sharp and utterly humorless. "Lysara, he’s enrolled in my academy. He’s interacting with my students, living in my dorms, training in my facilities. His ability to mimic Vitae signatures isn’t ’sensitive intel’ it’s a fundamental security variable that I, as Director, needed to know before he stepped foot on campus." She gestured toward Zaeryn, her frustration unmistakable. "What if he’d mimicked someone dangerous? What if he’d accidentally hurt someone? My instructors were operating completely blind!"

Zaeryn shifted uncomfortably in his chair. He hadn’t thought of it that way. He’d been so focused on his own survival, on gaining power and allies, that he hadn’t considered the operational security nightmare he represented to the institution.

Though honestly, he trusted himself enough to know he wouldn’t hurt anyone, even by accident. Hell, he was the one who should be worried about getting hurt here, not the other way around.

"Your instructors," Lysara said, her gaze shifting to Zaeryn with a new, weighing intensity, "seem to have handled the situation admirably well." She looked back at Sorina. "The information was classified at the highest level. It was not withheld to undermine your authority, Sorina, but to protect Zaeryn."

"Protect him from what ? My curriculum?" Sorina shot back sarcastically.

"From exposure. From exactly what just happened in that training chamber," Lysara stated flatly. "You said it yourself, you’ve been monitoring how the students are reacting to him. If the full nature of his mimicry had been widely known from day one, he wouldn’t just be a curiosity. He’d be seen by some students as a parasite, someone actively stealing their abilities. Someone to be feared, isolated, or worse."

Sorina let out a long, frustrated sigh, running a hand through her hair. She knew, intellectually, that Lysara was right. The political fallout of a male mimic, openly acknowledged from the start, would have been catastrophic.

"Fine," she conceded reluctantly. "You had your reasons for the secrecy. I don’t like it, but I understand it." She leaned forward. "But the secret is out now. What happens next?"

"Precisely," Lysara agreed. "The secret is out. I’m assuming his classmates already know, which means our attempt to maintain secrecy is officially over. All you can do now is manage the narrative and make sure they understand he’s not a threat to them, but one of them. A friend and not an enemy."

Sorina nodded slowly, her mind already working through the implications. "That’s doable."

"You’re Director of the most prestigious Lyceum in the system," Lysara said with the barest hint of dry humor. "I’m confident you can manage."

"And what about the Council?" Sorina asked, crossing her arms. "I know you’re not on the same page about this, judging by the fact that Councilwoman Zia demanded I don’t let him socialize with other students."

’Of course, Zia. She would do something like that, I’m not surprised,’ Zaeryn thought. And the fact that she was actively trying to sabotage his integration before he’d even had a chance to prove himself... it just cemented her as his primary antagonist. The woman was a viper, plain and simple.

Lysara’s holographic image didn’t even flicker. Her expression remained impassive, but her voice, when she spoke, was laced with ice. "Councilwoman Zia," she stated flatly, "is operating on incomplete information. And, perhaps, personal bias."

Sorina let out a small, humorless laugh. "That’s a nicer way of saying she hates him." She leaned forward again, her gaze locking onto the hologram. "But her ’demand’ still stands, Lysara. I’m caught between a Council order to isolate him and your... new order to integrate him. I can’t do both."

"Then let me be perfectly clear, Director," Lysara said, her voice dropping to that dangerous, quiet tone that left no room for interpretation. "Councilwoman Zia does not run this Citadel. I do." She paused, letting the weight of her authority settle. "You will disregard Zia’s ’recommendation.’ Your primary objective is to follow my directive. Ensure Mr. Noctis is integrated. Ensure he receives the training he needs. And ensure these ’rumors’ paint him as an asset, not a threat. Are we clear?"

A wave of visible relief washed over Sorina. This was the clarity she’d needed. "Yes, High Commander. Crystal clear."

"Is there anything else, Director?" Lysara asked.

"Not at this time," Sorina replied.

"Then I’ll leave you to manage your academy. Noctis," Lysara’s eyes fixed on him one final time, and then she nodded before the hologram flickered and vanished.

Silence filled the office.

Sorina turned her full attention back to Zaeryn, studying him with an unreadable expression.

"So," she said finally, her voice softer now, "you’ve had quite the first week, haven’t you?"

Zaeryn let out a breath he didn’t know he’d been holding. "That’s... one way to put it. But it has been enjoyable."

"How are you really feeling?" she asked, and this time the concern in her voice was unmistakably genuine. "Not the tough-guy answer. The real answer."

Zaeryn hesitated, then decided honesty was probably his best bet. "Exposed," he admitted. "Honestly, I don’t have any complaints, I think it’s going better than I thought it would go. I already have friends and I’m making progress in mastering my vitae."

Sorina nodded slowly.

A brief silence settled.

"Now," Sorina said, her tone becoming more businesslike again, "we need to talk about what comes next. Starting with getting that burn treated properly. Then we need to discuss how you’re going to explain your abilities to the students who witnessed today’s... demonstration."

Zaeryn groaned internally. "Can’t I just tell them to mind their own business?"

"You could," Sorina said with a slight smile, "but that would make things exponentially worse. I think you should get along with everyone here. So, no, you’re going to need a story. A simple, believable explanation that satisfies curiosity without revealing everything."

"Any suggestions?" Zaeryn asked hopefully. "And why can’t I tell Instructor Zelda, who would then in return tell the class?"

"Yes, you can do that," Sorina leaned back in her chair, steepling her fingers. "What’s important is that you tell them the truth or at least, a version of it. You’re a Vitae anomaly with an unusual ability to replicate techniques you’ve been exposed to. You don’t steal abilities; you don’t permanently take anything. You learn fast, adapt faster, and yes, that makes you unusual. But unusual doesn’t mean dangerous."

Zaeryn considered that. "Think they’ll buy it?"

"Some will. Some won’t." Sorina shrugged. "But it’s better than leaving them to fill in the blanks with their own increasingly wild theories. Trust me, the rumor mill in this place is vicious ."

"Great," Zaeryn muttered.

"Welcome to academy life," Sorina said with dark amusement. "Now go see the medic. Then go explain yourself to the person you took your powers from, before she decides to track you down and demand answers in a less private setting."

Zaeryn stood, "Thanks, Director."

Zaeryn left, the heavy door creaking shut behind him, already dreading the conversation with Ingrid that was waiting for him.