Hundreds of young faces, a mix of nervous and eager, turned toward the raised platform where serious officers stood in straight lines. This was the yearly ceremony welcoming new recruits entering the ranks of Exyllum's law enforcement branches.
Among them, standing at the back, was Gabi Astrea. While the other people were celebrating their graduation from the academy, socializing and meeting their future comrades, I had to maintain my facade. The judge's pronouncement still echoed in his mind: "One month... under the strict supervision of Seraphina."
He scanned the faces around him.
A young man with sharp, intelligent eyes and a nervous energy bounced slightly on the balls of his feet beside Gabi. He wore the same Detective Branch insignia. "Quite the crowd, huh?" he whispered, trying to be friendly. "Name's Elias Thorne. Been studying for the entrance exams for two years. Finally made it."
Gabi offered a tight smile. "Gabi... Just Gabi."
Elias didn't seem to notice the brevity. "Just Gabi? Alright, Gabi. Excited to finally get started? Honestly, the theory is fascinating, especially Synaptic Applications in Forensics. Imagine, being able to detect residual Resonance signatures at a crime scene! Or using a Vector trace to reconstruct movement!"
Another trainee, a woman with a pragmatic look and a neat, short haircut, leaned in. "Elias, calm down. You'll scare the poor man," she said, though her tone was mild. "He probably knows all that. It's standard curriculum. I'm Clara Vance. Synapse user myself Quantum. Not flashy, but incredibly useful for examining materials and structures."
Elias beamed. "Oh, really? That's incredible, Clara! Honestly, the way Synapse works is just... elegant! So you resonate with Quantum? That means you can perceive things on a molecular level, right? Like, see the bonds holding things together?"
Clara nodded, a faint, almost imperceptible shimmering starting around her fingertips, a subtle visual cue of her connection. "Precisely!". With a proud smile on her face. "It's not about manipulating reality like some of the more powerful users. It's about perception, understanding the fundamental structure of matter. Think of it like a second sense, seeing the world not just as solid objects, but as vibrating particles and forces. It requires focus, though. A 'synaptical trigger,' as the Resonantic scientists call it, isn't just willing something to happen. You have to break it down. For me, to analyze a substance, I need to mentally specify the molecular structures, bond strengths, composition, and alot of other elemental precision. It's a step-by-step mental command sequence based on triggers discovered through research."
Elias's eyes lit up. "Exactly! That's what I mean by elegant! It's not magic, it's... applied divine physics! And it's dependent on your deity, right? Like, someone resonating with Apoy would focus on energy transfer, thermal dynamics... while a Vector user would map kinetic chains, angles of force..."
Gabi listened intently, his mind categorizing the information. This was exactly the kind of ground-level understanding he lacked. While he could analyze the effects of Synapse with uncanny accuracy, the internal feel was alien to him. He filed away Clara's explanation of synaptical triggers the mental breakdown, the parameters. It solidified his understanding from his courtroom improvisation.
"It's not just about the deity, though," Clara added, her gaze distant for a moment. "There's the inherent potential, too. And training. Some people just naturally have a stronger connection, can borrow more power. Others... they struggle to even activate a single trigger consistently. And most people only ever discover one or two triggers in their lifetime, even with training. Three is almost unheard of, reserved for truly prodigal talents."
Elias sighed. "Yeah, the talent lottery. Still, even as a Null, being in the Detective Branch means we can work alongside Synapse users, complement their abilities. We focus on the traditional stuff observation, deduction, tracking..."
Gabi felt irony. He, the ultimate Null, was now a trainee in the branch best suited for him, but for reasons none of them could possibly comprehend. He needed to maintain this facade. He was just 'Just Gabi', the quiet trainee, fascinated by the technical aspects, perhaps a bit overwhelmed.
Afterwards, Gabi found himself being directed to a small, sparsely furnished room where a mid-level officer was processing assignments.
"Ah, Gabi... just Gabi," the officer said, glancing down at a file. "Your paperwork is... unique. Provisional assignment to Detective Branch, Squad 7. Your immediate supervisor is Detective Klein. She's... not based here at the Academy, normally. You report directly to her at a designated location once your initial processing is complete. Unusual arrangement." The officer looked up, a flicker of curiosity in his eyes. "Right then. Uniform issue is down the hall. Basic gear... And quarters." The officer paused, tapping a pen on the desk. "Ah. Your file indicates... no assigned quarters. Temporary housing is usually available on campus for trainees, but yours is... different."
Gabi felt a knot tighten in his stomach. "Is there... any assistance for finding accommodation?" he asked, trying to keep his voice casual.
The officer frowned slightly. "Ordinarily, yes. But your case... it seems here you came from a foreign university..? Not full integration into the standard trainee track. You're essentially on a very public, very strict leash. The Overwatch isn't providing housing. You'll need to secure your own. You have... whatever stipend is standard for a trainee, and I will arrange for you to get additional grants for housing, but that won't go far in the city right now."
Fantastic.
Later, after picking up his gear and temporary identification card, Gabi found himself outside the Academy gates. The bustling steampunk city stretched before him, a labyrinth of towering buildings, smog-belching factories, and a constant stream of clockwork carriages, pedestrians, trains and railroads.
His first order of business was finding a roof over his head. He wandered through less affluent districts, his eyes scanning for 'Rooms for Rent' signs. The prices were expensive, even for tiny, dingy rooms. His trainee stipend was laughable in the face of the city's cost of living. He thought of the days he had left. Thirty. He needed shelter, resources, and information information about the Wolf, about Synapse, about anything that could lead him to the truth.
A deep hum began to fill the air, growing steadily louder, felt both far away and everywhere at once, a beat that seemed to shake the cobblestones under his navy blue boots.
Soon, a mechanical churning joined it, then the high whir of huge propellers. Airship. Gabi tilted his head back, looking up through the tangle of buildings and steam at a colossal shape moving against the late afternoon sky, a marvel of Exyllum engineering with a vast burnished brass scales reinforced by ribs, engine pods along its sides with pipes and gears feeding the many-bladed propellers, and a sleek, armored structure with gold details and windows suspended beneath. It sailed with slow, calm grace, its shadow briefly falling upon the street before it passed overhead.
"I wonder when I'll get to ride a Sky Cruiser."
Gabi watched it go. For a second, he imagined himself aboard the airship, simply drifting away from the city.
As dusk began to settle, Gabi found himself near the Emperor's palace, a colossal structure of white marble and gold, its spires piercing the sky.
A contingent of guards stood at the main gates. Their movements were too precise, their bearing too proud. They were the Royal Guard, the elite protectors of the Emperor and his family, often drawn from noble, Synapse-capable lineages like the Astreas.
And then he saw her.
Standing slightly apart from the main group of guards, her profile distinct, was Seraphina, conversing with her colleagues. She wore a uniform of cream-colored material that looked like a heavy cape, trimmed with gold and fastened at the shoulder by a large gold clasp.
A shimmering, ethereal golden halo, a familiar sight from the courtroom, floated gently behind her head the unmistakable mark of her resonance stacking with the Seraph deity.
She was Royal Guard. His liaison was a member of the Emperor's personal elite, a Synapse user of clear distinction who swore oaths to a divine being.
He averted his gaze quickly, retreating back into the shadows of the street, a sudden chill creeping over him.
"Looking down there, young man?"
An old woman sat on her porch, watching him.
"I'm looking for a place to live," Gabi replied.
"Well, I've got a spare room you could use," she said with a chuckle. "No need to pay me. It's my grandson's room, and he's off studying in another country now. Might as well have a bit of protection right here!" She gestured him in. Gabi stepped into a small, simple room: light wooden walls, white brick around a small fireplace, and a regular-sized bed with two pillows. No blanket? Man. At least the chimney offered some hope of warmth. He sank onto the soft mattress and, despite everything, quickly fell asleep.