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Khan gave free rein to his flying skills. The ship handled like a beauty, and its commands soon became a natural extension of his body. Its speed was also incredible, and Khan didn't hold back from testing its limits.
After Nitis, Khan had always sought something that could resemble riding Snow, but most ships had security measures that prevented him from experiencing the same adrenaline of actual free flight. Even his martial art couldn't match that since he was technically walking on air.
The ships provided by the Global Army were also clunky and slow. Khan could barely push them due to their natural limitations and various regulations.
However, Monica's ship was completely different. Khan couldn't experience the wind on his face, but each acceleration and deceleration reverberated through the canopy's insides, creating an experience that came extremely close to riding Snow. It wasn't the exact same, but Khan couldn't help but love it.
The ship's speed could hurt Monica, but she laughed whenever Khan performed a crazy maneuver. The pressure inside the canopy was tough to bear, but Khan's happy mood made her forget about that.
The Harbor had filled the ship with fuel and oxygen, so Khan didn't need to worry about anything. Even after flying for hours, the control desk showed no red flags, so he kept going until he grew completely used to the vehicle.
Nevertheless, a different mood invaded Khan after he had his fun. The ship slowed down until it completely stopped, and the beauty of the universe filled the canopy. The couple could marvel at that spectacular scenery, and neither forgot how they got there in the first place.
"Do you like it?" Monica asked, removing her safety belt to peek past Khan's seat.
"I love it!" Khan exclaimed, tapping on a key to retract the steering wheel. The canopy gained more space, and Khan also removed his belt before addressing the smiling face to his right. "Though, not as much as I love you."
"You'd better!" Monica snorted, but the brimming happiness on Khan's face didn't even allow her to pretend to be angry. Her pout melted, and she squeezed herself around the seat to reach Khan.
"Say that again," Monica whispered, taking her place on Khan's lap. She slowed down her graceful moves on purpose to make Khan savor every second of them, and her dress added a lethal vibe to the whole scene.
"I love you," Khan repeated, his hands already clung to Monica's waist. "Are you enjoying this date?"
"I love it," Monica nodded, leaning toward Khan's face, "And I know it's about to get better."
.
Needless to say, Monica became addicted to dates inside the ship, and Khan was happy to take her out whenever the chance arrived. Her family didn't like that brazen behavior, but the two had earned that break, so no formal complaints arrived.
Two weeks passed in those peaceful conditions. Khan and Monica still studied and trained, but the rest of their free time was spent on themselves. The general uproar toward Khan's rising fame made the Harbor annoying to explore anyway, and they didn't mind focusing on their privacy.
Of course, that peaceful period couldn't last forever. Khan's impending tasks were one of the main reasons behind his focus on Monica. Yet, that had to stop once the week began.
The new year arrived, and the Global Army spared no effort to prepare for the monumental event. Khan had to wake up extra early and wear his cleanest military uniform to catch the ride that had come to get him.
The car was for military purposes only, and soldiers also patrolled the adjacent blocks to keep away potential onlookers or reporters. The matter was too serious to allow any leak, and Khan hurried inside the vehicle for that very reason.
Khan often enjoyed a drink or two during those long trips, but his mind didn't allow any distractions. He was wholly focused on the matter at hand, and his presence conveyed his seriousness, filling the car's insides with heavy air. He was lucky to be alone since ordinary soldiers would have suffocated in that environment.
The car flew across the entire Harbor to reach the hangars, and soldiers escorted Khan through the intricate corridors stretching from them. The team led Khan to a relatively smaller and private teleport, which wasn't intended only for him.
The guest list shared on the network had a few names that Khan recognized, and one was in the Harbor with him. She was already in the teleport area, but the two didn't speak. Khan and Headmistress Holwen only exchanged a nod before waiting for the scientists to get everything ready.
The process took a few minutes, but Khan and Headmistress Holwen eventually stepped on the platform. The teleport immediately started, leading them into a similar area with fewer soldiers.
Khan only needed a glance to identify the place. He didn't recognize his actual location, but the area's layout told him that he was in a space station.
Questions were almost forbidden during the event. Any information leak could make things harder for Colonel Norrett, so both Khan and the Headmistress remained silent while following the escorts ready for them.
The escorting soldiers led the two to a military ship parked in a hangar connected to the universe. A mana barrier preserved the internal atmosphere and pressure, but looking outside of it didn't give any clue. The darkness of space was too vague even for experts in the field.
Khan merely glanced at the outside world before hurrying inside the ship. The huge vessel offered a spacious, comfortable passenger area with customizable seats, but neither Khan nor the Headmistress minded that. They simply sat on opposite sides while preserving their silence.
"This is a rare occurrence even for people in my position," Headmistress Holwen declared. "Don't waste it."
The ship hid any trace of the set-off, but the synthetic mana running behind its surfaces offered clues Khan couldn't ignore. He even glanced toward the back of the vehicle, where the engines were, and Headmistress Holwen noticed that reaction.
"Excited?" Headmistress Holwen was the first to break the silence.
"Obviously," Khan admitted.
"This is a rare occurrence even for people in my position," Headmistress Holwen declared. "Don't waste it."
"I don't plan on wasting it," Khan stated, lifting his eyes to stare at the Headmistress. "Still, should I know anything before the event?"
"What do you know about the evolution?" Headmistress Holwen questioned.
"What they taught me in the Harbor," Khan responded. "I know humans unlock their true potential after evolving, but I'm not privy to the details."
"I'm not surprised," Headmistress Holwen sighed. "Normally, a Captain would never have access to such information so early, even someone with your fame."
"Why is the topic so secretive?" Khan wondered. It wasn't easy to get a one hundred percent attunement level, even with infusions, so secrecy sounded superfluous in his eyes.
"Power," Headmistress Holwen exclaimed, "Control, multiple reasons. It makes the parties who hold that information necessary to anyone interested in attempting it."
Khan had learned enough about the political environment to reach that conclusion on his own, and Headmistress Holwen confirmed his suspicion. That explanation made too much sense to be a lie. The very Global Army relied on similar methods on a far larger scale.
In the public's eyes, the Global Army and all the parties connected to it were necessary to obtain and learn to wield mana. On the surface, there was no alternative. The descendants were the only exception, but their very families demanded feats connected to the Global Army.
Of course, Khan had learned about secret and criminal organizations. He had found the mana and some of its secrets in the Slums, but that didn't change the overall truth. The Global Army and its connected systems held firm control over humankind since they were the only source of martial arts, spells, and similar tools.
The information about the evolution was only one of the subjects the Global Army kept close to the heart, and the previous rules were even heavier in that case. As far as Khan understood, the evolved soldiers were simply too strong, and forcing them onto specific paths was the only way to control them.
"Attempting it," Khan repeated. "What happens if you fail the evolution?"
"Depends," Headmistress Holwen remained vague. "It's an invasive and dangerous process. It's a proper transformation. Well, mutation might be a more fitting word. I'm sure I don't need to add anything, right?"
"Something like that," Headmistress Holwen confirmed. "The human body has limits, so evolved soldiers force it to change."
Khan didn't reply but lowered his head. Rationally speaking, a body that had already fully accepted and absorbed mana couldn't grow stronger anymore. It simply lacked room for more energy, leaving only one option.
"Is the evolution a forced mutation?" Khan questioned, lifting his eyes again.
"Something like that," Headmistress Holwen confirmed. "The human body has limits, so evolved soldiers force it to change."
'That's crazy,' Khan thought. The mutations were a subject close to him, and Nitis' events only deepened his wariness. He had seen how the slightest influence could give birth to monstrous physical features, and the mental spectrum wasn't stranger to similar dangers.
"It's more controlled than you think," Headmistress Holwen specified. "It's also wilder. You'll understand more once we get there. With your senses, I'd be surprised if you didn't."
To be continued