Kael watched Nachtan closely as they settled into his lab. Something about the boy seemed off, more than just the awkwardness of being in a strange place. Kael's anomalyte, attuned to the frequencies and energies of the world around him, was picking up something subtle but unsettling from Nachtan. A kind of dissonance, a vibration that didn't match the usual patterns of a healthy person.
Kael's brow furrowed. "Nachtan," he began slowly, "how have you been feeling lately? Anything out of the ordinary?"
Nachtan looked up, his expression guarded, but shrugged. "I'm fine."
Kael wasn't convinced. His anomalyte was capable of reading the flow of energy and life forces, detecting imbalances in the body or mind. And right now, Nachtan's energy was chaotic, like static on a frequency that was usually smooth. Something was wrong.
"Mind if I run a few tests?" Kael asked, keeping his tone casual but purposeful. "Just a quick examination. I have a feeling something might be off, and I'd like to make sure everything's alright."
Nachtan hesitated but nodded, not wanting to seem difficult. Kael approached one of the sleek consoles in his lab, pulling out a handheld scanner designed to read anomalyte frequencies and internal energy flows. It was advanced technology—something Kael had designed himself—a mix of medicine and energy mapping that had helped him diagnose countless anomalies in others.
He passed the device over Nachtan's body, watching the readings closely. The scanner beeped softly as it moved, its display lighting up with intricate lines and patterns. What Kael saw made his stomach drop.
A dark, pulsing mass of energy was centered in Nachtan's chest. It moved like a living thing, twisting and turning in ways that shouldn't be possible. Kael's heart raced as he stared at the readings. This wasn't normal. It wasn't even from this world. The energy signature was foreign, malevolent.
Kael stepped back, his mind whirling. He'd read about this before—about a corruption that had appeared sporadically throughout history. Something from beyond their world, a virus that altered the mind and body, stripping away what made someone human. The Eidolon Strain. A curse whispered about in the darkest corners of the Harbinger Academy. It infected its host, slowly corrupting them, making them more... other. More dangerous. Once fully consumed, the infected would lose their humanity entirely.
"How did you get infected?" Kael asked, his voice lower, more urgent now.
Nachtan looked away, his expression tightening. "I don't know what you're talking about."
Kael could see the boy's refusal to engage, the wall of silence going up around him. But Kael wasn't going to let it go. "This virus, Nachtan. It's dangerous. If anyone finds out about it, they'll"
He trailed off, knowing he didn't need to finish the sentence. Anyone found with the Eidolon Strain was executed, no matter their age. It was a law passed by the Council of Nine, and no one dared challenge it. The risks of letting the virus spread were too great. The moment it became public knowledge, Nachtan's life would be over.
Kael sighed, running a hand through his hair. "You need to be honest with me. When did this start?"
Nachtan stared at the floor, his fingers curling into tight fists. He tried to keep his face impassive, but memories rose unbidden, bringing with them a wave of resentment and bitterness.
---
Flashback: One Year Ago
Nachtan had been outside in the clearing behind their home, the sun dipping below the horizon, casting long, eerie shadows through the trees. He trained alone, as usual, swinging his practice staff through the air, the frustration building in his chest. Inside the house, he knew the others—Amelia, Gavin, and Leo—were getting special training with Elora and Silas, refining their powers and pushing their anomalytes to new limits.
But not him. Never him.
He practiced harder, his movements becoming more erratic, anger and isolation fueling each swing. The staff cracked against the ground as he tried a new maneuver, but his footing slipped. He fell forward, gritting his teeth in frustration.
That's when he heard it—an almost imperceptible rustle in the trees. It was too deliberate, too slow to be the wind. He froze, listening, his heart pounding in his chest.
Suddenly, a figure materialized from the shadows, stepping out with an unnatural silence. Nachtan's breath caught in his throat. The person was draped in dark, tattered robes, their face hidden behind a hood. For a brief moment, they stood there, watching him with an intensity that made his skin crawl.
Before Nachtan could react, the figure moved—swift and silent, like a blur. They closed the distance between them in an instant, their hands outstretched toward him. Nachtan tried to back away, but he wasn't fast enough.
The figure's hand brushed against his chest, and in that fleeting touch, Nachtan felt a sharp, searing pain that shot through his body. It was like being stabbed with ice, the cold burning deep inside him. He gasped, stumbling backward and clutching his chest, his vision swimming from the sudden shock.
When he looked up, the figure had vanished—gone as quickly as they had appeared.
Nachtan's breath came in ragged gulps, his heart racing as he searched the clearing for any sign of the intruder. But there was nothing. The trees stood still, the shadows unmoving, and the clearing was empty. He pressed a hand to his chest, where the sensation lingered—a deep, creeping cold that seemed to burrow into his very core.
It was then that he knew something had changed. Something dark and dangerous had entered him, but he didn't understand it. Not then.
He never told anyone. He didn't want to. They'd never believe him. Or worse, they'd brush him aside, like they always did. So he kept it a secret, burying the incident deep within, along with all the other moments where he'd been ignored, left behind, or forgotten.
Back in the lab, Nachtan swallowed hard, pushing the memory away. He wasn't going to tell Kael about that. Not now. Not ever.
"I don't know how I got it," he lied, keeping his voice steady. "I don't remember."
Kael studied him, his sharp eyes trying to find the truth behind the boy's deflection. But it was clear Nachtan wasn't going to give him more. Not yet, anyway.
Kael sighed deeply. "I can't cure this, Nachtan. Not permanently. The Eidolon Strain—it's not something our medicine can just wipe away. But I can help stabilize it. At least, for now."
He turned back to the workbench, grabbing a vial and a small injector device. As he moved, he began to configure the injection, using his anomalyte to guide the energy flows within the device. He placed a crystalline core inside, one designed to replenish itself over time by drawing ambient anomalyte energy from the world around it.
"This injection will help keep the corruption at bay," Kael explained as he loaded the injector. "It won't cure you, but it'll stop the virus from spreading further—for now. You'll need to use it every day, though. Without fail. If you skip even one dose..."
Nachtan watched in silence as Kael prepared the device, understanding the weight of what was happening. He was infected with something that could kill him—or worse, something that could turn him into a monster. He didn't need Kael to say it. Likewise, he already knew.
"You have to keep this a secret from your family," Kael said quietly, looking Nachtan in the eye. "If anyone finds out... you know what'll happen. They won't hesitate."
Nachtan nodded again, his throat tight. He had already lost so much. He couldn't bear the thought of losing what little remained.
Kael handed him the injector. It was a small, sleek device, designed to be discreet. "This will automatically recharge itself. You'll only need to press it against your skin, and the injection will do the rest. But be careful. Don't let anyone see it."
Nachtan held the injector in his hand, feeling its weight. He was only seven, but it felt like he'd been carrying burdens far beyond his years for his entire life. This was just another one. Another secret.
"There's something else you should know," Kael added, his voice hesitant. "I've heard rumors about what this virus does to a young mind. Corrupts it, twists it. And you've had struggles even before this, haven't you?"
Nachtan flinched. He didn't like talking about that. He'd been going to see psychiatrists for as long as he could remember. Therapy for his anger and his feeling of isolation. The others always looked at him strangely after the incident at school, when he'd been expelled permanently. He hadn't even meant for things to go that far.
They'd found blueprints for a bomb in his notebook. He'd drawn them absentmindedly, a side effect of his overactive mind. But they thought he was planning something... something unspeakable. After that, everything changed. The teachers looked at him with fear. His classmates avoided him. His family never mentioned it, but the tension in the house grew thick after that.
Nachtan set his jaw, pushing those memories down. "I'm fine."
Kael didn't push further. He knew the boy had been through more than most, but right now, keeping the virus stable was the priority. "Alright," he said softly. "For now, this is the best we can do. But I'll keep working on it. We'll figure this out."
Nachtan nodded, clutching the injector tightly. He didn't say anything, but in the pit of his stomach, fear churned. This was his life now—a life lived in secret, on borrowed time.
As Kael turned away, the faint sound of the lab's machinery filled the silence. And in that quiet, Nachtan couldn't shake the feeling that this was just the beginning of something far darker than he could have ever imagined.