Chapter 10: The Cost of Power
The infirmary smelled faintly of antiseptic and metal, a sterile reminder of the battle Ethan and his squad had just endured. The soft hum of machines filled the silence as he sat on the examination bed, his body aching in ways he hadn't thought possible. His hands trembled, his muscles burned, and his head throbbed with a relentless intensity.
"You're pushing yourself too hard," Lila said, leaning against the wall with her arms crossed. Her voice was sharp, but her eyes betrayed her concern.
"I didn't have a choice," Ethan replied, clenching his fists to stop the shaking. "The mission—"
"The mission almost killed you," Lila interrupted. She stepped forward, her tone softening. "Ethan, I was there. I saw you. You were out of control."
Ethan looked away, his jaw tightening. She wasn't wrong. When the system had engaged its override during the fight, it had felt like he was a puppet, his body moving without his consent. And afterward, the pain had been unbearable.
---
The infirmary door slid open, and Dr. Venn, the academy's chief medical officer, walked in. She was a stern woman with a no-nonsense demeanor, her silver hair tied back in a tight bun. She held a tablet in one hand, her eyes scanning the screen before fixing on Ethan.
"Cross," she said, her voice clipped. "You've sustained severe muscle strain, minor nerve damage, and signs of extreme fatigue. Care to explain how that happened during a standard mission?"
Ethan hesitated, glancing at Lila. "I... overdid it."
Dr. Venn raised an eyebrow. "That's an understatement. Your biometrics show levels of stress and exertion far beyond what any cadet should endure. If you keep this up, you're going to destroy yourself."
Ethan flinched at her words but said nothing.
"Get some rest," Dr. Venn continued. "And don't think about stepping onto a training field until you're cleared. Understood?"
"Yes, ma'am," Ethan mumbled.
As Dr. Venn left the room, Lila pulled up a chair beside him. "She's right, you know."
Ethan sighed. "I get it, Lila. I'll be more careful."
"No," she said firmly, "you don't get it. Not yet."
---
Later that evening, Lila dragged Ethan to the dorm's common area, her laptop tucked under her arm. She set it up on the table and motioned for him to sit.
"What's this about?" Ethan asked, wary of the determined look on her face.
"Research," Lila replied, typing furiously. "I've been digging into the academy's network, looking for anything that might explain what's happening to you."
"Lila..."
"Don't start," she snapped, her eyes locked on the screen. "You're my friend, Ethan. I'm not letting you self-destruct because of some weird tech inside your head."
Ethan fell silent, watching as lines of code and encrypted files flashed across her screen. After a few minutes, Lila leaned back with a triumphant smirk.
"Got it," she said, spinning the laptop around to face him.
The screen displayed a document titled Super Soldier Initiative: Prototype Overview. Ethan's stomach twisted as he read the first few lines.
---
Prototype Enhancements:
Neural integration for real-time reflex amplification.
Energy-based shield deployment.
Physical augmentation via controlled cellular regeneration.
Risks and Limitations:
System overheating during prolonged use.
Potential nerve damage and muscular degradation.
Psychological instability in extreme cases.
---
"What does this mean?" Ethan asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
"It means the system isn't just making you stronger," Lila said grimly. "It's also tearing you apart."
Ethan stared at the screen, the words blurring together. He had suspected the system came with a price, but seeing it laid out in cold, clinical terms made it real.
---
Lila reached across the table, her hand resting lightly on his. "Ethan, you need to stop relying on the system so much. If you keep pushing yourself like this, you'll—"
"Die?" Ethan finished bitterly.
Lila winced but didn't deny it.
For a long moment, they sat in silence. Ethan's mind raced, replaying the mission in his head—the way the system had taken over, the unbearable pain afterward. He had thought he was finally becoming the soldier the academy expected him to be. Instead, he was a ticking time bomb.
---
The system's interface appeared in his mind, glowing faintly as it displayed a new notification:
---
Warning: Overuse Detected. System Stability Compromised.
Recommendation: Limit Ability Activation to Prevent Damage.
---
"Great," Ethan muttered. "Even the system thinks I'm screwing up."
Lila frowned. "The system can communicate with you like that?"
"Yeah," Ethan said, rubbing the back of his neck. "It gives me updates, mission objectives, ability stats... and now warnings, apparently."
"Let me see," Lila said, leaning closer.
Ethan hesitated. He wasn't sure how much of the system he could share—or if it was even safe to try. But Lila's determined expression left no room for argument.
He closed his eyes, focusing on the interface. After a moment, a faint projection of the system's dashboard appeared on her laptop screen. Lila's eyes widened as she scanned the data.
"This is... incredible," she breathed. "It's like a fully integrated AI designed to optimize your performance."
"And kill me in the process," Ethan said dryly.
Lila nodded. "Exactly. That's why you need to be careful. The system's enhancements are impressive, but they're not sustainable. If you keep pushing it, you're going to burn out—literally."
---
Ethan leaned back in his chair, running a hand through his hair. "So what do I do? Just... stop using it?"
"No," Lila said thoughtfully. "You can't ignore it—it's part of you now. But you need to learn how to control it. Use it when you absolutely need to, not as a crutch."
Ethan frowned. "And how am I supposed to do that?"
"We'll figure it out," Lila said firmly. "Together."
Her confidence was reassuring, but Ethan couldn't shake the feeling of dread settling in his chest. The system had made him stronger, faster, more capable than he'd ever been. But at what cost?
---
That night, Ethan lay awake in his bunk, staring at the ceiling. The infirmary, the mission, Lila's warnings—it all swirled in his mind like a storm. He flexed his fingers, feeling the faint hum of the system's presence in his veins.
It was a gift, a curse, and a mystery he couldn't unravel.
But one thing was clear: if he wanted to survive, he would have to find balance. He couldn't let the system consume him.
For the first time, Ethan wasn't sure if he was becoming the strongest soldier—or something else entirely.