The morning light advanced from the edge of the city.
No change in temperature.
Only a gradual rise in brightness.
The training zone was not open.
Lucian changed direction.
The vehicle left the main residence area.
Speed remained steady.
The route did not detour.
The city structure unfolded on both sides.
Building heights gradually decreased.
Functional zones began to separate.
The first facility was located at the outer edge.
No name.
No signage.
Only a standard perimeter fence and a single entrance.
The outer wall was made of light composite material.
The surface was smooth.
Almost no seams.
Very few windows.
Positions were uniform.
Heights consistent.
Personnel at the entrance did not initiate questions.
Only verification.
Access granted.
The door opened.
The interior space extended noticeably inward.
The corridor was long.
Walls continuous.
No decorative turns.
Floor and walls were integrated.
No boundary lines.
The air was dry.
Temperature slightly low.
Sound was suppressed.
Footsteps landed without rebound.
The first level was the registration area.
The space was open, but clearly segmented.
Each position maintained fixed distance.
Separated by transparent partitions.
Not ordinary glass.
Thickness was evident.
Edges embedded in metal frames.
No exposed joints.
Lucian paused briefly.
His knuckle lightly touched the surface.
No echo.
Force was absorbed.
No feedback.
Not simple protection.
A structure designed for impact absorption.
He did not linger.
He continued forward.
The second level was the assessment zone.
The space became smaller.
The number of rooms increased.
Corridors narrowed.
All doors were sealed.
No observation windows.
Only numbers.
One door opened.
Inside was a single-person space.
Limited area.
No extra equipment.
Walls covered with buffering material.
Uniform thickness.
Soft to the touch.
Floor merged with walls.
No corners.
No anchor points.
The only opening was in the ceiling.
For observation and deployment.
Lucian stood at the doorway.
Did not enter.
He observed the structure briefly.
The door closed.
He moved deeper.
The third level was the observation zone.
Isolation was more pronounced.
Double-layer transparent structures.
A gap in between.
Used to disperse impact.
There was someone inside one room.
Not training.
Restricted.
An ability user sat on the ground.
No restraints.
But no room to move.
He raised his hand.
Movement slow.
A slight disturbance appeared in the air.
No spread.
The walls absorbed the change.
No feedback.
After the movement ended, the environment returned to normal.
Lucian watched.
No comment.
He moved on.
Another room.
The space was smaller.
Walls thicker.
No foothold at the center.
An ability user stood in the middle.
He attempted to move forward.
The moment his foot landed,
his position was corrected.
As if pulled back by a constraint.
Not suppression by force.
Space itself was defined.
All deviation was automatically corrected.
He did not try again.
Returned to his original position.
Lucian paused.
His gaze fell on the wall interfaces.
No visible energy source.
The structure was passive.
He left that level.
Spoke to no one.
The second facility was farther out.
The building exterior was simpler.
No refined outer structure.
Like part of a normal industrial zone.
No segmented entrance.
Direct entry.
The internal structure was rough.
Walls of exposed concrete.
Uneven floors.
Narrow corridors.
Poor air circulation.
Doors were metal.
Heavy.
Locks on the outside.
Interior spaces were smaller.
No buffering material.
No observation layer.
Only enclosure.
Lucian passed a door.
Sound came from inside.
Not shouting.
Knocking.
Irregular.
No rhythm.
No response.
He paused briefly.
Did not continue listening.
Moved forward.
Another door.
Someone stood inside.
No room to sit.
Space insufficient for full extension.
He raised his hand.
Movement restricted.
The wall directly blocked it.
No buffering.
No absorption.
Only hard termination.
Movement stopped.
No second attempt.
Lucian did not stop.
He walked through the entire area.
Structure simple.
Purpose singular.
—Containment.
No assessment.
No adjustment.
No classification.
The third facility was located even farther away.
The largest in scale.
External protection was complete.
Uniform wall height.
Dense surveillance.
Multiple verification layers at the entrance.
After entering, the space expanded significantly.
Clear zoning.
Registration, assessment, observation, isolation—each independent.
Structure refined.
Materials superior.
Corridors wider.
Air stable.
Temperature precisely controlled.
Isolation here was more complex.
In one room,
the floor was divided into multiple sections.
Subtle gaps between them.
An ability user stood at the center.
He attempted to move.
With each step,
the floor structure adjusted slightly.
Position was guided.
Not restriction.
A pre-planned path.
He could not step outside the designated range.
Movement was allowed.
But outcome was constrained.
Another room.
Walls layered.
Absorption layers embedded within.
An ability user released high-frequency waves.
The air vibrated noticeably.
But before reaching the wall, it weakened.
Frequencies were decomposed.
Ultimately unable to spread.
The room remained unchanged.
A third room.
The space was taller.
Multiple isolation layers above.
An ability user attempted short-distance movement.
Blur appeared between start and end points.
But midway, it was cut off.
He returned to the original position.
Incomplete.
Space was segmented.
All paths broken apart.
No continuity.
Lucian watched.
Paused slightly longer.
Then left.
The entire level was completed.
The structure was clear.
The logic consistent.
—Limiting possibilities.
Not targeting a specific ability.
Targeting "change" itself.
Differences existed between facilities.
Materials varied.
Structures varied.
Precision varied.
But the direction was the same.
Abilities were compressed.
Paths were reduced.
Outcomes were locked.
Not one place guided.
Not one place stabilized.
And nowhere allowed an ability to "form."
The vehicle left the third facility.
The city boundary receded.
Lucian did not return immediately.
The car stopped in an open area.
No buildings.
No obstructions.
The wind was light.
He sat in the car.
Did not move.
His mind did not replay the full process.
Only the structures remained.
First—absorption and buffering.
Second—closure and obstruction.
Third—decomposition and restriction.
Three methods.
One direction.
Lucy's movements surfaced briefly in his mind.
Her deviation.
Her absence.
Her incomplete connection.
If she entered the first facility,
her actions would be continuously weakened.
Eventually stopping at the starting point.
If she entered the second,
she would be repeatedly injured in imbalance.
No space for correction.
If she entered the third,
her process would be broken apart.
The result could not form.
There was no place where she could complete the action.
Lucian opened the car door.
Stepped out.
The wind did not change.
He stood for a moment.
No change in expression.
These facilities were not wrong.
They executed "prevention of loss of control."
But that was not what he needed.
He turned.
Returned to the car.
The vehicle started.
Direction changed.
The city came back into view.
The training zone was still there.
Lucy was still there.
The method of handling ability users had been confirmed.
This part would not be adopted.
Speed remained steady.
No acceleration.
The route was clear.
What came next
was not within those facilities.