Pain came first.
A sharp, pounding ache behind his eyes that made his entire skull feel too tight.
Wenzhi groaned under his breath, fingers pressing hard against his forehead as if he could force the pain to stop.
It didn't work.
His eyes snapped open. He hissed and shut them again as the bright lights stung. "…Fuck."
"It seems he's awake."
"Finally. I was starting to worry. The dosage they used was excessive."
Voices drifted in, distant at first before growing clearer.
Wenzhi forced his eyes open again, slower this time. Adjusting.
White. Everything was white.
The walls, lights, and surfaces were clean and clinical. He was in a lab.
Two figures stood nearby. A man and a woman in white coats, both watching him closely.
Wenzhi pushed himself upright abruptly.
Bad idea.
The world tilted.
He caught himself against the edge of the bed, breath hitching slightly as dizziness slammed into him again. "…What the hell is going on?"
His voice came out rough. "Where am I?"
"You need to stay calm, Mr. Lin." The tall man stepped forward.
His silver hair and sharp, sculpted features made him look wildly out of place. He looked more like he belonged on a runway than a lab.
He reached out and caught Wenzhi by the arm. "The tranquilizer dosage was too high. Your body is still adjusting."
Wenzhi barely processed the words. Still, he let himself drop back onto the bed with a low exhale, blinking slowly as the dizziness settled.
Then he looked up. Really looked at the man this time.
The doctor smiled, too easily, and far too naturally.
"And you are currently in a CEA research facility," he continued. "You're safe, I assure you."
Wenzhi stared at him for a second. Then smacked his hand away.
"I was brought here against my will," he said flatly. "there was no 'safe' in that process."
He had refused Shen Jue again and tried to punch him in the face, but a tranquilizer took him down before he could land the blow.
His arm moved and paused.
No pain.
He frowned, flexing it. "…my arm."
"Director Shen Jue can be somewhat forceful." The doctor smiled again. A bit more restrained this time. "But your presence here is… urgent."
Wenzhi shot the doctor a flat, disappointed look.
By now, he could roughly gauge energy signatures.
This doctor was definitely an Esper. Mid-tier.
C-rank. Maybe D.
Not impressive.
He pushed himself off the bed again, ignoring the lingering dizziness, and his gaze shifted to the woman.
She had black hair and sharp, focused eyes, with a calm, precise air that made her ridiculously attractive.
Wenzhi paused. Bi panic. Great timing.
The doctor's attention was fixed on a floating holographic screen, data scrolling rapidly across it.
He stepped closer, stopping beside her, absently rubbing the arm that had been broken earlier.
His stats were displayed clearly.
"…What's going on?" he asked. "Is there something I should be worried about?"
That finally got her attention.
She turned, blinking in surprise before straightening. "Well, no, not exactly."
She gestured toward the screen. "You're a B-rank guide. Your energy is… unusually stable and clean. That's likely why you were able to calm a Disaster-Class Esper so quickly."
Wenzhi said nothing. Just listened.
"But—" she continued, her tone sharpening vaguely, slipping into analysis, "your compatibility with Shao Xinyuan is… abnormal. 107% shouldn't be possible. Especially without prior contact."
Wenzhi's expression didn't change.
"However," she added, "your rank is still significantly lower than his. Which means prolonged guiding will put strain on your body."
She tapped the screen. "You'll need regular support. Medication. Stabilizers. Weekly, at minimum."
She glanced at him. "Right now, Shao Xinyuan is in critical condition. Without proper guiding, he'll deteriorate fast. Or die."
Wenzhi blinked innocently. "Who said I'm guiding him?"
The woman froze. "…But—"
"Director Shen Jue did mention you might try to leave." The male doctor cut in smoothly, stepping closer again.
Wenzhi's eyes shifted to him slowly.
The man pointed downward.
Wenzhi frowned and crouched, pulling up the fabric at his ankle. A sleek, black bracelet was locked there, faint blue light pulsing beneath the surface.
For a second, he just stared at it. Then his jaw tightened. "…An electric restraint?"
"If you attempt to leave the premises," the doctor said calmly, "You'll be terminated."
Wenzhi stood and let out a sharp, sudden laugh. It was a low, breathless sound. He covered his face, his shoulders shaking as the laughter spilled out.
The doctors froze, startled.
"Uh... Yiran...?" the woman breathed. She looked at the male doctor.
He glanced back and said, "It's okay, Mei."
Wenzhi exhaled slowly, the laughter dying just as abruptly as it had started.
So this was how it ended.
All that running. All that fighting. All that bone-breaking. And he still ended up trapped by a leash.
His hand dropped.
When he looked up again, his expression was completely calm. "Take me to the director."
"We don't have that level of clearance." Song Mei didn't hesitate. "We're only assigned to evaluate guides and Espers metrics."
Mo Yiran sighed softly beside her, stepping forward.
"Your arm," he said, gesturing lightly. "Does it still hurt?"
Wenzhi frowned. "…No."
Relief flickered across Mo Yiran's face.
"I'm a healing Esper," he explained. "Low rank, but… I did what I could. Most systems can repair muscle damage. Bone injuries are more difficult."
Wenzhi nodded once. "Thanks." He leaned back against the edge of the bed again, eyes half-lidded.
He wasn't stupid enough to test whether that bracelet would actually fry him.
Silence settled in the room.
Song Mei returned to her screen.
But both of them kept glancing at him.
Eventually, Mo Yiran stepped closer again.
"Is there anything you need?" he asked. "Something to help you calm down? You should remain stable before..."
"A cigarette." The words cut cleanly through his sentence.
Mo Yiran blinked. "…What?"
Wenzhi tilted his head, dull grey eyes settling on him. "I need a cigarette to clear my head."