Kai returned to reality briefly.
Awakening ceremonies apparently continued outside while his consciousness remained inside the laboratory.
Which created a problem.
Namely:
his unconscious body standing motionless on the academy platform.
"Wait," Kai said suddenly.
"My real body is still outside, right?"
Elias looked up from a console.
"Correct."
"Shouldn't I wake up?"
"Probably."
Kai stared.
"You use that word too often."
The scientist appeared unconcerned.
"Your consciousness synchronization remains incomplete."
A holographic display rotated nearby.
Synchronization Progress: 3%
Kai pointed.
"Three percent after all this time?"
"The process is highly complex."
"Can the process kill me?"
Elias considered it.
"Potentially."
Kai covered his face.
"Amazing."
The scientist returned to examining screens.
"However, your neural adaptability is unexpectedly stable."
Kai looked up immediately.
"Wait really?"
"Yes."
Kai straightened proudly.
Finally.
Validation.
Then Elias added:
"Compared to laboratory rats."
Kai sat back down.
"I regret asking."
The laboratory AI activated again.
"Power reserves critical."
"Recommend reduced system usage."
Kai looked around.
"Your AI sounds tired."
"It has been operational for several centuries without maintenance."
"Relatable."
The scientist glanced at him.
"Explain."
Kai pointed at himself.
"Final-year student."
Elias nodded immediately.
"Understood. Chronic exhaustion."
Kai narrowed his eyes suspiciously.
"You adapted to sarcasm quickly."
"Human behavioral patterns are repetitive."
"That feels insulting on a spiritual level."
Elias ignored him.
Again.
Kai noticed the scientist did that often.
Not maliciously.
More like someone who forgot conversations required emotional participation.
"So," Kai asked, "what exactly can this laboratory do?"
Elias became still.
Then slowly looked around.
Thousands of dead screens reflected pale light across the room.
"I do not fully remember anymore," he admitted.
Kai blinked.
That answer sounded genuinely frustrating.
"But fragments remain."
The scientist activated another display.
A massive list appeared.
GENETIC RESEARCH
COGNITIVE EXPANSION
DIMENSIONAL SYNCHRONIZATION
BIOLOGICAL ADAPTATION
PROJECT ASCENSION
Kai pointed immediately.
"Project Ascension sounds extremely unethical."
"Most likely."
"You say things that should concern me more than they currently do."
Elias nodded.
"Desensitization response."
Kai looked around again.
Then quietly asked:
"Do you remember your world?"
For the first time, Elias hesitated.
A long silence followed.
"...Fragments," he answered.
"I remember cities."
Pause.
"Rain."
Another pause.
"Coffee."
Kai stared.
That was unexpectedly normal.
"Do you remember your family?"
The scientist froze.
His expression became distant.
Then slowly:
"No."
The single word felt heavier than anything else spoken so far.
Kai looked away awkwardly.
He suddenly felt guilty for every joke.
Centuries alone.
Memories fading.
Forgetting the people you cared about while remembering scientific equations perfectly.
That sounded horrifying.
Elias broke the silence first.
"Emotional memory decay appears connected to neural compression prioritization."
Kai stared at him.
"You just converted trauma into a research paper."
"Correct."
"That cannot be healthy."
"Likely accurate."
Kai sighed.
"You're weird."
Elias looked directly at him.
"You attempted to introduce yourself as 'the one who walks between shadows and destiny.'"
Kai pointed defensively.
"That sounded significantly cooler in my head."
"Concerning statement given our current location."
Kai hated that this old scientist was becoming funnier than him.