Sovereign Chains

Chapter 2: Under Watchful Eyes

Ethan stirred, blinking against the harsh fluorescent light that filled his containment cell. The sterile, stark surroundings were a jarring contrast to everything he'd known just a day ago, he was living his regular life. Now, he was labeled, observed, and quarantined, his every move watched through glass walls and blinking cameras. He was no longer just Ethan Hart. He was something else: a potential threat.

The silence weighed heavily as he sat up, the cold metal beneath him pressing into his skin. He could almost feel the eyes of guards and officials behind the walls, waiting, assessing, calculating. His throat tightened, but he forced himself to breathe, to focus. Whatever this was, he would face it.

The door slid open, and in stepped Epoch, her stride confident and deliberate, a quiet authority emanating from her. Her silver hair was cropped short, catching the light as she regarded him with that same unreadable expression. Despite the intensity of her gaze, there was something almost... controlled about her. Like a calm ocean, but beneath the surface lay a force strong enough to shatter mountains.

"Come with me," she said, gesturing for him to follow. Her voice was as steady as her gaze, giving nothing away.

Ethan rose, glancing briefly around the sterile room before stepping forward. Guards flanked them, their stances rigid as they led him through stark, white hallways. The silence stretched, each step echoing against the walls until they arrived at a large, empty room—no furniture, no windows, just an expansive space with faint lines and grids etched into the floor.

Epoch motioned him to stop at the center. She positioned herself a few feet away, crossing her arms as she regarded him with a critical eye. "You understand the situation you're in, don't you?"

Ethan swallowed, nodding. "I think so. I mean... I know I'm here because of the powers I..." He paused, searching for the right words. "Accidentally acquired."

"Correct," Epoch said, her tone impassive. "But you don't fully grasp what that means yet." She gestured around the room. "This isn't just about you, Ethan. Powers like yours place you in a category that demands accountability and, above all, control."

Ethan's brow furrowed. "Accountability? I didn't choose this, I..."

"It doesn't matter," Epoch interrupted, her gaze unyielding. "What matters is that you now have abilities unlike any we've encountered before. You wield both fire and electricity at once. An extremely rare combination of elements."

Ethan blinked, glancing at his hands as if he'd forgotten what lay dormant inside him. "You mean... my powers are unique?"

Epoch nodded, her expression serious. "Yes. Your abilities fall under what we classify as Pylectrokinesis. The power to control both fire and electricity simultaneously. This duality of elements is unprecedented. Most individuals with elemental control can wield one type, maybe two if they're exceptionally gifted, but your power seems to fuse these elements into a volatile force that could destabilize entire regions if misused."

He let her words sink in, a strange mixture of awe and fear filling him. "I didn't realize it was... that serious."

"It is," she confirmed. "Pylectrokinesis is extraordinarily rare, and your version is particularly dangerous. Fire and electricity each have the potential to create massive destruction on their own. Combined, they become far harder to control. Think of it as containing a storm. A raw, unpredictable force that demands absolute precision to keep in check."

Ethan shifted uncomfortably, suddenly aware of the heavy responsibility his powers carried. "So... I'm here to learn that control?"

Epoch's lips thinned. "Yes, but it's more than just control. The council has placed you in a provisional Class A rank, meaning they're observing you to see if you're capable of meeting the standards required to operate as a hero. However, given the nature of pylectrokinesis, they're also keeping you under tight surveillance."