Chapter 521:More questions.

Chapter 521: 521:More questions.

As they approached the door, Peter spoke again.

"Ruddington."

He turned.

"Sir?"

Peter’s expression softened slightly.

"You’re alive because you made the correct decision during that attack."

Silver remained quiet.

Peter continued.

"Don’t let this punishment convince you otherwise."

He slowly nodded.

"Thank you, sir."

Peter looked toward Ravenna.

"And Arkland."

She straightened.

"Yes, sir?"

"Curiosity is valuable." He paused. "But if you’re going to investigate dangerous things, learn how to protect yourself before asking questions that powerful people don’t want answered."

She nodded.

"Understood."

He waved them away.

"Now get out of my office before I change my mind about defending you," he said with a smile.

Silver smiled.

"Yes, sir."

That evening, Silver and Ravenna sat together on a quiet balcony overlooking the academy’s western training grounds.

The sun was beginning to set.

Several students were still practicing below, their weapons flashing beneath the orange light.

He leaned against the railing as he looked at the setting sat. Ravenna stood beside him also lost in thought.

For a long time, neither spoke, then Ravenna sighed.

"Twenty-six days," she quietly said.

Silver nodded.

"Yeah, twenty-six days," he echoed.

She looked toward him.

"Are you angry?" She asked.

He considered before responding.

"Yes."

Her eyes widened.

"Really?"

He smiled faintly.

"Surprising, I know."

She shook her head.

Silver continued.

"I’m angry that someone tried to kill me. I’m angry that the investigation is being handled like an inconvenience. And I’m angry that we’re being punished for asking questions that should’ve been answered immediately."

She lowered her gaze.

"I’m sorry."

He turned to her,confused.

"What?"

She looked toward him.

"If I hadn’t confronted Saler, maybe..." She quietly started.

"Stop," he firmly cut her off.

Ravenna froze.

He stepped closer.

"Don’t do that."

She looked up.

He continued.

"You didn’t create this situation. The assassin did. Whoever gave him my route did. And the people who decided protecting their reputations mattered more than investigating the attack did."

She remained quiet.

He smiled faintly.

"Besides, I was the one who started arguing with the committee."

She laughed softly.

"Yes, you were."

He nodded.

"I was a terrible influence to you."

She smiled and nodded.

"Absolutely."

Silver took her hand.

"Look, we’re going to lose almost a month of regular training. That’s annoying."

She nodded.

"But we still have access to monitored training facilities. We still have our abilities. And we still have twenty-six days to improve."

Her raised an eyebrow.

"You’re already planning something."

He smiled.

"Of course."

She sighed.

"Silver."

He continued.

"They can restrict our schedules. They can keep us out of certain facilities. But they can’t stop us from learning."

She looked toward the distant training grounds, then slowly smiled.

"You’re right."

He nodded.

"Naturally, I’m always right," he proudly said.

She elbowed him.

He laughed.

Then his expression became serious.

"Ravenna."

She looked toward him.

"What?"

"About those research records."

Her smile faded.

Silver continued.

"Don’t stop being curious."

Her eyes slightly widened.

He squeezed her hand.

"But be careful. Whatever Project 006 is connected to, it’s clearly something people are willing to hide."

Ravenna slowly nodded.

"I know."

Silver looked toward the sanctuary walls.

"And I have a feeling we’re only beginning to understand how dangerous it is."

---

Far from the academy, inside a private office overlooking one of Delta Three’s commercial districts, a familiar middle-aged man sat behind an expensive wooden desk while reviewing a confidential report.

Several photographs were displayed on his tablet; a damaged military maintenance road, a destroyed fuel-storage structure, and a young man with dark hair being escorted into an academy medical transport.

Silver Ruddington.

The man studied the photograph for several seconds, then looked toward the individual standing opposite his desk.

"You said a Rank Five?" He asked.

The subordinate nodded.

"Yes, sir."

"And he also failed?"

"Yes."

The man slowly leaned back.

For several seconds, he said nothing, then he laughed.

"Interesting."

The subordinate hesitated.

"Sir?"

The man looked toward the photograph again.

"That boy was supposed to be an embarrassment." His expression hardened. "Not a problem."

The subordinate lowered his head.

"What would you like us to do?"

The man considered, then smiled faintly.

"Nothing."

The subordinate blinked.

"Sir?"

"Not yet." He placed the tablet on his desk. "Silver is attracting attention. The academy is watching him, and my father has become increasingly interested in his progress."

The man folded his hands.

"Another attempt so soon would be careless."

The subordinate nodded.

"Understood."

The man looked toward the window.

"Let him enjoy his little victories." His smile disappeared. "Eventually, he’ll make a mistake, he’s still but a child afterall. They always make mistakes."

---

Back at Alpha Three, Ravenna sat alone inside her dormitory later that night.

Silver had returned to his room after promising to meet her for breakfast, and she had spent the past hour reviewing the notes she’d managed to preserve before her research access was restricted.

Most were ordinary observations; specimen identification numbers, mutation classifications and energy compatibility measurements.

But one particular reference continued bothering her.

096.

She stared at the designation and opened a separate file containing the fragments they’d recovered from the Transit Research Station.

Ravenna slowly compared the records and noticed something.

A researcher identification code.

It appeared in one of the old Project 006 documents, and again in the metadata attached to Record 096.

The code was partially corrupted, but the surviving characters matched.

Ravenna’s expression changed.

She leaned closer, then whispered, "What?"

She checked again just to make sure, but it was the same code from the same research division, and a date that suggested the records were connected.

She slowly opened her notebook, wrote down the information and circled it.

For several seconds, she remained motionless. Finally, she looked toward the window.

Her mother had worked on Project 006, that much she knew,but Record 096 appeared to involve a related experiment whose existence had been deliberately concealed. And someone inside Alpha Three had recently attempted to remove its remaining references from the accessible archives.

Ravenna closed the notebook, her expression hardening.

"Mum..."

She looked toward the photograph of Selena Serenity displayed on her communicator. She was a woman with a gentle smile.

A woman Ravenna barely remembered. A woman whose name continued appearing in places it shouldn’t.

"What were you involved in?" She muttered to herself

No answer came.

Outside, the academy lights illuminated the night.

And somewhere within the restricted research district, a senior administrator received a notification concerning an unauthorized attempt to correlate archived experimental records.

The administrator examined the report, then frowned.

[Student Identification: Ravenna Arkland.]

[Research Interest: Biological Integration / Project 006 / Record 096.]

For several seconds, the man remained silent, then he picked up his communicator.

"Director."

A voice answered.

"What is it?"

The administrator looked toward the report.

"We may have a problem."

There was a pause, then...

"What kind?"

The man slowly exhaled.

"Selena Serenity’s daughter has started asking questions."