"No. Start from the very beginning," Myth said, eyes steady.
Dr. Vonn gave a small nod, adjusting the cuff of his sleeve as he began.
"The standard energy cores range from level 1 to 10. Only cores from level 4 and above can be transformed—or Bounded, as we call it. This transformation is only possible through Seeker abilities and story grades."
He glanced briefly at Myth before continuing.
"For example, a Seeker with just story grade 4 , can imprint one of their powers onto a core—if the core is level 4 or higher. But a story grade 5 can't transform a level 4 core—it's not just the level of the core that matters, but the Seeker's story grade as well. As the higher story grades cannot transform the lower level energy cores."
He folded his hands behind his back.
"Once transformed, the core retains that ability. Anyone can use it, regardless of their own Pathway. And the higher the base level of the core, the more durable and reusable the transformation becomes."
He paused, letting the implications settle in.
"So," he said, gesturing to the glowing object in the ring frame of the portal, "what we have here is a Level 7 core. We suspect it's been Bounded—likely by someone on the Queen Pathway. But we don't know their story grade."
Myth glanced at Vonn and spoke
"Why can't you estimate the story grade ? ... logically you should be able to estimate it, unless you do not have the data of how many people used it? "
Vonn didn't answer immediately. He adjusted his glasses, then replied in a measured voice.
"Normally, we could estimate the story grade based on energy retention and imprint strength. But in this case, there are two major problems."
He gestured to the portal and the glowing core.
"First, we don't have an accurate record of how many times the core's been used. The portal's tracking systems are partially corrupted—whether from age, tampering, or both. And energy degradation isn't linear; it accelerates with repeated use and environmental exposure, making raw readings unreliable."
He held up two fingers.
"Second, This particular portal tech itself is only partially understood. We can operate it, yes—but the energy transfer and loss rates aren't fixed. Sometimes a teleport drains more power. Sometimes less. It's affected by things we don't fully understand."
He met Myth's gaze.
"In short, without reliable data on both usage and efficiency, estimating the original Seeker's story grade would be nothing more than a guess."
Myth opened his mouth to speak, but Ashley cut in instead.
"In the official reports on the incident, they claimed the energy loss rate dropped beyond expectations—causing a sudden surge. That surge supposedly resulted in the disappearance of around 150 people and severed the link with the Undercity."
She leaned forward, eyes sharp. "So first—what are your usual loss expectations? And what exactly was unusual that day, at least in your opinion?"
"The usual loss rates are around 20% to 40%. But during the incident, the estimated loss rate dropped to just 2%, maybe even 1%."
He paused.
"And I have absolutely no idea how. The sensors and devices across the facility were destroyed. Everyone present that day vanished."
He gestured toward the Bounded core.
"Right now, we reduce loss by bombarding the core with argon. It interacts with the energy in a way that purifies the core temporarily, lowering the inefficiency."
His tone turned grim.
"But we can't increase the bombardment beyond current levels. It's not a matter of rarity—the element's available. We just don't have a method to push it further. Which is why what happened that day… makes no sense."
Walker spoke in his usual grim tone.
"There are rumors the portal's going to be restarted. Tell me more."
Vonn hesitated, then nodded slightly.
"We've managed to recalibrate the ring and control systems. So yes… it should work—maybe within a year, once all testing is complete."
Walker's voice was cold.
"How certain are you that the incident won't happen again?"
Vonn exhaled slowly.
"We'll make sure only a limited number of personnel are present when it activates."
"So you're not certain," Walker said flatly.
Vonn didn't flinch.
"No, sir. We're not."
Walker gave a small nod, then glanced at Myth before speaking.
"Take us to the lab. We'll review the data ourselves—and speak with whoever is on-site."
Vonn nodded and led them down a hallway.
To their left were three rooms with glass windows, each labeled clearly:
Maintenance Hub, Core Analytics, and Personnel Records.
They stepped into Core Analytics.
The room was brightly lit, filled with arrays of monitors and rows of workstations. Several analysts were quietly working, the soft hum of machines filling the air.
The lab was divided into two sections. The front was open—buzzing with activity and filled with screens. The rear section, however, was separated by frosted glass walls and access panels. This area was reserved for meeting rooms, sensitive data handling, and high-profile personnel.
Vonn swiped his ID and guided the group into one of the rear meeting rooms.
Inside, a massive wall-mounted monitor displayed a live feed of the portal.
"Please wait here," Vonn said politely. "I'll bring in the data and staff members for questioning one at a time."
The next hour passed in quiet tension.
One by one, employees stepped into the room. Most gave short, procedural answers. Detective Walker and Ashley led the questioning—cross-checking every statement with Vonn's earlier briefing.
Everything lined up.
Timelines. Access logs. Personnel shifts.
Eventually, the questioning was paused. Vonn returned with a secure drive containing all available data from the incident.
They loaded it onto the main monitor.
Calibration logs, energy output graphs, portal frequency snapshots—everything looked normal.
Ashley scrolled through the files, brow furrowed. "Where's the bombardment rate data?"
Walker leaned in. "What about projected energy decay? Argon containment logs? Expected loss margins?"
Nothing.
This was the strange thing about the portal incident.
There was no data on the most critical variables.
No argon bombardment rates. No decay curves. No failure diagnostics.
Nothing.
"Sir, we don't know the reason for that," Vonn said, visibly tense. "The sensors might've been corrupted when the portal activated. We're still investigating. We don't know how the data went missing."
Walker didn't react. He had expected this kind of response.
It was the answer anyone in the portal facility would give.
That was the problem.
He hadn't come here just to question staff or glance at reports. He needed to see it for himself. As there were rumors that the portal was being prepped again.
And maybe more importantly, to speak with the anonymous contact Myth had mentioned.
As time went by, people came and went, answering generic questions...
Then, a man entered—disheveled hair streaked with white, tired brown eyes sunken with dark circles.
"Good evening. I'm Victor Barnes," he said.
While Ashley and Walker began asking him questions, Myth leaned toward Sira and spoke in a soft, barely audible tone.
"How's my team?"
Sira glanced at him, a little confused. She whispered back, "This team? The people in this room?"
"Yes," Myth replied quietly. "What do you think?"
Sira hesitated, watching Walker for a second before answering.
"It's... quite strong."
Creak... creak...
A low hum followed. Then silence. Everyone in the room turned toward the portal window, breath held.