Dawn had barely arrived, but the Harbor had already awakened, especially around the second district. Headmistress Holwen's security measures maintained order in that dome, but Khan could spot many onlookers and a few crowds in the areas around it.
The event was far from surprising, and Khan couldn't find the strength to care after everything that had happened that morning. Mister Cirvags and Madam Solodrey had filled his mind with doubts and thoughts which couldn't disappear in a single flight.
Returning to the building increased those thoughts. Khan landed and left his ride only to see two figures crossing the sidewalk to approach him. Master Amelia had arrived, and Andrew was with her.
"Welcome back, sir," Andrew announced with his impeccably firm stance. "I hope your mission was a success, sir."
"Thank you, Andrew," Khan nodded at the soldier. "Did Francis cause any problem?"
"No, sir," Andrew revealed. "Mister Alstair continued working in the office and sparring with me. He also refused to use the break you scheduled for him."
"That's good to hear," Khan nodded, glancing at Master Amelia. "Is there something you wanted to tell me?"
"Miss Monica is almost ready to head down," Master Amelia exclaimed, pulling out a small screen from behind her back. "I have the schedule for the date here, Captain."
"Let me see," Khan sighed, taking the screen and seeing a huge list paired with timestamps and more. The Solodrey family wanted him to spend the entire day outside, which wasn't an issue, but the number of activities was too high.
"This is a job," Khan pointed out, "Not a date."
"It is the schedule that would give the most exposure," Master Amelia explained.
"We'll do the shopping district," Khan stated, browsing through the list again, "The restaurant, Pandora, and another walk. You can keep the rest for the following dates."
Khan returned the device to Master Amelia before stepping forward, but the latter couldn't let the matter go. She had already been unable to stop him yesterday, and history couldn't repeat itself.
"Captain Khan!" Master Amelia called, raising her voice to force Khan to turn. "The Solodrey family prepared this schedule. You must follow it."
"Must?" Khan voiced, cordiality disappearing from his face. "Do you know who you are talking to?"
Master Amelia couldn't help but feel some regret at the coldness that flowed in her direction. Something was wrong with Khan, and she had become his target due to her words.
Khan could accept Mister Cirvags' scolding and cryptic behavior since he outclassed him in experience, status, and power. He was also willing to compromise with Madam Solodrey since she was important to Monica and her happiness.
However, Master Amelia was only a third-level warrior. Her position in the Solodrey family was valuable, but Khan was beyond her. He couldn't accept her orders, especially if he didn't agree with them. It would be an insult to his efforts to do that.
Truth be told, Khan didn't intend to sound so intense, but his morning had been far from good, and Master Amelia paid the price. She was an experienced warrior who trained descendants for a living, so experiencing the entirety of Khan's hard stance sent a chill down her spine.
"I will take Monica out on my terms," Khan continued. "As for you, I believe the Solodrey family ordered you to keep an eye on us."
Master Amelia gulped, but an answer eventually escaped her mouth. "It is customary to have an escort."
"That's not going to happen," Khan stated, his eyes lighting up when he recalled that Andrew was still there. "Andrew, take Master Amelia out on a date."
"Yes, sir," Andrew immediately agreed.
"Captain, this is," Master Amelia tried to complain, but Khan interrupted her.
"This is an order," Khan firmly explained, "For both of you."
The unreasonable nature of the request left Master Amelia unable to bargain or reply. She wasn't even working for Khan, but his orders sounded impossible to refuse in that situation and with his stern tone.
Khan lost interest in the matter and headed for his building, entering it to use one of the elevators. His return to the flat didn't go unnoticed, and a shout soon welcomed him.
"One moment!" Monica shouted from deep inside the flat. "I'm not ready yet."
Khan ignored the warning and crossed the elevator area and living room to dive into a corridor. He found Monica in a bathroom near their bedroom, adjusting her hair before a mirror.
"I told you I wasn't ready," Monica complained when she noticed Khan standing at the bathroom's entrance.
"You look ready to me," Khan commented. Monica didn't opt for anything too elegant. She was wearing a white turtleneck sweater and a new skirt, which brought light to Khan's eyes.
"Don't make that face," Monica pouted, leaving the mirror to reach Khan and wrap her arms around his waist. "We have a date."
"I wouldn't miss it for anything in the world," Khan promised, lowering his head to search for Monica's mouth.
A long kiss unfolded, and a short one followed, creating an intimate mood that turned Monica's words into whispers. "Do you really want to take me out?"
"I do," Khan confirmed, inebriated by Monica's scent. "How else would I see you all radiant and happy?"
"Silver tongue," Monica scolded from behind her smile. "I wanted this new skirt to be a surprise."
"Consider me surprised," Khan chuckled, "And tempted."
"Stick to tempted until we get back," Monica giggled, reaching for Khan's lips again.
The kiss was short, and Monica forced herself to let go of Khan afterward. The mood was too right to risk remaining immersed in that intimacy.
"Do I need to change?" Khan wondered, heading for a bedroom.
"I like you in uniform," Monica teased, strolling behind Khan. "After all, you are my noble Captain."
"I'll just drop this then," Khan exclaimed, lifting Mister Cirvags' device to show it to Monica before throwing it on the bed.
"Right," Monica recalled, eyeing the device. "What's that? How did the meeting go?"
"Apparently," Khan sighed, trying to find the best way to describe his morning. "The Thilku are fighting second- and first-generation Tainted animals. It might be Nak-related."
"Wait a moment," Monica gasped, abandoning the playful mood to get serious. "How reliable is this information?"
"I don't know," Khan said, turning to shrug his shoulders. "I barely looked at the reports."
Monica froze before Khan's casual behavior. She knew how deeply the nightmares affected him. Her heavy sleep didn't make her ignore the sweat covering Khan whenever he woke up. That wasn't a topic she could take lightly or ignore.
"Let's postpone the date," Monica eventually suggested. "You need to look at the reports and-."
Monica couldn't finish her suggestion since two fingers suddenly trapped her nose. Khan had only needed a step to get before her, and that gesture generated an instinctive pout.
"Khan," Monica complained, but Khan didn't let her nose go. He shook his head to make her give up, and solemn words soon followed.
"I will do terrible things to achieve my goals," Khan announced. "Some I've already done. Now I have a choice, so I want to prioritize what makes me happy."
"But," Monica whined pleadingly, "Your nightmares. You are in pain."
"I'm always in pain," Khan uttered, "And I'll be for a long time. One day won't change that."
Monica snapped, slapping the hand on her nose to free herself. That compliance made her livid. It almost sounded like Khan was ready to spend the rest of his life in that condition, but she lost the chance to voice her anger since he took her head in his arms.
"I also have to deal with so much stuff," Khan cursed. "The higher I go, the more influential my superiors get. I compromise and compromise to search for freedom that never arrives."
Monica cried in anger, but Khan's chest suppressed her voice. She was ready to punch his torso, but the topic of the conversation made her hold back and stomp her feet to vent.
"But you know what I managed to get?" Khan continued, lowering his head to immerse his face in Monica's hair. "You."
Monica wanted to be angry from the bottom of her heart, but her body relaxed. She gave up trying to oppose Khan. Her very being knew he had won that discussion.
Khan relaxed his hug and leaned backward to peek at Monica, only to see an angry face. His smile melted that expression, and Monica heaved a sigh, resting her head on his chest again.
"You aren't doing this for me, right?" Monica muttered.
"Being a good boyfriend might cleanse me a bit," Khan revealed. "You know, if I make you happy, I might be worthy of happiness myself."
Monica retracted her head to glare at Khan. She didn't like that statement, but the context made it understandable. That was a rough period for Khan, especially with possible clues about the Nak standing right beside him.
"You need to change," Monica commented, pointing at a wet spot on Khan's uniform. "Don't do it in front of me. I'd jump on you right now."
"Alright," Khan snickered, leaving Monica to head toward the door.
"And," Monica continued, making Khan glance at her, "You always make me happy, even when I cry. I'll be mad for real if you ever doubt that again."
"Thank you," Khan whispered, and an exchange of loving smiles happened before he felt forced to run away. The bed would become too tempting otherwise.
Only the upper part of the uniform had a spot, and Khan wore a clean one in a few seconds. Then, he found Monica waiting for him in the living room, and she stretched her hand toward him, waiting for his fingers to arrive.
"You know," Khan announced, taking Monica's hand. "Your mother called."
"Oh!" Monica gasped, using her free hand to cling to Khan's elbow. "What did she say?"
"She actually congratulated me," Khan revealed. "She also confirmed that you will take over the new business."
"I'll be in your care then," Monica giggled as the two entered the elevator.
"She said that too," Khan recalled. "Oh, she gave me permission to call her Anastasia in private."
"Is she finally giving up?" Monica couldn't help but raise her voice.
"She did mention our engagement, now that I think about it," Khan vaguely said.
"What?!" Monica cried, uncaring that the elevator had opened.
"But she added that I have to convince your father first," Khan continued, pretending not to notice how worked up Monica got.
"Why are you telling me this now?!" Monica scolded, wary of the incoming exit.
"It's been a while since I could tease you in public," Khan laughed. "I missed this."
"Don't tease me about our engagement!" Monica complained, but the couple eventually left the building, forcing her to wear a fake smile.
"This date will be so fun," Khan snickered, his laugh growing louder when Monica pinched his side in an attempt to make him stop.
Master Amelia had gotten everything ready, so Khan and Monica only had to follow their new schedule.
A car picked Khan and Monica up and drove them to the shopping district, remaining on the street to increase their exposure. The vehicle had transparent windows, so any passerby could notice them and start rumors.
The district saw Monica smiling all the time while Khan brought her from shop to shop. She tried every piece of clothes she could get her hands on, and Khan soon suffered from a similar fate, but the process was the very opposite of painful.
A lunch in a relatively crowded restaurant followed, ending with a long, romantic walk in another district. Madam Solodrey's approval made the couple engage in public intimacy, which never exceeded short kisses or loving hugs.
The date ended in one of Pandora's shops to ensure Khan and Monica showed themselves to the Harbor's wealthy population. They only exchanged salutes with them, but that was enough. They could take the rest of the night for themselves, drinking and eating in the relative privacy of the place.
The return home was far from peaceful. Mister Cirvags had already interrupted the couple once, and the date had further delayed the inevitable. Entering the flat put an end to any self-restraint, leading to a series of wild hours.
Exhausting the wildness didn't mark the end of that day. Khan and Monica still had work to do and got into it without bothering to put back their clothes.
Monica lay belly down on the bed with a pillow supporting her chest. Her eyes were on the holograms released by her phone, which contained many pieces of classified information she wasn't supposed to have.
Khan obviously was the source of that info. He didn't steal anything from his office since his memory was enough. He had studied nothing but Thilku in the past months, so creating a summary about Neuria barely took an hour.
As for Khan, he lay belly up at Monica's side, wielding Mister Cirvags' device and going through its information. Sometimes his hand would caress Monica's back, but his attention on the reports never wavered.
The device's reports used heavy scientific language that Khan struggled to understand. He wasn't qualified to read that information but did his best to clear his most glaring doubts. The matter simply took longer due to that issue.
Khan's first and most important doubt involved the first- and second-generation Tainted animals. He had almost believed a Nak had been on Cegnore recently, but the reality was far different.
After rereading the same scientific piece four times, Khan sort of understood that the infection was to blame for those Tainted animals. It seemed that a virus had mutated when the Nak attacked the planet, turning it into an illness that spread their original mana.
For biological reasons Khan couldn't understand, the original mutation didn't lose intensity even after multiple generations. Cegnore's current Tainted animals were only distant offspring of the first infected specimens, but they retained those traits without watering them down.
Another doubt involved the switching sides Mister Cirvags mentioned. It didn't make sense for the Thilku to start working for the enemies. After all, humankind had Tainted humans too, and they could serve the Global Army without a problem.
The answer to that doubt turned out to be interesting. The Thilku and human teams had dealt with more than Tainted beasts on Cegnore. At times, they captured actual intelligent creatures, which all reported the same symptoms.
'Delirium, hallucinations, violent mood swings,' Khan read on the device. 'Don't tell me it's because of the nightmares.'
That finding stirred up Khan's curiosity and dark feelings. Professor Parver had given a clue, but Cegnore seemed to offer the possibility of testing it out. If Khan could get face-to-face with one of those intelligent creatures, he might get more answers about the Nak.
'This is good,' Khan concluded, 'Too good to refuse.'
Khan put down the device and half-slid to his right to lay his head on Monica's back. She peeked at him only to find him lost in his thoughts and with his arms crossed while his mind reviewed what he knew.
'The Thilku are strong,' Khan considered. 'They wouldn't lose against random Tainted animals. It must be the mutations.'
Khan reached for his head and tore away a hair to inspect it. The transformation had made him stronger than humans, so the animals, Thilku, and natives on Cegnore probably suffered from a similar condition. Their healthy peers simply weren't their match.
'Though, this still smells,' Khan wondered. 'I thought the Nak were a secret topic. I can't believe I'm getting access to something so close so easily.'
Khan wasn't disregarding what ordinary soldiers could achieve in the same years. Getting the mission on Cegnore had felt too easy for him, but others would need to spend an entire decade or longer to be granted that honor.
Nevertheless, Khan's paranoia didn't let him take the issue lightly. He kept looking for explanations, and only one guess sounded reasonable.
'Maybe it's because of the Empire,' Khan considered. 'The Global Army can't hide this since it's in enemy territory.'
The Thilku could have different policies about the Nak, which created that opportunity. That line of thought felt too optimistic, but Khan could only hope it was true since his mind was pretty much made.
'I need to get stronger,' Khan promptly thought once the decision arrived. He finally returned to reality, feeling the urge to test an idea, but his surroundings were problematic.
"Stay still for a second," Khan requested, throwing the device on Monica's side before almost lying over her.
"What are you doing?" Monica giggled as Khan made himself comfortable on her back.
"Shielding you," Khan explained. "This shouldn't be dangerous, but we can't be too careful."
"Khan?!" Monica called in a serious tone after realizing that he wasn't playing around.
"You'd throw a tantrum if I asked to remain alone for this," Khan declared. "So, stay put."
Monica wanted to complain, but Khan was right. Having him as a human shield was the best compromise she would ever get, so she limited herself to peek past her shoulder and his head.
'Something simple,' Khan thought, taking a deep breath before lifting his left hand. He stretched two fingers, and a tinge of mana appeared on their tips.
The mana grew darker and denser under Khan's control and manipulation. It almost gained liquid properties as he continued to accumulate it before performing a slow descending gesture.
Khan traced the air, creating a small line of mana that hovered above him. That energy was bound to disperse in seconds, but a silent request escaped his brain and forced the symphony to work with him.
The synthetic mana gathered around the hovering purple-red line, increasing its stability and giving Khan more time. He lifted his hand again, and a faint energy trail escaped his fingers before he used them to transform his previous creation into an odd cross.
The two energy trails were almost opposite in terms of nature and texture. One was bright and unstable, while the other was darker and denser. They seemed to belong to different elements and spells, but their contact generated a joint reaction.
The unstable line touched the dense energy, spreading its nature. The darker mana grew wilder, exploding into a sizzling flare that only stretched for a few centimeters. Khan never came close to being in danger, and his eyebrows arched in interest at that result.
Monica briefly stared at the faint remaining smoke before slipping out from under Khan to get a better view. All the traces of that experiment had vanished by then, which prompted her question. "What did you do?"
"I'm not sure," Khan admitted, his eyes inspecting shades only he could see. "I think I fused the Thilku runes with the Niqols arts."
