Thirty
Zane
Iexpected the Bureau's response to my hallway confrontation with Rook to be swift and annoying, but even I underestimated Fenric's efficiency. Less than twelve hours after he'd fled our kitchen tableau, all five of us were summoned to a sterile conference room deep within Bureau headquarters.
"Unauthorized physical altercation between assigned guardians," Fenric read from his tablet, his voice pitched to that particularly grating bureaucratic monotone he reserved for formal reprimands. "Violation of Code 16-J: Maintaining Professional Boundaries Among Prophetic Protection Units."
I slouched lower in my chair, the movement pulling at my healing wound. Across the polished table, Rook glowered, arms crossed over his massive chest. Winter sat between us like a referee at a particularly tense boxing match, while Milo fidgeted beside me, his nervous energy manifesting as one of his tiny skeletons doing cartwheels across the table.
"Furthermore," Fenric continued, his eye twitching slightly as he glanced at Milo and me, "Code 34-F: Inappropriate Fraternization Among Assigned Protection Personnel."
"Is there a code for 'mind your own damn business'?" I couldn't help asking.
Fenric's ears reddened at the tips. "As a matter of fact, there is. Code 78-C: Insubordination and Disrespect toward Senior Bureau Officials. Shall I add that to your file as well?"
"Why not? Make it an even twenty violations for the week."
Rook snorted, the closest thing to agreement we'd shared since yesterday's confrontation. Our eyes met briefly across the table, mutual irritation at Fenric temporarily overriding our antagonism.
"Given the nature of these violations," Fenric pressed on, ignoring my comment, "and the potential impact on group dynamics essential for effective prophetic protection, the Bureau has mandated immediate remedial action."
Winter groaned beside me. "Please tell me it's not another therapeutic spa day. The last one ended with magical goo all over us."
"No. This is far more serious," Fenric set his tablet down with ominous deliberation. "You will all be participating in a Bureau-approved team cohesion exercise."
The room fell silent. Even Milo's skeleton stopped mid-cartwheel.
"What kind of 'exercise'?" Rook's deep voice rumbled with suspicion.
Fenric's lips twitched in what might have been the ghost of a smile. Asshole,
"The Harmonic Alignment Chamber."
"Oh fuck no," I straightened instantly, pain be damned. "That's not happening."
"The what now?" Winter looked between us, confusion evident on her face.
Milo leaned forward, his eyes wide with a mixture of horror and fascination. "The HAC is legendary. It's like a magical truth circle on steroids. Forces all participants to work through their issues by…"
"By basically turning us into emotional puppets," I finished, disgust coloring my tone. "It's psychological manipulation wrapped in Bureau-approved packaging."
"It is a carefully calibrated emotional alignment tool," Fenric corrected primly, "designed to resolve interpersonal conflicts that threaten mission integrity."
"It's bullshit is what it is," Rook growled, the first time we'd been in complete agreement about anything.
Winter raised her hand like we were in a classroom. "Quick question for those of us who don't speak Bureau: what exactly happens in this chamber?"
Fenric adjusted his perfectly straight tie. "The Harmonic Alignment Chamber creates a controlled magical environment that encourages honest communication and emotional transparency. It simply makes it... difficult... to maintain hostilities."
"'Difficult' is a nice way of putting it," I growled. "Last time I was in one of those things, I ended up singing about my childhood traumas while hugging my assigned partner."
Winter's eyes widened, and she made a choking sound that might have been suppressed laughter. "You? Singing?"
"It wasn't voluntary," I glared at her, though without real heat. "That's the point. The chamber manipulates your emotional state. Forces 'harmony' whether you want it or not."
"The session is scheduled for thirty minutes from now," Fenric announced, checking his watch. "I suggest you all use this time to prepare yourselves mentally."
"This is ridiculous," Rook stood, his chair scraping loudly against the floor. "I'm not doing it."
