News of the confrontation didn't stay contained for long.
Within a week, Victor found himself the subject of attention from quarters far beyond the academy or the Ashen Circle, government liaisons arriving at the staging area with questions that carried considerably more weight than academic curiosity. Ashworth handled most of it personally, but even she couldn't fully shield the group from the growing awareness that something significant had happened beneath the Dark Forest.
"They want to classify you," Samuel told him bluntly, during one of the rare quiet moments between debriefings. "As a strategic asset. Possibly a weapon, depending on which department you ask."
"That's not reassuring."
"It's not meant to be. It's meant to prepare you for what's coming."
