K prepared again for another strike, her Aether-wreathed fist hurtling towards the shimmering barrier, when the Cognitive Stasis Field slammed into her consciousness. The silvery runes of the Silent Warden Array instantly shifted color, pulsing with a deep, menacing violet light. A high-pitched, almost subsonic whine filled the air, felt more in the bones than heard.

K froze, her attack halting inches from the barrier. Her neutral expression contorted, her eyes widening not in pain, but in sheer disbelief as an unseen force clamped down on her mind. She felt her consciousness starting to fray, to slip away into a disorienting fog. With a defiant scream that echoed strangely within the violet light, she clawed at her temples, fighting against the overwhelming mental assault. Her gaze locked onto Ray, who was leaning heavily on the desk, pale and sweating. She saw Ray’s strain, the immense cost the activation was taking. A flicker of calculation entered her eyes

If I could just hold on, just resist long enough for the boy to collapse....

Ray met K's defiant gaze, his own vision blurring slightly from the immense Aether drain. He felt his reserves plummeting, the system's warning echoing in his mind.

Five seconds... six... seven...

He pushed through the weakness, pouring more of his life force into the array. Outside the barrier, Svane and the Shadow Guards tensed, anticipating the moment.

K fought desperately until her resistance faltered. The defiance in her eyes clouded over, replaced by a blank, unfocused stare. Her hands dropped limply to her sides. Her eyes rolled back in her head, turning completely white. Her body went limp, slumping forward onto her knees, held up only by the lingering momentum against the barrier, completely unresponsive, her mind lost in the stasis field's illusory prison.

"NOW!"

Ray shouted, his voice strained and hoarse. With the last of his strength, he cut the Cognitive Stasis Field just as the main study barrier deactivated with a faint pop.

Svane and the Shadow Guards moved in a blur of motion. Before K's slumping form could even hit the floor, they swarmed her, applying restraints with practiced efficiency. Heavy cuffs snapped around her wrists and ankles. Within seconds, the legendary operative was secured, completely incapacitated. Svane quickly swept the study, ensuring there were no other immediate threats before turning back to Ray.

The backlash hit Ray with the force of a physical blow. His legs gave out, and he collapsed against the heavy oak desk, gasping, his vision swimming. Rina was there instantly, catching him before he could fall completely, her face a mask of worry as she helped him slump into his desk chair. He felt utterly drained, his reserves almost completely depleted, a profound weakness settling deep in his bones.

[SKILLED APPLICATION DETECTED]

[EVENT: HIGH-RISK TARGET NEUTRALIZATION]

[...]

System notification appeared before Ray but he was too weak and exhausted to fully read it.

Sergeant Svane approached the desk, his gaze shifting from the subdued, white-eyed form of K, now securely bound by the Shadow Guards, to the pale, exhausted boy slumped in the chair.

"Target secured, Lord Croft,"

Svane reported, his voice crisp and professional.

"How are you doing?"

Ray looked up, breathing heavily, his gaze locking onto the captured form of K, the legendary boogeyman, neutralized and helpless before him. He then glanced down at his own hands, which were trembling slightly from the exertion. He had won. He had secured the elusive Collector. But the victory felt hollow, overshadowed by the immense personal cost.

His golden-flecked eyes clouded with exhaustion. He gestured weakly towards Rina, his voice a hoarse, barely audible whisper. "Food... Rina... need...."

Rina nodded immediately, already retrieving one of the dense honey-nut bars she always kept prepared from a pouch at her belt. She broke off a small piece and carefully helped Ray take slow bites, supporting his head.

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Svane observed the scene with professional neutrality. He had witnessed this strange recovery method before, first after Ray’s tense work in the corridor outside the Genesis Crystal Chamber when he modified the containment seal and again after Ray’s private meeting with Initiate Eliza Vance.

Unconventional.

Svane thought, his internal assessment crisp and analytical.

But undeniably effective. Like the boy himself.

As Ray slowly consumed the nut bar, the Crimson Weaver's 'Neural Gastronomy' skill began its work in the background. Faint color began to return to his cheeks, and the pronounced trembling in his hands started to subside, though the profound, bone-deep exhaustion remained evident.

Feeling marginally stabilized, Ray closed his eyes, focusing inward despite the lingering weakness.

System, show status.

A stark, critical warning filled his mind's eye:

[HOST STATUS: Life-Force Capacity: 6 / 30 (CRITICAL DEPLETION)]

[Aether reserves are dangerously low. Recommend immediate restorative measures.]

Healer: "The cost was severe. The vessel held, but the wellspring was nearly dry. Recovery is paramount."

Ignoring the guards and the prisoner slumped nearby, Ray pushed himself upright slightly and sat crosslegged. He centered himself, his breathing deepening, and immediately entered a deep meditative state, initiating the Ashvane Method. He began the essential process of drawing in the faint ambient Aether in the room, focusing entirely on restoring his dangerously depleted reserves. A very faint golden shimmer, almost invisible, began to coalesce around him.

Svane observed Ray's sudden shift into deep meditation, recognizing the signs of profound energy depletion and the boy's need for recovery. He gave a silent, almost imperceptible hand signal to the Shadow Guards, indicating they should remain absolutely quiet and maintain their vigilant focus on the prisoner.

Sergeant Svane stepped away from the meditating Ray, giving the boy the space he clearly needed. He moved back towards the prisoner, performing one last, thorough check of the heavy restraints binding the unconscious K. Satisfied that the target was completely secure, Svane retrieved his own personal communication crest from a pouch at his belt, a simple silver disc etched with the Silver Aegis symbol, functionally similar but visually distinct from Ray's multifaceted Custodian Crest. He channeled a small, precise pulse of Mana into it.

After a tense moment of silence, the crest glowed with a soft blue light, projecting a slightly flickering, travel-worn holographic image of Headmaster Andrade into the air above it. She appeared to be inside a moving carriage, the background subtly swaying. Her expression was weary, lines of exhaustion etched around her eyes, but her gaze was intensely focused.

"Sergeant Orben,"

she acknowledged crisply, her voice clear despite the faint crackle of the connection.

"I have read your initial report, do you have any update?"

Svane delivered his report with the concise precision of a seasoned soldier.

"Headmaster,"

he began, his voice low and formal.

"Confirming unauthorized intrusion by high-level operatives with the designated name of 'K'. We have located Adept Thorne, she is severely injured, but was successfully stabilized by the academy’s master healer. She is at the infirmary under guard. The primary intruder..."

Svane glanced briefly towards the bound, white-eyed K slumped against the wall.

"...has been successfully apprehended and is contained within Lord Croft's suite."

Andrade's eyes widened slightly, a flicker of genuine surprise breaking through her weary composure.

"Apprehended?!"

she repeated, her voice sharp with disbelief.

"Explain, Sergeant."

Svane provided a concise, tactical summary, deliberately omitting the more sensitive details regarding Ray's personal cost.

"Lord Croft utilized a pre-prepared containment array within his suite,"

he reported neutrally.

"He then activated a secondary incapacitation function integrated into the array, allowing for secure capture by me and the shadow guards."

Andrade processed this astonishing information, her expression becoming unreadable, though Ray, were he observing, would have seen the rapid calculations flashing behind her eyes.

"Understood, Sergeant,"

she said finally, her voice regaining its command authority.

"Maintain containment at all costs. I am returning with all haste, but travel from my current location will take time. I expect a full, detailed debriefing upon my arrival."

The holographic projection flickered once more and then faded, leaving the silver crest inert in Svane's hand.

Having concluded his report, Sergeant Svane turned his attention back to the immediate situation within the study. Ray remained seated, deep in meditation, a faint golden shimmer coalescing around him as he worked to restore his critically depleted Aether. Svane gave the boy a brief, assessing glance, noting the slow but steady return of color to his face, before focusing on the primary threat.

He turned to the four silent Shadow Guards.

"Secure the prisoner,"

Svane commanded, his voice low and firm.

"Move her to the academy’s high level detention facility immediately. Double the restraints and maintain level-one watch protocols until the Headmaster arrives."

Two of the Shadow Guards moved instantly and silently towards the slumped, white-eyed K. They reached down, their movements precise and economical, grasping her arms to lift her unresponsive form from the floor.

Just as their fingers made contact, K's eyes snapped open. The blank, milky white vanished instantly, replaced by her normal, chillingly neutral grey gaze. She didn't look at the guards touching her. She didn't struggle. Her focus shot directly past them, landing squarely on the meditating Ray across the room.