Halo: Magicka

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.....

January 2445,

Those drugs were some good stuff, I'll be honest. 

Looking at my physique in the mirror, I noticed the visible difference between myself now and me from three years ago. 

The changes were undeniable—my body was more defined, more resilient, more Spartan - but not quite there yet. The puberty-inducing drugs, coupled with the endless hours of gruelling training, had done their job. I ran my fingers over the muscles in my arms, feeling the strength that had become second nature. Three years ago, I was just another kid trying to make it in the Spartan program. Now, I was confident that I would be able to make everyone's augmentation procedure run smoothly.

It did take me a little bit to get used to being this tall and developed, feeling like I'm at the level of an Olympic athlete was nauseating at the beginning during the first growth spurt. Although I'd seen some people take to it worse, I guess that being one of the older trainees, It wasn't too strange to have this level of physicality at nearly fifteen.

After taking care of Jon when he first threw up, I was laughing at him causing him to throw a fist at me. Of course, I kicked his ass, no magic needed. Reflecting back, I remember what I said to him,

"Don't worry, bro," I teased, leaning back as I looked at his bruised face and crossed my arms, "You'll get there eventually. Maybe by the time you're thirty, you'll be able to land a punch that doesn't hurt you more than it hurts me."

Jon shot me a glare, but there was no real malice behind it. He knew I was right. We'd both come a long way since our first day at the camp. His magic was a tool but he wasn't relying on it; he was earning his place in the program with every grueling day of training.

We both had our own struggles, though. For me, it was the constant reminder that this body—this enhanced version of me—wasn't exactly the same as before. It wasn't just physical growth, it was the weight of being a Spartan. Every day I felt the pressure of being molded into something the UNSC could use, something more than human. It was an odd feeling, one that made me feel both powerful and detached from the person I used to be.

Snapping out of those deep thoughts, I activated [Detect Pulse].

The whole facility.

It covered the whole facility and its extra buildings some distance away, an entire 5km - all laid bare in front of me.

Yep, I reached the Adept Rank a couple of days ago after sparring with Jon. He'd never complained so much before,

"What the hell, what are you? The protagonist?" He groaned.

I grinned at the memory of Jon's reaction. It had been a hell of a sparring session, but I couldn't help but feel a little proud of how far I'd come. Reaching the Adept Rank was a milestone, but it was more than just the magic—it was the control and the precision that came with it. I could feel the pulse of everything around me now, not just the physical, but the energy and movements of those within the facility. It was like I had a second sense, a way to measure everything at once.

Jon was still cursing under his breath when he walked out of the sparring room, rubbing his shoulder.

"You're definitely not normal," he muttered, shaking his head.

"Tell me about it," I said, stepping out of the training area and heading toward the mess hall. I was still running a mental check of the facility with [Detect Pulse], feeling the life around me and taking in every little change. It wasn't just about seeing people—it was about understanding the subtle shifts, the tension in the air, the slight movements of the guards who always seemed to be watching.

As we walked through the halls, Jon grinned and elbowed me in the ribs.

"You know," he said with a mischievous glint in his eye, "I bet you could sneak up on anyone in the entire facility now and not even break a sweat."

I smirked, my focus still on the pulse of everything around me. "I could, but what's the fun in that? Besides, I'm too busy saving you from your own stupidity."

Jon rolled his eyes but couldn't hide the smile tugging at his lips. The brotherly banter was a welcome distraction, a reminder that no matter what we were becoming, we were still human brothers beneath all the training, the enhancements, and the looming war.

.....

"You wanted to see me, Kurt?" my voice echoed through the office.

Kurt jumped a little bit out of his chair before realising whose voice it was,

"Fuck you, kid. Fuck you."

Deactivating [Shadow Shape] I appeared in front of him,

"You locked that down right, Deep Winter?"

"Of course, Eli," He replied with a sigh.

"So I take it that you've reached Adept Rank?" Kurt said, his heart still beating a little fast, I noted.

I couldn't help but smirk at Kurt's reaction, enjoying the subtle panic I'd caused. It was a nice change of pace from the usual stoic atmosphere around here.

"Yep," I said nonchalantly, stepping further into the office, "Adept Rank, just a few days ago. Took a bit of time, but nothing I couldn't handle."

Kurt leaned back in his chair, eyeing me carefully. "That's quite the jump, kid. Not many make it that fast. You know you're starting to make the others look bad, right?"

I shrugged. "I wouldn't be here if I couldn't handle it. Plus, they're gonna have to keep up sooner or later."

"Maybe," Kurt grumbled. "But damn, you're making my job harder. You keep pulling off this crazy shit, and soon people will start expecting the impossible from all of you."

I grinned, walking around his desk and leaning against the nearby wall. "Isn't that what Spartans are for? To do the impossible?"

Kurt let out a short, half-amused laugh, rubbing his temple, "You've got a point there, Eli. You definitely have a way of making things... interesting."

"So, what's next?" I asked, pushing off the wall and standing up straight, "You called me here for something?"

"I've managed to pull all of the strings necessary to get you to help out with the augmentations," Kurt spoke, "Ackerson gave me hell for it, but relented in the end, there will be a minimal level of staff on board. I take it you can deal with them whilst you're aboard?"

"Of course, are we ready for the reveal to ONI and the UNSC afterwards?" I asked.

"I've managed to contact some spartans, Eli, they'll send reinforcements if things go south," Kurt said, "but I doubt it'll get to that level, Deep Winter ran some simulations based on their character profiles and concluded that there is a 78% chance that they'll ask for some things in return for your retained individuality."

"Although there is also a 10% chance that they lose all composure and you end up wiping out UNSC high command or becoming the shadow ruler of the UNSC," Deep Winter added.

"He didn't need to know that though, Deep Winter," Kurt sighed,

"But yes, the outlook is good, in general."

I raised an eyebrow at the mention of the 10% chance, "Wiping out UNSC high command? That sounds... drastic."

Deep Winter's voice chimed in, as emotionless as ever, "It is a possible outcome if the pressure mounts too quickly. Given your... unique abilities, Eli, and the unpredictable nature of ONI, things could escalate beyond control."

Kurt's hands went up in frustration, "I told you, Eli, we don't need to dwell on the worst-case scenarios. It's one in ten. Focus on the good news. ONI and the UNSC might be demanding, but they're not foolish. They'll understand the value of your... enhancements. Just have to make sure we're presenting it correctly."

I sighed, a little too aware of what could happen if things went sideways. "Right. But we're not going in blind, right? We've got a plan. Reinforcements, simulations, the whole nine yards."

"We do," Kurt confirmed, his tone more grounded now. "We present what we have, and if they want something in return for allowing your individuality, we'll negotiate. Hopefully, it won't come to anything ugly. We've been through too much to let it fall apart now. The most likely outcome is that they understand your potential and wish to see it grow."

I gave a short nod, acknowledging Kurt's concern. "Smart, but firm. We've got a good shot, but no one's going to hand us anything. Not with everything we know and everything we can do."

"Exactly," Kurt said, his eyes locking with mine. "It's time to show them what we've got. Time to take the next step."

There was a brief silence in the room as everyone processed what was coming. We were on the cusp of something big. Something that could shift the entire course of the war. But that same potential made it all so volatile. The future felt a little more fragile, a little less predictable.