Emotion Hunter: System Awakening.

[Maya's POV]

The Research Division Seven building looked nothing like the Guild headquarters where they'd processed Riven and Marcus.

No corporate polish, no motivational displays. Just clean white corridors, reinforced glass windows, and the kind of sterile efficiency..

She turned to her right and saw a projecting sign that says "classified research facility."

Of course it's classified.

Maya followed the escort through multiple security checkpoints, each one scanning her temporary ID badge.

The deeper they went into the building, the more she recognized the setup.

This wasn't just an office building. This was a laboratory complex.

"Dr. Kai is waiting for you in Conference Room C," the escort said, stopping at a door marked with biohazard symbols. "She'll be handling your orientation and assignment details."

Maya stepped inside to find a woman in her late thirties reviewing files at a conference table.

With American-Asian features, shoulder-length black hair pulled back professionally, and the kind of focused intensity Maya recognized from her medical professors.

"Ms. Chen," Dr. Sarah Kai said, standing to shake hands. "Welcome to Research Division Seven. I hope your transition from civilian life hasn't been too disorienting."

*Transition huh. Like I had a choice in the matter.*

"It's been... educational," Maya replied carefully.

Dr. Kai smiled, and it seemed genuine rather than the calculated expressions Maya had gotten used to from Guild personnel. "I imagine it has been. Please, sit. We have quite a bit to cover."

She opened a tablet and began scrolling through what looked like organizational charts. "The Research Division Seven handles analysis of what we call 'problematic system classifications.' Not necessarily dangerous in the traditional sense, but systems that present unique challenges for users and society."

"What kind of challenges?"

"Let me show you."

Dr. Kai led Maya to a large window overlooking what appeared to be multiple laboratory wings. Each section was clearly labeled and separated by reinforced barriers.

"Wing A focuses on combat-adjacent systems," Dr. Kai explained. "Like your friend's Emotion manipulation,just like him there's other too, like berserker rage enhancement, fear projection. These systems often cause psychological instability in their users."

Maya could see researchers in lab coats working with subjects through reinforced glass. One person appeared to be demonstrating some kind of ability while connected to monitoring equipment.

"Wing B handles mental systems.. . Like Mind reading, memory manipulation, dream invasion. The neurological strain from these abilities can cause permanent brain damage if not properly managed."

"Wing C studies reality-bending systems. Probability manipulation, time dilation, spatial distortion. These are particularly dangerous because they can fracture the user's perception of reality."

Maya felt a chill as they moved to the final section.

"Wing D handles parasitic systems. Life drain, ability theft, host possession. These systems literally consume their users or others. We've documented cases where the system eventually kills the host."

The tour was making Maya's stomach turn. "How many people have these kinds of systems?"

"More than you might think. The Guild estimates roughly fifteen percent of system users have classifications that pose long-term risks to themselves or others."

Dr. Kai led Maya back to the conference room, where she pulled up additional files on her tablet.

"Your role will be analyzing the physiological impacts of system usage across multiple classifications. Your medical background makes you uniquely qualified to identify stress patterns and potential health complications."

She handed Maya a thick folder. "These are case studies from the past two years. I want you to start by reviewing the medical data and looking for patterns."

Maya opened the folder and immediately wished she hadn't.

The first file showed a young man, maybe twenty-five, with a time manipulation system.

The before and after photos were horrifying. He'd aged decades in months, dying at twenty-three while looking eighty years old.

"Time manipulation systems accelerate cellular aging," Dr. Kai explained, noting Maya's reaction. "We're trying to find ways to slow that process."

The next file showed a woman with probability manipulation abilities. The medical scans revealed severe neurological damage throughout her brain tissue.

"Probability systems cause synaptic misfiring," Dr. Kai continued. "Users gradually lose their ability to distinguish between possible outcomes and actual reality."

Maya flipped through more cases.

A life drain system user whose own life force was being consumed by his abilities.

A memory manipulator who could no longer form new memories herself.

An emotional projector who'd lost the ability to feel his own emotions.

"This is..." Maya struggled to find words. "These systems are killing their users."

"Exactly. Which is why our research is so important."

Dr. Kai pulled up another set of files on her tablet. "The Guild may seem harsh in its approach to system management, but uncontrolled abilities kill more people than training programs do."

She showed Maya statistics comparing Guild-trained system users to unregistered ones. The survival rates were dramatically different.

"Your friend Mr. Duke, for example. His emotion looting system shows signs of neurological feedback. The more he uses it, the more damage accumulates in his brain's emotional processing centers."

Maya felt like the floor had dropped out from under her. "What kind of damage?"

"Potentially severe ones. Emotional numbing, inability to form attachments, eventual complete psychological disconnect. We've seen it in other emotion-based systems.... since he's not the one with an emotion system... it's just that it's rare...but his, is exceptionally rare."

The folder suddenly felt heavy in Maya's hands.

Every page represented someone whose abilities were slowly destroying them.

"But there might be ways to prevent it," Dr. Kai continued. "That's what we're working toward. Safe usage parameters, suppression techniques when necessary, medical interventions to slow the damage."

Maya looked at the research wings again, trying to reconcile what she was seeing. "Are you saying the Guild is actually trying to help these people?"

"I'm saying the situation is more complex than it might appear. Yes, the Guild's methods can seem brutal. But we're dealing with abilities that can literally tear apart the fabric of reality or consume someone's life force."

Dr. Kai leaned back in her chair. "Some of these systems are so dangerous that suppression might be the most humane option. Others might be manageable with proper medical support and training."

"And my job is to help determine which is which?"

"Your job is to analyze the medical data and help us understand what these systems actually do to the human physiology.

The decisions about treatment come later, from people with more authority than either of us."

Maya stared at the files, feeling the weight of responsibility settling on her shoulders. If she did this work, she might genuinely help people survive their own abilities.

But she'd also be helping the Guild develop more effective ways to control system users.

"What about Training Unit Seven?" she asked. "The people going through that program?"

Dr. Kai's expression became more guarded. "That's a different department, but yes, we provide medical consultation for their programs. The training is... intensive."

"Intensive how?"

"They push trainees beyond normal safety limits to map the absolute boundaries of each system type. It's dangerous, but it provides crucial data about what these abilities can actually do."

Maya felt sick. "You're talking about human experimentation."

"I'm talking about stress testing that could save thousands of lives if it helps us understand how to manage dangerous systems safely."

Dr. Kai stood and moved to the window overlooking the research wings. "Ms. Chen, I know this is overwhelming. But consider the alternative. Without this research, people with dangerous systems either hide and slowly die from their abilities, or they lose control and take others with them."

She turned back to Maya. "Your medical expertise could make the difference between life and death for people like your friend. The question is whether you're willing to do difficult work for potentially good outcomes."

Maya looked down at the folder again, at all those faces representing abilities that were slowly killing their users.

"What if I find something the Guild doesn't want to hear? What if the research suggests their methods are making things worse?"

Dr. Kai was quiet for a long moment. "Then we present accurate data and let the decision-makers decide what to do with it. That's all we can do as researchers."

"And if they ignore the data?"

"Then at least we'll know the truth, even if we can't act on it immediately."

Maya realized this was as close to honesty as she was going to get from anyone in the Guild.

Dr. Kai genuinely seemed to believe the research served a good purpose, but she also understood the institutional limitations.

"When do I start?" Maya asked.

"Tomorrow morning. I'll have a desk set up for you in Wing A, where you can begin analyzing the emotional system cases." Dr. Kai paused. "Including your friend's preliminary assessments from Training Unit Seven."

As Maya left the Research Division building, she couldn't shake the feeling that she was walking a tightrope.

The work might genuinely help people, but it would also serve Guild interests.

The question was whether she could find ways to help her friends while navigating the institutional machinery that had absorbed all of them.

At least now she understood why the Guild had been so interested in recruiting her specifically. Her medical background didn't just make her useful for research.

She looked back at the building with worry. "I hope Riven and Marcus are doing ok".