Pain scorched Kyrian’s body, but he fought to tighten his grip on the Esper’s hand. The sensation of molten lava filling his veins, burning from the inside out made his breath catch in his throat.

Embrace the pain, embrace it-

He set his teeth in defiance, temples throbbing as he battled the unstable waves of psychic energy.

Just when he thought it had been subdued, a new burst that stung his muscles like shards of glass would wash over him anew.

Someplace in the back of his mind he noted that Eiden seemed to be experiencing as much discomfort as he was through this ordeal. A sign that meant either a lack of compatibility between the two, or resistance from the Esper.

This was a far worse experience than when the Esper had been sedated on their first encounter. Now that he was aware of the sync, he was in fact stubbornly fighting against Kyrian’s energy while struggling to keep his own under control.

“Fuck it, could you work with me here?” Kyrian finally barked, his breathing labored.

His knees shook from exhaustion, so he quickly knelt beside the medical chair, taking Eiden’s hand in both of his for a better connection.

The sounds of the monitor’s beeps blared in his ears, and for a moment he could swear he heard the audible sound of two energies clashing like a thunderstorm. A terrible harmony of noise, warped together as his senses dimmed.

Stop fighting me, you’re only making it worse!

Eiden let out a groan of pain, rattling the chair as he writhed. His hand, clenched in a tight fist, was trembling under Kyrian’s own hands.

The two energies intertwined and repelled, unable to find a rhythm that would make the sync less painful for the Esper and Guide.

Through it all, Kyrian never lost his focus. Blinded to the pain, he had only the goal of taming the wild beast he was sharing a connection with.

When he felt his consciousness slipping, he willed himself to try one more time to overpower Eiden’s psychic energy with his own. If he couldn’t match the wild wavelengths to subdue it, he would simply have to force it into submission.

Perhaps it was due to Eiden’s already exhausted condition, or maybe the sedatives had started to kick into his system, but whatever the case Kyrian found the waves much more manageable.

The energies still collided, they still shook, but their paces had begun to match. 

“That’s enough,” Eiden’s voice cut through Kyrian’s focus, “let go of me!”

Kyrian blinked his eyes open, his lids feeling heavy, and sweat dampened his uniform’s collar. The connection was unsteady, but sufficient for now. He lifted his gaze to Eiden, whose grey green eyes were glaring at him hatefully.

“Let go, you idiot!” He snarled, though he didn’t fight the restraints again.

The waves had calmed from the stormy swells, and though it needed effort, it would be rather simple to complete Guiding from this point. Why was he saying to let go? Kyrian could tell his mind was muddled, and the beeps of the monitor had turned to a piercing hum in his mind.

Why does he look so scared? I can’t figure out this Esper…

“Hey wait a minute- shit! You’re going to kill yourself!”

Kyrian’s eyes fluttered, and he frowned at his hands, telling himself to keep his hold even as they fell to his lap. His strength drained, he swayed where he sat.

Something warm tickled his nose, dripping over his lip and staining his button-down shirt. Blood.

Ah. I pushed myself too hard…

The corners of his vision darkened, and he fought to stay conscious. It was probably only overexertion.

Probably.

The only thought he could formulate was that losing consciousness was an admission of defeat. He couldn’t.

“Still … g’nna bite me?” Kyrian slurred drowsily as he slumped against Eiden’s legs, head resting on the Esper’s knee.

***

“Congratulations Mr. Averin!” 

Kyrian resisted the urge to massage his aching temple, and nodded his head respectfully towards the Director.

“Thank you, sir.”

“I heard that you finally got a crack at Guiding S-1?” The older man had given up his act of frailty, and now was showing obvious amusement about the situation.

“Yes, sir. I did.” Kyrian dropped his gaze, still feeling rather dazed from overexerting himself two days prior. He had ashamedly ignored his own limits, and had lost consciousness in the middle of a soft sync. When he had come to, he had been moved to his quarters and administered an IV and medication to ensure he recovered quickly.

The IV had been removed that morning, but his veins still ached like something hot was blazing through them. This phantom pain was more likely caused by the Guiding than the IV though.

“He’s monstrous isn’t he?” The Director questioned in a proud tone as though praising the unbridled psychic powers of the Esper. He cast a sly smile at Kyrian and laced his thin fingers together.

“And your compatibility was fairly high, all things considered.”

“...”

If he had felt the excruciating burning and strain of Guiding a resistant energy, he would think twice about compatibility..

“As a reward for your successful sync, despite the… method, is there anything you would like for Cerberus to supply you with” The Director watched Kyrian with a lazy gaze, clearly enjoying himself.

“Could… When could I go on field with Ei- Esper Unit S-1?” Kyrian asked, his voice coming out more hoarse than he was expecting, and quickly corrected himself when he almost referred to the Esper by name. He believed this could be the opportunity to make the request, and still desperately wanted to see if Guiding would be any different on field… especially compared to how it had played out in the Sanctum. 

If he really is more docile on field, I may never have to go through such a painful sync again.

The Director’s smile fell away, and he raised an eyebrow.

“Yes… I believe I recall Dr. Kurozane mentioned this yesterday.”

Kyrian slowed his breathing, afraid to make too much noise as the Director thought. His hands wanted to tremble with lingering fatigue, so he clenched them behind his back to hide.

“Perhaps the next time S-1 is deployed with the Fangs, we can see about arrangements for you to join the team.” The Director pasted on a smile, expertly schooling his features to hide his true thoughts. “Though do be cautious… Even after taming a wild beast, it could still very easily turn on its master.”

Kyrian bowed low, hiding the flicker of grim satisfaction in his eyes. Whatever the Director’s reasons for humoring him were, he would take the opening.

“Thank you.”