Bounded

As they filed out of the room, Ethan caught Mage Thompson's eyes, gesturing that he'd like to speak with her.

The lines etched around her eyes crinkled, and she adjusted her glasses, her gaze fixed directly on his. "What's on your mind, Ethan?" She asked as they walked together down the stark hallways out of the secure area of the building.

"It's about me channeling abilities through the bond. We were discussing it this morning and Grace mentioned an idea that I think might be worth exploring," he said. "She mentioned a lecture Sofia Varga had given about manually activating abilities."

Mage Thompson led Ethan into her office, taking a seat behind her desk and gesturing for Ethan to grab a chair. The walls were lined with shelving, filled to the brim with old style physical books. He saw an eclectic mix of fiction and reference books arranged in no discernible pattern.

"What you're referring to is known as Mark Interfacing. We typically don't expect people to begin working on the technique until they've had a few years with their class." She said as she powered on her terminal. "Are you suggesting that you need to do something similar to channel abilities through the bond?"

"That's the idea." Ethan nodded as he took a seat in one of the chairs in front of her desk, surprised at how plush it was. "That maybe, when I'm activating their abilities, I don't have the same access to the assistance the marks provide them."

She was silent for a moment as she thought through what Ethan was suggesting, leaning back in her chair as she did. "The idea has merit. At the very least the theory is plausible, though we'd have to test it somehow." She adjusted her glasses from where they had slid down her nose. "This does lead us to the question of whether this is an intended feature of your class or not. If it is, then why weren't you aware of the ability before now?

"If that were the case, how was I able to channel Surge from Alice?"

"Good question. There must be some intuitive function for it in your mark, then." She sat back up, turning to her terminal and beginning to type. "There's a lot we still don't know about our marks and how they function. Are you familiar with intelligent design theory?"

He nodded, his fingers tapping lightly against the armrest of his chair as he considered her words. "You're talking about the theory that class marks and dungeons were designed by someone? Like, an intentional design rather than something that just… happened?" His eyes flicked to the terminal where she was still typing, the screen glowing softly in the otherwise dimly lit room.

"Or something. We really don't know. The point I'm trying to get at is anything that is designed intentionally has the capacity for flaws you wouldn't see with naturally occurring phenomena. For the most part. The academic terminology is 'differences in error modes between engineered systems and evolved systems',” she lectured.

Ethan's brow scrunched in confusion. "That… sounds like something you'd tell a class just to watch them flounder."

She laughed, nodding her head. "Probably. It's the sort of concept that you see more in research papers than in everyday life. But, it's relevant here. Listen. When a system is engineered—designed intentionally—it tends to fail in predictable, constrained ways. Circuits blow, safeguards activate, levers jam."

"Okay…"

“Evolved systems, on the other hand, fail in spectacularly chaotic ways. “When a person injures their ankle, the body doesn’t fail cleanly. It compensates—hips rotate, knees torque, the spine shifts—and suddenly the injury moves. That’s evolved failure: a cascade, not a single point. Variability is high, and the boundaries of failure are messy.”

"So you're saying class marks really are engineered?"

"I'm saying many researchers suspect they are. We have hints, reasons to believe so. Consistency of behavior, predictable growth pathways, no catastrophic random failures reported over decades. That’s abnormal. That’s engineering."

As Ethan sat there, his expression shifted from confusion to contemplation. He leaned forward slightly, resting his elbows on his knees, and asked, "So, how does this apply to me figuring out how to channel abilities through the bond? I mean, if it’s engineered like you say, then the same principles should hold true, right?"

"This is where the mark interfacing comes into play. It's how the technique was developed. Engineered systems have design intentions. If your mark was built to assist you in using abilities, then anytime you deviate from the intended operation, the failure will be mild, bounded, predictable."

Ethan sat a bit straighter as he began to understand what she was teaching him. "You want me to intentionally fail?"

"Exactly. Fail, but do so methodically. Each failure will give you feedback on exactly what the mark has been doing for you. With time, you can then learn to do that work yourself. But, there's a reason we don't teach this to the marked with newly resolved classes. The years of familiarity with your abilities makes it easier to notice when something goes wrong. You're going to have to learn without that advantage."

"This is only half of the problem, though," Ethan said pinching the bridge of his nose. "I can't sense what's happening on the other end of the bond. Without that, I'm still missing a crucial piece of the puzzle; how to make sense of what I'm feeling. Or rather, what I'm not feeling when I try to channel abilities through the bond."

"Apply the same logic, but work at it from another angle. If you're getting a repeated, predictable failure, it likely means you're making the same error each time. Try changing up the way you're approaching the bond, the way you're 'listening' to it."

"I have some reading for you," She said as turned back to her terminal and began typing again. Ethan's phone vibrated as she sent him the reading list. "That is some of the literature you're going to want to read over to get your footing."

Ethan opened Thompson’s message and paled. It was exactly what he expected: a list of 'light reading' like _Failure-Signature Analysis for Novice Marked and The Role of Cognitive Load in Manual vs. Mark-Assisted Spell Deployment, followed by a dreaded section labeled 'the ones you’ll hate but need'. Predictive Failure Modes in Class-Mark Ability Constructs_ and Discrete Boundaries of Class Mark Intervention: Evidence for Non-Evolved Origin. The titles alone made his eyes glaze over.

He looked back up at her, mouth agape.

"That's not even the best part." she grinned. "Say you learn to use abilities without the mark, and you figure out how to sense abilities through the bond. You're going to need everyone else on the team to understand how to mark interface, too. You'll need them to practice, so that you can watch and replicate their abilities."

"Alice is going to hate me."

"That's very likely," She laughed. "On the plus side, if you can all figure this out, there won't be any questions going forward about your team's competency."

Background music and the scent of sauteed garlic and onions filled Grace’s apartment as Ethan and Penny worked around the kitchen, moving around each other with practiced ease. The sizzle of the oil punctuated Ethan’s explanation of his conversation with Mage Thompson.

“So, basically,” he said, flipping a piece of chicken in the pan, “if we want me to be able to channel abilities reliably, all of us are going to need to learn this mark interfacing technique. Which means doing all the reading.”

Penny paused, her hands covered in oil and forming dough balls, looking up at him. “All of it?”

Ethan nodded grimly. “Yep. Every last page.”

The kitchen fell silent for a moment before Alice let out a long groan from where sat at the kitchen island, watching them work. “You’ve got to be kidding me,” she said, her voice dripping with disbelief. She pushed off the counter, her expression one of mock horror. “I signed up to fight monsters, not become a librarian.”

Mei chuckled from where she sat at the kitchen table, skimming through some of the reading on mark interfacing that Thompson had given Ethan earlier. “It won’t be so bad,” she said, though her tone suggested she didn’t entirely believe her own words. “Besides, it’s not like we’ll have to do it all at once.”

Grace had a teasing grin as she set down the last fork, finishing setting the table. “I don’t mind reading,” she said. “It beats the alternative—Ethan fumbling around in the dark trying to figure out how to use our abilities.”

Penny laughed, tossing a piece of dough at Alice, who caught it deftly and flicked it back at her. “See? Grace gets it,” Penny said, turning back to the dough with a grin. “Besides, think of all the fun we’ll have teasing Ethan when he’s struggling to keep up.”

Ethan rolled his eyes but couldn’t help the smile that tugged at his lips. “Thanks for the support, by the way,” he said dryly.

Alice grinned, moving to stand beside him, her shoulder bumping against his. “What are friends for?” she said, her tone teasing. She reached out to steal a piece of chicken from the pan, but Ethan swatted her hand away with the spatula.

“Hey,” he protested. “Hands off the merchandise."

Alice pouted but didn’t try again, content instead to watch as Penny and Ethan finished cooking. The kitchen was filled with the sounds of their banter and the clinking of dishes, a warm and comfortable atmosphere that belied the difficulty of the task ahead.

As they sat down to eat, the conversation turned to lighter topics, but the underlying current of determination was present. This was a new challenge, but they were confident they could figure it out. And until then, there were always lighter topics to talk about.

Alice rose as she finished eating, moving to the sink and turning it on, which let out a hiss as she rinsed her plate. Mei brought more dishes over, and Alice’s movements were fluid and automatic as she cleaned, the white ceramic gliding from soapy hands to the rack with a soft thud. The clink of plates and cutlery provided a staccato rhythm against the constant rush of water.

Ethan’s phone buzzed softly on the counter, a sharp sound against the general noise of the room. He glanced down at it, reading the text from Alex: On my way.

He cleared his throat, catching everyone's attention. “Hey, everyone,” he said, looking up from his phone. “That was Alex. He’s nearly here.”

Penny looked up from where she was helping Grace clear the table. “Oh, good. Let’s get this figured out.”

The easy laughter faded. Shoulders straightened. This was business now. The easy camaraderie of dinner gave way to a slight tension. Alice, her hands still in soapy water, wiped them dry on a towel before crossing over to join Mei at the dining table. “So,” she said, resting back in a chair. “Where’s this asshole been hiding? Watching from the street? A rooftop across the way?”

Grace’s fingers tightened around her glass of water, her knuckles whitening slightly. “Do you think he’s still watching the apartment?” she asked, her voice steady.

Alice, ever the optimist, grinned and leaned forward, her elbows resting on the counter. “Oh, I’m sure he is,” she said with a dramatic sigh. “In fact, I bet I can guess exactly where he’s hiding.”

Grace raised an eyebrow, a small smile tugging at her lips despite herself. “And what makes you so sure of that?”

“Easy,” Alice said, counting off on her fingers. “He’s probably in some creepy van with tinted windows, parked just close enough to see the entrance but far enough not to be noticed. Or—” she paused for effect, “he’s dressed as a delivery guy, lurking around the corner with a fake package.”

Penny laughed, shaking her head. “Or he’s disguised as a pigeon,” she added, a glimmer of mirth in her gaze.

Mei rolled her eyes but couldn’t suppress a small smile. “Or he’s sitting in a cafe, pretending to read a newspaper while secretly taking pictures of the building.”

Grace chuckled, the tension easing slightly. “You’re all ridiculous,” she said, but there was a warmth in her voice that hadn’t been there before.

They continued chatting, throwing out wild ideas as to how Marcus was watching them. "Alright, enough with the jokes," Grace interjected, her tone indicating she wanted to discuss this more seriously. "He’ll be watching from somewhere he can see the front door of the building, right? Somewhere with a good vantage point.”

Ethan nodded. “That would make sense.” His phone buzzed again—Alex was in the lobby.

A minute later, Alex knocked on the door. Ethan answered, opening it to let him inside. Ethan gestured for him to come further in. “Thanks for coming on such short notice, Alex."

"Not a problem," Alex said as he stepped into the apartment. "Always happy to help a friend." He looked around the apartment, seeing the others. "Hello Alice, Penny, everyone else."

"Alex, this is Mei and Grace, ladies, this is Alex." Ethan introduced him. "Grace, did you want to give Alex the lowdown? I was pretty vague over text."

"Nice to meet you. Thank you for helping." She said gratefully as she shook hands with Alex. "Long story short, he's my ex, and he's a controlling asshole. I moved here from California for a fresh start and apparently he felt the need to follow me."

She leaned against the kitchen island, crossing her arms. "We went out to the mall and he showed up there with us. He has no reason to be in the city, let alone shopping at the same time we were."

"So you think he's probably camped out somewhere near enough to watch the building?" Alex asked.

"Unless he's got some way of tracking our phones, yea," Grace answered. "Simplest answer is he's just watching us."

"Is he marked? That'll help me find him more easily if he is."

"Yea. He's a Riftbow, C-ranked."

"Got it. Okay, this won't take long." Alex's bag hit the floor with a soft thud as he squeezed his eyelids shut, focusing his attention outward, a faint pulse of energy spread out from him as he activated his ability. The room was silent as they waited, the hum of the refrigerator the only noise in the room. Alex opened his eyes a minute later. "A couple magical sources, likely Class Marked, in the building. Any chance any of them could be him?"

Grace shook her head. "No, this was the only vacant apartment in the building when I moved in. I guess he could get in, but there'd be nowhere for him to watch from."

"In that case, three options. There are two marked across the street at ground level. I'm guessing the cafe? Another down the road, feels like around the corner. Maybe in a vehicle? Last one is in the building across from us. At least a few floors up."

"The building across from us is an event space." Mei said as she moved to the window. "I can't see any lights on, I doubt there's anything going on there tonight. Seems suspicious."

Alex moved to the same window. "Alright, give me another second."

He held his hands out in front of him, almost as if he was looking through a lens he was holding, pointed towards the building across the street. "Brown hair, messy mop cut, clean shaven. That sound like our guy?" Alex asked as he focused.

"Yea, that's Marcus." Grace said, her voice filled with resignation. Grace's jaw tightened, her breath catching for just a moment. She'd been right to trust her instincts. She'd also been correct to dread being proven right. "I knew he was watching. It really sucks finding out for sure."

Penny sidled up beside Grace, her shoulder brushing against hers with a gentle nudge. A warm smile played on her lips as she met Grace's gaze. "You know, silver linings" Penny began, her tone light and encouraging, "this might just be the push we need to finally get him out of your life for good. Staking out your apartment? Not okay."

Grace took a deep breath, setting her glass down on the counter. "So," she said, her voice steady despite the nervous energy coursing through her, "we know he's there. Now what?"

Mei moved away from the window, joining the group. "We need to figure out our next move," she said, crossing her arms over her chest. "Knowing where he is gives us an advantage."

Penny tilted her head, tapping a finger against her chin in thought. "We could call the police," she suggested. "Report him for harassment or something."

Alice shook her head, pushing off from where she'd been leaning against the counter. "And say what? That he's watching Grace's building?" She made air quotes as she spoke. "'He might be stalking her.' We have no proof that he's actually doing anything illegal."

Mei nodded in agreement, her expression thoughtful. "Alice is right," she said. "Without concrete evidence, the police won't be able to do much. We need to gather more information before we can take any action."

"So...should we confront him?" Alice asked, the question hanging in the air for several seconds as the team considered it carefully.

Mei spoke up first, her analytical tone cutting through the tension. "The Guild is supposed to handle this, right? Warren's our best bet if it comes down to it."

"Hmm," Penny hummed before responding. "It would feel good to shut him down ourselves though," she admitted.

Alice pushed off from the counter, pacing as she weighed in. "I mean, we could always play it cool and see what he does next," she suggested cautiously. "But if he's already showing up at places like the mall...it might not be a bad idea to send him a clear message." Alice paused mid stride, her hands making a short deliberate gesture. "You know what? I say we go talk to him," she declared, her voice firm with conviction.

Penny raised an eyebrow, turning to look at Alice. "Talk to him?" she repeated, her tone skeptical. "Or confront him?"

Alice grinned, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "A little bit of both," she admitted. "We know where he is. We can go over there and make it clear that we're onto him. Maybe shake him up a bit."

Grace hesitated, biting her lip as she considered Alice's suggestion. "I don't know," she said slowly. "What if he gets angry? What if he tries to do something? I've seen him get violent when confronted. He's not stable."

Mei crossed her arms, her expression thoughtful. "We could always keep our distance," she suggested. "Make sure we're not putting ourselves in any danger."

Penny nodded in agreement, turning back to the window and looking out at the building across the street. "We could go over there as a group," she said. "Show him that Grace isn't alone anymore. That she has people who care about her and will stand up for her."

Alice clapped her hands together, a determined look on her face. "Exactly," she said. "We can make it clear that he's not welcome here. That he needs to leave Grace alone."

Grace shook her head slowly. “No. He’s not going to stop unless he knows someone’s going to hold him accountable. His dad is high up in the California Guild. He doesn't know the meaning of the word consequences.” She paused, her thoughts clear in her mind. “If we can catch him there two nights in a row, the evidence he's watching me will be stronger.”

"Okay. It's your call on this," Alice said as she backed down.

Grace straightened, her jaw set. "I'm going to bring this to Guildmaster Warren. Let me call him tomorrow. If that doesn’t get Marcus off my back, then we confront him." she said firmly. "I'll tell him everything. The hotel, the double booking of our shift, the cancellation of our arena slot—the mall, the apartment. All of it."

Penny nodded in agreement. "He won't be able to ignore it if we lay it all out like that," she said. "And a Guildmaster is going to be able to look into the paperwork side of things. If there's evidence Marcus interfered, he'll be able to find it."

Grace glanced at Alex, who had been quietly observing their exchange. "Alex, would you be willing to attest to what you found for us tonight? Your findings will carry weight."

Alex didn't hesitate. He pulled his phone from his pocket and began typing a message. "I'll write it up and send it over as soon as possible," he said, his fingers moving quickly across the screen.

"Thank you, Alex," Grace replied with a grateful nod, her shoulders relaxing slightly.

Ethan met Grace's determined gaze with a steady one of his own before turning to the group. "Let's focus on getting everything ready for Warren," he said firmly. "Each of us write up our own version of events. Keep it to the facts, what happened, not what you think happened."

Ethan glanced around at his friends, their faces still tense with the weight of their discussion about Marcus. Grace would call Warren in the morning. Tonight, they'd done what they could. He knew they needed a break, a chance to unwind and forget about the looming threat for just a little while.

“We owe Alex at least a drink,” Ethan said, looking over at him. “You free the rest of tonight?”

Alex nodded, flashing a grin. “I’m all yours.”

“You play pool?” Ethan asked, already knowing the answer but wanting to give his friends something else to focus on.

Alex shrugged. “A bit.”

Ethan turned to the rest of the group. “There’s a place just around the corner—The Corner Pocket. What do you say we head over there?”

Alice perked up immediately, her eyes lighting up at the prospect of some friendly competition. “I’m in,” she said, already moving towards the door.

Penny followed suit, her earlier tension melting away as she grinned at Ethan. “Sounds like a plan. I’ll even let you win a round or two.”

Grace and Mei exchanged glances before nodding their agreement. The shift in topic was welcome, a much-needed distraction from the heaviness of their previous conversation.

"Perfect." Ethan said, clapping his hands together. "Let's go."