A faint tension settled into Lauren’s shoulders as she looked at the number on the screen.

"Who is it?" Luke asked.

Lauren answered without replying.

"Hello?"

Luke could not hear every word from the other end, but the man’s voice sounded formal. Lauren listened quietly before straightening slightly.

"Yes, this is Lauren."

There was another pause.

"He’s with me."

Luke sat up while the man continued speaking. Lauren glanced at the clock on the wall and pressed two fingers briefly against her temple.

"I understand. We’ll be ready."

She ended the call, set the phone down, and took a slow breath.

"That was the Eastern District Hero Bureau."

Luke stared at her.

They had already known they would need to return for follow-up examinations. Dr. Mira Vale had made that clear before discharging them from the hero hospital, especially after Lauren’s neurological scans showed signs of strain from Oracle’s Glimpse.

Luke had expected another hospital visit, not a direct summons from the Bureau.

"What do they want?"

"They didn’t say."

"Nothing?"

"They told me that a car would arrive in thirty minutes and that we needed to bring our identification and hospital papers."

Luke glanced down at the breakfast on the table.

"That’s it?"

"That’s it."

The vague answer bothered him more than a clear explanation might have. At least if the Bureau had said they wanted another medical examination, Luke could have prepared for it.

Instead, they were being ordered to report to headquarters without knowing what awaited them.

"You knew someone was going to contact us when you told me to post that?" he asked.

"I received a short message earlier, but it only said our follow-up arrangements were being reviewed. I didn’t know they were sending us to headquarters."

"And you didn’t think that was worth mentioning?"

Lauren took a small sip of coffee.

"You were having enough trouble with the announcement."

"I was not having trouble."

"You stared at the same sentence for several minutes."

"That was because you were distracting me."

A pleased smile briefly touched her lips.

"So you admit it."

Luke realized too late that he had walked straight into her trap. Shaking his head, he reached for his plate.

"Let’s just eat."

"Yes, we should."

Despite her teasing, Lauren did not touch her food right away. Her gaze remained fixed on the table, and some of the ease had left her posture.

"Why would they move the appointment without explaining anything?" Luke asked.

"I don’t know."

"Maybe this is about the headsets."

Lauren looked at him.

The Bureau had already recovered the two systems left inside the café. Luke and Lauren had hidden the other pair, and neither of them knew how long that secret would remain safe.

"They could want another statement," Lauren said. "They might also want to see what happened to our abilities."

Luke looked down at his hands.

Only a day earlier, he had been powerless against a criminal attacking the café. Arcane Thrust had allowed him to fight back, protect Lauren, and stop someone far stronger than an ordinary person.

He had spent most of his life being unable to protect himself. The thought of losing the chance to develop that strength now tightened something in his chest.

He had already agreed to become a hero, but that choice meant little if the Bureau prevented him from training and developing the power he needed to protect Lauren.

"What if they tell us we can’t use our abilities anymore?"

"They may require training first."

"And if their training means doing everything their way?"

Lauren remained quiet.

Luke curled his fingers against his knees.

"I finally have the power to protect you," he said. "What happens if they stop me from training and someone attacks the café again?"

"Luke..."

"I couldn’t do anything when those boys attacked me. I couldn’t even protect myself."

Lauren’s expression softened, but Luke continued before she could interrupt him.

"I’m not going back to being that helpless. Not when you’re the one in danger."

The thought of another criminal reaching Lauren while Luke stood uselessly nearby made his stomach twist. Yesterday’s victory had not proven he was strong. It had only shown him how much stronger he still needed to become.

Lauren placed her hand over his.

"I don’t want you helpless either," she said. "But becoming stronger also means learning control. We shouldn’t start fighting the government before we even know what it wants."

"I know."

"You don’t sound convinced."

"I’m not."

Her thumb moved slowly across his knuckles.

"We can listen without agreeing to everything," she said. "We answer carefully and make sure we understand what they’re asking before we accept anything."

Luke nodded.

"And we keep the other two headsets out of this."

Lauren’s eyes sharpened.

"For now," she said quietly.

"For now."

She finally began eating, though she moved more slowly than before. Halfway through her toast, she paused and pressed her fingertips against the side of her head.

Luke noticed immediately.

"Your headache?"

"It’s mild."

"That’s what you said earlier."

"And it remains true."

"You used Oracle’s Glimpse after the doctor specifically told you to rest."

Lauren gave him a patient look. "I remember."

"Then you’re telling them about it."

Her lips curved slightly.

"You sound very firm about that."

"I am."

"Mhm. My boyfriend is already ordering me around."

"I’m not ordering you around. I’m making sure you don’t hide something important."

"That sounds suspiciously responsible."

Luke looked away before her teasing could affect him again.

"Just tell them."

"I will."

The promise eased some of the tension in his shoulders.

After breakfast, Luke gathered their plates while Lauren checked the documents from the hospital. She placed the discharge papers and their identification cards into a folder, then reviewed everything twice.

"You nervous?" Luke asked.

"Yes."

Her immediate answer surprised him.

Lauren normally tried to soften anything that might worry him, but she did not pretend now.

"I want to learn how to control Oracle’s Glimpse properly," she said. "If these abilities are permanent, I would even consider hero training."

Luke remembered how seriously she had spoken about that possibility. Becoming a hero had once been something Lauren could only imagine while watching her daughters enter dangerous situations without her.

Now that dream might be possible.

"The Bureau could help with that," Luke said.

"They could."

"But only if we accept their rules."

"Yes."

Lauren closed the folder.

"That’s what worries me. We don’t know what those rules will be."

A dark government sedan arrived less than thirty minutes later, and Luke watched it pull up through the front window.

There were no flashing lights, Bureau markings, or armed heroes around it. The car looked ordinary enough to blend into traffic, though its spotless exterior and reinforced windows made it clear that it was not a normal taxi.

A man stepped out of the driver’s side. He looked to be in his early forties and wore a gray suit beneath a dark coat. His short hair was neatly combed, and an identification badge hung from a clip near his belt.

After checking the address, he looked toward the house and waited beside the car.

Lauren stopped beside Luke.

"Ready?" she asked.

"No."

"Neither am I."

He looked at her, and she gave him a faint smile.

"Let’s go anyway."

They gathered the folder and left the house together. The driver greeted them with a brief nod, verified their names, and opened the rear door after showing them his Eastern District Hero Bureau badge.

He never introduced himself.

Luke waited for Lauren to get in first, then climbed in beside her.

The interior smelled faintly of leather and disinfectant. Luke settled into the back beside Lauren, and the car pulled away as soon as they fastened their seat belts.