As soon as the oath was done, the entire Lodge erupted into murmurs—serious, low-toned discussions among the Grand Masters, still reeling from what had just happened.
Jody was released from the pedestal and walked back toward her friends.
"Shit... That was intense..."
Toshi was leading the group out of the Grand Masters' Lodge, and everyone shared the same vibe: "We survived. Holy crap, we actually survived."
Jody was the first to step off the back platform, and the moment both her feet landed—
"Haaaah—"
She collapsed.
Her knees gave out, and her temples throbbed like bass drums. All the sweat she'd held back came pouring down her face. She had endured an overwhelming amount of pressure from Annie during that confrontation—more than her body could handle.
Before her knees fully buckled, Syd caught her.
"Jody!?"
"...Ugh..."
She looked up at the boy holding her.
"Jesus... you're heavy. Can you even stand?"
"...Yeah... I'm good..."
Once Syd steadied her on her feet, he wasted no time asking the question on everyone's mind.
"...Are you serious, Jody? Why would you turn down something like that?"
"...I think I explained myself already..."
"...Yeah, but..."
"...."
Syd looked her dead in the eye.
"You're gonna regret it."
"...I won't. Not as long as you're around."
She smiled faintly. She had made up her mind.
Though honestly, someone needed to get her a sugar cube now.
"I'm not your dad, you know."
"You sound happy..."
Jody looped her arm around his shoulder.
"You didn't want me to leave, did you?"
"...Tch."
Syd didn't deny it—but he didn't agree either.
"'Best teacher'... Pfft. Damn right I am..."
"Aww, c'mon—change the subject already," she laughed.
"Syd?"
A voice called out from behind—it was Skyler. But she wasn't calling just for Syd. It was for all four agents.
"You all need to stay."
"...Ah. Got it..."
Syd turned back to Jody.
"You okay to walk?"
"I'm not fighting anyone, y'know. I'll be fine. Just recovering from your mom's ultimate move, that's all..."
"...."
Syd didn't really believe her, but he had to leave her with Sera and head back into the Lodge with the others.
The doors closed behind him, shutting Jody off completely.
"You were incredibly brave."
Jade appeared behind them. No one knew when she got there, but her timing was perfect. Whether it was praise or sarcasm... unclear.
"...Huh?"
"You're going to be the talk of the council for a while."
Jade said it plainly.
"Nah... ha ha..."
"Obviously. You went toe-to-toe with her son, after all."
Jody chuckled awkwardly, then asked,
"So... what now?"
"Yeah. Why did those four stay and we got kicked out?"
Sera asked, equally confused.
"They've got their own meeting to attend. And you two? You have somewhere to be, too."
Jade placed a hand over her chest.
"And it's Grand Master Annie herself who told me to escort you."
"Escort us where?"
"To meet your true selves."
She smiled.
. . .
Jade led them up a lift that rocketed skyward. When the doors opened, they found themselves above ground.
Through the glass windows, they could see the snowy forest outside.
So this branch of the organization was based in some kind of snowy wilderness...
They still had no idea where in Moscow they were, though. It was like saying "somewhere in the desert" when talking about Arabia. Might as well be anywhere.
This was one of the upper floors—undeniably—and this was what a real conference room looked like.
Chairs lined up in clean rows, a massive curved desk spread in a 180-degree arc like a parliamentary hall.
The room was lit in anticipation of their arrival. And the only other person there?
A man in a lab coat, leaning casually beside the massive display screen up front.
"!"
He was pale-skinned, probably Western, and dressed like someone who had just taken off a suit and thrown on a lab coat instead. One eyebrow was styled with a fashionable slit. He looked like a chill college student—cool and relaxed.
"Go ahead."
Jade gestured them forward kindly, toward the man in the lab coat.
"This is the organization's leading expert on Elementalists. Please call him—"
"You can call me Vega. My full name is Ramanujan Rampan, nice to meet you 😊"
Vega
Head researcher of the organization's main lab. He specializes in analyzing and managing power users, especially Elementalists.
Vega's skill set is exceptionally rare, and it's a privilege that he agreed to join the organization.
Despite his rough appearance—often compared to Syd's—his personality is the complete opposite. He's shy, struggles heavily with social anxiety, and is frequently the subject of workplace gossip, especially rumors about his flirtatious connection with Supervisor Jade.
Full Name (publicly known): Ramanujan Rampan
Nationality: Pakistani / Indian
Ability: Undisclosed
Rank in the Organization: Research Division Agent, soon-to-be Master
His voice was... unexpectedly cute. If you closed your eyes, Jody and Sera might've imagined someone half his size.
"H-hi...!"
They shook his hand.
Sera blinked. "Ramanujan?"
"Yeah, my mom's Indian. Dad's Pakistani."
"Oh... Vega, are you the same Vega who—"
"Nope! That's just a rumor! People talk too much around here, ha ha..."
What he didn't realize was that both he and Jade were blushing furiously at this point.
"Riiight... just rumors."
Sera grinned. She no longer cared that it was their first meeting—these two were way too fun to mess with. Total shy types. Easy targets.
"I'm a research agent—head of bio-mechanical energy systems in the main lab."
"Yeah, figured the moment we saw the coat. Not exactly a water filter salesman look."
"Sera... we've known the man for literally two minutes..."
Jody muttered.
Vega smiled nervously, then cleared his throat and motioned them toward their seats.
"You're the two I've been assigned to. Please, have a seat."
Jody and Sera took their places in the front row, with Jade sitting beside them.
Vega activated the screen.
"You're probably starting to understand how important you are to the organization."
"...They said Elementalists become overpowered once their abilities develop fully. That it messes with operations."
"...That's right."
He brought up an image on screen.
It was a scan of an ancient Egyptian stone tablet, marked with symbols from every angle.
Most notably, four triangular elemental symbols were etched around it, with ancient scripts surrounding them.
"Egyptian tablet. Dated 3,000 BC."
Vega explained.
"This is the earliest recorded appearance of all four Elemental elements together. There are older records, but never all in one place—until this."
"...How did they know?"
"By chance."
He zoomed out to show a map of the ancient world.
"Egypt borders Greece, Italy, Romania... This whole region was a warzone. And it just so happened that the four Elementalists back then were all active in the same area."
Jody: "...A coincidence of probability..."
"Exactly. Sadly, most of the detailed records have been lost. This one stone? The only surviving complete artifact. But even this one... is invaluable."
He approached the screen and pointed to the cracked tablet.
"Do you know what these symbols mean?"
"Do I look like I'm Egyptian?" Sera deadpanned.
And just like that, Vega deflated like a soggy puppy.
"I'm sorry 😞"
He wilted so fast it made Sera feel guilty.
"Ack—no, hey, I was just joking! Vega! I didn't mean it, I'm sorry!"
"...Really? 😀"
He lit up again, then resumed his explanation.
"The inscription says this..."
The Four Who Hold the Forces of the World
Their powers nullify one another
May they coexist in peace
Or the world shall end
"Nullify... Like rock-paper-scissors?"
Jody asked. Vega clapped lightly in admiration.
Sera blinked. "Rock-paper-what now?"
"'Nullify one another'—it means the powers cancel each other out in a balanced cycle. Like... Water beats Fire, Fire beats Earth, Earth beats Wind, Wind beats Water. Right, Vega?"
"Very impressive. You're not just beautiful—you're brilliant, Jody."
Vega beamed... but quickly snapped back to business when he noticed Jade staring daggers at him.
"...Ahem. Yes. Elementalists were designed that way—each with strengths and weaknesses in a complex loop."
"And mine? What's Wind weak against?"
"Based on previous generations... Your Wind is weak to Earth, strong against Fire, and neutral against Water."
"...I see..."
"And our job in Thrak—according to that third line—is to keep the Elementalists united in peace."
Jody: "Which is why none of us are told who the others are. Like the Global Elite policy."
"Exactly. If they don't know, there's no risk of conflict."
"But we're all civilized now, right? Who'd even start a fight?"
Sera raised a fair point.
"Yeah. We've all traded spears for pens. Why still separate us?"
"Think of it this way... What if an Elementalist was born in the Taliban? Or became a serial killer? Or the next Hitler?"
"......"
He had a point.
They almost forgot about random chance.
"I want you to understand—once developed, your power becomes immense. You'll see for yourself soon enough."
"Jade told me there's a shortcut to force development early. Is that true?"
Jody asked, clearly intrigued.
"...Before we get into that—take a look at this."
Vega pulled up another image:
Gargantuan Cell
A biological cell, extremely detailed—straight out of a Campbell textbook.
"...This is why we know you're an Elementalist."
"In the body of every Elementalist—and only Elementalists—there are Gargantuan Cells. And yes... they're flowing in your blood, Jody."
"...That's... impossible..."
Jody was in shock.
She had cells that only four people in the world possessed—and had been living with them unknowingly since birth.
"Normal hospitals can't detect these. Only specialized lab equipment can."
"...How did you find them?"
"That's classified."
He grinned slightly.
"But these cells are why you'll become so powerful later. They're not named 'Gargantuan' for their size—but for the energy output they produce."
"Like a transformer."
"Exactly. Their one job is to act like a power booster. They convert your internal energy into something massive, used to activate your ability. But right now... you're not developed. So your Gargantuan Cells? They're like inactive white blood cells—floating around aimlessly."
"And they'll activate once she reaches full development..."
Sera was starting to catch on.
"Yes. God designed them that way."
He advanced to the next slide, showing the four types of Gargantuan Cells. Same organelles, but their outer membranes were shaped like elemental triangles.
"Where did you even get these?"
"They're dead samples—from the previous generation of Elementalists."
"Wartime? 20th century?"
"Yes. Another period where Elementalists clashed."
He moved through more images—Normandy, Berlin, Stalingrad, Hiroshima... battlefields all across history.
"The world never knew... but besides Fat Man and Little Boy, there were Elementalists who caused just as much destruction."
"So you've got their bodies stored somewhere?"
"And someday, you'll be one of them."
Jade grinned, placing a hand on Jody's shoulder. The poor girl went pale.
"...Joking. Just kidding."
"...N-no, it's fine... I mean... if I'm lucky, I'll be an old lady by then. Dead before I even notice..."
And with that, both Jody and Sera realized—
Their story had just begun.
"Then... how does the upgrade come into play?"
Sera asked.
"Let's start with what it actually is first," Jody added.
"It's my own invention, actually," Vega said proudly, patting his chest.
Sera: "Yeah, cool—don't care. Can we skip to the point—"
Vega: 😞😞😞😞
Sera: "Ahh! Sorry, Vega! I didn't mean it like that—I'm sure you're really brilliant! It's just—I'm dying to know, that's all!"
Vega: 😀😀😀😀
"Well, it works like this..."
He pulled over a chair and sat down.
"Our scientific tools like microscopes have only been around for a few centuries. But the discovery of Gargantuan Cells? That's brand-new knowledge. We only recently found out they exist."
He placed a hand over his chest again.
"I was the one who discovered them—found a method to detect them using specialized equipment, and studied them from dead samples of past Elementalists. My research revealed... when you take the Gargantuan Cells of two Elementalists with opposing affinities, the winning element's cells will consume the losing ones."
! ! ! ! !
"Consume... like, literally eat them?"
"Just like white blood cells consuming pathogens."
"That's what we call an upgrade," Vega explained. "In order to upgrade Jody's power, I'd have to inject her with Gargantuan Cells from an Elementalist whose element is weak to wind."
"Like a vaccine?"
"Except this vaccine exists to be devoured. Our studies show that each cell releases a specific secretion—and once that secretion comes into contact with your cells, Jody..."
Jody: "The switch flips."
"And your cells will go berserk devouring them," Vega said, absolutely delighted by how quickly she caught on. "You're incredibly sharp."
Jade chimed in, "This upgrade research is the very reason Vega's being promoted to Master next month."
Sera: "You're way too proud of that, huh? Got a crush or something?"
Jade: "Ah—!" blushes furiously
"But we can't just inject you on the spot," Vega continued. "According to the research... if the switch is flipped before your body's ready..."
"...Bad things happen," Jody guessed.
"Yes. The transformer-like cells will amplify your energy output to a dangerous level and—"
"I could die from shock?"
"Or explode."
Vega said it calmly.
"...Whoa."
"That's why we have to prepare your body first. I'm still working on how to overcome this biological 'lock' Mother Nature gave us. Plus, we need official approval to even consider injecting you. Until you're fully accepted by the organization, it's not even on the table."
Fair enough. From their point of view, she was still an outsider. It made sense they wouldn't just inject her on a whim.
And honestly... if this whole thing was still in the experimental phase, maybe it was for the best. At least they were cautious.
Vega closed the presentation. Their phones buzzed at the same time.
"I've sent you a summary on Gargantuan Cells—feel free to read through it later."
Jade leaned in close, whispering with her hand half-covering her mouth.
"But if you leak that info, we might have to break your neck."
"Wh—! I'd never!"
"Just kidding~"
"...And what kind of prep does this training involve?"
Sera: "Getting a bit eager there, aren't we?"
"It's even tougher than the training we give our demolition agents," Vega replied.
Jody flinched.
"But I heard Gift's been training you in hand-to-hand? That counts as prep too. So don't panic. We'll take it one step at a time."
"Gift...? You know Syd too?"
"...Heh... ha... ha..."
Vega turned away. His energy dropped like a dead battery. Clearly not a topic he wanted to touch. Jody decided not to push.
"Probably got traumatized by Mr. Sarcastic's antics," she muttered. "He's such a sweet bean—"
Vega: 😩😩😩😩
"I didn't mean it as an insult! Sweet beans are adorable!"
Vega: 😃😃😃😃
"You'd honestly make a great research agent, Jody," he said. "You're quick-witted and intuitive—great qualities."
"Well, I've been curious... Mickey mentioned there are three agent classes. But research agents seem like their own thing?"
"Interested?"
"Just curious."
"Aaah..."
Vega glanced at Jade, then walked over to whisper something before returning.
"Well... Research Agents are structured a bit differently than the other two branches. Our ranking system's named after stars."
"Oh!"
Lightbulb moment. Sera's eyes lit up.
"So that's why you're Vega—like the star?"
"Exactly."
"Got it... that makes sense."
"I think you'd shine in our branch, Jody. You've got potential."
"Haha, I hope so."
"Wait—so..."
Sera scratched her chin, remembering something.
"Yes?"
"All of this... your research on upgrades—where did that come from? All the Elementalists from the 20th century are dead, right? That means... your only test subject was..."
realization hits
"...the first Elementalist of this generation?!"
Another moment where Sera triggered a revelation for Jody as well.
"You're right," Vega confirmed. "Everything we know came from testing and observing them."
He looked serious now. Moreover using "Them" as a pronoun to seal the identity. Not letting any single clue slip even a gender.
"Every step was taken with extreme care. We had to calculate everything. Any step too risky—we paused and reevaluated."
"But now you've got a second guinea pig, huh~?"
Jade teased, leaning in close to Jody. She was starting to worry a little about this woman.
"But it's safer now, thanks to everything we learned from the first Elementalist of the 21st century," Vega added. "You're lucky."
"Guess I am... at least the path's been cleared a bit."
"Still, the fourth Elementalist's gonna be luckier. They'll probably get the injection right away."
"Totally."
"Please don't pressure me..."
Vega wiped the sweat from his brow.
"Hey, you're doing great."
"...So—this is the end of the briefing, right?"
Jody checked her tablet. The files Jade sent were all there—thorough and complete.
"Yes, this concludes your mission for today," Jade said. "But tomorrow? Might be a big one. Since the Grand Masters agreed to your proposal, we may begin your special training soon."
But Sera immediately asked:
"The Grand Masters... or just Annie?"
"...Well..."
"And now?"
"For now, you two are free. Vega and I need to head back downstairs for the meeting."
Jade glanced at the clock.
Jody followed her eyes—forty minutes had passed since the briefing began.
She hadn't even noticed.
"They're still in session?"
"Of course. This is an Elementalist we're talking about. But I'm afraid we can't disclose any more details."
"Oh my god, this organization's a walking secrecy machine."
. . .
After the intense lesson on Gargantuan Cells and their roles as Elementalists, Jody and Sera were dropped off at the lower-level dormitory floor.
7:45 PM.
The two sat across from each other in the organization's cafe.
Two steaming cups of tea on the table. Sera sipped quietly, eyes locked on the girl in front of her.
It was the first time she'd ever seen Jody wearing glasses.
Blue-light filter lenses. She was reading Vega's slideshow carefully on her iPad.
Right now, Jody looked like the epitome of a bookish science girl.
"Didn't know you wore glasses."
"Usually don't show them off to friends. But I wear them for exams."
She folded the glasses and clipped them to her turtleneck, rubbing her eyes before picking up her tea again.
"Are you even understanding that? It's all biology jargon."
"Not really."
"Bruh."
"I just think it's fascinating... There's still so much about the world we don't know."
Jody set down her cup.
"To find out I'm... something else entirely... it's a strange feeling."
"Yeah... no kidding."
Sera fell silent for a moment, staring out the window. Then she turned back to Jody.
"Hey..."
"...Hmm?"
"What you said back in the Lodge..."
"...Yeah?"
"Why did it sound like... you were specifically negotiating to stay on the team only if you could keep working with Syd?"
"......"
"You said you'd keep working—only if it's with him. Why him, exactly? What about the rest of us?"
"I mentioned all of you."
"Sure, but everyone could tell—you singled him out. That wasn't subtle."
And then, mid-rant, something in Sera's subconscious clicked.
Wait a minute...
Only with Syd...
Wait—
Could it be—
She remembered Roxy's earlier suspicion. The tension. The way they acted. The voices, the banter...
"Roxy thinks you and Syd might—" "Hell no! Me and that smug bastard? No way!" "Chill! I was just saying—" "Like I would ever fall for him."
"It has to be him. It has to be Syd." "Because of my son?" "That's enough reason."
And all those memories of the two of them together came rushing back...
"Gift, call me Big Sis Jody~" "Syd~! Syd~!" "Shut up! Quit calling me that!" "LOL!"
The camera zoomed out from Sera's stunned face as the realization dawned.
...She never denied it.
A single bead of sweat rolled down Sera's cheek.
"Jody... don't tell me you..."
"......"
"You do... don't you...?"
"Do what?"
Jody didn't change her expression.
But her subtle smile said it all.
"..."
"You... you..."
Sera clamped a hand over her mouth, stunned silent.
And Jody?
She raised one finger to her lips.
"Shhhh..."