Time slipped by, like always. The final bell rang early since it was Friday—a rare mercy from Graymont Academy.
The squad made their way out of the school gates, the sky painted in late-afternoon gold.
"So," Carl said, adjusting his backpack, "what were you two whispering about back in class?"
"Yeah, what's the deal?" Carly added, twirling a pen in her fingers.
Jane flipped a page in her pocket-sized novel, barely looking up. "So, you're both telling me you didn't notice anyone watching you today?"
Carl scratched the back of his head. "Oooooh. Oh. Ohhh… Nah."
"Of course you wouldn't," Jake muttered, his headset hanging loosely around his neck this time, not even pretending to care.
Carly sighed, "Can you guys just explain alrea—"
"Shut it," Jane cut her off, eyes glued to her book. "I'm at the last chapter and I don't wanna miss the details."
"Ouch." Carl snorted. Carly rolled her eyes.
"Shouldn't even bother asking you anyway," Carly muttered, shooting Jake a look.
Jake held up two fingers, flashing the peace sign lazily, then dropped his hand back into his pocket.
Just then, a sleek black car with tinted windows slid past them, humming low. All four of them turned to watch as it rolled toward Graymont's gates.
"Must be some transfer kid or something," Carly said, brushing it off first. "The high-class families send their brats here anyway."
One by one, they looked away.
Meanwhile – Stratum Core Industries
Stratum Core.
Not just a mining company. They dabbled in chemical research, energy manipulation, and quiet experiments nobody put in brochures. The kind of place that made governments nervous but too dependent to intervene.
At the top floor, in the CEO's office, a man lounged with his legs crossed on his desk—like he owned the entire world.
Which, in his mind, he practically did.
The nameplate read:
Anderson Hall.
A knock came at the door. The green light on his desk communicator blinked.
Anderson pressed the button. "Yeah?"
A Russian-accented voice came through. "It's Maxine. You called."
Anderson smirked, tapping another button. The door made a soft click.
"Come in."
The door opened.
Maxine entered, shutting it softly behind her. Her long black hair framed sharp grey eyes. She wore jeans and a sleek hoodie jacket—casual, but with an edge that said don't test me.
"What do you want?" she asked, voice cold. "Did those shitty hands of yours tamper with something you can't handle again?"
Anderson raised a finger, ready to object—but let it drop. He slid his legs off the desk and stood up, smoothing his shirt.
"Well," he said, walking toward her, "that's one way to exchange pleasantries."
"Cut the crap, Anderson." She crossed her arms. "Get to the point."
"Well… that's odd for me, y'know. Most people call me Mr. Hall." He grinned, playful but bitter underneath. "Except for my wife, of course."
Her stare didn't waver. "I've call you that since before all this you have here happened, haven't I? Privileges don't die that easily where I come from."
Anderson hesitated mid-step, then reached toward her shoulder—a soft gesture.
"Touch me," she warned, eyes narrowing, "and I'll eliminate you before your targets."
His hand hung in the air awkwardly before he pulled it back. "Right. Noted."
He moved to his chair, gesturing toward the couch. She sat, posture casual but ready for anything violent.
Anderson leaned forward, fingers steepled. "We've discovered something," he said, his voice low.
Maxine tilted her head. "Let me guess—another cleanup?"
"This isn't like the others." He smirked, eyes gleaming. "We've found a new energy source. Multifunctional. High-output. Nearly limitless."
"Volatile?"
"Extremely."
Maxine clicked her tongue, lips tightening. "You idiots never learn, do you?"
"Hey, hey," Anderson raised his palms, "this isn't about mistakes. It's about opportunity."
"Okay. Go on," Maxine said, crossing her arms.
Anderson smiled, stepping around his desk. "Thanks to some good ol' inter-dimensional madness, the world's become… something else."
"You don't say." Her eyes narrowed.
"You know how glad I am that you didn't show up as—Max, maybe?"
Maxine's expression hardened. "The hell are you talking about? Why would I come in as Max?"
"You won't get it now," he waved her off, "but don't worry. I'll explain the rest later. For now—"
He tapped a button on his desk. "Bring it in, Dr. Mora."
As they waited, Anderson kept talking.
"This energy, Maxine, is way beyond nuclear. It's layered. It generates power, sure, but it can also produce electrostatic energy as a separate compartment." He chuckled darkly. "Can you imagine that? Electrostatic… as a fundamental quantity. The rules of physics are failing against this."
"And that's a good thing?" Maxine asked, skeptical.
"For me? Absolutely." His smile widened. "And get this—if you use it the right way, at the right frequency, it doesn't just generate power. It can consume and replace a nuclear payload. We're talking clean, invisible detonation. No fallout. Just… gone."
Before Maxine could respond, a knock came. The door opened.
Dr. Mora entered, lab coat crisp, carrying a transparent box. Inside was a pen-like object—sleek, metallic, with a button in the middle.
Mora placed it gently on Anderson's desk. "Tweaks are complete, sir."
"Perfect." Anderson opened the box, lifting the device like it was a relic. His eyes flickered with something close to awe.
Dr. Mora turned to leave.
Without warning, Anderson casually pointed the pen device at Mora's back and pressed the button.
A tiny blue beam shot out—silent, surgical.
Mora's body started disintegrating from the point of contact. His back caved in first, then the rest of him collapsed inward, like pixels being bedeleted.
In less than two seconds, he was gone.
Completely gone. No ash. No smoke. Just empty space where a man once stood.
Maxine's eyes went wide. "What the fuck did you just do?!"
She stood, walking to the empty spot where Mora had been. Her hands waved through the air, checking if this was some illusion.
"Relax, Maxine," Anderson said, nonchalant. "Come on in."
The door opened again.
A woman walked in.
Maxine blinked twice. It was Dr. Mora—but female. Same face structure, but now delicate. Same lab coat. Same eyes.
"Maxine," Anderson said smoothly, "meet Dr. Mora. The female version."
Maxine's jaw clenched. "Answer my goddamn question."
Anderson chuckled, swirling the pen device between his fingers. "I erased him."
"You erased—or turned him into her?"
"You didn't hear me wrong." His tone stayed playful but cold. "Erasure isn't about death, Maxine. It's about removal. It just wipes." he grinned,
Maxine's stomach turned, but she masked it well. She stepped closer, plucking the pen device from his hand. Her eyes scanned it, cautious but curious.
"What is this crazy shit even called?"
Anderson's eyes sparkled. He pressed a hidden button under his desk.
A panel in the side of the table slid open. A small cylindrical glass chamber rose slowly from the floor, containing purple lightning—frozen mid-bolt, humming silently in its container.
Maxine's gaze locked onto it.
"This," Anderson whispered, his voice reverent, "is the key to world domination."
He looked at her, eyes locked.
"This… is Rift Energy."
Maxine stared at the purple storm in the glass tube, eyes narrowing. Her mind raced.
And if what he just demonstrated was only a fragment of what this stuff could do?
It'll only be a matter of time before the world becomes a wasteland, when in the wrong hands.
Anderson leaned back in his chair, folding his hands like a king on a throne.
"So," he said, "you in for what I'm about to ask?"
Maxine kept her poker face sharp, but inside, her heart raced.
She didn't answer.
Not yet.