The Evergrace estate's main gate slid open without a sound. Ren adjusted his tie—a deceptively simple strip of smart-fabric that could harden into a garrote wire with a thought—as the autonomous limousine glided toward Blackthorn Academy.
"Remember," Yui said, smoothing her pleated skirt, "we're here to observe. Not to buy anything."
Ren smirked. "You say that like we haven't already acquired the school."
Yui's lips curved in that dangerous way Ren knew too well. "Acquired, yes. Owned publicly? No. There's a difference."
Section 1: The Arrival
Blackthorn Academy's wrought-iron gates looked quaint compared to the plasma-barrier doors at home. A nervous administrator approached as their car dissolved its armored plates back into decorative wristwear.
"Mr. and Ms. Evergrace," the man stammered, tablet trembling in his hands. "Your, ah, special accommodations have been—"
Yui smiled, the one that made adults uneasy. "We require no special treatment."
Ren's retinal display tagged every security camera, every biometric scanner, every hidden weapon in the vicinity. The school thought it was cutting-edge. To them, it was a museum.
Section 2: Economics Class
Professor Langley wiped his brow as the twins took their seats. The smartboard flickered when Ren glanced at it.
"Today we'll discuss market stabilization," Langley began.
Yui raised a hand. "Professor, what's the economic impact when a company controls 94% of quantum computing patents?"
Langley's glasses glitched. "That's... hypothetical."
Ren leaned forward. "Is it?"
The classroom's holographic projector malfunctioned, displaying real-time Evergrace Holdings data streams. Gasps rippled through the room as students saw numbers with more zeroes than most national GDPs.
Yui sighed. "Ren."
He tapped his temple and the display vanished. "Apologies. Technical error."
Section 3: The Cafeteria
Lina Vogt nearly dropped her tray when Yui appeared beside her.
"May we join you?" Yui asked, her voice calibrated to put mammals at ease.
Ren watched as his sister's pheromone glands subtly adjusted—vanilla and lavender, the scent combination research showed increased trust by 62%.
"You're... them," Lina managed.
Ren speared a limp salad leaf. "Unfortunately."
Yui's laugh was perfectly timed. "We're just students today. Tell me, Lina, what interests you about biochemistry?"
As Lina spoke, Ren's ocular implants analyzed her microexpressions. Honest curiosity. No deception. Yet.
His neural lace pinged.
SUBJECT: VOGT, LINA
FATHER: DR. KARL VOGT (BIOCHEMISTRY DEPT)
RECENT ACTIVITY: 47 ATTEMPTS TO ACCESS RESTRICTED EVERGRACE FILES
Yui's fingernail tapped once against her water glass—Morse code through vibrational sensors only Ren could detect.
I know. I'll handle it.
Section 4: The Lab Incident
Dr. Vogt's hands shook as he distributed petri dishes. "Today we examine rapid cellular regeneration."
Ren's breath caught. The samples were unmistakable—Evergrace proprietary strain E-217, the same self-replicating biotech in their own blood.
Yui's smile never wavered as she lifted the dish. "Fascinating work, Doctor. Where did you source these?"
Vogt adjusted his glasses. "Standard educational samples."
A lie. Ren's auditory implants detected the 8.3% pitch increase in his voice.
Yui's pinky finger brushed the dish. Microscopic nanites swarmed from her cuticle, dissolving the sample in seconds.
"Pity," she murmured. "It seems unstable."
Section 5: The Offer
After class, Yui cornered Lina near the lockers.
"Your father's research is impressive," Yui said, handing back a dropped pen. "But dangerous."
Lina stiffened. "What do you mean?"
Ren leaned against the wall, watching his sister work.
Yui's voice dropped to a whisper. "Those samples could kill someone without proper containment. If he needs funding... we have resources."
Lina's pupils dilated exactly 0.4mm—the telltale sign of concealed knowledge. "I'll tell him."
As she walked away, Ren's ocular implants tracked her elevated heart rate.
"You're recruiting her," he observed.
Yui examined her flawless nails. "Everyone has a price. Hers is her father's safety."
Section 6: Homecoming
The limousine reformed its armor as they left school grounds.
"Find anything interesting?" Ren asked.
Yui's fingers danced across a holographic display. "The chemistry teacher is selling secrets to BioDyne. The headmaster embezzles tuition funds." She smirked. "And Lina? She's smarter than she looks."
Ren watched the school shrink in the rearview display. "You like her."
"Like is a strong word." Yui closed the display. "But she amuses me. For now."
The car accelerated toward the estate, where the real work waited.
[TO BE CONTINUED]