The office of The Great Labs was unlike any place I had ever stepped into. By the year 2037, it no longer resembled an ordinary workspace but rather a sanctum of glass, steel, and light. The walls pulsed with shifting holographic displays..streams of data and translucent charts floating in the air. Yet they were arranged so precisely that the entire room felt less like a laboratory and more like a cathedral of knowledge.
A wide window stretched across the far wall, revealing the futuristic city below. Silver towers gleamed against a sky etched with neon streaks from hovercrafts gliding through the night.
At the center stood a mahogany desk, old wood preserved in the heart of the future. Its surface shone like a mirror, and upon it rested a chessboard. The pieces, carved from crystal and obsidian, caught the soft glow of the shifting holograms above, glimmering faintly as though they themselves were alive.
Lucian Stark sat behind that desk, tall, sharp, and impossibly composed. His suit was black, lined with subtle golden pinstripes that echoed the brilliance of his golden-blonde hair. His features were as chiseled as stone, his blue eyes locked on the chessboard with a stillness that made it seem as if he wasn't simply moving pieces but calculating destinies.
I stood across from him, crimson hair tied in a high ponytail, glasses framing my eyes. Even in my uniform, I carried myself with the same sharpness I always had. I had never feared him, even though he was the kind of man who could bend entire institutions with a whisper.
The silence stretched until Lucian finally broke it. His voice was smooth, calm, yet weighted.
"You remind me of the queen," he said, moving an obsidian piece forward. "Strongest on the field. Elegant. Limitless. Yet underestimated until it is too late."
I folded my arms, my lips curving faintly in defiance. "Queens may rule the board, Stark. But even queens can be sacrificed if the king commands it."
His smirk was subtle, but I saw it. He leaned back, his fingers tapping the desk as holographic light shifted into golden ripples across the room. "And that," he said, "is why you fascinate me. You know your worth. But you also know the cost of playing the game."
I narrowed my eyes. "But you didn't summon me here just to play games with words and pieces, did you?"
He moved another piece without looking at me. "Of course not. I wanted to ask about that student I assigned you two years ago. How is he doing?"
I tilted my head slightly, pretending not to know who he meant. "Which one? The boy with strings or..."
"The fast one. The white-haired boy. You know exactly who I mean. Do not divert my question."
I let out a soft sigh. "Forgive me. I was only trying to start a conversation."
He chuckled, low and dismissive, before moving a pawn. "It is fine, Joyce. I am not angry. But you should learn not to stray too far from the point. Now, tell me about both of them."
I hesitated, then spoke truthfully. "I have not spoken with Johnny since my ex-boyfriend's funeral two years ago. He avoids me whenever I try to reach him. His sister and Mark, however, train seriously. I cannot say the same for him. He acts strange… like he has something broken inside. He pretends, but it feels fake. Cringe, even."
Lucian shifted his queen across the board, sweeping away a line of pawns as though erasing obstacles. "But you did visit Johnny's home last weekend, did you not?"
My brows rose. "Yes… but how did you know that?"
He smiled faintly. "It was an easy prediction. Reasonable, considering your tendency to check on people. But understand this...while you were carrying out announcements, I am refining a greater plan. The elite gold will be training outside the city. The weaker ones will not matter."
I frowned. "But what about the bronze and normal ranks, those still stuck in Class F? People like Johnson. Their abilities may be strong but unrecognized. They deserve training too."
Lucian paused, looking at me with surprise. "I thought John was already Class A?"
I shook my head. "Not really. He is still the lowest class. After he won that school competition, I simply had him work for me. He is not officially in Rank A."
His eyes narrowed. "So, in summary, you are still not registering him. Even though the system promoted him. Why?"
I met his gaze evenly. "Because he is not ready. His power is unstable. His energy signature is unlike anything we have ever documented. Yes, he has potential. But potential is not enough. He lacks control, consistency, recognition. Until those are proven, I will not throw him into Rank A responsibilities."
Lucian walked slowly around the desk, his presence towering. "So you are hiding him."
"I am protecting him," I said firmly. "And protecting others from him too. His ability is tied directly to his will. If his will breaks, he breaks. You know exactly what that means."
The holograms dimmed, leaving the office bathed only in the glow of the city outside. I stood by the window, watching my reflection flicker faintly against the glass.
Lucian's voice softened. "He is slipping, Joyce."
"I know."
"No, you don't. This isn't about energy signatures. This is about him. Johnson. The boy who stood toe-to-toe with Evolve two years ago… that boy is gone. His will was once unshakable. Now he barely survives training. His heart is not in it anymore. And when his will fades, his power fades."
I closed my eyes. "He is grieving. Carrying trauma. Do you expect me to fix that overnight?"
Lucian's words pressed heavier than the air around me. "I want you to save him. You have always understood him better than anyone. You don't treat him like a weapon or a project. You talk to him like a person."
I clenched my jaw, saying nothing.
He stepped closer. "I am not asking you to just train him physically. I am asking you to rebuild him...emotionally, mentally. Remind him that he matters."
For a long moment, I said nothing. Then at last, I folded my arms. "Alright. I will do it. I will break him down and rebuild him from scratch."
Lucian studied me, then nodded. "Do it. Push him in everything. Combat, energy control, tactics, even social grounding. And most of all… get close to him. He has lost his will. If you do not help him find it, he may break beyond repair."
I hesitated. "…I will try. But why do you care so much about Johnson, and not Rose?"
Lucian's smirk returned, his voice low, almost sinister. "Let us just say his existence is… profitable to me. And I want to help him. That is all you need to know."
He leaned close, his whisper grazing my ear. "Unless you want to tell me you don't want to help your friend?"
Then he walked away, coat draped casually over his arm. "Cure his depression. Bring him back. He is not just a guardian. He is the key to all of this."
As the door shut behind him, I remained by the glass, Johnson's holographic data flickering beside me. But for once, I wasn't looking at numbers or stats. I was seeing the boy behind them. And for the first time in a long while, I felt the weight of what was truly at stake.