Leor's eyes fluttered open, his vision still blurry. He rubbed his hands over his face, trying to clear the haze. The room was small but functional: a dark brown study desk stood in front of his bed, and to the left, a few feet away, a 50-inch TV hung on the wall. The bed itself was wooden—modest in size, neither large nor small—dressed in white sheets with a matching pillow.
He took in the rest of the space. The walls were a dull gray, contrasting with the white ceiling, while the floor resembled polished quartz—smooth, white, and speckled with tiny black dots. Two doors broke the monotony: one heavy metal door embedded in the front wall, and another, made of aluminum, to its right. Testing the metal door first, he found it locked. The second led to a cramped bathroom—a toilet with a bidet, a shower, and a white sink facing a mirror. The flooring here was sleek, gray stone, and the darker walls looked almost elegant under the warm yellow lighting.
Leor turned on the tap, splashing water on his face. Each cold shock replayed the memories: Warp, the man who commanded people and storms. How could he fight someone like that? And worse—Dave was still trapped somewhere, his fate unknown. Leor shut off the water and stared into the mirror. Droplets slid down his reflection—the same dark hair, blue eyes, pale skin—but then his gaze caught on something strange: a collar on his neck. Just as he leaned closer, the metallic door creaked open, snapping his attention away.
"Look who finally woke up," the woman said, watching Leor step out of the bathroom.
She was Asian, with flawless skin and her hair tied up neatly. Dressed in a plain purple shirt under a lab coat, grey pants, and white sneakers, she was so short she could've passed for a teenage girl. Most would've blushed at her delicate beauty—but Leor looked like he'd seen a ghost.
"Come on, Leor. Is that how you greet your mentor after all these years?" Dr. Sarah Cheng smiled warmly.
"How…?" Leor gasped.
Sarah Cheng—scientist at the Kane Complex, one of its brightest minds, and the woman who had taught Leor, Lucas, and Lyra.
"You should see the look on your face," she laughed. "Well, I can't blame you. That aside, how have you been? Frankly, after the havoc you caused two days ago, I thought they'd have killed you. Not that I'd have let them."
"Wait… I was out for two days?" Leor pointed at himself.
"Well," she held up five fingers, "if you include the time before the incident, it'd be five days total."
"Let's not focus on this," Sarah said, waving a hand dismissively.
Leor stared at her, then began recounting everything—the three years after the Kane Complex incident, Harrow Point, his first encounter with Han Ho-jo, Dave's capture. Sarah listened intently, absorbing every word.
"So that's what happened," she sighed. "That idiot Han Ho—shit. I told them he was unfit in the head. Dude always talks like he's some kind of god. When he gets out of the hospital, I'll beat the shit out of him myself." She flexed her arm, showcasing her barely visible bicep.
"Wait—Han's in the hospital?" Leor's voice sharpened.
"Well, yeah. After the beating you gave him, what'd you expect?"
Leor gritted his teeth. "So he didn't die." His fists clenched, mind racing with violent possibilities—Maybe I should hunt him down myself. But then he remembered Warp, and the killing intent drained away.
"Sarah… that guy Warp. Does he have a weakness?" His tone was lethal.
Sarah studied him, then exhaled. "Leor, let me tell you something. There are things in this world humans can reach for—and things that seem reachable but aren't. Then there's Warp. A being who makes the impossible possible and the possible impossible—just with his voice. Creatures like that? They're meant to be worshipped, not fought. Because the outcome's always the same."
"Then what? Wait for him to kill Dave? Pray for forgiveness?" Leor snapped.
"Maybe."
"Sarah—"
"Look, I get it. You want to save Dave McCullough. But fighting won't do it. Warp's one thing, but he's got Vanguard—a team of superhumans with god-like power. One of them could topple a country in hours. And you? You couldn't even beat Han Ho-jo." She leaned in. "Keep your head down. Play their game. Climb the ladder. Maybe then you can cut a deal for Dave."
Leor stared at the quartz floor, silence thickening between them.
A beep from Sarah's phone shattered the tension. "Gotta go. Someone'll give you a facility tour later." She stood, patting his head. "Rest? Guess you've had plenty. So… think about what I said."
Then she was gone, leaving Leor alone with his fury and the ghosts of impossible choices.
"Dr. Cheng, how's the kid?" Warp's voice slithered through the hallway as Sarah exited the room.
"You already know," she said without turning. "Since you were listening."
A low laugh rumbled behind her. "Indeed. Though I must say, I never realized you saw me as a god." His tone was pleasant, yet it carried an edge like a scalpel pressed to skin.
Sarah didn't flinch. "Doesn't matter. What do you actually want?"
"His ability," Warp said, all levity gone. "Tell me what your reports say."
With a sigh, Sarah pulled out her phone and scrolled through the data. "Like I expected—Leor's energy signature matches the Orb's. His cells are pure energy, like microscopic galaxies. When we exposed his blood to electricity, each cell absorbed and transferred the charge, amplifying even a tiny voltage into a kinetic surge." She snapped her phone shut. "It's self-sustaining power."
Warp's silence was heavier than a threat. "...Just like her."
"Her?" Sarah feigned ignorance, then smirked. "Oh, you mean the leader of your so-called 'elite' Vanguard team."
"Keep me updated on the boy's progress," Warp said, already walking away.
"Well, fuck you too," Sarah muttered, flipping him off as his figure dissolved into shadow.
Leor finally let Sarah's words sink in. He sighed, dragging himself off the bed—then froze.
"Oh shit, I should've asked her about this damn collar."
His fingers brushed the titanium band around his neck—thin enough to go unnoticed, yet unyielding when he tried to pry it loose. What the hell? Titanium was strong, but something this small should've snapped like a twig under his strength. Yet it clung like a second skin.
Beep.
The metal door slid open, pulling his attention to the newcomer.
"Hi! Name's Kevin!"
The guy was all energy—dark skin, curly hair, emerald eyes, and a build that screamed soldier beneath his sleek silver armor. He strode forward, grinning. "Man, it's an honor. Everyone's talking about how you sent Han to the hospital. Never thought I'd see the day!"
Before Leor could react, Kevin grabbed his hand and shook it vigorously.
"What the fuck?" Leor blinked.
"Oh, right!" Kevin snapped to attention like a cadet. "Dr. Cheng assigned me to tour you around the facility. Also—" He tossed a bundle of clothes at Leor. "She said you might need these."
Then it hit him.
Leor looked down. Naked. Entirely fucking naked. And Sarah had said nothing.
"I'll kill her," he muttered.
"Sir?" Kevin tilted his head.
Leor ignored him, fists trembling. "I. Will. Have. My. REVENGE!"
Kevin stared. "...Uh. Clothes first, though?"
Leor yanked on the clothes Kevin had brought, face burning. Behind him, Kevin dutifully faced the wall.
"Sir, I still don't get why you were so upset earlier," Kevin said, voice cheerful.
"Kevin… how old are you?" Leor asked, dignity in tatters.
"Eighteen, sir!"
"Ah. Same." Leor's voice was hollow. "Kevin, I was naked in front of a woman. Talked to her for forty-five minutes without realizing it."
"Ohhh!" Kevin spun around, nodding sagely. "But sir, you shouldn't be ashamed! That size of yours is quite impressive—"
"So we're discussing my junk now?" Leor stared at him, horrified.
"Just trying to cheer you up!" Kevin beamed.
"That's… something I'd rather hear from a woman, Kevin."
"Don't worry! I can call my female friend over, and you can show her—"
Leor's hand landed on Kevin's shoulder, his expression a mix of pity and existential despair. "Let's never speak of my junk again, buddy."
"Sir, why are you looking at me like that?" Kevin blinked.
Leor didn't answer. A single tear slid down his cheek as he smiled. How does one achieve such shameless confidence? he wondered, stepping into the hallway like a man marching to his doom.