The academy's hidden lab wing felt like a forgotten corner of a bad dream, dust motes floating in the dim glow of flickering screens. Alex leaned against a workbench, the necklace from the Siren dangling from his fingers, its data chip cold and unyielding. Zoltan's old notes scattered around him—yellowed papers with scribbles that hinted at more than experiments, more like regrets. He'd snuck here after the gala, needing space from the dorm's buzz, from Mia's quiet glances and Lila's hand in his that still tingled like a promise he wasn't sure he could keep.
Mia's words from the van echoed: that hurt look when her drone took the hit, the way she'd leaned on him during the ride back, her head on his shoulder for a beat too long. "We're good, right?" she'd asked, voice barely above the engine hum. He'd nodded, but the air had thickened, her closeness stirring something familiar, safe—like the friend who'd always seen him, even before he could flip over lasers.
Then Lila, pulling him aside in the hall, her kiss quick but fierce, like sealing a deal. "Don't overthink it," she'd whispered, her breath warm on his ear. "We're in this." Her confidence pulled him like gravity, but Mia's shadow lingered, a quiet ache he couldn't name.
The system's prompt popped up, breaking the quiet like an unwanted guest:
SYSTEM PROMPT: Mission Unlocked! Objective: Rig Zoltan's old lab for a "haunted" trap on the Phantom's base intel. Reward: Unlock 'Illusion Crafting.' Failure: 'Ghost Story Telling.' Tip: Use the notes—turn fears into weapons, Brainiac.
Ghost stories? The system's quirks were starting to feel like taunts. The Phantom—Vortex's illusionist henchman, holed up in an old manor rigged with holograms and mind tricks—loomed as the next target. The squad's plan: infiltrate at dusk, shatter his tech before he could warp reality into nightmares. But rigging Zoltan's lab? That meant turning his "crazy" inventions into bait, and the thought twisted Alex's gut—Zoltan had given him the implant, for better or worse.
He pocketed the necklace, its data a map to the manor's weak spots, and slipped out, the lab door clicking shut behind him like a secret kept.
Manor Mayhem: Illusions and Insights
Dusk painted the manor in bruised purples, its crumbling towers like fingers scratching the sky. The squad crept through overgrown gardens, thorns snagging suits from the gala they'd repurposed—Jax complaining about "fancy pants in the weeds," Mia's gadgets humming softly in her bag. Lila scouted ahead, her steps silent, while Alex's implant mapped illusions—holo-ghosts flickering in the mist, designed to spook intruders.
The Phantom's base was a funhouse of fears—rooms that shifted, whispers that echoed personal doubts. As they breached the foyer, a hologram lunged, a spectral figure moaning Alex's name. "Failure," it hissed, sounding like his dad's disappointed sigh. Alex froze, heart slamming, but Mia's hand on his back steadied him. "It's fake," she said, her touch lingering, eyes meeting his with that warmth that made everything sharper.
"Thanks," he murmured, and she smiled, but Lila's glance from across the room carried a question, her rifle raised as she shot out a projector. The ghost shattered in sparks, and Jax whooped, smashing another with a chair. "Take that, spooky!"
Deeper in, the illusions hit harder—a room where mirrors reflected twisted versions: Alex as a bumbling kid, Mia's gadgets exploding in her face, Lila missing shots. Mia clutched her arm, whispering, "This place knows too much." Alex's implant countered with Illusion Crafting, letting him rig Zoltan's notes into a counter-holo—a goofy cartoon version of the Phantom dancing the cha-cha, drawing laughs that broke the spell.
But the system pushed: rig the trap. He slipped a device into a wall panel, turning the manor's illusions against its master—ghosts now chasing the Phantom's guards. Comedy ensued: One goon fled screaming from a "haunted" toilet, plunging into a bush outside.
The Phantom cornered them in the main hall, his cloak swirling with projected nightmares. "You can't escape your fears!" he cackled, unleashing a wave of shadows. Jax charged, but tripped into a holo-pit, yelling as he "fell" endlessly. Mia's drone dove, jamming his projector, but it sparked, singeing her hand. Alex lunged, tackling the Phantom, the system's reward buzzing in—Illusion Crafting fully unlocked.
In the scramble, Mia pulled Alex up, her face close, concern mixing with something deeper. "You okay?" she asked, her hand on his cheek.
Lila cleared her throat, rifle trained on the subdued Phantom. "We're all good. Let's grab his rig and bounce."
The ride back was quiet, the manor's data secure—a lead to the Diver's underwater lair. But in the van, Mia sat across from Alex and Lila, her smile tight. Jax cracked jokes, but the air hummed with unspoken words. Alex caught Mia's eye, the triangle pulling taut, and wondered how long before it snapped.
The Diver waited, but so did the talk he couldn't avoid. The night air rushed past, carrying questions he wasn't ready to answer.