The room was vast, bathed in the eerie blue glow of several containment capsules. Inside, figures were suspended in a nutrient-rich fluid, appearing to be in a vegetative state. On their motionless bodies, faint, grayish flower tattoos were visible.
"Mr. Lewt, we've detected 'Polaris' energy fluctuations at the downtown asylum," a woman reported, her eyes glued to the monitors.
"What exactly happened?" The floor echoed with the rhythmic tap-thud of a cane.
A man with iron-gray hair entered, his gait uneven, betraying a lingering injury. His glasses caught the harsh glare of the machinery, obscuring his eyes behind a reflective sheen.
"Was it an invasion? Were the 'Berserkers of Tomorrow' involved?" the man asked, stopping behind her.
"Based on the energy readings and the state of the site, we can confirm as much." She touched an earpiece, listening intently. "Understood. Thank you." She turned to face him. "They've sighted a trio of teenagers in Berserker gear. It's highly likely they belong to the Valhalla institution."
Lewt slammed his cane against the floor. The sharp crack silenced the room, startling the technicians. He strode through the tense quiet until he reached a specific capsule housing a woman in suspended animation.
"Those idiots. They only know how to gamble with the lives of children under the guise of 'defending the planet,'" he growled, punctuating each sentence with a forceful strike of his cane. "Children should play, teenagers should study, and adults should maintain order." He peered at the girl in the tank. "How is this specimen from the 'Asclepius' project holding up?"
He glared at a scientist, his disdain palpable. Intimidated, the man fumbled with a stack of papers and extended them with a trembling hand.
"W-well, sir. The specimen hasn't shown any signs of awakening a 'Flower,' nor has she exhibited any stable vital signs for days. We are attempting to find a way to…"
"Enough. If she's useless, she's useless." He pointed his left hand at the capsule, and a lily—purple with crimson streaks—manifested on the back of his hand.
A tiny black dot appeared within the tank, imploding and sucking the woman into a void, shattering the reinforced glass in the process. Sirens began to wail, and red emergency lights bathed the room in a bloody hue. Lewt walked away, unfazed. At the door, he paused, glancing over his shoulder at another capsule—one containing a girl with snow-white hair. He sighed and stepped out.
With every step, his resentment simmered. It infuriated him that they sent "children" to war, especially knowing what those monsters were truly capable of. He tightened his grip on his cane.
"I won't let anyone else die because of those fools." He pulled a locket from his pocket containing the photo of a girl who looked just like the one he'd passed in the lab. "I promise. I won't let anyone go through that hell again."
I heard a pounding at my door. I barely had the energy to roll out of bed. I shoved my phone under my pillow and rubbed my face, groggily pulling on a nightgown that reached my knees before heading to the door.
"Who could that be at this hour? You better not be selling salvation," I muttered, swinging the door open. It was Luk and Tef.
"Exhibitionist," Luk remarked, looking me up and down.
Tef shoved me back into the room and slammed the door in Luk's face.
"Are you crazy? How can you just open the door wearing only a nightgown?!" She jabbed a finger into my chest. "Wait a second… you aren't even wearing a bra!" Tef, clearly incensed, began pinching my cheeks in frustration.
"You know I can hear you, right?" Luk called out from the hallway. "Anyway, hurry up and get to the classroom. Class is about to start." I heard his footsteps fade away.
Tef forced me to dress to her specifications. She made me wear something far too "girlish" for my taste: a skort, a white blouse, and low-heeled shoes.
"So… why am I wearing this? It's so uncomfortable." I tugged at the collar, feeling like I was suffocating.
"Are you joking? You're a pretty girl with a figure that catches every man's eye. You need to dress the part to get their attention, and maybe, just maybe, you'll finally get a boyfriend." She grabbed my hands and hoisted them up.
"Is that really necessary? I don't want a boyfriend, and these clothes are impossible to move in." I stripped off the blouse and skort.
"But you need one! Luk's already moved on; he's got a girlfriend," she sang out.
"I thought he already cleared that up. That woman was his cousin. Just grabbing a bite to eat doesn't make them a couple." I sighed, pulling on denim shorts and a loose t-shirt. I tied a sweater around my waist, pulled my hair into a ponytail, and slipped into my sneakers. "Much better."
"You're a disappointment, but I guess it's better than how you greeted us," she shrugged, crossing her arms. "Let's move, or we'll be late." She grabbed my wrist and dragged me out.
"Cousin!" a female voice screamed, capturing the attention of everyone in the hallway.
A girl with chestnut hair and green eyes tackled Luk from behind as he walked to class. He went down, feeling the girl scramble onto his back. She was clearly much younger than him.
"Sofia, what is your problem?" He stood up abruptly, dumping the small girl onto the floor.
"That hurts!" She'd landed on her back, knocking the wind out of her.
"Then stop jumping on my back." He stood and extended a hand, helping Sofia up. "And stop calling me cousin. I have no ties to that family." He ruffled her hair, messing it up.
"Stop blaming Uncle. He couldn't have foreseen it. Maria's death wasn't his fault." She began to fix her hair.
Luk sighed and kept walking. Sofia followed, chattering away to catch his attention, but the only responses she got were clipped, "Yes," "Sure," "I didn't know," or "No." It annoyed her, but she stayed by his side in silence.
"What do you want?" he asked, his irritation palpable.
"To spend time with my cousin." She beamed, genuinely happy he was speaking to her. "How many years has it been? Five? Six?"
"You're right. Ever since the incident, Director Kassandra rescued me and gave me a home and food." He kept his hands buried in his hoodie pockets, clearly uncomfortable discussing the past.
"But Uncle would have welcomed you back with open arms after everything," she said, darting in front of him and walking backward so she could keep her eyes on him.
"He wouldn't have," he said, his expression hardening.
"Wouldn't it be better if you just told him the truth?" Hands gripped his shoulders.
Luk recognized the voice instantly. He didn't turn around, but he gave Sofia a practiced, fake smile. "You know, that's not something you need to know. Maybe when you're a little taller, I'll tell you." He laughed, making a gesture with his fingers to imply she was tiny.
"Don't make fun of me!" She started pummelling his shoulder.
His fake smile softened into a genuine one. Even though talking to someone from his "family" brought back the pain of that moment, he knew Sofia wasn't to blame for anything. It would be unfair not to enjoy these small moments with her. The bell rang, and they parted ways.
Luk glanced over his shoulder, seeing that boy floating behind him again. He shot him a death glare, making it clear he'd heard everything. The phantom only laughed and vanished with a sarcastic smirk. Why does this stuff always happen to me?
"There he is!" a female voice cut through the crowd.
Tef and I were practically sprinting. The bell had caught us off guard. As we navigated the student rush, we spotted Luk.
"There he is!" I yelled.
He turned at the sound of my voice. In a heartbeat, we were on him. I grabbed his arm and dragged him toward the classroom, Tef grabbing the other.
"Hey! What do you think you're doing?!" He tried to shake us off, but Tef held firm.
"You're our scapegoat. Since you're the teacher's pet, we're going to use you to keep us from getting yelled at," Tef replied, laughing.
"You've got to be kidding me."
We both gave him mocking grins. We reached the room just in time; luckily, the professor wasn't there yet. We let go of Luk, who headed to his seat, while we took ours. I stretched out before sitting down—my fatal mistake.
"Ms. Druzhkova, you seem quite lively today. Would you mind not stretching and taking your seat?" It was Kassandra, the school director.
Her tone—seductive to men, but haughty to women—made my skin crawl. I sat down instantly and looked forward, noting her change in attire. She was wearing a dark blue formal suit with a black tie and heels. Each click of her steps drew every eye in the room. It was strange to see her like this, but it suited her. It contrasted sharply with her short silver hair, crimson lipstick, and emerald eyes.
"Good morning, class. Today, I'm going to steal a bit of your first period to talk to you about something that will interest more than a few of you. Listen closely."