Celia: Thank you, Mrs. Handock, for giving me so much of your precious time. With these notes, I don't see how I could miss out on the top grade.
Sophia: You're welcome, Princess. It was my pleasure. However, there's something that puzzles me about your story.
Celia: What is it, ma'am?
Sophia: Well, it's quite strange, but if your assignment is about war heroes, I think you already had two heroes at hand—your father and your mother. So I don't understand why you chose my husband, or rather, Nal's father.
(Celia began to blush and felt unmasked. But she dared to answer anyway:)
Celia: I don't see what you mean, ma'am. If… if I made that choice, it's simply because I thought studying your late husband's story would help me get a better grade.
Sophia: Young princess, why do I feel that you're lying to yourself? I can easily read in your eyes.
Celia: What do you mean by that, ma'am? I can't quite grasp what you're saying.
Sophia: We'll see.
Celia also rose from the table, bowed politely to Sophia, and took her leave in a way that suggested she was fleeing. As she turned, she bit her lower lip as if afraid. She probably feared that Mrs. Handock, by some kind of innate Handock intuition, had discovered her real reasons for coming. She clutched the notes against her chest and hurried out of the restaurant. She quickened her pace as if fleeing someone, then got into the car parked in front of the restaurant. Sophia watched the young woman disappear into the car, appearing only as a silhouette. She could only smile charmingly in response. Then she returned to her kitchen to do what she does best: feed the Murnians' appetites with delicious dishes only she knows how to prepare.
...
Meanwhile, Hans stepped into the elevator that took him to the second and final floor. When he got out, he carefully adjusted his glasses and walked down a corridor painted in neutral tones, the only sound the soft click of his footsteps on the spotless floor. Before him stood a single door, topped by a clock displaying 6:02 PM. Without waiting, he knocked twice, then pushed the door open with a confident motion.
The interior of the room greeted him with studied simplicity: the light walls were lined with long bookshelves filled with leather-bound volumes, while in the center, chairs were arranged in a circle, leaving space for movement. To the right, a large polished wood desk groaned under a pile of files and parchments, evidence of constant activity. Order reigned, however: every document seemed in its place. Behind the desk, backlit by the golden light of sunset, stood an imposing figure.
Hans advanced, his determined steps breaking the silence. When he came within earshot, he addressed the man, who turned slowly.
Hans: I was told you were looking for me, Seth.
Under the lamp's glow, Seth's face appeared: an older man, his features drawn by time, but his upright posture still conveying intact authority. His deep wrinkles spoke of the hardships and wisdom earned over the years. Arms folded behind his back, he moved toward his chair but did not sit. With the tips of his fingers, he brushed the back of the seat and replied in a measured voice:
Seth: Yes, Hans, I want you to keep me informed on the progress of the recruitment operations and the activation of the recruits.
Hans nodded, his calculating gaze sweeping the cluttered desk.
Hans: Everything is proceeding as planned. I handled the girl last week. And two hours ago, I left the boy in the Awakening Room.
Seth nodded, scrutinizing Hans closely.
Seth: Very well. Has young Handock caused any other issues, as he did yesterday?
Lost in thought, Hans answered while mentally reviewing recent events.
Hans: Not really. I wouldn't say he's causing trouble, but I think he's a child who's always on guard. In his place, I would have acted the same way.
Seth folded his arms under his robe, his hard gaze softening slightly.
Seth: We understand his wariness. But time is running out. What worries me most is that he hasn't fully awakened his spiritual energy in time.
Hans offered a confident half-smile.
Hans: For an ordinary child, I would be concerned. But for him, I have a good feeling. In fact, I had a meal sent up to the room an hour ago, and I was told he didn't even notice the delivery. If he can ignore the world in less than an hour, that's already an extraordinary feat. All he needs now is to reach spiritual fusion.
Seth let out an admiring sigh.
Seth: Hmm… this child shows promise. Let's hope all the Handocks are made of the same mold.
Hans moved to inspect a particular file on the desk.
Hans: And what about that other boy, the one you recruited personally?
Seth shifted slightly to face Hans.
Seth: The last of the Brooks family? He's proven himself. In six months, he awakened his spiritual energy. Now he's finishing his combat training. He reminds me a lot of someone, you know…
Hans took a deep breath, his mind already turned toward the future.
Hans: If all goes well, I'll finish combat sessions with the girl by tomorrow morning. And if Handock completes his internal energy awakening, he'll join the training as well. With his Gift, teaching him to fight would be a waste of time—he already anticipates every move.
Seth fixed his gaze on Hans, his expression grave.
Seth: Let us pray everything is ready on time. The sky darkens day by day. The horizon of the Last Coming draws near; we must be prepared…
He stared at Hans for a moment, then continued in a whisper heavy with meaning.
...
Hans left his office shortly after 10:00 PM. The corridor on the first floor echoed with the faint hiss of the elevator at regular intervals. Hans stepped quietly into the elevator and descended to the third basement level. He opened the door and entered the same room he had left earlier.
Inside, a bluish glow filtered through thin ethereal wisps rising from Nal's body, still seated in meditation on the mat. Vapors floated around him, forming delicate patterns in the unmoving air. Hans watched the silent figure, noting the two meal trays placed near the young man—one for the afternoon and another hot meal intended for dinner. Yet the teenager had not touched the food.
Hans: You're going to get…
Hans was about to urge him to eat when Nal, still with eyes closed, finished his sentence for him:
Nal: …in trouble if you carry on. You know very well that training is important, but eating is just as important.
Hans, surprised, raised his eyebrows.
Hans: How… how did you know I was going to say exactly that?
Nal did not move, his eyelids still tightly closed.
Nal: I guess I'm a seer. I can read you like an open book from the moment you walked in. I even know what you do without opening my eyes.
Hans offered a half-smile and adjusted his glasses with a familiar gesture.
Hans: For that, anyone paying attention to your slightest movements could draw the same conclusion.
Nal finally opened his eyes and calmly looked at Hans.
Nal: I admit it's a simple tic, but you have to watch carefully to notice it. As for me, I've just discovered a talent that's uniquely mine.
Hans straightened, visibly impressed.
Hans: The Handocks never cease to amaze me. If something that would normally take months—or at best weeks—you managed in just a few hours, then eat those noodles before they get cold. Tomorrow, I'll introduce you to someone who will be… special.
Nal: As if I didn't already know that Lysha is training here, just like me. I also know that tomorrow will be all about physical exercises. Until now, I hadn't grasped the scale of what I'm facing, but now I know exactly what I've signed up for. And knowing the future is terribly… exciting.
Hans's voice caught for a moment.
Hans: As if… Hmm. If you say so. Well, I'll leave you.
Nal: Wait! Besides the fact that your presence overwhelms me whenever you're near—and I'm certain that's a Gift—every other veil has fallen.
Hans adjusted his glasses, a tight smile forming on his lips along with a faint, muffled laugh. He gazed at Nal for a few seconds, his eyes shining with admiration, then turned and left the room as quietly as he had entered.
...
Hans returned to wake Nal for the morning training. As soon as Nal put on his gear, they descended to the fourth and final basement level.
The elevator doors opened onto a vast space painted entirely white, as far as the eye could see. Unlike the previous level, this room was completely empty—no furniture, no equipment, nothing but the monochrome floor, walls, and ceiling.
Nal stepped into this vast training hall, his gaze already tense.
Nal: Don't even think about it, Lysha.
Hans, seeing no one, frowned.
Hans: How do you know Lysha is here? I don't see her.
Nal remained still, his eyes blank, staring at a distant point. Hans too stopped, realizing the magnitude of the change. In the dim corridors, he had not perceived the boy's radical transformation: only yesterday shy and reserved, almost invisible, he now stood erect, his face void of emotion, bathed in a chilling aura.
Lysha, hidden behind the door, had watched in silence. Now that she saw him like this, fear washed over her. The adolescent she knew was gone—his innocence replaced by an astonishing stoicism.
Nal took a few slow steps toward the center of the room, his gaze fixed on the endless white horizon.
Hans closed the door behind them and noticed the elevator beginning another descent. Intrigued, he asked:
Hans: You've figured it all out?
Nal stopped, took a deep breath, and sat cross-legged, closing his eyes.
When the elevator doors opened, Seth emerged accompanied by a younger figure—someone around Lysha and Nal's age. Hans, serious, watched the moment where past, present, and future converged, ready to shape the destiny of this expanding world.