"You didn’t have to come all the way here, Amanda," Melissa groaned as they walked side by side along the pedestrian path.
"How could I not?" Amanda sighed, shaking her head. "My dear little sister ran away from home and doesn’t even have a bus card."
Melissa had always been like this. She was a genius when it came to academics and engineering, but the moment it involved things most people considered trivial, she became hopelessly clueless.
"I just remember the important things," Melissa muttered with a frown.
She had a feeling Amanda was laughing at her on the inside.
They stopped at a family restaurant, where Amanda ordered a full meal after seeing how hungry Melissa was.
Once they were seated across from each other, Amanda asked,
"Tell me, Milli. If I bought you a house and gave you enough money to live comfortably, what would you do?"
"I’d hibernate," Melissa answered without the slightest hint of humor. "I’d get a beanbag, lock myself in my room, and never come out."
Amanda nearly facepalmed.
"You can’t do that. You need to be more mature now, Milli. Leaving home was a huge decision."
Melissa let out a long groan.
"So you want me to get a job now? But what can I even do?"
Amanda fell silent for a moment before an idea came to her.
"How about I introduce you to someone who shares your passion?"
"My passion?"
"Making weapons."
Melissa lowered her gaze.
"But I don’t have the blessing anymore."
"But you still have the talent to forge world-class weapons with your own hands. That’s why you received the blessing in the first place."
Melissa slowly looked up.
"Do you really believe I can do it?"
Amanda smiled warmly.
"I know you can. You just need to believe in yourself."
Right now, Melissa needed nothing more than a distraction.
She needed time away from her father.
Perhaps this was exactly what she needed.
"Here’s your order."
A cheerful voice interrupted their conversation as a waitress arrived carrying a tray.
Amanda looked up with a smile, ready to take it.
Then her expression froze.
Those fiery red eyes...
"Ava?!"
.....
"Why did you guys arrive so late?" Kyle asked as the headmaster led him deeper into the watch tower.
The elevator doors slid open, and the duo stepped inside. Christopher let out a slow breath before answering. "Whatever you were fighting created an energy dome around you and them. We could see everything, but we couldn’t interfere." Then, under his breath, he muttered through gritted teeth, "This has never happened before."
His frustration was understandable. Two ambushers had infiltrated the academy, unleashed absolute chaos, and yet not a single security measure had been triggered. Worse still, no one had been able to step in.
For those few minutes, it was as though the academy’s fate had slipped into someone else’s hands.
"Wait... so you all watched the entire battle?" Kyle asked, unable to hide his disbelief.
How was that possible?
God’s Eye had remained active the entire time. He should have noticed them.
Unless whatever had trapped them inside that dome had deceived even God’s Eye.
[Host, this is the result of your training with God’s Eye. You were able to focus entirely on the beings you were fighting. Without that level of concentration, facing two Godly Vessels would have been impossible.]
Kyle gave a wry smile.
’Well... King’s Dominion deserves most of the credit.’
It seemed he would have to reevaluate that skill.
"For now, come inside," Christopher said. He stepped toward the reinforced door, scanned his identity, then entered a string of digits into an old-generation keypad.
Kyle remained silent and followed him into the office.
’Woah... Headmaster, isn’t this place a little overkill?’
The thought slipped through his mind as God’s Eye revealed far more than an ordinary glance ever could.
More than thirty hidden traps.
Each one was lethal enough to impale and kill anyone reckless enough to trespass.
His gaze swept across the spacious office. The room was enormous, easily large enough to fit two shipping containers with space to spare.
The wall to Kyle’s left was lined with towering bookshelves that stretched all the way to the ceiling. Between the countless rows of books, God’s Eye revealed at least a dozen concealed traps, most designed to fire poisoned darts or something equally lethal.
The opposite side displayed trophies, potted plants, antiques, and various decorative pieces behind glass showcases. Even there, appearances were deceiving. Several ornaments were nothing more than disguised explosives, packed with what looked like gunpowder and fitted with hidden triggers.
’Just like those old action movies.’
Shaking the thought away, Kyle heard Christopher’s voice.
"Take a seat, Kyle."
Kyle settled into the chair while Christopher remained standing, his back turned as he gazed through the wide window overlooking the academy grounds.
"I planned to have this conversation with you at a later date," Christopher began quietly. "But after tonight, I believe this is the only chance you’ll have to make a choice."
"A choice?" Kyle asked, his brows knitting together.
Christopher finally turned to face him.
"I know you don’t want to work for the government, Kyle. At this point, your involvement in the upcoming mission is inevitable. But this won’t be the last time they’ll come asking for your help."
Kyle leaned back in his chair.
"Please speak clearly, Headmaster."
He could already sense where the conversation was headed. Christopher wasn’t merely explaining the situation. He was steering him toward a solution, one that undoubtedly came with a price.
"I can free you from the burden of being summoned whenever the government needs your help." Christopher’s voice remained calm. "Instead of sending you, they would have something just as valuable. Someone with the same abilities as you, yet not you."
Kyle’s suspicion deepened.
Christopher continued, "I’ve developed a creation capable of replacing humans on the battlefield. Rather than sacrificing lives, we can send something far easier to lose."
He paused before adding,
"A clone, if you will."
Kyle’s eyes widened as a memory flashed through his mind.
"Wait... the dummies I saw at the hospital that day..." He looked up sharply. "Those were your creations?"
Christopher nodded.
"I was in central Montclair for that very purpose."
Kyle lowered his gaze, his brows still tightly furrowed.
"But Veronica told me never to mention them." His voice grew quieter as the realization settled in. "That means... she’s involved too?"
Christopher nodded.
"Perhaps knowing Veronica is involved will help you understand how important this project is for humanity’s future." He held Kyle’s gaze. "So, what do you say? Will you become a part of the program? I can assure you that no innocent lives will be sacrificed because of it. The only casualties will be the rift’s inhabitants. This is simply another step toward a safer future."
There wasn’t the slightest hint of hesitation in Christopher’s voice.
He truly believed this was the answer.
A clone capable of replacing a Nightwalker on the battlefield.
Unlike humans, they could be mass-produced, deployed without fear of casualties, and sent into the deadliest battles without hesitation. An army that neither felt pain nor feared death.
It was an undeniably tempting proposal.
Even more so knowing Veronica supported it.
Yet...
"I need some time to think about it," Kyle replied.
A part of him still refused to lower its guard.
Before making any decision, he needed to speak with Veronica himself.
Christopher gave a small nod.
"I understand. But I hope you’ll reach a decision soon. We’re scheduled to present the project to the central government this December."
Kyle nodded in acknowledgment.
Just then, Christopher’s phone rang.
He glanced at the caller ID and let out a quiet sigh.
"I suppose you’ll need a little more time before speaking with Mister Pascal?"
The assumption was only natural.
Kyle had asked for a day to make his decision, and Christopher understood why. Joining the main force as reinforcement demanded more than overwhelming strength. It required the resolve to shoulder lives, responsibilities, and the horrors that came with the battlefield.
Pascal had most likely learned about the attack on the academy and was calling because of it.
And judging by the cautious young man Christopher had come to know, Kyle would surely want more time before giving him an answer.
"No."
Kyle’s voice cut through his thoughts.
"I’ve made up my mind."
His unwavering gaze met Christopher’s.
"Let me speak to him."
"..."