Later that night, Albert sat alone in his small, cluttered room ;his so-called "mini lab." The walls were covered in scribbled formulas and half-finished diagrams, while the desk overflowed with wires, lenses, and small circuit boards. A dim desk lamp cast sharp shadows across his focused face.
He worked in complete silence, only the occasional soft buzz of a soldering iron breaking the stillness. His hands moved quickly, almost automatically, as if they already knew every step before his mind had even finished thinking it.
At one point, he paused, staring at a small sketch of Eliza he had taped on the wall. Her eyes in the drawing seemed to look right back at him ;calm, trusting, and vulnerable.
"This time," he whispered to the sketch, "we protect you completely."
Hours passed. Finally, he leaned back, exhausted but satisfied. In his hand, he held the finished prototype ; the duplicate glasses. They looked so identical to Maria's pair that even he almost forgot which was which.
He wiped sweat from his brow, set up his laptop, and called the others.
In seconds, Vinci's face appeared on the screen first, hair wild as always. Hawking joined right after, eyes sharp even at this late hour. Last to pop up was Eliza (Curie) her eyes tired but hopeful.
"Albert! You finished it?" Vinci blurted, leaning so close to his camera that only his nose showed for a moment.
Albert gave a small, tired smile. "I did," he said, holding up the glasses slowly so they could all see. "Same frame, same scratches… identical in every way to Maria's pair."
He turned the glasses slowly, showing the small built-in panel and the faint UV nodes tucked inside the edges.
"It's more than just a copy," Albert explained. "The inner interface analyzes Eliza's face and creates a neutral visual field. When Maria wears these, she won't be able to see Eliza clearly ;she'll just see a harmless blur, a background shape."
He paused, tapping the frame lightly.
"Once she takes them off, the glasses release a brief but strong pulse of UV rays. Harmless, but enough to temporarily confuse her vision for about one or two minutes. That's our window to act."
There was a stunned silence on the call.
Hawking finally broke it, nodding slowly, a small smile tugging at his lips. "Elegant and risky," he said. "Typical of you."
Vinci whooped so loudly that his mic crackled, while Eliza simply pressed a hand to her lips, her eyes shimmering with relief and awe.
But Albert's expression turned serious again as he leaned closer to the camera.
"The biggest problem still remains," he said, his voice low and steady. "We have to get Maria to wear these glasses… and that will take more than science."
The group fell silent again, the reality of the challenge sinking in and the true fight only just beginning.
...
The trio sat under the big baobab tree near the science block, their usual hangout where each breeze felt like it carried secrets.
Vinci flipped restlessly through his sketchbook, drawing rough shapes he barely looked at. Hawking sat cross-legged, twisting a piece of dry grass between his fingers, lost in thought. Einstein leaned forward, elbows on his knees, the glasses resting carefully in his palms.
Maria sat nearby on her stone bench, shining as always. Her high-end glasses glimmered in the sunlight, making her look almost unreal, like she had just stepped off the cover of a magazine.
When Eliza finally joined them, her cheeks still pink from PE, they all turned to look at her. She froze for a moment under their intense stares before stepping closer, a little unsure but determined.
Einstein looked up, meeting her eyes. "It's time."
Vinci leaned in, excitement and nerves flashing across his face. "Remember, Eliza. They're not dangerous yet. We didn't activate the Eliza scan function."
Eliza nodded quickly. "So… just high clarity for now?"
Hawking grinned, pushing up his glasses. "Exactly. Only the high-fix optics and vivid clarity are working. No UV bursts, no pigment marking. She won't be able to resist when she sees how sharp everything looks."
Eliza took the glasses carefully, her fingers trembling slightly. She slipped them on and blinked.
The world instantly transformed. Colors looked deeper, shadows stood out more clearly, and every edge felt razor sharp, as if she had stepped into a high-definition world. She gasped softly, her lips parting in wonder.
Vinci laughed, a bright, almost boyish sound. "You look like an upgraded goddess right now."
Eliza touched the frame lightly, a small smile spreading across her face. "It's… beautiful. Everything feels more alive.
They moved toward the courtyard as the lunch bell rang. Students flooded out, the air buzzing with chatter and laughter.
Eliza stepped forward, and her new confident aura almost shimmered around her. Heads turned immediately.
"Wow… Eliza's glowing today!"
"Those glasses. Are they new?"
"Is that some advanced science project?"
Maria looked up, her laughter fading the second she saw Eliza. Her eyes narrowed slowly, a spark of annoyance rising behind her cool facade.
Eliza kept walking until she was just a few steps away. Maria stood up sharply, her entire posture shifting as though she was preparing to defend her invisible crown.
"And what's this cheap stunt?" Maria scoffed, her eyes scanning Eliza from head to toe.
Eliza shrugged lightly, her voice calm and surprisingly steady. "Just something special the boys designed. Enhances vision clarity, vivid colors… makes life feel more real."
Maria's lips parted slightly, her usual smirk twitching as curiosity slipped in. Her eyes were locked on the glasses now, practically burning with envy.
"Special? Let me see them," she snapped, stepping closer. Before Eliza could react, Maria reached out and snatched the glasses right off her face.
Maria slipped them on without hesitation, slowly turning her head as she looked around the courtyard.
Her breath caught in her throat. The world around her seemed to bloom. Every blade of grass looked impossibly green, each strand of hair on her friends' heads stood out, and the sky above shimmered like a painting come to life.
She swayed slightly, adjusting the bridge of the glasses as though she couldn't believe what she was seeing.
Students leaned in closer, whispering in excitement. Even Maria's loyal group looked at her with wide eyes.
Finally, Maria turned back to Eliza, her voice lower now, almost careful. "What… what is this?"
Eliza gave her a soft smile. "Just something we've been working on. A vision enhancer. But… it's not finished yet."
Maria blinked, finally realizing the whole courtyard was watching her. She hesitated, then carefully took the glasses off and handed them back to Eliza without her usual snark.
She cleared her throat, straightened her shoulders, and put her designer glasses back on, trying to recover her queenly composure.
Eliza slipped the glasses back on, her smile a little stronger and more certain now. Vinci came to stand beside her, grinning proudly. Hawking stood slightly behind them, arms folded, looking like a quiet guardian. Einstein finally let out a long breath, relief softening his whole face.
Maria turned sharply, calling her group to follow her. But as she walked away, she kept glancing back at Eliza, her eyes flickering between admiration and a lingering envy she couldn't hide.
Back under the baobab tree later that afternoon, the trio and Eliza gathered again. Einstein held the glasses carefully, turning them over in his hands like a treasure.
"We didn't need to activate the Eliza scan today," he said quietly. "When it's ready, that function will mark her eye pigment so she can't see Eliza for about a minute and a half… but today wasn't the day."
Eliza ran her fingers along the frame, a thoughtful look in her eyes. "It felt good… being seen like that. But even better knowing she wanted something of mine for once."
Vinci laughed, flipping to a new page in his sketchbook. "The queen finally wanted what the princess had."
Hawking looked around at them, his gaze warm and steady. "We're not done. But today was a win."
They sat together in the fading afternoon light, the baobab branches swaying gently above them like old guardians, ready to watch over them no matter what came next.
After break, they all returned to the classroom, buzzing with leftover energy from lunch. Students shuffled in slowly, waiting for the physics teacher who always arrived a few minutes late. The air was heavy with lazy chatter and drifting paper planes.
Eliza sat at her desk near the window, her bag resting on her lap. She kept glancing toward Einstein, trying to read his expression. Vinci sat in his usual spot near the middle, sketching lines that curved and split like secret codes. Hawking took the far corner seat, his gaze sweeping across the room, alert but calm.
Maria slipped into the room , her head held high, wearing her designer glasses as if nothing in the world could touch her. But she didn't look at Eliza. Her eyes darted straight toward Einstein.
A few moments later, Einstein stood up casually, holding Eliza's glasses in one hand. Without hesitating, he strolled across the room and sat beside Maria. The seat's real owner hadn't returned yet, leaving just enough space for him to slide in close.
Maria turned sharply, ready to fire off a snarky comment, but Einstein leaned in so close she could feel his breath on her cheek.
"Want to know a secret?" he whispered, his voice low and deliberate. He raised the glasses between them, turning them so they caught the light.
Maria blinked, her eyes fixed on the lenses. "What are you doing?" she snapped, but her voice shook just slightly.
Einstein smiled, slow and almost playful, a look that made her falter for the first time. He leaned in even closer, as if he was about to share something meant only for her.
"These glasses," he said softly, every word dripping like honey, "aren't just glasses. They're a whole different world. Sharper colors, deeper focus... a vision so pure it's almost addictive."
Maria's fingers twitched. She hated him; or at least that's what she always claimed. After all the times she had humiliated him in front of everyone, called him a freak, laughed at his hair and chalk-stained shirts. But now, she couldn't look away.
Einstein tilted his head slightly, his eyes locked on hers. "Try them again, Maria. Let yourself see what real clarity feels like."
For a brief second, something flickered in her eyes. A regret she didn't want to feel, a softness she tried to bury. But she couldn't stop leaning just a bit closer, drawn in by the strange warmth in his words.
She swallowed, her throat tight. "Stop acting weird and just leave me alone," she muttered, but her voice had lost its sharpness.
Einstein chuckled softly, brushing a finger along the glasses frame. "I'll leave... if you promise to really enjoy them this time."
Maria hesitated, her defenses cracking. Finally, she snatched the glasses from his hand and slipped them on with an annoyed flick.
Einstein stood up slowly, moving with a quiet grace. He looked down at her, a small knowing smile on his face. "Thank you for listening," he said in a gentle tone before turning and walking back to his seat as if nothing had happened.
Maria sat frozen, her fingers adjusting the bridge of the glasses. Her eyes roamed around the room, wide and silent, taking in the new crispness of everything around her.
The whole class had been watching in hushed awe. A few students exchanged wide-eyed glances. Vinci paused his sketching, hiding a sly grin behind his pencil. Hawking tapped his pen lightly on the desk, studying Maria with careful eyes, like a scientist observing an experiment in motion.
Eliza sat by the window, her hands clenched around her bag. Her heart pounded so loud she thought the entire room could hear it. There was something sharp in her chest, a tight knot of jealousy and confusion.
In that moment, it almost looked like Einstein had feelings for Maria. Like he had chosen her instead. The thought cut deep, leaving her breathless and empty inside.
But it was all part of the plan. Every touch, every quiet word, every teasing smile;it was all meant to make Maria drop her guard and crave the glasses as her own.
Maria leaned back slowly, her lips parted in wonder as she scanned the room. Even as she put on her usual smirk, there was a small glimmer of fascination in her eyes she couldn't hide.
She finally turned and hissed at Einstein, "Excuse me. You can go back to your seat now."
Einstein gave her a small bow, like he was finishing a private performance, and then walked back to his desk without a second glance.
Vinci's pencil danced over the page, capturing every flicker of emotion in fast, restless lines. Hawking gave a short nod, his eyes drifting briefly toward Eliza.
Eliza pressed her forehead against the window, her mind spinning. But deep inside, a faint spark of trust still glowed. She didn't know every detail, but she trusted them. She trusted him.
Across the room, Maria adjusted the glasses again, stealing shy glances at Einstein when she thought no one was looking.
The trap was working..