Lucan rushed downstairs to open the door, and the moment the handle turned, a blur of fur lunged at him.
"Woah—!"
He stumbled back as Drosh, the familiar golden-coated mutt, launched himself into Lucan's chest, tail wagging like a small storm. The dog whined with excitement, licking his chin before settling on Lucan's foot like a hero.
"Well." Lucan coughed, patting his head. "Guess he still loves me."
Behind the dog stood Mr. Kion—tall and broad-shouldered, his usual beard now patched with greyer beard. Beside him, Maenah offered a polite nod, her long hair tied in a neat braid, eyes flicking between Lucan and the house behind him with quiet curiosity.
"Lucan!" Kion grinned, stepping in for a firm handshake. "That day I didn't really notice you grew even taller than me."
Lucan smiled. "You always say that."
"Still true." Kion chuckled. "Now where's the old champ?"
"Inside. Already finished breakfast and now sleeping." Lucan said, gesturing them in.
Drosh bounded forward again as they stepped inside. Grandpa looked up from his recliner just as the dog pounced onto his lap.
"Oh-ho! There's my partner." Grandpa's face lit up in a way Lucan hadn't seen in weeks. "You've gotten heavier, you spoiled beast."
Mr. Kion chuckled as he stepped in. "Told you he still remembers."
Lyra watched the reunion with a faint smile before gently tugging Lucan's sleeve. "Hey." she whispered. "Upstairs. Quick."
Lucan followed her to his room.
"Alright." Lyra said, turning to face him. "Open the message HQ sent you. Hold down the coordinates and tap 'directions.' That's all."
Lucan raised a brow but did as instructed. The Vein screen blinked alive over his watch, and a shimmering message hovered just above it:
[Route Confirmed]
Arrival Unit: ETA 5:00
Preparing Priority Lane
[Begin Countdown]
The timer began ticking down: 4:59… 4:58…
Lucan blinked. "Wait, five minutes?"
"Told you it's efficient." Lyra smirked. "Better say your goodbyes. The ride doesn't wait."
They headed downstairs. Grandpa was still fussing over Drosh's fur, Kion was halfway through unpacking a few storage boxes, and Maenah was quietly arranging medication trays on the table without being asked.
Lucan stepped toward Grandpa. "Alright… I think we're heading out now."
Grandpa looked up, slightly surprised. "Already?"
Lucan nodded, crouching beside him. "I'll be back soon. They're just calling me for some university research program. Nothing dramatic."
Grandpa stared at him for a second too long, then offered a slow nod. "I know. But you'll be alright."
He placed a hand on Lucan's shoulder. "Don't lose that good heart of yours, alright?"
Lucan smiled, "I won't."
The timer ticked past 0:23 when the rumble outside made them all glance toward the front window.
A sleek, matte black vehicle pulled up silently—its curves aerodynamic, its body low and clean like something between a sports car and military-grade tech. It looked a little like an really expensive car, but with a futuristic edge—its windows shaded to opacity, not even the slightest glint of reflection showing inside.
The passenger-side door popped open.
A man stepped out from the front seat—mid-forties, wearing a plain gray t-shirt and dark cargo pants. His smile was relaxed, posture easy.
"Lucan?" he said, raising a hand. "Welcome aboard."
Lucan gave Grandpa a last nod, then stepped out with Lyra. They both waved once before ducking into the car's rear seats.
THUD.
The door shut .
The car pulled away from the curb, smooth as water—and within seconds, it was gone.
The interior was nothing like he expected. Everything was black—matte, brushed, seamless. Not sleek in a flashy way, but clean and precise. The seats molded to their shapes like they adjusted on touch. There was no typical dashboard—just a curved, translucent panel in the front that pulsed softly with faint blue veins of light, responding to the driver's fingertips.
This feels more like a cockpit than a car.
Lucan glanced around. There were no buttons, no manual controls. Even the doors didn't have handles. A faint hum filled the space, quiet and low—like a machine barely breathing beneath them.
The man who had greeted them slid back into the front passenger seat and tapped a few commands on his watch. "Alright," he said, voice casual. "Let's get moving."
The car glided forward, the tires making no sound against the road.
Behind the wheel sat a woman, maybe in her late thirties, wearing a dark hoodie and simple joggers. Her eyes were focused, hands resting lightly near the console. She wore the same Vein-linked watch as Lucan and Lyra—though hers glowed faint red.
Lucan blinked. Same model… but different color. Does that mean a different function? Or tier?
Before he could dwell on it, the man turned halfway in his seat and pointed to a screen that had emerged from the center panel, facing the back.
"Go ahead and confirm your ID. Just hold your watch over the Vein Seal here."
Lucan stared at the screen. "Uh… how exactly—?"
Lyra leaned in. "He's talking about that Vein Pass."
"Oh."
Lucan raised his wrist, pressed the screen for few seconds. The screen blinked, scanned the swirling silver crest in his watch face—and then flared with a soft tone.
[ID Verified: LUCAN VALE][Destination: HQ-Vault Path: Green Zone]
Lyra followed, confirming her ID just after.
The man nodded. "She your companion?"
Lucan hesitated for half a second. "Yeah. She is."
The man tapped his own watch and spoke into it, his voice calm but clipped. "Passenger Lucan confirmed. One additional linked companion registered. Prepare lift authorization. Have the Aetherwing prepped and fueled."
Lucan raised an brow.
Aetherwing?
The woman behind the wheel gave a faint grin, as if sensing the curiosity, then pressed a panel near her seat. A slight click echoed—and the windows darkened even further.
"Engaging stealth mode." she said.
With a soft hum, the car accelerated.
Lucan felt no sudden pull or drag—just smooth, consistent speed that grew steadily. Buildings blurred past, and the city began to look unfamiliar. They turned off the main roads, dipping into narrower lanes and service alleys Lucan had never noticed before, even living here his whole life.
"You guys always go this way?" he asked.
The man glanced back. "You think HQ uses regular roads?"
Lucan had no argument.
They drove for about ten more minutes in silence, before the car passed beneath a small tunnel—and then something shifted.
The ground opened up ahead, and the road sloped downward.
Lucan sat straighter. "Where are we?"
"Back side of the old civilian airstrip." Lyra said, watching out the window. "Technically doesn't exist anymore."
The tunnel opened into a massive underground hangar—twice the size of any commercial one Lucan had ever seen. Metal scaffolding, long loading ramps, and scattered crates lined the sides.
But in the center…
Lucan's breath caught.
There it was—sleek, matte silver with deep cyan lines running across its hull-like veins of light. Its wings were tucked in angular curves, engine vents purring faintly as automated drones hovered nearby to fuel and inspect it.
The Aetherwing looked like something pulled out of a sci-fi film—somewhere between a jet, a bird, and a blade.
"...That's our ride?" Lucan asked, stepping out of the car.
The man grinned. "Welcome to your first off-map flight."
The car hissed to a stop just outside the loading ramp. As the doors opened, cool air swept into the hangar—dry, faintly metallic, tinged with the hum of distant generators.
Lucan stepped out slowly, eyes fixed on the Aetherwing.
It was even more impressive up close. The surface shimmered in subtle pulses, like a heartbeat asleep under metal. It looked forged rather than assembled—seamless, aerodynamic, with a thin coat of energy tracing along the wings.
The man from earlier walked ahead, nodding toward a few personnel near the front boarding. They wore slim dark uniforms with high collars, small Vein emblems on their left shoulders—clearly not civilian staff.
One of them stepped forward, scanning the man's face with a sleek, handheld visor.
[Retina Confirmed: Cpt. Kalren Vos | Internal Clearance Level: Gold/6]
Without a word, Vos handed over a slim black tablet. "These will be your passengers. Coordinates are embedded. Handle them with full system sync."
Lucan caught the words as clear as if they'd been spoken right beside him.
He blinked. "Wait… how can I hear them from this far?"
Lyra didn't even look surprised. "That's normal for us. Your hearing's probably started adapting. The
Vein adjusts your perception slowly at first, but it'll get sharper."
Lucan looked at her. "Like… super-hearing?"
"Don't call it that." She smirked. "Sounds lame when you say it like that."
Ahead, Vos turned and gestured them forward. "Come on. Meet your captain."
They approached the base of the ramp, where a tall woman stood beside the Aetherwing's entrance—her dark uniform sharp against the glinting ship. She looked to be in her early forties, with short black hair swept back, a cybernetic implant running from her right temple to the base of her neck like a silver lattice.
"Captain Kaela Tress." she introduced herself, extending a firm hand first to Lucan, then to Lyra.
"Your lives are now my responsibility until touchdown. Let's keep things clean."
Lucan nodded. "Lucan. Thanks for flying us."
"No need." she said. "Orders are orders. Just don't throw up in the lift bay."
He chuckled, not entirely sure if she was joking.
"Step inside. You're in for a smooth ride."
As they climbed the narrow ramp, Lucan glanced once more at the outer shell of the vessel—those cyan pulses—and then stepped into the Aetherwing.
Inside, it was quiet. The hallway lights flicked on automatically with each step. The interior reminded him more of a luxury aircraft than a military transport—though its minimalism felt clinical.
The floors were black and soft underfoot, like some kind of composite rubber-metal. Walls were lined with faintly glowing panels—each displaying streams of data in soft white fonts. The hum of power ran beneath the silence, constant but subtle.
They passed a small med-bay pod on the left, closed off by curved transparent glass, and a weapons locker on the right, sealed behind biometric panels.
At the end of the corridor, the space opened into a passenger lounge. Sleek, reclined seats formed a ring along the walls. The glass canopy above revealed a high, domed view of the ceiling—which, Lucan realized, would shift to full sky visibility once airborne.
"This looks... expensive." he muttered.
Lyra sat down beside him, stretching her legs. "It is. Only high-priority travel gets these."
Lucan settled in beside her, fingers tightening on the seat's armrest.
And whatever came next… he was officially en route to it.
[End of Chapter 8]