The corridor swallowed their footsteps.
Lucian and Iralis followed Ash in silence, the rhythm of their boots the only sound against the polished steel floor. They reached another elevator—this one sleek, seamless, no control panel in sight. The doors hissed shut behind them.
No buttons. No choice of floor. The destination had already been set.
Inside the cramped space, the air was dry and still. The hum of the elevator seemed louder than it should have been. Iralis stood beside him, silent, but her quiet hostility radiated like heat. Lucian could feel it in the space between them.
She had every reason to resent him. And maybe she even wanted him dead.
But he couldn't bring himself to care. Her grudge didn't matter—only her utility did.
Still… Ash had implied they'd be working together. If that simmering tension bled into a mission, it could cost them.
Need to break the ice, he thought. Or at least chip it.
"So… three sponsors, huh?" he said, with the sort of half-smile people wear when they're reaching for neutral ground.
The words fell flat. No reply. Just the hiss of the elevator's ascent. The silence pressed harder.
Mercifully, the doors slid open. Iralis was out first, gliding past them without a glance.
Ash chuckled as they stepped out. "Wow. That was painfully uncomfortable."
"Then I did it right," Lucian said, letting the smile drain from his face until it was the same cold mask he wore for the world.
"You know she won't lower her guard that easily," Ash said. "Just because you can be awkward doesn't make you less of a monster."
"I'd be disappointed if she did," Lucian replied. "But bricks build a house, don't they?"
Ash sighed, though a corner of her mouth twitched upward.
They followed Iralis into a wide lobby that felt too warm for the facility's sterile aesthetic. Plush couches and beanbags sprawled across one side. A ping-pong table gleamed under overhead lights. The far wall held a stocked fridge behind glass, drinks lined up like soldiers.
Doors ringed the room. Lucian spotted his own name engraved above one before Ash led them to a glass door at the back. It slid open with a soft chime, revealing a vast hall.
Half the space was lined with training rigs, climbing walls, and heavy machinery. The other half was dominated by a raised platform—a dueling stage. But Lucian could feel there was more to this place than met the eye.
"Activate training simulation, level one," Ash commanded.
Blue light swept the hall like a scanning wave. On the platform, a figure shimmered into existence—a white, faceless humanoid. It moved with jerky precision, like it was learning the idea of walking.
"A physically interactable holographic simulator," Ash explained. "Strength and speed adjustable."
Lucian watched the thing prowl the platform like a predator waiting for its cue.
Ash turned toward them. "Soon, a squad will be stationed here. They're the best young agents we've got. You two will lead them on every mission. But let me be clear—compared to either of you, their lives are meaningless. In any situation, prioritize each other's survival. Understood?"
Both nodded.
"For now, Iralis, you're squad leader. Lucian, vice leader."
Lucian cocked his head. "Why am I not squad leader?"
"And why should you be?" Ash arched a brow.
"Am I not your so-called 'trump card'?" Lucian shot back.
Ash exhaled slowly. "You have infinite potential, Lucian. But potential isn't mastery. In terms of sheer ability, Iralis eclipses you. She's more qualified."
Lucian turned to her, a glint in his eye. "Is that so?"
"You can be squad leader," Iralis said evenly, "if you earn it… in a duel."
Lucian's grin was instant and sharp. "Wouldn't want it any other way."
---
They stepped onto the dueling platform.
The air shifted—charged, humming. The faint vibration under Lucian's boots told him the arena had powered up. Blue light traced the edges of the stage like veins.
The faceless dummy dissolved into nothing.
Only he and Iralis remained.
She stood still as stone, posture loose but unshakably balanced, like the ground itself favored her.
Lucian rolled his shoulders, feeling the coil of tension winding in his muscles.
Ash stood back, arms crossed, watching with a focus she rarely showed.
"Wait, this feels a bit unfair." Iralis said softly, her voice carrying just enough to reach him.
"…To you, I mean."