For a long time after crossing the road, Sam stayed quiet. His smile had faded into disbelief. When they finally turned into Saul's neighborhood, he stopped walking."Saul," Sam said slowly, "I need to ask you this, and don't you dare joke.""What?""You've been different since that explosion. You moved like a blur back there. Be honest… are you a mutant?"Saul froze. "No. Of course not."Sam sighs "Saul, you couldn't even outrun Tuffy last week. Today you beat a truck. I know you.""I'm not lying Sam, I swear I'm not a mutant."Sam crossed his arms. "Then explain what I just saw."Saul exhaled, rubbing his temples. He could feel the tension rising, the same fear he'd seen in Katy whenever the word mutant came up. "Just come to my place, okay? I'll tell you everything. But don't freak out."Sam muttered something but followed.Inside, the apartment was quiet Katy hadn't returned yet. Saul locked the door and gestured for Sam to sit.Then he told him everything.From the university attack, to the strange screen, to hearing a voice calling itself Project Alrec. He explained how he suddenly felt connected to lightning, how his senses changed, how he could now see a "status" board only visible to him. He even mentioned the pain when he updated his stats. Sam listened, eyes widening with every word.But when Saul said the name Doctor Frost, Sam's expression turned from surprise to shock."Wait, hold on," Sam interrupted. "Doctor Daniel Frost?""Yeah. Why? You know him?"Danny let out a shaky laugh. "Know him? He was my uncle."Saul blinked. "Your… what?""Yeah." Sam leaned back in disbelief. "He disappeared before I was even born. My parents said he worked for the government, developing some secret biotech. Then one day..gone. Officially dead. Some said he tried to expose something and they silenced him. But of course, we couldn't say that out loud. My family's business depends on government contracts. Mutant research, genetics, enhancement materials you name it."Saul stared, stunned. "Then… the cells inside me, this Alrec thing it's somehow connected to him."Sam shook his head, still digesting it all. "I've seen and heard about hundreds of mutations. But something like this? A digital consciousness that speaks directly into your mind, tied to a system interface? That's unheard of. Saul, what you described burning down that rogue with lightning it's insane. Only S‑rank mutants can pull that off.""S‑rank?" Saul asked.Sam nodded. "The highest ranking possible. Maybe two, three of them in the entire continent. These people don't just fight monsters they stop wars. They're the ones holding civilization together."Saul frowned. "And what exactly are they fighting for?"Sam turned serious. "Balance, mostly. Power attracts chaos, and someone's gotta stand against it." He leaned forward, elbows on his knees. "The mutant world's organized under four guilds that work with the government. They keep things running, stable… for now.""Four guilds?" Saul repeated."Right," Sam said, counting on his fingers. "First, there's Gladiators then Warriors, the muscle of the continent. Third is Commanders, hunters and tacticians,.""And the fourth?"Sam's tone hardened. "Troopers. The government's own guild. Agents trained to handle mutants when containment fails or when someone crosses a line. "Troopers answer only to central command. They don't just deal with monsters they deal with people like you, Saul."The room fell silent.For a moment, only the faint hum of the refrigerator broke the stillness. Tuffy padded up and curled beneath Saul's feet, oblivious to the tension.Danny looked at his friend with a mix of awe and worry. "I don't know what your uncle did to you, but if the government finds out, you're not staying hidden for long. Whatever Alrec is, it's valuable and dangerous."Saul glanced at the faint blue screen hovering at the corner of his vision, invisible to Sam. "Yeah," he murmured. "I'm starting to realize that."
