Six months of unrelenting training had reshaped Tiflos into someone almost unrecognizable.
He awoke in his room within the hidden facility—no longer a teenage boy, but a young man of eighteen. His face had sharpened, his muscles had settled into a balanced, lethal form, and his once-dark hair had grown streaks of white, each strand whispering stories of pain, pressure, and transformation.
His silver eyes glowed softly, calm like moonlit water.
He glanced at the bed beside him.
Orion, now fifteen, slept quietly. Yet the boy's blue eyes—whenever open—always carried a depth far older than his age, filled with pain, burden, and bitter resolve.
Tiflos stood, pulling on his white combat uniform.
"Time's up, little brother," he whispered before leaving the room.
---
The Nerve Center
In the command hub, Cain stood before a wall of shifting screens. Every heartbeat, every step, every flicker of power within the facility flowed into his system of total surveillance.
"Final reports, sir," his assistant said, handing him a tablet.
Cain's golden eyes scanned the data with cold satisfaction.
"The organization moves like a single organism," he murmured.
"Every limb, every pulse… obedient. That's what makes us invincible."
His dominion relied on four pillars:
Information—know everything about everyone.
Loyalty—crafted from a careful balance of fear and reward.
Superiority—never let those beneath him close the gap.
Control—the ancient carrot-and-stick, sharpened into an art.
---
The Elevator Encounter
Meanwhile, Tiflos made his way toward the dueling halls. Orion remained behind for his own evaluation.
As the elevator doors opened, he stepped inside—
—and froze.
Noor was already there, dressed in the facility's white uniform, elegant in her quiet presence.
The elevator was small. Or maybe it simply felt small.
Tiflos found himself embarrassingly aware of how close they were.
He avoided her eyes.
Then avoided the walls.
Then avoided everything.
His cheeks flushed crimson.
Noor raised a brow.
"You're nervous."
"N–No I'm not. I was just… thinking."
She tilted her head, reading him with unsettling ease.
"When our waves merged months ago, I didn't only see your sadness," she said softly.
"I saw your humanity. And that's what scares me."
"Why?"
"Because humanity is the first thing that dies in this place."
The doors slid open. She walked out without looking back.
Tiflos stared after her, murmuring,
"She's so strange…
Doesn't she realize she's the most human person here?"
His face turned even redder.
---
Orion's Jealousy
From the observation balcony, Orion watched them—his blue eyes burning with something sharp and painful.
"Always him… always Tiflos," he muttered.
Dr. Lena approached quietly.
"Jealousy won't make you stronger, Orion."
"It's not jealousy!" he snapped.
"It's… unfairness. Why is he always first? Why did he become Silver Tier while I'm still stuck?"
Lena placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Everyone has a path. His may be faster—but yours may go deeper."
Orion's eyes hardened. He pulled away and stormed off.
---
The Duel – Storm vs. Wave
Tiflos stepped into the round combat arena, sword in hand.
Waiting for him was Raiden, the man who had trained him since his arrival—a veteran with electrical abilities and decades of combat experience.
The spectators were more than an audience.
Each represented power, politics, or danger:
Phoenix — a seasoned fighter who saw Tiflos as a threat to his rank.
Dr. Lena — the scientist who longed to dissect Tiflos's unique abilities.
The old trainers — doubtful of his loyalty.
Cain — watching from above, golden eyes sharp with calculation.
"Today," Cain murmured to himself, "we discover whether Agabius left us a treasure… or scrap metal."
"Begin!" Cain commanded.
Raiden launched forward like a bolt of lightning.
But Tiflos had already read him.
The electric waves radiating from Raiden's body formed a clear, luminous map in Tiflos's mind.
He moved in a flowing dance—dodging bolts by mere centimeters, letting the music of waves guide him.
Yet Raiden was no ordinary instructor.
With a veteran's instinct, he shifted tactics, slipping past Tiflos's guard and striking him hard—sending him sliding to the arena's edge.
Tiflos rose, gripping his sword.
"He's still faster," he admitted.
He charged, sword aimed for Raiden's neck.
The instructor slipped aside easily—
BOOM!
A knee crashed into Tiflos's ribs, sending him flying.
He had barely landed before Raiden appeared behind him, delivering another electric kick that hurled him back to center stage.
"You can't dodge lightning forever!" Raiden barked.
Tiflos stood slowly.
His silver eyes were still calm.
"I don't need to dodge it," he said.
"I only need to stop it."
---
The Electric Catastrophe
Raiden gathered electricity between his palms—forming a condensed storm.
The spectators tensed; even the seasoned fighters sensed the danger.
Tiflos narrowed his eyes.
If that hits me, I might actually die.
But he did not retreat.
His face remained cold, motionless—
as if he were already the victor.
Raiden unleashed the storm.
Tiflos extended his arm—
a high-frequency soundwave exploded outward, forming a transparent barrier that scattered the incoming electricity.
Bolts slammed into the walls, erupting like stray thunder.
Then—calmly—
he absorbed the remaining waves, converting them into kinetic power, sheathing his limbs in crackling energy.
"One chance… That's all I need."
He tightened his grip on the sword.
He saw it—the weakness in Raiden's electric shield.
A thread of energy, thin as a hair.
Tiflos vanished in a burst of lightning and sound.
A golden blur tore through the storm—
and his blade stopped gently at Raiden's neck.
Silence crushed the arena.
Then—
Cain's cold laugh echoed across the hall.
---
Revelation
Most Blue and Red Eyes couldn't see what happened.
They thought it was teleportation.
Silver Eyes saw only a faint ghost-trail of Tiflos passing through the storm.
But the lone Golden Eyes in the room—Cain—had witnessed every detail.
Cain stepped forward, applauding.
"What he did," Cain announced, voice calm and chilling,
"wasn't mere energy copying. Tiflos replicated the electrical waves themselves—then sharpened them, weaponized them, and exploited Raiden's defensive gap."
He smiled thinly.
"No… this is far beyond copying.
Tiflos changed the rules of the game."
The hall erupted in applause.
Even Noor's eyes widened in awe.
Orion watched, chest tight—pride twisting painfully with envy.
---
Nightfall – Confessions
Later that night, Tiflos found Noor on the rooftop, as usual.
"You can't sleep?" he asked.
"No."
Her voice was soft. "There's something… I've been searching for long before I joined this organization."
Tiflos sat beside her.
"Something?"
"No," she whispered.
"Someone. Someone who might understand me… someone I can feel safe with.
And I think… I've finally found him."
Tiflos felt his heartbeat stutter.
---
Orion's Darkness
Elsewhere, Orion trained violently—each punch fueled by frustration and bitterness.
"Why him? Why always him?"
Phoenix stepped into the room.
"Jealousy will destroy you, boy."
"I'm NOT jealous! I'm—working for what I deserve!"
"Then prove it," Phoenix said coldly.
"Not by shouting. By rising."
---
Cain's Observation
In his private monitoring chamber, Cain reviewed the day's footage.
Every interacti
on, every glance, every emotional spike between Tiflos, Noor, and Orion was meticulously logged.
He turned off the rooftop camera.
"Emotional bonds…" he whispered.
"They create weaknesses—
and strengths."
A wicked smile curved his lips.
Time for the next move.
---