At three in the morning, the only sound in Alex's office was the click of her keyboard. The city slept outside her windows, yet, sleep was a forgotten luxury for her.
The President's head throbbed with an insistent ache and her mind became a swirl of paperwork: the SkyEye project, border disputes, a dozen other national crises.
Stressed was an understatement. She was teetering on the precipice of exhaustion… Though, she had to keep going. If she allowed herself a moment of weakness, the crafted plans for the future of Grand North could crumble. She was not about to let that happen… not after everything they had done.
Her tired eyes drifted to the breathtaking view of the city and saw many twinkling lights. Peace seemed to envelop the streets below, contrary to her own self. She was worn out… She'd been that way for a while. And for some reason, this felt worse.
Alex wearily pushed herself up from her desk and stretched while her sleek blue uniform hung loosely on her frame. Then, she walked away to retrieve some much-needed coffee.
It seemed peaceful for a little moment… until a chime from her computer broke the momentary space.
"What now?" she grumbled and took a deep sip from her cup.
The woman dragged her feet back to the office chair, and her eyes widened at the reminder message on the screen.
"See results from lab 3 and GET SOME SLEEP."
Lab 3… She'd completely forgotten. Though, it wasn't the first time.
Her eyes drifted to the framed painting on the wall and stared at the image of her father standing beside her grandfather. Their painted smiles seemed to radiate an unwavering pride for every decision she'd made.
"Oh father… I can't keep this up…" she whispered.
The large weight of their multi-generational dream always pressed down on her like a hammer… every day, every hour… and now every second.
"Keep going," a warm voice responded directly in front of her.
Alex's head snapped up only to see someone familiar. It was him: Her father.
His form stood in front of her and a reassuring smile appeared through his neatly trimmed beard. His form glowed as if it were an illusion of the mind, yet, it felt so real.
"Father?" she asked and blinked furiously.
"I know you're tired, my dear. You have to keep pushing through."
"I… I don't think I can…"
"I know. I know you think this is hard, and maybe even impossible, but this is too important. The SkyEye project is almost finished, and our country also depends on you to be a good and independent leader. If you stop now, that will be time you take away from actually finishing the saviour of humanity. Our great hope," he continued, walking towards her.
"What if… What if I just ask for a little help from the council? They're dependable, and I've seen them do good work," she pleaded before her mind drifted back to a lost childhood.
She remembered a scene from long ago, where she was sitting with her father, looking at the bustling capital.
"Every living soul you see will someday be under your protection, my dear Alex, just like they are under my protection right now," the old man had said.
"Don't you ever get tired of protecting everyone, father?"
"The job of a leader is an important one, and the burden is my own to hold… Once you take over, you'll have to carry that same weight. I know it'll be hard sometimes… Yet, it's going to be your responsibility, and yours alone."
She stared at him with amazement, trying to take in all his wisdom.
"I'll be a great leader and make you happy!"
Then, the memory vanished, jolting her back to the present.
"Our name will go down in history as the family that revolutionized security around the border, bringing a new age of peace even greater than ever. We will leave a legacy to remember," her father finished and his spectral hand settled on her shoulder.
Even if it seemed like a ghost, she could feel his love fill her up and push back the exhaustion within.
"You're right," Alex said, "If I stop now, it means one less day without the SkyEye in the air, which means less security for our country!"
Her father simply smiled in approval. Then, she blinked and he was gone. It was an illusion… a beautiful manifestation her own mind used as a coping mechanism.
"Thank you, father…"
She wished to stay in that moment a little longer, though there wasn't time. She needed to keep going… for him.
Alex's focus returned to the computer in front and clicked on the icon for Lab 3. The screen exploded with information that she read. It took some moments of analysis until it hit her: a realization that something was happening right under her nose.
As she read about the complex magic used to maintain Elena's head, her brow sharpened. The report stated: The magical particles found had residue only seen in one specific type of magic… one manufactured exclusively by the company "Spellex".
Before she could finish reading, another memory resurfaced: When Alf sent his initial findings on the Ice Giant's parasite, she'd only glanced at the magical readings due to other concerns. Now, she recognized it.
The President quickly opened that same file and went straight to the readings… It had the same signature. The parasite who infected the Ice Giant was also infused with Spellex magic.
She didn't know the specific type, though, the unique magical readings confirmed a link that threatened to derail her whole operation.
"What the hell?!" she whispered and frantically rubbed her eyes.
One of her greatest financial backers for the SkyEye project was most likely selling illegal, deadly spells to terrorists.
"What would the public do if they found out?"
This simple question surged through her body. The SkyEye airship was her dream, the culmination of her family's legacy, and she was so close…
"I… I can't let this get out to the public…"
A sharp clarity emerged amidst the panic. The severed head of Elena… the infected Ice Giant… both happening at such critical time.
What if it was all related? A single, overarching conspiracy? A direct threat to national security far deeper than she could have imagined? What if parasites began controlling powerful beings all over Grand North?
Alex knew investigating a large enterprise operating outside her country's jurisdiction would be almost impossible and might bring unwanted attention. Such an action could potentially pause or even cancel the SkyEye project. She needed a covert approach.
She needed to send in spies… and that's where an unconventional idea took root. What if she sent Rod? She needed him, just as much as he needed her.
"But if that's the case… then something bigger is happening… something deeper."
The mystery was too much, and it caused the last vestiges of exhaustion to flee her body. She immediately plunged back into her files and searched for more clues, heading to a future that awaited with uncertain findings.
While she did, a small camera looked at her in a discreet corner of the office, camouflaged by a magic spell. No one ever noticed it there, and for good reason…
A robot looked through that camera from a hidden location too far away to notice. Its form was strikingly similar to Alf's, but instead of a comforting blue glow in its optical cameras, its power lights emanated an ominous, pulsating red.
When it saw and heard Alex's dawning suspicion, the machine calmly pulled out a cellphone and made a call to an unknown number. It rose from its seat and walked to a distant door before speaking.
"According to the plan, she has begun to suspect something," the machine's synthesized voice echoed in the empty room.
Then, it closed the door and plunged the room into an unsettling darkness.