The school day had barely started when Evelyn noticed something strange.
Her little brother, Ethan Mercer, was unusually cheerful that morning.
It was odd. Just last night, he had come home looking pale, clearly shaken by something. Evelyn had tried to ask, but he had been too out of it to explain.
Yet today, he was humming to himself, practically skipping around.
Evelyn furrowed her brows. "What's with you?"
Ethan just grinned up at her. "Nothing!"
Evelyn narrowed her eyes. "You sure?"
Ethan hesitated for a second before leaning in, lowering his voice. "I met someone really cool last night."
Evelyn raised an eyebrow. "Who?"
Ethan opened his mouth to answer—
But before he could, a voice interrupted them.
"Mercer, you coming?"
Evelyn turned to see Lena Davenport, her best friend, waving her over.
Evelyn sighed, glancing back at Ethan. "We'll talk later, okay?"
Ethan just nodded, still grinning.
---
Later that day, Lucien Falkner was in the middle of heading to his next class when someone deliberately blocked his path.
Ryan Caldwell.
Lucien barely spared him a glance.
Ryan, however, stood firm. "I need to talk to you."
Lucien said nothing.
Ryan exhaled sharply before speaking again. "You're not normal."
Lucien's gaze flicked toward him, but his expression remained unreadable. "Excuse me?"
Ryan crossed his arms. "Don't play dumb. I saw what happened during the test. You're holding back."
Lucien didn't respond.
Ryan took a step closer. "I know you're strong. And I want you to teach me."
Lucien finally turned fully to face him. "No."
Ryan blinked. "Wait, what? Just like that?"
Lucien didn't bother answering. He simply stepped around Ryan and started walking away.
But then—
"I know about the people looking for someone like you."
Lucien stopped mid-step.
Ryan noticed. He pressed on. "There's a group—I don't know the details, but they're after something. Something about 'super soldiers'."
Lucien's fingers curled slightly.
Ryan had no idea how deep this ran. But the fact that he even knew something was already dangerous.
Lucien turned his head slightly. "And where did you hear this?"
Ryan hesitated. "...My brother."
Lucien studied him for a long moment.
Then, after what felt like forever, he spoke.
"Fine. I'll train you."
Ryan's eyes lit up. "Really?"
"But—" Lucien's voice turned sharp. "You'll do something for me in return."
Ryan frowned. "What kind of—"
"You'll find out soon enough," Lucien cut in. "Do we have a deal?"
Ryan hesitated only for a moment before nodding. "Yeah."
Lucien nodded once. "Meet me after school. Don't be late."
Ryan barely contained his excitement. "You won't regret this."
Lucien didn't reply.
But in his mind, he already knew—
"We'll see."
---
The sky was already painted in shades of orange and violet when Ryan arrived at the designated spot.
An empty basketball court, just outside the school grounds, far enough that no one would overhear.
Lucien stood in the middle of the court, hands in his pockets, his usual unreadable expression in place.
Ryan jogged toward him. "Alright, I'm here."
Lucien gave him a once-over. "Show me your stance."
Ryan shifted into a basic boxing stance—feet shoulder-width apart, hands up.
Lucien let out a quiet exhale.
"Beginner level."
"Hit me."
Ryan blinked. "What?"
"Hit me," Lucien repeated, voice steady.
Ryan hesitated before throwing a right jab toward Lucien's face—
Only for Lucien to tilt his head slightly, letting the punch barely graze past his cheek.
Ryan's eyes widened.
Lucien didn't move his feet. Didn't even bother dodging properly. He just tilted.
Ryan clenched his jaw. "Okay, what the hell was that?"
Lucien rolled his shoulders. "Again."
Ryan threw another punch—this time a left hook.
Again, Lucien barely moved, shifting just enough for Ryan's fist to cut through empty air.
Ryan stumbled forward slightly.
"You're too predictable," Lucien said, his tone calm. "Every move you make, your body telegraphs it."
Ryan exhaled sharply. "Then tell me what to fix."
Lucien studied him for a moment before stepping forward.
"First lesson—you don't punch with your arms. You punch with your entire body."
He placed a hand on Ryan's shoulder, forcing him to adjust his posture. "Your stance is off-balance. Widen your feet. Drop your weight a little."
Ryan followed the instructions.
Lucien nodded slightly. "Better."
Ryan exhaled. "Okay, now what?"
"Hit me again."
Ryan threw another punch—
This time, it was faster, and Lucien had to move slightly more to avoid it.
A small smirk twitched at the corner of Lucien's lips.
"Not bad."
Ryan wiped sweat from his forehead. "So… do I pass?"
Lucien looked at him for a long moment before answering.
"You're not completely hopeless."
Ryan grinned. "I'll take that as a compliment."
Lucien turned away, hands in his pockets. "Same time tomorrow."
Ryan blinked. "Wait, seriously?"
Lucien didn't answer. He just walked off, disappearing into the night.
Ryan watched him go, his heartbeat still racing.
"Holy shit. He actually agreed to train me."
His fists clenched slightly.
This was just the beginning.
End of Chapter 13