"Where is Lucas?"

Aldric froze. The color drained from his face. "He's… uh, on a trip—with his friends—"

"Don't lie to me." Lucian's tone was like a blade. He lifted a small device from the desk, the interface lighting up as it connected to the family's private tracking network. "No transport logs. No off-world clearance. No transaction records for over a week." His gaze darkened. "Where is he?!"

Lucian asked again, voice sharp enough to cut through Aldric's excuses. And finally, out of fear, Aldric cracked and said it—

"Lucas is… under treatment."

"Explain."

Aldric swallowed. "He volunteered for Project Ascendency… our next big thing. The genetic and biotic modification program. The—"

Lucian leaned forward. "You what?"

"It's safe," Aldric said quickly. "I've been working with the prototypes myself. The results—"

Lucian slammed his palm on the desk, and the holo image flickered. "Safe? Do you even hear yourself? That project hasn't been approved. We don't even have stability data!"

The formula still needs refinement. You weren't supposed to use it on anyone!"

Aldric panicked and rushed to justify himself. "Since I'm part of the team, I ran extended trials. Ten thousand subjects. Most… didn't make it. Some lasted a little longer before they died, but the data is complete now. Stable enough. We're close—very close."

He pulled up Lucas's pod readings—a live holo of his vitals, glowing lines flickering with irregular spikes.

Lucian stared at the numbers. His jaw tightened.

"I don't care about your data. I need Lucas out. In a week."

Aldric froze. "W-Why a week?"

"Because he has to get engaged to Luther Von Stein's daughter."

Lucian leaned forward, voice sharp. "If Lucas isn't out, Aldric… you'd better start looking for a shelter on the other side of the galaxy."

Aldric almost dropped his device. "H-He's in the final phase. It's almost over. I promise. Give it some time—please."

"You have one week."

"Yes, yes." Aldric swallowed. "By the way, how was your business trip to the five planets? I am interested in hearing the report. Maybe we should meet—"

Before Aldric could even finish, Lucian hung up the call.

Lucian stood up, his expression blank but his fists trembling slightly. He pressed a button on his desk. A worker's voice echoed through the intercom.

"Yes, sir?"

"I'm leaving for a meeting in thirty minutes. I want my car cleaned and ready."

"Yes, sir."

"Tell the chef I want my breakfast ready before I leave. Top grade steak, boiled eggs, fruits, black coffee—no sugar. And tell Kieran to prepare the route to Nexus Tower. I'll be reviewing the security feed during the drive."

"Yes, sir."

Exactly thirty minutes later, Lucian's car cut through the dawn sky like a blade. Nexus Tower loomed ahead, its spire piercing the clouds. At this hour, the tower looked half asleep, most windows still dark, the upper levels glowing faintly with security lights.

The hover car bypassed the public routes and ascended straight to the private landing balcony on the top floors—the VIP penthouses reserved for political giants, corporate heirs, and the kind of people whose wealth came with its own army.

Lucian stepped out before the car even settled.

The tower staff waiting there stiffened instantly. Some lowered their eyes. Some whispered when they thought he wouldn't hear.

He heard everything.

"Blackwood… why is he here so early?"

"His presence alone ruins my morning—"

"That's the head of the Blackwood Conglomerate…"

"Should we alert the tower manager?"

They didn't matter.

Lucian walked past them without a word, his long coat sweeping behind him. The elevators obeyed without needing to scan him—his clearance had been pre-installed. The doors closed, and the lift shot up toward the Penthouse Council Hall where the city's elite did their quiet dealings.

Once inside, Lucian checked his wristband. Three unread feeds blinked.

He tapped the first.

A projection opened—the Galactic Financial Daily.

A headline sprawled across the hologram:

"RED CASINO BLACKOUT: Who Is Xavier? The Mysterious Teen Who Broke the House."

Another flickered in.

"Astraeus Academy Student Wins 800 Billion in One Night—House Systems Flagged for Recalibration."

Lucian skimmed.

Xavier. Age: unknown. Origin: human. Combat stats: sealed/compromised. 5% Red Family shareholder. Suspected ties to underground networks. Total digital fanbase: 969 million.

He frowned.

The second feed opened automatically—a social stream.

Clips played in silence as he watched:

Xavier turning challenges down with a bored look…

Xavier humiliating some rich heir at a poker table…

Xavier stepping out of a hovercar with two women in his arms.

Suspected sighting of Xavier in the underworld surrounded by three beautiful women.

Lucian's eyebrow twitched.

Confidence like that… arrogance like that…

He had seen it before—once, long ago.

He tapped the third feed.

City surveillance logs.

Access granted instantly.

A mosaic of scenes popped up—Xavier entering Nexus Tower with a beastkin girl at his back, Xavier leaving the tower past midnight. Cameras mysteriously glitching when Xavier was on feed.

"So he lives here? Hmm~ How amusing. I should sponsor him and hire him."

Lucian's interest piqued.

The elevator chimed. The doors slid open into the Penthouse Council Hall—a wide glass chamber filled with morning light. A few advisors were already present, whispering among themselves, but they froze the second Lucian stepped in.

A young advisor gulped.

"Y-you're early, sir. We weren't expecting you until—"

Lucian ignored him, walked straight to the large holo-table, and brought up the last file.

"Xavier— Suspicious Activity Report."

Compiled by Nexus Tower Internal Security.

He skimmed.

—Unusual power spikes detected near him

—Classified files flagged in proximity to his digital ID

—Multiple disappearances recorded around his movements

—Identity inconsistencies yet unresolved

Lucian paused.

A nobody… creating this much disturbance in my city? A boy with no background… becoming a celebrity overnight?

His jaw tightened—barely noticeable, but present.

He closed the file.

"Inform Intelligence Division that I want a full profile," Lucian said quietly.

The room stiffened.

"S-Sir, on who?" the advisor asked.

Lucian didn't blink.

"On Xavier."

The advisor hesitated. "Do you… suspect him of something? He is an important tenant here."

"I have been contacted by the city's police department about the compromise in the tower's security system involving Xavier.

He looked out through the tall glass window at the city waking slowly under the dawn haze, his reflection faint against the skyline.

Finally, he murmured—too soft for anyone except those closest to hear:

"No one rises that fast without burning something along the way."

A shiver ran through the room.

"And no one who burns this bright stays a footnote."

His eyes narrowed.

"Find everything."

"Umm… sir…" One of them stepped forward. "While you were out of the planet, many things surrounding your son happened, all of them connected to Xavier."

"Oh?" Lucian turned around. "Tell me more about it."

The advisor told everything— from the leaked footage of Lucas and his friends bullying and beating Xavier in the space training chamber, to Xavier getting Lucas banned from all virtual platforms.

Lucian's eyes turned lifeless.

"So you are telling me that a no-name village rat messed with the Blackwood, and not only did he win, but he also gained fame because of it?"

"T-That's about right, S-Sir…"

"Carry a full report on him." In the meantime, I will pay him a visit. What's his apartment number again?"

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