The sound of footsteps echoed down the dimly lit hallway as a tall young man, dressed sharply in a navy-blue uniform, strode forward with his hands tucked casually into his pockets.


    His spiky golden hair fell across his eyes,pletely obscuring them, yet it only added to his enigmatic allure. His chiseled face and athletic build were the kind that could make heads turn and hearts flutter—a visage that would undoubtedly draw the admiration of any woman.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Each step he took exuded confidence and authority as he made his way down the corridor. Finally, he stopped in front of arge, imposing brown door. With a flick of his wrist, he pulled his left hand from his pocket and pushed the door slightly. It creaked open, revealing a vast room bathed in faint, amber light.


    The room was expansive, almost cavernous, with twelve meticulously arranged chairs positioned around a massive round table at its center. The dim lighting came from three smallmps hanging  from the walls, their faint glow casting long shadows across the room. Despite its size, the space felt oppressive, the dimness lending it an air of secrecy and unease.


    Six of the twelve chairs were upied. The figures seated around the table turned to look at the neer as his footsteps echoed in their direction.


    "You''re finally here. Took you long enough," one of them said, his tone sharp and impatient. The speaker was a painfully thin man whose skeletal frame seemed to exaggerate every angle of his face. His name was Jack Bailey, and he was one of the academy''s elite High Staff members.


    High Staff were a step above regr academy personnel but remained subordinate to the Sirs—three individuals at the apex of authority. Among the academy''s hierarchy, there were only five High Staff members and three Sirs. Jack was one of these select few, as were the others seated in the room, except for one: Sir Dominic, the formidable Sir Three.


    "Apologies, everyone. I lost track of time while showering," the young man said nonchntly, his voice calm and steady as he continued to approach the table.


    "Are you even listening to yourself?" snapped another voice. This time it came from a plump, ruddy-faced man whose round cheeks quivered as he spoke. "You kept five High Staff members and Sir Dominic waiting for over thirty minutes because of a bath?! Unbelievable!"


    The man, Sam, was another High Staff member, and his annoyance was obvious. As he ranted, flecks of saliva escaped his lips, further fueling his anger.


    us, the golden-haired young man, smirked. "Take it easy, Sammy. You wouldn''t want to drench everyone here with your spit, would you?" he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.


    Sam''s face turned crimson as anger overtook him. He mmed a clenched fist on the table. "You arrogant bastard! I''ll teach you a lesson—"


    "Enough!" Sir Dominic''s deep,manding voice cut through the room like a de. The air seemed to grow heavier as silence descended. Sam froze, his rage swallowed by the palpable authority of the man who had spoken.


    "Sit down, Sam," Sir Dominic ordered, and Sam obeyed without a word, his humiliation evident. Then, turning to us, Dominic gestured toward an empty seat. "Take a seat, us."


    us nodded and sauntered over to the vacant chair beside Kara, another High Staff member. As he sat, he leaned back leisurely, folding his arms and crossing his legs. His piercing gaze shifted to Kara, and he offered her a sly wink.


    Kara''s expression hardened. Her disgust was evident as her sharp eyes locked onto us. He seemed to enjoy pushing her buttons, but all it ignited in her was a smoldering rage.


    "So, us," Sir Dominic began, his voice regaining its steady tone, "I''ve reviewed the report you submitted on the Sycrax species and their activities. Can you provide more details for the group?"


    "Of course, Sir," us replied smoothly, clearing his throat. "As you all know, I recently visited the Agogjie for a hunt. While there, I spoke to the locals, who reported seeing strange, massive footprints in the desert and hearing eerie noises unlike anything from the known mutants on the."


    He paused for effect before continuing. "Being the kind, selfless soul I am," he added with a smirk, "I decided to investigate. The footprints were enormous, each one the size of five human headsbined. As I ventured farther into the desert, I stumbled upon a peculiar building. It was constructed from a mix of metal and mutant body parts—a grotesque but unmistakable hallmark of the Sycrax species."


    The group leaned in as us continued his ount. "I entered the structure, which was eerily intact. Everything was thereputers, weapons, supplies, you name it. But the Sycrax themselves? Gone. It was as if they had abandoned the ce in a hurry, leaving behind everything they couldn''t carry."


    He shifted in his seat, his tone growing graver. "And then I found it—a switch that activates a portal. Not just any portal, but one capable of traversing mutants and realms. From what I gathered, the Sycrax are attempting to create a pathway to Earth. Their n appears to involve using a mutant realm as a bridge to bypass Earth''s natural barriers."


    The room was silent for a moment, the weight of us''s words sinking in.


    "What could have scared them enough to abandon all their equipment and supplies?" Jack Bailey finally asked, breaking the silence.


    "And how could they have been hiding on Agogjie this whole time without the locals noticing?" added Miley Kaitlyn, another High Staff member. Her sharp voice matched her sharp appearance—a no-nonsense woman with short ck hair and a face heavily ented with makeup. Her demeanor exuded professionalism and an aversion to humor or frivolity.


    us leaned back in his chair, his arms folded as he locked eyes with Miley. "Well, the Sycrax are nomadic by nature. Their home base might be the of Doom, but ever since they perfected the portal technology, they''ve been moving from one mutant to another."


    "That still doesn''t exin why they chose Agogjie," Miley countered. "And why didn''t they attack the locals if they''ve been there all this time?"


    "I don''t have all the answers, Miley," us replied with a sardonic smirk. "But maybe the next time I run into the Sycrax, I''ll make sure to ask them about their real estate choices."


    Miley rolled her eyes, clearly unimpressed by his sarcasm.


    Sir Dominic, who had been quietly observing the exchange, finally spoke. "We need answers. The Sycrax are no ordinary species—they''re intelligent, adaptive, and possibly more cunning than humans. If they''re nning to breach Earth''s defenses, we cannot afford to take their movements lightly."


    "Agreed," us said, his tone losing its earlier levity. "But the real question is: Why would they leave all their technology and supplies behind? It''s not like them to abandon valuable assets without a good reason."


    Dominic nodded. "Exactly. And if they were forced to flee, what was it that scared them enough to make such a decision? These are the questions we need to answer. You mentioned the supplies were untouched?"


    "Everyst bit of it," us confirmed. "Theputers, the weapons, the resources—it was all intact. It''s like they didn''t have time to take anything with them."


    "Then we need to retrieve everything and investigate further," Dominic dered, his voice resolute. "There might be critical information left behind that could help us understand their motives. Kara," he said, turning to her, "the students finished their trials today, didn''t they?"


    "They did," Kara replied cautiously, her brow furrowing.


    "Good," Dominic said. "Take the top three groups with you for backup. They''ll be strong enough to handle themselves."


    "You want to send the students to a mutant?" Kara''s voice was incredulous, her usual calm demeanor breaking momentarily.


    "The top three groups should be the best we have," Dominic exined. "And Agogjie is safer than Earth when ites to mutant activity. It''s the perfect opportunity to test their abilities in a controlled environment."


    Kara shook her head, her unease evident. "Sir, with all due respect, it''s still a mutant. Anything could happen. It would be safer for only the staff to handle this mission. After all, it''s our responsibility, not the students''."


    "She''s right," us added, surprising Kara with his agreement. "As much as I hate to admit it, bringing the students along would be a liability. Even the safest mutant is still unpredictable, and we''d be risking their lives unnecessarily."


    Dominic leaned back in his chair, his expression contemtive. After a long moment of silence, he finally nodded. "Very well. This will be a mission for the five High Staff members only. No students."


    us stood, stretching leisurely as he slipped his hands back into his pockets. "Guess I''m off the hook, then. I''m not one of your precious High Staff, after all," he said, a mocking lilt in his voice.


    "Yeah, get out of here, weakling," Sam spat, his words punctuated by another spray of saliva. "You don''t belong in this room anyway."


    us''s smirk vanished in an instant, reced by a dark, menacing expression. His golden hair seemed to glint ominously in the dim light as he turned his gaze toward Sam.


    "Careful, Sammy," he said, his voice low and icy. "Just because I don''t hold your little title doesn''t mean I''m weaker than you. In fact, you all know I''m the strongest person in this room. And if I wanted to, I could snap my fingers and end you right here."


    The room fell into a tense silence. Sam, visibly shaken, shrank back into his chair, beads of sweat forming on his flushed face.