As reluctant as Declan felt, something in his heart told him that her words were genuine and that she meant every one of them.
While he still couldn’t fully understand what she meant by growth path being controlled by a system, and that system itself being like a massive chessboard.
From his limited perspective, they sounded like complicated mysteries with countless pieces he couldn’t yet see.
But even if he didn’t understand them, he could feel the weight behind her words.
That alone was enough to suppress the thoughts of running away that had been brewing in his mind.
He imhaled and exhaled to relieve his mind of the various thoughts before asking.
"What am I supposed to do on the mission? What’s my task?" he asked, watching her exhale another cloud of smoke before turning toward him, a faint smile tugging at the corner of her lips.
"Why are you in such a hurry? Nervous already?" she asked.
Declan shook his head.
"I’m not nervous. I just prefer to make preparations before things start."
"If we’re going on a mission, and it sounds like it’s going to be destructive from the way you described it, then I need to prepare beforehand."
"So, you’re the thinker type, huh?" she said, shrugging slightly. "I suppose that’s reasonable."
She leaned back in her seat.
"I don’t have a plan yet, nor do I know where the serum is."
"I’ll most likely be given that information tomorrow, and we might embark on the mission the day after."
Declan hummed, his brows furrowing.
That didn’t give him much to prepare for.
"The only thing you need to prepare is your mind," Morg continued.
"Keep it sharp enough to receive instructions, and don’t give yourself a headache before the mission even begins."
"Do that, and you might end up fine."
She said it so casually that Declan almost wondered if all of this was a joke.
He for one had hundreds of questions.
Questions like, how powerful she really is, what exactly they would be going up against, and what their chances of actually retrieving the serum were.
But after a moment of thought, he decided it was better to remain silent.
If she didn’t know the details yet, there was little point in asking questions she couldn’t answer.
So, the two of them remained on the rooftop.
Hours passed, and the sky gradually darkened, though the change was difficult to notice with the three moons hanging overhead, each one shining brightly in the night sky.
The mansion itself was also illuminated by numerous lights, leaving little of the property in darkness.
Eventually, Boss Morg opened her eyes and glanced down at the cigarette box in her hand.
It was empty.
She looked ahead and found Declan still sitting quietly, his gaze fixed on the distant buildings.
He sensed her movement and turned his head just as she rose from her seat and stepped away from the balcony.
"The house doesn’t belong to me," she suddenly said.
"It’s registered under the organization’s name. They simply assigned it to me for the duration of this mission."
"So don’t be shy about using anything."
"Stay in whichever bedroom you want and use whatever amenities you need, including the kitchen."
She paused as she reached the steps leading down from the rooftop.
"Just two things."
Declan looked toward her.
"Don’t Run!"
She warned with eyes frigging cold.
"And don’t go anywhere near the room marked Number One."
"That’s all."
With that, she descended the stairs, her footsteps gradually fading until Declan was left alone on the rooftop.
He remained there for a while, staring at the spot where she had disappeared before eventually reclining against his seat and letting out a quiet breath.
His thoughts drifted from one thing to another.
In a strange way, he was still numb to everything that had happened.
His entire life had changed direction so quickly that he hadn’t even had the time to properly process it.
All he had ever wanted was to become a great Mech Scientist.
He had studied relentlessly, built an impressive academic record in the hopes of gaining admission to better schools and eventually reaching the peak of the field.
Everything had been going according to plan.
His project with the Mechnoheart Organization was supposed to be the biggest step forward in his career, the opportunity that would finally put him on the path toward greatness.
Instead, it had been the end of his life.
And now, somehow, he was on the roof of a mansion in Veyron city, preparing to participate in a mission whose objectives he knew almost nothing about.
At the end of it, he could either die or become a member of a highly secretive organization.
Things were moving far too quickly.
And perhaps the most unsettling part was that none of this was how he had planned his life to unfold.
’So life trajectories really do change beyond what we plan for ourselves, huh?’
The thought came naturally as he rose to his feet and walked toward the railing.
From the rooftop, he could see far more of Veyron City.
Flying cars blitzed through the roads, while larger buses moved steadily beneath them. Holographic advertisements filled portions of the night sky, displaying everything from the latest gadgets to news broadcasts.
Even this late at night, the city remained full of life.
"Less scary than I thought," Declan murmured.
He stared at the countless lights for another moment.
"Or maybe it’s just too early to judge."
He remained on the rooftop for a long while, but as the night deepened, the cold eventually began to settle over the city.
In the end, Declan descended from the roof and disappeared into the mansion.
_______________________
Two Days Later...
STEP.
STEP.
STEP.
The sound of footsteps echoed along the sidewalk, quickly drowned out by the noise of passing vehicles and the footsteps of people moving through the streets.
It was around eight in the evening, and among the crowds filling the streets of Veyron, a young man walked almost perfectly blended into the mass of people.
He wore a simple blue T-shirt with gray arm sleeves, baggy gray jeans, and a black face cap pulled low over his head.
His face remained slightly lowered as he maintained the same pace as everyone around him, giving no indication that he had somewhere specific to be.
For nearly twenty minutes, he continued along the sidewalk before suddenly turning between two smaller buildings.
He proceeded deeper into the narrow alleyway until he eventually reached a dead end.
There, he stopped, then raised his head.
It was Declan.
His hand slipped into his pocket, and he pulled out a tiny dark earbud before placing it into his right ear.
Tapping twice, a small red light blinked.
"I’ve arrived," he said quietly.
"Climb up," a voice replied through the earbud, and Declan lifted his head.
The buildings on either side of the alley stood roughly twenty meters tall, their windows providing just enough surface area for him to make his way upward.
He glanced back toward the entrance.
People continued walking along the street outside, completely oblivious to his presence.
Declan took three slow steps backward, then he suddenly sprinted forward.
His foot slammed against the ground, and he launched himself upward.
Four meters.
His foot struck the wall.
He pushed off again, gaining another three meters before his hand caught the iron railing of a balcony.
Using his momentum, he swung himself upward another two meters and landed on the balcony’s iron rail.
Without stopping, he kicked off again, his hand grabbing the edge of a nearby window.
Another jump.
...another grab.
Then another...
Three more movements carried him rapidly upward until he finally launched himself high into the air.
His body twisted twice in midair before he landed in a crouch on the rooftop, then slowly rose up.
"I’m up."
There was a brief silence from the other side, before the voice returned.
"You’re not alone."
Declan’s eyes narrowed.
"Neutralize them."