Chương 223: Chapter 219 - Second Ascent (XXIII)

I run my fingers over the smooth surface. There is still something covering my face—no, not just my face, my head. A helmet. It feels strange. I glance downward. The mask Lukas made is lying on the ground. I touch my face again. How do I take it off—oh. My face is clear. The helmet is gone. No—not gone. I can still feel it. I will it back on, and it seamlessly forms around my head again. But where does it go? I test it, dismissing and recalling it. The transition is effortless, almost instinctive.

The next time I remove it, I pay attention—my fingers trail lower, brushing against something at my collar. A band. The helmet retracts into it when I will it away. A collar. It feels almost like a part of me, yet still separate—removable at will. Interesting. But more than its design, more than the way it moves—the wave amplification. As much as I appreciate Lukas' craftsmanship, this is something else entirely. Another league. Sixty, seventy percent, maybe? I glance at the others.

They're equally puzzled, hands feeling their new helmets, testing their own. Sleek, black, and seamlessly integrated with the rest of the boss equipment, the design feels complete now, like the missing piece to a set. The surface is smooth, polished, almost organic in the way it flows with the contours of my head. Two slightly elongated antennae trail back, with a subtle resemblance to the centipede boss that dropped them.

"A seventy percent amplification in wave output," Chiara says abruptly. Her tone is measured, but even she can't quite mask the excitement in her voice.

"I'd dare say it's by far the greatest boss equipment yet."

"How do you—ah, I see." Ayu exhales as her mask retracts, revealing her face.

"I'd say you won't be needing my masks anymore." Lukas nods, his gaze shifting toward the coastal region.

"Alright, some of the other bosses should have appeared already. We're expecting another lava dragon today, and who better than the Dragon Squad to take care of it?" He chuckles.

"Might be a bit challenging, though. Ayu, Chiara, Alonso—any of you think you can lend them a hand?"

"I'll take care of it," Ayu answers without hesitation.

"Alright. That leaves Eagle Squad handling the jellyfish and Tiger Squad taking down the big lobster. Should be the last one to fit all the squads."

"Lukas… your awakening," Wang suddenly says.

"Oh, right. That… well, I have to figure things out myself first. I'll let you all know when I get a better grasp of it."

"Alright. I'll be heading out then." Ayu stares at Lukas, then at me, a flicker of confusion in her expression. I shrug. No idea either. She narrows her eyes slightly but doesn't press. Instead, she waves us off and starts walking after Wang—then suddenly stops. Her body stills for a second, and then—I see it. She lifts off the ground. My eyes widen. Ayu can fly now?! The others turn as well, watching as she starts laughing, gaining altitude, then speed.

I shake my head, a grin tugging at my lips, and push forward to follow her. One by one, the others take off, heading toward their own fights, until only Chiara and Lukas remain behind.

"Can we talk, Lukas?" Lukas remained silent, studying her before nodding.

"Sure. But if you're asking about my awakening, I—""What happened during that fight?"

"Do you mean the mistake I made? Or that I used my new ability to heal you and the others?" Chiara's expression didn't shift.

"So far, every awakening has been triggered by extreme circumstances—Alonso under the pressure of Siddharth's duel, Ayu in a life-or-death situation, and so on. As for myself, I had a mental breakdown that led to it. The pattern suggests your awakening was also triggered by intense pressure." Lukas remained calm, watching her, waiting. Chiara continued.

"Lukas, you're a fantastic leader. Miles better than anything I could ever aspire to be. And sure, no one is perfect, we all make mistakes, we all feel the pressure, we all live with the uncertainty of whether we'll see another day, or what happens to the world if we fail. And I know me saying all this isn't as impactful as when you say it. I don't know how to express myself in emotionally engaging words, or how to inspire. I'm too rational, too closed off, and those are things I need to work on."

She hesitated for a second, then continued.

"But… I want you to know—I'm there for you. We're all there for you. You don't have to carry everything alone. Let us… share it with you." Lukas smiled softly.

"Thanks." Chiara stared at him as seconds passed, until she exhaled sharply.

"That's all you have to say?"

"Do you want me to go on with one of my rambling speeches?" Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.

"You really are annoying." He chuckled.

"I'm not sure I can fix that."

"Lukas… what I want to say is… if you ever need someone to talk to, to let out the constant stress and pressure you somehow manage to perfectly hide behind that smile of yours… I'm here." Lukas locked eyes with Chiara, letting the moment linger, the smile never leaving his face.

"Alright. Let's talk."

"Huh?"

"What? You said I could talk with you if I needed to let some things out, so… let's talk now." Chiara's eyes widened in disbelief. She remained stunned for a couple of seconds before clearing her throat.

"Eh… I mean… okay. Yes."

"It's not the most amusing sight," Lukas said, gazing out at the barren wasteland, where streams of gas and ash twisted into the sky.

"Let's walk over to the coast." Chiara felt an odd sluggishness, but she nodded and followed. Silence stretched between them, but Lukas didn't seem to mind. He walked with an ease that made it feel natural, like the quiet itself was a form of conversation. Minutes later, they reached the cliff where the Barren Lands met the Coastal Region. Below, waves crashed against jagged rocks, the distant horizon blending into a dull gray.

Further out, barely visible, Imani's Tiger Squad was still engaged with the giant lobster boss.

"They should be finishing soon. Let's take a seat." Chiara nodded again, lowering herself onto a rock. She realized she'd been biting her lip, a rare nervous habit she usually suppressed. Why was she nervous? This was Lukas. He sat beside her, stretching his legs out, hands resting behind him. Then, without looking at her, he spoke.

"What can I say… My life on Earth was… a lot of this and that. Trying to understand where I fit, where I belonged. But eventually, I just gave up and stopped asking questions, and… maybe it was only when I stopped asking that I found some answers." Chiara stared at Lukas but remained silent, waiting for him to continue.

"So… where to start? Why not the beginning." Lukas' voice was light, almost amused, but there was something distant in his tone. A nostalgic glint flickered in his eyes, his gaze serene.

"My parents really wanted children. They went through hormone treatments and all sorts of things to make sure we even existed. And they succeeded—my twin sister and I were born." He exhaled, stretching his arms behind him, staring at the horizon.

"My sister and I were spoiled from day one. Private tutors, enrichment programs, anything to support us. And we were both gifted—very gifted. School was easy. Too easy. We got bored, so we… played with people instead." A smirk tugged at the corner of his lips, but his eyes didn't quite match it.

"Played?" Lukas shot her a knowing look.

"Manipulated. Nothing too sinister, just harmless games to keep things interesting. Moving pieces around, seeing how much we could get away with." Chiara frowned slightly, trying to picture a younger Lukas pulling strings behind the scenes. Somehow, it fit too well.

"But it didn't last," he continued.

"Eventually, our parents realized we needed more. So they sent us to a boarding school for the gifted—a good one, with real challenges. I took to team sports, learned how to work with people instead of just manipulating them." He smirked.

"Leonie? She doubled down on her own goals. Individual sports, academic competition, always aiming to be the best. Never quite let go of that manipulative streak, either." Chiara tilted her head.

"You make it sound like you were raised for success." Lukas let out a short laugh.

"Yeah. That's what I thought during my puberty too. But later, I realized that our parents loved us and just wanted the best for us. They supported us with everything they had so we could find our own paths." He exhaled, his gaze drifting toward the distant waves.

"But the thing is, when you're always given every advantage, when you're always ahead of the curve, you don't learn how to fail properly. You don't learn how to deal with real setbacks." He paused, a faint smirk tugging at his lips.

"Because you're sure you'll win every time." Chiara stayed silent, listening.

"I never had to deal with real consequences back then," Lukas admitted.

"Everything came easy. Everything had a solution. Then I got older, and I realized that when you actually screw up, when you actually fail—there's no safety net. And I hated that. I hated responsibility. I hated the idea that if I made the wrong call, someone else would suffer for it." His expression remained light, casual even, but Chiara could sense the weight beneath his words. She considered what to say, then settled on honesty.

"So why take command?" Lukas sighed, leaning back on his palms.

"Because someone had to." Then, with a small chuckle, he added, "And maybe, deep down, I was convinced I'd do a great job." Chiara studied him for a moment, then looked away.

"For what it's worth… I think you are." Lukas turned his head toward her, a curious glint in his eye. Chiara felt the weight of his gaze, and for some reason, it unsettled her. She quickly looked away, her fingers fidgeting slightly in her lap.

"I—I mean, it's just…" She cleared her throat, forcing herself to focus on the distant waves.

"You're… doing well." Lukas' grin widened, amused but not pressing.

"I'll take it." A comfortable silence stretched between them. The distant roar of the waves filled the void, rhythmic and steady, crashing against the unseen shore far below. The wind carried traces of salt, mixing with the lingering bitterness of the barren land behind them. It was a strange contrast—the suffocating stillness of the wasteland and the endless, living motion of the ocean ahead. Chiara shifted slightly, her fingers absentmindedly tapping against her knee.

Lukas seemed content just sitting there, gazing into the horizon, but she wasn't sure why she felt so restless.

"How's your sister now?" she finally asked, her voice softer than intended.

"Do you get along well?" Lukas hummed, tilting his head in thought.

"Yes. She can get real… pushy sometimes, but… she's the most important person to me in the world." Chiara nodded slowly.

"Pushy?" He chuckled.

"Let's just say, Leonie has a strong personality. She always knew exactly what she wanted, and she wasn't shy about making it happen. Even when we were kids, she had this… determination. Me? I liked going with the flow, seeing how things played out. She hated that." Chiara smirked slightly.

"She sounds… different from you."

"Oh, completely." Lukas leaned back, propping himself up with his hands.

"So her name is Leonie? That's a nice name."

"Yeah, I think our parents just gave it to her because we're both Leos."

"You're a Leo?" Lukas looked at Chiara in surprise.

"Don't tell me one of the world's leading scientists working in a space center believes in astrology?" Chiara suddenly blushed.

"Of course not! It's just… I wanted to know your birthday."

"My birthday? Does it even matter in this place?"

"Well… maybe we can make a rough guess of how much time passed in the white rooms, add it all up, and use that as a standard. I mean, don't you think something like that could make everyone feel a little… lighter?" Lukas paused, his mouth opening as if to speak, but he lingered for a moment.

"Wow. That's actually a good suggestion. I mean, celebrating birthdays inside The Tower?" He laughed.

"Why not? Let's make it real." Chiara stiffened slightly, her fingers curling against her knee.

"I-I mean, it's just a thought," she muttered, her voice quieter than before.

"Not that it's anything important or anything." Lukas turned his head toward her, studying her expression with an amused glint in his eye.

"You're blushing." Chiara's eyes widened.

"I am not."

"You totally are." She cleared her throat, looking away, crossing her arms as if to reclaim some level of composure.

"Shut up and just tell me when your birthday is." Lukas chuckled, leaning back again.

"August 10." Chiara gave a small nod, still refusing to look at him.

"Good."

"Why?"

"…No reason." Lukas smirked but let it slide.

"Alright, then. Since this was your idea, you're in charge of making sure everyone's birthdays are celebrated from now on." Chiara blinked, finally glancing back at him.

"Wait—what?"

"You heard me. Big responsibility." Chiara groaned, rubbing her temple.

"Why do I talk to you?"

"Because I'm incredibly charming." She sighed, but the small smile tugging at her lips didn't go unnoticed.