The Interference

Luca and Camille stood frozen in the dimly lit room. Luca’s fingertips trembled, and his mind felt paralyzed. A few meters away, Camille glanced back and forth between him and the phone screen repeatedly—but still, there was no message from Selena. They both waited. Waiting for Selena to return safely…

Camille suddenly sprang into motion, pacing rapidly across the room. “This isn’t good. Not good at all,” she muttered as if speaking to herself. Her eyes widened in panic, her breath quickening. “If Magnus caught her…”

Luca took a deep breath and forced himself to think quickly. “No, no. If Magnus had fully uncovered her identity, we would have already heard about it—and we’d be the next target. That means there’s still time. Maybe he’s interrogating her, maybe he’s testing her. But she might not even be caught. Selena is smart and cunning. Maybe she’s hiding.”

Camille’s voice was sharp. “Then we have to find her! If Magnus is suspicious, he must never get his hands on her.”

Just then, a loud knock echoed through the door. Luca and Camille snapped their heads toward it simultaneously. They exchanged a brief glance. Instinctively, they checked their weapons and searched for anything nearby they could use to defend themselves. Another knock came—this time, more insistent.

They calculated their escape routes. If it was Magnus’s men, they were trapped. Camille’s eyes darted to the window, but jumping from the second floor was too risky.

Then, a voice from the other side of the door—barely above a whisper.

“Open up. Now.”

Luca recognized it. Selena. But her tone was colder, harsher than usual.

Cautiously, Luca unlocked the door. As Selena stepped inside, her face was shadowed, as if she had been hiding—or running—from someone. Her coat was dirt-stained, and her hair was a tangled mess, strands clinging to her sweat-drenched forehead. Her breath came in short, uneven gasps, and a faint tremor ran through her hands as she pulled the door shut behind her.

Camille took a step back, her relief quickly turning to concern. "What happened?"

Selena exhaled shakily, pressing her back against the closed door as if it were the only thing keeping her standing. "I... I had to lose a tail," she murmured. Her voice was hoarse, as if she had been holding her breath for too long. "There was someone watching me. Maybe more than one. I don't know if I lost them completely."

Camille’s stomach tightened. “Did Magnus send them?”

Selena let out a dry, humorless chuckle. "If he did, then he’s getting impatient. I had to take back alleys, switch routes, and even hide in a dumpster for a while.” She glanced down at herself, brushing off a few stray pieces of trash from her sleeve. "Not my finest moment."

Selena’s lips curled, but it wasn’t a smile. “There’s a problem. Magnus might know. But he’s not certain yet. I think he’s testing me.”

Luca frowned. “What did he do?”

Selena stepped further into the room, exhaustion evident in her expression. She reached into her pocket, pulled out a small metal device, and placed it on the table with a deep breath.

“I tore this off the door,” she said, her voice shaky but resolute. “But I’m sure Magnus is suspicious. We need to regain his trust. Also, I found the location of the warehouse we need to monitor. While Camille and I keep watch, Luca, you need to continue earning Magnus’s trust. If we don’t divert his attention, even the smallest mistake could ruin everything.”

Luca nodded, his voice steady. “Alright. I’ve already earned the lab workers’ trust and respect. If I keep this up, Magnus will accept me as well.”

Camille narrowed her eyes. “But for our plan to work, you need to stay away from the lab for a few days. While Selena and I investigate, we need to distract Magnus. If you skip the lab using school as an excuse, your absence won’t raise suspicion.”

Luca thought for a moment. “You’re right. Also, we need to talk to scientists like Dr. Selene Myr and form alliances. If our war against Magnus escalates, we’ll need people to back us up.” He hesitated slightly before adding, “But Professor Lionel Krane will never take our side. Magnus has money, so Krane will always choose him. Aldric Veil, on the other hand, is a different case. He does what he believes is right. If we have solid evidence, he might support us.”

Selena nodded in agreement. “There’s also a group called The Altruists. They’re known for their anti-system movements. If we gather strong enough proof, we could win public support.”

The plans were set. It was clear that Magnus suspected a war was coming. He just didn’t know against whom—but the sound of battle was drawing near.

The next morning, Luca went to the lab as usual, inspecting the newly arrived materials. The other researchers admired his diligence and got to work alongside him. He was starting to realize that his dedication was paying off. He had found something interesting—something that could be valuable to Magnus. Without hesitation, he decided to bring it to him.

As Luca meticulously went through the samples, something caught his eye—a faint but distinct reaction occurring in one of the vials under a specific temperature shift. He adjusted the microscope, his pulse quickening as the liquid inside stabilized rather than breaking down like the previous compounds had.

"No way..." he muttered, double-checking his notes. Every prior attempt at stabilizing biomutation had led to rapid decay, yet this one held firm. He tested it again. Same results.

Luca swallowed hard, realizing what he had just uncovered. If this worked as he suspected, it wasn’t just a minor breakthrough—it was the breakthrough Magnus had been searching for.

When he presented his findings, Magnus’s reaction was immediate. His usually composed demeanor cracked, and his eyes gleamed with a rare excitement. He leaned forward, fingers gripping the edge of the desk as he examined the data.

"This... finally!" Magnus exhaled, his voice filled with something close to reverence. "Luca, do you have any idea what this means?"

Luca hesitated for only a moment before nodding. "It means we’re one step closer to perfecting biomutation. But more importantly..." His fingers curled slightly. "It means I’m in."

Luca was taken aback. Magnus rarely showed this level of enthusiasm.

But this was an opportunity. He had gained Magnus’s trust—and now, he could dig deeper. He had obtained the stabilizing component for Chronotoxin, but his true goal lay ahead: Chronotoxin itself.

To research it, Luca needed to get even closer to Magnus. If he could study Chronotoxin, he could strike a devastating blow before the war even began.

Meanwhile, Camille and Selena had stationed themselves at their designated observation point near the warehouse. From a distance, they monitored everyone coming in and out. But after hours of watching, there was no activity.

Just as they were about to give up, Camille’s phone suddenly glitched with static interference. Their binoculars stopped working. And their cameras failed to record. A strange, distorted humming sound filled their ears.

“This can’t be a coincidence,” Selena whispered. “Something’s happening.”

At that moment, the warehouse’s massive metal doors slowly creaked open. A large, armored vehicle and a heavily loaded truck drove inside.

Magnus was using a powerful signal jammer—one capable of disrupting electronics from miles away.

Selena clenched her jaw. “That bastard… This warehouse is hiding something huge. I’ll destroy him. If we can get our hands on those security recordings, we win.”

Camille nodded. “But we don’t have enough evidence yet. We can’t get any closer for now. If we’re caught, everything is over.”

That night, Camille and Selena’s investigation hadn’t yielded the answers they wanted. But in a single day, Luca had gained far more than he expected.

He had earned Magnus’s favor.

But that also meant he was stepping into an even greater danger.