"So it was him."
Sol stared at the photo in the file.
The name printed beneath it read:
Chris Tucker
For several seconds, nothing happened.
Then the memory surfaced.
A faint ripple through the previous host's mind—an old fragment suddenly clicking into place.
Sol's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Right… that guy."
After thinking for a moment, he finally remembered where he had seen him before.
Chris Tucker.
The man who had started everything.
The reason the previous host had even gotten the idea to steal someone's jewelry in the first place.
Back then, the previous host had fallen in with a group tied to a larger gang operating in the city. Not core members—just an outsider circle that handled smaller jobs.
They had noticed his ability.
Not powerful.
But useful.
Useful enough for theft.
They had approached him with smiles and promises. Easy money. Quick work. No real risk.
All he had to do was sneak in and grab a piece of jewelry.
They showed him the store beforehand.
Explained the timing.
Told him they would create a distraction.
Chris Tucker himself had planned the job.
The previous host had entered nervously, heart pounding as the gang members outside caused a commotion to draw attention away.
Everything had seemed to be working.
Until it wasn't.
The store owner turned at the wrong moment.
He was caught red-handed.
Panic took over.
The previous host shoved the man away with his ability and ran for the door.
And the moment he stepped outside—
Enforcers were already there.
Too fast.
Far too fast.
Sol frowned slightly.
"They arrived almost immediately…"
The memory replayed in his mind.
The previous host had tried to escape.
One thing led to another.
And in the chaos, he accidentally killed one of the enforcers.
After that, everything spiraled out of control.
He was captured.
Dragged away.
And eventually sent to the research institute.
Sol tapped the photograph lightly.
Something about the entire situation had always felt wrong.
The previous host had only wanted money.
Money to bring home.
To help his family.
Yet somehow the gang—normally ruthless and indifferent—had suddenly become helpful.
Friendly.
They had practically arranged the entire theft for him.
Sol looked down at the photo again.
"I guess I have a lot of questions to ask this guy."
His eyes flicked across the rest of the file.
Recruitment target.
Ability user.
Sol raised an eyebrow.
"So they want to recruit him… meaning he's an ability user."
That part surprised him.
In the previous host's memories, Chris Tucker had simply been known as a gang leader—one of the people organizing the outsider group.
The kid had barely interacted with him directly.
But the face was unmistakable.
"I didn't know he was an ability user" Sol muttered.
Luke's voice suddenly cut in.
"Sol, is there a problem?"
Sol looked up.
Luke was watching him closely.
Sol closed the file and shook his head.
"No problem."
But a thought still lingered in his mind.
If the previous host was tricked…
Sol's eyes darkened slightly.
Then this mission might end before it even starts.
If that gang had played some role in setting the previous host up—
Then the moment Sol saw Chris Tucker again…
There would only be one outcome.
And if that happened—
The recruitment mission would fail.
Because the Insurgency wouldn't be recruiting anyone.
They'd be burying a corpse instead.
"Good," Luke said. "Go get ready. We leave in half an hour."
He pushed the office door open and stepped out.
Sol stood.
"I'll head back too if there's nothing else."
Finn studied him quietly.
Then he asked casually,
"Sol… after everything we talked about earlier, aren't you curious?"
Sol paused near the door.
"Curious about what?"
Finn folded his hands on the desk.
"The enemy we're facing."
"The people in the government we're fighting."
"And the aliens that keep appearing on our planet."
His tone remained gentle.
But his eyes were sharp.
Finn rarely met people who could keep things hidden from him.
Even when he wasn't actively reading minds, he could still sense emotions… surface thoughts… the subtle ripples people unconsciously projected.
It made him excellent at interrogation.
An almost perfect lie detector.
His ability wasn't powerful.
But it was incredibly useful.
Yet for some reason—
Sol was a blind spot.
Nothing.
No emotional fluctuations.
No stray thoughts.
No mental echoes.
Just silence.
It was like trying to read a stone wall.
"When the time comes," Sol said with a casual smile, "I'll know."
And with that, he walked out.
Finn watched the door close.
Then sighed softly.
"For someone so young…"
He leaned back in his chair.
"…he's far more composed than I expected."
It seemed certain responsibilities could indeed be entrusted to him.
Especially now.
The Keres were becoming more active.
Attacks were increasing.
The aliens appeared randomly all across the planet.
And the worst part—
Human technology couldn't detect them.
No signals.
No warnings.
They simply appeared.
And attacked.
Finn had no choice but to rely on government cooperation.
Unfortunately…
Internal conflicts between different government sectors had crippled many operations.
Some missions failed before they even began.
And rumors had begun circulating.
Disturbing rumors.
That certain factions within the government were attempting contact with the Keres.
Negotiations.
Agreements.
Even cooperation.
The mere thought made Finn's jaw tighten.
Things were becoming dangerously complicated.
Too many problems.
Too few reliable people.
Which was why he didn't regret pulling Sol in early.
If Sol could hear Finn's inner thoughts—
He would probably laugh.
Composed, my ass.
Sol simply didn't care what happened to most of these people.
That was all.
Back at the Apartment
"Hey, Sol!"
Several ability users from the cafeteria were lounging in the common area playing cards.
They all looked up when he walked in.
"Sol," Lisa called out, tossing a card onto the table. "What did Luke want?"
Sol stopped beside them.
"Just going to find someone," he said casually. "Looks like we'll be getting a new teammate soon."
"Really?"
"Who is it?"
"Nice! Another one joining?"
Excitement immediately spread around the table.
Ability users naturally gravitated toward each other.
It wasn't hatred toward normal humans.
Just distance.
The same feeling someone might have meeting a fellow countryman in a foreign land.
A strange sense of belonging.
"Why you though?" Jassmine asked suddenly.
There was a faint edge in her voice.
They had all been here longer than Sol.
Why was Luke taking him on missions?
Just because he was strong?
Please.
She could fly.
And spit acid.
"Maybe Luke just needed a driver," Sol shrugged.
He didn't bother explaining further.
Instead, he headed to his room.
Changed clothes.
Prepared a few things.
And soon—
It was time to leave.
Luke was already waiting near a black sedan.
"Luke."
"Sol."
They exchanged simple greetings before getting into the car.
The engine started.
The vehicle rolled onto the road.
After a few minutes, Luke spoke.
"Sol, mind if I ask you something?"
"Sure. What's on your mind?"
Luke kept his eyes on the road.
"Do you think humans and ability users can truly understand each other?"
"Live together peacefully?"
Sol blinked.
Wow.
Straight to the deep end.
"Most people believe they can, after all, we're all humans" Sol replied.
"But what about you?"
Sol considered the question briefly.
"I'm not sure."
Luke glanced sideways.
Sol shrugged.
"I'm still a kid, remember? Not exactly qualified to solve humanity's biggest social problem."
Then he added,
"But… look at racial issues in places like the United States. African Americans, minorities… even after centuries, acceptance isn't complete."
He rested an arm against the door.
"So if ability users and normal humans ever truly coexist without fear or hostility…"
"It'll take a long time."
Luke nodded slowly.
"Why do you ask?" Sol said.
"Just making conversation."
Sol gave him a sideways look.
Conversation, huh?
It felt more like Luke was probing his views.
Testing him.
But Sol didn't push it.
The car continued down the highway.
Quiet.
Steady.
In a brightly lit carnival buzzed with noise.
Music.
Laughter.
Children running between booths.
At one small game stall, a man lounged lazily in a chair.
Chris Tucker looked like a giant orange tabby cat basking in sunlight.
Relaxed.
Half asleep.
A glowing light bulb sat on the table in front of him.
"Hey," a girl said, pointing. "How does this work?"
Chris slowly opened one eye.
The blonde girl looked excited.
Her boyfriend stood beside her.
"It's easy," Chris said lazily. "Turn off the light, win a prize."
"One dollar. Two tries."
The girl immediately paid.
She flipped the switch.
Click.
The light stayed on.
"Okay… suspicious."
She unplugged the cord.
The bulb kept glowing.
Now she frowned.
Her boyfriend grabbed the bulb and twisted it out of the socket.
It still glowed.
Silently floating in his hand.
"Freak," the man muttered.
Understanding dawned immediately.
They had been scammed.
The boyfriend grabbed the girl's hand and walked away quickly, not even bothering to argue.
Chris leaned back again.
Totally unconcerned.
"Looks like our little lightning boy is doing just fine," a voice said nearby.
In the crowd, a skinny man with sharp eyes grinned widely.
He turned toward the man beside him.
"Wouldn't you say, Rick?"
Rick didn't answer.
The skinny man didn't care.
Still smiling, he began walking straight toward Chris's booth.