Ethan could clearly feel the trembling running through Lorna's slender body.
At that moment, the composure she had forced herself to maintain finally collapsed. The calm expression she had been wearing was nothing more than a fragile mask, and now the fear underneath was fully exposed. No matter how mature she tried to appear, she was still only a sixteen-year-old girl.
She was standing face to face with someone capable of defeating and capturing Magneto.
Against a person like that, resistance wasn't even something she could realistically consider.
Seeing the tension in her expression, Ethan didn't become hostile or serious. Instead, he chuckled softly, the relaxed sound immediately easing the suffocating atmosphere between them.
"There's something I should clarify first," he said calmly. "I'm not planning to harm your father. At the very least, one thing is certain—his life isn't in danger."
Lorna shook her head slowly.
"No… that's not what I'm worried about."
Her voice carried a strange mixture of honesty and exhaustion.
"Whether he lives or dies doesn't really have anything to do with me," she continued quietly. "What I want to know is what you plan to do with me."
Ethan raised an eyebrow, clearly amused by the question.
"Deal with you?" he repeated with a faint smile. "You might be overthinking things. Why would I need to deal with you?"
"Because I'm a mutant," Lorna answered without hesitation.
Watching her pretend to stay calm while fear lingered in her eyes was oddly entertaining to him. Ethan had to resist the urge to laugh outright.
"I'm not going to do anything to you," he said, shaking his head. "Relax. The reason I captured your father is simply because I need something from him. As for what that is, you don't need to know."
His tone remained firm and reassuring.
"You only need to remember one thing—I'm not going to hurt you."
Lorna stared at him carefully.
"Really?"
"Of course."
Hearing that answer seemed to release the tension she had been holding inside. Her shoulders relaxed slightly as the fear in her expression faded.
Only then did she seem to notice how close they were standing.
Instead of retreating awkwardly, she stepped back calmly and folded her arms, her posture regaining some of its previous confidence. There was no shy reaction or embarrassment, only a thoughtful silence as she studied him again.
The atmosphere between them gradually returned to normal.
After a moment, Lorna tilted her head slightly and asked another question.
"So… what kind of mutant ability do you have?"
Ethan chuckled.
"If we're talking about sincerity," he said, "shouldn't you go first?"
Lorna didn't hesitate.
"I can control magnetic force," she replied. "Like this."
She raised her hand toward a nearby bench.
The metal frame of the bench began to tremble faintly. A moment later, several pieces of metal slowly detached themselves and lifted into the air as if pulled by an invisible hand.
The fragments gathered together and compressed under an unseen force, gradually forming a compact metal sphere.
When she lowered her hand, the ball floated gently down into her palm.
"Something like that," Lorna explained. "I can control metal objects. My current strength isn't very high yet though. At most I can lift about one ton of metal, or manipulate three bullets in midair."
She spoke openly, showing no sign of hiding anything.
Ethan looked genuinely surprised by how straightforward she was being.
"When did your ability awaken?" he asked.
"A little over a month ago," Lorna replied. "I suddenly fell into a coma. When I woke up, the power had already appeared."
Ethan nodded thoughtfully.
Then he looked at her with a curious smile.
"You said earlier that I could help you," he said. "Why do you think that?"
For some reason, Lorna let out a quiet sigh.
She stepped closer to him again, though this time the movement felt more natural. Resting her weight slightly against the railing beside them, she spoke slowly.
"From the moment I realized I was a mutant, I understood something," she said. "My life will never return to being normal."
Her voice carried a trace of bitterness.
"As a mutant, ordinary humans will discriminate against me sooner or later. That's just reality."
She paused briefly.
"My biological father is fighting for the status of mutants in society. But in my opinion… the direction he chose is wrong."
Her gaze lowered slightly.
"He's too extreme. The reason mutants live in such a difficult environment today is partly because of the path he chose."
Then she continued.
"And honestly, I don't completely agree with Professor Charles either. Mutants do need to fight for their rights, but the methods shouldn't be so passive."
Lorna lifted her hand again.
The metal sphere in her palm floated upward and slowly unfolded in the air. The smooth surface flattened into a thin sheet before splitting into several smaller plates.
Under her precise control, the pieces rearranged themselves.
Gradually they formed the rough shape of a miniature house.
"For example," she said while guiding the floating structure, "if I used my ability on construction sites, I could reduce the need for heavy machinery. That alone could save huge amounts of time and labor."
The small metal house continued rotating slowly in midair.
"And that's just the most obvious use. If abilities like mine were applied to research or manufacturing, mutants could contribute enormous value to society."
Ethan raised an eyebrow.
Now he was genuinely surprised.
Was this really the volatile and impulsive Polaris from the stories he remembered?
Her views were incredibly balanced and rational.
Who exactly shaped her into this kind of person? Ethan wondered silently.
For the first time, he realized his understanding of this world's history might not be as accurate as he believed.
Seeing the strange expression on his face, Lorna shrugged casually.
"You don't need to look at me like that," she said.
"I'm different from most mutants."
Her voice was calm but firm.
"I have my own beliefs."
.....
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