The Lower Basement

"Welcome to your room!" I said presenting a room with a king-size bed, dresser, and television. "These are just a few basic things but everything else you have to provide you know like clothes and other decor," I explained to Luciel, who looked dumbfounded as we walked in and looked around the room. "So what do you think?"

"It's very spacious and the bed is huge, are you sure I can live here?" Luciel asked.

"Of course, the last part of the contract ensures that you get a place to stay since most of the experiments will happen on sight plus I'm going to need to monitor you before and after each experiment," I explained.

"Alright, so when is the first experiment?" Luciel asked, taking a seat on the bed.

"Bright and early tomorrow morning, we'll be experimenting on the range and duration of your manifestation, "

"Alright," Luciel said.

"Be sure to get a good night's rest and if you need anything I'll be in the basement working on something. Feel free to come downstairs if you need anything, oh and if Katsuo asks you I went home last night, "

"Is he going to ask?"

"Most likely," I said exiting the room.

"Hey, I'm coming with you," Luciel said following me out of the room.

"Really?" I said turning around to face Luciel.

"Might as well, I know I'll be bored up here plus I'd love to know what the famous Director is coming up with," Luciel said mocking me.

"Wouldn't everyone?" I asked playing along.

"So what are you working on?" Luciel asked.

"Can't tell you, it's top-secret," I said.

"Top secret, eh? Does Katsuo know?" Luciel asked.

"Nope but he's determined to stop me from working on it and get this thing called a good night's rest," I said playfully rolling my eyes.

"If it's top-secret shouldn't you be stopping me from coming along with you?"

"I could but based on its design it's absolutely impossible for anyone to figure out what it is, plus I doubt you'd figure out what it is even with a thousand years of guessing," I explained as we got into the elevator. I opened the control panel and flipped a switch and the elevator took us down. "Wow, you really emphasize secret,"

"Of course, I never make anything that isn't both a danger to society and helpful to manifestation-kind,"

"If it poses a threat wouldn't you be stopped?" Luciel questioned.

"Yes but the threat they pose comes with any equipment or costume made within the facility," I explained. "Every product could be used for anything, personally I believe making them that way makes it better,"

"Why would making them more dangerous make them better?" Luciel asked.

"The inventions I make are on a different scale compared to the ones made by the other inventors. As a Normal, it's physically impossible for me to use these inventions myself, thus explaining all the research I need to do. Compared to the inventors here, I've rarely been around manifestations for the first 9 years of my life and even now with the research I do it still isn't enough. Manifestations are humanity's greatest development and in order to keep progressing, we all need to move forward, manifestation or not," I say looking into Luciel's eyes with a sombre expression.

"I guess that makes sense," Luciel said turning away from me, "So you're a Normal?"

"Yeah, you couldn't tell?" I asked giving him an awkward smile as we got out of the elevator and walked up to a large metal door.

"No, I just sensed that you were manifested," Lucel said looking at me from head to toe.

"Really? There's no way that's possible basically every manifested person can tell that I'm a Normal," I said as I scanned my left eye and gave my index fingerprint.

"Yeah but did you know the manifested are able to sense each other based on aura alone," Luciel said as we walked into the lower basement, revealing all of my past projects, blueprints, sketches, and prototypes.

"I have heard that the manifested usually use a type of aura which allows them to actually use their manifestation to sense out who is manifested," I said geeking over Luciel, "How does it work?"

"I dunno, just does," Luciel said plainly.

"What exactly do you feel when you sense another manifested?" I asked as Luciel backed up into a wall.

"Well, right now I feel an uneasiness," Luciel said giving me a light push. "And before you ask, it's not because of the aura I sense,"

"Then what is it?" I said getting closer again.

"Seriously?" Luciel said sighing, "Nevermind that right now, let's just focus on the aura thing and people skills later,"

"I don't need people skills," I said taking offence to his statement.

"Sure you don't," Luciel said rolling his eyes, "Now back to your question about what I sensed. It varies per person, when I sensed Katsuo it felt like a coldness was coming over me,"

"That makes a lot of sense since his manifestation is ice-related," I explained.

"Good to know, although when I sensed you it was pretty small, like a nightlight," he said.

"Ridiculous, I have no manifestation," I protested.

"Yeah, yeah I heard you the first time," Luciel said looking around at a few blueprints. "Woah this picture sucks, how old were you when you drew this?"

"Put that down," I said while grabbing the blueprint out of his hands. I took a look at the blueprint and smiled. I rolled up the blueprint and put it in a bin under one of my desks. "I should probably walk you back to your room,"

"But I thought y-"

"It's fine, I decided I need a walk instead so I'll be out,"

"Well let me come with you, it's dark out," he said.

"You need to sleep, we have testing tomorrow,"

"It's fine, I barely sleep anyway,"

"No, go to your room," I told him.

"I'm not letting you go out there all by yourself,"

"I'll be fine, wait what do you care?"

"I have a feeling Katsuo wouldn't be too happy if you had gone missing,"

"Fine but only because I don't want Katsuo breathing down my neck any more than he already does," I said exiting the lower basement with Luciel, "Just don't be a nuisance,"