Chapter 12 : Episode 11 – The Originals I

The following day, Lucias entered the college gates, surrounded by the familiar buzz of students in the air. However, everything seemed different now—remote, isolated. The burden of the last few days loomed over him like a shadowy cloud. While walking across campus, a group of friends his Alter had formed called out to him, waving and shouting salutations.

"Hey, Lucias! You coming to the café later?".

Lucias glanced at them but said nothing, his face blank, his mind elsewhere. They exchanged confused looks, whispering among themselves as he walked away. He wasn't trying to be rude—it as if their voices barely registered. His thoughts churned with what he had learned at Stargent, the lingering memory of Tazer's bloodlust, and the heavy realization of what his Alter was capable of.

Upon entering the classroom, he instinctively moved tohis familiar table, taking a seat and powering up his laptop. For a few minutes, he gazed at the empty screen, his thoughts far away. He was only snapped back to reality when he noticed motion in his peripheral vision. It was Mia.

She entered the classroom, her presence drawing his attention like a magnet. For a moment like usual maybe she would sit next to him, like always. Maybe they could talk. But Mia didn't even glance his way. She walked past him, her face expressionless, and sat on the far side of the room.

Lucias's heart sank. He knew why. It wasn't her fault. It was his Alter—the lunatic expression on his face, the bloodlust she had seen, the destruction he had nearly caused. He had no words to explain it to her. He simply stared at her from a distance, his guilt weighing heavily on him. But deep in his mind- He know his Alter just want to protect them. 

The lecture started, and Dr. Sarah walked in, her keen eyes scanning the students. She started her lesson. Lucias attempted to concentrate, yet the words scarcely got to him. He looked at his laptop screen, which remained empty, with his fingers hovering over the keyboard. The classroom appeared to fade around him, a fog of sounds and activity that he couldn't break through.

Dr. Sarah paused mid-sentence, her eyes narrowing as she noticed Lucias's lack of focus. She said nothing for now, continuing the lecture, but her gaze lingered on him more than once.

When the class ended, students began filing out, chatter filling the room. Lucias packed up his things, ready to leave as quickly as possible. But before he could, Dr. Sarah called out, "Lucias, a word after class."

He froze, then turned to face her, his expression neutral. "Yes, Dr. Sarah?"

She gestured for him to come closer. When the room was empty, she folded her arms and studied him. "You've been distracted. What's going on?"

Lucias hesitated. He could sense her piercing gaze, like she could see through every layer he had built to hide what was happening. He forced a shrug. "It's nothing. I'm just… tired."

Dr. Sarah's eyes softened slightly, but she didn't relent. "Lucias, I've seen enough to know that's not true. Your condition—it's affecting you, isn't it?"

His heart skipped a beat. How much did she know? "Condition?" he asked.

She leaned forward slightly, her voice low but steady. "You don't have to pretend. You can just tell me."

Lucias stiffened, his mind racing. How could she know? Had she been involved with Stargent somehow? He opened his mouth to ask, but then stopped himself. It didn't matter. None of it mattered.

"Don't worry about it," he said abruptly, his tone flat. "I'm fine."

Dr. Sarah frowned, clearly unconvinced. "Lucias—"

"Never mind," he interrupted, grabbing his bag and slinging it over his shoulder. "Thanks, but I'm good. Really."

Before she could respond, he turned and walked out of the room, leaving her standing there, her concern etched across her face. As he exited the building, the weight in his chest grew heavier. He wasn't sure what to do anymore.

As Lucias walked out of the college gates, the late afternoon sun cast long shadows on the pavement. His footsteps were heavy, his mind an endless torrent of thoughts. It all swirled together like a storm inside him.

He adjusted the strap of his bag on his shoulder and sighed, staring at the cracks on the road beneath his feet. His path was aimless, the thought of going home only offering a fraction of comfort. As he turned the corner leading out of the campus, he froze.

There she was—Mia.

She stood by the edge of the sidewalk, her back leaning against a lamppost, . Her face was turned slightly downward, lost in her phone.He hadn't spoken to her since the his Alter take control. He wanted to tell her everything. He wanted to apologize, his Alter just want to protect them and to explain that he was back —the real Lucias.

But as he stood there, watching her, he couldn't move. He didn't deserve to explain himself. Not after what happen. 

He lowered his gaze and decided to walk past her. Maybe she wouldn't notice. Maybe he could just leave this moment behind like all the others he had abandoned. His footsteps quickened, and for a moment, it seemed like he might succeed. But then her voice cut through the stillness.

"Lucias… you're back."

He froze in place. The simple, soft words struck him like a blow. Slowly, he turned his head halfway toward her, his face shadowed by the fading light.

Mia took a step closer, her voice trembling slightly. "Why didn't you tell me you were back?"

Lucias tightened his jaw, his thoughts urging him to turn back. To depart. To prevent this. Yet the tone of her voice—the optimism, the uncertainty—held him firmly in place. He turned to look at her completely, his face revealing nothing.

"No," he said as he cutting her off before she could say more.

Mia blinked, her face twisting with confusion. "What do you mean, 'no'? Lucias you'r—"

"Lucias not coming back," he interrupted, his voice sharper now, tinged with something heavy and final.

Mia stared at him, her brows furrowing. "What are you talking about? You're here, aren't you? You're Lucias—"

"No," he said again, shaking his head. "I'm not. Not the Lucias you knew. Not anymore."

His words hung in the air between them, each syllable weighted with pain. For a moment, Mia was speechless, her mouth opening slightly but no words coming out. Her hands clenched at her sides as she tried to process what he was saying.

"Then… who are you now?" she finally asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Lucias didn't answer. Instead, he gave her a look— filled with sorrow, regret, and something else she couldn't quite place. Without another word, he turned away, his footsteps echoing on the pavement as he walked past her.

Mia reached out instinctively, as if to stop him, but her hand froze mid-air. "Lucias…" she called softly, her voice trembling. But he didn't stop. He didn't even look back.

As he disappeared down the street, Mia stood there, her heart heavy with unanswered questions. Something he was carrying that he refused to share. Whatever it was, it was tearing him apart.

The clock ticked away, hour after hour, as Lucias sat in his room, consumed by the chaos of his thoughts. His mind was a battlefield, caught between questions that refused to give him peace. Tazer. Stargent. His Alter.

"What…what am I supposed to do?" Lucias murmured, his voice just above a whisper. His hands grasped his head, attempting to comprehend everything. He recalled the child—the odd boy who posed that riddle-like inquiry: "In a space enveloped in shadow, your desire is to seek the light." In a brightly lit room, you must be cautious of the shadows lurking in the corners. "What do you discover when light and shadow equalize the space?"

The words haunted him, their meaning just out of reach. He exhaled sharply, frustration boiling within him. "What are you trying to tell me?" he whispered. "You're supposed to protect me, right? Protect us?" almost as if asking his Alter

There was silence—cold, deafening silence.

Lucias stared at the reflection in the window, almost expecting his Alter to answer, to appear in the reflection as he had done so many times before. But there was nothing. The absence was both unsettling and suffocating. "Say something," he said louder, desperation creeping into his tone. "Just… anything damn it."

Still, nothing. The silence felt like a rejection, a void that swallowed every ounce of his hope. Lucias clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palms. "Maybe… maybe you're not coming back," he whispered, his voice trembling.

Meanwhile, at one of Stargent's secondary headquarters, Disaster unfolded.

The buzz of machines was disrupted by the noise of sirens and shouting. Agents hurried through the corridors, weapons ready, as a shadow swept across the structure like a tempest. One at a time, they collapsed, unaware, some not even perceiving the danger approaching. Documents strewn, gear broken, and the previously safe establishment was plunged into utter chaos.

Tazer moved through the carnage with a calm yet menacing demeanor, crimson eyes glow faintly. His every step exuded a bloodlust. He wasn't here for destruction—this was a message.

In the control room of Stargent's primary headquarters, Nathan stood watching the live feed from the monitors. The scene of the unconscious agents and Tazer's smirk filled him with rage. Tazer's voice echoed from the hacked speakers: "Send your little cavalry here. I'm not done having fun yet."

Nathan slammed his fist against the desk. "I'm going" he growled, turning toward the exit.

"Nathan," the Director called out firmly.

Nathan stopped but didn't turn to face him. "Don't stop me. Not now."

The Director's voice softened slightly, though the gravity of his words remained. "I'm not stopping you. I'm telling you to buy us time."

Nathan turned his head slightly, catching the Director's determined gaze. He nodded. "Understood."

Without another word, Nathan stormed out as he rushed to confront Tazer.

Back in his room, Lucias sat motionless, staring blankly at the floor. His mind had gone quiet, but the silence wasn't empty—it was sharp, filled with a sense of clarity. Slowly, his eyes widened as the pieces of the puzzle began to fall into place. The kid's words echoed in his mind again, this time resonating differently:

"In a space enveloped in shadow, your desire is to seek the light. In a brightly lit room, you must be cautious of the shadows lurking in the corners. "What do you discover when light and shadow equalize the space?"

His breathing quickened as the answer dawned on him.

Lucias stood up, his hands trembling slightly as a new resolve filled his chest. "I know what I have to do now," he said to himself, his voice firm. He glanced at his reflection in the window, this time not with fear or desperation but with determination. "I have to do it."

At the secondary headquarters, Nathan arrived, his aura blazing as he confronted Tazer amidst the wreckage. But far away, in his quiet room, Lucias's journey toward understanding his true self had only just begun.