Chapter 13: Red Sky Below

 📍 Scene 1: GOC HQ – Medical Bay, Three Days Later

Lucas slowly opened his eyes, the dim lights of the infirmary blinking above him. His body still ached from the overuse of the Eye of the King. A soft beep sounded beside him, tracking his vitals.

The door opened with a hydraulic hiss.

A man in a long, silver coat stepped in—tall, broad-shouldered, grizzled, and commanding an aura that almost crushed the air around him.

On his coat were seven stars, stitched in black and crimson.

Nickcoles Mash.

One of the 7-Star Division.

Father of Nick.

Lucas (grinning faintly):

"Oh… you're real. Thought you were a bedtime story Nick made up."

Nickcoles (gruffly):

"You're lucky you're awake. Another few hours and you'd have burned that tech into your skull. That eye's not a toy."

Lucas (smirking):

"Right. By the way, when Nick finds out you're here… he'll probably try to kill you."

Nickcoles (raising an eyebrow):

"So don't tell him."

They both chuckled—but Lucas's eyes dimmed, and he turned his head toward the window.

Nickcoles:

"…You want to tell me how you got that eye?"

Lucas took a deep breath.

🧠 Scene 2: Flashback – The Day Everything Changed

Lucas (softly):

"It was a Saturday. Evening. I was… what, six? I was outside, playing with sticks like they were swords. Dad was cooking. He always burned the onions."

A bitter smile crept onto his face.

Lucas:

"Then… she came home. My mom. Bleeding. Limping. Her GOC suit torn. I didn't understand at first."

"Lucas—Lucas, baby, come here!"

Lucas (eyes clouding):

"She gave my dad a black box. He didn't say a word. He just grabbed me. My mom kissed my forehead. And then…"

BOOM.

"The house blew up. Everything. Just… gone."

Nickcoles stood quietly, hands folded behind his back.

Lucas:

"Years passed. Dad never told me anything. But one day, I snuck into his locked room and found the box."

He looked at Nickcoles, voice barely above a whisper.

Lucas:

"When I opened it, the eye… jumped out. Like it wanted me. It burrowed itself into me. My dad ran in and sealed it. It locked into my skull so tight I still hear it tick sometimes."

⚡ Scene 3: Another Secret

Lucas's face hardened.

Lucas:

"Months later… I was with Nick. We were playing. Laughing. Then out of nowhere… a Neuroxin. Type 1. Lunged at us."

His hands gripped the edge of the bed.

Lucas:

"Nick jumped in front of me. I screamed at the thing."

Nickcoles:

"What happened?"

Lucas:

"It… stopped. Then—sliced itself apart. Like something made it obey."

Nickcoles (narrowing his eyes):

"The Eye of the King. Activated by instinct."

Lucas (softly):

"I was shaking. I thought Nick would run away from me. But instead… he hugged me."

🎙️ Flashback Dialogue

Young Nick (serious):

"You don't use that again. Okay? Never. This is our secret."

Young Lucas (sniffling):

"Promise…"

Lucas (looking at the ceiling):

"And we never spoke about it again. Until now."

Nickcoles nodded, silent. Then, he put a hand on Lucas's shoulder.

Nickcoles:

"My son chose well. You're more human than half the officers in this damn organization."

Lucas:

"…Thank you."

⚔️ Scene 4: Red Sky Below – Nick's Solo Mission

📍 Location: Ruins of Crimson Reach, Outer Zone

Nick stood alone under the blood-red skies of the dead zone. He had volunteered for a solo mission to protect Lucas and buy time for the GOC to regroup.

Neuroxins crawled across the shattered earth—twisted, charred Type 1 flame-beasts and two Type 2 pyromancers coordinating their assault.

Nick (stretching):

"Alright, monsters. You burned the wrong city."

He tapped his chest—his Berserk module clicked.

Nick (grinning):

"Let's dance."

💥 Fight Scene: The Red Spiral

FWOOOM!

A fire-Neuroxin lunged—Nick slammed it into the earth, leaving a smoking crater.

Another shot fire spikes—Nick caught one mid-air and threw it back into its mouth.

The two Type 2s summoned a fire vortex.

Nick (smirking, wiping blood):

"Lucas would say something smart right now."

"But me? I go through."

He charged through the fire, engulfed in flames, but immune in his berserk state. He crushed the first one with a flaming German suplex and stabbed the other with a pipe torn from the ground.

Smoke cleared. Ash floated.

Nick stood, panting, bloodied but grinning.

Nick (looking at the sky):

"Stay safe, Lucas. I'm coming back stronger."