Lucy and Derek had spent a fair amount of time together, and in that time, Lucy had come to realize what a genuinely kind person Derek was. She had attempted several times to pull off the stunt Michael had asked of her, but each time, something held her back.
No matter how hard she tried, she just couldn't bring herself to go through with it.
And she definitely knew Derek was suspicious about her already, because each she was with the box, each time she was reluctantly, Derek was always noticing even if he didn't speak his expression said it all. Lucy knew she had to tread with caution or else she might just blow up her cover
Her eyes flicked to the small black box resting on her lap. With a sigh, she carefully placed it back into her bag. She had seen what Derek was going through lately—how much pressure he was under—and she knew better than to cause him even more harm.
She wasn't entirely sure of the full extent of his internal struggles, but she knew enough. And somehow, that knowledge made her feel something close to pity. For starters, he was a genius who believed he was dumb. The irony stung. How long could he stay in the dark about his brilliance? Sooner or later, he'd have to realize it… he was a genius, wasn't he?
Lucy began drifting into her thoughts, the exhaustion of the flight weighing heavily on her. Eventually, her eyelids fluttered shut, and sleep claimed her.
Time passed.
After what felt like a short while, the airplane finally landed. Passengers began to disembark, stretching tired limbs and gathering their belongings.
Miss Alison led the group, and Lucy and Derek followed her along with the rest of the candidates. Together, they moved toward the massive building ahead of them—a sleek structure of glass and steel that loomed like a futuristic palace.
When they reached the entrance, they discovered that the day's activities wouldn't begin as expected. Instead, each candidate was required to pass through a teleportation chamber that would take them directly to their assigned lodging. The actual competition would start tomorrow.
Derek and Lucy waited patiently in line as the others slowly moved forward. Miss Alison and Mr. Austin used the opportunity to say their goodbyes and headed off to check into their own hotel rooms, leaving the students to continue on their own.
Finally, it was Lucy and Derek's turn. They stepped into the chamber, and within seconds, their surroundings changed. The world around them shimmered and dissolved into soft blue light. Moments later, they found themselves in separate rooms, thoughtfully prepared by the company hosting the competition.
They were clearly expecting a large number of participants this year.
---
Derek glanced around his assigned room. It was simple but comfortable. He'd unpacked a few things and knew that the next day would be demanding, possibly life-changing. He didn't want to overwork his brain, so he figured it was best to get some rest.
But just as he was about to turn off the lights, he remembered something.
He sat up abruptly and walked over to the small table near the wall, taking a seat. His fingers tapped gently against the surface as he muttered, "Does this room have any AI network system?"
Silence.
After a few moments with no response, he pulled out his phone. It was probably a safe assumption—there was no AI system here. Good.
Quickly, he opened his gallery and found the photo he'd taken earlier on the plane. In it, Lucy was holding the box again. He had always sensed a strange reluctance from her whenever she interacted with it. There was something off. Suspicious.
Tonight, he decided, he would act.
Just as Derek was about to forward the image to the SkyTech research portal, a sharp knock echoed from the door.
"Who's there?" Derek asked, standing up cautiously.
"It's the board," came a calm but firm voice.
He hesitated for a moment, then unlocked the door. Standing there was a man dressed in a plain dark uniform, his expression unreadable. The man walked briskly past him and headed straight to the table, grabbing the phone Derek had just set down.
"I'm here to inform you of the rules for the next stage of the competition," the man said without looking up.
Derek blinked, startled. "What?"
Each person was sent to check on an inmate by the management. The man had knocked on the door before he sighted the device in the table.
Then, just as abruptly, he turned to leave.
"My phone," Derek called out instinctively.
The man paused at the door. "Devices like that aren't allowed here. It's unfortunate you weren't caught earlier. If higher authorities had seen this, you'd be on your way back home already."
And with that, he was gone.
Derek stood frozen, completely thrown off by the encounter. Exhausted and annoyed, he collapsed onto the bed. There was no point dwelling on it now. He needed rest. Tomorrow could change everything.
---
"Hello, how are you doing today?"
"Have you done it?" came Michael's voice, low and demanding.
"No, babe, I will… just give me some—"
The line cut abruptly.
Tears welled up in Lucy's eyes as she lowered the phone. Her hands trembled. She didn't want to do it—not just because of fear for her own safety, but for Derek's too. He had no idea what danger he might be in, and part of her couldn't bear to be the reason he got hurt.
Still, she loved Michael. And the fear of losing him was just as real.
She sat motionless on her bed, silent tears tracing paths down her cheeks. The pressure was unbearable.
After a while, she wiped her face, her gaze settling on the bag beside her.
On the box.
"I've seen a lot already," she whispered bitterly. "Derek surely isn't suffering more than I have."
But even as she said it, doubt flickered in her heart.
Eventually, a hard glint settled in her eyes. She made up her mind. She had to prove to Michael that she was worth his time. This, as terrible as it was, seemed like the only way.
With that, Lucy lay down and pulled the covers over herself, her mind a storm of regret and resolve.
---
The next morning dawned bright and clear—a surprisingly sunny Monday.
Derek, along with nearly every other candidate, followed the instructions from the night before. They were all up and ready before the seven o'clock deadline, lining up as robots arrived at each room to escort them.
Soon, they were all gathered in a grand hall. The space was vast, lined with tiered seats. One side was reserved for candidates, the other for spectators.
Derek sat in the third row, a position he found oddly comfortable. He scanned the room, noting the sheer scale of the operation. This was bigger than anything he'd expected.
After a few minutes of quiet settling, a woman with sharp features and dark brown hair stepped onto the podium. She didn't speak right away, waiting patiently as journalists finished entering the hall.
Cameras clicked, lights flashed.
Finally, when the room had stilled, she began.
"Good morning, everyone. First and foremost, I want to thank you for making the time to be here. For those of you who purchased tickets—we say thank you," she said, glancing down at her notes as flashes continued to burst around her.
Each ticket had been sold at $100 or 0.00000001 Bitcoin. Special seats cost $1,000, while VIP access had gone for $5,000.
"Now, onto the day's event," she said, her eyes turning to the contestants.