The moment Lucas stepped out of the car, a wall of brightness assaulted his eyes. He raised a hand to shield his face, squinting as the artificial lights around the towering structure cut through the night like miniature suns. The air outside was still and heavy, but all around the entrance, guards moved briskly, their presence reminding him this was not an ordinary place.
Amelia joined him on the pavement, her boots clicking against the ground. Her voice, calm but firm, broke the silence between them.
"I'm certain this is your first time here," she said.
Her eyes lifted toward the enormous steel-and-glass structure. Its polished surfaces gleamed under the floodlights, a proud monument of human design that almost looked out of place against the darkness of the night.
"Welcome to E.R.N.S."
Lucas stared up at it, but the weight pressing down on his chest refused to lift. The name, the grandeur, even the implied authority of this place—it meant nothing to him. His voice was flat when he replied.
"I'm wondering how long you plan to keep me here. I'm already tired of this… drama."
Amelia turned her head slightly, her usual expression unreadable. "I don't really know how long confirming your identity will take, but…" she paused, her eyes meeting his, "I will try my best to make sure you're free before nightfall."
Lucas bit back his first instinct to argue. He had already learned that words meant little here. Yet her phrasing struck him. Before nightfall. It was still night. Did she mean he would still be locked in here for an entire day?
His lips pressed into a thin line. "I don't really trust you," he admitted coldly, "but I hope you keep your word."
The surrounding squad members stiffened at his tone. To speak so bluntly to their squad leader was unheard of—but the memory of the blazing heat that had nearly crushed them earlier made them bite their tongues. None dared to challenge him.
Amelia merely gave the faintest of nods, as though unbothered.
At the back of the group, Dustin frowned, his voice a low mutter. "For someone who claims he's just a mundane human… he carries himself with way too much pride."
It was whispered softly, far from Lucas. And yet Lucas heard it—clear, distinct, as though the words had been placed directly into his ear. His frown deepened, but he said nothing. What is happening to me…?
He began walking toward the building, his mind storming. But once again, voices carried strangely.
Melissa moved to Amelia's side, her tone hushed. "I'm sure the elders would want to speak to us about this mission ."
It should have been impossible to hear. The distance was too great, and Melissa's whisper too faint. And yet, every syllable reached Lucas like she was speaking directly to him. His chest tightened. He wanted to deny it, to believe it was a trick of his mind, but the pattern was too consistent. Something had changed inside him.
The massive glass doors hissed open automatically as they approached, and Lucas stepped inside.
The building's interior was blindingly bright, almost painfully so. If he hadn't walked in straight from the night outside, he would have sworn it was still day.
People bustled across the wide atrium. beast tamers in uniform, and even ordinary civilians moved from one counter to another. Some stood at reception desks with beasts at their side—massive creatures that seemed calm under the watchful eyes of handlers.
Lucas's brow furrowed. The noise, the crowd, the constant motion—it pressed against his nerves like a suffocating blanket. He had no patience for this.
As though reading his thoughts, Amelia's calm voice cut through the din.
"Don't worry. Our destination isn't this floor. It's above."
Her hand pressed the elevator button. Lucas exhaled slowly, relieved at least that this chaos wasn't where he'd be stuck. Still, the tension inside him refused to settle.
The elevator chimed, its doors sliding open with a sharp ding. Three staff members stepped out, bowing quickly to Amelia as they passed. She ignored them entirely, her expression never shifting. Without hesitation, she stepped inside, her squad following. Lucas lingered only a second before joining them.
The ride upward was silent, heavy with unspoken tension. No one dared break it.
When the doors opened, Lucas was hit by a cool gust of air. It was different here—cleaner, sharper, almost soothing. His body relaxed slightly despite himself.
"Squad Leader Amelia!"
The voice came from across the room, carrying urgency and relief.
A young woman hurried toward them. She wore a crisp white blouse tucked into a black skirt, her blonde hair flowing neatly down her back. Her light red lipstick contrasted against her pale skin, but her worried expression overpowered all else.
"Thank goodness—you're okay," she said, stopping just before Amelia.
"Sophia." Amelia's acknowledgement was simple, but there was a flicker in her eyes.
"I don't know what happened," Sophia rushed on, "but our receivers were jammed and couldn't receive any messages or requests until not long ago when I received a message from the chief of the space monitoring force saying he has been trying to reach out to us but couldn't but he was later able to reach out to a B ranked squad leader which is you and he could only reluctantly send you on the mission possibly A , S or even SS ranked", Sophia nearly screamed when she mentioned the SS ranked part.
Amelia's expression didn't change. "How are you sure it was us?"
"Because the chief told me. He said the name the squad leader gave was Eagle Squad. That's you. But I still tried to call other B-ranked squads.
Every other squad leader answered—except you. And then," Sophia exhaled sharply, pointing, " then I saw it on the news Dustin's face was caught on camera during the broadcast."
Dustin stiffened. Amelia remained silent.
"So what now?" she asked simply.
Sophia's brows drew together. "I filed a report to the higher-ups already. I told them your squad may have been involved in an anomaly-level mission. That means an S-ranked squad could be dispatched immediately. If you hadn't returned within the next ten or twenty minutes, they would've come for you guys."
Amelia's calm was unshaken, though a spark of calculation flickered beneath it. She had known the risks. She had already accepted them.
"It's good you're back," Sophia sighed. "I'll cancel the emergency report and notify the higher-ups you're safe. But you know what comes next. You'll surely be questioned"
She turned to leave, then paused. Her head swiveled back, eyes narrowing.
"Wait… I thought the danger from outer space was neutralized? That's what the news said."
"It was," Amelia replied, her voice calm as stone.
"Then where is it?"
Amelia shifted aside, her hand motioning subtly. "Right behind me."
Lucas stepped into view. His frown was plain, his eyes sharp.
Sophia blinked, confusion flickering across her face before it melted into disbelief. "You're telling me… this handsome guy is the one who came from space?"
"He claims his name is Lucas Jeffrey," Amelia said.
Sophia's eyes widened. "The one who vanished in the Sky Tear? That boy?"
Lucas's jaw tightened.
"You actually remember that?" Amelia asked.
"Of course I do," Sophia chuckled faintly. "I have a good memory. But… he looks nothing like the pictures from back then."
Lucas's frown deepened, though he said nothing.
Sophia folded her arms. "So. What do you want to do with him?"
"That's why I need your help," Amelia said. "We need someone from your department with a truth-detection beast. You're the best option."
Sophia clicked her tongue. "I'd love to help, but I'm drowning in work. I still have to cancel that emergency report, clean up the mess, and handle my team. If you can wait an hour or two, maybe—"
Lucas's shoulders stiffened. The frustration was boiling up inside him, ready to spill.
Amelia stepped in smoothly. "We don't have that long. Find someone else. Anyone reliable."
Sophia tilted her head, thinking. "There is one option. A girl from the Beast Tamer Academy. She's only an intern, but she's here now."
Amelia's eyes flicked to Lucas, silent but questioning.
Lucas exhaled, his voice flat. "Anyone is fine—as long as I can leave here as soon as possible."