Heroes of Veridia: Evelyn's Journey

Vivian's eyes glinted as she observed the flowers and vines gracefully wrapping around Victor, rejuvenating him. "You're really lucky, you know," she said, her voice soft but filled with admiration. "Not just anyone gets a gift like that. If it hadn't worked, you'd be looking at a very different outcome."

Evelyn turned her head slightly, keeping her gaze fixed on the flowers blooming around her father. "Different how?" she asked, her tone almost uninterested, though she already had a sense of where the conversation was going.

"Modified human," Vivian replied, crossing her arms. "If the serum had failed, you'd have to make the choice. Join the rest of us giftless in becoming tools, machines that can fight but never feel. At least now, you won't have to go through that transformation."

Evelyn's lips curled into a slight, sardonic smile. She knew what it meant to be "modified"—traded humanity for cold efficiency, becoming something closer to a weapon than a person. But the irony wasn't lost on her. She didn't want to be anyone's tool, least of all Victor's. "Lucky, indeed," she murmured, though the weight behind her words was laced with something darker.

Vivian, completely unaware of Evelyn's inner turmoil, continued, "And with your gift being nature... I think you'll be unstoppable. Imagine what you can do."

But Evelyn wasn't sure she wanted to imagine that right now.

Victor stood quietly, absorbing every word Vivian said. His gaze shifted from Evelyn's flourishing vines to his younger daughter, whose voice filled the room with its usual chatter. He knew how she had a habit of getting under Evelyn's skin, but something about her words now caught his attention in a way they usually didn't. Vivian spoke so casually about things she shouldn't have known—about the serum, its risks, and the possibility of Evelyn becoming modified.

Victor's eyes narrowed ever so slightly, his mind replaying what Evelyn had said earlier about the serum and its effects. At the time, he'd been shocked but hid it well, his expression unchanged. But now, hearing Vivian casually mention Evelyn's potential transformation if the serum had failed was setting off warning bells in his mind. How did she know? And why was she speaking so freely about it?

He didn't let his suspicion show, though. He had spent years perfecting the art of maintaining his composure, no matter what internal chaos brewed beneath the surface. Instead, he kept his silence, deciding it was better to observe for now. There would be time to uncover what Vivian truly knew, and more importantly, how she knew it.

For now, he let her words hang in the air, unresolved, while his mind worked through the puzzle she'd unwittingly presented.

Vivian noticed the subtle shift in Victor's gaze, the quiet suspicion lurking behind his otherwise impassive face. She had spent years under his manipulative influence, learning to mask her thoughts and emotions just as he did. A master of the very same game, she kept her expression neutral, pretending not to sense his growing suspicion. Instead, she focused on her sister, a smile playing at the edges of her lips as she shifted the conversation to something that would let her vent her competitive nature.

"I want a duel," Vivian said, her voice light, almost teasing, but there was an undeniable edge to her words. "Let's see whose gift is truly powerful now, Evelyn. I'm sure you've been dying to know."

Evelyn remained silent, not rising to the bait. Vivian already knew the outcome, and so did she. Still, there was a certain determination in Vivian's eyes—she wasn't going to back down, even if the odds weren't in her favor.

Before Evelyn could respond, Victor's voice cut through the tension in the room. "No," he said firmly. "There will be no duel." His tone was final, a command rather than a suggestion. "Evelyn has just acquired her new power. She must be fatigued and in need of rest. The last thing she needs is a pointless fight."

Vivian's eyes flicked toward Victor, her smile not quite fading. She had expected as much, but that didn't mean she wasn't disappointed. Her father's concern, though masked as protective, had layers she was all too familiar with. Even now, after seeing Evelyn's newfound strength, he was calculating, controlling the situation just as he always did.

Still, she knew better than to push further. "Of course," she said smoothly, a glint of challenge still in her eyes as she glanced back at Evelyn. "There's always another time."

Though Vivian agreed to stand down, the hunger for revenge simmered just beneath her surface. She hadn't forgotten how close she had come to being eliminated by Evelyn during the test, and that bitterness festered within her.

As she turned to leave, her steps slow and deliberate, she suddenly spun around, her eyes flashing with malice. In one swift motion, she raised her hand and slashed it through the air. A sharp gust of wind followed the movement, forming a visible arc that raced toward Evelyn with startling speed. The air hummed with its force, a clear manifestation of Vivian's wind manipulation.

Evelyn's eyes widened, but she stood her ground, not moving a muscle. She could feel the intent behind Vivian's attack, but her body remained calm as if something deep inside her knew what was coming next.

Victor noticed it all, his gaze fixed on the scene before him. Yet, he remained silent, his expression unreadable. He could have intervened, could have stopped the assault, but he didn't. He wanted to see more—wanted to understand the true extent of Evelyn's new power. The earlier display of her nature gift had only whetted his appetite. What else could it do? How far could it go?

The wind slash was seconds away from striking, but before it could reach Evelyn, something stirred in the air around her. Her gift responded instinctively. Vines shot up from the ground, twisting with an almost ethereal grace, forming a protective barrier between her and the oncoming attack. The gust of wind dissipated harmlessly as it struck the thick, green vines, leaving Evelyn unharmed.

Flowers bloomed from the vines, their petals fluttering softly in the aftershock of the wind. The room once filled with tension, now smelled faintly of fresh blossoms.

Vivian stared in disbelief, her lips parted in shock. She had underestimated Evelyn again. Her wind was powerful, but Evelyn's gift seemed to move with a life of its own, always one step ahead.

Victor, though still silent, watched with fascination. His eyes glinted in the dim light, and though he gave no outward reaction, his mind was racing. This was only the beginning, and he needed to know just how far Evelyn's abilities could go.

Vivian's face lit up with excitement as Victor shared his grand plan. Her earlier frustration over Evelyn's new gift was momentarily forgotten, replaced by intrigue. "So you're saying we still have to finish our training, even with Evelyn's gift?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. The thrill of competition never left her, and the idea of Evelyn growing even more powerful stirred something inside her—part admiration, part impatience to keep up.

Victor nodded. "Yes, you both still need to complete your training. Even with your gifts, surviving in Veridia takes more than power. You'll need skill, strategy, and knowledge. Phantom Edge will teach you all that, but your gifts will be key."

Evelyn stood quietly, her expression unreadable, but inside, her thoughts churned. She hadn't asked for this. The idea of continuing in Phantom Edge already felt like a trap, and now Victor was talking about selling the serum that gave her these powers. It disgusted her, though she kept her feelings masked. The idea of people buying false promises of power—knowing they would never get what she had—felt like another layer of manipulation.

"You're going to start selling it?" she asked, her voice controlled, though there was a sharpness beneath it.

Victor smiled with satisfaction. "Yes. I'll sell a version of the serum, but not the same as yours. The one I injected into you is special, designed for someone with extraordinary potential. The ones I'll sell will grant people useful abilities, but nothing on your level. That's reserved for you alone, Evelyn."

Vivian, still eager, was less bothered by the ethics of it. "And Evelyn will start acquiring more gifts over time?" Her voice was almost breathless. "So she's going to get stronger?"

"Exactly," Victor said, his tone almost proud. "As time passes, more gifts will emerge. That's how the serum was designed, by combining the DNA of people with extraordinary abilities. Scientists, specialists—they all contributed to creating what's in your blood now, Evelyn."

Evelyn clenched her fists, her knuckles turning white. Her father was speaking of her as though she was an experiment, a product of his ambition, something to show off. She wasn't entirely surprised—Victor was always about power and control—but hearing it laid out so blatantly made her stomach churn. Yet she said nothing. She had learned long ago how to keep her emotions hidden when it came to Victor. This wasn't the time to show her hand.

Vivian, meanwhile, seemed energized by the news, a spark of envy still there, but more admiration. "You're going to be unstoppable, Evie!" she exclaimed. "I mean, you're lucky the serum worked for you. Most people wouldn't stand a chance of getting what you have."

Evelyn's lips curved into a small smile, though it didn't reach her eyes. "Yeah," she said softly, "lucky." Inside, though, she felt anything but that.

Victor's gaze shifted to Vivian as he leaned back in his chair, a thoughtful expression crossing his face. "I haven't forgotten about you, Vivian," he said, his voice carrying a sense of calculated assurance. "I'm working on a special serum for you as well. But there's a challenge. Since you already possess a gift, I need to take extra precautions. Mixing the serum with someone who's already gifted is... delicate. It could enhance your powers, but it might have unpredictable effects. I won't risk giving it to you until I'm certain."

Vivian's eyes gleamed with anticipation, but a slight frown tugged at her lips. "So I have to wait?" she asked, unable to hide her disappointment, though her voice remained eager.

Victor nodded, folding his hands. "Yes, for now. Your serum will come, but it requires more refinement. I need to ensure it will enhance your gift, not interfere with it. Rushing into it could do more harm than good. But trust me, when it's ready, you'll be stronger than you could imagine."

Vivian crossed her arms, tapping her fingers against her skin in frustration. "I suppose I can be patient," she muttered, though the competitive spark in her eyes didn't fade. She hated the idea of waiting while Evelyn had already received her power boost. Still, the prospect of becoming even stronger, of not just matching but perhaps surpassing Evelyn, was enough to hold her attention.

Evelyn, watching the exchange, felt an odd mixture of emotions. On the surface, it seemed like Victor was being protective of Vivian, cautious not to harm her. But Evelyn knew better. Everything Victor did was calculated a step in his long game of control. He wasn't just protecting Vivian—he was making sure he could manipulate her power when the time came.

Vivian, though, seemed content with the explanation, her focus now entirely on the future serum that could make her stronger. Evelyn stayed quiet, her thoughts racing. She didn't trust anything Victor had in store, especially not when it came to power and control over their lives.

Victor's voice was calm but commanding as he leaned back in his chair, his newly rejuvenated appearance radiating confidence. "Now that we're done here," he said, waving his hand as if dismissing the weight of the conversation, "you two can leave. I've already had to fabricate a story for the public about my new... youthful appearance. Of course, we'll keep your abilities under wraps for now, Evelyn. The world doesn't need to know what you've gained here—yet."

Evelyn remained silent, her eyes lingering on the cold, sterile room that represented everything she despised about her father's empire. Built on the suffering of others, it reeked of control and manipulation. The very air felt suffocating, thick with the echoes of deceit. She couldn't wait to leave.

Victor's gaze shifted to her. "I'll speak with the head of Phantom Edge," he added, his voice slick with authority. "They'll help you learn to control your new abilities. You've gained something extraordinary, Evelyn, but power without control is useless. You'll need their guidance."

Evelyn nodded mechanically, suppressing the shudder that ran through her. All she wanted was to escape the office, the false smiles, and the hollow promises. Her mind wandered to the mission she had set for herself—to dismantle the empire Victor had built, brick by bloody brick. But for now, she had to play along.

As if on cue, the Manager appeared, as silent and efficient as ever, like he'd been called without a word. He gave a curt nod to Victor, then gestured for the girls to follow him. Evelyn felt a rush of relief as she and Vivian were teleported back to the halls of Phantom Edge. The air here was no less dangerous, but at least it wasn't tainted by the same suffocating darkness that filled their father's office.

She clenched her fists, determined to master the power Victor had unknowingly given her. It would be the key to his downfall.