Who your boss is?

Noah's POV(point of view) :

As the final dates were confirmed, the long-awaited announcement of the summer break holiday filled the air.

Gradually, the hostels began to empty, with students departing with a sense of elation painted across their faces.

I could see people leaving A3 hostel hurriedly with happy faces.

There were a few people who didn't leave the hostel buildings, most probably because they didn't had a home to go back to.

Of course, not everyone yearned to go back home for the summer break.

Some had other exciting plans in their mind, seeking to embark on different trips.

Take my friend James, for example —"Ruler's Glades? Why there?" I inquired, my hands busy tightening the straps on my luggage bag, which contained all my essentials.

Unfazed by my question, James continued to fiddle with his fidget spinner, a mischievous grin spreading across his face. "You might already know, but I've always dreamt of becoming a skilled ranger in the future. Legend has it that in Ruler's Glades, they possess a unique techniques for taming the wildest creatures. It's a crucial skill set for someone like me who aspires to be a ranger, wouldn't you agree?" he explained, a twinkle of excitement in his eyes.

James had made up his mind about his path, and he wasn't wasting any time. Even though he had finished packing, he made it a point to meet me one last time before departing from the academy campus, our hostel room serving as the meeting ground for our farewell.

"I was hoping for a more realistic answer, like 'I'm off to find myself a beast-woman!' or something along those lines", I replied, a mischievous grin appearing on my face.

James acted dramatically, placing a hand over his heart as if wounded. "Seriously, bro? You think so lowly of me?" he responded, feigning offense. "Yes, those beast-women might be hot and sexy, I won't deny it, ahem. But that isn't the main point here!"

Shaking his head, he continued, "No, no.I may not look like it, but I am going to train. I am serious about my future."

"Sure, sure", I replied casually as I secured my packed luggage, slipping it into my dimensional bracelet for safekeeping.

"What about you?" James inquired.

"I'm going home", I responded in a flat tone.

Yes, it was finally time for me to visit the place that 'this' world's Noah calls home.

The secrets that has been hidden about his past have lingered in the back of my mind for far too long. I've done my best to avoid the topic, but I can no longer ignore it.

Whenever Noah's personal life or past came up in conversation, I couldn't shake the uneasy feeling that something wasn't quite right.

Now, it's time to face what I've been avoiding.

***

Third person's POV:

In the depths of the Erinnerungenia neuroscience building, Alice delved into the intricate world of a mouse's memory, carefully examining the illuminating image of interconnected neurons and synapses, representing the creature's fearful recollection.

Just as her focus remained intent, an unexpected visitor materialized in her office doorway.

Peering over the edge of her monitor, Alice's eyes met the sight of a man dressed in black pant and a crisp white T-shirt, sporting a smile that seemed a few shades too dazzling. "Alice Bailey?" he asked.

Observing him cautiously, she responded, "Yes?"

"I'm Nathan Rivers. Do you have a moment to spare for a romantic conversation?" he asked politely.

Her brow furrowed in concern. "This is a secure laboratory. Unauthorized individuals aren't permitted down here."

Nathan offered a quick apology, "I understand the intrusion, but I believe what I have to say is of great importance. You'll want to hear it."

The options to ask him to leave or call security crossed her mind, but something about his demeanor put her at ease. "Okay", she replied, realizing that this unexpected visitor was about to witness the chaotic spectacle that was her office—a hoarder's paradise.

With no windows to provide relief, the cramped space boasted cinder-block walls coated in layers of paint. The already suffocating atmosphere was intensified by the stacks of bankers' boxes, reaching three feet high and two deep, containing thousands of abstracts and articles.

"Apologies for the mess. Let me find a chair for you," she offered.

"No need", Nathan replied, taking the initiative. He grabbed a folding chair and settled across from her, his gaze sweeping across the walls adorned with high-resolution images of mouse memories and the intricate firings of mana-brain tampering.

"What can I do for you?"— Alice asked.

"My employer is very taken with the memory portraiture article you published in Neuron."

"Does your employer have a name?"

"Well, that depends. "

"On? "

"On how this conversation goes"

"Why would I even have a conversation with someone when I don't know who they're speaking for?"

"Because your Elysium Academia funds money runs out in six weeks."

She raised an eyebrow.

He said, "My boss pays me very well to know everything about the people he finds interesting."

"You do realize what you just said is totally creepy, right?"

Reaching into his dimensional bracelet , Nathan Rivers took out a document in a navy binder.

Her proposal."Of course!" Alice said. "You're with Haven's Capital!"

"No. And they're not going to fund you."

"Then how did you get that?"

"It doesn't matter. No one is going to fund you."

"How do you know?"

"Because this?" He tossed her grant proposal onto the wreckage of her desk.

"Is timid. It's just more of what you've been doing at Elysium the last three years. It's not big-idea enough. You're thirty-four years old, which is like ninety in academia. One morning in the not-too-distant future, you're going to wake up and realize your best days are behind you. That you wasted—"

"I think you should leave."

"I don't mean to insult you. If you don't mind my saying, your problem is that you're afraid to ask for what you really want."

It occured to her that, for some reason, this stranger was trolling her.

She knew she shouldn't continue to engage, but she couldn't help herself ."And why am I afraid to ask for what I really want?"

"Because what you really want is bank-breaking. You don't need seven figures. You need nine. Maybe ten. You need a team of coders to help you design an algorithm for complex mana-brain tampering.The infrastructure for human trials."

She stared at him across the desk. "I never mentioned human trials in that proposal."

Leaning in closer, he whispered, "What if I were to tell you that we possess the capability to grant your every wish? Funding with no limits. Would that pique your interest?"

Her heart raced within her chest, palpating with a growing sense of anticipation.

Could this be the turning point? The moment when everything changes?

Visions of the extraordinary fifty-million-dollar chair that had haunted her dreams ever since her father's death flooded her mind.

Curiously, she had never visualized it in its complete form.

Instead, it appeared to her solely in the technical drawings that would one day be incorporated into the utility patent application she envisioned, titled "Mana-brain tampering. First bio-mana tampering success"

"Alice?" His voice resonated, breaking her reverie.

Curiosity mingled with caution, she probed, "If I agree to this proposition, will you finally disclose the identity of your boss? "

He met her gaze unwaveringly and affirmed, "Yes."

Without hesitation, she nodded in ascent, her voice carrying a hint of determination. "Very well then. I say yes."

A tantalizing smile tugged at the corners of his lips as he responded, "In that case, you will have the honor of addressing him as Sir Grey. His true name is Noah Grey. As for me, please refer to me by my code name, Crimson Viper."