Luca's eyes sharpened. He turned his head halfway towards Liam, then moved a little closer, just
enough to give the person next to him an audible distance.
"Listen to me carefully," he whispered, barely audible to anyone but Liam.
"If you make a mess
here, or try anything stupid like interfering with the agreed-upon script..."
Liam didn't answer. But his shoulders, which had been tense, were now dropping slightly-not
because he was giving up, but because something inside him was being held back. Being held
back tightly.
His blindfold was still tied. The world was dark. But his mind was bright.
"They made me a symbol."
"Then threaten me with the shadow of the people I protect."
"I'm just a pawn that can be exchanged at any time."
The thoughts didn't stop spinning, pounding away at the layers of logic and emotion that
constantly conflicted within her.
The spokesperson continued her speech, now reciting the chronology of the incident at Charmary
Central High School, detailing how the school system was unable to anticipate the sudden
'biological anomaly'. Words like "emergency response", "ethical standards", and "reactivation
of international protocols" came out one after another. A language of diplomacy that sounds like
subtle poison.
Liam did not hear everything. He was focused on his own heartbeat. Luca spoke again, this time to the public.
"We are in a new era," he said firmly. "An era where individuals like Alpha-7 will appear more
and more. Unchecked, uncontrolled, they will become a global disaster."
Luca's gaze fell back on Liam-heavy and beckoning.
"However, if properly directed... they could be the key to a future civilization."
The applause sounded again. Too neat. Too on schedule. Some of the audience smiled, the rest
still confused whether this was a nightmare or the start of something bigger.
And Liam? He just sat there. Silent.
It wasn't long before the spotlights dazzled the rows of speakers. The cameras were already
pointed, thousands of eyes fixed on one spot: a teenager with a black cloth over his eyes, sitting
silently next to Luca Moren.
The microphone in front of him lights up.
One second. Two seconds. Three.
Liam didn't speak right away.
His hands trembled slightly on his thighs. His jaw tightened, then relaxed. He breathed in,
deeply, trying to push away the voice in his head.
"Introducing myself, my name is William Louren."
"I'm a normal teenager-at least, that's what I thought all along."
"However, some time ago, everything changed drastically. Without any explanation, I was taken
by NEXARIS. I had no idea what was really going on. At that time, I thought they were enemies.
I thought they just wanted to detain me... or even eliminate me from this world."
"But as it turned out, I was wrong. Maybe it was me who didn't fully understand myself."
"And if I'm honest, maybe this is the consequence I deserve."
The audience began to whisper to each other. Some journalists leaned forward. In his seat, Liam
remained calm, staring blankly into the black cloth covering his eyes.
"So far, NEXARIS has treated me quite well. The examinations I've undergone - no matter how
many - have been to determine one thing: whether I'm dangerous."
"And even I can't give a definitive answer. I don't know if I can really live in society... without
being a threat."
"But this is where NEXARIS came in-helping me control this power, making sure that if
something bad happened, they could stop it."
The camera continued to record. The flashes repeated, but Liam remained unwavering. His hands
were now clasped on his knees. The black cloth over his eyes made him unable to see anyone...
but somehow, it only made him bolder.
"If in the end I become a subject that helps the development of technology, or even saves
others... I can accept it. Perhaps this is my path."
"However, this statement is not a form of submission."
"Because one thing is certain: no one wants to live forever as a prisoner."
Liam paused for a moment. The sound of his breathing sounded heavy on the microphone.
"I also want to live a normal life. And if NEXARIS can really stop me when needed, if they can
keep me sane and stable..."
"...then I also deserve one thing back: my right to live as a human being."
Done.
Liam remained still in his chair. He did not move. He didn't take off the blindfold. But inside his
chest, his breathing began to get heavy.
He had done it. He had said everything. But he also knew...
It wasn't the script they gave her.
And it wasn't the full truth either.
Just one small part... of a war that had yet to begin.
For a moment after Liam finished his last sentence, the conference room fell silent.
There was no applause. No whispers. Just a silence that hung heavy, like storm clouds that had
yet to fall.
Beside him, Luca Moren did not turn his head. His hands were folded on the table, and his jaw
was set in silence.
But his eyes... sharp.
Sharp like a knife that didn't swing but was ready to slice.
She leaned slightly towards the microphone, her voice remaining flat.
"Thank you, William."
It wasn't a compliment. Not even an acknowledgment. Just a formality-thin, cold, almost
mechanical.
Luca swept his gaze over the reporters, then spoke louder.
"We know that this statement raises more questions than it answers. And because of that, we will
be filing a lawsuit for a hearing to determine Liam's fate going forward."
Before he could continue his sentence, the journalists were already busy asking many questions.
The sound of the microphones splitting the room was unable to match the waves of questions
that rushed in.
"Does this mean Liam isn't considered safe yet?"
"What do you mean by a lawsuit for a determination hearing?"
"Is NEXARIS considering the option of execution or permanent detention?"
"Does Liam Louren legally still have the status of a citizen?"
The reporters' shouts collided with each other, each trying to break the silence that had been
frozen. The cameras shifted, focusing on Luca's face, then on Liam, then on the important figures
in the back row. But one thing is clear - the conference is completely out of control.
Luca stands his ground, his hands raised slightly, signaling for calm. But instead of calming
down, his gesture provokes more flashes.
"Calm down," he said, his tone remaining controlled. "I will answer one question at a time. But let me finish this official statement first."
He turned to the NEXARIS spokesperson behind him. The woman in the gray suit immediately
came forward and handed him a black tablet. Luca touched the screen briefly, then returned his
gaze to the front.
"The lawsuit we filed is not a verdict. It is an international legal procedure, conducted on the
recommendation of the global ethics and security council. It is a formal request to the UN
Superior Court to establish the legal status of individuals classified as Category Alpha
Bioanomalies."
Some reporters started typing fast. Most of them already understood: if the court accepted this
lawsuit, then Liam's fate would be decided by a council whose power surpassed any country's
laws.
"We're not asking for punishment," Luca continues. "We're asking for clarity. Because for the
first time in history, we're facing a human being... who can challenge the very definition of
humanity itself."
That remark made the atmosphere of the room change. Someone in the back row could be heard
sighing loudly. On the screens of the live broadcast, breaking news headlines began to appear:
"Liam Louren to Face Global Trial: NEXARIS Files International Lawsuit"
"Alpha-1 on the Verge of Fate: Weapon or Victim?"
"UN Representatives Split: Should Superpowers be Restrained or Deflected?"
In his seat, Liam remained silent. But underneath his calm, his chest was churning. He knew
what this meant.
This wasn't just about him.
This was the opening stage for all those like him-those born different, hidden behind the system,
labeled as anomalies before even being given a choice.