Lucas Reyes never thought he'd wear a school uniform again—especially not one with a built-in grappling hook.
Standing in front of Blackridge Academy's massive iron gates, he adjusted his collar for the third time. "So just to recap," he whispered to Ava, "we're infiltrating a school that might be a front for Cipher's secret agent program, I'm pretending to be a cadet, and you're…?"
"A recruitment officer," Ava said, tapping her ID badge. "Temporary cover, just long enough to plant you inside. Cipher's building a network, and we think this school is where he's fishing for new agents."
Lucas stared up at the towering structure. It looked more like a villain's fortress than a school—complete with drone patrols, surveillance towers, and an oddly intense statue of the founder in combat armor. "Yup," Lucas muttered. "Definitely gives off 'evil Hogwarts' energy."
They parted at the entrance. Lucas was ushered into the orientation hall along with about thirty other students, all dressed in the same sleek black uniforms. A sharp-featured woman named Ms. Drake stood at the front of the room, scanning the crowd like a hawk searching for weakness.
"Welcome to Blackridge Academy," she announced. "You are not here to make friends. You are here to sharpen yourselves into weapons. If you survive, you'll be ready for the world that truly exists—one hidden in shadows."
Lucas sat beside a guy with silver-dyed hair and zero expression. The guy turned and said, "New meat. Don't die in week one."
Lucas gave a weak smile. "Not planning to. But hey—thanks for the encouragement."
That night, Lucas met Ava in a dark corner of the school storage wing—because of course spy schools have secret meeting spots. She pulled out the Echo Cube and set it on a crate.
"Zero's message said Cipher is more than just one man," she said. "He's a system—one that's recruiting aggressively. Blackridge is no longer neutral. Someone here is working for Cipher. We just don't know who."
Lucas leaned against the wall. "You think kids here are already working for him?"
"Some of them," Ava nodded. "Cipher doesn't need to threaten people. He offers them what they want—power, revenge, status. The kind of things that can turn angry kids into weapons."
Lucas looked away. "I used to feel invisible. Ordinary. Like I didn't matter. If Cipher found me first, maybe I would've listened."
Ava's expression softened. "But you didn't."
He gave a faint smile. "Guess I liked being a screw-up too much."
The next day, Lucas was assigned to Simulation Combat class. He expected dodgeball. What he got was a full-blown tactical maze with flying drones, pressure traps, and foam bullets that hurt like real ones. Students ran through the chaos while instructors monitored every move.
Lucas dove behind a crate, narrowly missing a drone strike.
Then a voice beside him said, "Lucas Reyes."
He turned to see the silver-haired guy from orientation crouched next to him.
"You're not who you say you are," the guy said.
Lucas blinked. "I'm… what, a dangerously lucky exchange student?"
"I've seen your face in the old MAYHEM files," the guy replied. "You're the one Agent Zero left his legacy to."
Lucas stiffened. "Okay. That's not terrifying at all."
The guy smirked. "Name's Kai. I'm not with Cipher. Yet. But I think you are here to stop him. So I want in."
Lucas stared. "Why?"
"My sister joined Cipher's people two years ago. She vanished. No messages, no clues. I want to know what happened to her. If you're fighting them, I can help."
Lucas hesitated—then offered his hand. "We find her. Together."
Kai shook it. "Deal."
Just then, the simulation ended with a blaring siren. Ms. Drake's voice echoed over the comms.
"Cadet Reyes. Report to the Headmaster's Office. Immediately."
Kai winced. "That's never a good sign."
Lucas muttered, "Maybe they're giving me a perfect attendance award."
He walked through the long, echoing halls until he reached the top floor. The office was huge, wood-paneled, with antique weapons on the walls and a roaring digital fireplace. Behind the desk sat a sharp-eyed man with a scar along his cheek.
The nameplate read: Headmaster Voss.
"I've been watching you," Voss said as Lucas stepped in.
Lucas forced a smile. "Wow, you guys really know how to make a guy feel uncomfortable."
"You're different," Voss said, tapping a drawer. "Your instincts. Your movements. You don't belong here—and yet, you excel. Which is why I have something for you."
He slid a small box across the desk. Inside was a silver ring bearing the symbol of a black knight chess piece.
Lucas's stomach dropped.
He'd seen that symbol before—in Zero's cube. Cipher's mark.
"That's an invitation," Voss said. "To something far greater than what MAYHEM offers. A chance to be part of a new world order. A better one."
Lucas didn't respond. He just stared at the ring.
Later that night, Lucas met Ava and Kai behind the gym in the shadow of the surveillance towers. He held up the ring.
"I think I just got invited to join Cipher."
Ava looked at it grimly. "That's not just a symbol. It's a key. They call it the Knight's Gate. Accept it, and you'll be inside Cipher's network. Their files, their operations. But they'll be watching your every move."
Lucas closed his hand around the ring. "Then I need to go in."
Kai frowned. "You're serious?"
Lucas nodded. "Zero said I'm the glitch in the system. Maybe it's time to break in and see what I'm supposed to crash."