March 2018 – Administration Building, Explorer's Landing
The sun was setting low over the park, casting warm gold across the glass windows of Lucas's office. Outside, the skeletal frame of Legends of the Lost Realm loomed in silence, its metallic ribs catching the evening light.
Inside, the air felt still — a rare pause between progress.
Walter sat across the table, still wearing his work jacket, the faint scent of welding smoke clinging to it. Emma had her tablet ready, notes open, curious but cautious.
Lucas placed a rolled blueprint on the table. It wasn't for the dark ride. The title at the top read: Project Horizon.
> "We're nearly there," Lucas began quietly, glancing toward the distant construction site.
"The Lost Realm is taking shape exactly as I hoped. But once it opens... I want us ready for what comes next."
Emma raised an eyebrow. "Next?"
> "Yes," Lucas said, resting his hand on the blueprint. "This park can't just rely on one big opening every few years. It needs constant evolution. New stories. New worlds."
He turned to Walter.
> "You've been leading the technical work perfectly. From now on, I want you to handle the final phase of the dark ride entirely — testing, installation, coordination with ETF, all of it."
Walter leaned back, surprised. "You're handing it over completely?"
Lucas nodded.
> "You know the system better than anyone. I trust you. I'll still check in, but I need my focus elsewhere."
Walter hesitated, then gave a slow grin. "I can handle it."
Lucas smiled faintly. "I know you can."
He then turned to Emma, who was already scrolling through a blank document.
> "Emma, I need you to prepare a recruitment campaign. Quietly. Architects, artists, engineers — people who think in possibilities. We're forming something new here: a creative division dedicated to designing the next evolution of Elysion Park."
Emma blinked. "You mean... a new attraction?"
> "No," Lucas replied. "A new world."
The room fell silent for a moment. Even Walter, who rarely reacted to big words, leaned forward slightly.
> "It'll take time," Lucas continued. "And it'll be the biggest project we've ever attempted. But before we reach for the sky, there's still work to do here."
He slid a second folder across the table, this one filled with smaller plans and maps.
> "2018 will be our improvement year. We'll add comfort and color where the park needs it most — a new restaurant by the Jungle Zone, an expanded playground, wider paths, and one small new attraction. All funded directly from the park budget."
Walter nodded thoughtfully. "That's manageable. We can have everything done before next season."
Lucas leaned back, his gaze distant.
> "Good. Because once the guests start walking through that new temple... they'll have no idea what's coming next."
Emma smiled faintly. "Should we give this new division a name?"
Lucas thought for a moment. Then, quietly:
> "Elysion Development Group."
He looked at both of them, the fading light catching his eyes.
> "Let's begin."
Outside, the final sparks from the welding torches of The Lost Realm faded into the night — the sound of one dream ending, and another just beginning.
In the days that followed the meeting, a new rhythm settled over the park.
The construction site of Legends of the Lost Realm roared with constant activity, but inside the administration building, something quieter — and far more significant — had begun.
Emma worked near the window of her small office, the afternoon light flickering across her tablet as she typed.
Outside, the air carried the faint scent of fresh concrete and sawdust.
She paused for a moment, looking at the draft before her.
Creative Concept Artist – Elysion Park (Confidential Expansion Project).
Architectural Designer – Themed Environment Development.
Ride Systems Engineer – New Development Group.
The listings were vague on purpose, but they hinted at something larger.
Emma smiled slightly, then tapped Publish.
A soft chime confirmed the upload.
For now, no one in the public would understand what the positions were for — not yet.
But Lucas had been clear: build the team before anyone even realizes a new era is coming.
---
Meanwhile, in the workshop, Walter stood over a large table filled with blueprints.
He was reviewing the final layouts for The Lost Realm's finale scene when Lucas entered, a folder tucked under his arm.
Walter looked up with a grin. "You just can't stay away from construction sites, can you?"
Lucas smiled faintly. "Not yet."
He placed the folder on the table. "How are things progressing?"
"ETF confirmed calibration next week," Walter said. "The platform's almost ready for testing. We'll start dry runs soon."
"Good. That's one less thing to worry about."
Lucas opened the folder, revealing several smaller projects.
"Now, about these. You'll be handling all of them: the new restaurant near the Jungle Zone, the Rainfall Oasis, the playground expansion, and one new family ride. I want everything finished by the end of summer."
Walter raised an eyebrow. "All of them? That's quite a list."
Lucas nodded. "Yes. You'll manage it directly — your judgment, your teams, your schedule. You know this park better than anyone."
Walter glanced over the plans again, the lines and notes illuminated by the workshop's warm light.
"I'll make sure it's done right," he said.
"I know you will," Lucas replied, genuinely. "The Jungle Zone will finally feel complete."
Walter smirked. "You've got that look again, Lucas. The one that says you're already three projects ahead."
Lucas didn't answer, but the faint curve of his lips said enough.
---
That evening, Emma passed by Lucas's office on her way out.
Through the open door, she saw him standing at the window, arms crossed, watching the sunset fall over the park.
He looked calm — but focused, as if already seeing something far beyond the horizon.
"Vacancies are live," she said softly.
Lucas turned slightly, smiling. "Good work. Keep an eye on the responses. We'll need the right people soon."
She nodded and left, the sound of her footsteps fading down the hallway.
Night had fallen over Elysion Park.
The cranes were silent, their lights blinking softly against the dark horizon.
Only the low hum of generators and the distant echo of welding filled the air.
Lucas sat alone in his office, a single lamp casting warm light across the table.
Blueprints, sketches, and notes were spread out before him — traces of years of effort, from Serpent's Run to the towering shell of The Lost Realm now visible through the window.
He leaned back in his chair, exhaling quietly.
It felt strange, letting go of control.
For the first time, he wasn't the one managing every measurement, every bolt, every test.
That responsibility now rested with Walter — and that was exactly how it needed to be.
On the desk, his tablet flickered to life.
The soft white glow reflected in his eyes as he opened a new project file.
Across the blank screen, he typed two words:
PROJECT HORIZON
A deep hum resonated faintly from the air — the subtle activation of the system.
Lines began to form across the display: the digital map of Elysion Park, rendered in shimmering white.
Lucas zoomed out, his eyes tracing beyond Explorer's Zone, toward the unused land stretching into the forest.
That empty field.
That would be it.
He whispered, "Show potential terrain expansion east of the main path."
The map shifted. The system responded in silence, blue holographic overlays expanding across the terrain, measuring elevation and soil density in real time.
Then, faint outlines began to appear — curves, plateaus, and bridges suspended in air.
Lucas sat forward, resting his elbows on the table.
From the floating projection, the image of a vast elevated world took shape — islands drifting in the sky, bridges of light, and faint traces of coaster track weaving between them.
He smiled slightly. It wasn't a plan yet. It was a dream.
But it was enough.
For a long moment, he simply watched the simulation evolve, the soft hum of the system surrounding him.
Outside, the reflection of the hologram glowed faintly in the window — a vision layered over the park itself.
The unfinished temple of The Lost Realm stood dark and silent below, and above it, in the glass, the faint ghost of another world was already being born.
Lucas whispered to himself, "Let's see how far we can go this time."
He turned off the lamp, leaving only the holographic light of the system to fill the room.
And as the projection continued to shimmer, he leaned back in his chair — quiet, steady, and utterly certain of what came next.