Both Reid and Archer were twelve when they received their Blessings which would give them their Abilities. The government-held ceremony was more of an evaluation than a celebration, held in a dull room with government agents and scientists keenly observing. It was something that all children had to go through - human children. After all, non-humans presented with Abilities from birth.
Archer went first. Reid was sure that Archer would be presented with a powerful Ability. However, that would mean that his Limit would be worse too. The bubbly Archer came out different. Archer, who had always been as mischievous as Reid, had an air of superiority when he came out of the room. His eyes were cold and Reid frowned. Archer looked into Reid's eyes and tapped on his shoulder - 'I'll tell you everything later'. Reid nodded.
When the government official came out and called out his name, Reid stepped up, nervous but excited. First, a robe was thrown onto him and the lights shone through the dark robe. Then, a long needle entering his skin.
Next, he felt a rush of otherworldly energy flood his veins as the injection took effect. His skin tingled, a cascade of images flooding his mind, vibrant and as vivid as if he were living them. Two Abilities. He felt a pulse of warmth at the realization, knowing how rare that was. The experience was simultaneously overwhelming and empowering, as if he had just unlocked a secret chamber of his own soul.
The first Ability came into focus, crystal clear. Strings of Fate materialized before his inner eye, intricate threads connecting one life to another, one event to another, in a vast and endlessly complex web. He saw himself, older, walking confidently through a maze of interwoven strings, understanding exactly which ones to pull and which to avoid. His fingers would simply graze a thread, and he'd know—know the past, present, and a glimpse of the future related to that particular string. A sense of profound understanding and interconnectedness settled over him, followed by a Limit—a caveat. This Limit was not dangerous which meant that his current grasp of this Ability would be at a lower level.
Then the second Ability sprang to life, and Reid was plunged into a different experience entirely. He found himself navigating through layers of someone else's consciousness, scouring memories, emotions, even hidden fears. But then he felt it—the Limit. With every memory copied, he would also inherit its emotional and psychological weight. Imagine the accumulated joy, anger, pain, and love of a person's lifetime, suddenly becoming your own. The idea was dizzying, a dangerous power that had the potential to both enlighten and emotionally ruin him.
And then it was over. He was back in the sterile, clinical government facility, staring into the eyes of an evaluator who knew nothing of the profound journey he'd just undertaken. It was a transformative experience, akin to a second birth. Now armed with the knowledge of his two rare Abilities and their Limits, Reid felt a sense of purpose, and caution. He knew he'd just been handed the proverbial double-edged sword.
Reid could have stood there forever, contemplating the weight of the Blessing he'd received, but he snapped back into reality as the government official prompted him for his answer. As he gave his deliberately incomplete explanation of his first Ability, Reid couldn't help but wonder what it would take to fully realize these gifts, and at what cost. The unanswered questions loomed large, but so did the possibilities, stretching infinitely forward like the strings of Fate he could now see but only partially comprehend.
When the government official pressed, questioning Reid if he was presented with another Ability, Reid had shook his head. Reid had calmed himself down and stared into the eyes of the official. Reid knew that it was simply standard questions that the official would ask everyone.
Weirdly, he was allowed to proceed to the next step. Reid was sure that there had to be at least one Ability user in the room who could sense lies. Then again, Reid was an excellent liar.
The government official gestured for him to demonstrate his Ability, Reid reached out and touched the small plant on the table before him.
Immediately, his vision expanded. He saw not just the plant but how it was connected to the rest of the universe. It wasn't just a plant; it was a node in a tapestry woven with unimaginable complexity. Reid could see the strings of Fate, connecting the plant to the soil, the soil to the Earth, and so on.
"Do you see anything?" the official asked, scrutinizing him.
Reid hesitated, then lied. "I can see that this plant is that man's." Reid had pointed out a stubby man who was seated in the corner of the room.
"What's your Limit, son?"
Reid paused slightly before deciding to be honest, "I have to stop breathing."
The official scribbled something down. "Good Ability, then. You may leave."
/flashback ends/
As Reid focused back on the conference room, the room around him transformed. He saw how the entire situation—the emails, the mysterious visits, Michelle Lim—connected into a larger, more intricate web. He saw Archer, his threads interwoven so tightly with his own that they were almost indistinguishable.
But more disturbingly, he saw dark, frayed threads of Fate spiraling away from the documents on his phone, insinuating foul play, coercion, maybe even—his gut twisted at the thought—murder.
He looked up at Archer, the weight of what he'd discovered settling in. Archer's eyes locked onto Reid's; it was as if he understood without needing any words.
Reid then focused deeply onto the only information he wanted to sense. In his current state, he could only see and follow these strings if he had prior knowledge of the relationship. An amazing Ability, but hedged with restrictions, like a bird knowing it can fly but still tethered to its nest.
All other strings faded from existence and his eyes, unblinking, reached out to one of the strings that was trembling. Reid blinked slowly, he knew his time was almost up from using this Ability as his vision started to blur slightly. He reached out and held onto the string between his fingers and an image of the bespectacled man appeared.
Reid deactivated his Ability, and the invisible threads of Fate faded away, leaving behind just the mundane physical world. But the impact remained.
Reid choked, heaving deeply as his lungs forced him to inhale air. His vision blurred and focused several times and bent over, squeezing his eyes tight and tried to regain composure.
Archer had immediately sprung into action when Reid took in his first breath. Archer started to calm the other man down, speaking in soft tones for Reid to follow his instructions to breathe in and out.
When Reid finally stopped heaving, Archer broke the silence. "Are you okay?"
Reid nodded, his face slightly pale from the long use of his Ability. Archer frowned, "I don't know which of your Ability is worse."
Reid chuckled weakly, "well, I can't use this Ability anytime soon unless I want to wake up in the hospital."
Archer shook his head, annoyed at the circumstances, "you shouldn't even be using this Ability."
Reid shrugged weakly as he placed his hand on his chest, as if to feel his own heart, "we are lucky that we found out that Limits can evolve as well."
Archer bit his lips and did not comment.
Reid looked down at the documents, then back at Archer. "At least we know that Olwen Nash is involved in this whole thing."
"Was that what you saw?"
Reid nodded, "I saw an image of him peeking through a door. He was frowning and his fist was clenched."
The mood in the room intensified, an electric charge filling the space between them, powered by both dread and determination. Archer's jaw tightened, and he nodded once, as if to say, "So, what's our next move, Sherlock?"
Reid's fingers hovered over his phone, contemplating. "Well, my friend, our next move is to pull at those threads and see what unravels.."
"Let's visit this Olwen Nash before we go knocking on ex-boyfriend's door."
***
The office hallways were a sterile landscape of corporate efficiency, the fluorescent lights illuminating identical rows of locked doors leading to vacant offices. Reid and Archer, two unlikely companions in the world of clandestine operations, melded into the dimness outside the men's washroom. Reid's smirk was tempered with the anticipation of the next catch, and Archer's usually stoic face looked almost predatory in the flickering light. The atmosphere was thick with tension; Reid could practically taste it.
The sound of footsteps approached, an irregular pattern that bespoke hesitancy. Reid's eyes gleamed; Archer's jaw tensed. As the door swung open and Olwen Nash stepped into the washroom, they seized the moment. Reid darted forward while Archer, like a shadow, followed. The shriek that escaped Olwen's lips was muffled as Reid clamped a hand over his mouth and they both dragged him into the handicap toilet.
Reid locked the door and took a step back, leaning casually against the wall tiled in that particularly dreary shade of bathroom green. Archer stood by the door, arms crossed, exuding an air of icy intimidation.
Olwen looked from one to the other, fear palpable in his eyes. "You can't just ambush people! I'm going to report you both to the police!"
Reid's eyes darkened, the grin replaced by a grimace. "Report us, huh? Just like you reported Michelle?" He watched Olwen's face lose color, the man's mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water. Reid felt a twinge of satisfaction, quickly overshadowed by a growing sense of anger and indignation.
"Ah…" another lightbulb rang in Reid's head, "you didn't pass by us on the corridor just now by accident, did you?"
Olwen's face paled a little more.
So he'd guessed right. The twitch of Olwen's eye, the quiver in his voice, it was the equivalent of a flashing neon sign declaring his guilt.
Olwen seemed to regain some composure, his gaze defiant. "I was just stating facts. Facts that deserved attention."
Reid couldn't hold back a snort. "Stating facts? Is that what we're calling jealousy these days?"
Archer raised an eyebrow, but said nothing. The silent communication between them was always uncanny, and right now it was as if he was saying, "I told you so."
"You don't understand," Olwen burst out. "Michelle always got everything. A higher salary, the office with the view, recognition for projects we had equal parts in. I was here two years before she joined, and yet she skyrocketed past me like I was nothing."
Reid looked at Archer, who merely adjusted his stance slightly—a tacit approval to press on.
"So one day you saw Michelle walk into the boss's office, and you decided that was evidence of her conniving ways? That she must be scheming her way up the corporate ladder?"
Olwen looked trapped, but also strangely relieved, as if he'd been waiting for someone to accuse him outright. "Yes. Isn't it obvious? Why else would she be so favored? It's not like she's that much better at the job."
Reid's fists clenched unconsciously. Here was a man willing to risk another's career, maybe even their life, because he felt slighted in the most trivial ways.
Olwen's admission had confirmed Reid's suspicions, but brought him no joy. Instead, a storm brewed in him, a dark cloud that could break into a tempest at any moment. Archer sensed the change in atmosphere, his eyes flickering to Reid with an unspoken question - 'What now?'
Reid leaned in, his eyes narrowing. "So you thought you'd play a little game, huh? Manufacture a few emails, twist some facts, just to knock Michelle down a notch?"
Olwen's eyes flickered, but he held his ground. "They're not false. I was merely illuminating the truth."
Reid laughed, a sharp, mocking sound that echoed in the cramped bathroom. "Illuminating the truth? I love how you dress it up. Almost makes it sound noble. You ever hear yourself, Olwen?"
Olwen shifted uncomfortably, avoiding Reid's piercing gaze. "Look, everything changed when Edward Tay became our direct boss. Before that, when he was just the CEO, Michelle was treated the same as the rest of us."
Reid glanced at Archer, who nodded almost imperceptibly. Edward Tay—another puzzle piece falling into place.
"Ah, Daddy Tay steps in and suddenly Michelle gets the royal treatment," Reid said, his voice dripping with irony. "Quite the coincidence."
Olwen clenched his fists. "You don't understand. I've always been the one who excels. In school, I was top of my class. My mother was so proud, especially after my Ability manifested—photogenic memory. Do you know how rare that is?"
Reid smirked, circling Olwen like a predator. "Oh, the prodigal son returns, is it? Armed with an Ability and a chip on your shoulder."
Archer, still standing against the door, let out a soft sigh. He had heard this story many times—Abilities turning people into self-absorbed monsters, convinced of their own exceptionalism.
"When I joined the company," Olwen continued, "I was just another grunt. But then I sent out those first emails with the photos, and Edward Tay found out. He demoted me. Covered it up by promoting Michelle."
Reid raised an eyebrow. "So, demotion not sitting well with Mr. Perfect? Thought Michelle was being conniving?"
Olwen's eyes darted away. "She was promoted! They obviously have some sort of thing going on! So, when I saw her delete a colleague's computer files, I made sure to report it. Show her for who she really is. She was put on gardening leave." Olwen grinned.
"And how'd that work out for you?" Reid asked, arms folded across his chest.
Olwen looked pained, his face contorted as if he were reliving the moment. "Michelle found out. She called me after work hours, and we had a shouting match. I was at home, and my mom overheard."
Reid was close now, uncomfortably close, reading the turmoil in Olwen's eyes. "Go on."
"My mother couldn't believe it," Olwen choked out. "Couldn't believe her perfect son was demoted, that I could stoop so low to sabotage a colleague. She—she had a stroke that night."
Reid felt his stomach turn, but his face remained impassive. "So now Michelle's responsible for your mom's stroke?"
Olwen's face twisted in a grimace of hate and sorrow. "Yes. All of this could have been avoided if she was just herself! Why did she have to do all those things to be better than me?"
A heavy silence filled the room. Reid stepped back, his eyes meeting Archer's. The silent exchange was brief but loaded—a mixture of disgust, pity, and resolution.
"So, let's get this straight," Reid finally said, breaking the silence. "You, armed with a coveted Ability and an inflated sense of self-worth, decide that Michelle's ruining your life. You bend the facts to fit your narrative, possibly jeopardize her career, get into a fight that indirectly affects your family, and now you're playing the victim? You might have a photogenic memory, Olwen, but you sure have a twisted way of recalling the past."
Olwen seemed to shrink and Reid felt no sympathy. Whatever Ability Olwen had, it was wasted on a man who could only see the world through the lens of his own grievances.
Archer pushed himself off the door and took a step forward. No words, just presence—but it was enough. Both men knew what had to be done.
Reid leaned in close to Olwen, his voice low and chilling. "You better resign before I make you."
Reid stepped out of the restroom, the sour smell of disinfectant and mildew trailing behind him like a rejected suitor. He felt Archer's presence close behind as they walked back to their car, a nondescript sedan parked under a flickering streetlight.
Archer slid into the driver's seat without a word, flicking the engine alive as Reid climbed into the passenger seat. The car's leather upholstery was both a comfort and a reminder—comfort because it felt like some semblance of normality after the unsettling confrontation, and a reminder that they were still very much on the clock.
Reid sighed as the dim glow of the dashboard settled over them. "I feel like a high school bully."
Archer's eyes, piercing even under the cover of night, met Reid's briefly. "Except you're not a hormonal teenager, and Olwen doesn't look like he could commit murder."
Reid chuckled, even though the humor didn't quite reach his eyes. "Ah, looks can be deceiving, my monosyllabic friend."
Archer shifted the car into drive but didn't move. "We need to find her— the mystery woman."
Reid's laughter died abruptly, replaced by a deep, tired sigh. "Yeah."
Archer reached out, his hand hovering inches from Reid's arm. He paused, an unreadable look crossing his eyes.
"What, you gonna read my aura now?" Reid muttered, smacking Archer's hand away. "I'm fine. I'm just…thinking."
"You looked pale," Archer said, retracting his hand but keeping his gaze locked onto Reid. "The after-effects of your Ability can be—"
"Dangerous. Yeah, I know," Reid interrupted, running a hand through his hair. "But it's not that. There are still pieces of the puzzle missing. I can see how each player fits into this twisted game, but there are gaps."
Archer's eyes widened almost imperceptibly, an emotional outburst by his stoic standards. "Hmm."
Just as Reid was about to offer a snarky retort, a sudden ringing sliced through the air like an unwelcome intruder. Archer's phone, nestled in the cup holder, lit up, announcing an incoming call.
"Speak of the devil," Reid mumbled, glancing at the caller ID. "Or rather, the devil's kin. It's your brother."
Archer picked up the phone without a word, activating the Bluetooth connection. "Yes," he answered, his tone flat, as if the concept of familial warmth had bypassed him completely.
"Archer," came the disembodied voice, tinged with a mix of humor that does not seem hereditary. "Are you coming?"
Reid leaned back in his seat, his attention sharpening despite the mental exhaustion gnawing at the edges of his consciousness.
Archer's eyes met Reid's, a silent question hovering between them. Reid gave a slight nod, prompting Archer to continue. "Yea, R's with me."
"Alright, don't be too late."
"We'll see you there in…" Archer looked over to Reid who was checking the route on his communicator and put out his fingers, spread, three times. Archer continued, "15 minutes."
Archer turned the ignition key, and the car roared to life, peeling out of the parking lot like a beast finally unleashed.
Reid stared out the window, his thoughts as restless as the speeding landscape. Gaps still needed to be filled, questions answered.