Haze's eyes widened as he surveyed every corner of the building. To him, it was all a marvel—from the masked Quasars to the scientists bustling around. He had said he was going to wait in the car, but he couldn't resist exploring such a fascinating place.
"Mom will still take some time," Haze thought to himself as he wandered around the massive headquarters.
He explored one lobby after another, most of the officials too busy to pay any mind to a wandering child. Since no one seemed to bother stopping him, he decided to keep going.
Then, he ventured deeper into the complex, to a point where he began to encounter fewer and fewer people. He had heard something intriguing—noises like low, muffled growls barely escaping a chamber—and his curiosity led him to follow the sound.
Soon, Haze found himself standing before a door. This door was different from the sliding glass doors he had seen everywhere else; it had no knob or handle. It felt like a door that should not be opened, yet it seemed almost insecure, as though it would yield to a simple push. And something dared him to do just that.
With slow, trembling hands, Haze reached toward the door. He wasn't sure why he wanted to know what was behind it so badly, or why he felt a sense of fear, but at this point, he couldn't stop himself. His only hope now was that the door would actually be locked.
His fingers inched closer to the door, just before he felt himself abruptly grabbed from behind, causing him to scream in terror.
"Hey, shut the hell up," Rogan said as he held Haze aloft by the back collar of his shirt.
Haze turned to face Rogan, and upon seeing another human, his panic began to subside. He covered his mouth as if trying to suppress the screams he had already let out.
"What the hell are you doing here, kid? Disrupting my nap?" Rogan asked as he released Haze, allowing him to land on the floor.
"Sorry, I was just looking around," Haze replied, infusing his voice with innocence.
"This is the last place you should be snooping around. You want to die?" Rogan asked, taking a step forward and scrutinizing Haze intently.
"Why'd you come here?" Rogan asked.
"Just looking around," Haze repeated.
"Weird that you'd end up in the one place we keep an ethervore," Rogan said as he stroked his chin, eyeing the boy.
"Oh, are those the things that Quasars fight? Can I be a Quasar?" Haze asked, his voice filled with genuine curiosity and enthusiasm.
Rogan looked at the boy for a moment, contemplating whether he wanted to take on the task of explaining things to the child before him.
"You don't just become a Quasar; sometimes it takes terrible things to happen," Rogan explained.
"Yeah... like my cousin," Haze mumbled, his face shifting to one of sadness.
'Oh, so he's that boy's cousin,' Rogan thought to himself, observing the change in Haze's expression.
"Well, it doesn't always have to be like that... we can find out with a simple test," Rogan said, attempting to cheer Haze up.
"Really? Can I take the test?" Haze asked, his eyes sparkling with excitement again.
"Well... our testing facility exploded not too long ago... and even if it hadn't, I doubt you'd want to take the test," Rogan said, scratching the back of his head.
"Huh, why not?" Haze asked.
"Well, if you pass the test, you awaken as a Quasar, but..." Rogan began, questioning his decision to discuss this with a child.
"But what?" Haze pressed, curiosity evident in his expression.
"If you fail, you turn into a monster, and we'd have to kill you," Rogan said.
"What the..." Haze gasped, shocked by Rogan's words.
"Yeah, that's why most people don't take the test. The only way to awaken as a Quasar is to be exposed to Quasarite, but if you aren't a Quasar, it ends badly," Rogan explained as he began leading Haze away from their current location.
"So, if I'm a Quasar, I won't know until I'm attacked by those ethermonsters?" Haze asked as they walked.
"Well, not entirely. No one over the age of sixteen can awaken as a Quasar anymore. So if you are exposed to Quasarite after sixteen, you'd be a victim of the chaostaint even if you would have awakened before," Rogan explained.
"Wow, that's all so bad," Haze acknowledged, deep in thought.
"Well, what is life without risks? I'd take the test! When can I come for it?" Haze said with childish determination.
"When you get a signed document from both you and your parents in agreement to forfeit your life," Rogan answered matter-of-factly, an attempt to terrify and disway the child with the truth.
"What about one with only my signature?" Haze asked, before hearing a voice that made his heart skip a beat.
"My eyes must be failing me, 'cause I could swear that place you are standing in right now isn't the car, is it, Haze?" Haze's mother's voice pierced through the large lobby, reaching Haze's ears with unmistakable clarity.
"Oh crap," the child mumbled under his breath.