Rohan stretched lazily, leaning back into the plush sofa of the Executive HQ lounge. It was a rare day off, and for once, the tension of battles, rankings, and training was replaced by something resembling peace. Ayumi sat across from him, pretending to be focused on her tablet, but he could tell her mind was elsewhere. Her recent defeat still weighed on her, even though they had patched things up.
"Hey, why don't we do something fun?" Elena suggested, her vibrant energy cutting through the quiet room. She bounced onto the couch next to Rohan, a mischievous grin lighting up her face.
"Like what?" Alejandro asked, his calm demeanor contrasting Elena's excitement.
"How about we explore the HQ?" Elena clapped her hands together. "There's a spa, a sports complex, a bathhouse… We've been here how long, and we haven't even checked out half the cool stuff!"
Rohan glanced at Ayumi, who shrugged but stood up nonetheless. "Fine," she said, her tone flat. "Might as well."
The four of them wandered down the wide, marble corridors of the Executive HQ, the air conditioned just right, making the whole place feel like a luxury resort. They first stumbled upon the Executive Spa, where soft music played, and the smell of lavender and eucalyptus filled the air. The walls were lined with waterfalls cascading into shallow pools, giving the room a serene and almost otherworldly vibe.
"Wow," Alejandro whistled, his eyes scanning the lush surroundings. "This place is fancy."
"Fancy doesn't even cover it," Elena replied, her eyes wide with wonder. "We should totally book a session here later."
They moved on, passing a state-of-the-art sports complex. Inside, a few executives trained, honing their abilities while sparring or pushing their physical limits. It wasn't just an ordinary gym. Equipment tailored for powers lined the room—gravity-enhanced treadmills, hyper-responsive combat simulators, even a room with shifting magnetic fields designed to train those with metal or electrical powers.
Ayumi stopped at the glass wall, watching an executive manipulating a swarm of nanobots in a mock battle. Her eyes flicked to Rohan, who was watching her reaction.
"You thinking what I'm thinking?" she asked, her voice finally breaking the ice between them.
"That we should definitely come back here and train?" Rohan replied with a grin.
Ayumi smirked but said nothing more.
As the hours passed, they found themselves at the Executive Bathhouse, where large hot springs and cold baths sat under an open sky, surrounded by meticulously placed greenery. The steam from the hot water rose into the cool evening air, and the quiet was only broken by the occasional splash as someone dipped into the pools.
"This place is unbelievable," Rohan muttered, sinking into the hot water with a groan of relief.
Elena floated nearby, her arms spread wide. "I could stay here forever."
Ayumi sat at the edge, dipping just her feet in, her face relaxing for the first time since her defeat. Even Alejandro, usually stoic and distant, leaned back with a look of satisfaction.
For a moment, everything felt normal. There were no battles, no powers, no threats. Just friends enjoying a rare moment of peace.
But the calm didn't last long.
As they made their way back to the main lounge, laughing and talking about where to explore next, they heard hushed voices coming from one of the adjacent conference rooms. Rohan paused, his hand motioning for the others to be quiet. They all crouched by the door, listening.
Inside the room, Zara al-Hayek's voice was unmistakable. She spoke quietly but with a firmness that demanded attention. "We can't let Varun stay in power. He's too dangerous. If he continues, we'll all be pawns in his game."
"Agreed," came Amir Khaled's deep voice. "Varun's been playing us from the start. The executive system is nothing more than a puppet show to him. We need to take him down, but we can't just challenge him outright."
"We'll have to plan carefully," Zara continued. "We'll need to get the others on board."
Alejandro's eyes widened, and Elena covered her mouth, stifling a gasp. Ayumi, her face set in concentration, leaned closer to the door.
Rohan furrowed his brow, his mind racing. This wasn't just any idle chatter. Zara and Amir were plotting something serious—going against Varun himself. The thought of it sent a chill down his spine.
"I knew something was off with them," Rohan whispered to his friends. "But this… this is bigger than I thought."
"Should we tell someone?" Elena asked, her voice barely audible.
Ayumi shook her head. "Not yet. We don't know enough. If we report it now, we might tip them off. We need to gather more information first."
Alejandro nodded in agreement. "We keep this to ourselves for now. But we should be careful. Zara and Amir aren't just going to sit around and wait."
Rohan's mind buzzed with possibilities. Varun was the leader of the entire executive system—taking him down wouldn't be easy. But if Zara and Amir were serious, then the entire structure of the world they knew could change. And Rohan wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a disaster waiting to happen.
As they slipped away from the conference room, their relaxing day at the HQ was long forgotten. The weight of the information they had just overheard settled heavily on them.
This was far from over.