The Helix Institute's Lecture Hall Gamma was unlike any classroom Ethan had ever seen. The walls were lined with mirrors, some cracked, others pristine. Spotlights hung from the ceiling, casting sharp white beams over small round tables scattered across the marble floor. Plush leather chairs sat around each table, and faint jazz music hummed through hidden speakers.
It felt more like an upscale nightclub than a classroom.
Ethan leaned back in one of the leather chairs, tapping his fingers against the polished table. Around him, other recruits murmured quietly, some adjusting ties, others glancing suspiciously at the mirrored walls.
"Why does it feel like we're about to get scammed?" Elise muttered beside him. Her hair was pulled back tightly, and she wore a sleek black blazer over her academy uniform.
Ethan smirked. "Maybe we already have been."
The lights dimmed.
A voice, smooth, theatrical, and undeniably charming spoke from somewhere above them.
"Ah, my dear students… Welcome to the stage."
From behind a velvet curtain at the far end of the hall, Luca "Chameleon" Renard emerged. He was dressed in a sharp emerald-green suit, his cuffs adorned with gold links shaped like tiny chameleons. His dark hair was perfectly styled, and he twirled a silver-tipped cane in one gloved hand.
"Spies, assassins, agents… bah!" Luca exclaimed, his voice echoing through the hall. "All of you are nothing....nothing....without this."
He snapped his fingers, and a spotlight focused on his face.
"Deception."
The word hung in the air. The recruits sat frozen, eyes locked on Luca as he moved effortlessly across the room, his cane clicking softly against the marble floor.
"A good disguise isn't just about wigs and makeup, my little hatchlings. No, no, no. It's about conviction. It's about making someone believe a lie so thoroughly that they'll defend it for you."
He stopped directly in front of Ethan and leaned in close, his emerald eyes gleaming.
"Mr. Cross… if I told you I was your long-lost uncle here to save you from this dreadful institution, would you believe me?"
Ethan grinned. "You're a little overdressed for a family reunion, sir."
The class chuckled, and Luca smirked, standing upright again.
"Sharp, Mr. Cross. Very sharp. But tell me…" He reached into his pocket and pulled out a sleek, black wallet. "…who did this belong to?"
Ethan blinked. He patted his chest and pockets his wallet was gone.
The recruits erupted into laughter as Luca casually flipped the wallet open.
"Ladies and gentlemen, Ethan Cross, everyone. Handsome, brave, and apparently terrible at keeping track of his belongings."
He tossed the wallet back to Ethan with a wink.
"Today, my darlings, you will learn to walk into a room and become anyone. A diplomat, a thief, a grieving widow, your face, your voice, your movements will be your weapons. And if you fail…" Luca's voice dropped into a theatrical whisper. "…well, let's just say failure in our line of work is rarely polite."
The spotlight went dark, and the mirrors around the room began to shift. Panels slid aside to reveal racks of costumes, wigs, makeup kits, and rows of passports from every corner of the globe.
"Choose your disguise!" Luca's voice boomed. "Your assignment awaits."
Ethan stood in front of a mirror, adjusting the collar of a beige trench coat and tilting a gray fedora just right. His reflection was… someone else. His usually sharp, confident demeanor was replaced with a hunched posture and nervous eyes.
"You look like a sketchy insurance salesman," Elise said from behind him. She was wearing a chic red dress and carried a clutch purse like it held the nuclear codes.
"Perfect," Ethan said with a smirk. "Insurance is about trust. And I'm here to sell you peace of mind."
Elise rolled her eyes. "Come on, Mr. Salesman. The assignment's starting."
The recruits had been split into pairs and scattered across a simulation floor designed to look like an upscale hotel lobby. Ethan and Elise walked in together, their disguises locked in place.
Luca's voice crackled over their hidden earpieces.
"Your objective: Obtain the briefcase from Room 304 without raising suspicion. The briefcase is guarded by Mr. Griffin, a rather large and humorless man who doesn't believe in small talk."
Ethan and Elise exchanged a glance.
"Showtime," Ethan said softly.
They entered the lobby, blending into the soft hum of chatter and clinking glasses. The scent of expensive perfume and aged whiskey filled the air.
Ethan spotted Mr. Griffin, a broad-shouldered man in a pinstripe suit, standing like a marble statue outside an elevator.
Elise smiled faintly. "Distraction or misdirection?"
Ethan tilted his head. "Why not both?"
Ethan approached the elevator with a practiced nervousness, his shoulders slouched and his voice trembling slightly.
"Excuse me, sir, I...uh...I seem to have lost my… my briefcase?"
Mr. Griffin's cold gaze locked onto Ethan.
"You lost it?"
"Y-Yes. Room 304, I think. Or was it 403? My wife's going to kill me."
Griffin grunted, clearly unimpressed. "Stay here."
As Griffin turned slightly, Elise glided past him, her red dress catching the faint light. In one fluid motion, she slipped into the elevator and pressed the button for the third floor.
Ethan swallowed hard, forcing a panicked laugh. "Actually, never mind! I found it! Totally fine! Haha!"
Mr. Griffin turned back, but by then Ethan was already walking away, hands shoved into his pockets.
On the third floor, Ethan joined Elise outside Room 304. The door was locked, but Elise was already working on it with a sleek electronic device.
"Almost there…" Elise whispered.
The door clicked open, and they slipped inside.
On a polished wooden table sat the briefcase a dull black box with reinforced corners and a biometric lock.
Ethan moved toward it, but the faint click of a safety being released froze him in place.
Behind them, a guard with a pistol stood in the doorway, his expression cold and unblinking.
"Step away from the case."
Time slowed. Ethan's eyes darted to Elise, then back to the guard.
The man's finger tightened on the trigger.
BANG!
The guard crumpled, a red dart lodged in his neck.
From behind him, Luca Renard stepped into the room, twirling a dart pistol with an exaggerated flourish.
"Congratulations, my little hatchlings!" Luca said with a grin. "You didn't completely embarrass yourselves."
Elise let out a shaky breath as Ethan collapsed into one of the chairs.
Luca's smile faded slightly. "But remember, darlings… in the real world, that wasn't a dart. And your hesitation could have cost you your lives."
Ethan nodded slowly, the weight of Luca's words settling heavily in his chest.
Welcome to the Art of Deception.
Lex's words echoed in his mind:
"Once you're in… there's no turning back."
End of Chapter 4.