Leaning into a mop as it was pushed against the tiled floor, its rhythmic swish echoed in the empty office. The fluorescent lights hummed overhead, casting a sterile glare on the rows of abandoned cubicles.
Dressed in a faded grey janitor's jumpsuit, sleeves rolled to his elbows, and scuffed steel-toed boots that squeaked against the tiles floor is a young man about 17 years of age.
6'2" tall, with a lanky unfinished posture of a teenager still growing into his frame. His skin was warm brown like sunlight mahogany. His hair was a mixture of tight black curls, glossy and untaken care of, but complimented his high cheekbones well.
On the side of his jumpsuit hung his ID card, of which his full name was written on it 'Narvel Naver Anderson' however, the age on his ID card didn't match his real age, as it read that he was 24 years old.
None of this seemed to bother the person in question as he continued to mop the floor and only paused when he heard a familiar tune coming from the television on the other side of the office. His Hazel eyes flicked to the wall-mounted TV, its glow painting his face with blues as he retrieved a remote control from one of his pockets and began increasing the volume of the television.
"Welcome back to Channel 7 Metro Pulse! Keeping You In The Loop Whether You Like It or Not!" A wiry man in his 50s with a neon orange toupee, caterpillar-thick eyebrows, and a rotating collection of sequined bow ties, greeted.
"My name is Baxter Bixby, and I'm your host today, as always. Bringing you the unfiltered gossip and truth of what's happening in our lovely city of Avalon!" Baxter's smile stretched wide as if he couldn't wait to spill whatever secrets he'd dug up.
Narvel's face remained impassive, his jaw tightening slightly as he returned to mopping. The rhythmic swish-thud filled the silence, punctuated by Baxter's animated voice.
"Before we dive into tonight's main event—and trust me, Brigadiers, it's a doozy—we've got an expert here to cut through the Novas rumor mill! You know me: I hate lies, but I love the truth hiding behind those lies. So let's kick off the circus! Put your hands together for the brilliant, the legendary, the slightly terrifying… Professor Greene Vick!"
A canned applause track erupted, but Narvel didn't glance up. The mop's swish-thud drowned out the noise as he scrubbed at what seemed to be a stubborn coffee stain on the ground.
On the screen of the TV, A man in his 60s with a frosted buzz cut and a face like a clenched fist, appeared, quickly making his way to the chair prepared for him opposite Baxter. His steel-gray eyes glare through rectangular wire-frame glasses, their lenses reflecting the studio lights like twin interrogation lamps.
A crisply tailored lab coat hugged his rigid posture, its pockets stuffed with pens and a vintage pocket watch.
"Professor Greene, I just have to say, I am a fan of some of your works. Your book 'Fight or Flight truly gave me some insights into the psychology of the human race. So tell me, how are you doing today sir?"
"I have seen better days." The Professor's voice was somewhat monotone, every syllable precision-cut to dismiss nonsense, but it wasn't enough to wipe the smile off Baxter's face.
"So Professor, I am itching to know some accurate information about Novas, and perhaps, some that the government doesn't want us to know." Baxter's brows wiggled before he continued. "Firstly, for those at home that don't know, please, can you give us a brief explanation as to how one becomes a Nova?"
"Well, it is quite easy. It starts when one awakens a gene called the Novara Gene."
"I have always wondered, Professor, is this Novara Gene a dormant gene hidden in every human?" Seeming as though he was truly curious to hear the answer to this question, Baxter leaned forward a bit and stared at the professor.
"No, it's not a dormant gene, at least, our findings don't suggest that. The Novara Gene is like a virus, a type of flu if you will. However, it is not a contagious virus."
"Then how does one get infected with such a dangerous virus?"
"Dangerous? Certainly, but also filled with so much knowledge and potential that we haven't even had the chance to tap into as a race, nonetheless, in response to your question, we don't know how one gets infected with it. Those that have the Novara Gene will awaken it when exposed to an energy called Ember, or through intense desire or emotions. From our research, we found out that people are born with this gene, and it can remain dormant in some people's system their entire lives."
"Sounds like there's so much that we know nothing about when it comes to this virus. For people to be born with this gene, doesn't that mean that their parents, or someone in their family tree, at one point possessed this gene?"
"Not necessarily, the origin of this gene remains an enigma, as well as other things that come with having this gene. The Crucible, Havocs, and Reapers–all of these have to do with this Novara Gene." The Professor said, not delving any deeper into this as Baxter was getting close to information that he wasn't allowed to disclose.
Sensing this, Baxter pushed on with another question; "Some argue that this Novara Gene provides their carriers with superhuman abilities, while others claim that this is just a precursor to becoming deadly and horrific Havocs that cause anarchy in our cities, what is your take on this, Professor?"
"Both sides aren't wrong. The Novara Gene does provide the infected with superhuman powers but in exchange for something that most cannot afford. Upon awakening the Novara Gene, the consciousness of these infected is dragged into another dimension – The Crucible.
As we have been told and from much that we have seen, more than 90% of those who go into that dimension do not make it back. Once they die in that dimension, their bodies here will begin undergoing a corruption that eventually turns them into mindless monsters, the Havocs. There are also other factors that change these Novas into Havocs, for example, the whispers that they all hear. Or even using their powers in this dimension."
"Woah, creepy and uncanny. One might think this virus is giving steroids to medically insane people. Why only their consciousness though and also, who else apart from the government and Novas have access to this Ember energy you mentioned? And how long do they stay in this Crucible place?"
"As of now, we do not have a definite answer to that question. For the Novas that are just awakening, they usually spend in week in the Crucible before returning, before then, they lack the willpower or ability to return to their bodies.
Regarding the Ember, it is hard to say. Novas have access to this energy, but many wouldn't dare reveal or waste this because this energy is tied to their well-being and it is also rare to get, hence our uncertainty of who is in possession of such energy. But much to my knowledge, the Government should have a good amount locked up somewhere after dealing with Havocs and Novas over the years."
Baxter nodded, his grin widening before coming up with another question. "What happens to their bodies if they do not lose their lives in The Crucible?"
"They return to their bodies, stronger than before. Sometimes with items that defy logic, at least the ones that we are familiar with."
Narvel's grip dented the mop handle as Professor Greene mentioned Ember. He forced his hands to relax, and the steel groaned back into shape.
"Ah, I see. Fascinating, truly fascinating."
Narvel raised his head at this point and looked at Baxter, knowing that the channel's host would have a stupid smile on his face. Upon seeing that he was right, Narvel returned his gaze to the tiles that he was mopping.
'It's only fascinating until you find yourself in there.' Narvel thought.
"Professor, in the rumors that went around, I heard things like Sundered and Eclipse, could you please shed more light on these?" Baxter's legs twitched under his table, hidden from the eyes of the public as he was holding his excitement back.
Professor Greene paused, his eyes scanning Baxter: "What rumor contained such information? Most unregistered Novas avoid speaking about such to avoid getting caught by the Federation, and even the registered ones aren't able to speak about it…" The Professor paused, realizing that Baxter had done all of this on purpose.
'I doubt if there was any rumor like this in the first place. Fine, this information will have to be released to the public at one point in the future. It wouldn't matter much now anyway. I never wanted to do this interview in the first place, but those fools forced me to. None of this will be my fault.'
"Sundered and Eclipsed are some of the names given to certain realms of power that the Novas possess, and each of the realms has 3 ranks within them named Flicker, Spark, and then Blaze. Sundered is the first realm, followed by Claimed, the third is Eclipsed, and then Sunmoon. In this order, each subsequent realm is stronger than the last, though anomalies exist."
"Fascinating, truly fascinating," Baxter rubbed his beardless chin as a slow smile crawled up his face.
"Professor, since you mentioned this energy called Ember, I can't hold myself from asking this, because I also heard a rumor from a reliable source that some naughty people spread this energy around certain areas of the city. Specifically the outer rings of the city. And then you mentioned that those infected with the Novara Gene can awaken due to coming in contact with this Ember, is it that easy? Or is there a pattern to it?"
This question stunned both the Professor and the audience.
Even Narvel paused and his face morphed into a frown. "Joseline," Letting go of the mop, and allowing it to rest on his chest before reaching into his pocket to retrieve his phone.
Seeing that what he had just announced had garnered the reaction he wanted, Baxter continued; "Oh my, where are my manners, I forgot to mention that, this, is tonight's main event."
Professor Greene remained speechless, glaring at Baxter as though he wanted to punch the man in the face. Professor Greene felt as though he had been played into saying some things he wouldn't have said the way he said them.
With the Professor silent, Baxter seized the moment and the camera in the studio focused on him, cutting the Professor out of frame.
"Earlier today, a little birdie of mine told me that the Government was spreading some sort of contamination around the outer part of the city. Now don't get me wrong, he or she said that it was the government's doing, but had no proof that it was them. Nonetheless, there's proof of something being spread around the outer ring of the city. He was the one who told me about this Ember thing first, but he couldn't go into details with me.
Normally, I would have put this in my 'Investigate First' list, but then, the unusual amount of Federation Officers spread around the city, especially around the outer ring, made everything suspicious to me so I had to ask someone well-versed in such a field to gain some clarity." Baxter explained.
"Are you an enemy of the State? Or are you just a fool?" Professor Greene asked.
"Me? An enemy of the state? Professor, I find that offensive. I'm an avid advocate of 'Call and Report a Nova to Save a Life.' How could I be on their side?"
"How could you spew such conspiracy theories on National television? You should be arrested and charged for treason."
"Professor, I think you do not understand the consequences of what I just said—If it's true. If the government is the one spreading this Ember that can awaken a dormant infection that we do not have the technology to detect properly yet, then no one in the city is safe. The main point here is that no one knows who or who doesn't have this gene lying dormant in them. We all just want to live and die as a normal human, why is the government trying to jeopardize this for us?"
"Fool! There are already preventative measures for this, those that have already taken the vaccine will have a very high chance of not awakening—"
"But there's still a possibility of awakening and this Ember that was spread around the city by the government or whoever might just test the credibility of said vaccine, don't you think so too, Professor?" Baxter interrupted.
"You Fu****!"
"We'll now take a short break. We'll be back before you know it!" Baxter cut in quickly, the screen cutting to commercials before the professor could finish.
Narvel was already dialing a number, his heart pounding. The call connected after a few rings.
"Hello, Narvel? Where are you? There are Federation officers everywhere. I don't know what they're searching for, but don't come back here today." The voice on the other end was soft but urgent.
"I just heard—"
"I also heard a bit from Channel 7 Metro Pulse… I feel a little drowsy, Narvel. Something is calling out to me."
Narvel's world seemed to tilt. His grip on the phone tightened, his voice low but urgent. "No matter what you do, don't give into that sensation or fall asleep, you hear me, Joseline, don't give into it! I'm on my way now," He said, but the call had already disconnected.
Narvel attempted to call Joseline again, but this time the call didn't connect.
Squeak!
With a surge of worry mixed with adrenaline, Narvel dropped the mop and suddenly broke into a full sprint, his boots slamming against the tiles as he raced toward the exit.