Samantha Jens's fingers grazed the edge of the file. Her nails, painted dark red, the same shade as her dress, contrasted with the cold blue of the data holograms floating before her. The numbers danced in the air, relentless: 27% accuracy on the first shot, 100% on the second, then again, and again, as if someone had flipped a switch in the kid's brain.
Her eyes, the color of concentrated ether, landed on the attached photo. Danny Mercer looked out of place even in a still image: hunched posture, elusive gaze, the extra weight that made him seem younger than he was. Nothing special, anyone would have thought. But Samantha was not just anyone.
A sigh escaped her lips as she raised her hand and, with a gesture, made a holographic game table appear. On it, a virtual deck of cards and five markers floated, each representing an Architect: Seraphine, Veyne, Kael, Orlan... and herself.
"I want him," she declared, sliding a finger over Danny's file. "I saw him first. The kid calculates ether. He doesn't feel it. He solves it."
Veyne's voice resonated from his place in the hologram, mingling with murmurs of protest from the other Architects. "It's not fair you get him just because you saw him first."
Samantha didn't flinch. A slow smile spread across her lips, revealing a glint of cunning in her eyes.
"Then let's play a hand. Blackjack. Winner of the round gets first pick."
The other Architects grumbled but accepted. Blackjack was a simple game of chance and quick decisions, with no room for "magic" in its mechanics. It felt clean, fair.
Samantha was the first to receive her virtual cards. A seven of spades and a four of clubs. Eleven.
The other Architects received their hands. Kael, always aggressive, hit card after card, busting his hand with 24. Orlan played conservatively, standing on 17. Seraphine hesitated, whispering to her cards, before standing on 19. Veyne, with an 18, smiled confidently.
It was Samantha's turn. Everyone watched her. With an 11, the decision was crucial.
"One more card, please," she requested, her voice calm.
The virtual card slowly flipped over. A ten of diamonds. Twenty-one.
A stunned silence filled the room. No one had noticed anything. Samantha hadn't made a single gesture that indicated cheating. She had simply won with a perfect hand in a game of chance.
A triumphant smile spread across her face. "The kid is mine," she declared, gathering the cards with a final gesture. And at that moment, her smile was as sharp as the rune she had just won.
On the first day of training, Samantha Jens observed from the shadows with a satisfied smile.
Danny Mercer drew the fire rune with a precision that made even the air around him seem to hold its breath. His fingers didn't falter; there was no excess force or clumsiness in the stroke. It was perfect, as if ether itself had paused to admire his work.
Ethan Voltaire was the only one who noticed.
His golden eyes locked onto Danny with a mix of astonishment and calculation, as if he had just discovered a hidden weapon in the pocket of someone everyone had underestimated. Samantha saw it but said nothing. There was no need to reprimand Ethan for observing. After all, what better instructor for the golden boy than someone who understood ether as equations?
Instead, she turned her attention to the others.
"Clumsy! That's not a circle; it's a fried egg!"
Samantha strode through the hall with slow steps, her red dress waving like a warning flag.
"Zara, darling, in what universe does that shaky line resemble Ignis? Or is Team Solaris now using abstract magic?"
Zara flushed, but before she could respond, Samantha was already in front of Jake.
"Ah, the leader," her voice dripped with sarcasm. "How interesting that your rune has the same elegance as a punch to the face. Consistent, at least."
Jake clenched his jaw, but Samantha just laughed, enjoying her role too much.
Lena was next.
"Technically correct... but cold. Is it so hard to put a little soul into magic, prodigy?"
Lena didn't respond, but her fingers moved faster the next time, as if trying to prove something to her.
While the others struggled, Danny remained in his corner, repeating the runes with a tranquility that contrasted with the sweat and gasps of the rest.
Samantha passed near him, feigning disinterest, but her eyes kept returning to him.
"Don't get overconfident, Mercer," she murmured, low enough for only him to hear. "Precision without passion is just a circus trick."
Danny looked at her, surprised, but she had already moved away, leaving the warning to hang in the air like an unactivated rune.
To the world, she was just another Architect, tough, sarcastic, enjoying scolding participants as if it were a sport.
But in reality, every correction, every biting remark, was a piece in a much larger game.
And Danny, unknowingly, was the most important player.
As training continued, Samantha smiled to herself.
This was going to be fun.
On the second day of training, Samantha Jens immediately noticed the change.
Danny no longer drew runes with that impeccable precision that gave him away. Now his strokes were slower, calculatedly mediocre, as if he were matching the pace of others instead of standing out. And most interestingly: Ethan, the golden boy, pretended not to notice.
She liked that.
A player who hid their cards was a player who understood the rules of the game.
"Mercer!" Her voice cut through the air like a whip, making several participants flinch. "Is that supposed to be a rune or a first-grader's scribble?"
Danny blinked, feigning clumsiness as the ether line he traced faded into the air.
"Sorry, Architect. It's harder than it looks."
A lie.
She knew it. He knew it. But the game required pretense.
"Well, try harder," she spat, walking past him with a look only he could decipher: Well done.
The golden boy wasn't spared either.
"Voltaire, that pose is for a magazine cover, not for invoking ether!" Samantha scoffed, pointing at his water rune, which barely held its shape. "Or will your followers vote for you when you're hanging off a cliff?"
Ethan put on his best "you're right, but I don't care" smile, but his eyes gleamed with something else: relief.
He had understood.
Directly reprimanding Danny would have exposed him. But scolding both of them equally made them look like simple teammates, not accomplices.
As she walked among the participants, correcting here, insulting there, her mind was already working on the next moves:
* Push Danny just enough for his survival instinct to overcome his insecurity.
* Keep Ethan close, because the influencer was the perfect shield: no one would suspect the golden boy.
* Ensure the other teams underestimated Outcast, especially that clumsy chubby kid who currently couldn't even draw a circle.
It was all part of the show.
But when the cameras turned off and the games truly began, she knew the truth:
Danny Mercer was not the underdog.
He was the secret weapon that would lead her team to victory.
And she, smiling as she yelled at Jake for his bully magic, enjoyed every second of her little conspiracy.
This year, the Ether Games would have an unexpected winner.
And the other Architects would never see it coming.
Samantha Jens's office was a reflection of herself: impeccable, elegant, and with a touch of danger. The walls, covered in crystallized ether panels, glowed with a faint reddish light, while in the center of the desk, a piña colada waited in a frosted glass, adorned with a pineapple slice and a miniature umbrella.
News anchor, Marcus Vey, burst into the space with his perfect-toothed smile and fitted suit, followed by a cameraman capturing every detail.
"Architect Jens! What an honor to be here, in the sanctuary of Team Outcast's mastermind!" Marcus exclaimed, spreading his arms as if presenting an award.
Samantha, reclining in her chair, took a sip of her drink before replying.
"Sanctuary, you say... To me, it looks more like a refuge to survive so much incompetence," her lips curved into a sardonic smile. "If they keep this up, I'm going to resign before the first trial."
Marcus laughed, as if it were a joke, but she wasn't kidding.
The anchor signaled the cameraman, who projected holographic images onto the table:
* Ethan and Danny sitting together in the cafeteria, the former laughing while the latter explained something with nervous gestures.
* Lena and Jake in the gym, exchanging intense glances while lifting weights.
* Sophia and Tobias sharing headphones in a corner, smiling secretly.
"It seems your team is more united than you say, Architect!" Marcus pointed to the images enthusiastically. "Friendships? Romances? Or just strategy to win votes?"
Samantha let out an exaggerated sigh.
"Please, Marcus. If I wanted to watch soap operas, I'd put on Chains of Love instead of training this disaster," she said, but her tone was playful, as if she enjoyed the game. "Though... if any of them win, maybe I'll recommend them for a romantic spin-off."
Marcus chuckled, delighted with her attitude.
"And with that confession, fans are already rushing to vote for #Dethan or #Jena!" he exclaimed, winking at the camera. "Any message for the public before we sign off?"
Samantha raised her piña colada in a mock toast.
"Keep watching. Because when my team wins, I want everyone to remember they did it despite me," she smiled, showing her perfect teeth. "Greetings, Nexus."
The camera turned off, and Samantha's smile vanished as quickly as it had appeared.
Marcus, still in anchorman mode, bid farewell with a theatrical gesture.
"Until next time, Architect! And good luck with... uh, not resigning!"
When the door closed, Samantha let out a sigh and took another sip.
Her team's progress report was still open on her computer, but her eyes landed on a secondary window: a looping video of Danny drawing runes with that abnormal precision.
After all, the show must go on.
🔥 ETHERTRENDS: ARCHITECT SECRETS & RISING STARS (CHAPTER 6) 🔍
Here are the most talked-about moments from the last few days, captured by robot cameras and leaked by anonymous sources!
🕵️♀️ #SageConspiracy
* Tycho Grid (Sage) 🧠: Calculated Juno's exact weight by just looking at her, then whispered it to Lyra. Juno hit him with her rune book! 📚💥
* Mirai Clock (Sage) ⏱️: Timed how long it took Kael to look at Brenna (12.7 seconds). Brenna threatened her with a fork! 🍴
* Team Sage 🔭: Not here to win, but to study everyone else. So mysterious! 👁️
💦 #JacuzziSecrets
* Wren Rogue (Outlaws) 🩳🔥: Stole Vex's (Vanguard) shorts and used them as a flag. Vex chased her in tight swimwear!
* Finn Black (Outlaws) 🍾: Hacked the jacuzzi to dispense champagne. Selene made him drink it straight from the jet!
* Tobias Hale (Outcast) 🐸: Spent 2 hours underwater. Is he breathing... or is he an amphibian?!
🏀 #CourtSideDrama
* Clara Nix (Outcast) 🏐: Challenged Lena to blind volleyball (blindfolded). Clara won because Lena tripped over her own shadow! 😂
* Orson Pike (Vanguard) 💪: Broke 3 basketballs with his bare hands. Kael praised him and then used him as a gym example!
* Lux Cipher (Outlaws) 🔪: Juggled 5 knives during a game. Rook gave her a look... and she dropped everything!
🍽️ #DiningRoomHacks
* Juno Puzzle (Sage) 🧩: Solved Dax's Rubik's Cube with food (organized beans by color). Culinary terrorism or art?
* Nova Shine (Solaris) ✨: Used her holographic nails to reflect light into Zara's eyes. Result: Zara spilled juice on Caden!
* Finn 🌭🍦: Hacked the menu again. Now they only serve hot dogs with ice cream. Protest or cruelty?
🌙 #MidnightMissions
* Tobias Hale (Outcast) 🦇: Seen scaling the Ether Tower roof... just to sleep there! Is he human or a wild cat?
* Lyra Whisper (Sage) 🤫: Guessed Mirai's dream ("you were dreaming of prime numbers"). Mirai locked her in the bathroom for revenge!
* Wren and Vex 👀: Met at 3 AM. Exchange of stolen items... or something more?
🎤 #EtherConfessions
* Finn (Outlaws) 😈: "If I'm not eliminated, I'll hack the voting system... so everyone wins." Hero or villain?
* Clara (Outcast) 💨: "I run faster than their spells... and their thoughts." (Said after leaving Lena behind).
* Tycho (Sage) 🤓: "The angle of your smile is imperfect... like your runes." (To Juno, who then stole his glasses).
🔥 TRENDING HASHTAGS:
* #WrenxVex 🥵
* #TobiasIsABat 🦇
* #FinnTheChaosKing 👑
(Updating every 5 seconds. EtherLink suggests following the characters... they're the real strategists.)