First Intergalactic Emperor: Starting With The Ancient Goddess

The next day, the clubroom smelled faintly of solder and ozone as if it was recently cleaned. Angel sat at her workbench, sleeves rolled up, tools scattered around her in neat chaos. Xavier leaned back in the chair across from her, tossing a coin idly while she handed him his smart glasses.

”They’ll work the way you asked,” Angel said, sliding them across the table. ”Hotspot server, discreet uplink, full transfer in one go. But listen to me—” she leaned in, eyes sharp—”when you use this feature, you wait until the full transfer and upload is complete. If you cut it halfway, you’ll trip every security alarm in the system. You’ll get caught before you can blink.”

Xavier caught the glasses, slipped them into his jacket pocket with a calm nod. ”Relax. I have got this. I’ll wait it out.” His smirk was soft, almost reassuring, but Angel didn’t buy it.

”Just don’t underestimate these systems,” she muttered, turning back to her screen. ”Why are you hasting your plan, anyway? We just dealt with Ethan yesterday, and today you are planning to execute your next plan already.”

”I am kinda short on time. Once this has been dealt with, the only one I have to take care of is Lucas. And I don’t know where the fuck he is hiding.” He let out a frustrated sigh.

”I know you don’t need this but...” She glanced at him and gave him a worried look. ”Good luck.”

Xavier stood. ”Thanks.” With that, he left the club.

He got on his bike and drove off. The city stretched before him, but the bike carried him somewhere he’d never gone before—the Kane Medical Tower. The name loomed on a silver plaque outside the glass facade, gleaming in the late sun. His expression shifted as he approached: the cocky calm slipped away, replaced by a crafted mask of sorrow, hesitance, even fear.

Inside, the air was sterile, cold with disinfectant and money. He walked straight to the reception desk. The receptionist looked up, polite but practiced.

”I want to meet John Kane,” Xavier said, voice low, a little strained.

The woman blinked. ”Do you have an appointment, sir?”

Xavier shook his head. ”No.”

”Then I’m afraid that won’t be possible. Dr. Kane hasn’t been accepting any personal patients since the news about his son’s death.” Her tone softened a touch, but the refusal was firm.

Xavier leaned in slightly, letting just enough crack slip into his voice. ”At least tell him I’m here. My name is Xavier. I was Leonardo’s friend... and his classmate.”

The receptionist hesitated, exchanging a glance with the colleague at her side. After a moment, she gestured to an attendant. ”Go inform Dr. Kane that someone’s here asking for him.”

The attendant nodded and disappeared down the polished hallways, leaving Xavier standing there, mask firmly in place, waiting.

The wait wasn’t long. A man in a tailored black suit strode into the lobby with heavy steps. His hair was streaked gray, his face worn with the lines of grief, but his presence was sharp—John Kane, head of the tower, father of Leonardo. His eyes swept over Xavier, as though he was assessing him.

”You’re the one asking for me?” John’s voice was deep, but it carried the weight of a man who’d buried his only son.

Xavier straightened, his mask holding. ”Yes. My name is Xavier. I came because... I wanted to tell you something. But it should be in private.”

Obviously, John would already know who Xavier is, but Xavier was putting on the humble and kind boy act.

John’s stare didn’t waver. ”And what business could you possibly have with me, boy?”

Xavier drew in a slow breath, letting the silence stretch just enough to sharpen the tension. Then he said, ”It’s about Leonardo.”

The weight of that name dropped between them. John’s face stiffened, his jaw tightening. For a moment, he said nothing, only studied Xavier’s expression as though testing for cracks, for deceit.

Finally, John turned sharply. ”Follow me.”

He led Xavier past the lobby, into a private elevator, security glass sealing them off from the world. Neither spoke during the ascent. The air felt heavier the higher they went, silence pressing in with every passing floor.

At the very top, the doors opened to an office that overlooked the city—a sweeping view of steel and sky. The room was lined with bookshelves and framed accolades, but what drew Xavier’s eye was the portrait of Leonardo on the wall, set above a sleek desk.

John walked behind the desk, his back straight despite the grief in his features. He gestured to the chair opposite him. ”Sit. And speak.”

Xavier lowered himself into the chair, his expression somber, his hands resting calmly on his knees. He let the quiet hang a beat longer before he finally raised his eyes to John.

Xavier slid his smart glass from his pocket and set it on the edge of the table with casual movements. With a subtle tap, he activated the new function Angel had built in. A faint, invisible pulse spread from the device, linking itself into the tower’s hidden veins of data.

Angel quickly linked to the system and began copying all the secret files about John’s wrongdoings, which could destroy his career fully.

He leaned back in the chair, eyes flicking briefly to the portrait of Leonardo before turning back to John Kane. His voice was low, steady, but carried the kind of weight that pulled a listener in.

”You might have seen my livestream somewhere,” Xavier began. ”My confession. I was there when Leonardo was shot. I was there when it all happened.”

John’s hands tightened on the edge of the desk, but he said nothing.

Xavier let out a sharp breath, tilting his head as if the memory weighed on him. ”Maximillian and Leonardo cornered me that day. They thought it was a game. They were... bullying me. Same as always. But Leonardo... he wasn’t like them. Not fully.”

John’s brow furrowed, his jaw tightening as he listened. He had already accepted Xavier’s bait without even realizing.