As Lucas stood in the VELA Research Laboratory, the crystal he'd discovered from Hakone lay before him, glowing faintly on the table. His mind raced with the possibilities.

  He could sense the magnitude of the energy it held, but the more he looked at it, the more questions surfaced. The lab was bustling with activity, but Lucas was deep in thought, trying to piece together the mystery.

  The officers around him were excited about the potential of this crystal, but Lucas was skeptical. He felt like there was something more to it—something that no one else seemed to notice.

  A VELA officer spoke, breaking his reverie. "Lucas, your findings will be vital for the continuation of the Dominion Project," he said, his tone flat. "We expect you to assist with further research."

  Lucas blinked, his mind still processing the statement. The Dominion Project. It was a project he had heard about in passing but never gave much thought to. Now, it seemed everything was connected to it.

  He barely heard the officer’s next words, his thoughts consumed by the crystal. His gaze shifted to a nearby table where a prototype of the Dominion Project was being displayed. It was a massive structure, almost like a futuristic device, and the design seemed to resonate with the same energy signature as the crystal.

  He felt a rush of understanding. It was all starting to make sense—too much sense. Was this what they had been working on all this time? Was this the key to their plans? And what exactly were they planning to do with this energy?

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  "Are you alright?" The officer's voice cut through his thoughts again.

  Lucas nodded absently, still lost in thought. He could feel the weight of the decision before him. If he continued this research, would he be helping them unlock something dangerous? Or would he be uncovering a breakthrough that could change everything for the better?

  In the other room, the GIERA team was also running tests on a similar crystal from Hakone. They, too, had observed the strange energy signatures, but they had a different approach. Instead of rushing to exploit the crystal’s power, they were cautious, studying it with meticulous care.

  Meanwhile, a growing unease lingered over both research groups. In GIERA, an unexpected incident occurred. An agent from VELA, likely sent to observe or steal the crystal, had been caught in a confrontation. The event escalated quickly into a gunfight, sending shockwaves through the lab. Dr. Kaori Takahashi, a lead researcher at GIERA, was injured in the crossfire, a bullet grazing her side.

  Back in the VELA lab, Lucas had begun to realize that this crystal—this strange, inexplicable force—was far more than a simple energy source. He had felt something like this before, in the back of his mind, gnawing at him, like an echo. It was more than just physics at play here; there was something deeper, more primal.

  The incident with Dr. Kaori sent ripples through both organizations. It became clear that the race for the crystals was no longer just about energy—it was about control. Who would dominate this newfound power? And who would survive the dangerous game that was unfolding?

  But amid all the chaos, one question remained unanswered: How many more crystals like this were out there? And if there were more, could they all be linked to the same force, the same mysterious energy?

  As the tension between GIERA and VELA grew, the need for answers became more urgent than ever. The fate of the world might just rest in the hands of those who could unlock the truth about the crystals.

  Lucas couldn’t help but wonder if he was already too deep to turn back.