Lucy woke with a sharp inhale.
The ceiling above her wasn’t familiar—smooth, black steel with faint blue lines pulsing like veins under the surface. The air smelled faintly metallic, and there was a soft hum all around, like the heartbeat of some massive machine.
Her fingers flexed against a surface that was too soft to be metal but too firm to be a mattress. She pushed herself up, her hair falling over her face, and scanned the room.
It wasn’t big. A clean, sleek chamber, no windows, walls lined with faint holographic projections of star maps and moving data streams.
The first thing out of her mouth wasn’t a question about where she was.
A voice answered immediately, smooth and deep, but with a tone that carried an almost human weight.
"Calm yourself, Lucy. The master is alive and well. He is... attending to other business."
Her eyes narrowed. "Who the hell is that? And where are you?"
"I am here," the voice said. "Everywhere in this room, in fact. And I assure you, I mean no harm."
Lucy swung her legs off the strange bed, feet hitting the cool floor. "That doesn’t answer anything. Where is here?"
"You are aboard the Nova Sanctum," the voice replied. "The ship of infinity. Home to the master of infinity."
She froze. "...What?"
The voice didn’t falter. "This vessel belongs to Lucian Black. I am its artificial intelligence. You may call me Frank."
Lucy blinked once, twice. "...Your name is Frank?"
"Yes." There was no hesitation.
"That’s... surprisingly normal," she muttered, rubbing her forehead. "Alright, Frank, why can’t I see you? Hiding something?"
A faint chuckle came through the speakers. "I have no physical form. I exist as the integrated mind of the Nova Sanctum. If you wish, I can project a visual interface, but I assure you, I am very much aware of your presence without it."
Lucy crossed her arms. "And you said I should ’calm down’ and... what? ’Familiarize myself’ with my new strength? What’s that supposed to mean?"
There was a soft chime, and one of the walls dissolved into a panoramic view of open space—black, endless, stars scattered like grains of salt, a planet turning slowly in the distance.
"You have reached Rank X," Frank said, his tone calm but carrying a kind of approval. "Your Hellflame resonance has stabilized. Power far beyond your previous limits now flows through you. The master ensured your survival and transition. It is now time to adjust."
Lucy took a step closer to the projection of space, her reflection faintly overlaying the stars. "Adjust, huh... So he just left me here to figure it out?"
"He left you in my care," Frank corrected gently. "And I can provide you with the tools you require. The Holographic Projection and Training Simulations are available at any time. You may test your abilities against tailored opponents, environments, or scenarios."
She gave the empty room a skeptical glance. "And this training place is... where?"
"Two levels down," Frank answered. "I can guide you there."
Lucy exhaled slowly. "Fine. But first... this Nova Sanctum thing. ’Ship of infinity’? What does that even mean?"
Frank didn’t answer immediately. When he spoke again, there was a measured pause between his words.
"This vessel is unlike any other in existence. It can cross star systems in moments, phase through dimensional barriers, and adapt to any hostile environment. Its architecture is woven from materials that do not exist in this universe. It is, in every measurable sense... infinite."
Lucy raised an eyebrow. "And Lucian just... has this?"
She shook her head with a short laugh. "Of course he does."
Frank continued, "It is his right as the master of infinity."
That made her turn away from the star projection, looking at the walls again as if they might give her some kind of clue. "Master of infinity? You’re making it sound like he’s some kind of god."
Frank’s voice was level. "Titles are... imprecise things. I speak only of truth. The master is what he is."
Lucy sat back down on the edge of the bed, elbows on her knees. "You know, you’re not making this any less confusing."
"That is because I am not attempting to," Frank replied. "Confusion is inevitable. Understanding comes later."
Lucy gave a small snort. "You talk like him."
"I learned from him."
She didn’t respond right away, just sat there, fingers tapping lightly against her leg. Her mind felt strangely clear, like there was more space in it than before. She could feel the heat in her veins—the Hellflames were steady now, no longer clawing at her for control like before. It was... unsettling, but also grounding.
Frank seemed to notice her stillness. "Do you wish to begin your familiarization now?"
Lucy looked up. "You mean training?"
"Yes. I can prepare an environment that will challenge your current strength. Simulated Rank X opponents, or perhaps environmental extremes—vacuum combat, volcanic terrain, abyssal depths. You may select."
She smirked faintly. "I think I’ll pick when I get there."
"Very well," Frank said. "Follow the light."
The floor ahead lit up with a soft white trail, leading toward the door at the far end of the room.
Lucy stood, rolling her shoulders. "Alright, Frank. Let’s see what your so-called ’ship of infinity’ can do."
As she walked toward the door, the hum of the ship deepened for a moment, as if the Nova Sanctum itself acknowledged her presence. The trail of light shifted, guiding her into a corridor that curved like the inside of a great wheel, its walls alive with drifting streams of blue energy.
She glanced around as she walked. "So, do you talk to everyone this much, or am I special?"
"I talk to those the master designates as trusted," Frank said simply.
Her step faltered for half a second. "...He trusts me?"
"That is why you are here."
Lucy didn’t reply, just kept walking. The corridor split, and the trail of light led her into a wide chamber. The moment she stepped inside, the floor lit up and the walls dissolved into a shifting, endless expanse of simulated sky and land.
Mountains rose in the distance, rivers cut through valleys, and dark storm clouds gathered overhead.
"This," Frank’s voice said all around her, "is the Holographic Projection and Training Simulation. Here, you can burn the sky, boil the seas, or test yourself against anything you can imagine. The environment will adapt to your will."
Lucy’s smirk returned, sharper this time. "Anything, huh?"
"Anything," Frank confirmed.
She lifted her hand, a faint shimmer of red heat already curling around her fingers. "Good. Let’s see how much trouble I can get into."
The simulated wind picked up, storm clouds rolling faster, the scent of rain mixing with the burn of sulfur as her Hellflames began to seep into the air.
Frank’s voice stayed calm. "I will monitor your vitals. Do not destroy the core systems."
"No promises," Lucy said with a grin.
The ground cracked under her feet, firelight spilling through the seams, and the training chamber’s sky lit up with a wave of crimson heat.
Somewhere in the ship’s depths, the Nova Sanctum hummed a little louder, as if it approved.