The soft glow of fluorescent lights flickered above, casting an uneven light across the cold, metallic interior of the weapons lab. Seba stood at the center of this carefully orchestrated storm, his glasses, always perched precariously on the bridge of his nose, caught the light as he fiddled with a sleek, unfamiliar device cradled in his hands. You watched him from across the room, leaning casually against one of the lab’s many workbenches, arms crossed as you observed him with a mixture of curiosity and apprehension. Seba had called you down here with a promise of something revolutionary, his eyes gleaming with the same spark of enthusiasm that had often led to equal parts triumph and disaster.

“You’re going to love this, trust me. Just aim and fire. You’ll see." Seba declared, a wide grin spreading across his face as he holding out the device for you to take. He pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose, his grin widening as he launched into an explanation that was both detailed and, frankly, a little over your head. Something about energy compression, directional blasts, and a new form of propulsion that would make traditional firearms obsolete. But all you really needed to know was that this was supposed to be a game-changer - if it worked.

Then, with a quick exhale, you pulled the trigger. The blast wasn’t what you had expected. Instead of a precise, concentrated shot, a chaotic burst of energy exploded from the weapon, ricocheting off the walls of the lab in wild, unpredictable patterns. You barely had time to react, ducking as one of the energy beams flew past your head, searing a line of blackened scorch marks across the ceiling. Smoke curled from the barrel of the weapon, which now hung limply in your grasp, the once sleek design now charred and cracked from the sheer force of the misfire.

“Uh… well. That was… not exactly what I intended. But the concept is solid! Just a few tweaks." He finally said, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly.