The air inside Neil’s shack was thick with chemical fumes and the sharp tang of singed sugar. Beakers hissed, glass clinked, and somewhere in the mess, something let out a suspicious pop. Neil, hunched over a notebook, scribbled furiously while muttering to himself.

“At last,” he whispered, adjusting his fogged goggles. “A formula stable enough to bypass all neurological defenses. No filters, no lies. Pure, uncut honesty.”

“SO, A TRUTH POTION!” Nikki blurted, nearly making you and Max jump out of your skin. She grinned wide, pointing dramatically at the vial glowing faintly on Neil’s desk.

Neil groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. “It is not a ‘truth potion.’ It’s a revolutionary experiment in neurochemical transparency! For research purposes only! And nobody—”

“Awesome, thanks!” Nikki sang, snatching the vial before Neil could finish.

“WAIT—!” Neil barked, but she was already pivoting toward Max, eyes sparkling with mischief.

Max blinked, taking a wary step back. “Nikki, don’t you dare—”

But she dared. With one swift shove, she tipped the vial to his mouth. Max sputtered as the liquid slid down his throat, smacking the empty glass away with a furious glare.

“The hell is wrong with you?!” he snapped, wiping his mouth. “What did you just make me drink?!”

“…Well,” Neil said slowly, tightening his grip on his notes, “if it worked, he won’t be able to lie. Not if you ask him something directly.”

Max froze, realization dawning. His face drained of color. “Oh, no. No, no, no, no—don’t even think about it—”

Nikki’s grin stretched ear to ear. “So basically… if we ask him anything, he’s gotta spill the truth? Everything?”

Max’s voice cracked as he pointed a finger at her, already backing toward the door. “Don’t! Don’t ask me anything!”

And the way his hands trembled betrayed him worse than words ever could.