The office is quiet as night falls. Tara tiptoes past empty desks, her eyes drawn by the faint hum of electronics to a bunch of old monitors in the corner.
“Nero,” she whispers. “Everyone’s at the team-building retreat. Why don’t you join them?” Tara taps the back of a monitor and leans against the window. She crosses her arms. After a second passes, the screen flickers as a single word is heard. “I…” “I told Andrew that if you showed up, you’d be buried in brand-new Wanderer data for the next month. And you’d even get to visit the Wanderer Sampling Center in person. He was willing to give his seal of approval.”
“I…!”
The response wavers this time. Tara can’t help but feel more confident. There's a team-building event tonight, and Tara's on a mission. A bet, actually. The prize? Afternoon tea with the loser paying for a mountain of fees. Everyone's convinced Nero, the opposite of a social butterfly, won't show up. Everyone except Tara. She believes she has a knack for persuasion. And with Andrew on her side, her odds are looking good. "It's such a good opportunity to bond with people. You'd be crazy to miss it! Three, two…”
“I…!”
Half of Nero's face peeks out from behind the monitor. Terror and excitement hilariously battle each other in his eyes Just as victory seems within reach, a notification erupts from his phone. Nero grabs it, his face draining of color as he reads it.
"No, I'm not going.”
Tara's smile evaporates as Nero makes a beeline for the exit. What could possibly be more important than a chance to see a rare Wanderer closely? The answer arrives like a fly on her phone. A notification pops up from the group chat called "Spilling Tea." And it's a bombshell.
Linkon citizens are holding another poll for their Top Ten Hunters. After seven days, will "that man" still reign supreme as the strongest hunter?
The pieces fall into place for Tara. When it comes to Nero, there's only one thing that takes higher priority than a visit to Wanderers– His unwavering worship of Lumiere, the legendary hunter.
7:28 P.M. Nero slams the door to his home, turns on his computer, and rubs his hands together in anticipation. There are 32 minutes left until the Lumiere voting begins. He could easily rig the whole thing with his tech skills, but that's not how he works. Nero believes in the awesome power of light itself.
Suddenly, a series of swooshes pierce the air. Nero jumps. It's the unmistakable ringtone from his phone--the iconic sound effect of Hunter Lux's entrance straight from Super Hunters: Hunter Lux Special. It's time to become his alter ego: the leader of Lumiere's ultimate fansite.
Group chat: user1: "Chief! It's a disaster! The site's been hacked!" user2: “Quantum Bro, another rumor mill is starting!" user3: "Lumiere Hater Alert!” one: "Chief, check the top comment!"
Nero opens the meticulously maintained Lightchasers website, his heart sinking as an unfamiliar post appears on the homepage. A deep breath buys him a moment to compose himself. He is a warrior preparing to face a great adversary: a troll.