Endless Evolution: Last Star

Louis was in some ways above the others.

He was from a wealthy family, which gave him status, education, and manners. His handsome, intelligence, and cunning were the envy of everyone, and most importantly, all these advantages did not spoil him, but only allowed him to climb even higher.

He became one of the best graduates of the most popular Operator Academy - such a thing could only be achieved by his labor, desire, and boundless willpower.

Obviously, considering all these factors, it was quite easy for him to find a capable Phantom, which he did. However, Louis took a risk, gave up his Phantom, and ruined his reputation - all for the sake of becoming Alexia's Operator.

But... He was only wrong about one thing - Alexia turned him down.

Bam.

The door closed in his face, leaving him completely baffled and lost. Strangely enough, this happens quite often - having calculated everything, mistakes are made in the most trivial things.

Alexia didn't open her door until morning, and Louis was still there. He was asleep, leaning against the wall, his blue hair falling over his shoulders. Back then, it wasn't as long as it is now.

"What are you doing here?" Alexia frowned, causing Louis to awaken from a deep sleep.

"Oh... You finally came out..." Louis muttered, slowly opening his eyes, he was still sleepy.

Alexia snorted.

"Go away. If I see you here again, I'll beat you up, and I won't care that you're a normal person." Alexia said confidently. There was no arrogance in her voice, only confidence in her words.

"Wait! Wait! Why don't you want me to be your Operator!" Louis uttered, standing up quickly. He realized that this was probably his last chance.

Alexia waved her hand.

"It's not about you specifically. I don't need an Operator. What use are you to me?" Alexia stepped forward.

"Don't go!" Louis tore forward, grabbing Alexia by the shoulder.

Before he could realize anything, Alexia turned sharply and gripped him by the throat. She had enough strength to lift him above the ground with one hand, gradually choking him.

Louis's face flushed red from lack of oxygen, he tried to unclench Alexia's grip, but it was useless. His powers weren't enough to move even her one finger.

"You see? Your advice during missions will only hinder me because you're not as strong as me." Alexia uttered, staring at him intently.

"I... I can be useful not only during combat..."

"Hmm?" Alexia tilted her head in confusion. She loosened her grip slightly, allowing Louis to sigh.

Louis glanced to the side - seeing part of Alexia's apartment. As he expected, it was a real nightmare for any appreciator of cleanliness and comfort. Alexia didn't care what or how much was lying around on her floor and other parts of her home.

"I can clean... and also..." Louis muttered, trying to get Alexia's attention, "I can cook really good!"

At the same moment, Alexia's eyes went wide, and she let go of Louis. He fell to the ground, coughing and holding his neck.

"Is it true?!" Alexia asked with sparkling eyes, leaning over to him.

Louis nodded, "Sure. Please, just give me a chance."

Alexia touched her lips thoughtfully.

"Aren't you a cook or a janitor in that case? Is that what Operators are supposed to do?"

Louis smirked.

"An Operator's job is to do whatever it takes to make his Phantom's results improve and reach the possible maximum. If all you need to kill a powerful monster is a delicious dinner, then I'll do whatever you want." Louis replied.

In response, Alexia walked from side to side for a while, then she abruptly approached Louis - gazing intently into his eyes.

"In that case, you are mine now. If I don't like your food, I'll reject you."

Perhaps Louis should have smirked or responded boldly, which was his style. Maybe he should have chosen some more devious option, but...

Then something happened to him. It was always him who was in control of the situation, even the fact that he was the Operator didn't take away his confidence that everything was under his supervision.

Louis just stared at Alexia, and all he could do was mutter a single word, "Yes..."

"Good!" Alexia said cheerfully, as she walked back to the apartment, "I haven't had breakfast yet!"

Louis did nothing but clean and cook that day. It seemed that even his infinite patience was not enough to get the job done.

Alexia was enjoying Louis's help to the fullest, not at all embarrassed. There seemed to be no such thing as shame or tact for Alexia.

Only deep into the night, Louis was able to sit down and rest.

"Hey, do you need anything else?" Louis asked, looking up, but strangely enough, no one answered.

"Hmm?" Louis looked over, only to see Alexia, who had already fallen asleep on the couch with a happy smile.

Louis smiled bitterly, shook his head, and got up to cover her with the plaid.

Strangely enough, he felt calmness then, that he never had before. Alexia was stronger than him, and she showed it, so he deliberately put himself in the second role in their duet. If he wasn't in charge, then all responsibility wasn't on him, which meant...

'It seems all this time I've only believed in my illusion that my control gives me confidence... only now, I can breathe a sigh of relief.' Louis inwardly muttered, carefully covering Alexia with the plaid.

Adam blinked a few times as if returning from a story that had completely consumed him.

"What do you think? I don't want to brag, but I think my and Alexia's start is pretty special." Louis muttered, with a slight smile on his face.

Adam nodded deeply.

"Yeah, that's definitely true. So you were able to save your reputation and become Alexia's Operator because of your cooking and cleaning skills? Although... that's silly... The whole point is that your understanding has changed..." Adam said thoughtfully.

"Hahaha, well, you're not wrong." Louis chuckled, "Sure, the reason is much deeper than a few cooked dinners. But, if I couldn't cook, Alexia wouldn't like my food, and thus our duo wouldn't exist. Sometimes, even the greatest things can depend on trivial little details."

Adam looked up at the starry sky, remembering the food Silvana had cooked for him.

"Being able to cook is quite a useful skill..."

Louis smiled slightly.

"At Operator Academy, they teach both information gathering and how to properly boil eggs or give a massage. Over several years of study, we have covered every aspect. However... not all Operators are like me or Silvana." Louis said, a slight look of contempt appearing in his gaze.

"Hmm?" Adam gave him a puzzled look.

"Operators Academy is always divided into two blocks, male and female, which makes sense. We're taught pretty much the same things, except for a few nuances, but overall, we're pretty different as two groups."

Louis continued, "First of all, not everyone wants to be an Operator. Many are sent to the academy by their parents because being an Operator is prestigious and important to the Citadel. They usually don't even pass the first exam.

Secondly, not all men are happy about the fact that they have to learn to cook, clean, massage, and so on, and must do it at the first request of their Phantom. It hurts their pride since they naively believe that Operators should only be concerned with preparing for the mission and gathering information about monsters."

Adam gulped. He'd never wondered that becoming an Operator wasn't something one could do in a day like it was with the Phantoms. It takes time, knowledge, awareness of the role, and desire.

"What about you? Did you want to cook and clean when you first found out?" Adam asked with evident interest.

Louis sighed heavily.

"I accepted it as a necessity, but back then, I had very different plans in my head. However... it's not like that now. I'll tell you honestly - if Alexia wants, I'll even put on a maid's uniform for her and make her chocolate cupcakes with lemonade. I have no shame for her. Her job is to kill monsters, and mine is to help her.

That's all." Louis uttered, glanced at the cigarette, and frowned.

He tossed the cigarette over the balcony and headed for the exit.

"Well, I think that's enough." Louis waved his hand, "I'm going to go check on Alexia. She's probably drained the entire bar while you and I were talking."

Adam said nothing, he only looked away thoughtfully. He hadn't expected Louis's story to be so unusual yet profound with a dose of irony.

'I wonder... What were Silvana's goals when she entered the academy and before she met me? Did I change her like Alexia changed Louis, or did she stay the same...?' Adam inwardly muttered.

Time passed quickly, and soon, another person entered the balcony. Adam forgot his initial desire, but as soon as he saw her - he remembered.

"Zera..." Adam said as an image of Black Swan and Wilfred appeared in his mind. Zera was the only one of his friends who was possibly related to them.