The containment chamber was quiet except for the soft hum of monitoring equipment and the rhythmic beeping of Grace's vitals.
She sat in the center of the room, eyes locked onto twelve small metal spheres lined up in front of her.
Today was her third test—a crucial moment in her development.
Damian stood behind the console, carefully studying her posture, her focus, and her breathing. She was stronger than before, and more confident, but still adjusting to the weight of her abilities.
This was exactly what he wanted.
As the test began, Damian approached her, his voice calm but firm.
"Your abilities are mental-based," he explained. "You're using your mind to influence matter."
Grace didn't react at first, but he could see her fingers twitch slightly, as if she were already mentally feeling out the space around her.
She finally glanced at him. "You mean like telekinesis?"
Damian shook his head. "Not just that. You should be able to access mental information or electrical signals from those around you."
Grace frowned. "Like… reading minds?"
Damian smirked. "I believe you can do more than that."
He crouched slightly, lowering his voice. "You won't just be able to read minds. You'll be able to edit them, erase memories, even create new ones."
Grace stiffened, her hands curling into fists. "…That's possible?"
Damian nodded slowly, letting the idea sink into her mind.
"You're at the start of something bigger," he said. "And if you keep pushing yourself, you might develop abilities no one has ever imagined before."
The moment the words left his mouth, he could see something change in her eyes.
She wasn't just listening anymore, she was interested and starting to believe.
She took a slow, deep breath, then focused back on the metal spheres.
At first, they trembled, rising in a staggered motion.
Then, all twelve lifted off the ground at once, slowly spinning in a synchronized pattern.
Minutes passed.
Five.
Ten.
Fifteen.
Anabella blinked. "Huh. That's… actually impressive. She's surpassed yesterday's record."
Beth let out a low huff, but even she couldn't fully dismiss the progress.
Grace didn't stop. She was adapting mid-test, adjusting the way she controlled the spheres.
She spoke without looking away. "If I picture a hand picking them up, it doesn't drain me as much."
Damian nodded approvingly. Her mind was developing efficiency.
She was problem-solving instinctively—a clear sign of intelligence and adaptability.
And then, just as the spheres reached their 20-minute mark, the door hissed open.
Kessler walked in without a word, hands clasped behind his back, watching with piercing, unreadable eyes.
Grace tensed but didn't break her focus.
Finally, Kessler spoke. "Impressive. Much better than the first attempt."
The spheres slowly lowered back to the ground, and Grace exhaled, clearly exhausted.
Kessler turned his gaze to Damian.
"Now," he said, calm but firm, "give her another shot and increase the dosage. Let's see if her abilities expand further."
Damian expected this—but he still played the role of a concerned scientist.
"She's already fatigued," he said, faking hesitation. "A sudden increase in energy might cause another destabilization."
Kessler simply smiled, stepping closer. "You're not sure, so let's find out."
There was no way out of this.
If Damian protested further, it would raise too much suspicion.
With deliberate slowness, he sighed and nodded. "Understood."
A First Sons scientist stepped forward, holding a syringe filled with glowing blue RFE solution.
Grace's eyes widened slightly, her breathing becoming uneven.
Damian leaned down, whispering so only she could hear. "Stay calm."
She flinched slightly but nodded.
The syringe pierced her skin, and the liquid RFE entered her bloodstream.
Her body shuddered, but she didn't scream and there was no telekinetic outburst.
She clenched Damian's wrist tightly, her fingers failing to dig into his skin.
For the first time, she was seeking support from him.
Good.
Damian allowed it, keeping his expression neutral but steady.
Kessler, watching closely, finally gave a satisfied nod. "Continue testing her abilities tomorrow. I wouldn't want to push her too far."
With that, he turned and left the room, the doors sliding shut behind him.
The Heist Countdown – 4 Days Left
Sasha's Adjustments – Primary & Emergency Escape Routes
While Damian handled Kessler, Sasha continued her careful modifications to security.
Surveillance cameras had been shifted slightly, creating a nearly invisible escape path.
She was working on a secondary escape route, in case of emergency.
Over the next four days, they would keep a low profile, avoiding suspicion.
The hard drives from the infiltrator scientists were still safely stored inside her body, completely hidden.
Everything was moving perfectly.
The next day, Damian arrived at the observation deck, watching the video screen as four new test subjects were brought into the lab.
A 13-year-old boy, small and visibly terrified.
A young woman, around 18, her eyes filled with fear but also defiance.
A middle-aged woman, early 30s, silently observing everything around her.
A man in his mid-30s, calm and composed—but there was something about him that felt off.
Each was placed into different testing teams.
Their awakening was controlled, each subject receiving a different amount of RFE injections:
The boy received 2 shots due to his young age.
The 18-year-old woman received 4 shots.
The 30s woman received 7 shots.
The man received 12 shots—the same amount as Grace.
Damian watched carefully.
Unlike Grace's chaotic awakening, none of them erupted with raw power.
That was both good and bad.
Good because Kessler wouldn't accelerate tests on Grace.
Bad because it meant they still didn't know what abilities these new subjects had.
More tests would be needed.
Tomorrow, Damian would see for himself what they could do.
That night, Damian sat alone, reviewing the video footage of the new test subjects.
He tapped his fingers against the table, deep in thought.
Grace was progressing quickly, but still incomplete.
The new subjects were awakened, but their potential was unknown.
And Kessler should be watching him closely.
Damian smirked slightly.
Let him watch.