After that night, in a high-rise far from the battlefield, a figure watched the report from a holographic projector. Dozens of screens showed images of the Echo Tower's destruction. Footage from inside—taken before the internal data wipes—captured fragments of your fight.
The figure leaned forward, eyes narrowing behind a golden mask.
"Adaptive potential… permanent. No longer system-bound."
Another screen blinked to life, showing Victor Keene's vitals. Stable, but deep in stasis.
A voice filtered through the darkness.
"Sir, what should we do about the anomaly?"
The masked figure clasped his hands behind his back.
"Observe. And prepare."
He turned to face a screen displaying your profile, still flagged as a "contingency variable."
"The boy isn't finished evolving. He's only just begun."
Back in your safe house, you stared at your reflection.
You no longer see the same person who started this journey.
You were beyond the label of "experiment." You were no longer just a survivor.
You were the next stage.
And the world would either have to keep up…
…or fall behind.