They didn't understand what they were dealing with. They thought they were hunting a scared teenager with a useful talent. They had no idea what I was truly capable of when backed into a corner.
And I was just getting started.
My head pounded as I maintained connections to multiple building systems simultaneously. A thin trickle of blood ran from my nose, but I barely noticed it.
On the main monitor array, I watched Denton coordinating his remaining men, their faces tense with confusion and growing fear.
Good.
They should be afraid.
All my life I'd used my abilities to hide, to escape, to erase any trace of my existence, but now, for the first time, I was using them to fight back.
Not just for myself—for Nicolai.
I wiped the blood away with the back of my hand, leaving a crimson streak across my skin. My temples throbbed in rhythm with my racing heart. I'd never pushed my abilities this far before—controlling multiple systems across an entire building was like trying to conduct several orchestras at once while playing every instrument myself.
But I couldn't stop. Wouldn't stop. Not while Nicolai was in O'Rourke's hands.
The realization hit me with startling clarity. I was fighting for Nicolai. Not because he was my protector or because I needed him to survive, but because the thought of him being hurt made something twist painfully inside me.
When had that happened? When had this man become so important to me that I'd risk everything to save him?
I didn't have time to examine the feeling. On the monitors, Denton was barking orders at his remaining men. They'd regrouped in the main dining area, weapons drawn, backs to each other in a defensive circle.
Seven of them left, including Denton. Several were sporting injuries from their encounters with locked doors, falling objects, and malfunctioning equipment that I'd orchestrated over the past twenty minutes.
"You want to play games?" I heard Denton snarl, his voice barely audible through the monitor's speakers. "Fine. Cut the power to the whole damn building. Flush the little freak out."
I almost laughed at the irony. He thought cutting the power would leave me vulnerable, when in reality, electricity was my element, my weapon.
Still, his idea gave me one of my own.
I let my consciousness sink deeper into the building's electrical grid, feeling for the main power supply and the backup generators. Most of the lighting and essential systems were still functioning, giving O'Rourke's men visibility and advantage.
What if I took that away?
Not by cutting the power completely—I needed the security systems and cameras to remain functional. But what if I redirected it? Created a controlled blackout of my own design?
I closed my eyes, visualizing the building's electrical network like a glowing web. With careful precision, I began isolating circuits, redirecting power away from lighting systems throughout the building while maintaining energy flow to the security systems and my control terminal.
The strain was immediate and intense. A spike of pain shot through my skull, bringing tears to my eyes. My hands trembled against the keyboard, fingertips tingling with electrical feedback. I'd never attempted anything this complex before.
"Come on," I hissed through gritted teeth, pushing harder.
On the monitors, I watched as confusion spread across Denton's face when the lights began to dim, not because of his orders but despite them. The main dining area grew darker, shadows deepening in corners, until only emergency exit signs cast a faint red glow.
"What the hell?" Denton barked. "I didn't say cut it yet!"
His men exchanged nervous glances, fingers tightening on their weapons.
I wasn't done. Next, I isolated the backup generators, manipulating their startup protocols. When the main power dropped below a certain threshold, they should have kicked in automatically. I overrode that function, keeping them in standby mode.
The pain in my head intensified, like someone driving an ice pick behind my eyes. Blood now flowed freely from both nostrils, dripping onto the keyboard. I swiped at it absently, leaving smears across the controls.
I had to keep going.
With a final surge of concentration, I cut power to all lighting systems except for my security feeds. The building plunged into complete darkness, the monitors in front of me now the only source of illumination in the panic room.
