He didn’t look at Diana. He looked only at Kiki.
“She’s done for today,” he said quietly.
“But, sir, we’ve just started—” Diana began.
He didn’t raise his voice, but the authority in it made Kiki’s stomach twist. “You’ll stand down, Diana.”
For a heartbeat, no one moved. Then, Diana lowered her hand, herjaw tight.
The man turned to Kiki. “You’re right,” he said softly. “Your gifts weren’t meant for this. But if you ever want to understand them… you’ll do what we ask. For now.”
His eyes lingered on her, assessing—calculating—before he turned back towards the door and exited. He murmured something to another man outside the doorway.
Kiki stood trembling, her fists clenched, the smell of ozone thick in the air.
She didn’t know his name—yet.
But she would learn it.
And she would never forget it.
Kiki stiffened when the door opened again.
The man who stepped inside wasn’t like the others.
He didn’t smell of antiseptic and fake kindness.
He didn’t wear a white coat or military uniform.
He wore a charcoal suit, perfectly pressed, and shoes that didn’t make a sound as he crossed the concrete floor.
But that wasn’t what made her stumble back.
It was the power—thick, invisible, humming in the air like static before lightning. She saw it—not with her eyes, but with the part of her that reached beyond the skin, where her gifts lived. It wrapped around him like smoke. Controlled. Contained. Deadly.
He stopped a few feet from her and lifted one hand.
An invitation to join him.
Come with me.
Kiki’s body tensed when she heard the thread of a voice in her head. Every part of her screamed to stay rooted in place. To pretend that she hadn’t heard him, but something else pushed her forward. Not her feet—not entirely. A compulsion, subtle but powerful, began to nudge her will. She clenched her jaw.
No.
Her chin lifted in defiance.
A slow smirk curved his lips.
He didn’t speak. He didn’t need to. His amusement said everything—he liked her spark. It didn’t matter. He knew she’d follow.
And she did.
Each step was a quiet betrayal of her fear. Her bare feet padded across the cold floor as she followed him into the hallway. This was the first time she’d been allowed to leave that room since her capture.
She looked behind her.
The door hissed shut.
