Jace barely registers the wind screaming past him as he speeds toward the power plant. His mind is a storm of fury, his body aching from everything he’s endured. His breath comes in ragged bursts, but he doesn’t slow down. The CDE thinks they can break him. That they can chain him. That they can control him.

  Not anymore. A distant part of his mind warns him absorbing this much electricity could kill him. His body has limits, even if he doesn’t know exactly where they are. But at this moment, none of that matters. This is necessary!

  The facility looms ahead, dark towers stretching toward the sky. Jace doesn’t stop. He crashes straight through the reinforced wall, sending shards of concrete flying. Soldiers stationed inside barely have time to react before he’s past them, their gunfire useless as bullets bounce off his body like pebbles against steel. Sparks flicker along his skin as he reaches the main power source, a towering generator housed in a reinforced metal casing. His hands slam through it, gripping the cables within.

  The moment the electricity surges into him, the entire plant seems to tremble. A blinding light erupts as raw energy floods his body. It crackles, roars, dances across his form in chaotic arcs. His muscles lock, his teeth grind together, but he holds on. The soldiers stop firing, watching in stunned silence as lightning whips around him, wild and uncontrollable.

  Then everything goes dark. Jace collapses. His body hits the cold floor, motionless.

  He is drifting, floating through an endless void. There is no up, no down, just emptiness stretching forever. A distant glow flickers ahead, faint and unreachable. He tries to move, but his body is weightless, his thoughts sluggish.

  Something tugs at him, pulling him further into the dark, away from the light. Maybe this is it, maybe he finally pushed too far.

  Then, a voice: Familiar, Steady, Commanding.

  "Rise valiant one, this is no time to falter."

  The words boom through the void, shaking him to his core. His eyes snap open. He gasps, sucking in air like a drowning man breaking the surface. His limbs tremble, his heart pounds, but he is alive.

  No—he is free. Or at least, he hopes he is. He isn’t sure. But right now, that’s a gamble he’s willing to take.

  Jace clenches his fists, then stands. Energy hums beneath his skin, remnants of the power he absorbed still lingering. His rage has not faded—it has sharpened, refined into something unstoppable.

  Without hesitation, he leaps into the night, heading straight for the CDE.

  Jace crashes through the CDE facility, the walls trembling from the force of his landing. Sparks still crackle off his body, remnants of the power he had absorbed, but he barely notices. His rage burns hotter than ever.

  The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

  The moment his feet hit the ground, guns snap into place. Soldiers dozens of them stand ready, their rifles locked onto him. Their armor gleams under the facility’s harsh lights, their stance unwavering. They had been waiting for him, the moment he disabled the implant

  Jace’s eyes dart across the room. He can feel their tension, their uncertainty. He clenches his fists. “Do you even know what you’re fighting for?” His voice cuts through the silence like a blade.

  Some soldiers shift slightly, but no one lowers their weapons.

  “Did they tell you?” Jace presses forward, his tone sharp. “Did ,he tell you that he made a deal with The Maker? That the same monster that’s been experimenting on people, turning them into science projects gets to walk free and he gets a job ?”

  A ripple spreads through the soldiers. Murmurs. Doubt. Anger.

  But before it can build, a slow, deliberate clap echoes through the room. Lucian steps forward. His usual smug grin is etched with something colder, sharper.

  “You really don’t know when to shut up, do you?” His voice is mocking, condescending but there’s an edge to it. A warning. “You stupid, arrogant freak.”

  Jace’s fury only flares hotter.

  Lucian continues, his tone turning almost amused. “You think just because you think you are hero, you can waltz in here and start lecturing us? The CDE has existed long before you. It will continue long after you’re nothing more than a footnote. And you? You’re nothing. Just another disgusting enhanced who thinks they have power.”

  Jace steps forward, unwavering. “If this is what the CDE stands for, then I’ll tear it down piece by piece.” His voice rings through the hall. “And when I do, I’ll rebuild it into something better.”

  Lucian’s smirk barely falters. “You really are arrogant, aren’t you?” He rolls his shoulders, splaying his limbs wide with a sneering grin. “Fine, let me see you try !.”

  Jace doesn’t hesitate. He launches forward, fist cocked back—aiming straight for Lucian’s skull. But the moment his punch is about to land—a shimmering force field flickers to life in front of Lucian.

  Jace’s fist connects with an all too familiar barrier and the impact is instantaneous. A deafening shockwave detonates through the facility. Walls shake. The floor splinters beneath them, lights flicker as the force of the impact ripples outward.

  Lucian’s smirk widens and before Jace can react, Lucian lunges forward his metal fist slamming into Jace’s ribs. The air explodes from his lungs as he’s sent flying. He crashes hard, skidding across the floor but before he even fully lands, he flips back onto his feet. The punch though strong barely fazed him.

  Lucian holding a remote apparatus in one hand. “Courtesy of my new friend.”Jace’s stomach turns. It’s true. Lucian did make a deal with The Maker, and now, he’s using his technology.

  Before he can react

  Lucian raises a hand. “Everyone. Fire.” for a moment there's hesitation, the soldiers glance at each other, uncertainty flickering in their eyes.

  And then....chaos erupts.

  Gunfire rips through the air but it’s not all aimed at Jace. Some soldiers start turning on each other. A civil war breaks out right in the heart of the CDE.

  Lucian’s soldiers Lynx, Beta, Zeta, and Spectre move in, their focus locked onto Jace but before they can make their move. A blur of movement,Spectre is slammed off her feet sent crashing into a wall.

  Zara steps forward, shaking out her wrists. “Took you long enough to start a riot.” Rob and Steve tackle Beta and Zeta, fists flying.

  Then Kai appears, Jace freezes. “Kai?” Kai just smirks. “Thought I'd let you have all the fun ?.” Jace barely has time to process it before a high-pitched whine the sound of Lucian, now on a glider, rocketing toward him. Jace braces himself planting his feets the two charge at each other fists drawn back, ready to strike.