Albert's consciousness drifted back slowly, his body heavy with exhaustion and pain. His eyelids fluttered open, his vision hazy at first. The cold metal surface behind him told him he was propped up against the hangar wall.

  As his sight adjusted, he took in the scene before him—he was out on the landing deck and a single hover truck, the last one remaining on the platform was there. A dozen inmates were hurriedly climbing aboard it, their voices a distant murmur against the hum of the engines.

  He tried to move, but a sharp resistance held his arms in place. Looking down, he saw the inhibitor cuffs tightly secured around his wrists. His fingers flexed weakly, testing for any give, but there was none. Then footsteps approached.

  Albert shifted his tired gaze upwards and saw Owen walking towards him. When he finally stood over Albert, Owen smirked.

  "Hope you had a good rest." Owen said.

  Albert remained silent for a long moment, simply staring up at Owen. His breathing was slow, steady, as if he were still processing everything.

  Footsteps behind Owen signaled the arrival of Katherine and Jason. They came to stand beside him, their gazes heavy on Albert.

  Albert’s eyes drifted around the landing deck, then his voice finally broke the silence.

  "Where’s Barbara?" he asked.

  Katherine’s expression didn’t change. Her voice was cold, devoid of sympathy. "The bitch is dead."

  Albert’s eyes lowered slightly. "I see."

  His gaze then shifted downward, taking in the inhibitor cuffs around his wrists, the bruises and burns on his skin. After a brief pause, he asked, "Why did you keep me alive?"

  Owen crouched down in front of Albert, resting his arms on his knees as he stared at him.

  "I wonder what Arden will do with someone like you," Owen said, his voice laced with mock curiosity. "A warden who failed to contain a breakout this big? Doesn't sound too good, does it?"

  Albert's expression remained neutral, but a flicker of something passed through his eyes.

  Owen let out a small chuckle, then reached out and patted Albert on the shoulder. "Well, you're lucky we’re letting you keep your life. Could’ve ended up like Barbara."

  He then stood back up, towering over Albert.

  Grace walked over, glancing between them before saying, "It’s time. We need to go."

  Owen nodded, exchanging a look with Katherine and Jason. Together, they all turned to leave, stepping towards the hover truck.

  But before they could get far, Albert’s voice rang out behind them.

  "This path of rebellion you’ve chosen… it won’t end well for you."

  They paused. Owen exhaled sharply through his nose before slowly glancing over his shoulder.

  Albert continued. "You have no idea how strong the forces in Arden truly are. You think you’ve won something today, but in the grand scheme of things, you’ve done nothing more than just delay the inevitable. Arden will hunt you down, and when they do, you won’t stand a chance."

  Owen let out a dry chuckle. "Oh, really?" he said, turning fully to face him. He put his hands in his pocket as he stepped closer to Albert. "We just beat you, didn’t we? And you were supposed to be untouchable. We’re not afraid of whoever comes next. Just as we’ve taken you down, we’ll take down anyone who tries to oppress us."

  Albert clenched his teeth, frustration flashing in his eyes. "You really don’t know how powerful the people out there are," he said, his voice low but seething. "There are people so strong that it’s absurd. You think just because you beat me, you can take on anyone?"

  He let out a bitter chuckle, shaking his head. "Your confidence has risen too high, Owen. But sooner or later, you’ll be in for a rude awakening."

  Owen tilted his head slightly as he took in Albert’s words. "I don’t care who it is," he said, his tone calm but resolute. "Whether it’s Arden, the other mega corporations out there, or anyone else, no one will stop our path to freedom."

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  Owen then turned away, casually lifting a hand in farewell as he walked towards the waiting truck.

  "See ya." he said over his shoulder.

  Albert watched as the group moved towards the back of the large truck, the door sliding shut behind them with a soft hiss. The thrusters of the vehicle then ignited, lifting the truck off the ground, and sending it into the air.

  His gaze followed it as it ascended, growing smaller and smaller against the vast sky.

  With a slow exhale, Albert rested his head back against the wall, his eyes heavy with exhaustion.

  "You really don’t have any idea…" he whispered to himself.

  ***

  Off the coast of a remote island, a towering watchtower loomed over the dark waters. Inside, at the very top, officers sat along a long panel, their fingers tapping away at glowing screens as they monitored air traffic and security feeds.

  One officer squinted at his screen, noticing something strange. His brows furrowed, and after a moment of hesitation, he tapped the shoulder of the officer beside him.

  "Hey, you should take a look at this."

  The second officer glanced over, his eyes scanning the display.

  "What is it?"

  "I don’t think there were any scheduled departures from this facility today… so why are there hundreds of hover cars leaving it?"

  The second officer’s eyebrows shot up. He leaned in closer, his expression darkening as he processed the information.

  "There must’ve been an escape," he muttered. "We need to forward this to the superior immediately."

  At the top of the watchtower, the head officer sat at his desk, the glow of a digital panel illuminating his face in the dimly lit office. A notification flashed onto the screen before him. His eyes scanned the report, his expression tightening.

  By the time he reached the end, his eyes were wide open.

  "This is beyond me," he muttered under his breath.

  Without wasting another second, he reached out to the intercom beside him, pressing the button. His voice was steady, but there was an undeniable urgency in it.

  "Contact the Peacekeepers."

  ***

  Somewhere deep inside a heavily fortified prison, the sound of footsteps echoed through a corridor. Arden agent Trent walked with a steady pace, his sharp gaze scanning the high-security cells lining the walls. Beside him, the prison’s warden kept stride, gripping a tablet tightly in his hands.

  Trent didn’t waste time on pleasantries. "You can start briefing me."

  The warden gave a firm nod. "Just a couple of days ago, one of the inmates managed to break out of her cell momentarily." His voice was grim. "Within minutes, she slaughtered over a hundred officers."

  Trent’s expression remained unreadable as he continued to listen.

  "We only stopped her when we gathered over twenty intermediate Essence users. We rushed her, overwhelmed her, and managed to restrain her with inhibitor chains." The warden exhaled. "After that, we had no choice but to transfer her here—to a more secure facility."

  Trent folded his arms. "I read the report. That inmate was classified as a novice essence user. How was she strong enough to warrant that kind of response?"

  The warden’s jaw tightened. "We don’t know. For some reason, she suddenly ranked up to an intermediate user."

  Trent’s brow arched slightly. "Is there no discernible reason for why that happened?"

  The warden shook his head. "None that we could find."

  Trent let out a slow sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I see." He lowered his hand and glanced at the warden. "Then I guess my job is to figure out why."

  They eventually stopped in front of a cell. The pale blue glow of an energy barrier hummed softly, separating them from the prisoner inside. Beyond the barrier, a woman with long black hair sat chained to the pristine white floor, thick restraints locking her arms behind her. A black blindfold also covered her eyes.

  The warden swallowed hard and gestured toward her. "This is her."

  Trent stepped forward. His sharp gaze lingered on the woman as he addressed her with a calm, measured tone.

  "Olivia Walters."

  Olivia didn’t move. She remained completely still, her breathing slow and steady.

  Trent continued. "I’ll be here for some time to investigate your recent new strength."

  Still, no response.

  Trent narrowed his eyes slightly. "Do you feel any remorse for the deaths you’ve caused?"

  A moment of silence. Then, Olivia's head slowly lifted, just enough for her face to be visible beneath the blindfold. A low chuckle escaped her lips. It started soft—then grew louder and louder, rising into a full, unhinged cackle that echoed through the chamber.

  The warden tensed, visibly unsettled by the eerie laughter.

  Eventually, Olivia’s laughter faded, but a wide, almost demonic grin remained stretched across her face. Then, in a voice laced with amusement and malice, she spoke.

  "You guys have families, right?"

  The warden stiffened.

  "Once I break free again, I’ll make sure to drag their dead corpses right in front of you for you to see."

  The warden’s face paled. "Agent Trent," he said, his voice shaking slightly. "She’s growing stronger each day. If this continues, I fear she might actually break out again."

  Trent didn’t look at him. His sharp eyes remained locked onto Olivia.

  "Don’t worry." His voice was steady, unwavering. "My team and I will be around."

  He then took a step closer to the barrier. "You shouldn’t have broken out," he said, "Because of your actions, your family will now face the consequences."

  Another low chuckle slipped out from Olivia.

  "Arden made a mistake when they messed with us Walters."

  She leaned forward as much as her restraints allowed, her blindfolded face seemingly staring directly at Trent.

  "See, when some fuckers step on our toes, we don’t just push back." Her grin widened. "We cut off their legs and watch them bleed out."

  Silence hung between them for a moment. Then, with a chilling certainty, she added, "So tell your little overlords to be prepared. Because Arden’s downfall is coming."