Hours had passed since the injection.
The boy was no longer the same.
He sat motionless in the sterile bed of the underground lab, eyes fixed on nothing. His posture was perfect—back straight, hands resting neatly on his lap. He didn't blink often. He didn't ask questions. He didn't complain about the sharp pain in his arms or the burning sensation crawling down his spine.
He said nothing. He just... watched.
From the observation room, Ryan stared at him. His jaw was clenched, shoulders stiff. Something twisted in his gut every time Kai turned his head, as if expecting something. Ryan had spent the rest of the day reviewing the footage of the injection over and over again. The scream, the convulsions, the blank stare afterward. Everything inside him screamed this wasn't right.
"You said he'd adapt gradually," Ryan said to Dr. Voss, his voice low.
"He is adapting," the doctor replied, scrolling through brain scans on a tablet. "Neurological activity has increased tenfold. Look at these synaptic readings. His brain is processing information at a rate I've never seen. Faster than any subject we've had."
"Subjects? You mean the dogs you killed?" Ryan snapped.
Dr. Voss raised an eyebrow but didn't respond.
Ryan turned to the mirror again, watching the boy. Something about the way Kai's eyes scanned the room made him uneasy. Like he wasn't just a kid anymore. Like he was something else.
A knock on the door behind him broke his focus.
It was Luca, one of Ryan's most trusted men. He entered, holding a black folder marked confidential.
"From Felix," Luca said. "He wants a progress report. Today."
Ryan took the file and dismissed him with a nod. As the door clicked shut, he opened the folder. Inside were photos—blurred surveillance images of Kai, notes, timelines, expected outcomes. There were even outlines of how Felix planned to use the boy once the drug took full effect.
Ryan's stomach dropped.
"Weaponize him," the file read. "Turn the boy into an asset."
He closed the folder, heart racing. This wasn't just a drug deal anymore. This was creating a monster. A living tool for violence.
Ryan left the observation room and entered the lab.
Kai turned his head slowly, meeting Ryan's gaze. His expression didn't change. No smile. No frown. Just... observation.
"Kai," Ryan said gently, pulling up a stool beside the bed. "Do you know who I am?"
The boy nodded once.
"Can you tell me your name?"
"Kai," the boy answered.
"Good," Ryan forced a smile. "Do you feel... alright?"
Kai tilted his head. "I feel... awake."
Ryan blinked. "Awake?"
Kai's voice remained flat. "More than before. I remember things. Everything."
Ryan frowned. "Like what?"
"The cold. The street. The men who kicked me. The sound of bones breaking. My bones. The blood. The taste of metal in my mouth. Your face."
Ryan swallowed.
"You saved me," Kai added.
"I... I wanted to help."
"No," Kai said. "You needed me."
The words hit Ryan like a bullet. There was no malice in the boy's tone, but there was certainty. A child shouldn't speak like that.
Before Ryan could respond, a loud crash echoed from the upper floors.
He stood up immediately, reaching for the pistol at his waist.
"Stay here," he told Kai.
But the boy was already standing. Silent. Unafraid.
Ryan rushed out, taking the elevator up two floors. The moment the doors slid open, chaos hit him.
Two guards lay unconscious near the hallway. Smoke drifted from the security room. Trixie was crouched behind a pillar, clutching her arm.
"What the hell happened?!" Ryan shouted, running to her.
"Someone broke in," she gasped. "He was looking for the lab. Said he wanted the 'subject.' He was armed. One of ours tried to stop him, but..."
Ryan gritted his teeth. Felix. This had to be his doing.
He raced back down toward the lab, heart pounding.
But when he reached the room—it was empty.
Kai was gone.