CHAPTER 20: VANT'S MIDNIGHT VISIT
1254 Words
SELENE POV
The room was dark. Only blue light from the medical scanner.
Selene layed on the bed. Blanket to her chin. Her hands back to normal human fingers and nails still shook a little.
She chose to be in control of her inner beast. But it cost her.
ThyDoor clicked. Soft.
She didn’t open eyes. Thought it was the nurse.
Footsteps. Heavy but quiet. Not nurse steps.
“Resting?” Vant’s voice. Low.
Selene opened eyes. Vant stood by bed. Black Henley. No lab coat. Arms crossed.
“You should be sleeping,” he said.
“I am,” she lied.
Vant sat on the bed next to her. Close. Too close it made her blush, she could feel his body heat. He didn't smile. Just watched her face.
She looked so fragile, she had lost weight over the few since they got here. Her pink soft lips scared from biting during the test. His heart ached for her.
“5 hours 32 minutes,” he said. “Better than I thought.”
Selene looked at ceiling. “Not enough. Prof. Kade said 6 hours.”
“Kade wants results,” Vant said. “I want you alive.”
Silence. Heavy like the test room.
Selene’s throat felt dry. “Why did you stop it? At 5 hours?”
Vant didn’t answer right away. He leaned forward. Face few inches from hers, making her hold her breath.
“Because i felt your pain” he said. “ The Apex DNA was winning. 1 more minute and you’d lose yourself, i truly care about you Selene."
Selene swallowed. She was speechless. Her heart raced,not from her inner beast trying to break free but from excitement. Did he just say he cared about her? Felt her pain? Off course its normal right, it doesn't mean he sees her as a woman. “So you saved me.”
Vant’s eyes went to her neck. To the Helm. Dark metal. Cold. Face still very close to hers.
“Maybe,” he said. “Or maybe I made you weaker.”
His hand moved. Slow. Fingers touched her face, her cheek, he brushed a strand of hair from her temple as he leaned closer, grey eyes soft, not cold.
Selene has forgotten to breathe for a while. What was he doing to her. She could feel his warm breath on her lips. Her lips parted as she closed her eyes. His hand stretched to the Helm dial at back of her neck.
Click.
Selene tensed. Her eyes snapped open in shock“What are you doing?”
“+1%,” Vant said. “Like I did in the test.”
Soft hum started. Not loud. Just there. Like air moving. Like her own breath but clearer. Embarrassment on her face.
But the rage in her chest was long gone. But the hunger was still there, silent.
The hunger in her teeth dulled.
Selene breathed out. “It… feels less.”
“Sound weakens Apex,” Vant said. “Silence makes it stronger. Sound makes it hide, controlable. +1% gives you just enough human noise to fight it.”
Selene frowned. “Then why not make it +10%? +50%? Why keep me in pain?”
Vant’s hand stopped on dial. Didn’t turn more. He stood up.
“Because if I do,” he said, “you won’t need to fight. You’ll depend on Helm. And when Nolan and his monsters come for you, when someone takes it off… The Apex breaks free and takes full control of your body in 10 seconds. You'll forget what it's like to be human again. You'll lose yourself forever”
He looked at her. Eyes dark. No lie in them.
“I’m not making you weak, Selene. I’m making you strong without crutches. +1% is training wheels. You still have to pedal.”
Selene touched Helm. Cold metal. “For safety then?”
“For survival,” Vant said. “Nolan’s boss is desperate to get you as weapon. Your stepfather is 1 hour away. If they get you before you master it… we lose you, and I'm not going to let that happen on my watch.”
Name hit her like ice. Stepfather. The man who made Ben go deaf. Who ruined her childhood.
Selene sat up a little. Blanket slipped. “He can’t know I’m here.”
“He won’t,” Vant said. “Sanctuary is hidden. He’s here for contracts, not for you. Yet.”
Yet.
Selene lay back down. Stared at ceiling.
“Why do you care about me?” she whispered. “I’m just Subject S-01. Experiment. Risk.”
Vant stood up. Walked to door. Hand on handle.
Paused.
“ You're special, Selene.
He didn’t turn around.
“I won’t let them have you,my little thorn, you're mine” he said to himself, but her sensitive ear heard him.
Door opened. Closed.
Room dark again.
Selene touched Helm dial. +1%. Warm now. Not cold.
Hunger still there.But smaller. Manageable.
She closed eyes. Thought of Vants reply. He only cared about her because she was special, broken,a test subject. But then again,he called her he's. He confused her. She yawned and for first time since the raid… sleep came easy.
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*[VANT POV - CUT]*
Vant walked down empty hallway. Hands in pockets.
Room 12. Selene sleeping. Helm +1%.
Prof. Kade would be angry if he knew. Kade wanted 6 hours raw data. No filters. No help.
Nolan now aware of Selene being the carrier, is after her.
Prof. Kade heard alot about Nolans boss, his trained killers, his weapons, he's abominations. They had powers like the squads in the academy, but they are ruthless No mercy. Not human. Now they are coming for Selene. The Academy won't be able to fight them alone. They need Selene. She needs to master her powers as soon as possible.
Richard Thorn was just a corrupt politician, with thirst for more fame and wealth, he has no idea what his stepdaughter was.
Vant wanted one thing: her to choose.
He stopped by monitor wall. Pulled up Selene’s vitals. Heart rate normal. Brain waves calm. Blue marks fading.
+1% did it. Just enough sound to make human brain louder than Apex brain.
He could have done +5%. She’d sleep like baby. No pain. No fight.
But then she’d never learn control. Never learn to be human without the machine.
And if Helm broke… if Nolan took it… she’d die screaming.
Vant looked at the camera feed. Selene turned in sleep. Face peaceful. He saw her disappointment when he fixed her helm dial earlier. "So naive and innocent," Vant smiled. Her eyes were closed, lips ready to be kissed. He saw it but decided to play dumb. She never knew the amount of discipline it took him to restrain from kissing her, from holding her in his arms.
Vant was never the type to mix pleasure with business,, but his little thorn made it difficult for him.
“Little thorn,” he whispered to empty hall. “You’re not a weapon. You’re a girl who chooses to be human. That’s rare.”
Alarm on wall blinked. Floor 1. Main gate.
Richard Thorn’s car arrived. 15 minutes early.
Vant cursed under breath. Wore his suit.
Two threats now. Nolan watching from dark. Richard walking through as bait.
And Selene in middle. Human. With rage in blood.
He walked towards the main gate.
To lie to Richard Thorn.
To protect the her. To protect his own.
- Writer
