CHAPTER 19: THE TEST
1045 Words
SELENE POV
White room. No sound. No light.
Just silence. Thick like water.
Prof. Kade’s voice came through speaker. Cold. Flat.
“6 hours, Selene. No Helm. Control test.”
Selene sat on metal bench. Hands cuffed to rails. Loose, but there
“Why?” she asked. Her voice felt small.
“To see if you can fight it,” Kade said. “Apex DNA is stronger when there's silence. It loves to hunt, it Wants blood. If you last 6 hours in silence without losing your cool… you can freely transform outside. If you can’t… Helm goes on. Forever.”
Forever. No more human. No more Ben. No more girls night with Maya No more Cael’s jokes.
“I can do it,” she lied.
Door closed. Click.
Dark.
First 10 minutes: silent. She counted breaths. In. Hold. Out. Like Cael taught her.
Her heart was loud. Thump. Thump. Thump.
Then the feeling came. She could tell every individuals smell in the building apart, it stinked, the human smell provoked her.
She could feel the liquid rush of blood in their veins, the texture of their flesh.
Not words. Not voice. Just heat.
Rage. Hot in her chest.
Everything suddenly felt like a threat to her.
Hunger. Sharp in her teeth.
Need. To kill. To break free. To destroy.
She squeezed eyes shut. “No.”
Burn started. Blue marks by her ears glowing softly. Her eyes now a dim shade of blue almost taking over her pupils, she felt hot like fire under skin.
1 hour. Sweat broke out on her face. Cold. Sticky.
Silence made it worse. No sound to fight it. Only feeling.
She thought of Ben. 12 years old. The accident that made him deaf. Her step father on the phone telling the police to keep it hidden.
The feeling pushed harder. `Kill. Destroy. He deserves to die.`
Selene bit her lip till blood came. “No.”
2 hours. Walls looked like they moved. Shadows looked like claws.
She screamed once. Room ate the sound.
3 hours. Body shook. Hands shook. Blue veins showed through skin. Little claws growing out of her fingers
The feeling was painful,stronger now. Hunger in her gut. Rage in her head.
To tear. To rip. To end everything.
“Human,” she whispered. “I am human.”
She thought about Vant, the time she spent with him before the lab incident. How happy he's presence made her. He was still here, he never left her side. Was it because of guilt,or he truly cared for her? she couldn't tell, but what ever his reasons are, she was greatful he never left her side.
She remembered her new friends at the academy, Cael, Luma, Mira, Jaren. They were all gathered outside the room, she could smell them, smell their fear and it made her happy... No it made the beast in her happy, it enjoyed feeding on their fear. I need to stop it from winning. I need to fight. "You answer to me. I am in charge." she said to herself.
4 hours. She talked to herself. Just to hear something.
“My name is Selene. I'm a Scientist, i save lives.My brother is Ben. I save live, I choose human. I choose—”
The feeling cut her off. Like a wave.
She screamed louder, but this time it almost sounded like a roar.
Kill. Kill. Kill.
Pain in her skull. Like knives. Blue marks glowed through sleeves.
5 hours. She stood up. Chains pulled her wrists.
She hit her head on wall. Once. Twice.
Pain . Real Pain.
“NO!” she screamed. Blood on her mouth.
Red light flashed outside. Alarm.
Prof. Kade’s voice: “She’s breaking. Sedative team—”
Door opened before they came.
Vant.
He didn’t look at Kade. He looked at her.
Selene was on the floor. Bleeding. Hands half-claws. Blue glow in eyes.
She was seconds from breaking. From killing. From breaking free.
Vant knelt. One hand on her face. Warm.
“Enough,” he said angrily. Not to her. To Prof. Kade.
He touched Helm at her neck. Turned dial. +1%.
Soft sound filled room. Her breath. His breath. Air.
The feeling choked. Rage went quiet. Hunger went dull.
Selene fell into his chest. “Don’t… let me… lose myself”
Vant held her tight. “I won’t,” he said low. “Not today.”
Prof. Kade shouted: “6 hours! You can’t stop it!”
Vant stood with her in his arms. “She lasted 5 hours 32 minutes. That’s enough control. We should stop.”
He carried her out. And closed the door on Prof. Kade’s anger.
Last thought before dark: Helm +1%. Was he helping? Or changing her?
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VANT POV - CUT
Vant walked fast. Selene limp in his arms. Light. Too light.
Kade followed. Angry.
“You ruined the test!” Kade said. She was this close to fully transforming.“ I Need 6 hours!”
Vant didn’t stop. “She needed her mind more, she's not ready for her other self yet.”
He put her on medical bed. Checked her pulse, it was fast. The Blue veins in her hands fading.
Prof. Kade hit table. “Nolan’s boss wants her, if he gets to her first before she masters control over her inner beast, he'll turn her into an unstoppable weapon. We don't have time."
Vant adjusted Helm dial from 0%. Then +1%. Quick. No one saw.
+1% didn’t make Apex stronger. It made comfortable for Selene. So rage felt smaller.
He couldn’t tell Prof Kade.
If Selene knew she could push feeling back with sound… she wouldn’t need Helm. Wouldn’t need him. She needs to be under control.
And if rage won… she’d become what Nolan wanted. A Weapon.
Vant looked at her. Blood on her lips from biting on it.
“My Little thorn,” he said soft. “You beat it for 5 hours. That’s enough.”
Alarm beeped. Stable.
Outside, news played: Richard Thorn arrives in 1 hour. Contracts.
Two threats now. Nolan and Richard.
Vant pulled the blanket over her. “Sleep. I’ll lie to Kade.”
She chose to be human. Even with rage in her blood.
That was power.
- Writer
