Chapter 161: The Test Begins
The road outside the small town had become a battlefield before the fight had even started.
Dust rose slowly as the dark vehicles rolled to a stop around us.
One by one, the doors opened.
Men stepped out.
Black tactical gear.
Weapons.
Cold expressions.
They moved like soldiers.
But there was something off about them.
Their movements were too precise.
Too controlled.
Almost mechanical.
Callum slowly counted under his breath.
“…eight… nine… ten…”
He looked at Aidan.
“I officially withdraw my previous suggestion about killing the creepy guy.”
Aidan didn’t laugh.
His eyes remained fixed on the soldiers surrounding us.
“Too late for that now.”
\---
Dominic shifted Talia slightly in his arms.
His entire body had gone rigid.
Protective.
Dangerous.
The low growl rumbling in his chest was barely audible, but it sent a clear message.
Come closer and you die.
Elena stepped beside him.
“What do we do?”
Aidan answered immediately.
“We get Roxanne and Talia out of here.”
Callum blinked.
“And how exactly do we do that when there’s an army surrounding us?”
Aidan replied simply.
“We fight.”
Callum sighed.
“Of course we do.”
\---
Victor watched the entire exchange like a man observing animals in a cage.
His calmness made everything worse.
He wasn’t worried.
Not even slightly.
That meant he believed he had already won.
His gaze returned to me.
“Well, Roxanne?”
“Have you decided?”
The strange power inside my chest continued pulsing.
Hot.
Restless.
Like a storm building beneath my skin.
My heart pounded faster.
“What do you want from me?”
Victor’s smile returned.
“Demonstration.”
My stomach twisted.
“Demonstration?”
“Yes.”
His voice remained smooth and confident.
“You survived the Ascension Chamber.”
He gestured toward the soldiers around us.
“Now we see what that survival created.”
Callum muttered quietly.
“So basically he wants to watch you fight.”
Victor nodded slightly.
“Correct.”
\---
Dominic’s voice dropped into a dangerous tone.
“She’s not fighting for you.”
Victor raised an eyebrow.
“Interesting.”
His eyes flicked toward Dominic.
“You believe you can stop me?”
Dominic didn’t hesitate.
“Yes.”
Victor studied him for a moment.
Then he chuckled softly.
“You wolves never learn.”
\---
One of the soldiers suddenly stepped forward.
Tall.
Broad shoulders.
His helmet visor reflected the sunlight as he lifted his weapon.
But he didn’t aim it.
Instead, he cracked his neck slowly.
Victor spoke calmly.
“Subject Seven.”
The soldier removed his helmet.
Callum leaned closer to me.
“Why do I feel like that name is not good news?”
The man beneath the helmet looked… wrong.
His eyes glowed faintly silver.
His skin had a strange gray tone.
And his veins looked darker than normal.
Elena whispered.
“He’s modified.”
Victor nodded proudly.
“One of our enhanced prototypes.”
Dominic’s grip on Talia tightened.
“A lab monster.”
Victor shrugged.
“If you prefer.”
\---
Subject Seven stepped closer.
The ground beneath his boots cracked slightly.
Callum blinked.
“Okay.”
“That’s definitely not normal.”
Aidan’s voice dropped.
“Everyone stay ready.”
Elena carefully guided Talia toward the edge of the road behind us.
“Stay here.”
Talia’s small voice trembled.
“They’re very strong.”
Dominic lowered her gently onto the grass.
Then he stood.
And shifted.
The transformation was fast.
Bone.
Muscle.
Fur.
The massive black wolf stood where Dominic had been seconds earlier.
The soldiers around us immediately raised their weapons.
Victor lifted a hand calmly.
“No.”
“They’re not for the wolf.”
His eyes stayed on me.
“They’re for her.”
\---
Subject Seven moved first.
Fast.
Too fast for someone his size.
Aidan barely had time to react before the man lunged forward.
Aidan rolled aside as the soldier’s fist slammed into the ground.
The asphalt shattered like glass.
Callum stared.
“…okay that’s terrifying.”
Aidan sprang to his feet again.
Knife in hand.
“You’re ugly.”
Subject Seven didn’t answer.
He attacked again.
\---
Dominic leapt forward.
The massive wolf collided with the enhanced soldier mid-charge.
The impact cracked the pavement beneath them.
Both bodies crashed into the side of a parked truck.
Metal bent instantly.
The truck rolled onto its side.
Callum whistled.
“Well.”
“That escalated quickly.”
\---
But the soldier wasn’t down.
Subject Seven grabbed Dominic’s wolf form by the neck.
And threw him.
Dominic slammed through a wooden fence across the road.
Splinters exploded into the air.
Elena gasped.
“Dominic!”
The wolf rose again immediately.
But now there was blood along his shoulder.
\---
Victor observed calmly.
“Impressive.”
His gaze shifted to me again.
“But still irrelevant.”
Subject Seven turned toward me now.
His glowing eyes locked onto mine.
Callum stepped in front of me instinctively.
“Bad idea, buddy.”
The soldier punched him.
Callum flew backward across the road.
He crashed through the window of a nearby car.
Glass exploded everywhere.
Elena screamed his name.
\---
Aidan attacked from behind.
His knife struck the soldier’s shoulder.
The blade snapped instantly.
Subject Seven didn’t even flinch.
He backhanded Aidan across the street.
Aidan hit the pavement hard and didn’t get up immediately.
Victor sighed slightly.
“As expected.”
Then he looked at me again.
“So.”
“Are you going to continue letting them fight for you?”
The power inside my chest surged.
My hands began shaking.
“Stop it.”
Victor smiled faintly.
“Make me.”
\---
Subject Seven charged toward me.
Dominic tried to intercept him.
But two other soldiers blocked the wolf’s path.
They fired strange electric nets.
The nets wrapped around Dominic’s wolf form.
The massive animal crashed to the ground, struggling against the crackling energy.
Elena ran toward him.
But three soldiers moved to stop her.
Callum crawled out of the shattered car window.
“Okay…”
He groaned.
“I officially hate these people.”
\---
Subject Seven stood directly in front of me now.
Towering.
Smiling slightly.
Victor spoke again from behind him.
“Your turn.”
The energy inside my chest exploded.
Heat surged through my veins.
My vision blurred.
Then sharpened.
I could suddenly hear everything.
The soldiers shifting their weight.
Dominic’s strained breathing.
Elena’s heartbeat.
Callum coughing.
Even Victor’s calm, steady pulse.
My hands glowed faintly.
Silver light.
Victor’s smile widened.
“Yes…”
“That’s it.”
\---
Subject Seven lunged.
His fist moved toward my face.
Time slowed.
The power inside me moved before I even thought.
My hand rose instinctively.
The moment his fist touched my palm—
The energy burst outward.
A shockwave exploded across the road.
Subject Seven flew backward.
Not stumbled.
Not pushed.
Launched.
His massive body crashed through two parked cars and smashed into a brick building.
The entire wall collapsed.
Dust and debris filled the street.
Silence followed.
Complete silence.
Callum stared.
“…holy hell.”
\---
Every soldier froze.
Even Victor looked surprised for the first time.
Dominic stopped struggling against the electric net.
Elena’s eyes widened.
Aidan slowly pushed himself up from the ground.
Everyone stared at me.
Because the silver light was still flowing around my hands.
And now it was spreading.
Across my arms.
Up my shoulders.
Through my chest.
Victor whispered softly.
“Extraordinary.”
But I barely heard him.
Because something inside my mind had just changed.
Something had unlocked.
I could feel the power clearly now.
Not chaotic.
Not uncontrollable.
But alive.
And listening.
Victor stepped forward slowly.
His eyes shining with excitement.
“The Ascension worked.”
Callum muttered quietly.
“That sentence worries me.”
Victor looked at me like a scientist seeing the greatest discovery of his life.
“You’re not just stronger.”
He paused.
“You’re something entirely new.”
\---
Behind him…
The destroyed building suddenly shifted.
Subject Seven stepped out of the rubble.
His body bruised.
Bleeding.
But still standing.
Callum groaned loudly.
“You’ve got to be kidding me.”
Victor looked delighted.
“Perfect.”
He gestured toward the soldier again.
“Continue.”
Subject Seven charged again.
Victor smiled at me.
“Let’s see what else you can do.”
And this time…
I didn’t step back.
Because the power inside me had stopped feeling like a storm.
Now it felt like a weapon.
And I was finally ready to use it.