Thirteen

POV Fiora

This old building is filled with shadows and dark corners, but I feel much more comfortable here than in a modern facility that is cold and sterile. Perhaps because this place is occupied by people who, though rough, seem to have sincere hearts.

Kael sat at a large table with a holographic screen glowing in front of him. Brynmor stood behind him, arms crossed over his chest, while I chose to sit on the floor, trying to digest everything they had just said.

"This data," Kael's voice broke the silence, "contains more than just Devlin's plans."

I raised my head, staring at the holographic screen that cast a blue glow over his face.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

Kael turned to me, "It's about your father, Jacob Starfire. He wasn't just collaborating with Devlin. He started everything."

I felt my heart stop for a moment. "What?"

"Jacob is the mastermind behind genetic synchronization," Kael continued. "He created this system from scratch, with his team. But what others don't know, he also designed something much more dangerous."

I looked at Brynmor, hoping he would deny it or at least calm my thoughts. But he just looked at me with a cold expression, as if he had known this for a long time.

"Kael," Brynmor finally said, "show her."

Kael typed a few commands, and the screen in front of him displayed a series of graphs and videos.

"Your father didn't just create this system," Kael said. "He also conducted experiments to perfect it."

I stared at the screen in horror. The videos showed images of a laboratory filled with large glass tubes containing liquid, in which human bodies seemed to float.

"This... this can't be," I whispered.

"Fiora," Kael said in a soft tone, "you are part of that experiment."

I looked at him with wide eyes, not sure if I had heard correctly.

"Me?"

Kael nodded. "Jacob created you to be the perfect anomaly. Not because he loved you as a child, but because you were his most valuable project."

I felt my body trembling. No, this couldn't be true. My father might have been cold and harsh, but he would never do something like this to me.

"He manipulated your genetics from birth," Kael continued. "He ensured that you would be the key to resolving the conflict between the Starfire family and the Aegis Colony."

I stood up, trembling, almost losing my balance. Brynmor stepped forward, placing his hand on my shoulder to calm me, but I brushed it off.

"No," I said. "I don't believe this. You must be wrong."

Kael said nothing, just looked at me with an expression of sympathy I didn't ask for.

"Fiora," Brynmor said, his voice low. "You know this is true. You've always felt different, haven't you? You've always known there was something unusual about you."

I turned to him, staring into his sharp but compassionate eyes.

"But I thought... I thought that was just me... I thought I was strange because of myself, not because..." My voice trailed off.

Kael stood up, approaching cautiously. "You're not a mistake, Fiora," he said softly. "You're the solution."

I shook my head, tears starting to stream down my cheeks. "A solution to what?"

"To stop the war," Kael replied. "To save the colony. But it's unfair, I know. Because it's not a choice you made for yourself."

Brynmor stepped closer; this time I didn't resist when he touched my shoulder.

"We'll stop this," he said softly. "We'll stop Devlin and your father if necessary."

A few hours later, I sat alone in the corner of the room, holding a small device I had brought from the last facility. My fingers lightly touched its buttons, trying to understand how it worked.

"Fiora," Brynmor's voice called me. I turned to see him standing at the door.

"What are you doing here alone?" he asked.

I shrugged. "Just thinking."

He walked closer, sitting beside me without saying anything for a while.

"I'm sorry," he finally said.

I looked at him, confused. "For what?"

"For everything," he replied. "For choosing you, for dragging you into this mess... for not telling you sooner."

I shook my head. "You don't need to apologize. This isn't your fault."

He gave a small smile, but it didn't last long. "I just want you to know that I'll do anything to protect you. Anything."

I felt my chest tighten at his words. He was serious.

"Thank you," I said softly.

He looked at me; I didn't know what he was thinking, but I knew something had changed between us.

I wanted to say something more, but Kael called us from another room, breaking the moment.

"This isn't over," Brynmor said, standing up and holding out his hand to help me stand.

I nodded, taking his hand and following his steps to the other room where Kael was.

Kael looked at me sharply, waiting for my reaction. Brynmor, who was usually firm and in control, seemed awkward, as if he didn't know how to respond to the emotions swirling within me.

"We can't stay here too long," Kael said.

I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself. Everything I had just learned felt too overwhelming to process. My father wasn't just an ambitious scientist—he was the mastermind behind a system that made me feel like a puppet my entire life.

"You said I'm the key to stopping the war," I said, looking at Kael. "But what do you mean? How can I do that?"

Kael stood up, walking toward the holographic screen in front of him. With a few taps on the panel, he displayed a complex diagram full of numbers and graphs I didn't understand.

"Your DNA," he said, pointing to a part of the diagram. "You're the only person with a genetic profile stable enough to stop the effects of the Core Genetic Override."

I frowned. "Stable? What do you mean?"

Kael looked at me, his expression serious. "Your DNA is designed to mediate between two opposing systems—the Starfire family and Aegis augmentation. If Devlin activates the Override, only you can stop its spread."

"What does that mean for me?" I asked.

"If you access the Override, your body will take a massive hit," Kael replied. "Most likely, you won't survive."

I felt the world around me start to spin. I tried to stand, but my body felt weak. Brynmor quickly caught me before I fell.

"You don't have to do this," he said, his voice soft but firm.

I looked at him, tears welling up in my eyes. "But if I don't, won't all of this be for nothing?"

He shook his head. "There will be another way. There always is."

I wanted to believe him, but Kael's words kept echoing in my head. Only I could stop this.

That night, I sat outside the room, staring at the star-filled sky. Brynmor came out a few minutes later, carrying a cup of water for me.

"You should rest," he said, handing me the cup.

I took it but didn't drink. "I can't sleep."

He sat beside me, his body large and strong, providing a strange sense of security.

"Brynmor, what would you do if you were in my position?"

He turned to me, looking at me with his beautiful dark eyes. "I'd find another way. I wouldn't give up so easily."

I sighed. "But what if there's no other way?"

"We're not there yet," he answered firmly. "And until then, we won't give up."

I looked at him, trying to read his thoughts. But Brynmor was a hard man to decipher, even when he tried to be honest.

"Why do you care about me so much?" I asked suddenly.

He was silent, clearly not expecting the question. After a few seconds, he answered, "Because I know what it's like to feel alone. And I don't want you to feel the same way."

The following morning, Kael called us back to his room. He had discovered something new in the data he accessed overnight.

"Devlin is moving the Override device to his main facility," he said softly. "If we want to stop him, we have to strike before he manages to activate it."

Brynmor nodded. "How much time do we have?"

"A few days," Kael replied. "But that's not the only problem."

"What else?" I asked, feeling I wouldn't like the answer.

Kael looked at me, his expression serious. "Jacob knows you're still alive. He's working with Devlin to ensure you can't use the Override against him."

I felt my body stiffen. My father... the man who was supposed to protect me, was now working with the enemy to destroy what little hope was left.

"So what's the plan?" Brynmor asked.

"We have to infiltrate the facility before they complete their preparations," Kael replied. "And we have to disable their system from within."

"I'm going!"

Brynmor looked at me, clearly disagreeing. "It's too dangerous."

"No more dangerous than what we've already faced," I replied. "I won't stay behind while you risk your lives."

Kael looked at us both, then nodded. "She's right. We need all the help we can get."

Brynmor sighed, clearly unhappy, but he didn't argue further.

"Fine," he finally said. "But you stay behind me. No matter what happens." I nodded.

When night fell, we began preparing for the mission. Kael provided us with a map of the facility and explained the security systems we would face.

"I'll stay back and guide you through the system," he said. "But you'll be on your own once you reach the core."

"Understood," Brynmor replied.