Ambrose walked into the stockroom, his sharp eyes sweeping over the supplies lining the shelves. The others were gathered in the middle, their faces tense with the weight of the situation. Zack, still at the security monitor, scrutinized the flickering screens for anything suspicious. When he saw nothing unusual, he followed Ambrose inside, shutting the door behind him.
Mark and Ellie stood a little apart from the group, whispering to each other. Ellie's fingers brushed against Mark's wrist as she spoke, her touch hesitant, almost as if testing the waters. Mark's usual guarded expression flickered with something unreadable before he looked away, clearing his throat.
"You're thinking too much," Ellie murmured, her voice soft but teasing.
Mark huffed a small laugh. "Someone has to."
Ellie smirked, nudging his arm lightly. "Then maybe let someone else do the thinking for once."
Mark glanced at her, their eyes met, and for a moment, something lingered between them—an unspoken tension, a quiet understanding. But then, he stepped back slightly, shaking his head. "Not the right time."
Ellie didn't push. Instead, she gave him a knowing look. "It never is, is it?"
Mark hesitated, then exhaled. "Not yet."
Meanwhile, Zack's gaze flickered to Ambrose, who was sifting through supplies with calculated movements. Ambrose moved with quiet confidence, picking up a flashlight from the shelf and testing it. He focused, he tapped his forehead to activate his ability. And then, there it was. Ambrose's Vital Signs.
[Ambrose Vail]
Heart Rate: 70 bpm
Oxygen Levels: 98%
Blood pressure: 100/70mmHg
Temperature: 36.7C
Respiratory Rate: 16 cpm
Condition: Stable
'hmm, he seems normal, and no changes in his vital signs, so he is not in under any stress' Zack muttered to himself.
He further observed the others with his ability activated. He noticed Mark and Ellie apart from the group. Their heart rates are high, maybe it is the excitement they feel from each other's presence.
'That's no surprise. They seem to like each other. The only people who don't know they like each other...is them,' Zack said then his lips curved into smirk.
Nicole stood near one of the shelves, flipping through a box of supplies with mild disinterest, her vital signs also stable.
Then, to his surprise, something appeared on his screen.
[Participant: Zack Martin]
[Congratulations. Vital Scan has leveled up — Level 3 now known as Advanced Sight .]
[New System Privileges Unlocked—Can now see through objects and people.]
[+4000 points]
Zack was appalled. He skipped level 2 and quickly leveled up to level 3? why?
Zack's head pulsed with sudden clarity, his surroundings shifting in his perception. The vague impressions he had sensed before were now detailed overlays—he could see fluctuations in heart rates, subtle muscle twitches, even micro-expressions that betrayed emotions before they were fully formed. His breath hitched. He can scan their bodies like an x-ray machine.
He focused on Jake who was in front of him. He closed his eyes, then blinked it open. He can now see like an x-ray vision of Jake's body. His eyes widened.
'Holy moly, this is amazing. I can see through things, and even people,' he said. He didn't notice that his voice was much louder than he anticipated.
"What? What did you say?" Clark said, now beside him.
"I — uhm — nothing, I thought I saw something," Zack said trying to say something as an excuse.
"Aight," Clark said then walked away.
'If I had this ability in the ER before, a lot of people could have save some money on hospital expenses,' he though to himself, as if remembering the times poor people come by in the hospital, seeking for help.
Zack brushed the thought away, then tapped his forehead to deactivate the ability for a while.
He stiffened as the wave of power settled into his system. His senses sharpened even further, his ability evolving in real time.
Then, he noticed on the corner of his eyes, Arya and Ambrose talking.
Zack shifted his attention. Arya's stance was tense, her arms crossed, but not in a defensive way—more like she was bracing herself. Ambrose, on the other hand, remained unreadable, his posture relaxed but his gaze sharp, like he was assessing her every word.
Zack didn't need his ability to tell that something important was being discussed. Then, Arya changed her posture. She started walking towards Zack. He tried to play it cool, like he didn't notice her or something.
"Zack? you okay?" Arya's voice pulled him back to reality. She was watching him, her brows slightly furrowed.
He hesitated, then nodded. "Yeah... just —" He exhaled. "Never mind. What did you need to tell me?"
Arya glanced at the others before lowering her voice. "I— I don't know how to say this to you, but uhm," She paused. "I — uhm — We all know that each of us have an ability, right? Like the attribute we had before?" she paused, waiting for Zack to agree.
"Yes, what about it?"
Well, I kind of have the ability of Machine Whisperer."
His eyes narrowed. "Machine Whisperer?"
She nodded. "I can interact with the system. I can access parts of it that no one else can."
For a moment, Zack said nothing. Then, he exhaled a quiet chuckle. "Makes sense."
Arya frowned. "Wait, you're not surprised?"
"Not really." Zack crossed his arms. "I've been suspecting it for a while. You always notice things before anyone else. You've been making calls based on information we don't have. It all adds up."
Arya let out a relieved breath. "Then that makes this easier. I—" She hesitated, glancing toward the others. "There's something else."
Zack's expression hardened. "What is it?"
She took a deep breath. "I saw the countdown for the next trial."
Zack froze. "What?"
"I don't know why you guys couldn't see it, but I did, maybe because of my ability." Her voice was steady, but there was a tension beneath it. "And before I explain everything, I need you to know—I am not a threat. I didn't tell you right away because I needed to be sure I wasn't hallucinating or something."
A heavy silence settled over then as the weight of her words sank in.
Then, Zack finally spoke.
"We have to tell them," he gestured towards the center where the group is gathered.
"Yeah, I figured," Arya said.
"Ok, then. Come on," he said, then walked towards the others.
—
"Guys, listen up. Arya has something to say," Zack said. Everyone turned their faces towards them.
Arya said everything to them; how she could access the system and when she discovered how. Nicole was standing a few feet away from her, relieved that she finally told them about it and explained how. But there was something else. She also said something about the countdown of the trial that made others suspicious.
"What? When the system flashed our screens, I didn't see anything," Clark said.
Arya swallowed, choosing her words carefully. "That's because it wasn't meant for you to see."
The tension in the room thickened.
"Well, that's convenient," Nicole muttered, her usual wariness creeping into her voice.
Clark shot her a sharp look. "Nicole."
Arya clenched her fists. "I'm not lying. We all have an ability, right? Mine is Machine Whisperer — it lets me override certain restrictions. That's why I could see it."
Clark narrowed his eyes. "And how exactly does that work?"
"I don't know all the details yet," Arya admitted. "But I do know one thing."
She exhaled sharply, her fingers trembling ever so slightly as she finally said it out loud.
"We have six hours until the next trial."