They left Southport behind, but the city's despair lingered like a shadow on their backs. Mira glanced at Jericho, who sat silently in the back seat of the borrowed car, staring out the window like a ghost still tethered to memories.
Eli's hands gripped the steering wheel. The weight of responsibility pressed heavier than ever. Two lives changed. Hundreds more to go.
> Timer: 18:16:33
Current Target: Unknown
Directive: Seek New Thread
The system buzzed with a low hum, and a blue glow pulsed from Eli's left wrist—just beneath the skin.
Mira leaned forward. "That's new."
"I think it's searching for the next person," Eli murmured.
Suddenly, the system flashed:
> Thread Detected: Kaiya Rivers
Location: Brightwell Academy
Status: At Risk
Emotional State: Conflicted, Isolated, Suppressed Genius
"Brightwell?" Jericho said quietly. "That's a school."
Eli nodded. "And it's where we're going."
---
Brightwell Academy stood like a monument to control—its sharp corners and white walls gleaming under a dull sun. Inside, order was everything. Discipline. Appearance. Expectations.
Kaiya Rivers sat alone at the edge of the courtyard, sketching formulas into a notebook no one cared to look at. She wore a crisp uniform, her dark braids pinned back with mechanical precision. She looked perfect—except for the sadness in her eyes.
Eli, Mira, and Jericho stood across the street.
"She's barely sixteen," Mira said, concerned.
"And already flagged as a genius," Eli replied. "But the system says she's at risk."
Jericho cracked his knuckles. "Kids like that don't need rescue. They need someone to listen."
Eli nodded. "Let's do both."
---
Kaiya noticed the strangers approaching before they said a word. She snapped her notebook shut.
"I'm not supposed to talk to outsiders."
Eli knelt to her level. "Then let's pretend we're not."
She gave him a flat look. "You're... weird."
Mira grinned. "He gets that a lot."
"We came because we think you're important," Eli continued.
"No one thinks that," Kaiya said, standing. "They think I'm a freak. A mistake."
Jericho's voice came low and steady. "You're not a mistake."
Kaiya turned to him. "Why do you care?"
Jericho didn't blink. "Because someone once told me I was one. And I believed them for too long."
Her walls wavered.
Eli stepped forward. "We know about your designs. The prototype you built—the one they said was too advanced for a student."
Her eyes widened. "How—"
"The world doesn't like things it can't control. But you weren't made to be controlled, Kaiya."
She looked between them, uncertain.
> Resonance Triggered
Anchor Identified: Suppressed Potential
Obstruction: Parental Pressure, Academic Isolation
"I have to stay," she whispered. "My parents... They've sacrificed so much for me. I can't fail."
"You're not failing," Mira said softly. "You're suffocating."
Kaiya blinked hard. "They'd never let me leave. Not without a scene."
Eli checked the system:
> Alternative Path Required
Potential Solution: Trigger Crisis Event or External Justification
Jericho stepped forward. "You built that prototype, right? The energy stabilizer? You still have it?"
Kaiya hesitated, then nodded.
"What if we help you finish it?" he offered. "Show them it works. Show them you're not their project—you're the creator."
She frowned. "That would get me expelled."
"Or freed," Eli added.
Silence stretched, then:
Kaiya smiled—small, brave.
"I'll need tools. And time."
Eli checked the timer.
> 17:54:22
"Then let's not waste either."