September 2028

"Girls, I'm so sorry for everything that happened. The Institute failed you. No, no... I! I failed you," Madeleine Clark's high-pitched voice trembles.

She excuses herself and wipes her tears.

Emily and Jade were both invited to her office. Her perfectly expensive decor fills the room. She rambles about it, how she decorated it herself and how now and then feels the need for a revamp. Asking the girls if they like it. This entire floor is hers, the last one on the Institute. The elevator needs a code to open the door and a security guard stands on the hallway.

"You are the future of our world, and that future is in jeopardy. I shouldn't be telling you this. You are only children... but... you are the most powerful. I have to!"

She closes her eyes, takes several deep breaths, and pours the girls some heavy drinks.

"There's a power struggle between terrorist movements. Rachel Moore's position is being questioned. We must find all terrorists, on both sides, and end them all! I need you..." she smiles, "the president needs you! The country needs you!"

She pushes the glasses closer to the girls and they grab them.

"You have to explain to everyone what you experienced on that day. Everyone needs to know the hell you went through because of those monsters! We'll prepare some interviews about it, have special merchandizing against the terrorists. Jessica will organize everything!"

Madeleine goes around her desk and stands behind the girls, puts both hands on their shoulders.

"You have to emphasize the truth: the good deviants are on our side. The others, and whoever agrees with them, are enemies of the world."

A few floors down, Abigail is walking as fast as she can to reach her office. Her phone notifies her of a new e-mail, sent by Ánh, with the photos of the five assassins. Finally on her office, Abigail goes carefully through the photos and recognizes one. She's seen that face before but isn't sure when.

She exits her office and walks slowly to her classroom. Taking several deep breaths on the way and stopping for several seconds before entering.

How are the children after what happened? Some of her students were there on the day of the massacre. They had to hide, stay quiet, wait for all the violence to end. Remember what you practiced yesterday, if they have any questions, you'll know what to say.

She enters with a fake smile.

"Morning, Miss!" they all say in unison.

Where are the tears? They are shouting and playing with one another. Where are the questions? They are acting as if nothing happened.

"Waterfall!" Abigail says.

The children make a shh sound and sit down.

"Today we'll discuss the foundation of the new terrorist movement. Who can tell me their names and abilities?"

"The leader is Rachel Moore. She is the world's most powerful deviant!"

The children around make fun of the answer.

"She claims to be. But I can also say that I have brown eyes when I don't. One thing is opinion, and another is the truth. What are her abilities?"

"She is an element controller and steals other deviant's abilities."

"Steals?" Abigail's left eyebrow raises.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

"Yes, Miss! My parents told me that when she absorbs the ability from another deviant, the deviant gets weaker. She steals part of their ability forever!"

"I don't know about that, Sylvia, but it is true that we can't trust that monster. What about the other members? The top ones!"

"The Angel of Death has the ability of death and life."

"And the third one?"

No one could answer.

"Diego Álvarez, he betrayed the Ariston community and made an alliance with the Angel of Death. He can morph his and other's appearance. Maybe he is here... is that you, Diego?" Abigail pinches a student, and everyone laughs. "Rachel Moore and the Angel of Death founded the movement in 2017, after one year they had how many members?"

The answers vary from 20 to 50, Abigail tells them that only ten, but they now have 120 members, and is known that most of them have two abilities.

"Miss, if they have two abilities, won't they be punished? My parents told me that the fatal flaw kills who did it."

"Yeah..." another student jumps in, "my parents told me that whoever has the fatal flaw is in terrible pain."

"That's what they deserve! No one should do the fatal flaw!" Another student says and most nod.

Does committing the fatal flaw makes someone stay in pain for the rest of their life, or they had it already and that's why they committed it? Abigail's neck tightens.

When the day ends, Abigail notices that one of her students, from the class of 10 years, has forgotten their laptop there. She knows they need it for homework. Abigail goes back to the lobby, greets the security guard, passes by the machines in the entrance that deactivate her bracelet, and heads to the dormitory to hand it.

***

Back upstairs, Jade and Emily leave Madeleine's floor and go down to the marketing floor. The elevator door opens, they pass by some colleagues, and Jade pulls Emily into one room. It's empty, the girl smiles and locks the door, kissing Emily instantly.

"Emily, I've been thinking," she looks deeply into her eyes, "we should post about being officially together. I mean, number one and two most powerful, what a power couple!"

"Why don't we stay in our bubble a little longer?"

"Why? We're adults, we care for each other, there's nothing else in the world that matters more to me. Why wait?"

Emily takes a step back.

"Ok, but before posting, let me just talk to my parents and Abigail -"

"Took you long enough!" Jade takes a step forward.

"Sorry?"

"For her name to come up. I'm sure she'll be thrilled. Try not to let her manipulate you into breaking us up."

"She wouldn't."

"Emily... she's in love with you. Always has. You're the only one who doesn't see it."

***

Later that day, the receptionist gives Abigail the information that their room is on the fifth floor. She knocks on the door, the child thanks her and she leaves. The elevators are occupied, and Abigail takes the stairs instead, she sees an older man, in his fifties, talking to a 16-year-old girl. Because of the echo she can understand their conversation.

"I told you, I'm a friend... just tell me what happened," he says in a soothing tone.

"I don't know you, leave me alone," the girl tries to leave, but he pushes her against the wall.

"The president of the Institute asked me to come and talk to some of you. I know you experienced pain. Being shot, having your friends shot..."

"Whatever... The terrorists saved us. Rachel Moore saved me. I want to forget all about it. Leave me alone!" she tries to leave again.

"That's why I'm here. To help you forget, forget all the pain, all the misery..."

The man grabs her head. The girl fights it at first but gives in easily. Abigail knows what he's trying to do, erasing her memory.

She shouts to attract his attention. The man sees her and runs. Abigail asks the girl if she's okay, she tells her to go after him. Abigail shouldn't, and part of her, her parents' voice, Zach's and Vero's image, tell her to stay put. But she needs to learn the truth. No matter how.

She knows she can catch him. He keeps trying to block her path and exits the dormitory through a backdoor. When she finally catches him, her head starts hurting and the ringing begins.

Not now...

She sees everything around her spinning and falls to the ground. The man looks back and starts heading in her direction.

Just get up.

She sees him walking toward her.

He grabs her and throws her against the wall. Puts his hands on her neck and chokes her. He begins going through her memories. She closes her eyes, and when they open again, he stops grabbing her. His eyes are blank, and inside his mind, the true terror starts.

Abigail sees it all playing out. She used her ability, the mental loop on him, and he's stuck on a nightmare that can't wake up from.

She grabs her phone and calls Ánh, in tears explaining what's happening. Her hand drops it when she sees that he threw himself out of a 20-floor building. All happening on his mind, but he collapses in real life too.

No, no, no.

His heart stops beating.

Five minutes later, a car parks near her, she sits on the floor next to the body, pressing his chest. A woman with dark shades and blonde hair comes out of the car.

"I... didn't... want... to..." Abigail keeps pressing his chest.

Rachel takes her hands and lays her down on the back seat, covers her with some clothes that she has. She shuts down Abigail's phone. The sun is still out, she can't risk anyone seeing them and drags the body to the trunk.

She gets in, puts her seatbelt, looks at Abigail and starts driving.

"It'll be okay."