The training ground Viola had chosen was an abandoned chamber deep within the undercity, far removed from the watchful eyes of the Consortium. The room was vast, its high ceilings crisscrossed with rusted pipes and faintly glowing wires. Scattered throughout were remnants of old machinery—hulking gears, shattered pistons, and fragments of what looked like decommissioned automatons.

Artemis stood in the center of the room, her mechanical hand clenched into a fist. Viola leaned against a console at the edge of the chamber, watching her with an appraising eye.

“You’ve got raw power,” Viola said, gesturing to Artemis’s cybernetic limbs. “But power without control is just chaos. If you want to survive, you need to learn how to harness it.”

Artemis nodded, her gaze steely. “What do I need to do?”

Viola smirked. “We’ll start simple. Try not to die.”

Before Artemis could process the comment, Viola pressed a button on the console. The chamber came to life with a mechanical groan, the floor beneath Artemis shifting. Panels slid open, revealing a series of platforms and obstacles that began to move in erratic patterns. Sparks flew as metal arms swung through the air, their joints creaking with an almost predatory rhythm.

“Let’s see how fast you are,” Viola called.

Artemis barely had time to react as one of the mechanical arms swung toward her. She ducked, the air whistling past her ear as the arm missed by inches. Another arm shot out from her right, and she twisted her body, narrowly avoiding a direct hit.

Her mechanical limbs moved with precision, reacting faster than her mind could process. She leapt onto a moving platform, her enhanced strength propelling her higher than she expected. The ground below shifted again, revealing a pit lined with sparking wires.

“Focus!” Viola shouted. “Your body knows what to do. Stop hesitating and trust it!”

Artemis gritted her teeth, her instincts taking over. She sprinted across the platforms, dodging swinging arms and leaping over gaps. Her movements became more fluid, each step more confident than the last.

But the course wasn’t finished with her yet. A new set of obstacles emerged—automaton sentries with glowing eyes and mechanical limbs. They moved toward her with deliberate precision, their motions eerily human.

“Combat mode,” Viola said, her voice calm. “Show me what you’ve got.”

The first automaton lunged at Artemis, its clawed hand swiping toward her. She sidestepped, her mechanical arm shooting out in a counterstrike. The blow landed with a metallic clang, sending the automaton staggering backward.

The second automaton attacked from behind, but Artemis spun, using her momentum to deliver a powerful kick. The force sent it crashing into the wall, its gears sputtering.

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Artemis’s breath came in short bursts as she faced the remaining sentries. Sweat dripped down her brow, but she felt a strange exhilaration coursing through her. Her body moved with a precision she didn’t fully understand, each strike and dodge perfectly timed.

Finally, the last automaton fell, its head torn from its body by a well-placed punch. Artemis stood amidst the wreckage, her chest heaving.

Viola clapped slowly, her cybernetic eye glowing faintly. “Not bad,” she said. “For someone who doesn’t know what they are, you fight like you’ve been doing it your whole life.”

Artemis wiped the sweat from her brow, her gaze hard. “I didn’t have a choice. What’s next?”

Viola raised an eyebrow. “Eager, aren’t you? You’ve passed the first test, but there’s more to survival than just brute strength. You need strategy, awareness, and the ability to outthink your enemies.”

She gestured toward a nearby table, where a collection of weapons and tools lay spread out. “Pick one.”

Artemis approached the table, her eyes scanning the options. There were blades of varying sizes, a pair of small pistols, and a staff crackling with faint arcs of electricity. She reached for the staff, its weight surprisingly balanced in her hands.

“Good choice,” Viola said. “That’s a shockstaff. Non-lethal, but effective for incapacitating enemies.”

Artemis twirled the staff experimentally, the arcs of electricity sparking along its length. It felt right in her hands, an extension of her own body.

Viola stepped closer, her expression serious. “The Consortium won’t just send enforcers after you. They have hunters—people who specialize in taking down targets like you. If you’re not ready when they find you, it’s over.”

Artemis tightened her grip on the staff. “Then I’ll make sure I’m ready.”

The next few hours were a blur of training. Viola pushed Artemis to her limits, testing her endurance, reflexes, and adaptability. They sparred, the clash of the shockstaff against Viola’s blade echoing through the chamber. Each time Artemis thought she had the upper hand, Viola would counter with a move she couldn’t predict.

“You’re too rigid,” Viola said after disarming her for the third time. “You’re thinking like a human. You need to think like a machine—analyze, adapt, and strike without hesitation.”

Artemis scowled, picking up the staff again. “I’m not a machine.”

Viola tilted her head, a faint smirk on her lips. “Aren’t you? You’d better figure out where the line is, and fast. Because the Consortium won’t care what you think you are.”

The words hit harder than Artemis expected. She glanced down at her hands, the smooth metal reflecting the dim light. Was she more machine than human now? And did it even matter?

The training session ended when Artemis finally managed to disarm Viola, the shockstaff buzzing with electricity as it hovered near her throat. Viola grinned, clearly impressed.

“Not bad,” she said, stepping back. “You’ve got potential. But potential won’t save you out there. Keep pushing yourself, or you’ll end up like the rest of the fools who thought they could take on the Consortium.”

Artemis nodded, her exhaustion tempered by a newfound determination. She wasn’t just running anymore—she was preparing for the fight ahead.

As they left the chamber, Rhea approached, her wide eyes filled with admiration. “You were amazing,” she said, practically bouncing on her toes.

Artemis managed a faint smile. “Thanks. But there’s still a long way to go.”

Viola placed a hand on Artemis’s shoulder. “Rest for now. Tomorrow, we’ll talk strategy. If you’re serious about taking on the Consortium, you’ll need more than just skills—you’ll need allies.”

Artemis nodded, her thoughts already racing. She didn’t know who she could trust, but one thing was certain: the fight for her freedom was far from over.