Albert Fowler walked in silence, trailing behind Governor Vance as they crossed the landing deck. The rhythmic clanking of boots against metal echoed in the open space, accompanied only by the steady hum of the docked transport ship ahead.

At the end of the platform, the governor’s sleek transport stood waiting, its doors hissing open as they approached. Vance stopped just before boarding and turned to face Albert.

"You can’t even begin to fathom how disappointed I am in you," Vance said, his voice even, yet cutting.

Albert swallowed hard, his eyes lowering to the ground. He had expected this, yet the words still landed like a blow.

"I’ll be replacing you in a week." Vance continued, his tone leaving no room for argument.

Albert clenched his jaw, then after a brief pause, forced himself to nod. "…Yes, Governor." His voice was quiet, reluctant.

Without another word, Vance turned and stepped into the ship. The doors sealed shut behind him, and moments later, the engines flared to life. Albert watched as the transport ascended, its sleek frame disappearing into the distance.

For a long moment, he stood motionless. Then, slowly, his hands curled into fists.

A cold rage settled over him.

His thoughts burned with a single name—Owen. That damn inmate.

And now, after achieving embodiment in front of the governor, Owen was untouchable. If Albert made a move against him now, it would only bring more consequences down on his own head.

His teeth ground together as his fury simmered beneath his skin.

Then, without another word, he turned and strode away.

***

Katherine’s fist slammed into the side wall with a thud, the impact sending a faint tremor through the medical room. Her breaths came sharp and heavy, her eyes locked onto the doorway where the floor ten overseer, Barbara, stood with her arms crossed.

"How could you do this?" Katherine demanded, her voice laced with fury. "After years of following orders loyally—"

Barbara exhaled through her nose, unimpressed. "After that loss, why do you think you can keep your place on floor ten?" She tilted her head slightly, the barest trace of amusement in her tone. "Consider yourself lucky. We’re only moving you down one floor."

Katherine’s fingers curled into a tight fist. "You’ll regret this." she growled.

Barbara arched a brow. "Threats won’t do you any good." She turned to leave, and as she reached the doorway, she paused. Without looking back, she said, "Lash out again, and your family will bear the consequences."

The door slid shut with a soft hiss, leaving Katherine alone.

She stared at the door, her body trembling—not with fear, but with something far more dangerous. A look beyond rage settled on her face.

"…I won’t stand for this anymore." she muttered under her breath.

***

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Will groggily blinked his eyes open, his mind still foggy. The first thing he noticed was the soft mattress beneath him. The second thing was the faint sound of shuffling cards and murmured voices.

He turned his head to the side and found himself looking at a round table, where Owen, Grace, Isaac, and Jason were seated, fully engrossed in a card game.

Jason was grinning ear to ear, leaning back with an air of absolute confidence. The other three, however, looked far less amused. Owen’s arms were crossed, his expression a mix of annoyance and reluctant respect. Isaac sat with his chin resting on his palm, eyes narrowed. Grace had her cards fanned out in front of her, tapping a finger against the table as if calculating a way to end Jason’s winning streak.

Owen sighed. "You’re lucky I’m still getting used to the rules."

Jason smirked, flicking a card onto the table with a little too much flair. "You’re the one who suggested we play cards. Don’t be mad just cause I’m better."

Grace turned to Owen and Isaac, her eyes gleaming with mischief. "Alright, listen. If we don’t team up, Jason is going to keep walking all over us."

Owen and Isaac shared a glance, their expressions shifting into identical smirks.

"Oh, now you’re talking." Isaac said.

Owen cracked his knuckles. "Let’s take this guy down."

Jason’s smirk faltered for half a second before he quickly recovered. "Oh, so that’s how it is? Bring it on then."

As Will let out a weak chuckle, he noticed the group at the card table freeze, all eyes turning to him in unison. The shift in attention was sudden, but not unwelcome. Will blinked groggily, trying to shake the lingering fuzziness from his head.

"Oh, he's awake!" Owen said with a grin, standing up from the table. Grace, Isaac, and Jason quickly followed suit, all moving toward Will's bed.

Owen leaned over him, his brow furrowing slightly as he asked, "You alright?"

Will smiled faintly, nodding. "Yeah, just feel a little tired. I’ll be fine." He glanced around at them, trying to sit up a little straighter, but the movement made his head swim for a moment. He rested back against the pillow, blinking a few times to clear his vision.

Then, a sudden thought hit him like a bolt of lightning. His eyes widened, his heart picking up speed. "Wait—did we win?"

The moment the words left his mouth, the entire group burst into wide smiles.

"We won brilliantly." Owen said with a broad grin. Grace and Jason nodded in agreement, each of them sporting looks of triumph.

Will’s heart swelled, and a grin spread across his face. "I’m glad."

But then, just as quickly as it had appeared, the smile faded, and Will’s expression grew serious. He clenched his fist tightly, looking away towards the side, avoiding eye contact.

"I’m sorry… about my match," he muttered, his voice quiet but thick with guilt. "I know I let everyone down. It’s okay if you want to abandon me, I understand. I couldn’t even—"

Before he could finish, Owen placed a hand on his shoulder, his grip firm and reassuring. "Don’t say that, Will."

Grace nodded emphatically, her expression softening. "You fought with everything you had. And that’s all that matters."

"Alright." Will said, his voice barely above a whisper. His eyes glistened as he blinked rapidly, trying to fight back the emotion threatening to overwhelm him.

Owen gave his shoulder a final squeeze before pulling back. "We’ll pull the table closer and we can all play cards. Jason can teach you the rules, right?"

"Yeah," Jason said. "They aren’t that hard to follow."

Owen was about to move when Isaac’s voice rang out, stopping him in his tracks.

"Wait."

Everyone’s attention snapped to Isaac, who had a serious expression on his face.

"Now that Will’s awake, there’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you all. Something important."

Grace tilted her head, her brow furrowing in curiosity. "What is it?"

Isaac lowered his voice. "The people who catch us, the ones who bring us to these facilities because of our insignias—they rely on the instructors to help identify what our abilities are. But here’s the catch: If someone already knows what their insignia can do, they can trick the instructors into believing they have a completely different one."

The group fell silent, processing his words. Jason blinked, confused. "Wait… what are you getting at?"

"I’ve been faking my insignia this whole time."

Before anyone could respond, Isaac raised his hand up to his side. The air shimmered for a brief moment, and then, from seemingly nowhere, a sleek mechanical droid materialized to the side.

The droid was tall, towering above the heads of everybody, with a smooth silver surface that reflected the light from the room.

The entire group went silent, eyes wide with shock as they stared at the mechanical creation.

Isaac then looked at Owen. "You were looking for someone with a tech insignia, right? Well… here I am."

Owen’s grin widened, sharp and wild. He stared at Isaac for a moment, then let out a low chuckle.

"Well, damn."