Evelyn’s hook ca fast.
I ducked under it by a breath. The wind of her fist skimd my temple. She pivoted instantly, following up with a jab to my midsection. I twisted, caught it on my ribs, and staggered back. Pain lanced up my side, but I couldn’t let it show. If she saw weakness, she’d capitalize. The copied Portfolio wasn’t just giving her strength—it was giving her my instincts.
And that terrified .
"She’s adapting," Alexis called from behind a row of overturned desks. "We need to end this, now."
Easier said than done.
I feinted left. Evelyn didn’t buy it. She shot forward like a piston and slamd a punch into the spot I’d ant to dodge to. Only muscle mory saved , dropping low into a slide. Her heel clipped my shoulder, knocking into the wall.
I groaned.
Then Anthony moved.
Quick as breath, he slipped behind her, tearing his sleeve off in one smooth motion. Evelyn spun to intercept him, but he was already close—closer than anyone else dared get.
He shoved the cloth against her face.
She reacted instantly. A scream muffled by cotton. Her arms shot up, claws of rage ready to shred him. But Sienna was there next, wrapping her arms around Evelyn from behind.
"Hold it—tight!" I barked.
Anthony twisted the cloth twice, knotting it behind Evelyn’s head.
And just like that, she stopped.
Her breathing was ragged, panicked. Her muscles trembled. But her fists didn’t strike. Her feet didn’t move.
She held the blindfold in place with shaking hands.
"Evelyn," I whispered, approaching carefully. Her body flinched, but didn’t lash out.
I reached her.
Gently, I placed my hands on her shoulders. They were trembling.
"It’s ," I said. "Reynard. You’re safe. You’re here. You were triggered, but it’s over now. You’re in control."
Silence.
Her lip quivered.
"I... I didn’t want to hurt you," she rasped. Her hands curled over the blindfold. "They made . I was programd to kill you when I see you. It just happens. It just happens."
I squeezed her shoulders. "I know, I know. You’re back. That’s all that matters."
She nodded. Once. Shaky. Fragile.
Then I asked the question I couldn’t wait on. One whose answer I dreaded.
"Evelyn. How did you copy my Portfolio?"
Her face twisted in pain. Not physical. Not entirely.
"You need to know sothing," she said. "When 3830 was captured... she didn’t go down quietly. But they drugged her. Hurt her. Broke her. Eventually, they got answers. Not about your plans or alliances—they didn’t care about that."
She took a breath.
"They wanted to know how your skills stayed hidden. How you passed through scans. Why no one could trace your job data. And she broke enough to tell them about sothing called Portfolios."
My throat went dry.
"Her job title made it so she was the only one who could see them," I muttered.
"She still is," Evelyn confird. "But they know of their existence now. So they tried to recreate it. A job that could mimic a Portfolio. They failed for couple attempts. Then they found a solution they thought could work, but they needed a guinea pig...So they chose ."
She touched the blindfold, eyes shut tight underneath.
"I’m not a Jobmaster like you. I can’t get new jobs or abilities. But this new title—Job Portfolio Copy—it lets latch onto one of your Portfolios. Not all at once. Just one. And only if you’re nearby. And even then... it feels like my mind is tearing open."
"They used you as a test subject," Alexis said darkly.
"I’m a Cain Protocol subject," Evelyn replied bitterly. "Why not stack another experint on top?"
Her voice broke. "I’m tired Rey...I wanna go ho, go to sleep and be able to see you again."
I took a step back, rage curling deep in my gut. My hands shook.
They did this to her.
To Alexis. To Camille. To Sienna. To Evelyn.
To .
Anthony stepped closer. "What now?"
I turned to him slowly. My voice ca quiet, but it vibrated with sothing darker than fury.
"Carry them out. Get them to safety."
"Boss, surely you’re not implying I aban—"
"I said go."
Anthony nodded. He didn’t argue. Didn’t try to stop . He just looked at like he knew what I was about to do—and had no intention of getting in my way.
He moved to Sienna. Camille was still unconscious. Alexis helped brace Evelyn.
I started toward the hallway.
"Reynard," Sienna called behind . "Where are you going?"
I paused at the door.
"To kill soone."
The mont I stepped past the threshold, I ran.
Pain lanced through my bad leg. I didn’t care. My lungs burned. My muscles scread. But I didn’t stop.
Down one hall.
Then another.
And another.
Each footfall louder than the last. Until I was sprinting through steel corridors like a ghost with a heartbeat.
I saw it again in my mind. The pale figure in the lab. Not a man. Not a woman. Sothing in between. Drifting like smoke, skin like paper, eyes like vacuum-sealed frost. A superior here. A puppeteer.
They experinted on everyone I cared about.
I saw Camille on that cot again. Bruised and sedated.
I saw Evelyn attacking with my own instincts.
I saw Alexis stitching herself shut with a torn needle whenever we had a tiny break as to not slow anyone down.
I saw Sienna injuring herself to protect us, always keeping a smile on her face.
And 3830.
Alone. Tortured. Extracted.
The simple thought that they went through hours of excruciating pain. All for their selfish and cruel benefits!?!
My vision blurred. My heart pounded.
"I’M GOING TO KILL YOU!" I roared down the hall. My voice cracked the silence like thunder.
Another turn.
"DO YOU HEAR ?!"
My throat burned.
"I’M GOING TO KILL YOU!"
I didn’t care if I was heard. I wanted to be heard. Let them co. Let them swarm.
Let that pale bastard look in the eye.
Because I wasn’t running anymore.
Not now.
Not ever again.
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