Theo pushed himself upright, the lingering ache in his muscles a dull throb beneath his skin. His body still felt drained, but something had shifted. His energy—his Bio-Energy—was returning, bit by bit. Maybe around 15%.

  He could feel it, a faint hum inside him. Sluggish, unsteady, but there.

  When he stepped forward, his body moved faster than he intended. It wasn’t as fast, not yet—but it wasn’t normal either. His walking pace matched a runner’s stride, forcing him to correct himself before he overshot his balance.

  Still too fast.

  Theo exhaled slowly, adjusting, forcing himself to think before each step.

  Then, the door hissed open.

  A familiar figure stepped in—the woman with the glasses. The one who had tested him before his registration.

  She hesitated for a moment when she saw him standing. He could tell from the slight widening of her eyes that she hadn’t expected him to be awake, let alone on his feet.

  Her fingers flicked across the holographic interface of her holowatch before she spoke.

  “You should still be unconscious.”

  Theo watched her carefully, noting how she kept a neutral expression, though there was an edge of curiosity in her voice.

  “Guess I didn’t get the memo,” he muttered, stretching out his arms. His movements were still sluggish, but he could feel them sharpening, aligning.

  She adjusted her glasses, clearly analyzing him before speaking again.

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  “Your vitals were… non-existent. No life force detected for over twenty-four hours.”

  Theo felt his chest tighten slightly. He already knew what she was going to say, but hearing it aloud made it real.

  He met her gaze. “And yet, I’m still here.”

  She pursed her lips, then swiped her fingers across her holowatch, pulling up a holographic display. His vitals.

  LIFE FORCE LEVEL: 18%

  Theo’s eyes flicked over the reading. 18%. It was close to what he had felt—maybe 15% . Which meant their technology was reading his energy. He began to think if his energy power, Bio Energy. Was that his life force? What did it mean, He could feel the energy inside him but he thought it was less then 18%. Was their technology wrong or was his senses and sensing his own power just off.

  She studied him again, then spoke, slower this time.

  “That’s the problem. Your energy readings—what we assume is life force—it’s growing, but not like a normal recovery. More like… a recharging.”

  Theo clenched his jaw. She was seeing it, too.

  His fingers curled into a fist. They weren’t reading life force at all.

  He exhaled sharply, then met her gaze. “And you’re sure it’s life force you’re reading?”

  She paused for the first time.

  A hesitation. But Theo caught it immediately.

  She wasn’t sure but before she could answer, Theo shifted his stance—and moved.

  In an instant, he overshot his step, his body reacting before he fully processed the movement. His foot slammed against the floor harder than intended, his momentum almost carrying him past the bed. He stopped himself at the last second, gripping the bedside rail for balance.

  His breathing was steady, but his control wasn’t.

  The analyst took a half-step back, her eyes narrowing. “Your movements…” she started, adjusting her glasses but Theo ignored her.

  He had something more important to deal with.

  “Where’s James?” The analyst blinked. “He’s stable, but—”

  Theo didn’t wait for the rest. He pushed past her, his strides longer than expected, his body still moving at a pace faster than he intended. It wasn’t a sprint, but it was close.

  “Wait,” she called after him. “That’s not a good idea.” Theo barely heard her as he reached the door and stepped through. His body still felt wrong, like his reactions were a fraction ahead of his thoughts. But he adjusted, controlled it as best he could.

  He needed answers. And he was going to get them.

  Theo stopped outside the medical bay, gripping the doorframe as he steadied himself. He looked through the observation window and saw James.

  James was alive, his body floating in the healing chamber.But he didn’t look the same, his skin was pale, his chest rising and falling steadily, but something about him seemed off.

  Theo’s heart started pounding, his eyes glossed over. “What the hell happened to you, What did I do to you?”