The forest swallowed them whole, the dense canopy blotting out the afternoon sun. Every snapping twig underfoot, every rustle of the wind in the leaves, set Lexi's nerves on edge. Somewhere behind them, Catherine's forces would already be regrouping. It was only a matter of time before they were hunted again.
Jace led the way, moving swiftly through the trees with the confidence of someone who had traveled these hidden paths before. Lexi followed closely, her body aching but her mind sharper than ever.
Every instinct screamed at her to stay alert, to stay moving. There was no more room for hesitation.
"You okay?" Jace asked over his shoulder.
Lexi nodded grimly. "Yeah. I'm good."
He gave her a brief smile, small but genuine. "You're tougher than you think."
Lexi didn't answer. She wasn't sure if it was toughness or just the cold, burning need to survive.
After what felt like hours, they reached a clearing marked by a single, ancient oak tree. Its gnarled roots twisted through the earth like veins, and embedded at the base of the trunk was something metallic: a small, rusted hatch barely visible beneath layers of moss and dirt.
"This is it," Jace said, crouching down.
Lexi frowned, approaching cautiously. "What is it?"
"A cache," Jace said as he wiped the dirt away. "Your parents built a network of them — hidden places, stocked with supplies, information, tech. Everything they thought you might need someday."
He pried the hatch open with a grunt, revealing a narrow tunnel sloping underground.
Lexi peered inside, her heart thudding with a strange mixture of fear and excitement. It felt like stepping into a memory she had never lived — a piece of a life that had been stolen from her.
Jace dropped inside first, landing with a soft thud. Lexi followed, wincing as her feet hit the ground harder than she intended.
Inside, the air was cool and dry. The walls were lined with shelves, and on them were rows of tightly sealed crates, dusty but intact.
Jace flicked on a small battery lamp, casting a warm circle of light around them. He handed Lexi a sealed envelope from one of the shelves.
Her name was scrawled across the front in neat, careful handwriting:
For Lexi — When You're Ready
Her hands trembled as she broke the seal and unfolded the letter inside.
My dearest Lexi,
If you're reading this, then it means everything we feared has come to pass.
You have always been special, from the moment you were born. Not just because of the blood that runs through your veins, but because of who you are. You are stronger, smarter, and braver than anyone could have ever predicted.
We built Project Eden not to create weapons, but to create hope. A future where humanity could be better — stronger, kinder, more just. But those with darker intentions saw only power. And they came for us.
We sent you away not because we didn't love you, but because we loved you too much to risk losing you. We knew Catherine would keep you hidden, but we never imagined how far she would go to keep you under her thumb.
Lexi, you are the culmination of everything we fought for.
Trust yourself. Trust those who stand by you.
And never forget: You were never abandoned. You were chosen.
— Mom and Dad
Lexi pressed the letter to her chest, her vision swimming with tears she refused to let fall.
They hadn't abandoned her. They had fought for her. Loved her enough to give her the only chance she had to survive.
"I knew it," Jace said quietly beside her. "They didn't leave you behind. They were trying to protect you from everything."
Lexi sniffed, nodding wordlessly.
Her gaze drifted back to the shelves. She saw weapons, yes — compact stun rifles, EMP grenades, sleek pieces of tech she didn't recognize — but also files, disks, and blueprints carefully stored away.
At the center of it all was a small black case, marked with a symbol she had seen before — a triangle encircled by a serpent.
She opened it.
Inside was a bracelet — almost identical to the one Jace wore — pulsing faintly with an inner light.
Jace leaned closer. "That's a Genesis band. It's tuned to your DNA. Once you activate it... Well, let's just say you'll feel different."
Lexi hesitated only a moment before sliding the bracelet onto her wrist.
The moment it touched her skin, the band tightened gently, molding to her. A soft hum vibrated through her bones, and suddenly, Lexi felt it.
The world sharpened around her.
She could hear the heartbeat of the forest, smell the metallic scent of the coming storm, feel the faint shifts in the ground underfoot where distant drones crept closer.
Power surged in her veins, clean and bright, as if the bracelet had unlocked a part of her that had always been waiting just beneath the surface.
She gasped, clutching the shelf for balance.
"Whoa," she whispered.
Jace grinned. "Told you."
Footsteps echoed above them.
Jace's smile vanished in an instant.
"They're here," he said, his voice low.
Lexi looked down at her hands — steady now, filled with strength she had never known — and felt a slow, fierce smile spread across her face.
She wasn't helpless anymore.
Not a prisoner. Not a pawn.
She was a weapon they had created — but she was going to decide how that power was used.
"We fight," Lexi said, her voice steady.
Jace nodded once. "Together."
As the first shadows began to descend into the tunnel, Lexi stepped forward, her heart steady, her mind clear.
No more running.
No more hiding.
It was time to make them all understand:
Lexi wasn't just part of Project Eden.
She was Project Eden.
And she was just getting started.