Elian sucked in a painful breath.
His heart hammered in his chest, pounding a war drum against his ribs.
Every instinct screamed: Now. Move.
He shifted his wrists, feeling the sharp edge of the manacle bite into his skin. Blood welled, warm and slick, but it didn't matter.
Pain was good.
Pain meant he was still alive.
Still fighting.
The chains clattered again, louder this time.
The shadows behind the glass stirred.
No more waiting.
Elian gritted his teeth and twisted his body with every ounce of strength he had left.
The old bolts groaned.
Sparks showered from the base of the restraint as he yanked, ignoring the agony that screamed up his arms.
The scientists behind the glass shouted.
Sirens began to wail, piercing and shrill.
Too late.
With a final, brutal heave, the bolt snapped free.
Elian staggered to his feet, the heavy chain dragging behind him like a serpent.
He stumbled toward Kael's table.
She was barely conscious, her head lolling weakly to the side.
"Stay with me," he rasped.
He tore the wires from her skin, the machines screeching in protest.
The door slammed open.
Guards poured in.
"SUBJECT IS LOOSE!" someone screamed.
Elian grabbed the metal IV pole from beside Kael's table.
It wasn't much — but it was enough.
The first guard lunged.
Elian swung the pole with wild, desperate strength.
The metal connected with a sickening crack, dropping the man instantly.
Two more followed.
Tasers buzzed.
A baton grazed his side, burning cold where it struck — but Elian didn't stop.
Move, fight, survive.
That was all he knew.
That was all he needed.
Just as a guard raised his gun, a blur moved across the room.
A figure in black — small, fast — struck the guard's wrist, sending the weapon skittering across the floor.
The new arrival turned toward Elian.
It was a girl.
No older than seventeen, maybe younger.
Short black hair.
Piercing blue eyes.
Wearing the uniform of the laboratory staff — but clearly not one of them.
She tossed him a small, heavy object.
A key.
"Unlock her," she snapped. "I'll cover you."
Elian didn't hesitate.
He caught the key and rushed back to Kael.
The locks came free with trembling fingers.
Kael sagged into his arms, too weak to stand.
But she was alive.
That was all that mattered.
The girl shouted over the blaring alarms, "There's a service tunnel down that hall! Take it — follow the red pipes!"
Elian tightened his grip on Kael.
He met the girl's eyes briefly — a flicker of trust, a promise.
He nodded.
"Thank you," he rasped.
"No time," she said. "GO!"
Elian ran.
Dragging Kael against his side, half carrying her.
The hallway loomed ahead, full of flashing red lights and chaos.
Soldiers barked orders behind him.
Gunfire cracked against the walls.
But Elian didn't look back.
He had Kael.
He had a way out.
And he had something even more dangerous than rage burning inside him now.
Hope.
As he vanished into the tunnels, Elian knew two things:
First, they would never stop hunting him now.
Second, he would never forgive the ones who had done this.
Not Ryen.
Not the men behind the glass.
Not the world that had turned him into prey.
One day — whether it took months or years — he would come back.
He would burn down everything they had built.
And he would never be caged again.