CHAPTER 2: THE CHILD WHO SHOULDN’T EXIST

CHAPTER 2: THE CHILD WHO SHOULDN’T EXIST Security alarms did not ring. They simply failed. All at once. The ballroom doors locked themselves with mechanical precision. Guests rushed forward, only to find every exit sealed. Panic replaced luxury in seconds. “What is this?!” someone screamed. The rich man grabbed a staff member. “Open the doors!” “I can’t!” she cried. “The system is overridden!” The boy stood still in the center of it all, holding the black case. Then, softly, he placed his palm on its surface. A hidden scanner lit up beneath his skin. Blue light traced his fingers. The case opened. Inside was not technology. It was a thin folder… and a sealed glass vial containing a metallic liquid that seemed to move on its own. The boy picked up the folder. His eyes scanned the first page. For the first time, his expression changed. Not fear. Recognition. He whispered: “…So it’s true.” The rich man stepped forward, shaking. “Listen to me. That belongs to the state. You don’t understand what you’re holding.” The boy looked up. “I understand perfectly.” He turned the folder toward him. Stamped across the top in faded red ink: SUBJECT 01 — HOLLOW CHILD TRIAL Gasps exploded across the ballroom. Phones dropped. The rich man backed away. “You were never supposed to be activated,” he said hoarsely. The boy tilted his head slightly. “Activated?” Then, quietly: “Then why do I remember your voice… before I was even born?”

2 chapters