Fractures Beneath

Chapter 10: Fractures Beneath

Days had passed since my conversation with #0611, but the weight of his words still clung to me. The fragments weren't the key—they were merely a tool. Everything I needed was already within me, waiting to be unlocked. But I didn't know how to reach it.

Each day blurred into the next, consumed by the growing need to access the power I knew was there. I had begun practicing in secret, hiding away in darkened hallways, far from the watchful eyes of the staff, pushing myself to find that faint pulse of energy I had once felt.

But no matter how hard I tried, the power remained distant, elusive.

Another week crawled by, each day agonizingly slow. I returned to the common area, blending back into the routines of the others, though my mind was elsewhere. The other children were advancing, their abilities becoming sharper, more controlled. I studied them carefully, analyzing every movement, every flicker of power. I could see it in their eyes—the confidence with which they wielded their abilities, the ease that came with mastery.

And I had nothing.

Frustration gnawed at me constantly, making it harder to focus. I knew I had to find a way. I couldn't remain at the bottom of the hierarchy forever. I wouldn't.

Another night arrived, bringing with it another opportunity to practice. This time, I chose a different hallway, one farther from the common areas and rarely patrolled by the staff. The cold floor pressed against my skin as I sat with my knees pulled to my chest, closing my eyes and shutting out the world around me. The silence was thick, almost tangible.

I stretched out my hands, palms up, and focused on the pulse of energy I had felt before. It was there, somewhere deep inside, faint but persistent.

But it was still so distant.

I took a slow, deep breath and concentrated harder, willing the energy to surface. My body tensed as I pushed against the invisible barrier keeping it locked away, my frustration growing with every passing second.

Then, finally, I felt it.

A flicker—a brief spark of energy beneath my skin. It was faint, like a whisper, but it was real. For a moment, it surged through me before disappearing, slipping away before I could hold onto it.

I opened my eyes and stared down at my hands. No visible change, nothing that anyone else would notice. But I had felt it. The power was there, fragile but real.

I stayed in that hallway for hours, repeating the process again and again, trying to bring the energy closer to the surface. Each time, I felt the flicker, but I couldn't hold onto it long enough to control it. It slipped away just as quickly as it had come.

But I wasn't discouraged. If anything, that small glimpse of progress filled me with new determination. This was just the beginning.

In the days that followed, I practiced in secret with a renewed sense of purpose. I was careful, hiding any sign of the changes within me from the staff. They hadn't noticed yet, or if they had, they hadn't made it known. Their attention had shifted to the children further along in their development, but I knew they were still watching, waiting for signs that I might be ready for something more.

I wasn't ready to show them anything. Not yet.

Another week passed, and with it came a new realization. The fragments weren't just amplifiers of power—they were connected to something deeper. #0611 had been right. The power was already within me, but the fragments were the key to unlocking its full potential.

But I wasn't going to wait for the staff to give me access to the fragments. I had to find a way to reach them myself.

One night, I decided to push further than I ever had before. I waited until the facility had quieted down, until the staff were preoccupied with their rounds. Then I slipped away, moving deeper into the facility than I had ever dared.

The air grew colder the farther I went, the walls narrowing, creating a suffocating stillness that pressed down on me. My heart raced with anticipation as I ventured into areas I hadn't explored before. If I could just find the right place…

At the end of a long, narrow hallway, I found it—a small, unused room hidden from the main areas of the facility. The door creaked softly as I pushed it open, revealing a dark, empty space. It was perfect.

I sat down in the center of the room, the silence even heavier here, and stretched out my hands. I welcomed the isolation; it would help me focus.

I concentrated harder than I ever had before, reaching for that pulse of energy, feeling it stir deep beneath the surface. I pushed harder, willing it to break free.

And then it happened.

The spark flared to life, stronger than anything I had felt before. It surged through me, sending a tremor through my entire body. I gasped, my eyes snapping open as the power flowed through my veins, casting a faint, glowing aura around the room.

It only lasted a few seconds, but it was real.

For the first time, I had felt the full force of the power locked inside me.

I sat there for a long time, my heart pounding in my chest, the weight of what had just happened sinking in. I had finally touched the power that had been hidden within me all along.

This was only the beginning.