The Temptation of Power

Nathan's gaze darted across the darkened room and his own pulse quickened in his chest cavity as the near miss in the past still vibrated in his blood. The safe house wasn't much—an old, run-down building tucked away in an inconspicuous corner of the city. It was very much cut off from the crazy of the street outside, a small measure of sanctuary. But that comfort was short-lived. For each second that went by he could sense the lever of the Fragment draw within him. It was as if it was whispering to him, a silent promise of power, of possibilities beyond anything he'd ever dreamed.

Jenkins had insisted they rest, but Nathan couldn't. His mind was too wired, too restless. Walking the bare, unequipped living room and walls, he felt the echo of his footsteps in the little, empty space. From time to time, he would glance at the knapsack, Jenkins had bequeathed himâ€"the one containing the Fragment. It sat on the coffee table like a ticking bomb, waiting for the moment it would reveal its full potential.

A knock at the door broke through his thoughts. Jenkins, who had been passively on a nearby chair, sprang up. "Stay here," he said, his voice low but urgent. Nathan nodded, though a small part of him resisted. It felt like everything around him was a game, with unknown players moving pieces without his consent.

Jenkins hesitated, and then, with a groan of the door hinges, creaked the door open an inch or so, his finger resting just under the handle, the concealed firearm resting between his jacket and the door. Nathan strained to understand the dialogue, but all that he could make out aside from unintelligible murmured speech were nonspecific and confusing voice cries—until one broke through as a recognizable voice.

We want this," the voice said, smooth, almost dangerously calm. "We know you have the boy. Hand him over, Jenkins, and we're not gonna make this more than it has to be.

Nathan's breath caught in his throat. They had found him. The Helix Order was upon us, and nowhere could be escaped.

Jenkins' voice, though firm, betrayed a trace of frustration. "I told you before, I'm not handing him over. The boy is "be entitled to decide for himself" etc.

Not if that route provokes a complete disaster", another voice answered. "You think you can protect him forever? You can't stop what's coming, Jenkins. The Fragments are intended to be manipulated, and he—he is too weak to handle it. The Order knows what it can do. You don't. We do."

There was a pause before the voice continued. "Think of it this way, Jenkins. You can always run, but it'll eventually win. He'll either join us... or he'll fall. It's that simple."

Jenkins didn't respond immediately. Nathan felt himself almost swamped under the weight of his choice and the eternal tension between making a decision for the safety of the group, and the merciless nature of reality within which they lived. But at the same time it was was clear no matter what decision Jenkins would take the threat would not be over.

The conversation outside died down, but Nathan knew it wasn't over. He had to act. He couldn't be the pawn in this game any longer. He had to take control of his own fate.

As Jenkins walked back into the room, Nathan stepped onto the witness stand, his thoughts already formed. Jenkins," he reported, his voice more composed than he felt, "I'd like to understand how to execute the Fragment. I should know it—what it is, and what it can do.

The strength of The Fragments is not one that you can, for example, just turn on/off. It will take from you. You will have to pay for everything you do choose, and not all of the costs are good power.

Nathan clenched his fists, his resolve firming. "I've already paid a price, Jenkins. I'm in this now. I can't back down."

Jenkins sighed but didn't argue further. On the other hand, he directed the man upstairs to a humble back room and placed Nathan in the seat of a small desk under a window that offered a clear view on the city. On the desk lay a collection of old books and papers—notes from Jenkins' past investigations into the Fragments. He gestured for Nathan to sit.

"This is where the real work begins, Jenkins said quietly, his voice tinged with something Nathan couldn't quite place—fear? Resignation? "I've spent years gathering information on these artifacts. What they do. How they affect the people who hold them. I'll teach you what I know, but you have to understand that no matter what, you'll never be the same again.

Nathan agreed, but a part already knew that. He wasn't the same person anymore. Not anymore after the hours' activities, not anymore after all the things he lived.

Jenkins started to turn the pages over and over again, murmuring to the self as he scanned the faded notes. "The Fragment is more than just an object. It's a conduit. A link to a deeper power. Some say it's a key—others believe it's a curse."

Nathan's eyes narrowed. "A curse?"

Jenkins paused, looking up at him. "Yes. The more power you are able to generate, the more power It draws away from you. It corrupts your body, your mind, your soul. There are some people who no longer have the capacity to resist, and they are engulfed by it.

"But if I can control it…" Nathan started.

Yet if you can control it, Jenkins interjected, "You'll be so much bigger than they ever imagined. But it's not just about strength, Nathan. It's about balance. If you use the Fragment too much, it will take away the things you hold most dear.

Nathan sat back, absorbing the weight of Jenkins' words. He discovered that the Fragment was not just a present—it was a burden. And though he would so much like to learn it, to master it, he could not avoid the cost that went with it.

the Order isn't the only threat out there. There is also someone else, a human being also looking for the Fragments. They are some of them far more lethal than the Order is ever going to be," .

Nathan's thoughts raced. "What do I do now?"

Jenkins met his gaze. "You prepare. You learn. Most of all, you will make sure that you will be ready when the moment approaches. The world won't wait for you to come up with a plan. However, as long as you possess the Fragment, there will always be someone who wants it. And they won't stop until they get it."