Chapter 11: Trial by Combat

Alden barely had time to breathe before the failed experiment lunged.

The figure that had stepped from the containment pod moved like a glitch in reality—phasing in and out, flickering between solid and unstable. One second, they looked human; the next, their body was warping, muscles twisting unnaturally as though their own power was consuming them.

Alden tensed. His Overclock buzzed faintly, but it was still sluggish, still affected by whatever field Specter had set up in the room. He needed to move, but his body wasn't reacting fast enough.

The failed experiment closed the distance in a blink.

Alden barely managed to throw himself to the side as a warped fist slammed into the metal floor where he had been restrained moments before. The impact left a crater, cracks spider-webbing across the reinforced plating.

"Great," Alden muttered, rolling onto his feet. "It punches harder than Felix. That's just what I needed."

The experiment snapped its head toward him, its eyes glowing dim and hollow, like something was trying—and failing—to hold itself together.

Specter watched from the other side of the room, completely still. "Observe closely, Alden. This is what happens when Overclock isn't stable."

The failed subject charged again, arms distorting mid-motion. It was fast—too fast—and without full access to his power, Alden knew he couldn't keep up.

But he had to try.

Alden planted his foot and dodged left, barely slipping past the attack. He swung his fist on instinct, aiming for the subject's ribs.

The moment he connected—

Alden felt his Overclock misfire.

Instead of landing a clean hit, his arm glitched mid-strike. His muscles tightened unnaturally, his balance shifting at the last second. The failed experiment twisted, its unstable form distorting, and suddenly Alden's own energy wasn't responding correctly.

His Overclock wasn't just sluggish.

It was fighting against him.

Alden gasped, staggering back. "What—"

The experiment seized the opening.

A warped knee slammed into Alden's ribs, sending him flying backward. He crashed into the floor, pain exploding through his chest. His vision blurred for a second before snapping back into focus.

Specter tilted their head. "Interesting. You're rejecting it."

Alden coughed, rolling back onto his feet. "Rejecting what—getting beaten to death? Yeah, I'd say that's accurate."

The failed experiment convulsed violently, its own Overclock glitching in rapid bursts of energy. It clutched its head, letting out a distorted, inhuman scream, before locking its sights on Alden once more.

Alden's fingers clenched into fists. No more testing. No more playing defense.

He had to end this now.

His Overclock buzzed again, still unsteady—but he had an idea.

Instead of forcing it to work, what if he let it adapt naturally?

He took a breath, steadying himself. If Overclock was rewriting his body in real time, then he had to trust it to find the right answer.

The experiment lunged.

Alden didn't dodge this time.

Instead, he tilted his body at the last second, moving just enough to let the attack graze past him. The failed subject's warped fist brushed his shoulder—and in that split second, Alden felt it.

The instability. The way its power broke itself apart.

His Overclock analyzed it.

And then, something clicked.

Alden's body shifted. His Overclock synced just for a second—

And when the experiment threw its next attack—

Alden's own Overclock flared to match it.

He moved.

Not dodging. Not just reacting.

His fist slammed into the subject's chest—and instead of his power glitching, it adjusted.

A massive shockwave erupted, sending the failed experiment hurtling backward, crashing into the far wall.

For the first time, it stopped moving.

Alden exhaled, his chest rising and falling. His Overclock still felt unsteady, but for that brief moment, it had adapted.

Specter clapped, slow and deliberate. "Now that was unexpected."

Alden turned to them, glaring. "Oh, I'm sorry, were you expecting me to lose?"

"No," Specter replied. "I was expecting you to run."

Alden frowned. "What?"

Specter gestured to the failed experiment, still motionless against the wall. "That subject was programmed to force your power into instability. You should have collapsed like the others."

Alden's stomach twisted.

"So you set me up."

Specter's mask flickered with faint data streams. "It was a necessary test. And you passed."

Alden clenched his jaw. He wanted to hit something, but that probably wasn't a good idea.

Specter turned slightly. "However, that was only the first phase."

A cold chill ran down Alden's spine.

"What."

A low hiss filled the air.

Alden spun around—

The other containment pods were opening.

One.

Then two.

Then five more.

The failed subjects began waking up, their unstable bodies convulsing, energy flickering violently through them.

Specter's voice was calm.

"Let's see if you can pass the second test."

Alden's hands clenched, Overclock buzzing through his veins.

He was outnumbered. Outmatched. And his power was still unpredictable.

And yet—running wasn't an option.

The failed experiments launched at him.

And the fight began again.