The halls of the Sanctuary echoed with screams.
Not ordinary screams. Pain twisted through them, sharp and uneven, rising high enough to make even the armed personnel outside the chamber shift uneasily. The sound carried through the sterile corridors like something breaking apart from the inside.
Inside the containment room, Hana convulsed against reinforced restraints, her body trembling violently as sedatives were pumped continuously into her system.
Monitors screamed warnings beside her. Neural activity beyond measurable limits.
Heart rate unstable. Brainwave output surging uncontrollably.
The Savior stood at the foot of the containment bed, his expression colder than the room around him.
"What is happening to her?"
A scientist near the console swallowed before answering. Unlike the others, this one didn't hid his fear well.
Charles.
Senior neurological specialist. "She's evolving," Charles said quickly, eyes moving between the readings and Hana herself. "The amount of raw Haikitium she absorbed triggered an uncontrolled adaptation process."
Another scream tore from Hana's throat. The lights above flickered.
Several scientists winced simultaneously, grabbing at their heads. Charles steadied himself against the console.
"Her abilities are expanding far beyond their original parameters," he continued. "What began as emotional perception has progressed into direct neural interaction."
The Savior's eyes narrowed.
"Explain."
Charles nodded rapidly.
"She's no longer simply reading emotions. She's reading thoughts. Influencing impulses. Overriding motor functions…" His voice lowered slightly. "Mind control among other developments." The room fell heavier.
"She's receiving neural feedback from everyone inside the base," Charles continued. "Thousands of signals at once. Thoughts, emotions, reactions—her brain is processing all of it simultaneously." He looked back toward Hana. "It's too much."
Another violent tremor ran through her body.
A nearby monitor shattered. The Savior stepped forward slightly.
"Solution." Charles hesitated.
Only briefly.
"There isn't one."
Silence followed.
The kind that made everyone else stop breathing for a second.
"We can only attempt stabilization," Charles said carefully. "If we introduce filtered Haikitium directly into her bloodstream, her body might adapt. It may develop a defense mechanism naturally."
"May?"
Charles nodded once. "Yes, sir."
The Savior stared at Hana for several seconds.
Then: "Do it."
The room moved instantly. Scientists rushed into position while mechanical injectors were prepared beside the containment bed. Tubes connected. Stabilizers engaged.
A pale silver-blue fluid began moving slowly through the line.
Filtered Haikitium.
Refined and controlled, at the very least stable.
The injection entered her bloodstream.
At first—
Nothing happened.
Then suddenly the monitors shifted. Wild fluctuations began slowing. Neural spikes dropped.
Heart rate stabilized. The screaming stopped. Silence filled the room so suddenly it felt unnatural.
Charles stared at the readings in disbelief.
"It's working…"
The Savior's eyes remained fixed on Hana.
"Wake her."
One of the scientists adjusted the sedation controls.
Moments later, Hana's eyes opened.
Instantly—
She frowned.
A small sound escaped her lips as her body tensed again, overwhelmed by the endless flood of thoughts surrounding her.
Then—
Something changed.
Her body began to shrink.
Several scientists stepped back instinctively as the transformation continued rapidly before their eyes. Her limbs shortened. Facial features softened. Her frame became smaller, younger.
Within seconds—
The woman restrained to the bed was gone.
In her place sat a little girl.
She blinked slowly, looking around the room with open curiosity.
Confused.
Almost innocent.
The Savior's expression hardened for the first time that night.
"What have you done?"
Charles checked the readings frantically.
Then stopped.
Shock replaced fear.
"…This is the defense mechanism."
The room quieted.
Charles looked back toward the Savior.
"In this state, her neural activity has dramatically reduced. She's essentially reverted into a simplified biological condition. Her powers are suppressed enough that she can no longer process the endless mental feedback surrounding her."
He glanced toward the girl again.
"She'll likely remain like this until her mind becomes capable of controlling the evolved abilities naturally."
The little girl looked around the room again, curious eyes lingering on unfamiliar faces.
Charles continued carefully.
"She'll only revert under two possible conditions. Extreme danger… or complete mastery over her evolved state. I also noticed this."
The Savior stared at the screen Charles now held out toward him.
The readings displayed there caused even him to pause.
"You said this outcome was almost impossible."
Charles nodded slowly. "It was."
A faint disbelief entered his own voice.
"But evolution changed everything. It gave her a chance." The Savior looked toward the child sitting quietly on the bed.
"But in this state?"
"Yes," Charles replied. "It shouldn't be biologically possible, but it buys us time. If we manage this correctly…"
He looked back at the readings.
"…the final outcome may exceed expectations."
The Savior remained silent for several moments. Then finally nodded once.
"Good."
His gaze shifted slightly.
"And the others?"
Charles' expression darkened again.
"We can attempt upgrades," he said carefully. "But survival rates will be extremely low."
He gestured toward Hana.
"She only survived because her brain was already capable of handling Haikitium to some extent. The others don't possess her neural tolerance."
A pause.
"They won't be as fortunate." The Savior absorbed that quietly.
Then:
"Do what you can."
Charles nodded immediately.
"Yes, sir."
The savior asks " in this state do her powers not work at all or they are just suppressed?
Charles replies " they do work but their effect is negligible. You can think of it like there's a big wall between her two states but as she learns to use her powers the wall would crumble creating a grey area so she'll be able to use her powers in this state and turn it off or suppress it in the other more mature state."
The savior asks " how long do you think it'll take for her to fully control her powers?
Charles replies " I can't answer that sorry all I can say is a long period of time. The signals she's receiving would run any other person mad."
The savior just looked at Hannah one more time before turning and leaving.
Behind them, the little girl sat silently on the bed, legs hanging slightly over the edge, her wide eyes wandering curiously across the room.
Completely harmless at first glance.
And that frightened them more than anything else.