Chapter 201
The war room of Adrian’s camp was dimly lit but thrumming with quiet power. Large screens flickered along the walls, displaying moving heat maps, camera feeds, energy levels — the very pulse of his operation.
He could see the main base in front, the emergency lock down alarm had stopped, no doubt the civilians had been allowed to leave their rooms again. Most of the members of operations there didn’t know about his little set up here.
Adrian stood in the center, arms behind his back, posture straight, gaze fixed on the tactical layout projected in midair before him. He was a man in control, and he liked it that way.
"North quadrant stabilized. Patrols rotating every twelve hours, per your command," one of his aides murmured, holding a data slate tightly as if it were a shield.
"Good," Adrian said, without looking at him. "What of the test subjects?"
"Containment remains stable. Zara is isolated in Sector D. Subject Winter, Sector F. And the child... Sector G, monitored with psychic dampeners. No anomalies reported."
Adrian allowed himself a slow, tight smile.
"Excellent. Finally, after months of watching the world devour itself in chaos, we hold the key to its salvation."
The aide hesitated.
"Sir?"
Adrian turned. "The child. You understand, don’t you? He’s the beginning. The first true bridge between power and purity. We harness that... and humanity wins. This? This is the start of a new age."