Chapter 6 - Power
The hallway stretched endlessly.
White lights. Cold walls. The distant hum of machines.
Sarah stood still, her breath uneven, her chest tight as if something invisible was pressing against her ribs.
Dr. Sanchel was gone.
No footsteps. No presence. Just gone.
Robert stood a few feet away, frozen. His mind struggled to catch up with what had just happened.
Then...
Beep.
Beep.
Beep.
The communicator in his hand lit up.
He answered immediately.
"Doctor Sanchel?" His voice trembled despite his effort to stay calm.
"Return to reception," Sanchel’s voice came through, flat and controlled. "You have work to do."
Robert swallowed. "But what about Doctor Wilfer?"
A pause.
Then...
"
Forget about her."
The words hit hard.
Robert’s grip tightened.
"Or would you like to go with her?"
Silence.
Robert could not answer.
"And one more thing," Sanchel added.
A brief pause.
"Do not call her Doctor anymore."
The line went dead.
Robert lowered the device slowly.
For a moment, he did not move.
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Then he turned.
Sarah was still there.
Still standing.
Still trying to hold herself together.
"I am sorry," he said quietly.
No response.
She did not look at him.
He waited, just for a second, then turned away.
And walked.
Each step felt heavier than the last.
Until he disappeared down the corridor.
Silence.
Complete.
Heavy.
Sarah’s hands trembled at her sides.
Her breathing became uneven.
"They just..." her voice cracked.
She forced the words out.
"They just threw me away..."
Her vision blurred.
Her chest tightened.
"Why...?"
No answer.
Her voice rose.
"Why!"
It echoed down the empty hallway
Louder.
Sharper.
"WHY!"
Her hands clenched.
"What am I supposed to do now!"
The sound hit the walls, then faded.
Leaving nothing behind.
She wiped her tears quickly.
"No..."
A breath in.
A breath out.
"I cannot fall apart now."
Her voice steadied, even if her hands did not.
"I am still a human."
She lifted her head.
"I will not stop. Not until I prove it."
She picked up her things.
Slowly.
Carefully.
As if forcing control back into her body.
Step by step, she walked down the hallway.
Not looking back.
Not stopping.
At the end of the corridor, she saw them.
Robert.
And Dr. Sanchel.
Robert avoided her eyes.
Sanchel did not.
He was watching her.
That same expression. Calm. Knowing.
Like he expected this.
Sarah looked at him for a moment.
Then closed her eyes.
A slow breath.
And she turned away.
Outside, the night air felt colder than it should.
The city stretched around her, quiet and distant.
"Well..." she muttered. "What now?"
Her fingers tightened around her bag.
"I still have some money."
She took out her phone.
"I can stay somewhere for now."
She scrolled.
Hotel listings. Prices. Distances.
Then...
"There."
A small one. Close. Cheap enough.
"Good."
For the first time since the hallway, something eased inside her.
Not relief.
Just... direction.
She started walking.
The streets were quiet.
Too quiet.
Streetlights flickered.
Her footsteps echoed faintly.
Then...
Thud.
She stumbled.
Her hand hit the ground.
Pain shot through her body.
"Wha...?"
Her breath caught.
Her stomach twisted.
Sharp. Sudden.
"No..."
Her eyes widened.
"It is too early..."
Her body trembled.
"It has not been twelve hours..."
Her breathing grew heavy.
"Why now...?"
Her legs weakened.
A voice cut through the dark.
"Hey."
She froze.
"Nice bag."
Another voice laughed.
"My girlfriend would love it."
"Hand it over"
Sarah turned slowly.
Two men.
Faces covered.
Knives in their hands.
Her pulse spiked.
"Stay back," she said, her voice shaking.
They stepped closer.
"Or what?"
She ran.
Fast.
As fast as she could.
Her body screamed in pain.
Her vision blurred.
Her breathing broke apart.
Behind her, footsteps.
Closing in.
But something felt wrong.
They were not catching up.
Not fully.
As if something was holding them back.
Dragging them.
Slowing them.
"Keep moving..."
She forced her legs forward.
"Do not stop..."
But her body gave in.
She collapsed.
Hard.
Her strength gone.
The men approached.
Slowly.
Carefully.
Then...
They stopped.
Something hit them.
Invisible.
Heavy.
They staggered.
Tried to move forward.
Could not.
Then...
Everything broke.
A pulse exploded outward from Sarah.
Silent.
Violent.
A deep purple wave spread through the street.
The air distorted.
The ground trembled.
The men gasped.
Their bodies locked.
Then dropped.
Lifeless.
No wounds.
No sound.
Just stillness.
Sarah lay unconscious.
The faint glow around her faded.
The street returned to silence.
High above, on a rooftop
Patient 17 watched.
Still.
Focused.
He raised his communicator.
Beep.
Beep.
Beep.
"Report," came the voice of Patient 15.
"It happened," he said.
A pause.
"She used it."
Silence.
Then...
"Good job."
Another pause.
"I am waiting for both of you."
The line ended.
Patient 17 lowered the device.
For a moment, he stood there, looking down at the street.
At Sarah.
Unmoving.
Then
He stepped back.
And disappeared.
