Rinaldi hadn't stopped staring at her since he entered.
He didn't speak. He didn't move.
He watched her the way a man watches a machine that no longer obeys him.
Clara, sitting on the bed, felt his presence pressing against her skin. Every word he didn't say was a threat.
"What do you want from me now?"
Her voice came out hoarse, exhausted.
Rinaldi tilted his head slightly.
"I want to understand what you've become."
"I'm what you destroyed."
"No," he said calmly. "You're the best result I've ever achieved."
Her hands tightened into fists.
They trembled, not from fear, but from something rising inside her, slow and electric.
Rage.
It burned like current running through her veins.
Stay calm, Adrian's voice said in her head. Don't give him what he wants.
She didn't answer. Her eyes locked on Rinaldi's. He took a step closer.
"You know, Clara," he murmured, "the energy between you two… I've never seen anything like it. I can't tell if it's love or evolution."
She stood abruptly.
"Don't say his name."
"Oh, but you know he's still here, don't you? Inside you."
Her breath caught. Her lips parted, not to speak, not to shout. The words didn't form in her mouth. They formed in her mind.
Get out of here.
Rinaldi froze. One heartbeat. Two. Then, without a word, he turned, opened the door, and walked out.
He closed it behind him.
Clara didn't move. Her pulse thundered in her ears.
"What… what just happened?" she whispered.
You did, Adrian said. You commanded him.
"Me? That's impossible."
Clara, listen. The power is growing. My power, inside you. You can control it.
Her hand flew to her mouth. She was trembling.
Use it, Clara. Now. Get out. Before he comes back.
"No."
Clara…
"Not without you."
Silence. Then Adrian's voice softened, warm and close, almost human.
You'll find me, wherever he's keeping me. But first you have to leave. I'll guide you.
Clara's knees buckled. She grabbed the edge of the bed to steady herself, her breath ragged. Beneath the fear, something else was growing, fierce and alive.
She closed her eyes. And for a moment, she didn't see the room anymore.
She saw a corridor: long, dimly lit and at the end, a door slightly open.
Adrian's voice echoed in her mind, steady and near: Now you know what you can do. Don't be afraid. You're not alone anymore.