GENESIS: THE CATALYST

CHAPTER NINE

"When they break you, they don't shatter you all at once. It’s piece by piece, so you're left feeling whole, yet lost."
— Skylar, Genesis: The Catalyst

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Roselyn’s thoughts splintered with each attempt to make sense of where she was. A sharp pain tore through her mind every time she tried to hold on to a memory—each one slipping through her fingers like sand.

Faces blurred, names tangled, and words that should have been familiar danced just out of reach.

The restraints were cold against her skin, and the harsh light overhead flickered in time with her erratic pulse. She tried to remember something—anything—but the pain sliced deeper with every effort. It was as if her mind was being broken apart, deliberately shattered. She winced, fighting against the fog that clouded her thoughts.

"They’re always watching, always listening."
The phrase echoed in her head, but she couldn’t place who had said it or why.

Finally, the restraints clicked open, and hands gripped her arms, dragging her upright. Her legs felt unsteady as she was pulled forward, out of the suffocating brightness and into a darker, colder space. The walls were different here—rough, cement-like. The air was thick with the smell of damp concrete.

She stumbled into the room, blinking against the dim light. Two figures were already there, sitting against the far wall. A guy with tangled hair and a haunted expression glanced up at her first, his fingers flickering with faint sparks of electricity. Beside him, a girl stared at the floor, her sleeves singed and her face pale.

Roselyn swallowed, trying to push through the haze. She knew she should speak, say something—but the words felt stuck in her throat. Her head throbbed, making it harder to concentrate.

The guy —Lucas— was the first to break the silence, his voice low and rough. "They've never brought you here before." He didn’t ask; he just stated it, like he’d seen this happen too many times before. His eyes flickered toward the door, then back to her. "I’m Lucas. That’s Ariella."

Roselyn didn’t respond right away. The pain in her head flared up again, making her vision blur. Names... Names should mean something, she thought, but the connection wouldn’t form. She looked at them again, their tags were on their shirts — B-012 and B-004.

After a pause, Lucas continued, his voice quieter now. "They got me for... siphoning electricity from the main grid." He let out a breath, a bitter smile twitching at the corner of his mouth. "Guess I tapped into the wrong line."

Roselyn blinked, trying to piece together what he was saying. She could see the faint sparks between his fingers, like static that wouldn’t stop. She opened her mouth, but Ariella spoke before she could say anything.

"I... I lost control," Ariella whispered, her voice tight. She still wasn’t looking up. "Nearly set fire to an entire wing." Her shoulders trembled slightly. "Now... I’m here."

The weight of their words pressed down on Roselyn, but she couldn’t fully grasp it. She knew why she was here, though.

She had overheard them.

She had overheard Krane, Kane, and Elena. That memory was sharp—one of the few that hadn’t slipped away, though it felt like it was wrapped in thorns. Every time she tried to focus on it, the pain flared up again, forcing her to pull back.

She swallowed hard, trying to keep herself steady. Her body ached from whatever they had done to her, but the real damage was inside her head. She could feel the fragments of her mind, scattered and sharp, cutting her every time she tried to remember too much.